IMPROVEMENTS IN VUL- CANIZED INDIA-RUBBER SPRINGS FOR USE IN RAILWAY AND OTHER ENGINES, CARRIAGES, AND TRUCKS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES."
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Spencer, of No. 6, Cannon Street West,
London, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN VUL-
CANIZED INDIA-RUBBER SPRINGS FOR USE IN RAILWAY AND OTHER ENGINES,
CARRIAGES, AND TRUCKS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Spencer at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 18th
January 1866.
I, GEORGE SPENCER, of No. 6, Cannon Street West, London, Civil Engineer,
5 do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
VULCANIZED INDIA-RUBBER SPRINGS FOR USE IN RAILWAY AND OTHER ENGINES,
CARRIAGES, AND TRUCKS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
- My improvements in vulcanised india-rubber springs consist, 1st; in the use
of certain methods of confining the lateral expansion of cylinders of india-
rubber used as springs; and of limiting the amount of stroke to be used in
.such cylinders of india-rubber. I'mould one or more grooves in the outer
circumference of the cylinders of india-rubber to receive a ring or rings of
metal formed with a cup space or spaces of sufficient capacity, or nearly so; to
receive the india-rubber which is outside of the cup, or I place a cup plate at
the end or ends of the cylinder or ring of india-rubber for the same purpose;
or I in some cases use these two methods combined by placing cup plates ät
the ends, as well as the cup plates, which are carried by the grooves in the
outer circumference of the india-rubber cylinder, and in some cases where cup
plates are used I place a metal plate at each end of the cylinder, especially

page_text: in cases where a series of these cylinders is used to form a spring. Instead of
a groove in the outer circumference of the cylinder of india-rubber, I some-
times mould a projecting bead or beads on the india-rubber cylinder, and form
a groove in the inner edge of the cup plate or plates, so that it or they may be
retained in position; or dispense with the groove and bead and use the
cylinder with its outer circumferential surface plain, and in this case the con-
fining cup ring is made to fit the cylinder tight, and is so retained in position,
or it may be kept in place by inserting pins through the inside flange of the cup
plate into the india-rubber. The india-rubber may be made solid, or it may be
made with a hole through, cylindrical or not, to receive the rod as used in
buffers, and the bole may be of the same size as the rod or larger, and provided
with guide studs or projections on the plate forming a boss to retain the india-
rubber cylinder central with the rod. The cup plate may be made either
cylindrical or of any convenient shape to receive the india-rubber which is
outside the cup-space.
The chief object I have in view in this improved form of spring is to increase
the power of the first part of the stroke which I find unnecessarily limited in
the conical form of spring I have hitherto used.
2nd, in the use (combined with such method of confinement and limitation
of action) of metal wires embedded in such cylinders of india-rubber.
3rd, in the combination of confining rings, such as are known as Coleman's,
and patented by him on the 28th day of June 1852, (No. 14,198) with metal
wires embedded in cylinders of india-rubber to increase their resisting power,
as patented by S. Moulton on the 10th day of January 1861 (No. 62.).
These improved india-rubber springs may be used for any purpose when a
spring is required, such as buffer springs, draw springs, and bearing springs,
alone or in combination with steel springs for railway engines, trucks, and
carriages, or as body springs, between the under frame of carriages and the
body of carriages, as patented by George Attock, on the 31st day of August
1863, No. 2145, or as lifting springs attached to the chains or ropes of cranes
or lifts. The india-rubber may be of any of the kinds commonly used for
mechanical purposes, and called generally in the market vulcanised india-
rubber.
Although I prefer the cylindrical form of india-rubber, the cylindrical form
may be slightly departed from, and the cup plates and india-rubber may be of
a polygonal, or of a square, or oval, or other convenient form.
a

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Spencer in the Great Seal' Patent Office on the 17th
July 1866.
:
9.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
SPENCER, of No. 6, Cannon, Street West, London,. Civil Engineer, .send
.greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen, Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of January,, in the year, of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in. the twenty-ninth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said George Spencer, Her special licence that I, the said George
Spencer, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said George Spencer, 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, an Invention for "In-
PROVEMENTS IN VULCANIZED INDIA-RUBBER SPRINGS FOR USE IN RAILWAY, AND
OTHER ENGINES, CARRIAGES, AND TRUCKS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES," upon the
condition (amongst others), that I, the said George Spencer, 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 George Spencer, 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 Invention of improvements in vulcanized india-rubber springs consists,
1st, in the use of certain methods of confining the lateral expansion of
cylinders of india-rubber used as springs and of limiting the amount, of stroke
to be used in such cylinders of india-rubber. I mould one or more grooves in
the outer circumference of the cylinders of india-rubber, see Fig. 1A, and
Fig. 2a, to receive a ring or rings of metal, Fig. 1B, formed with a cup
space or spaces, Fig. 1C, of sufficient capacity or nearly so to receive the
india-rubber which is outside of the cup; or 1 place a cup plate at the end or

page_text: ends of the cylinder or ring of india-rubber for the same purpose as in Fig. 9;
or I in some cases use these two methods combined by placing cup plates at
the ends as well as the cup. plates which are, carried by the grooves in the
outer circumference of the india-rubber cylinders; and in some cases where
the cup plates are used I place a metal plate at each end of the cylinder,
especially in cases where a series of these cylinders is used to form a spring,
see Drawing. Instead, of a groove in the outer circumference of the cylinder
of india-rubber I sometimes mould a projecting bead or beads on the india-
rubber cylinder, see Fig. 3D, and form a groove in the inner edge of the
cup plate or plates, so that it or they may be retained in position; or I
dispense with the groove and bead and use the cylinder with its outer circum-
ferential surface plain, and in this case the confining coupling is made to fit
the cylinder tight, and is so retained in position, see Fig. 10, or it may be
kept in place by inserting pins through the inside flange of the cup plate into
the india-rubber. The india-rubber inay be made solid, see Fig. 7, or it may
be made with a hole through, cylindrical or not, see Figs. 2, 3, 4, & 5, to
receive the rod as used in buffers, and the hole may be of the same size as
the rod or larger, and provided with guide studs, see Fig. 3E, or projections
on the plate forming a boss to retain the india-rubber cylinder central with
the rod. The cup plate may be made either cylindrical or of any convenient
shape to receive the india-rubber which is outside the cup space.
The chief object I have in view in this improved form of spring is to increase
the power of the first part of the stroke which I find unnecessarily limited
in the conical form of spring I have hitherto used, see my two Patents,
No. 13,951, of Feby 2nd, 1852, and No. 1733, of July 22nd, 1853.
2nd, in the use (combined with such method of confinement and limitation
of action) of spiral metal wires embedded in such cylinders of india-rubber,
see Fig. 9.
3rd, in the combination of confining rings, such as are known as Coleman's,
and patented by him on June 28th, 1852, No. 14,193, with metal wires
embedded in cylinders of india-rubber, see Fig. 6, to increase their resisting
power, as patented by S. Moulton on Jany 10th, 1861, No. 62.
These improved india-rubber springs may be used for any purpose when a
spring is required, such as buffer springs, draw springs, and bearing springs,
alone or in combination with steel springs for railway engines, trucks, &
carriages, or as body springs between the under frame of carriages and the
body of carriages, as patented by George Attock on August 31st, 1863,
No. 2145, or as lifting springs attached to the chains or ropes of cranes or
lifts. The india-rubber may be of any of the kinds commonly used for

page_text: mechanical purposes, and called generally in the market vulcanized india-
rubber.
Although I prefer the cylindrical form of india-rubber, the cylindrical form
may be slightly departed from, and the cup plates and india-rubber may be of
a polygonal, or of a square, or oval, or other convenient form.
The annexed Drawing shows a section and plan of several forms of my
new springs.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Spencer, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
GEORGE SPENCER. (L.8.)