IMPROVEMENTS IN OR IN CONNECTION WITH SPRINGS FOR RAILWAY AND OTHER CARRIAGES AND WAGGONS
Year: 1874

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PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by George Gordon de Luna Byron,
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 15th August 1874.-A communication from abroad by George
Godley, of New York, in the United States of America.
I, GEORGE GORDON DE LUNA BYRON, of New York, in the United
States of America, but at present of 89, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Colonel in the United States Army, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR IN CONNECTION
WITH SPRINGS FOR RAILWAY AND OTHER CARRIAGES AND WAGGONS," (a communi-
cation to me from abroad by George Godley, of New York, in the United
States of America,) to be as follows:-
The object of the first two parts of this Invention is the production
of a compact carriage spring which will sustain a light as well as a
heavy load, and at the same time having no dead points. Heretofore it
has been found impossible to do that at these extreme points as the
springs heretofore in use have proved too strong under a light load and
too weak under a heavy load.
The first part of the Invention consists in the application and employ-
ment of duplex spiral spring so construted and arranged that one

page_text: shall be larger in diameter than the other, and placed longitudinally one
above the other and separated by a diaphragm plate at the ends of
contact, slightly circular cups or recesses being made in the said
diaphragm plates for the reception of the ends of the spiral springs, thus
holding them in a positive vertical position, one immediately above the 5
other, and avoiding friction by ever coming in contact with the case
which surrounds the whole. The case is made in two parts one within
the other and moving freely like the joints of a telescope, while the sides
thereof are made to conform to the several spiral springs of which the
whole is composed, thus giving it strength, compactness, durability, and 10
effectiveness.
The essential features in this part of the Invention are:-
A movable diaphragm plate with cups on one face of a diameter or size
greater than those on its opposite side.
2. The employment of a follower having bearing points adapted 15
to enter and to move within the under side of the case and con-
structed with cups upon its upper side to receive spiral springs and hold
them from contact with the sides of the case.
3. The combination with a diaphragm plate of two sets of spiral
springs, those of one set having a diameter or power different from those 20
of the other set.
4. The employment of the follower with bearing points combined with
a case having ribs which, when in contact with bearing points, leave
spaces between the follower and its case.
5. The employment of a case with rounded parts to receive the spirals 25
and follower, and with ribs to form bearing points.
6. The combination in a carriage spring with the cups to receive the
spiral springs at their extremities of springs having their ends cut and
coiled, thus forming their own seats and requiring no grinding or
reducing, or any holes to receive their tips.
30
The part of the Invention just described refers to springs that have a
movable diaphragm within an open bottomed case having sets of springs
of one size above and of another size below it, and a single follower at
the bottom of the case, the top of the case being closed, but in the
further improvements now about to be described and forming the second 35
part of this Invention a case is employed open both at top and bottom, a

page_text: central immovable partition or diaphragm, a follower both above and
below such diaphragm, short spiral springs within longer ones of larger
diameter, which encompass the ends of the smaller springs and are
encompassed by the ends of the larger ones. The box or case is made
open both at top and bottom, having a fixed or permanent transverse
diaphragm or partition. There are followers so adapted as to enter the
cavity of the box and to ride therein, so as to avoid contact and friction
at too many points by having bearing parts, which by abutting only
upon other corresponding parts of the box prevent all other parts
coming into abrasive contact, and so preserve the larger springs in true
position and keep them from rubbing the sides of the casc. The fol.
lowers are made with hollow nipples, the cavity of which is made
of appropriate size and depth to receive and hold properly in place the
smaller and shorter spiral springs, while the diameter of the nipples is
such as to easily enter the coil of the larger springs, the smaller springs
being thus enclosed within the larger, and both being sustained in
position by the same nipples. The inner springs having necessarily a
smaller coil have greater strength and therefore less capacity for
yielding, they are therefore made shorter than the outer ones in order
that the latter shall afford all the resilience a light or unloaded carriage
may require without permitting the stiffer ones to come into action and
offer any resistance, but when the carriage is loaded its greater descent
forces the followers further into the case and brings into action the
stronger ones.
Another advantage of employing two sets of springs of different
lengths is that the use of springs of a very rigid character can be
entirely dispensed with such as usually employed, which while having
the proper resilience for a heavily laden carriage or waggon afford almost
no yield at all when the carriage or waggon is empty or nearly so; a
great saving is also thus made in the wear and tear both to the road-
way and to the rolling stock. The fixed diaphragm is also provided on
its opposite sides with similar hollow nipples for the opposite ends of
the springs.
Recesses in the followers are not absolutely essential, but may be
dispensed with, and the nipples may project from a follower, the inner
surface of which is otherwise a plane, for the nipple serves to hold both
the inner and outer spring in place. It is preferred to coil the smaller
springs in a direction the reverse of the coil of their companion or outer

page_text: ones, because the springs when compressed expand slightly, and this
has a tendency to cause the follower to chafe or twist a little round
against the case; but by reversing the spirals each in such action of
expansion or twist serves to correct the other, inasmuch as the twist of
the two are in opposite directions.
It is advantageous to place a piece or cushioning of rubber on top of
the upper follower, that it may come between the spring case and the
carriage or bolster, for it performs the important duty of neutralizing
or destroying that slight jar to which a spiral spring is subject; and it
is better that the outer face of the follower be provided with a flange
or rim of a height about equal to half the thickness of the rubber for
the purpose of more firmly holding the rubber in place. In some cases,
as, for instance upon goods waggons, the construction may be such that
only one half of the apparatus need be used, that is, the portion either
above or below the partition, but preferably that below it; but in cither
case including such partition.
The next part of this Invention relates to an improved means for con-
necting and holding together the plates of a skeleton car spring, so that
the spiral springs interposed between such plates shall be held properly
in position, and the plates be permitted to approach and recede from
each other as need be when in use, and the parts readily taken apart or
put together at will, this part of the Invention being applicable more
especially to draw springs, and also being suitable for bolsters and
journal springs.
One plate is cast or formed integral with a short hollow central
socket, which has an inwardly projecting shoulder or flange to receive
the coupling tube or sleeve, which has at that end which plays within
such socket an outwardly projecting rim or flange, the two flanges'
serving to limit their relative movement in one direction. The other
plate has a central opening to receive the end of the sleeve, and this
opening has one or more notches cut in its sides to allow the locking
ribs or teeth on the sleeve to pass when the sleeve is to be secured and
locked in position on the second plate. This plate has also rabbets
made in its upper face of a size and shape to receive teeth, and thus
lock the plates together against the pressure due to the expansion of
the coiled springs. Each plate is also made with cups and short central.
pins or nipples to enter the ends of the inner coiled springs, the latter

page_text: being coiled in a direction the reverse of the other springs. The sleeve
is made of such length that when the springs are compressed to their
extreme limit it may or may not, as may be desired, project through the:
bottom of the first plate.
To put the parts together the ends of the springs are simply lodged
in their proper positions in the cups of the plates, the nipples projecting
into the coils of the inner springs.
The upper or toothed end of the sleeve is next passed through the
socket of first plate, notches in its flange being provided for this
purpose. The upper end of the sleeve is then passed through the
central opening of second plate, and the sleeve is then turned enough
to permit its teeth or nips to pass the notches and to lodge in the
rabbets, the parts -being so proportioned as to size that when thus
locked or buttoned together the springs shall be slightly compressed,
sufficiently to press the plate in a direction away from each other.
It
is impossible when so locked for the parts to become separated until the
sleeve is again purposely shifted and unlocked.
The tubular construction of the socket and sleeve, and the openings
in the plates, allow a draw bar to be passed through them, thus allowing
the spring to have free action, and no bolts are required for the purpose
of holding the plates together; and this notwithstanding the apparatus
is of a skeleton rather than of the customary box form.
The springs need no rod or support to pass through them, and
they may be coiled in the same or in opposite directions; but the
latter is preferable, because each serves to resist any tendency of the
other to twist or tort, though practically in this construction such
tendency is very slight.
Instead of the sleeve a double headed bolt may be employed, one of
the heads being so formed or cut away as to permit it to be passed
through both plates or boxes and then turned to lock it to place in
proper rabbets, as above described.
When the Invention is applied to bolster and journal springs the use
of the double headed bolt dispenses with the employment of a thread and
nut. One of each pair of spirals may be made shorter than the other if
desired.
The construction also admits of a wool or of a rubber packing within
the chiral

page_text: The sleeve or bolt may be made square or otherwise in cross section,
or it may have a feather or key to prevent its turning when the plates
are coupled together; and if desired it may have a spiral surrounding it.
Either cups, pins, or recesses, may be used for holding the ends of the
spirals in place.
The Invention is not confined to the number of spirals described, nor
to the placing of one within another, but a single coil or spiral may be
employed instead of one or more within another one.