IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF PNEUMATIC SPRINGS
Year: 1847

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS. SHALL COME, I, MOSES
POOLE, of the Patent Office, London, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Twenty-second of May,
in the tenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Moses Poole, my exors, adñors, and assigns,
Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said
Moses Poole, my exors, admors, and assigns, and such others as I, the said
Moses Poole, my exors, adiñors, or assigns, should at any time agree. with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times during the term of years
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF PNEUMATIC SPRINGS," communicated
to me from a foreigner residing abroad; in which said Letters Patent there is
contained a proviso,: that I, the said Moses Poole, should cause a particular
description of the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, to
be inrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said in part
recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, réference being thereunto had,
will more fully and at.large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the
said Moses Poole, do hereby declare that the nature of the said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and
ascertained in and by the following description. thereof, reference being had
to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked
thereon, that is to say :-
The manner of making, constructing, and using the same is as follows,
reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, in which Figure 1 is a
perspective representation of one of the springs, Figure 2 is a vertical section
of the same, Figures 3, 4, and 5 are representations of separate parts of
the same, Figure 6 is a perspective representation of a hydrostatic press,
and Figure 7 is a vertical section of the same:-The same letters indicate like
parts in all the Figures.
The perfect elasticity of atmospheric-air-has-long since suggested the idea
of applying it as a substitute for metal springs in machinery requiring the
interposition of elastic,media, but, so far as known, this has always been
effected by means of a metallic cylinder and piston, or by spherical or other
formed.vessels of, gum. elastic or..other.elastic substance impervious to air, the
former of which is objectionable-because of the difficulty of.'retaining.the.air
in the vessel under the heavy pressure. required for such springs, the unequal
'expansion of the metal causing the surface of the piston and cylinder to wear
and permit the escape of the contained.. air, and the latter because of the
difficulty of obtaining the requisite. strength and amount of play and also
the difficulty of so connecting the parts as.to.regulate the movements thereof.
The nature of this Invention .consists. in. applying the elasticity of .atmo-
spheric air or any permanently elastic. gas by means of air-expanding an
contracting chamber. or chambers, mader in one, two, or more parts, and
connected together 'by means of two or more belts of india-rubber cloth
or other flexible or impermeable material, with alcohol or other liquid
interposed, the more effectually to prevent the escape of the gas or air contained
in the apparatus, and. to aid in relieving the.flexible connection, and preventing
its.rupture from the action of the weight or force on the spring, this mode
.of connecting two vessels being applicable.without the air to other purposes,
such as hydrostatic presses, &c., by forcing water into or between the two
vessels. And 'the improvement also consists in providing this apparatus with
-one or more of what is denominated a respiratory chamber or chambers,' attached
sto one or both ends of the apparatus, and separated from the main chamber
of the apparatus by a diaphragm. or diaphrams .perforated with holes, which
will check the passage of the air, and thus relieve the: apparatus from the

page_text: injurious effects of sudden shocks. The manner in which it is preferred to.
construct this apparatus is represented in the accompanying Drawings, 'in
which (B), Figure 2; is a'metallic conical vessel with a concave plane or disc,
at bottom. The upper edge of this vessel is bevelled inwards around' its cir-.
cumference to receive the edge of the belts (Fand G); the inner edges of
which are there secured by a plate (E), depressed or sunk in the centre, which.
has a bevelled and grooved flanch, "so that 'when the plate (E) is drawn
towards the bottom. plate by four or more screw bolts (H), the belts are griped
and firmly held between the grooved edge of the vessel and the bevelled "or.
grooved flanch: The outer edges. of the belts (F and G) are connected with
and held by the parts of "àt.cylindrical vessel: (A) which: surrounds the vessel.
(B); having space enough between the two for the working: of the belts, which
by the pressure of the contained air are alternately pressed: against and sus-
tained by the inner periphery of the conical vessel. The belts are secured in.
vessel (A), by making its cylindrical part in two portions! The edges of
these two parts where they come together are bevelled: or grooved to. receive
the outer edge of the belts, which are there griped and firmly held by drawing.
the two parts (A and a) together by means of screw::bolts (I), that pass
through the head of the vessel (A) and a flanch in the part a). The
connecting belts. (F and G) are flexible hoops of india rubber or other flexible
substance imperméable to air, and the edges being firmly held, the space (J)
between the two is filled with alcohol or other liquid,.which not only prevents
all possibility of air passing through, but brings an equal pressure on all parts,
to prevent rupture. The 'connection of the two vessels (A and B) by.means
of the belt divides the apparatus into two parts or chambers (A' and. B'); the
plate or diaphragm (E) being the division, the inner and depressed' circum-
ference of which is perforated with holes, to break the passage of the air.as the
chamber (A') is enlarged or contracted by the movement of the two vessels on
each other. This perforated plate is therefore termed a respirator, as it permits
the passage of the air from one chamber to the other, and, at the same time
checks its too sudden passage, and therefore, avoids to a certain extent 'all
sudden jars in cars or: other bodies having such springs interposed. The
motion of the two vesselsion: each other is guided by a rod (K) attached to
the head of the vessel (A); which passes into a tube (L), which tube inrises
from the bottom and 'centre of the vessel (B); extending through the centre of
the respirator or plate (E), or-guide rods may be applied outside. The vessel
(B), instead of being conical, may be cylindrical; but the two vessels should be
so formed as to present alternately a supporting surface to the belt,,which, in
consequence of 'the pressure of the air in the chamber: (A); rolls gradually

page_text: from one surface to the other, and is therefore at all times supported: by either
one or the other or both of these surfaces. Instead of one respirator or
perforated diaphram, two or more may be employed, the more effectually to
ease off the passage of the air as it is compressed or expanded, and this
řespirator may be of any desired form, and may be located in any part of the
two chambers. Instead of the double belt above described, connected together
at the edges, it is contemplated to place two or more single belts separated
from each other, as represented in Figure 7, with the liquid in the space T, the
holes (t) being made through the outer casing, for the introduction of the
liquid, and closed by a screw plug. When this apparatus is used as a bydro-
static press, it is made as represented in Figures 6 and 7, and the water is
forced into the chambers (A¹ and B¹) Figure 7, by any of the known means
which forces apart the two vessels (A and B), in the same manner as in the
cylinder and piston press, except that the friction of the moving part is
avoided. Air is to be forced into the moving chambers when the apparatus is
used as a spring. It will be obvious that the form of the various parts of this
apparatus can be varied at pleasure, so long as the principle or mode of opera-
tion above pointed out is retained. It is deemed an important improvement
to make either the inner or outer vessel conical, so that the space between the
two vessels shall gradually decrease as the pressure in the vessels increase, so
that the curved portion of the belt or belts between them shall be decreased,
the better to resist the increased pressure.
.
Having thus described the nature of the Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I would have it understood that what I claim as the
Invention, and which is desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is,
First, the method of connecting the two vessels composing the pneumatic
spring, bumper, press, &c., by means of two or more belts, with alcohol or other
liquid interposed, substantially as described, to be used for the purposes above
set forth.
•
Second, I claim the so arranging the two vessels and the connecting belt or
belts, substantially as described, that the belt or belts shall at all times be
sustained by either one or both of the vessels to prevent them from being
ruptured by the pressure of the contained fluid, as described..
Third, I claim the dividing the space between two disks into one or more
spaces by means of a perforated diaphram or diaphrams, to form what is deno-
minated a respiratory chamber or chambers, substantially as described; and for
the
purposes as explained above.
: Fourth, I claim the making of the inner periphery of the outer vessel, or
the outer periphery of the inner vessel, or both, bevelled or conical, so that
.

page_text: the space between the two in which the flexure of the connecting belt or
belts takes place shall be diminished as the pressure increases, as described,
for the purpose of enabling the flexible connection the better to resist the
increased pressure, as described; and this is claimed whether used with or
without the other improvements.
In witness whereof, I, the said Moses Poole, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-second day of November, in the year of our Lord
MOSES (L.B.) POOLE.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-second day of November,
in the year of our Lord 1847, the aforesaid Moses Poole came before our said
Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification afore-
said, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form above
written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the
tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Twenty-second day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and forty-seven.