Improvements in Springs for Railway Rolling Stock, Road Vehicles and other purposes.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Oct., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 20th July, 1898-Accepted, 20th Aug., 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Springs for Railway Rolling Stock, Road Vehicles
and other purposes.
We, ISAAC WILSON LAWRENCE, of 12, Morley Road, Southport, in the County of
Lancaster, Brewer, and ALICE HIGHAM, Administratrix of Joseph Higham, deceased,
of 25, Field Street, Wigan, in the County of Lancaster, Widow of the said
Joseph Higham, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Mr. Higham in describing this invention, says,-The distinguishing features of
these improvements consist, firstly in their conformity to the true principles of
the arc, and secondly, in their means of support to such conformation, as will
enable them to sustain any reasonable excessive degree of load, force, or pressure,
with efficiency, according to their various and respective requirements.. The main
difference between the inventor's spring and the ordinary carriage or locomotive
spring is this, that while the ordinary spring is usually nearly straight or has a
single curve from one end to the other the inventor's spring is formed of two arcs
of circles or like curves intersecting each other at the centre at a considerable
angle so as to resemble the conventional drawing of a sea-bird hovering at a
distance, the salient angle formed by the two arcs facing the pressure or strain.
In other carriage springs too it is customary to have a bolt or key passed through
all the plates so as to keep them in place. By the present invention however the
salient angle of the lowest and shortest lap of the spring or blade rests in the
thrust block or other block and two side plates are attached to this block or formed
in one with it and to these side plates a second block with corresponding contour
to the spring surface is held in place by the side pieces and is secured up tightly
in place by a rivet, key or cotter, passing through both side plates and the block
between them, or may be connected with the axle box or spring rest by a spindle
fitting in a socket in said block. In the case of a draw-bar the latter can be
attached by a bolt or otherwise to the two side plates or encircle the body of the
spring in a loop with an angular or other bed fitting the base of the main block
The spring consequently is not weakened like other springs by the bolt passing
through its centre while the various plates are kept firmly together through their
angular bends being enclosed between two angular blocks. In applying the
spring to various uses slight modifications in the arrangement of the holding blocks
and of the ends of the spring will be required, the top member of the spring being
in some instances lugged and in other instances pressing against the buffer plate
or other article. Similarly the block in which the salient angle of the spring lies
may be used as a thrust block, its base being shouldered to occupy the ordinary
spring rest on the top of the axle box.
2000
.

page_text: Improvements in Springs for Railway Rolling Stock, Road Vehicles
and other purposes.
We, ISAAC WILSON LAWRENCE, of 12, Morley Road, Southport, in the County of
Lancaster, Brewer, and ALICE HIGHAM, Administratrix of Joseph Higham, deceased,
of 25, Field Street, Wigan, in the County of Lancaster, Widow of the said
Joseph Higham, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement:-
Mr. Higham in describing this invention, says, -The distinguishing features of
these improvements consist, firstly in their conformity to the true principles of
the arc, and secondly, in their means of support to such conformation, as will
enable them to sustain any reasonable excessive degree of load force or pressure
with efficiency according to their various and respective requirements. The main
difference between the inventor's spring and the ordinary carriage or locomotive
spring is this, that while the ordinary spring is usually nearly straight or has a
single curve from one end to the other, the inventor's spring is formed of two arcs
of circles or like curves intersecting each other at the centre at a considerable
angle so as to resemble the conventional drawing of a sea-bird hovering at a
distance, the salient angle formed by the two arcs facing the pressure or strain.
In other carriage springs too it is customary to have a bolt or key passed through
all the plates so as to keep them in place. By the present invention however the
salient angle of the lowest and shortest lap of the spring or blade rests in the
thrust block or other block and two side plates are attached to this block or formed
in one with it and to these side plates a second block with corresponding contour
to the spring surface is held in place by the side pieces and is secured up tightly
in place by a rivet, key or cotter, passing through both side plates and the block
between them, or may be connected with the axle box or spring rest by a spindle
fitting in a socket in said block. In the case of a draw-bar the latter can be
attached by a bolt or otherwise to the two side plates or encircle the body of the
spring in a loop with an angular or other bed fitting the base of the main block.
The spring consequently is not weakened like other springs by the bolt passing
through its centre, while the various plates are kept firmly together through their
angular bends being enclosed between two angular blocks.
It is best described by aid of the accompanying drawings, in which.
Figure 1 shows a locomotive or railway carriage spring,
Figure 2 an axle box spring for general purposes,
Figure 3 a carriage spring and
Figure 4 a buffer and draw bar spring for carriages or waggons.
a
In each of these it will be seen that the plates A are formed in two curves inter-
secting at the central axis of the spring and forming a point or angle B. C is a
bracket thrust block or saddle with side lugs or plates through which pin D is
passed and locked by head and nut or cotter as described, the bracket C has a
saddle fitting the angle of the plates, it can also have a socket for the axle box
bearing pin as in Figure 1 or bear directly on the axle box with
central steadying pin or projection on the axle box not shown but fitting.
in the hole E, or its side plates can be prolonged or it can have side plates bolted
to it and the pins or links G taking the strain can be formed by pins or bolts H
to it. II form the terminal bearings of the springs. The advantages of this
shape are several :-
1st. The plates are held together without the customary pins passing through
them, they are therefore much stronger.

page_text: 2nd. The central bearing has a firm bearing immovable on the spring.
3rd. The form of spring is much stronger as the plates taking the strain at
their salient angle act as an arch or pair of inverted rafters.
In applying the spring to various uses slight modifications in the arrangement
of the holding blocks and of the ends of the spring will be required, the top member
of the spring being in some instances lugged and in other instances pressing against
the buffer plate or other article. Similarly the block in which the salient angle
of the spring lies may be used as a thrust block, its base being shouldered to
occupy the ordinary spring rest on the top of the axle box.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:-
1. A spring formed in two concave curves meeting at a salient angle and carry-
ing the strain on the salient angle thus formed substantially as described.
2. The combination of a spring formed as two intersecting arcs and a bearing
block fitted to the salient angle formed by these arcs substantially as described.
3. The combination of a spring formed of one or more plates shaped as inter-
secting ares, a bearing block fitted to the salient angle formed by those arcs and
side plates attached to that bearing block.
4. The combination of a spring formed of one or more plates shaped as inter-
secting arcs, a bearing block fitted to the salient angle formed by those arcs, an
abutment held by these side plates and bearing on the re-entering angle of the
spring plates, whereby the spring plates are firmly held together without any bolt
or key passing through them.
5. The combination of one or more spring plates bent in two arcs meeting at
an angle, a bearing saddle at that angle, side plates attached to that saddle, a
piece holding the two side plates together on the opposite side of the spring to the
saddle, a link or links supported on such piece and carrying the load.
Dated this 10th day of July 1898
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Patent Agents, of Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham, & London.