IMPROVEMENTS IN THE SPRINGS OF HANSOM CABS
Year: 1884

page_text: TRUVIDIONAL
DIECIFICATIVA.
I, FREDERICK FORDER, of 4 Summerfield Road, Wolverhampton, in the County
of Stafford, Coach Builder, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for,
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE SPRINGS OF HANSOM CABS, to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object the employment, for hansom cabs, of side
springs having their forward parts shaped as the corresponding parts of ordinary
side springs, and their hinder parts shaped to form C-springs.
The side springs constructed according to this invention, for hansom cabs, are
built up and connected with the forward and backward stays, in the following
inanner: -The forward part of each spring is constructed as the half of an ordinary
side spring, and the hinder part is shaped to form a C-spring. The top lamination
or plate of the forward end of the spring passes for a shorter distance backwards of
the axle than the plate immediately below it, and each succeeding lower plate,
while it projects a less distance forwards, projects a greater distance back wards
than the plate immediately above it, and the hinder ends of the plates run out
beyond and behind one another around the inside of the curve forming the
C-shaped end, some of the lower plates of the forward and middle part of the
spring thus becoming upper plates around the hinder end as the curve there
sweeps over. The lowest plate of all passes around to, and forms the extreme or
inward point of, the C-shaped part: The reason for building the spring in this
manner is to allow for the reversal or alteration of the direction of pressure in
reference to the relative position of the plates, as they pass from the horizontal or
somewhat, horizontal direction into the curved-over form of the hinder end.
The body of the cab is hung to the front end of each spring by means of a link
or robbin (preferably of rubber, leather, or other material, having a slight degree of
elasticity) connecting the end of the spring with the front stay; and the body of
the cab is hung to the back end of each spring by means of a leather brace passing
around the curved end of the spring and looped around the back stay. If these
loops are hung down perpendicularly, or in a forward direction, then upon the
stopping or suddenly retarded motion of the cab, the wheels and axle with the
springs thereon will run forwards under the body of the cab, as both the links in
front and the loops behind will allow sufficient forward movement of themselves
for this to take place. To obviate this difficulty, therefore, the loops at the back are

page_text: slanted backwards to their connection with the back stays, and thus securely
prevent the wheels and axle from running forwards under the body of the cab. It
is by the adoption of this method of hanging the body to the braces at the back,
that I am enabled to use the links as the connections between the springs and
stays at the front, and thus secure the advantage which such connection gives in
allowing of a certain extent of endway motion and consequent free action of the
spring, in lieu of the jarring effect, and rigidity of the spring with consequent
liability to snap, which would be occasioned by joining the front ends of the
springs directly to the front stays, as would have to be done if the leather braces
hung otherwise than in a direction backwards to their connection with the back
stays.
By the employment of side springs, constructed and connected as above-described,
any cross-spring is, of course unnecessary.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I, FREDERICK FORDER, of 4 Summerfield Road, Wolverhampton in the County
of Stafford, coach builder, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for,
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE SPRINGS OF HANSOM CABS, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the accompanying drawing and the
letters of reference marked thereon, that is to say :—
This invention relates to the construction of the side springs of Hansom cabs,
and to the means by which the same support the bodies of the cabs.
The accompanying drawing shews as much of the cab in side elevation as is
necessary to fully illustrate the invention. A, A, is the body of the cab, and B, C,
the spring. The forward part B of the spring is constructed in the same manner as
the forward part of an ordinary open-ended side spring, and the hinder part C is
shaped to form a C-spring. D is the axle shewn in transverse section. The
top-plate or lamination a of the forward part of the spring extends a less distance
backward of the axle than the plate next below it, and cach succeeding plate or
lamination, while it projects a less distance forward, as shewn, extends a greater
distance backward than the plate next above it, and the hinder end of the plates
run out beyond and behind one another around the inside of the curve forming the
C-shaped end of the spring, as shewn at a¹ a¹ etc., some of the lower plates of the
forward end of the spring thus becoming upper plates around the hinder part of
the spring as the curve there sweeps over―Thus the bottoin plate 6 of the forward
part B of the spring becomes the longest plate of the part C, and forms the extreme
or inward point of the C-shaped part-It will readily be seen that this arrange-
ment of the plates will enable them all to take part in supporting the weight, as
the pressure of the body on both ends of the spring will tend to press the plates of
the spring together, which was not the case in former constructions of combined C
and side springs, as in such constructions the plates of the hinder or C-shaped part
have been made to stop short one beyond the other around the outside of the
curved part, shewing their ends on the outside of the curve instead of in the inside,
and thus the laminations of such curved part have tended to open from the
pressure of the weight-E is an ordinary side spring robbin, and the front stay F
is connected to the robbin, as shewn; or a link or shackle may of course be
employed, in the case of a rolled eye front end-G is the ordinary leather brace of
a C-spring, and extends from the ordinary pawl and ratchet connection J under
the bottom lamination and around the curved end of the spring; and the looped
end of this brace takes around the back stay H. The hinder end of the spring
is carried forward to such a point that the loop of the brace hangs, preferably,
vertically, as shewn, to obviate in a great measure the tendency which the wheels
and axle, with the springs thereon, would have to run forward upon the stopping
or sudden retardation of the vehicle, if the loops of the braces were hung slanting
forward in the usual way.
The hinder end of the C-spring may be carried so far forward, if desired, as to
cause the loop of the brace to incline somewhat backwards to its connection with
the back stay, in order to give still greater security against the tendency of the
wheels and springs to run forward under the body as described, but such inclination

page_text: of the brace causes a tendency of the laminations of the C-shaped part of the
spring to open somewhat, as the direction of the pressure is, in this case, slanting
backward upon the end of the spring instead of vertical-It is by keeping the loop
of the brace vertical (or inclined somewhat back wards) that I am enabled to employ
the robbin, link, or shackle, at the front end of the spring, and thus to secure the
advantage which such a means of connection to the stay gives in allowing a certain
degree or amount of extension and contraction and the consequent free action of
the spring, in lieu of the rigidity or stiffness due to the ordinary mode as formerly
employed in the case of two-wheeled vehicles, that is to say fixing the front end of
the spring to the back stay by means of a bolt through the front stay, and through
a rolled eye on the end of the spring, which mode was made necessary by the
employment of the loop of the brace slanting forward to its connection with the
back stay.
ccare clips which embrace the plates of the back part C of the spring.
The attachment J is constructed the same as that ordinarily employed with this
class of springs, and will need no further description.
In lieu of the brace G, a link or strap may be employed to connect the point d
of the C-spring with the back stay, in which case such link or strap will bang
vertically or be inclined somewhat backward, in the same manner as described for
the loop of the brace.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what
I claim is
1. In a side spring for a Hansom cab, the combination of an ordinary forward
open or rolled eye end connected by means of a robbin, link, or shackle, with the
front stay, with a C-shaped hinder end connected by means of a leather brace
looped vertically downwards to the back stay, or inclining somewhat backwards
thereto (or connected by means of a vertical or somewhat backwardly inclined link
or strap in lieu of such brace), substantially as and for the purpose herein described,
and shewn by the drawing herewith.
2. A side spring for a Hansom cab, composed of plates arranged substantially as
described, that is to say, having the upper and longest plate of the forward part
arranged to form the shortest plate of the hinder part, and each succeeding plate
projecting a less distance forward and a greater distance backward, and with the
hinder end of the plates running out beyond and behind one another around the
inside of the curve forming the C-shaped end, for the purpose stated.
3. In a side spring of the form herein described, the vertical or backwardly
inclined loop of the brace of such spring (or a corresponding vertical or
backwardly inclined link or strap in lieu of such brace), substantially as and for
the purpose herein described, and shewn by the drawing herewith.
4. In a side spring of the form herein described, carrying the extreme or inner
end of the C-shaped part forward, so that the brace (or link or strap in lieu of such
brace) hangs vertically, or inclined somewhat backwards, to its connection with the
back stay, substantially as and for the purpose herein described, and shewn by the
drawing herewith.