CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF SUSPENDING AND ADJUSTING THE BODIES OF RAILWAY AND ALL OTHER WHEELED CARRIAGES
Year: 1835

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
FLEMING BERGIN, of Fair View Avenue, in the County of Dublin, Civil
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King William the Fourth,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Twenty-seventh day of May, in the fifth year of His
reign (One thousand eight hundred and thirty-five), did, for Himself, His
heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said Thomas Fleming
Bergin, His especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the
said Thomas Fleming Bergin, my exors, adñiors, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Thomas Fleming Bergin, my exors, adñiors, 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, my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF
SUSPENDING AND ADJUSTING THE BODIES OF RAILWAY AND ALL OTHER WHEELED
CARRIAGES;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I,
the said Thomas Fleming Bergin, shall cause a particular description of the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be inrolled in His said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said in part
ecited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had,
vill more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Thomas Fleming Bergin, do hereby declare that the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are
fully described and ascertained by the following description thereof, together
with the annexed Drawings to which the said description refers, by the several
purpose of
letters or figures of reference marked on the said Drawings, for the
pointing out the several parts referred to, and for greater facility of such
reference I shall herein-after make use of the same letters or figures to denote
the same things throughout all the said Drawings, that is to say:-
The nature of my said Invention consists in suspending all carriages
requiring the use of springs in such a manner that whatever may be the
number of springs upon or from which any individual carriage may be
suspended or hung, the elasticity of all the said springs shall be brought into
play by any load; and whatever part of the said carriage the said load may be
placed, or by any concussion of the wheels against stones or other obstacles or
inequalities of the road over which the said carriage may run, or, in other
words, in such a manner so as that all the said springs shall be affected alike
or nearly so, that is, compressed or extended alike, as the case may be, by the
imposition of a load upon the said carriage, or whenever a concussion or jolt
takes place by any one of the wheels coming in contact with a stone or other
abrupt obstacle.
I will here remark by way of contrast, that in the common and well-known
methods of hanging carriages on springs, it always happens whenever the
centre of gravity of the load in a carriage so hung is not immediately over or
coincident with the line of the joint resistance of all the springs, the said
springs will not all bear the same load; as, for instance, suppose a carriage
mounted upon four wheels, and hung upon four springs, and that this carriage
has seats before and behind, as is the case in stage coaches, and suppose the
whole of the front seats to be occupied or loaded and the back seats not, it is
evident that the two front springs would then bear more load, and be in
a state of greater compression than the two springs at the hinder part of the
carriage, and that any jolt on the fore wheels would have a greater tendency
to break the front springs, than a jolt of equal force on the bind wheels would
have to break the hinder springs; or suppose a platform, a vertical section
of one side of which is shewn at Figure 1 in the said Sheet of Drawings, in
Let a and
which p, p, is the platform, supported by two springs 8, s.
represent the points of bearing on each of the said springs, and 6 the centre
or middle of the platform. Now, if a weight be laid upon the middle of the

page_text: platform at b, the two springs would bear an equal share of the load, but
should the weight be placed either over a or c, that spring over which the
weight was placed would bear the whole load; and should the weight be placed
in any other part intermediately between a and b or between b and c, then the
load borne by each spring would be inversely as the distance of the bearing
points of each from the weight respectively, for if the weight be at w, then the
proportion of the weight borne by the spring under a would be, to that borne
by the spring under c, as the distance of the weight from c is to the distance
of the weight from a.
I shall now proceed to describe the modification which I have adopted in
the application of the principle of my said Invention in the construction of a
railway carriage. Figure 2 in the annexed Drawings is a plan, and Figure 3
is an elevation of the same, and as the wheel frame on which the said carriage
is to be suspended forms no part of my said Invention, and is clearly
delineated in the said Drawings, I need not be more particular in the descrip-
tion thereof than to state that the wheels in both the plan and elevation in the
said Drawings are marked with the letter A; several parts of the wheel frame
with the letter B; and D, D, D, D, in the plan, Figure 2, denote the situations
of four crane-neck standards, from which the said carriage herein-before
mentioned is suspended, two of which said crane-nccked standards are shown
at D and D, in the elevation, Figure 3. H, HI, are the buffers at each end of
the said wheel carriage; I and I, the stem or tube on which the said buffers
are fixed; and J and J are the buffer springs, the iron diagonal and other
strengthening braces, as shewn in the plan, as also in the elevation, are
marked with the letter y. The wooden framework forming the bottom of
the suspended carriage is coloured yellow, and marked with the letter C in
both elevation and plan; upon this framework is placed the body of the
carriage on the seats for passengers, which seats are shown in Figure 3 on
the said Drawings, and are marked "seat," "seat," &c. The said carriage is
suspended by four rods, and each of the said rods is made in two pieces, which
pieces are marked 1 and 2 in Figure 3 of the said Drawings; the upper end
of each of the said rods is attached to one of the said crane-necked standards
marked D, by a pin passing through the same at 3; and a little below,
at right angles with the said pin at 3, another pin passes through the joint
at 4, so that by means of the said two pins, the said rods may be allowed
to swing freely in any direction. The two parts 1 and 2 of each of the said
rods are united together by a double screwed nut, as shewn at 5, fitting the
Screwed end of the upper part 1 with a left-handed screw, and the lower part

page_text: 2 with a right-handed screw, for the purpose of lengthening or shortening the
said rod, as occasion may require, by turning the said nut 5 at the lower end
of each of the said rods. At G is a pin hole, in order to connect it with the
links of the chain, which is coiled round the grooved pulley marked 7 and 7
and the links of each of the said chains are coiled round the four pulleys, as
shewn in the plan at 7, 7, 7, 7, and in the elevation at 7, 7; and to the edges
of each of the said pulleys the other ends of each of the said chains are
fastened by a pin passing through both edges or flanges of the grooved
pulley, and through the end link of each of the said chains, as shewn at
8 and 9 in the elevation. Two of the aforesaid four pulleys, as shewn at 7, 7,
in the plan, are hung upon the axle el, e 1, and the other two of the said
pulleys 7, 7, are hung upon the axle e 2, e 2, which said axles are made to turn
in proper bearings b, b, b, b, and b, b, b, b, which are fixed to the aforesaid
wooden frame C, two of which bearing pieces are shewn in the elevation at
b, b, projecting downwards; 10 and 11 are two iron rods connected together
by the double screw nut 12, having right and left handed screws similar to
and for the like purpose as those herein-before mentioned. To the other ends
of the said two rods, at 13 and 14, are attached two chains, one of which is
represented by the circles 15, 15, at the end 13 of the said rod, and the other
of the said chains at 16, 16, at the end 14 of the said rod; the said chain
15, 15, is made to pass partly round on the upper side of the pulley 17, and
in the groove of the said pulley the end of the said chain is fastened, as shown
in the said plan, and the said chain 16, 16, is fastened in like manner on the
upper side of the pulley 18, as also is shewn in the said plan; 19 and 20 are
similar to the rods last described, together with the double screw nut 21,
and the chains 22, 22, and 23, 23. The chain 22, 22, being attached to the
pulley 24, and made to pass round the under side thereof, and the chain 23, 23,
to the pulley 25 upon the upper side thereof, the said two pulleys 18 and 24
are hung upon the axle, as shown at d in the elevation and d, d, in the plan;
the said axle being made to turn in four bearings are shown at e, e, e, e, in the
plan; 9, f, in the plan is a steel spring, coiled up in the helical form, through
the coils of which the iron rod n, m, is made to pass; upon the end of the said
rod at m is a screw nut p, as shewn in the said plan, adapted to the collar h;
at the end n of the said rod a hole is made through the same so as to admit
the axle e 2 to pass through and turn in the same, and so as to hold or retain
the said rod in its proper place. k, l, and k, l, are two iron rods which unite
at o, having each a screw nut at the end
being applied for the purpose of holding
of the said rods, the said screw nuts
the collar i against that end of the

page_text: spring 9. f. It will be seen by the Drawing that the said two rods pass
through two holes in the collar h at the other end of the said spring, sliding
freely backward or forward in the said holes. The screw nut p is applied at
the end m of the said iron rod n, m, for the purpose of adjusting the said
spring to its proper degree of force, and retaining the said spring in its place.
The united part of the said rods l, k, at q, is attached by a pin to a chain 26, 26,
and the other end of the said chain 26 passes into the groove on the upper
side of the pulley 27, and is there fastened by a pin, as shewn at w in the
said plan. Upon the axle e 1 and e2, as shewn in the said plan, a similar
apparatus to the one herein last described, consisting of the steel spring 9, f, the
iron rod n, m, the screw nut p, the collar h, the two iron rods k, l, k, l, with the
screw nuts on the ends of the same, the collar i, the chain 26, 26, and the pins
and w, is shown at three other places, and marked with the same letters and
figures of reference. First, the end of the said rod n, m, is shown upon the
said spindle e 2 at E, and the chain 26, 26, fastened in the groove on the
upper side of the pulley 28, by the pin w; secondly, the said rod n, m,
is seen upon the axle c1 at F in the said plan, and the said chain 26, 26, is
fastened by a pin to the under or lower side of the pulley 28; thirdly, the said
rod n, m, is seen upon the said axle el at G in the said plan, and the said
chain 26, 26, is attached to the under or lower side of the pulley 27. From
the description herein-before given of the various parts of the said carriage,
their relative disposition, combination, and connection with each other, it
necessarily follows that in the first instance the clastic force of the said springs
should be such as to bear up the weight of the said carriage, together with all
the apparatus attached thereto, previously to the imposition of any other load
thereon, at such a distance or height above the said wheel carriage as will
leave sufficient room for the descent of the said suspended carriage when
loaded with passengers or goods, as also a further space or distance for the
up-and-down play of the said carriage when in the act of travelling on the
road; therefore, in order to place the said carriage in the condition just
mentioned, I make use of the double screw nuts herein-before described, to
adjust the lengths of the suspending and other rods, with the herein-before men-
tioned chains attached thereto; also, I make use of the screw nuts marked p,
and the two screw nuts on the ends k of the rods l, k, and 1, k, as shewn in the
plan, and by these means so adjust the elastic force of all the said springs as
to make it equal to raising the said carriage to the height required. This
adjustment will be more clearly understood by stating that the said four springs
are each placed upon a rod, as shewn at 9, f, g, f, &c., and are each held

page_text: between the collars i and h, tae collar i being made to lide freely upon the
said rod m, n, and the said two rods 1, k, and 1, k, also to slide freely through
the holes in the said collar h. The ends n of the four rods m, n, being held
by the axles 1 and 2, and the chains which are attached to the rods 7, k, are
also attached to the pulleys 27 and 28, as herein-before mentioned. The said
pulleys being hung upon the axle marked d, d, it is clear that if a sufficient
force be exerted to turn the said axle in the proper direction, that the said
chains would be wound upon the said pulleys, and the effect would be that of
bringing all the said springs into a state of greater tension; it will also be
clear from the preceding description and from inspecting the said Drawings,
that the weight of the carriage upon the suspending rods, as seen in Fig. 3 at
1, 2, and 1, 2, would have a tendency to unwind the four chains coiled upon
and fastened to the pulleys marked 7, 7, and in the said Drawings, and to
cause the said pulleys, together with the two axles e 1 and e 2, to turn; but it
will also be equally clear that such turning of the said pulleys 7, 7, 7, 7, would
be resisted by the tension of the chains and rods connecting the pulley 17,
on the axle e 1, with the pulley 18, on the axle d, d, and also by the
tension of the chains and rods which connect the pulley 25 on the axle e 2,
with the pulley 24, on the said axle d, d, and consequently that whenever
the pulleys 7, 7, 7, 7, are made to turn by a preponderating load, the
central axle d, d, and the pulleys fixed thereon, will also be made to turn until,
by the tension of the springs thereby occasioned, the elastic force of the said
springs becomes a counterbalance to the load. It is obvious that the principle
of my said Invention, as herein-before explained, will admit of a great variety
of modifications of the mechanical expedients which may be used for carrying
the said principle into effect, in the number, shape, and disposition of the
various parts thereof; but these varieties will readily present themselves to
any competently skilled mechanic, should either necessity or choice render such
variation desirable. Although I have herein-before described the mode of
applying helical springs only, it is also obvious that springs of other shapes
may be employed, as, for example, the two springs represented in the said
plan marked Fig. 2 in the said Drawings, by the dotted lines at K, K,
which said two springs are connected together by the two iron rods represented
by the lines L, L; and the line M represents an iron rod connected by one of
its ends to the middle of one of the said springs, and by its other end to one of
the pieces of timber forming a part of the herein-before mentioned carriage, as
shewn at N; and to the middle of the other of the said springs is fixed the end
of the iron rod represented by the line at O, and the other end of the said last-

page_text: mentioned iron rod is fastened to the chain represented by the dotted lines at
P, the other end of which said chain is fixed in the groove of the pulley
represented by the dotted lines at Q. the said pulley being hung upon the
lierein-before mentioned axle d, d. It will also be clear that a greater number
of springs, of the like form as those last mentioned, might be introduced as
substitutes for the herein-before mentioned helical springs, by connecting two
or more pairs of such springs together, and with the iron. rods Land: M, and
by fixing the end of the iron rod M to, any more distant part of the bottom of
the said carriage; or, as is done with the herein-before mentioned rods n, m,
as shewn in the said Drawings, the end of the said iron rod M might in like
manner be placed upon the said axle e 2. It is also obvious that the clastic
force of the said helical springs may be called into action either in a state of
compression or of extension, and although I have made use of grooved pullies
in the suspending apparatus herein-before described, and also of chains which
I have herein-before described as being attached or fastened to the said pullies,
I do not confine myself to the use only of such pullies and chains, as cranks or
radius rods or levers may be employed in lieu of the said pullies, by fixing the
said cranks or levers or radius rods to the axles on which I have herein-before
described the said pullies to be fixed or hung, and in lieu of the herein-before
mentioned chains, leather straps may be used. I have herein-before clearly
described the nature and principle of my said Invention, as also the various
parts of the machinery I have employed for carrying the same into practical
use; but as all the various parts I have so herein-before described are in their
individual characters well known and in common use, I hereby declare that
none of the said parts individually form any part of my said Invention.
Lastly, I declare that my said Invention consists in the application of
mechanical agents, or means such as or similar to those I have herein-before
described for suspending railway and other wheel carriages, when such
inechanical agents or means are used in conjunction or in combination with
springs, so that all the said springs shall, by the use of the said mechanical
agents or means, be affected equally or nearly so by any weight which may be
laid thereon.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Fleming Bergin, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of November, One
thousand cight hundred and thirty-five.
"
T. F. (L.s.) BERGIN.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-seventh day of November,
in the year of our Lord 1835, the aforesaid Thomas Fleming Bergin came
before our said Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Speci-
fication aforesaid, 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.
Inrolled the Twenty-seventh day of November, in the year of our Lord
Inrolled the Twenty-seventh day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and thirty-five.