CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN METALLIC SPRINGS FOR CARRIAGES
Year: 1849

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, EDWARD
IVES FULLER, of Margaret Street, Cavendish Square, in the County of
Middlesex, Carriage Builder, and GEORGE TABERNACLE, of Mount Row,
Westminster Road, in the County of Surrey, Coach Ironfounder, 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 Seventh day of July, in the thirteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,
the said Edward Ives Fuller and George Tabernacle, Her especial license,
full power, sole privilege and authority, that we, the said Edward Ives
Fuller and George Tabernacle, our exors, adiñors, and assigns, and such
others as we, the said Edward Ives Fuller and George Tabernacle, 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 mentioned,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England,
Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, our Invention of "CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN METALLIC SPRINGS FOR CARRIAGES;" in which said Letters
Patent is contained a proviso, obliging us, the said Edward Ives Fuller
and George Tabernacle, by an instrument in writing under our hands, and
seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us, particularly to describe and
ascertain the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the same

page_text: is to be performed, and to cause the same to be enrolled in Her 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,
reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Edward Ives Fuller (on behalf of myself and of the said George Tabernacle),
do hereby declare that the nature of our said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, is particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following description thereof, reference being had to the
Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon
(that is to say): :-
The object of our Invention of Improvements in Metallic Springs for Car-
riages is to obviate as far as possible the unpleasant effect of the recoil of
carriage springs when in action, as the recoil of springs as at present con-
structed and adapted to carriages produces much uneasiness of motion, and
frequently occasions the springs to break or become strained or injured. The
means we have adopted for obviating these inconveniences consists in con-
necting the springs at one or both ends to each other when two springs are
employed, or to a rigid bar when only one spring is used, in such a manner
that the ends of the springs may have sufficient play horizontally when they
elongate or flatten by being loaded, so that their free action may not be checked
suddenly, as sometimes happens when the ends of the springs are connected
together by slings, as is now generally the case. Various means of effecting
this object may be devised, and in the accompanying Drawings we have
shewn different plans of carrying out our Invention and adapting it to various
forms of springs. The principle upon which the Invention is founded will be
best understood by referring to the accompanying Drawings and the following
description thereof :-
Fig. 1 represents the Invention adapted to a double elliptic spring.
At one end the springs are jointed together in the ordinary manner, but
instead of connecting the opposite ends of the springs together by means
of shackles or slings as usual, a slotted box or bearing a is secured to the end
of the under spring, and the upper spring is furnished with a sliding stud
or bolt 6 which works in the slot of the bearing a. In order that the
construction of this bearing may be clearly understood, we have shewn it
detached and upon an enlarged scale at Figs. 2 and 3.
Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section taken through the bearing, shewing the stud
or bolt in the slot, and Fig. 3 is a cross section of the same. It will be
seen that the under side of the box or bearing a is recessed or cut away for

page_text: the purpose of receiving the end of the lower spring c, which is secured therein
by means of a bolt or rivet e.. On the under side of the upper spring da
forked arm f is made, and a horizontal pin g at the lower end thereof passes
through the sliding stud or bolt 6 (Figs. 2 and 3) which works in the slot
of the bearing a.. It will now be seen that as the springs c and d are pressed
together by the load the stud.or bolt 6 will be slidden along the slot, which is
made long enough to preclude the possibility of the stud 6 striking against the
end of the slot, and producing any recoil.
In Fig. 4 we have shewn a slight modification of the above, the only
difference being that the upper elliptic spring is curved round at the end, and
the sliding stud bis connected to the extremity of the scroll instead of
being attached to the under side of the spring at some distance from the end,
as shewn in Fig 1.
*
In Fig. 5 we have shewn the principle as applied to a demi-elliptic spring.
In this instance there is only one spring (viz.) the lower spring c, one end of
which is jointed to the end of a curved rigid bar d, and the other end of the
spring is furnished with a' pin b' which slides. in a slot made in the end of the
rigid bar d.
Fig. 6 is a modification of this plan, the principal difference being that in
place of making a slot in the end of the rigid bar d as in the former instance,
the end. of the rigid bar is scrolled or curved round and carries the pin or
stud b, which works in the slot of the bearing a which in this case is bolted
to the under spring c. as in Figs. 1 and 3:
Fig 7 represents a spring with the improvements applied thereto. and
adapted to the shaft of a light vehicle, such as a gig. or light cart. The
spring c is attached at one end to a scroll-iron j, which is secured to the
end of the shaft, and the opposite end of the spring is furnished with a slotted
box or bearing a. A second scroll-iron k, also fastened to the shaft, carries at
its lower end a stud or bolt. b, which works in the slot of the box or bearing a,
as in Fig. 6.
In Fig, 8 we have shewn a plan in which the slotted box is dispensed with.
In this case the end of the spring c is made to work between two flat
pieces of metal i, i, which are mounted on centres on the forked ends
of the scroll-iron, as seen in the enlarged detached views, Figs. 9 and 10.
It will be evident, that this plan. of. connecting the springs so as to
afford sufficient play to. prevent the, recoil, may be adapted to springs. of
different forms and descriptions, such as those shewn in the Drawings and
others..
In common carriage springs for ordinary purposes, it will generally be

page_text: found advisable to connect the two springs together at one end by a common
joint, as shewn in the Figures, so as to leave all the horizontal play for the
other end of the springs; but in some cases when the springs are secured
to the axletrees or boxes at or near their middle, such as for railway purposes,
it will be found desirable to allow play at each end of the spring.
Fig. 11 represents a side elevation of a railway carriage, with our improve-
ments adapted thereto. It will be seen that the springs c, c, are secured at
the middle between the horns 1, 1, in such a manner that they have vertical
play in the slot or space between the horns, and that each end of the springs
is furnished with a stud or bolt 6, which works in the slots of the bearings a
precisely as shewn in Figs. 1 and 3. If thought advisable, this plan of
mounting springs may, with suitable modifications, be also adapted to heavy
carriages for ordinary roads, and if preferred, the slotted box or bearing a may
be attached to the springs, and the bolts or studs 6 to the carriage framing,
instead of the arrangement shewn in the Drawing.
Fig. 12 represents another mode of connecting the ends of carriage springs.
In place of shackles or slings usually employed, or the slotted bearing a, and
sliding stud or bolt 6 above described, in some cases we intend to secure the
ends of the springs to the fulcrum and one end of a bell-crank lever in such a
manner that the lever may work freely on these points. The right-hand end
of the lower spring c carries the fulcrum pin of the bell crank lever h, and
the corresponding end of the upper spring d is connected to the outer corner
of the bell-crank lever. It will now be understood that as the upper spring d
becomes loaded, and thereby elongated or flattened by being brought more
nearly to a straight line, the bell-crank lever will be made to turn on the stud n
of the lower spring, and as the end of the under side of the upper spring is
supported by the segmental arm of the bell-crank lever, that part of the
spring which is in contact with the lever will become rigid, and its elasticity
prevented from coming into play, so that as the weight or load on the spring
is augmented, the rigidity or strength of the spring will be increased by
shortening the length of the elastic part of the spring.
Having now described our Invention, and the best means with which we
are acquainted for carrying the same into execution, we would observe in
conclusion, that we do not mean or intend to confine ourselves rigidly to the
precise arrangement or construction of parts herein shewn and described, as
they may doubtless be varied without departing from the nature and object of
our improvements; but that which we consider to be new and therefore wish
to claim as the Invention secured to us by the herein-before in part recited
Letters Patent, is-

page_text: First, connecting springs together at their ends by means of sliding pins,
bolts, or studs attached to the end or ends of one spring, and caused to work
in a slot or groove made in a box or bearing attached to or formed in or on
the other spring. We claim also connecting the ends of springs to rigid bars
or rigid scroll irons by similar means.
Second, we claim the means shewn in Fig. 8, or any mere modification
thereof, in which the end of one spring is made to rest and work on or between
a metal bearing mounted in a forked end or frame attached to the other
spring, so as to afford sufficient horizontal play to the springs without the
danger of unpleasant effects from recoil.
Third, we claim the plan shewn in Fig. 12 or any mere modification
thereof, for connecting springs together by means or a bell-crank lever or
sector piece, so as to increase the tension or rigidity of the spring as the weight
is increased, as well as to obviate any unpleasant effects that might arise
from recoil, and which cannot take place with the above described arrange-
ment.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Ives Fuller, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Seventh day of January, One thousand