An Improved Attachment for Spiral Springs.
Year: 1896

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Attachment for Spiral Springs.
I, JAMES BROWN of 147 Elgin Street, Carlton, in the County of Bourke, and
Colony of Victoria, Hardware Dealer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
The object of my invention is to provide an improved attachment whereby the
ends of a spiral spring may be more economically and conveniently connected to
the articles to which they are attached. It has been the practice hitherto when a
spring in tension was connected between two points to bend the ends of the spring
in the form of a loop or hook. Or pieces of metal have been cast or burnt round
the spring ends or various other comparatively expensive methods or devices have
been adopted which were objectionable on account of their cost. The spring end
and its connections being in many cases more expensive in its formation than the
spring itself. But with my invention the labour involved is practically nil
since the spring ends require no preparation at all save the cutting off.
dressing flattening or bending of any description whatever is requisite and a
ragged end is immaterial.
No
My invention which is applicable to spiral helical or conical springs the coils
of which may be of any section consists in placing within the coils a length of
round, square, or
flat metal or wire (hereinafter called the wire) bent in a
special shape. A separate piece of wire is inserted for each end of the spring
so that if only one end of the spring wants connecting only one piece of wire is
required.
This wire may be bent in the form of the letter U and is passed right through
the inside of the spring the bottom of it (hereinafter called the tug hold) protruding
through one end of the spring and the top of each of the two legs being bent
outward and downwardly in the form of a hook (hereinafter called the leg hold).
Instead however of the tug hold being in the form of the bottom of a U it may be
made larger than the width of the two legs in which case it will not pass through
the inside of the spring and the wire is then entered into the spring leg hold end
first. If however the tug hold is of smaller diameter or width than the interior of
the spring the tug hold end is entered first.
As before said the two legs of the wire pass through the interior of the spring
from one end to the other. They also bear against the inside of the same and by
so doing considerably stiffen it without largely adding to its weight. The section
of the legs as also of the tug hold and tug leg hooks may vary dependent upon the
strain to which they may be subjected and as can be readily understood can be
easily designed to suit any special conditions which may he required. With an
ordinary spiral spring having a tug hold at each end no difficulty whatever is
experienced in entering the four legs into the spring and by making the tug bold
larger in diameter than the interior of the spring the attachment is practically
locked within the same. It can be removed however by compressing the spring
along the line of its axis so that the leg hooks are released. When this is done the

page_text: said hooks can be closed together by the fingers of the left hand and the attachment
drawn out of the spring by the right.
Dated this
dex of
190
R. J. URQUHART,
57, Barton Arcade, Manchester, and 5, Clayton Square, Liverpool,
Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent.
Springs.
I, JAMES BROWN of 147 Elgin Street, Carlton, in the Colony of Victoria,
Hardware Dealer, 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 :-
The object of my invention is to provide an improved attachment whereby
spiral springs may (without a hook or ring being formed on any portion of the
springs themselves) be more economically and conveniently connected to the
articles to which they are attached. The said attachment may also be adjustable
longitudinally. Hitherto it has frequently been the practice when a spring in
tension was connected between two points to bend the ends of the spring in the
form of a loop or hook. Or pieces of metal have been cast or burnt round the
spring ends or various other comparatively expensive methods or devices have
been adopted which were objectionable on account of their cost. But with my
invention the labour involved in making the end connections is practically nil
since the spring ends beyond the cutting off require no preparation at all. No
dressing flattening or bending of any description whatever is requisite on the
extreme end coils of the spring on which absolutely no labour whatever is spent
save for the cutting off.
My invention (which is applicable to spiral helical conical oblong or other
shaped springs, the metal forming which may be of any section) consists in placing
within the coils one or two lengths of metal bent in the middle and at the two
ends. Each length of metal (hereinafter called the attachment) is of any section
and can be adjusted if necessary in its length.
But in order that my invention may be better understood I will now refer to the
accompanying sheet of drawings which are to be taken as part of this specification
and read herewith.
Figure 1 represents an elevation of the attachment which may be entered into
the spring round end first. The legs are shewn as broken in the middle for the
convenience of drawing.
Figure 2 represents an elevation of a similar attachment with the bent portion in
the middle enlarged in diameter. In this case the entry of the attachment into
the spring is effected by closing the legs together with the right hand and
pushing the attachment in with the left. The spring is then slightly compressed
to permit the hooks on the ends of the legs to pass over the end coils. This
attachment is also broken in the middle for the convenience of illustration.
Figure 3 shews an attachment with the metal forming the rounded portion bent
in the shape of a ring. The legs pass through the interior of and over the end of
the spring and are then bent backwardly towards the ring and finally closed round
tue attachment near the said rings. For the reasons above described this
attachment is also broken in the middle.
Figure 4 shews an elevation and a plan of a form of hook or leg hold in which
instead of the jagged end of the metal protruding outside the spring and thereby
engaging with and probably tearing any article with which it might come into

page_text: contact the said end is bent upwardly and then downwardly and terminates finally
inside the spring instead of outside of it. The leg hold illustrated may be bent
on any one or more of my attachments and as shewn it is applied to a right hand
leg though it is of course applicable to the corresponding left hand one.
Figure 5 represents an elevation of an attachment with the legs stepped inwardly
to reduce the friction of the coils of the spring against the legs. There is also
connected to each divided leg a nut containing a right and left handed thread
whereby the length of the leg may be increased or diminished. This or a similar
nut may be connected wherever it is applicable to any of the designs shewn.
Figure 6 shews an elevation of a spring with the attachments in place. The
spring is ready for instant application and the hooks or end of the leg holds unlike
that shewn in Figure 4 terminates outside the spring.
Figures 7 and 8 represent two attachments applied to a spring having two sides
flattened. This class of spring is most especially applicable to trouser suspenders,
the leg holds being for this purpose preferably formed like that shewn in Figure 4.
Figure 9 represents on a reduced scale a perspective view of a spring as applied
to the closing of a door. As will be seen the tug hold of one attachment embraces
the end of a door bracket G whilst the corresponding tug hold on the other
attachment engages with an adjustable wire ring hold H. This ring hold may
have three or more rings I by which the tension of the spring can be adjusted.
Similar letters of reference indicate similar or corresponding parts where they
occur in the several views.
On further reference to the drawings it will be seen that A is the tug hold which
is formed by the bent or rounded portion of the attachment uniting the two legs B.
The said tug hold may either be composed of a half circle as shewn in Figure 1 an
enlarged portion of a circle as shewn in Figure 2 or the metal composing it may
be bent in the shape of a complete circle or ring as shewn in Figure 3 or elongated
as illustrated in the top attachment shewn in Figure 7. At the end of the legs
the metal forming them is bent over in the shape of a hook as C and hereinafter
called the hook or leg hold.
When the tug hold is shaped as shewn in Figure 1 the said tug hold (on the
attachment being placed as shewn in position in the spring E) is entered first. In
Figure 1 however the attachment is not locked within the spring but is liable to
pull out and this is obviated by enlarging the tug hold as shewn in Figure 2 in
which case the leg ends are entered first as before described.
With an ordinary spiral or two side flattened spring having a tug hold at each
end no difficulty whatever is experienced in entering the four legs into the spring.
By making the tug hold larger in diameter than the hole through the spring the
attachments when in position are practically locked within the same. Removal
however can be effected by compressing the spring along the line of its axis by
which operation the leg holds are released.
When this is done the legs can be closed together by the fingers of the left hand
and the attachments (one at a time) withdrawn from the spring by the right.
In Figure 3 is represented a way in which the hooks or leg holds may be extended
so that instead of being cut off as shewn in Figures 1 and 2 and 6 they are
elongated. The end of each outside leg is bound round or connected to the ring
on the tug hold.
The modification shewn in Figure 4 which is applicable to all the designs
represents the extreme end of the attachment (instead of dangerously protruding
outside the spring as shewn in Figure 6) is bent backwardly as over and into the
spring. The adjustment of the length of the legs is effected by nuts as drawn in
Figure 5.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1st. An imuroved attachment for spiral surings consisting of a length of metal

page_text: bent in its middle and at its two ends as and for the purposes hereinbefore described
and as illustrated in the drawings.
2nd. An improved attachment for spiral springs consisting of two legs as B
having leg holds as C for attachment to the spring and a circular or semi-circular
tug hold as A for connecting to one of the articles as and for the purposes
hereinbefore described and as illustrated in the drawings.
3rd. An improved attachment for spiral springs consisting of a tug hold as A,
two legs as B, and two leg holds as C which are bent backwardly and secured to
the ring forming the tug hold as and for the purposes hereinbefore described and
as illustrated in Figure 3.
4th. An improved attachment for spiral springs consisting of the combination of
two inwardly stepped divided legs having leg holds at the end thereof and united
by nuts as D having right and left handed threads, between which legs is a tug
hold as A as and for the purposes hereinbefore described and illustrated.
5th. An improved attachment for spiral springs consisting of the combination of
a spring as E having within its coils four divided or undivided stepped or unstepped
legs as B, leg holds as C, and two tug holds as A as and for the purposes
hereinbefore described and as illustrated in the drawings.
6th. In an improved attachment for spiral springs the whole of the combination
of parts as arranged and set forth upon Figures 7 and 8 of the accompanying
drawings.
7th. An improved attachment for spiral springs consisting of the combination
of a spring as E having within its coils four divided or undivided stepped or
unstepped legs as B, leg holds as C and two tug holds as A one of which engages
with a bracket as G and the other with an adjustable wire ring hold as H all as
and for the purposes herein before described and as illustrated in Figure 9 of the
drawings.
Deted this 10th day of
1000
R. J. URQUHART,
57, Barton Arcade, Manchester, and 6, Clayton Square, Liverpool,
Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent.