Improvements in Coiled Springs.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 8th June, 1889-Accepted, 13th July, 1889
Improvements in Coiled Springs.
I ILLIUS AUGUSTUS TIMMIS of No. 2 Great George Street, Westminster London
S.W. Civil Engineer, 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 objects of my Invention are to give a maximum of power and range with a
minimum of weight and to provide for side strains as in the case of central Buffer
springs.
My previous patents Nos. 33257 and 831 deal with various unequal sections of
steel for coiled springs but I find that the sections there specified and those that I have
made can be very much improved and also that the principle of the arch can be much
more widely and effectively used than 1 then imagined.
With these objects in view I roll steel bars of various sections and coil them into
spiral or volute springs as follows:-
Spiral springs-helical or conical-1 roll the bars so that there are two or more
thick parts and by preference, these parts are not in the same plane in the cross
section of the springs. Figs. 1 to 10. give examples of some of these sections.
In figs. 2. 3. and 5 the thick parts are in the same plane. Fig. 8 gives an
example of one of the above named sections (fig. 7) coiled up and fig. 9 is the
same spring when pressed home.
There are three principles involved in these sections (and there may be a great
many more sections rolled than those I have given above which would embody or
carry out the same principles but I claim all such like sections).
a being the thickest
The first principle is that there are two thick parts a and b.
part in conjunction with curves c, there may be more than two thick parts see fig. 4.
The second principle is that one thick part is thicker than the other and thus
the thick parts a, a as is shown figs. 9 and 10 come together when the spring is
pressed home while the parts b, b do not come home and thus are not subjected
to any impact shock. This preserves the life of the spring.
Fig. 10 shows another variation the inner parts b, bare not home and the outer
parts a, a are home, but these outer parts may be protected by thin webs see
Fig. 1 or by a third outer part Fig. 4.
The third principle is that by placing the various thick parts as in figs. 1. 4.
6 8 and 9 in different planes great additional strength is given.
Any or either or all of these principles are new and I claim the use of them separately
or together in any variation.
I roll the bars of steel preferably so that, after coiling, the parts which come
in contact when the springs are driven home are parallel and thus have a proper
All the other figures show the
bearing one on the other (see fig. 7 before coiling).
sections after coiling.
The thick parts a or borr may have grooves (one or more) of any size rolled in
them see figs. 2. 3. 4 and 6 as illustrations.
These springs are coiled helically as at figs. 8 and 9 or conically as at fig. 10. The
grooves g, g may be dispensed with.
Volute springs-I roll the flat bars that are used to make volute springs (in
contradistinction to what are known as conical volute springs, though in reality
" volutes" are "conical volutes") with one flanged edge as at fig. 13 or with two
These edges or webs
flanged edges (which I prefer) as at figs. 11, 15 and 16.
may be at any convenient angle see figs. 12 and 13 and of any width and thick-
ness that is found convenient.. These webs enable me to get an increased angle
of pitch. Of course the thickness of the web or webs decreases the range but I

page_text: find that they so increase the pitch angle that I get more range. than with ar
ordinary volute and the power is enormously increased with the same weight of
steel and further I find that the coils keep clear of each other and thereby I do
away with friction which is an immense advantage.
The main bar may have a groove g (or more than one in it see figs. 11. 12
and 14) and the groove may be on one or both sides. Or the bar
corrugated in any direction vertically, longitudinally or diagonally and the grooves
may be
may be in any direction.
The thickness and width of the webs may be varied but I prefer to make them
so that if two are used they are the same thickness after coiling and I prefer to
make the inner web narrower than the outer one.
Fig. 15 shows a spring before compression.
Fig. 16 shows it compressed home.
A spring made from a bar as at fig. 12 presses home so that all the top and bottom
edges are in the same planes.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I delaro that what I
claim is :-
First-The manufacture of steel spiral springs, holical or conical, from bars which
after coiling have two or more thick parts substantially as and for the purposes herein-
before described.
Secondly-The manufacture of steel spiral springs helical or conical, from bars
which after coiling have two or more thick parts one part only being in contact with
the next coil or coils when pressed home substantially as and for the purposes herein-
before described. .
Thirdly-The manufacture of steel spiral springs helical or conical from bars which
after coiling have two or more thick parts and which are not all of them in the same
plane substantially as and for the purposes herein before described.
:-
Fourthly The manufacture of steel volute springs from bars which after coiling
have one or two flanges or webs at any suitable angle substantially as and for the
purposes hereinbefore.described.
Fifthly: The manufacture of steel volute springs from bars which after coiling are
grooved or corrugated at any angle substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore
described.
Dated this 8th day of June 1889