CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN SPRINGS AND ELASTIC POWER AS APPLICABLE TO RAILWAY CARRIAGES AND OTHER VEHICLES, OR TO ANY OTHER ARTICLES OR PURPOSES FOR WHICH SPRINGS OR ELASTIC POWER IS NOW USED
Year: 1845

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, THOMAS
WALKER, of 13, Melton Place, Euston Square, in the County of Middlesex,
Mechanic, and GEORGE MILLS, of Biggin Street, Dover, in the County of
Kent, Merchant, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Third day of July, in the ninth year of Her reign, did,
for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said Thomas
Walker and George Mills, our exors, admors, and assigns, Her especial
licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that we, the said Thomas
Walker and George Mills, our exors, adññors, and assigns, and such others
as we, the said Thomas Walker and George Mills, our exors, admors, 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 and Wales and
Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and in the Islands of Jersey, Guernsey, Al-
derney, Sark, and Man, and also within all Her Majesty's Colonies and
Plantations abroad, our Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN SPRINGS AND
ELASTIC POWER AS APPLICABLE TO RAILWAY CARRIAGES AND OTHER VEHICLES, OR TO
ANY OTHER ARTICLES OR PURPOSES FOR WHICH SPRINGS OR ELASTIC POWER IS NOW
USED;" in which said Letters Patent there is contained a proviso that we, the
said Thomas Walker and George Mills, or one of us, shall cause a particular
description of the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court of
Chancery within six calendar months next immediately after the date of

page_text: the said now reciting Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being
had thereto, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, we, the said
Thomas Walker and George Mills, do hereby declare that the nature of our
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are
particularly described and ascertained in and by the present Instrument in
writing under our hands and seals in the words herein-after written, and
with reference to the Drawings and Figures annexed hereto.
Before, however, we proceed to describe the particulars of our said Inven-
tion it may be proper to state, that the object of it is the application of the
elastic power of atmospheric air and ammoniacal gas combined with certain
bags and apparatus herein-after described, that forms the principle part of
our said Invention, and these respectively, assisted by the peculiar modes in
which we apply them, act as a spring and elastic power as applicable to
railway carriages and other vehicles, and also as an elastic power for other
articles and purposes in which elastic power is now used.
We shall first describe the Invention and apparatus we use as a spring
and elastic power as applicable to railway carriages and other vehicles; and,
secondly, as an elastic power applicable to other articles and purposes in which
elastic power is now used. The improvement and apparatus we use to act
as a spring and elastic power as applicable to railway carriages and other
vehicles consist of a cylinder made of metal or any other suitable material
in which are placed one or more pistons as nearly air-tight as possible.
Figure 1 shows a section of a cylinder with one piston; and Figure 2 shows
a section of a cylinder with two pistons, more particularly described hereafter
in the Drawings; within these cylinders are enclosed air-tight bags made of
caoutchouc or india-rubber or Mackintosh cloth, or any other suitable pliable
air-tight substance, which bags have necks to them, and are filled as herein-
after mentioned with atmospheric air, and are then carefully closed with metal
or other suitable valves fastened thereto, as may seem most convenient. We
would however observe, we prefer valves made similar to those now in use
for closing air-tight bags and pillows. These bags being inserted into the
cylinders aforesaid are filled with atmospheric air, either by blowing into the
same or forcing air or gas therein by the air pump. Gas may be used to
fill them with, but we prefer in this part of the Invention atmospheric air.
When these bags are full and closed, as herein-before mentioned, we insert
the piston or pistons, and screw or fasten down the collars shown in the
Drawings Figures 1 and 2. If any power is applied to these pistons they
now exhibit an elastic power from the elasticity of the atmospheric air, which

page_text: being confined cannot escape.
The action of the atmospheric air can be
brought into powerful operation with cylinders and pistons of the form
herein-before mentioned in another manner, and without the use of the air
bags herein-before described. Instead, therefore, of inserting the bags and
filling the same with atmospheric air, we insert in their place in the cylinders
strong spiral springs of wire or other suitable material, and into the end of
the pistons we insert valves that open inside or next to the spiral springs,
marked e, e, Figure 4. The pistons are made to fit the cylinders as air-tight
as possible, the spiral springs keep the pistons at their full extent, assisted by
the atmospheric air, which presses equally under ordinary circumstances on
each side of the pistons. If, therefore, any pressure or concussion is applied
to the pistons, the springs and the atmospheric air from their respective.
natural elasticities give way, and thereby form a spring or elastic power of.
more or less strength, according to the degree of strength of the spiral
springs, and the tightness of the pistons in the cylinders; but it will be-
observed, that in this arrangement the combination of the atmospheric air.
with the spiral springs confined, as herein-before described, forms the im-
portant part of this part of our Invention; for the atmospheric air being
confined in cylinders, in which the pistons fit at air-tight or nearly so, in case
of force or concussion being used, the air having little or no space to escape
at, must exert its elastic power, and although a portion may escape between
the sides of the cylinders and the pistons, still sufficient will remain to formi
a very effectual spring. Immediately after the pressure or concussion is
removed the spiral springs exert their elastic power, and force out the
pistons. The atmospheric air then regains its equilibrium in the cylinders, by
means of the valves in the pistons, which open into the interior of the
cylinders. The improvements and apparatus we use for other articles and
purposes in which elastic power is now used consist in the mode of application
of the gas called' ammoniacal gas or volatile alkaline air, as an elastic power,
with the assistance of air-tight bags made of the material herein-before
mentioned, and which bags are placed in the cylinders of engines. These
bags must be made of such suitable size and shape as may be required, and
which will depend on the size of the cylinders, and they are placed in the
cylinder, one above the piston, and one below, see Figures 7 and 8. The
bags have connected to them necks, as seen in Figure 3, for inflating or filling
them, which necks are made fast to the induction and eduction pipes, by
which the ammoniacal gas is admitted and emitted. If the gas is introduced
alternately by the pipes attached to the cylinders, as shewn Figures 7 and 8,
the pistons will rise and fall by the elastic power of the gas exerted in such

page_text: bags as aforesaid. There are a variety of modes by which the gas may be:
introduced, but we prefer to use stopcocks, and to introduce it into the bags
in the manner shewn in the Drawing. The gas called ammoniacal gas or
volatile alkaline air, we obtain as follows:-We place in a vessel, shown in.
Figure 7, a suitable portion of liquid ammonia or water impregnated with
ammoniacal gas or carbonate of ammonia. This vessel is surrounded by water,
and is in connection with the cylinder. Heat is now applied to the vessel
containing the water, and it is raised to the boiling point. The ammoniacal
gas is now evolved from the liquid in the inner vessel by the pipes attached,
and thus works the piston after the gas has entered the cylinder and expanded ;-
it thence passes into the condenser, which is partly filled with cold water, and
over it is a partial vacuum. The condenser is also placed in a cistern of cold
water to keep it cool. There is a pipe in the side of the condenser from the
cistern with a ball cock; when the pump, which is attached thereto, draws any
water out of the condenser, this ball cock lets in the water from the cistern,
and keeps the water at a uniform level in the inner one; by means of the pump,
the water in the inner vessel which is charged with ammonia can be forced.
back again into the first vessel, and the ammonia is again evolved as before.
This part of our Invention can be applied to an engine of any convenient
shape, all that is necessary being the alteration of the elastic bags: to fit the
cylinders of such engines. These air bags can be made of any suitable shape;
and we would observe, that it is not necessary that the air bags should be
made in one entire bag, but they may be open top and bottom, but fastened to.
the pistons and cylinders, as shewn in Figures 5 and 8, and still effect the
object of our Invention, which is to prevent the escape of atmospheric air or
gas by these bags, and to confine it in order to form a spring and elastic power.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figures 1 and 2 show the cylinders herein-before mentioned applied to
railway carriages, in which A represents the piston; B, the collars or cover;
C, the interior of the cylinders; D, the place for the air. bags; E, the inlets,
by which the air bags are filled. Figures 3* and 3b show two shapes of air:
bags inflated. Figure 4 shows the cylinder having spiral springs in place.
of the air bags, in which D, D, represents the springs; E, E, the valves in
the bottom of the pistons. Figure 6 shows an enlarged view of Figure
2. Figure 7 shows the Invention applied to the cylinders of engines
where ammoniacal gas is used, in which A is the vessel in which the
ammoniacal liquor is placed; B, the vessel of water surrounding it; C, the
fire to heat the water; D, the pipe to convey the ammoniacal gas to the

page_text: eylinder; E, E, the induction pipe and eduction pipes; F, F, F, F, 4 stop-
cocks; G, the top bag; H, the cylinder and piston; I, the lower bag ;.
xxxx the fastening of the bags to the cylinders; J, the condenser; K,
the vessel of cold water surrounding it; L, cold water inside the condenser ;.
M, ball cock to regulate water in condenser; N, pipe leading from condenser
to pump; P, pump; O, pipe leading from pump either to the vessel A or B
as necessary,, regulated by two-way cock S; R, pipe in communication with
water reservoir, to keep up supply of water when necessary. Figure 8 shows
another application of the bag placed above the piston, which is fastened by
a plate and collar to the top or cover of the cylinder, and also to the piston **
in other respects it is the same as seen in Figure 5.
Having thus described the nature of our said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, we would wish it to be understood that what
we claim as of this our Invention is, the application of atmospheric air and
ammoniacal gas combined with certain apparatus herein-before described and
respectively assisted by the peculiar modes or methods in which we apply
them as springs and elastic power. We do not, however, claim any peculiar
method for the production of ammoniacal gas, neither do we claim its use
as an elastic power by itself; but we claim its use as an elastic power aided
and in combination with the bags herein-before described. We do not,
however, confine ourselves to the precise forms or details shewn, provided the
peculiar character of either part of our said Invention be used, retained, or
brought into operation.
In witness whereof, the said parties to these Presents have hereunto
set their hands and seals, this Thirtieth day of December, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-five.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Second day of January, in the
year of our Lord 1846, the aforesaid Thomas Walker 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 Second day of January, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and forty-six.