IMPROVEMENTS IN CARRIAGE SPRINGS AND IN THE MODE OF ADAPTING THE SAME TO WHEELED CARRIAGES
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Harry Finch Nicholl, of Brabant Court, in the
City of London, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
CARRIAGE SPRINGS AND IN THE MODE OF ADAPTING THE SAME TO WHEELED
CARRIAGES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Harry. Finch Nicholl at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 11th July 1873.
66
I, HARRY FINCH NICHOLL, of Brabant Court, in the City of London,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for IM-
PROVEMENTS IN CARRIAGE SPRINGS AND IN THE MODE OF ADAPTING THE SAME TO
WHEELED CARRIAGES," to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to obviate the unpleasant motion to
which carriages are subjected when mounted on the ordinary flat or
elliptic springs, and to construct and arrange the suspending springs of
carriages in such a manner that the draught will be much reduced and

page_text: the propulsion of the carriage materially assisted. To this end, instead
of using flat or elliptic springs, I use a compound curved spring con-
structed somewhat on the principle of the C spring, and consisting of
two or three springs connected together at their lower ends, while the
upper ends which diverge and are curved round are secured to any
convenient parts of the carriage framing. One of these springs or parts
of the compound spring is made with a long flat part, whereby it is
secured to the axletree at about midway of its length so that part of
the spring projects down behind the axletree in an inclined position.
By arranging the springs in this manner the downward pressure of the
load will have a tendency to push the carriage forward, and the jolting
or up-and-down motions to which the carriage will be subjected while
being drawn or propelled along a road will impart a series of impulses
to the axletrees and wheels, and still further assist in propelling the
carriage forward.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Harry Finch Nicholl in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 10th January 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HARRY
FINCH NICHOLL, of Brabant Court, in the City of London, Gentleman,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Harry Finch Nicholl, Her special licence
that I, the said Harry Finch Nicholl, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Harry Finch Nicholl, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend
within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CARRIAGE
SPRINGS AND IN THE MODE OF ADAPTING THE SAME TO WHEELED CARRIAGES," upon

page_text: the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Harry Finch Nicholl, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their; or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal
Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the
date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Harry Finch Nicholl, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, 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 Drawing here-
unto annexed and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to
say):-
The object of this Invention is to obviate the unpleasant motion to
which carriages are subjected when mounted on the ordinary flat or
elliptic springs, and to construct and arrange the suspending springs of
carriages in such a manner that the draught will be much reduced and
the propulsion of the carriage materially assisted. To this end instead
of using flat or elliptic springs I use a compound curved spring con-
structed somewhat on the principle of the C spring, and consisting of
two or three springs connected together at their lower ends, while the
upper ends which diverge and are curved round are secured to any
convenient parts of the carriage framing. One of these springs or parts
of the compound spring is made with a long flat part, whereby it is
secured to the axletree at about midway of its length so that part of the
spring projects down behind the axletree in an inclined position. By
arranging the springs in this manner the downward pressure of the load
will have a tendency to push the carriage forward, and the jolting or
up-and-down motions to which the carriage will be subjected while
being drawn or propelled along a road will impart a series of impulses
to the axletrees and wheels, and still further assist in propelling the
carriage forward.
In the accompanying Drawing I have shewn various forms of carriage

page_text: Fig. 1 represents a side elevation of a barouche or four-wheeled
carriage, to both the axletrees of which my improvements are adapted.
In order that the improved spring may be more easily seen the wheels
on one side of the carriage are removed and the axletrees are shewn in
section. a, a, are S springs attached by clips at about midway of their
length to the fore and hinder axletrees. They are set at an angle of
about forty-five degrees from a vertical line, and the front springs are
connected at their upper end by means of a shackle a³, a¹, to the under
side of the moveable fore carriage b, b, and at their lower end to other
springs c, c, the upper ends of which are also connected to the under
side of the moveable fore carriage. The hinder springs are constructed in
the same manner, but their upper ends are connected by shackles a¹ to
the body of the carriage. It will be evident that the vertical motion
of the carriage up and down (while travelling along a road) will have
a tendency to push forward the axletrees, and thus relieve the draught.
Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of a dog cart or two-wheeled carriage..
with my Invention adapted thereto. The spring a is fixed on the axle-
tree in the same manner as that shewn in Fig. 1, but the upper end is
connected by a double shackle b¹ to the body of the vehicle, while the
lower end of the spring is connected to a rigid iron stanchion d which
carries the back step.
It will be obvious that instead of making the stanchion d rigid as
shewn it may if desired be made of steel so as to give it a certain amount
of elasticity.
Fig. 3 represents a two-wheeled or "Hansom" cab in which the
spring a is connected by its upper or forward end to a double shackle b¹
attached to a rigid stanchion d fixed on the platform or frame of the
carriage, while the lower or hinder end is connected by a shackle to the
end of the ordinary flat or elliptic spring e.
Fig. 4 represents a modification of Fig. 3. The forward or upper ends a
of the springs a, Fig. 4, are connected to the body of the carriage in the
same way as in Fig. 3, but the lower or hinder part of the spring a is
jointed to the lower end of a curved spring c, which is attached by its
upper end to a rigid iron bar or other fixed part of the body of the
carriage.
Fig. 5 represents the binder part of a four-wheeled open carriage or
char à bancs, which is provided with the ordinary elliptic springs f, f.

page_text: In addition to these ordinary springs I have adapted to the carriage a
set of four small C springs g, each of about a quarter of a circle, the
lower ends of which springs are attached by clips to the back of the
axletrees, while the upper ends are connected by joints or shackles to
the under side of the body of the carriage, so that when the carriage is
in motion the tendency of the springs will be to push the carriage
forward.
Fig. 6 represents an end view of this modification of the Invention.
It will of course be understood that two of my improved springs are
adapted to each of the axletrees in all the Figures, and that the object of
the Invention is by the downward pressure of the load to impart a
forward impulse to the carriage when in motion.
Having now described my Invention of "Improvements in Carriage
Springs and in the Mode of Adapting the same to Wheeled Carriages,"
and having explained the manner of carrying the same into effect, I
claim as the Invention secured to me by Letters Patent as aforesaid,
constructing and combining carriage springs in the manner and for the
purpose herein set forth.
I also claim adapting the principal member of the springs to the axle-
tree or axletrees of the carriage in such a manner (as herein set forth)
that the downward pressure of the spring (as the carriage is moving
forwards) may have a tendency to press forward the carriage, as herein-
before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Harry Finch Nicholl, have hereunto
set my hand and scal, the Eighth day of January, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.
H. F. NICHOLL. (L.S.)