NEW AND USEFUL IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONICAL- COILED STEEL RAILROAD CAR SPRING, AND ALSO OF NEW AND USEFUL MACHINERY FOR PREPARING, COILING, AND CONVERTING STEEL PLATES OR BARS INTO SUCH SPRINGS, AND FOR TESTING AND MEASURING THE STRENGTH OP SUCH SPRINGS
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Perry G. Gardiner, of the City, County, and State
of New York, in the United States of America, Mechanical Engineer,
for the Invention of "NEW AND USEFUL IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONICAL-
COILED STEEL RAILROAD CAR SPRING, AND ALSO OF NEW AND USEFUL
MACHINERY FOR PREPARING, COILING, AND CONVERTING STEEL PLATES OR
BARS INTO SUCH SPRINGS, AND FOR TESTING AND MEASURING THE STRENGTH
OP SUCH SPRINGS."
Sealed the 16th February 1858, and dated the 3rd September 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Perry G. Gardiner at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
3rd September 1857.
I, PERRY G. GARDINER, of the City, County, and State of New York, in the
United States of America, Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "NEW AND USEFUL IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONICAL-
COILED STEEL RAILROAD CAR SPRING, AND ALSO OF NEW AND USEFUL MACHINERY
FOR PREPARING, COILING, AND CONVERTING STEEL PLATES OR BARS INTO SUCH
SPRINGS, AND FOR TESTING AND MEASURING THE STRENGTH OF SUCH SPRINGS," to
be as follows:
This Invention relates firstly to the shearing of steel plates into strips of
suitable shape for forming conical-coiled springs. For this purpose
an ordinary shearing machine, but with improvements applied thereto
A

page_text: which will render it more efficient than heretofore. Bolted to the bed plate
of the machine is a solid plate or bracket, which is capable of being adjusted
by regulating screws; this plate carries the lower or fixed shear or cutter,
the moveable one being carried by a vertical slide, and it is by the regulating
screws that the lower cutter is moved up and kept in position as the moveable
shear wears away. Attached to the middle of the front face of the bracket
plate is a table, upon the surface of which an adjustable guide bar is fixed by
means of thumbscrews working in slots in the table. A table similar to
that just described is attached to the bed plate, and is likewise provided with
a moveable guide bar or plate, capable of being adjusted and fixed at any
desired position upon the table by means of thumbscrews; above this table
a lever clamp is mounted, which when set in action grips the steel plate
between it and the table, and holds it fast while a strip is being cut by the
shears. In order to cut the ends to the required angle to make, when the
strip is coiled, square ends, the strip is removed to the first-mentioned table
and presented by means of the guide bar at a suitable angle to the shears.
In order to crease the steel plate across its face near the end to allow of its
bending in the coiling machine without the fibre breaking, the steel is passed
between a pair of pressing rollers, one of which has a V-shaped edge. The
steel is brought up to these rollers by a travelling carriage which runs on
rails and is provided with a stop plate to keep the steel in position.. A gauge
projecting from the frame which carries the rollers determines the exact
position of the crease or indent to be made by the V-edged roller on the strip
of steel.
My improvements in relation to the coiling of the strips of steel relate to
the construction of a mandril and spiral cone together, and connecting and
combining this instrument with feed, pressure, guide, and other machinery,
in such a manner that by the revolution of the mandril and cone, and the
operation of other parts of the machinery, a steel plate of the proper
dimensions shall, by continuous movement of the machine, be converted into
a regularly shaped conical coil, having equal spaces preserved between the
different coils throughout, and having also an even bore and apex, so as that it
can be formed by annealing and tempering into a spring. The mandril and
spirally cut cone are made in separate pieces, the cone sliding on and off the
'mandril as required for the purpose of taking off the coil when finished. The
mandril is held as in a lathe, between a sliding and an adjustable spindle; the
sliding spindle has a feather, and works in a hollow driving shaft, which
receives motion from spur wheels which are thrown in and out of action by
a lever and spring clutch arrangement. The spiral cone has upon its inner

page_text: surface a slot to fit a feather upon the mandril which hold the two fast, united
into one when in operation. The straight part of the mandril is an excentric,
it has a slot which begins at the point where the spiral cone begins to form,
and runs straight off to the opposite end of the mandril. One side of this
slot is higher than the other by a difference equal to the thickness of the
plate of steel of which the spring is to be made, and the side of the slot
opposite to the highest side is slightly thrown back at the lower part, so that
the slot presents on this side a slightly inclined face, and is thus made to
present an edge which fits and catches into a crease made upon the upper
surface of the steel plate, near the end, and thereby holds the plate firmly in
the mandril while it is coiled.
When the coil is finished, the mandril and cone are removed from their
place, and the coil adheres to them, and the coil is removed from the mandril
by a separate machine, which at the same time that it removes the mandril
also separates the cone from the mandril, and either turns back the small
portion of the steel plate which was held in the slot or breaks it off, so that
it does not project into the centre of the coil. A sliding frame situated in
front of the mandril and mounted in suitable slides attached to the main
framing carries at its lower end a nut which embraces a horizontal screw
shaft; this shaft receives rotary motion from the main driving shaft, and thus
a progressive motion is communicated to the sliding frame. Attached to this
frame is a table, so arranged that it may turn up from a horizontal position to
one considerably inclined, for the purpose of keeping the steel plate which is
to be placed thereon at a proper inclination, as it is drawn in upon the cone ;
upon the table are mounted guide rollers for conducting the steel plate to the
cone. Jointed to the sliding frame are two arms, the free ends of which
embrace the shaft of a pressing roller which lies immediately under the
mandril, and besides receiving an endway motion from the sliding frame is
free to move up and down with its bearings, which are connected together by
a brace, and are capable of sliding up or down in suitable recesses in adjacent
fixed frames. A screw spindle, firmly attached to this brace, communicates
an up or down motion to the roller, and thereby enables that roller to keep
the steel strip in contact with the cone mandril while the coiling operation
is proceeding. When this is effected, the spring clutch, by a self-acting
arrangement, is thrown out of action, and the operation of the machine is
immediately suspended.
For disengaging the cone mandril from the conical coil of steel adhering
thereto I adopt the following contrivance:-To the lower end of a vertical
screw shaft, which works freely through a bevil wheel (and by the rotation of

page_text: which it receives an endway motion), the disengagement tool is fixed. This
tool is of the exact diameter of the straight part of the mandril upon which
it is to act, and is of a similar external shape, with the mandril in reverse. At
the bottom of the tool is a circular recess to fit the end of the mandril, and
upon the side of the tool a groove or slot runs straight and vertical a distance
equal to the length of the slot in the mandril, and from this point the slot
gradually inclines from a perpendicular line. Below the tool is a platform
or rest, having an opening in the middle; this opening is circular at its
throat, which is directly under the centre of the disengaging tool. A moveable
plate forms the top of the platform and is capable of being drawn in or out;
the semicircular part of this moveable plate is raised by a rim slightly above
the surface of the platform, and it has a back piece through which passes a
screw for adjusting its position, and through it the position of the cone
mandril which is to be placed upon it. A guard and guide for holding
straight the mandril and disengaging tool is provided, it being carried by a
vertical screw, by which it is moved up or down as required. The cone
mandril, with the coil attached, immediately on being removed from the
coiling machine is set perpendicularly in the semicircular space of the
platform, the base of the cone resting upon the adjustable plate, and the
mandril and cone must be always so placed that the slot in the mandril will
be exactly in line with the straight part of the slot in the disengaging tool.
The tool is now forced downwards by setting the driving gear in action, and
the straight part of the mandril is forced through the cone in a straight line
until the slot is cleared of the steel plate, when that part of the steel plate
which was in the slot of the mandril meets the inclined part of the slot of
the disengaging tool, and by this inclined part is either turned back out of
the centre of the coil or is broken off.
For testing the coiled springs, when tempered, I subject them to pressure
between a plunger and an adjustable stop, the upper end of which forms a
support for a knife edge of a balance beam. The knife edge on the short
limb of this beam enters and bears against retaining rings, and from the
other limb of the beam a scale platform is suspended. The plunger is
worked by a toggle joint, it being guided in its movements by working
through a platform which carries the spring to be operated upon. The space
between the plunger and the stop is determined by a hollow screw, through
which the stop passes, the distance being regulated to suit the size and
weight of the spring. Rotary motion being given to the crank shaft to
which the connecting rod of the toggle joint is attached, the toggle will be
caused to straighten, and thereby force up the plunger; the spring will thus

page_text: be thrown upwards against the stop, and forcing it up, it will cause the stop
to lift the weighted beam. By this means it will be seen whether the spring
will bear the required pressure, and its power may at the same time be
accurately tested.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Perry G. Gardiner in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 3rd March 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, PERRY
GREEN GARDINER, of the City, County, and State of New York, in the United
States of America, Mechanical Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Third day of September, A.D. Eighteen hundred
and fifty-seven, in the twenty-first year of Her reign, did, for Herself,
Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said Perry Green
Gardiner, Her special licence that I, the said Perry Green Gardiner, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Perry
Green Gardiner, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 the Isle of Man, an Invention of "NEW
AND USEFUL IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONICAL-COILED STEEL RAILROAD CAR SPRING,
AND ALSO OF NEW AND USEFUL MACHINERY FOR PREPARING, COILING, AND
CONVERTING STEEL PLATES OR BARS INTO SUCH SPRINGS, AND FOR TESTING AND
MEASURING THE STRENGTH OF SUCH SPRINGS," upon the condition (among others)
that I, the said Perry Green Gardiner, 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 Perry Green Gardiner, 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 (that is to say):-
:-
First. In the manufacture of my improved car spring, a thin narrow steel
plate is used of sufficient length to form the coil in one piece. In order to

page_text: form the base and apex or upper surface of the spring, so as that when the
conical coil is finished the base and top will present a flat and even surface;
and these parallel to each other, it is necessary that a piece should be cut
angularly from the sides of the plate which form the lower and upper portion
of the coil, the part of the plate forming the base or lower coil requiring
a piece to be taken off equal in length to the length of the last or lower coil,
and graduated in width exactly in proportion to the rise or pitch of the cone;
and the part of the plate forming the upper or first coil must have a piece
taken off in length equal to the length or circumference of this coil, and in
width proportioned to its pitch or rise upon the cone. The end of the plate
requires also to be cut true and straight, so as to fit into the slot in the
mandril at the right angle. It is for cutting these plates accurately and
regulating the angle at which the pieces are to be cut off, and adjusting and
holding the plates securely, that the first part of my improvements are
devised. The plates are cut or sheared when cold, and they must be cut with
facility and rapidity in order to afford a supply for the coiling machines. To
effect this a very powerful shearing machine is required, and I proceed to
describe the machine itself in connection with my improvements and Inven-
tion, although I make no claim to the shears as such, or the mechanical
means by which they are put in motion.
In the accompanying Drawings, Sheet I., Fig. I., represents a front view of
the machine & of my improvements; Fig. II., a cross vertical section of the
same. A is a strong frame secured to the bed plate B, and provided with
suitable bearings a, a, for the eccentric shaft C to run in, and with a bearing b
for the end of the driving shaft D. The other end of this driving shaft is
supported in the bearing attached to the frame E. Upon this driving shaft
are placed the fast and loose pulleys N, N¹, for communicating motion to the
machine or releasing it, and at the end of the shaft is the regulating fly-
wheel F. G is a pinion fast on the other end of shaft D, which gears into
the wheel H on the shaft C. K is a solid plate or slide moving vertically
between slides n, n', which are carefully fitted to the frame A so as to allow
the slide to move freely; L, L, are blocks fitted into the slide K, and upon
the eccentrics p, p, which are fast on the shaft C, and through which motion
is communicated to the slide K; M is a solid plate or bracket attached to
the bed plate B by bolts ġ passing through slotted openings in M, and
capable of being regulated or adjusted by means of the set screws h, h. To
the lower end of the shearing slide K is fixed a steel cutter f, which acts in
connection with the corresponding lower steel cutter d, attached to the
bracket plate M, which rests upon the bed plate, but which is adjustable

page_text: through the slots above mentioned, so as to be brought nearer to the cutter f
as the cutters wear away. The cutting edges of f and d are set to an acute
angle from end to end, so that in the process of shearing the action upon the
plate between them is gradual. P is a table having a smooth flat surface,
and is attached to the middle of the front face of the bracket plate M, and
has upon its upper surface a moveable guide bar or plate q, which is capable
of being firmly adjusted to the table in any desired position by means of the
thumbscrews v, v, working in slots in the table; R is a table similar to that
just described, and is attached at one side of the machine to the bed plate B,
and is likewise provided with a moveable guide bar or plate r, capable of
being adjusted and fixed at any desired position upon the surface of the table
by means of the thumbscrews W, W; S is a lever working upon a center x,
firmly fixed to the frame A above the table R. The lower end of this lever
has a circular form, and is flattened and is made an eccentric, so that when
the handle of the lever is pressed downwards the eccentric part of the leve
will catch the steel plate between it and the surface of the table R, and hold
the plate steady while the shears are acting upon it; m³ is an adjustable stop
or plate for resting the end of the steel plate against at the required point,
which regulates the length of the strip to be cut off; it is fixed to the bracket
plate M, and is adjustable by means of a screw; T is an upright plate having
two sides forming a right angle, one of which sides is fixed to the end of the
bracket M by two screws t, t, passing through horizontal slots in the upright
plate, the other of which sides fronts the shears and also m', so that by
moving the plate in or out upon the slots of the screws t, t, the distance
between the screws and the face of the plate towards them will be lesser or
greater. When the steel plates are to be cut for coiling, and the machine
operated, the stop m is adjusted so as to bring the end of the steel plate when
placed in the shears (when open) at the right position for the length of the
strip to be cut off, and the plate T is adjusted at such a distance from the
cutting edges of the shears as will regulate the width of the strip to be cut
off at the beginning of the cut, and the guide bar r is adjusted upon its table
so that upon the steel plate being pressed against it, it will, in connection
with m¹ and T, bring the steel plate between the shears so as to cut the strip
off at the exact width, length, and angle required. The lever S is then
brought quickly down upon the steel plate, and it is thus held firmly and
accurately for the shears to operate upon it, and the steel plates are thus all
cut accurately and rapidly without being heated. When the end of the plate
is to be cut off, the table P and guide bar q is used.
Second. In manufacturing the springs, the flat steel bar of which they are

page_text: composed has to be creased or indented near the end which is first coiled.
This end of the steel plate is inserted into a slot or groove in the mandril
used in the coiling machine (hereafter described) by which it is held fast while
being coiled upon the cone. The first turn of the mandril turns the end of
the plate to a very square bend, almost to a right angle; and it is to prevent
the steel plate breaking, and also to hold it fast upon the edge of the slot,
that the crease or indentation is made; were it not for the crease the plate
would either slip out or break short off, and it has been found that cutting or
filing a groove, or breaking the fibre of the steel, will not answer, as it causes
the plate to break off at the first turn of the mandril. I have therefore
constructed and invented this part of the machinery for indenting or pressing
down into a crease the surface of the steel plate across its face near the end
without breaking the fibre or cutting it, the construction and operation of
which is as follows:-
In Drawing, Sheet I., Fig. III., represents a side elevation; Fig. IV.
represents an end elevation; Fig. V. represents a top view. A is the bed
plate supported upon standards B, B, B, and is provided with parallel upright
frames C, C, containing suitable bearings for the shafts E and F. The
bearings of the upper shaft E are so arranged as to be capable of being
adjusted by means of the screws G, G. The shafts E and F are connected
together through the toothed wheels K and H; L is a spur wheel attached
to the outer end of the lower shaft F, and working into a pinion D fixed on
the driving shaft M. To the end of the shaft E a disk-like roller T (having
its edge shaped like the letter V, but the edge or point formed by sides having
an easy curve to the edge) is attached; and upon the end of shaft F, and
directly underneath the roller T, a roller N is attached, having a flat face or
periphery which is nearly in contact with the edge of the roller T.
S is a guide plate attached to the upright frame C, and projecting some-
what over the upper surface of roller N, so that when the steel plate is
between the rollers, the guide plate S will regulate its position there, and also
the distance of the crease from the end of the plate. This guide is capable of
being set at any required distance from the rollers by the means of the screws
which fasten it to the frame. W is a carriage supported on four wheels n, n,
n, n, running upon ways w, w, fitting into recesses in the wheels, which ways
are attached to the bed plate A: The upper surface of the carriage W is a
table having a flat and even surface, and has upon its surface an adjustible
stop or guide plate a fastened to the table by set screws for the steel plate to
rest against in the proper position, and to give it any required inclination so
that the crease or indentation will always be parallel with the end of the steel

page_text: plate. Motion being given to the driving shaft M and thence to the rollers
T and N, the steel plate is placed upon the carriage W, against the side
of the guide plate a, and its end against the guide or stop plate S; the
carriage is then moved forward towards the rollers, and the steel plate is thereby
5 carried between the rollers T and N, by which the steel plate receives the
required indentation or crease upon its surface without cutting or breaking
the fibre of the plate.
Third. The third part of my Invention consists in the construction of a
mandril and spiral cone together, and connecting and combining this instru-
ment with feed, pressure, guide, and other machinery in such a manner that
by the revolution of the mandril and cone and the operations of the other parts
of the machinery a steel plate of the proper dimensions shall by one continuous
movement of the machine be converted into a regularly shaped conical coil,
having equal spaces between the different coils throughout, and having also
an even base and apex, so that when annealed and tempered it will be a
spring,
In the Drawing, Sheet 2, Fig. 1 represents a front view or elevation; Fig.
2, a top view or plan; Fig. 3, a cross vertical section; Fig. 4, a horizontal
vertical section; Fig. 5, a cross section of the mandril and spiral cone upon
which the coil is made. A, A¹, are standards erected upon and fastened to
the bed frame B, and provided with suitable bearings for the hollow shaft
s, and likewise with bearings for the hollow shaft D. P, P¹, are loose
pullies on the shaft D, arranged with a clutch C between them, working upon
a feather let into the driving shaft. These pullies are connected with a
counter shaft by belting, in such a manner that they are carried round in
opposite directions, for the purpose of operating the machine forwards or
backwards, according as the clutch C is connected with the one or the other
pulley. The clutch C is operated through the lever (a) turning on a centre
(2) fast to the bracket (6). E is a pinion fast on the driving shaft D, and
geared into the wheel F fast on the hollow shaft S. Through this hollow
shaft S a spindle S¹ passes, projecting at both ends and connected with the
hollow shaft by means of a feather f let into the spindle S¹, and fitted into a
corresponding groove in the hollow shaft S, and capable of sliding in and out.
On the inner end of spindle S¹ the mandril (c) with the spiral cone (d) is attached
by means of a feather, and is so arranged as to be easily put in or taken out.
The other end of this mandril is held steady by means of the headstock
spindle H arranged and operated in the usual manner similar to a turning
lathe. The mandril and spirally cut cone are made in separate pieces, the
cone sliding on and off the mandril, as required for the purpose of taking off

page_text: the coil when finished. The spiral cone has upon its inner surface a slot to
fit a feather upon the mandril which holds the two fast, united into one when
in operation. The straight part of the mandril is an eccentric; it has a slot
which begins at the point where the spiral cone begins to form, and runs
straight off to the opposite end of the mandril; one side of this slot is higher
than the other by a difference equal to the plate of steel's thickness of which
the spring is to be made; and the side of the slot opposite to the highest side
is slightly thrown back at the lower part, so that the slot presents on this side
a slightly inclined face, and is thus made to present an edge which fits and
catches into the crease made in the upper surface of the steel plate near the
end, and thereby holds the plate firmly in the mandril while it is coiled, and
the crease at the same time permits the short bend which is made in the plate
at the first turning of the mandril to be formed without breaking the steel
plate. A cross section of the mandril and cone is seen in Fig. V., the arrow
representing the direction of the turning of the mandril. When the coil is
finished the mandril and cone are removed from their place, and the coil
adhering to them is removed from the mandril as herein-after described.
The spindle S¹ is held in its position by means of the lever (3) fitted between
collars (7, 7,) on the outer end of said spindle, and acted upon by the spring
lever (4). When the spindle S¹ requires to be moved inwards or outwards the
lever 3 is pushed upwards, when by the action of the lever 5 turning on the
fixed centre 6, and connected with the end of the spindle S¹ by means of an
universal joint, this spindle can be moved outwards for the purpose of taking
out the mandril, or moved inwards after the mandril is put in place again.
G is a wheel fast on the outer end of the hollow shaft s¹, and working into a
corresponding wheel G¹ loose on the shaft L, and situated directly underneath
the shaft s'. The shaft L has on its outer end a sliding clutch K working
upon a feather (1) let into the shaft, and acted upon by the lever (g), so as to
be thrown in or out of gearing with a corresponding clutch firmly attached
to the loose wheel Q'. On the end of the shaft L a bevil wheel N is attached
geared into a corresponding bevil wheel N¹³, which latter works upon the
screw spindle M in such a manner as to raise or lower said spindle and every
thing attached to the same, according to the motion of the machine. O, is a
shaft parallel with the shaft L, and connected with the same through the gear
wheels R, R¹. On the other end of this shaft a screw thread (m) is cut, upon
which the nut T works, and which nut is thereby, together with every thing
attached to it, moved backwards or forwards, according to the motion of the
machine.
T is a sliding frame situated in front of the mandril (c) and moving in

page_text: suitable slides attached to the frame B. The lower end of this sliding frame
passes through the frame B, and is fastened to the nut T', receiving thereby
any motion communicated to the nut. Qis a table attached to the sliding
frame T by a bolt (8) passing through the projecting pieces attached to the
sliding frame and to the under side of the table, so that the table may turn up
from a horizontal position to one considerably inclined, so as to keep the steel
plate placed upon it at the right inclination as it is drawn in upon the cone.
n, n¹ are rollers turning in suitable bearings p, p', fast in the upper side of the
table Q. The upper roller n' has to approach or recede from the roller n by
means of the screws k operating in the slide bearings at either end of the
roller n¹, by means of the bevil gear s, s¹ and s", s¹, this is for the purpose of
adjusting the space between the rollers to the thickness of the steel plate.
V, V', are two arms attached to and projecting from the sliding frame T, and
so fixed upon a pin or pivot that the opposite ends of the arms may move
upwards or downwards. The loose ends of these arms embrace the ends of
the roller U in such a manner as to communicate to this roller the same side
motion as that of the sliding frame T, but at the same time allowing to the
roller U its upward and downward motion. The axle (1) of this roller U
runs in bearings r, r, which are connected together by the brace r¹, and are
capable of sliding up or down in suitable recesses in the frames W, W¹. The
screw spindle M is firmly attached to the brace r', and communicates thereby
through said brace an up or down motion to the roller U. The lever g which
operates the sliding clutch k is connected with a rod æ, acted upon by a spiral
spring g, the action of which always forces the sliding clutch k out of gearing
with the loose wheel G'. w is a lever connected also with rod x, and through
which the sliding clutch k is moved into gearing with the clutch fast on the
loose wheel G¹ when required. (z) is a lever connected with a catch or pawl q,
and acted upon by the stops vor v', fast on the rod y, but adjustible upon it,
and which rod y is fastened to the sliding frame T, and receives motion from
it. By the action of the catch or pawl q, the rod a is kept fast, and the
sliding clutch k kept in gearing with the wheel G', until either of the stops
vor throws the pawl q out of the notch in the rod a, when the action of
the spiral spring y upon the rod x, through the lever g upon the sliding clutch,
throws the clutch out of gearing, by which operation the shaft L and every
thing connected with it will be instantaneously stopped. The operation of the
machine is as follows:-The machine is turned or adjusted so that the slot in
the mandril is in a line with the face of the table T, which position is marked
upon the side face of the wheel F, and pointed to by the pointer (14) secured
to the top of the frame A'. A steel plate of equal or uniform width, as well

page_text: as thickness (except that an angular strip is cut from the sides near either
end by the shears herein-before described, so as to form a straight surface
upon the base and top of the spring when coiled) is then in a heated state
put upon the table T against the guide plate (15), and which guide plate is
made adjustible by screws passing through it, and slots in the table, as seen at
(20), and which guide plate is adjusted and fastened upon the table T, so as
to give the inclination to the steel plate required to be drawn in and coiled
accurately upon the cone. The steel plate is also further regulated and guided
by the handle (16) turning upon a pivot (12) fast upon the table. The steel
plate is then passed between the rollers p, p², into the slot (10) in the mandril,
the crease in the plate above described being uppermost, and the steel plate
tightly driven into the slot in the mandril. The sliding clutch K is then
thrown into gear with the wheel G³, connecting thereby the lower shaft L
with the upper shaft S¹, and the machine is then set in motion through the
clutch C being thrown in connection with the pulley P, the revolution of the
mandril being, as shewn by the arrow, so as to turn the steel plate first upon
the lower or depressed portion of the mandril. The steel plate being held
fast by the slot and the crease will, by the revolution of the spindle s¹, be
wound first upon the mandril and then upon the cone (d) by the sumultaneous
movement of the sliding frame T, carrying with it the roller U, being moved
forward by the action of the screw of shaft O on the nut T', fast to the sliding
frame, and this motion is proportioned to the pitch of the cone mandril d,
and to the size or diameter of the spring, and as the table Q is connected to
said sliding frame, the steel plate will thereby be moved forward in the same
proportion. The roller U, which is placed at a distance from the cone mandril
equal to the thickness of the steel plate and the distance of the coils apart,
acts as a pressure roller, bending and pressing the steel plate upon the
mandril, and receives at the same time, in connection with its lateral motion,
a motion downwards by the action of the screw spindle M, worked by bevel
wheels N, W, which downward motion is exactly equal to the gradual increase
of the circumference of the cone mandril, and the roller is constantly pressing
upon the steel plate while being coiled, and keeping it close upon the mandril
the whole time. A guide plate (18) is fastened to the frame W to guide the
end of the steel plate after the plate has been drawn in off from the table Q.
When the steel plate is all wound upon the cone mandril, the spring is so far
finished, and the stop v on the rod y acts upon the lever z, by which the
pawl q is pushed out of the notch on the rod y, and then the sliding clutch k
is forced away from its connection with the wheel G¹, by the action of the
spiral spring upon the rod a, and thus the shaft L, together with all connected

page_text: with it, is stopped; the clutch C is now disconnected from the driving pulley P,
by which the machine is stopped. The sliding clutch K is now thrown into
gear with the wheel G¹, and the clutch C is thrown into gear with the pulley P¹
(moving in a direction opposite to that of P, as above mentioned), when the
machine moves in the reverse direction to that which it had when coiling the
plate, by which the sliding frame is moved back and the pressure roller U is
moved upwards, following exactly at the proper distance the surface of the
cone mandril. When the sliding frame has arrived at its original position,
the stop v¹ comes in contact with the lever z, throwing thereby the pawl q
out of gear, when the clutch K will be forced out of gearing again; the
clutch C is then moved away from the pulley P¹ and the machine stops.
The lever 3 will now be thrown out of gear of the spindle S¹, and the spindle
moved outwards by the action of lever 5, when the mandril with the coil
upon it can be removed from the machine and another mandril put in its
place, and another steel plate being introduced the operation of coiling is
repeated as before.
Fourth. The fourth part of my Invention consists of machinery for dis-
engaging the cone mandril from the conical coil of steel, and for turning back
into place or breaking off (as the case may be) the small piece of steel which
has been bent nearly to a right angle in the first coil, by the first turn of the
mandril as aforesaid.
In Drawing, Sheet 2, Fig. VI. represents a side view or elevation.
Fig. VII.
Fig. VIII.
Figs. IX., X.
33
a front view or elevation.
22
a cross section at line 2-3.
"
the disengaging spindle or tool.
A is an upright frame which supports the other parts; it is provided
with an arm B, attached to the back of the frame near the upper part,
having suitable bearings for the driving shaft D, on which are two fast
pullies P, P, and a loose pulley P₁, for giving and stopping motion of the
machine. W is a bevil wheel fast on the end of the driving shaft D,
working into the bevil wheel E, running upon and sustained by the bearing
F, fast upon the upright frame A. The spindle S is provided with a screw
thread T, working through the bevel wheel E, having a corresponding female
screw, and the upper end of the spindle slides through the bush G upon the
arm H. This upper portion of the spindle has a feather f working into a
corresponding groove in the bush G, by which arrangement the spindle is
prevented from turning round, and receives through the action of bevel wheel
E, upon the thread T, a vertical motion up or down as required. Into the
lower part of the spindle S the disengaging tool L is fixed. This tool is of

page_text: the exact diameter of the straight part of the mandril upon which it is to act,
and is of a similar external shape with the mandril in reverse. At the bottom
of tool L is a circular recess to fit the end of the mandril. Upon the side of
the tool is a groove or slot 1, 1, 1 (Figs. IX., X.), which runs straight and
vertical a distance equal to the length of the slot in the mandril, as shewn at
,, Fig. X., and from this point the slot gradually inclines or twists from
a perpendicular line; as shewn in Fig. X. M is a platform or rest upon the
frame A, having an opening in the middle as shewn at O, Figs. VII., VIII.;
this opening is circular at its throat, the centre of which circular part is
directly under the centre of the disengaging tool L. Underneath the platform,
and on either side of the opening, are two arms or brackets P2, P2, which are
made to correspond with the sides and circular part of M. A moveable
plate is inserted into the platform around the upper interior edge of the
platform, so as to be drawn in or out. This moveable plate is seen at m, m,
Fig. VII., VIII. The semicircular part of this moveable plate is raised by
a rim slightly above the surface of the platform, as seen at n, n, and it has a
back piece r, through which is a screw s for adjusting its position, and through
it the position of the cone mandril which is to be placed upon it; k is a guard
and guide for holding straight the mandril and disengaging tool, and it is
adjustable up or down by means of the screw N operating in a female screw
in h and passing through the arm M. When the cone mandril is taken out
of the coiling machine, the coiled plate adheres tightly to it, and must be dis-
engaged so as not to injure or alter the shape of the coil, and that part of
the steel plate which is in the slot of the mandril must be either turned back
or removed. To effect this double object is the purpose of this machine and
of the disengaging tool L. The cone mandril with the coil attached, imme-
diately on being removed from the coiling machine, is set perpendicularly into
the semicircular space O of the platform M, the base of the cone resting
upon the adjustable plate m, and the mandril and cone must be always so
placed that the slot in the mandril will be exactly in line with the straight
part of the slot in the disengaging tool L. To secure accuracy in this a
small hole is drilled in the side of the cone near its base, into which a small
pin inserted in the centre of the throat of the semicircular rim n, n, fits, the
hole being so placed that always when it meets the pin it will bring the slots
of the mandril and of the tool L into the same line. For the purpose of
holding the mandril steady, a raised band or flange upon the mandril a short
distance from the base of the cone is made, and this flange fits into recesses
on either side of the lower part of the platform M, near its contact with the
arm P¹. The cone mandril being placed (with the steel coil upon it) upon

page_text: the sliding plate m, m, with the slot of the mandril and the lower part of
the slot of the disengaging tool exactly in line, the tool L being forced down-
wards by the operation of pulley P, upon the shaft D, forces the straight
part of the mandril through the cone in a straight line until the slot is cleared
of the steel plate, when that part of the steel plate which was in the slot of
the mandril meets the inclined part of the slot of the disengaging tool, and
by this inclined part is either turned back out of the centre of the coil, or is
broken off. The straight part of the mandril is thus pushed through and
disengaged from the cone without injury, and the coil is then easily taken
from the cone, and in a complete state for tempering and annealing.
Fifth. The fifth part of my Invention is a machine for testing and measuring
the strength of the springs thus made after being annealed and tempered.
In Drawing, Sheet 1., Fig. VI. represents a side elevation; Fig. VII., a top
view or plan. A, A, A, A, are four upright columns secured into the bed
plate B, having upon them near the middle the bracket platform C, which is
capable of being moved upon the columns, and is held fast by set screws. The
tops of the columns A are braced fast together by the cross framing D; E is a
driving shaft running in suitable bearings n, n, attached to the bed plate B,
and provided with fast and loose pulleys P, P1, and a fly wheel F; G is a
solid plunger and cylinder, and traverses up and down vertically through the
circular guide C, in the center of the bracket plate, into which it is accurately
fitted, and it is connected at the under side with the toggle joint H, H, which
is acted upon by the rod R, which is connected at one end with the toggle
joint and at the other end with a wrist upon the end of the crank K, fast
upon the end of the driving shaft E, by which motion is communicated to the
plunger. L is a balance beam constructed in the usual manner, and acting
upon knife edges v and w. The standard upon which the knife edge pivot w
is supported is adjustable up or down by means of the screw m. Upon the end
of the scale beam is suspended a scale platform M to receive the weights;
the knife-edge pivot vis supported upon the top of the upright spindle N,
passing through the centre of a hollow screw shaft P screwed into the cross
framing D, and by which screw P the distance between the under surface of
the spindle N and the top of the plunger G can be adjusted to the height or
size of the spring which is to be tested; Q is a plate which extends across the
upper surface of the bracket E as far as the centre of the plunger, but is cut
into a semicircular form, to correspond with the plunger and allow it to pass
freely; this plate Q acts as a guide plate for placing the spring in the right
position, directly over the centre of the plunger; this plate Q is fastened to
the columns by a screw, as seen at Q'. In testing and measuring the spring

page_text: by the machine, the distance between the plunger G (when the plunger is at
its highest point) and the under surface of the spindle N is adjusted to the
size of the spring by screwing the screw P further in or out, and then
adjusting the balance beam L to a horizontal position by adjusting the height
of the knife edge pivot (w) by the screw (m), and then the required weight
necessary to test and measure the power of the spring is placed upon the
scale platform M. The spring is then placed with its base resting upon the
centre of the plunger G, and the machine being put in motion, the upward
motion of the plunger brings the top of the spring against the under surface of
spindle N, when it will be ascertained whether the spring will bear the
required pressure, and its power accurately measured if it stands the test.
Sixth. The sixth part of my Invention consists in the improved spring
prepared and made as above described. In Drawing Sheet 2, Fig. XI.,
is shewn a side elevation of the spring. Fig. XII. represents a cross
horizontal section. I am aware that coiled steel springs with conical coils
have before been made of flat plates of metal, and I therefore do not claim
the spring as new or my Invention; but I claim as an improvement upon the
spring, the making it of a plate of equal breadth and thickness throughout,
excepting the parts at either end of the plate cut off to make the apex and
base flat and parallel; I claim also the making of the spaces between each
coil equal and uniform, whereby the equal tempering of the spring is promoted
as well as its efficiency and elasticity.
Having thus described my Invention and improvements, and the manner of
operating and using the same, what I claim in the foregoing is,―
First, in the machinery first above described for shearing the plates, I claim
the arrangement of the moveable bracket plate M (Drawing Sheet 1, Figs. I.
and II.) so as to adjust the lower steel cutter d to the upper steel cutter fas
required, the adjustable stop or guide plates T, m¹, and the guide bars and
r upon the tables attached to M, and the eccentric lever S, the whole
combined, arranged, and operating in connection with the shears in the
manner and for the purposes described.
q
Second, in the machinery secondly above described for creasing the plates,
I claim (Drawing Sheet 1, Figs. III., IV., and V.) the use of the V-shaped
roller T and the flat-faced roller N, for creasing the plates as described, when
operating in connection with the carriage W, the plate S, and guide or stop
plate a, in the manner and for the purposes described.
Third, in the machinery thirdly above described for coiling the plates
(Drawing Sheet 2, Figs. I., II., III., IV., and V.), I claim, first, the cone
mandril c, d, constructed in two pieces so that the spiral cone will slide off,

page_text: and upon the straight part of the mandril, the straight part having a slot or
groove and being an eccentric as described; second, the construction and
arrangement of the sliding frame T, for carrying or feeding the steel plate
upon the cone mandril, and having attached the table Q, self-adjustable to the
required inclination of the plate, and having the adjustable rollers n, n, to suit
any required thickness of the steel plate; third, the arrangement of the loose
or sliding pressure roller U, acted upon by arms V, V₁, attached to T, causing
the simultaneous graduated movement, so as to press and guide the steel plate
upon the cone; fourth, the combination of the sliding frame T, and the
pressure roller U, and the intermediate guide plate 18, with the cone
mandril c, d, arranged and acting in a direct action or reversed as required;
fifth the arrangement by which the wheel G' is thrown in and out of gear so
as to connect or disconnect the shaft L with the shaft S¹, by the machine
itself, or by hand as described.
Fourth, in the machinery fourthly above described for disengaging the
coil from the mandril, I claim the construction of the disengaging tool L
(Drawing Sheet 2, Figs. VI., VII., VIII., IX., X.), and the platform M
operating in connection with spindle S, for detaching the coil, as described.
Fifth, in the machinery fifthly above described (Drawing Sheet 1, Fig.
VI., VII.), I claim the combination and arrangement of the plunger G with
the adjustable spindle N, and knife-edge pivot w and guide plate Q, arranged
and operating in connection with balance beam L, so that they test the
power of the spring, and at the same time measure the pressure.
Sixth, I claim the improved construction of the spring itself in those
features above specified, and described under the sixth head of my Invention.
In witness whereof, I, the said Perry Green Gardiner, have hereto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of December, A.D. Eighteen
hundred and fifty-seven.
PERRY GREEN GARDINER. (L.S.)
Witnesses,
JOHN B. STAPLES,
Counsellor, 22, William St.,
New York.
N. BURCHARD,
Counsellor, 22, William St.,
New York.