IMPROVE- MENTS IN INDIA-RUBBER SHACKLES AND IN SPRINGS FOR CARRIAGES, AND THE METAL FITTINGS CONNECTED THEREWITH
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Coles Fuller, of 2, Bucklersbury, Cheapside,
London, Patent Spring Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN INDIA-RUBBER SHACKLES AND IN SPRINGS FOR CARRIAGES, AND THE
METAL FITTINGS CONNECTED THEREWITH."
Sealed the 17th December 1859, and dated the 21st June 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Coles Fuller
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on;
the 21st June 1859.
1, WILLIAM COLES FULLER, of 2, Bucklersbury, Cheapside, London; Patent
Spring Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said. Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN INDIA-RUBBER SHACKLES AND IN SPRINGS FOR CARRIAGES,.
AND THE METAL FITTINGS CONNECTED THEREWITH," to be as follows:-
An improved mode of constructing shackles of india-rubber and canvas
or other fibrous material combined, so as to obtain the requisite strength
with a small amount of elasticity, together with neatness of finish; and
improvements upon the Inventions formerly patented. by me (Oct. 6th, 1852,
No. 260,) in the construction of the ironwork to be used with india-rubber or
other springs for carriages, by uniting the bolts. (or the mechanical equivalent
thereof) in the manner of a staple or other similar mechanical contrivance;
also an improved mode or impd modes of constructing axle plates, which may
be bolted firmly to the axle and yet preserve a free side motion by being
made in two parts, one working in the other.
To illustrate further the said improvements, I annex hereto Drawings of
3 forms of the shackles mentioned above, numbered 1, 2, and 3 on the

page_text: Drawing Drawing. They are intended to connect the ends of the steel
springs for suspending carriage bodies. The shapes may be slightly varied,
but the principle will be the same, viz., a combination of vulcanized india-
rubber with canvas or other fibrous material, made in moulds or otherwise,
to give the required shape..
As to the above-mentioned improvement in the construction of ironwork to
be used with india-rubber or other springs, I would refer to the Drawings
numbered 4, 5, and 6. A represents part of the frame of a cart, van, or other
carriage; B is an iron stay to maintain the axles in place. The stays will
be used with india-rubber springs, as shewn at Fig. 3, or spiral steel, as shewn
at G, Fig. 4. Fig. 5 represents an eliptic steel spring, connected at the ends
by two of the improved elastic shackles.
The construction of the axle plates is also shewn in Drawings Nos. 3 & 4.
D, D, is an axle plate on which the springs rest; it has a perpendicular
movement on the iron stay B. The improvement consists in enclosing the
middle part in a case of hard wood or metal E, bolted to the axle, allowing
free side motion to the vehicle. Fig. 3 is also provided with a front stay
to strengthen the perpendicular one.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Coles Fuller in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 21st December 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
COLES FULLER, of No. 2, Bucklersbury, Cheapside, London, Patent India-
rubber Spring Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-second year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant'
unto me, the said William Coles Fuller, Her special licence that I, the said
William Coles Fuller, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said William Coles Fuller, 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, au
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN INDIA-RUBBER SHACKLES AND SPRINGS FOR

page_text: CARRIAGES, AND THE METAL FITTINGS CONNECTED THEREWITH," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said William Coles Fuller, 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 William Coles Fuller, 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:—
My said improvements consist, firstly, in an improved mode of constructing
the shackles which connect the ends of steel springs with the scroll irons and
body of a carriage. Commonly these shackles are made of leather or of
metal, or in some cases of the two combined; and my improvement here
consists in substituting for them an improved elastic shackle of india-rubber
combined with webbing of cotton, 'flax, hemp, silk, or other suitable fibrous
compound, so as to secure sufficient strength; and the surface of these
shackles consist of vulcanised india-rubber finished in moulds, thereby giving
neatness of appearance and a slight amount of elasticity.
Fig. 1 represents an elastic shackle of the full size, shewn endways, and
Fig. 2 the same in perspective. a, a, are two metal sockets to receive the
Bolts; b, b, shew the cotton or other fibrous webbing wound round the
metal sockets in a continuous length, being first saturated with india-rubber
solution; c, c, represents the outer surface of vulcanised india-rubber, moulded
in metallic moulds. In most cases I prefer the shape something like a
figure eight, as shewn in Figs. 1 and 2, but occasionally it may be varied in
form, as shewn in Figs. 3 and 4.
:
Fig. 5 represents a section, and Fig. 6 a perspective view of another kind
of shackle, technically called a "round robin," chiefly used for broughams,
mail phaetons, and such like vehicles. In this case no sockets are required.
d, d, represents a sectional view of the outer surface of india-rubber, and e, e,
a continuous band or roll of fibrous material inserted in the body of the said
india-rubber, and the whole shaped in a metallic mould, as shewn in Fig. 6.
Fig. 7 represents a double eliptic steel spring, connected together at the
ends by the shackles above described in Figs. 1 and 2, the steel plates
being forged with open heads to receive the said shackles. The advantage
of using a spring made in this manner is, that the metallic connexion between

page_text: the axles and the body of a vehicle is entirely cut off, and the vibration
thereby lessened.
The next part of my Invention is shewn in Figures 8, 9, 10, and 11, and
consists in an improved mode of constructing the ironwork to be used in
connection with india-rubber or spiral steel springs. A, A, Fig. 8, represents
part of the framework of a cart, van, or other carriage; B, B, is an iron
stay, of the form of a staple, for keeping the wheels and axles in place. It
is made of best rounded bolt iron, or of strong iron tubing, and is firmly fixed
to the framework A by a plate and nuts and screws, as shewn. C, C, are
the springs of indian-rubber; D, D, represents an improved axle plate, which
consists of two metal castings, united together by a round wrought-iron con-
nection piece E; and the axle plates move freely on the parallel part of the
iron stay B, by means of the centre holes F, as shewn, Fig. 11. Fig. 10 is
a box, made of hard wood or metal, in two parts, with a circular hole cut
lengthways to fit the round iron connection piece E; the effect of this arrange-
ment is, that by bolting the box to the axle, as shewn in Fig. 9, a free lateral
motion is preserved in the body of a vehicle when passing over rough inequa-
lities in the road; Fig. 9 represents the same application of iron stay in
connexion with spiral steel springs instead of india-rubber, and is strengthened
by a cross stay iron G.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim, and desire to secure
by my Patent, is,―
(1st.) Shackles and robins of india-rubber with fibrous material combined,
and finished in moulds or otherwise.
(2nd.) An improved eliptic spring in combination with the elastic shackles
above described.
(3rdly.) The iron stays and axle plates for connecting carriages with the
axles, as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Coles Fuller, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of December, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight-hundred and fifty-nine.
Witness,
FREDERICK GARDINER.
W. C. FULLER. (L.S.)