IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY CARRIAGE SPRINGS
Year: 1873

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Robert Lake at 'the.
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the;
1st March 1878.-A communication from abroad by Homan
Gardiner, of the City and State of New York, United States of
America.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co.,
Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY CARRIAGE
SPRINGS," a communication, to be as follows:-
-
The nature of this Invention consists :—
First. In combining with an india-rubber cylinder an external and
internal jacket, coating, or covering of wool, hair, felted cloth, or other'
similar fibrous material. This jacket, coating, or covering is designed to.
prevent the contact of the rubber with the inner surface of the metal box
in which the rubber is placed, and also to prevent the contact of tho
inner surface of the rubber cylinder with a spiral spring enclosed within
it. I thus keep the metal from chafing or granulating the rubber and-
destroying its elasticity, as would be the case if the surface of tho

page_text: WOOL OF LE DIO, O OF WOYO LADO SAO TO
the purpose. The said roll must be of sufficient length and diameter
when tightly rolled to fill the core or central part of the spiral spring
for the purpose of supporting it, at the same time, in consequence of the
formation of the said roll and its confinement within the core of the
spiral spring, it will act as a perpetual elastic force to assist in supporting
the load on the carriage.
In practising the said Invention I employ a metal barrel or box about
six inches in diameter at its ends to the depth of one to two inches as
required, and about six and one half inches in diameter at its middle part,
and of any suitable length according to the length of spring used. By
making the middle part of the said box of greater diameter than its
ends, the hollow cylinder of india-rubber is allowed to expand, and thus
when under pressure develop an easy and constant elastic force; and by
making the end of the box of a uniform diameter to the depth of one to
two inches the rubber is confined in a vertical position in the box, and at
the same time will act as a guide-way to keep the follower squarely on
the rubber and spiral spring, and thus overcome all tendency to break
down the springs at one side more than another. The said follower or
plunger has on one side a shank of metal upon which the spring is
supported on the carriage truck; and on the upper or inner side or face
it has a centre pin encircled by an inclined plane. A similar centre pin-
and inclined plane are also formed upon the inner face of the solid end
or top of the box. Inside the aforesaid box I place the hollow cylinder
of india-rubber about the same length as the box, and about one-quartèr
of an inch less in diameter than its ends. Upon the internal and
external sides of this india-rubber cylinder is secured the aforesaid.
jacket or covering of felted cloth, wool, hair, or other similar fabric, or
any material of a suitable nature. The spiral spring is made in the usual
manner and is of a length proportionate to the length of the box, and of.
such diameter as to fill the cavity of the rubber cylinder; its ends are:
centered upon the aforesaid centre pins and inclined planes, and it is thus
firmly held in a vertical position within the said box. In the core of
"
1

page_text: the spiral spring is inserted the aforesaid roll of felt, wool, or hair cloth,
or other similar fabric. This roll is made by taking a piece or pieces of
such cloth or fabric equal to the length of the spiral spring, and rolling
the same into a solid cylinder of sufficient diameter to fill the central
5 part of the spiral spring.