IMPROVEMENTS IN DRAFT VEHICLES
Year: 1884

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of the firm of A. M. and Wm. Clark, of
53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of. Patent
Agents, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
DRAFT VEHICLES" a communication to me from abroad by Thomas Hill of Jersey.
City, in the County of Hudson and State of New Jersey, United States of America,
Manufacturer to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the axles of draft vehicles of different kinds and the
spring devices which support the bodies of said vehicles, the same being adapted
either to light or heavy vehicles, including waggons, or carts whether drawn by
horse or propelled by hand, and employing either a cranked or straight axle.
Upon the ends of the body of the axle are erected, and secured by bolts, bearers
or boxes, which receive pivots or journals at the ends of a downwardly cranked
bar or bracket like bar sections upon which or to cross arms thereof the body of
the vehicle is secured. These boxes vary somewhat in shape, according as they
are applied to a straight or cranked axle, but in all cases the same are of a hollow
and close construction to encase or hold under cover within them springs upon
which, or upon bearings, carried thereby, the pivots of the cranked bar or bar
sectious rest, said pivots passing through a slot in the inner side of either box.
Said boxes may be closed at top by a screw or other cap whereby the springs are
protected and by the arrangement of parts horizontal jerking action of the body of
the vehicle is neutralized, and an easy up and down spring movement secured.
The weight of the body and its load as carried by the pivoted downwardly cranked
bar or bar sections is equalized on the springs. This downwardly cranked pivoted
support or carrier for the body of the vehicle may be made all in one piece
extending the whole width of the body of the vehicle, but it may be made in
sections, that is with the main central portion cut away, no matter whether the
axle be a straight or a cranked-one.
Projecting from either box on its outer side is a mud or dirt shield arranged to
overhang and more or less cover the inner portions of the arms or journals of the
axle. These shields serve to prevent dirt from being thrown or carried up on to
said arms and so reduce friction and wear of the arms or journals..

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of the firm of A. M. and Wm. Clark, of
53; Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of Patent
Agents, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
DRAFT VEHICLES" (a communication to me from abroad by Thomas Hill of Jersey
City in the County of Hudson and State of New Jersey, United States of America,
Manufacturer,) and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This Invention relates to the axles of draft vehicles of different kinds and the
spring devices which support the bodies of said vehicles the same being adapted
either to light or heavy vehicles including waggons or carts whether drawn by
horse or propelled by hand and employing either a cranked or straight axle.
The invention consists in certain constructions and combination of parts sub-
stantially as hereinafter described for neutralizing horizontal jerking action. of the
body of the vehicle, for providing an easy up and down movement of said body,
for equalizing the weight thrown upon the springs which carry the body, for giving
greater safety to said springs and protecting the occupants of the vehicle from
dangerous exposure to them, and for shielding the arms of the axle on which the
wheels rotate from obstruction and wear by dirt.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this
specification in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all
the figures.
Figure 1 represents a view in perspective of a cranked axle with the invention
applied Figure 2 is a partly sectional longitudinal elevation of a straight axle
with the invention applied and Figure 3 an elevation as seen from its inner side, of
one of the bearers with enclosed spring for supporting the vehicle body substan-
tially as hereinafter described.
A is the metal axle which may either be cranked, as at a, a, in Figure 1 or be
straight and in line with its arms a, a, upon which the wheels of the vehicle run.
Upon the ends of the body of the axle are erected and secured by bolts either as
shown in Figure 1, or as represented in Figure 2, the bearers or boxes B, B, which
receive the pivots or journals b at the ends of the downwardly cranked bar C or
bracket-like bar sections C, C, upon which, or to cross arms 8, 8, thereof, the
body D of the vehicle is secured. These boxes B, B, vary somewhat in shape
according as they are applied to a straight or cranked axle but in all cases the
same are of a hollow and close construction to encase or hold under cover within
them the springs d upon which or upon bearings e, carried thereby, the pivots 6 of
the cranked bar or bar sections C, C rest, said pivots passing through a slot fin
the inner side of either box.. Said boxes may be closed at top by a screw or other
cap g. Thus the springs d which may be of any suitable material and construction
are protected from injury.or from doing injury and by the arrangement of parts
shown horizontal jerking action of the body of the vehicle is neutralized and an
easy up and down spring movement secured.
The weight too of the body and its load as carried by the pivoted downwardly
cranked bar or bar sections C, C is equalized on the springs. In figure 1, this

page_text: downwardly cranked pivoted support or carrier C for the body of the vehicle is
shown as made all in one piece extending the whole width of the body of the
vehicle, but it may be made in sections C, C, that is with the main central portion
cut away as shown in Figure 2 no matter whether the axle A be a straight or
a cranked one.
Projecting from either box B on its outer side is a mud or dirt shield E arranged
to overhang and more or less cover the inner portions of the arms or journals a¹, a¹,
of the axle. These shields serve to prevent dirt from being thrown or carried up
on to said arms and so reduce friction and wear of the arms or. journals.
'
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1. The combination with the straight axle A and single or divided cranked
vehicle body support or carrier C having upper outer side pivots b of the hollow
close boxes B mounted upon the axle and constructed with slots in their inner
sidès for up and down movement of the pivots b, within or through them under
cover of the boxes, and the springs d arranged to work wholly within the boxes,
substantially as shown and described.
2. In combination with the axle and boxes containing the springs by which the
vehicle body is supported, the mud shields attached to said boxes and arranged to
overhang and partly enclose the inner end portions of the arms or journals of the
axle, substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.
Dated this 4th day of July 1885.
A. M. CLARK.
By A. M. & Wm Clark.