Improvements in Coiled Drawsprings for Harness, Vehicles, Ropes, and the like.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Aug., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 4th May, 1895-Accepted, 8th June, 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Coiled Drawsprings for Harness, Vehicles, Ropes,
and the like.
I, WALTER MILLS 94 Scotland Street in the City of Sheffield, Manufacturer
do hereby declare the nature of my invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to an improved construction of compressible drawspring,
suitable for attachment to the harness of horses used for drawing tramcars and other
like vehicles, horses used for shunting railway wagons, canal horses, and for ropes
and cables for acchors and the like, also for coupling railway and trainway vehicles
and many other like purposes.
The object is to provide a spring of a simple construction, that, while allowing
of expansion or elongation of the trace, rope, or other pulling medium, so as to avoid
the dead pull and suddeu strain necessary to move a stationary vehicle, by ordinary
means, will compress the spring instead of expanding it.
I propose to use a coiled spring of any desired strength, and of any length that
may be suitable for the work required.
I then take two strong discs, of the same diameter or thereabouts as the coils of
the spring and provided with four holes made at equal distances, and within a circle
of the same diameter as the interior of the spring.
I then provide two similar links, each formed from a rod bent in the centre, the
two straight legs being parallel, and at such a distance apart as to pass readily
through opposite holes in the discs beforementioned.
The legs of each link are then passed through a disc, and then through the coiled
spring from opposite ends, and the extreme ends of the legs rivetted into the
opposite discs, or secured by screwed nuts, or equivalent means.
If force is applied
and the looped ends of the links are drawn apart, the spring will be compressed
until the coils are closed.
I may in some cases where a flattened spring is required use one double legged
link, and one single central rod link and niake the coils of the spring of an oblong
form.
Dotal she and do of Awoust 1801
ROBT. F. DRURY, C.P.A.,
Bank Buildings, George Street, Sheffield, Agent for Applicant.
Improvements in Coiled Drawsprings for Harness, Vehicles, Ropes,
and the like.
I, WALTER MILLS 94 Scotland Street, in the City of Sheffield, Manufacturer
5 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 :―
My invention relates to an improved construction of compressible drawspring
suitable for attachment to the harness of horses drawing tramcars, and other like

page_text: vehicles, shunting railway wagons, drawing canal boats, and for use with ships
ropes, anchor cables and the like, and many other purposes.
The object is to provide a spring of simple construction, that will (in combination
with its frame-work) allow the trace, rope, chain or other like pulling medium to
which it is attached, to expand or elongate so as to avoid "dead pull" and the usual
sudden strain which occurs in moving a stationary vehicle by ordinary means, and
in which the action of the spring will be that of compression and not of elongation.
The construction is shown in the annexed sheet of drawings, in which similar letters
of reference indicate similar parts in any of the figures.
Fig. 1, represents one of my springs and its frame-work at rest, with end view of
same.
Fig. 2, the same spring under compression.
Fig. 3, plan of compression plate, when an oval form of coiled spring is used,
with a single centre bar.
In carrying out my invention, I use a coiled spring of any suitable length and
diameter for the required purpose, and marked S, in the drawings. I then take
two strong end plates or discs D, of the same diameter of the spring or thereabouts,
and provided with four holes made at equal distances and within a circle of the
same diameter as the interior of the spring coils.
I next take two similar links L', and L, each formed from a rod bent in the
centre and the arms turned back until they are parallel, and at such a distance apart
as to pass readily through opposite holes in the discs D, before described. The
links may in some cases be separate rods instead of a single rod bent to shape, and
be secured to a cross head or its equivalent.
The ends of the arms of each link are then passed through one of the discs, and
through the coiled spring from opposite ends, and their extreme ends projecting
from the spring are passed through the two vacant holes in each disc and secured,
either by rivetting or preferably by means of screw threads and nuts N, as shown.
If force is applied to the looped ends of the links so as to draw them apart, the
spring will be compressed and the coils gradually closed.
For some purposes a flattened spring may be desirable, in which case I propose
to use one double arm link L³, and a single central link L, the discs D, in such
case being made to match the configuration of the coil, as shown in Fig. 3.
I do not confine myself to the use of springs made precisely as shown, as for
example the wire may he round, square, or of other section, and I may also use a
spring tapering to each end, or one in which the material tapers towards each end,
to give gradually increasing strength of resistance as the spring is compressed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
A coiled compressible spring, in combination with a draw frame, constructed and
operating as hereiubefore described, and with reference to the annexed drawings.
Dated the 2nd day of May 1895.
ROBT. F. DRURY, C.P.A.,
Bank Buildings, George Street, Sheffield, Agent for Applicant.