IMPROVEMENTS IN SPRINGS APPLICABLE
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Vincent Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughts-
man, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SPRINGS APPLICABLE TO
Sealed the 29th-April 1856, and dated the 13th February 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Vincent Newton at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
13th February 1856.
I, ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN SPRINGS APPLICABLE TO
RAILROAD CARRIAGES AND TO OTHER USES, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to improvements on what is known as the volute
spring, made of a flat bar of steel bent in the manner of a watch spring, with
the coils close to sustain one another in the line of action of the power which
is applied in lines parallel with the axis of the spring.
It has been observed, that when such a spring is made by coiling up a flat
bar of equal thickness and width, the outer surface becomes concave and the
inner surface convex in the line of the cross section, so that the inner convex
surface of one coil fits into the outer concave surface of the coil next inside of

page_text: it, so that in the act of yielding, as the outer coils close in upon the inner coils,
the contact of the concave and convex surfaces prevents the free play of the
spring. To overcome this difficulty, the Inventor makes the spring, by coiling
up a tapering bar of steel, so that the narrowest end of the bar will form the
inner coil, and the widest end the outer coil, and so winding or coiling it
that the upper edge of the coils will be in one and the same plane, that is,
present a volutė, and the lower edge in a cone presenting a spiral. As the
spring is formed of a bar of steel which is gradually narrower from the
outer to the inner end of the coil, by increasing the taper of the bar the
spring can be made very delicate, so that the inner coils will yield readily to a
force which would not affect the outer coils where the bar is much wider, but
the inner end in this way becomes incapable of sustaining as great a force as
the outer coils could readily and safely sustain. This difficulty is avoided by
combining with the steel spring a conical block of vulcanized india-rubber,
placed under the spiral edge of the coiled spring. This india-rubber readily
yields, and presents but a slight resistance to the action of the spring when
bent by a slight force; but as the steel spring continues to yield under an
increasing force, the india-rubber becomes more dense, and sustains the weak
end of the steel spring, so as to enable it to resist as great a force as the
outer coils. By this combination a spring is formed which will yield to a
slight force, and will also resist a great pressure when required.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alfred Vincent Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 13th August 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALFRED
VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the nineteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Alfred Vincent Newton, Her special license that I, the said Alfred Vincent
Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Alfred Vincent Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all time
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might

page_text: make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN SPRINGS APPLICABLE TO RAILROAD CARRIAGES AND TO OTHER USES,"
being a communication from abroad, upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, by an instrument in writing under
my hand and seal, 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 Alfred Vincent Newton, do hereby
declare the nature of the 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 hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
This Invention, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, relates
to improvements on what is known as the volute spring, made of a flat bar of
steel, bent in the manner of a watch spring, with the coils close to sustain one
another in the line of action of the power which is applied in lines parallel
with the axis of the spring. When such a spring is made by coiling a bar of
equal breadth from end to end, and with the coils in contact, the application
of power to it in the direction of the axis causes the outer coil to yield first,
and the several coils in succession, the inner coil being the last to yield,
by reason of its being the most curved and of the least diameter. It has
been discovered, that when such a spring is made by coiling up a flat bar of
equal thickness and width, the outer surface becomes concave and the inner
surface convex in the line of the cross section, so that the inner convex
surface of one coil fits into the outer concave surface of the coil next inside
of it, so that in the act of yielding, as the outer coils close in upon the inner
coils, the contact of the concave and convex surfaces prevents the free play of
the spring.
Now, the object of the first part of this Invention is to overcome this
difficulty, and it consists in making such a spring by coiling up a tapering bar
of steel so that the narrowest end of the bar will form the inner coil, and the
widest end the outer coil, and so winding or coiling it that the upper edge of the
coils will be in one and the same plane, that is, present a volute, and the lower
edge in a cone presenting a spiral. By so tapering the bar, the inner coil will
yield first instead of the outer coil, and in yielding will decrease the diameter
of the coil, thereby relieving its outer surface from the inner surface of the
oil next outside of it, and so in succession to the outer coil. In this way

page_text: the several coils are relieved and can play freely, notwithstanding the surfaces
in the direction of the vertical cross section become concave and convex in
bending or coiling up the bar. As the spring is formed of a bar of steel
which is gradually narrower from the outer to the inner end of the coil, by
increasing the taper of the bar, the spring can be made very delicate, so that
the inner coils will yield readily to a force which would not affect the outer
coils where the bar is much wider, but the inner end in this way becomes
incapable of sustaining as great a force as the outer coils could readily and
safely sustain.
This difficulty is avoided by the second part of the Invention, which consists
in combining with a steel spring, of the form herein specified, a conical block
of vulcanized india-rubber or caoutchouc, placed under the spiral edge of the
coiled spring. The india-rubber readily yields and presents but a slight re-
sistance to the action of the spring when bent by a slight force, but as the steel
spring continues to yield under an increasing force, the india-rubber becomes
'more dense, and sustains the weak end of the steel spring, so as to enable it to
resist as great a force as the outer coils. By this combination a spring is
obtained which will yield to a slight force, and which will also sustain a great
pressure.
In the accompanying Drawing, Fig. 1 is a plan of the improved spring;
Fig. 2, a vertical section thereof; and Fig. 3, an elevation of the form of the
bars of steel from which such springs are formed. The same letters indicate
like parts in all the Figures.
a represents the coiled spring, made by rolling or coiling up a bar of steel
of equal thickness from end to end and tapering in width, the narrow end
being at the inside of the coil. A cylindrical plug b is fitted to the inside of
the inner coil, with a surrounding ledge c resting on the upper edge of the
inner coil; and the surface of the plug above the ledge is in the form of an
inverted cone, to act on the several coils in succession as the spring yields.
The lower edge of the outer coil is properly sustained in any suitable manner.
Within the conical cavity, formed by the spiral of the lower edge of the coils,
is placed a conical frustrum of vulcanized india-rubber d, with the upper end
in contact with the end of the plug b, and the conical surface nearly in contact
with the lower edge of the coil, so that as the steel coils yield, the edges
gradually come in contact with and are sustained by the block of india-rubber,
which yields with them, but which in yielding gradually increases in power of
resistance. In this way the india-rubber, which does not take from the
sensitiveness of the steel, at first sustains it, and enables the inner coils to
sustain as much pressure as the outer coils. The plug b and the india-

page_text: rubber frustrum may be held in line by a rod e passing through a central hole
in each.
Having now set forth the nature of the Invention of "Improvements in
Springs applicable to Railroad Carriages and to other Uses," as communicated
to me by my foreign correspondent, I wish it to be understood that under the
above in part recited Letters Patent I claim making volute springs (which
are wound or coiled up with the coils close, to sustain each other, as the force
is applied in a direction parallel with the axis) of bars of steel tapering in
width from the outer to the inner coil, when the said springs are so coiled that
the upper edge of all the coils is on the same plane, and the lower edge of
the several coils is in the line of a spiral, as herein described, and for the
purpose set forth; and I also claim combining with such a coiled spring a
conical frustrum of vulcanized india-rubber or caoutchouc placed within the
conical cavity formed by the spiral line of the lower edge of the coils, as herein
described, that the inner coils may be made sufficiently sensitive to yield to
slight forces, and be aided in resisting great forces by the gradually increasing
tensive force of the india-rubber as it is compressed by the successive coils
coming in contact with it, as set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Twelfth day of August, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
A. V. NEWTON (L.S.)