Improvements in or connected with Carriages, Wagons, and like Vehicles.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd May, 1896
Complete Specification Left, 15th Jan., 1897-Accepted, 20th Mar., 1897
Improvements in or connected with Carriages, Wagons, and like
Vehicles.
We, COUNT ALBERT DE DION, and GEORGES BOUTON, both of Puteaux
(Seine) in the Republic of France, Engineers do hereby declare the nature of our
invention to be as follows:-
Our invention consists in improved means for supporting the bodies of carriages,
tramways, wagons, and like vehicles upon their wheels.
According to our invention we interpose between the body part and the frame
or other connection with the wheels, balls or analogous containers, made of india-
rubber or any other equivalent material and hermetically closed, and containing
compressed air or fluid.
These balls or containers are placed in any convenient position either
longitudinally or transversely.
In this way the small vibrations which exist in spite of the springs and the like
hitherto employed will be entirely done away with.
In the case of very great care being required in the suspension, pneumatic
cushions may also be placed over the sides.
Dated this 2nd day of May 1896.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Carriages, Wagons, and like
Vehicles.
We, COUNT ALBERT DE DION, and GEORGES BOUTON, both of Puteaux, (Seine)
in the Republic of France, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
Our invention relates to improved means for supporting the bodies of wheeled
vehicles upon their under frames or parts carrying the wheels.
According to our invention, in addition to the ordinary springs, we interpose
between the body and the frame, hollow balls or chambers of india-rubber or other
suitable material, hermetically closed and containing compressed air, or fluid.
In order that our said invention may be clearly understood we will proceed to
describe the same fully with reference to the accompanying drawing which shews
an end view, partly in section, of a carriage having our invention applied thereto.
a is the under frame which is supported by springs a¹ in the usual way; and b is
the body of the carriage. c are the hollow balls or chambers each of which is
placed between a pair of cups or recessed holders d, of metal, wood or other
[Price 8d.1

page_text: suitable material, screwed or otherwise secured to the under frame and carriage
body respectively.
The air chambers are preferably round or oval, but may be of other suitable
shape. They are made sufficiently strong to resist the outward pressure of the air
inside them and also the compression to which they are subject between the
carriage body with its contents on the one part, and the under frame on the other
part.
Sufficient is left between the upper and lower cups or holders d to avoid
their rims coming into contact when the vehicle is loaded and in motion, but they
should be deep enough to prevent the carriage body b being shaken out of position
by the oscillation of the vehicle.
The air chambers c may be arranged either longitudinally, transversely or
otherwise between the carriage body and the under frame. By the means above
described the small vibrations which usually occur in wheeled vehicles in spite of
the ordinary springs and similar devices hitherto employed, will be very materially
decreased if not entirely absorbed.
Where very great freedom from vibration is required, the air chambers c may
be arranged not only beneath the carriage body as above described, but at the
sides or enda thereof, or both, as may be most convenient and effective, in
order to ensure that all vibration whether lateral or otherwise shall be effectively
counteracted.
In such cases the cups or holders for the air chambers are arranged laterally
opposite one another instead of one above the other, one set being secured to the
sides or ends of the carriage body, say along the lower edges thereof, and the other
set secured to the under frame or to any suitable rigid structure firmly fixed upon
the same. Air chambers so applied at the sides or ends of the carriage body may
have the thickness of their walls reduced in proportion to the reduced pressure
to which they will be subjected, as compared with that upon the air chambers that
are placed beneath the carriage body and support the weight thereof.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :--
A wheeled vehicle having in addition to the ordinary springs spherical or other
shaped flexible air containers arranged substantially as and for the purpose set
forth.
Daved this 10th day of January 1001
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings. London. W.C., Agents for the Applicants.
Batu DIS
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings. London. W.C., Agents for the Applicants.