Improvements in Springs for Carriages and other Vehicles.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Nov.. 1893
Complete Specification Left, 9th Aug., 1894-Accepted, 15th Sept., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Springs for Carriages and other Vehicles.
I, EUGENE MARIUS DESPREZ of 16 Rue Drouot, Paris, France, Doctor, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to compensating springs for carriages or other vehicles,
that is to say springs which will more or less diminish the reactions which are
produced in ordinary bearing springs when owing to the wheels passing over uneven
ground the load suddenly acts on the springs and a more or less sharp reaction or
rebound takes place.
Helical springs are perhaps the best to employ when it is required to compensate,
but as these cannot be fitted to the existing types of vehicles without considerable
alterations in the latter I have endeavoured to apply means of compensation to
elliptical and semi-elliptical springs, such as those formed of laminated plates and
now commonly used as bearing springs for carriages and other vehicles.
My invention consists in combining with a semi-elliptical spring, or with each
half of an elliptical spring, a spring formed of one or more plates of similar form
to the bearing spring but so arranged that its tension is in the opposite direction to
that of the bearing spring in order to compensate for or diminish the reactions due
to jolts arising from irregularities of the road.
In carrying out my invention in the case of an elliptical spring I combine with
each half of same a compensating spring formed of one or more plates and in such
manner that the action of this compensating spring is always the reverse of that of
the corresponding half of the bearing spring. The compensating spring is attached
to the inner face of the corresponding half of the bearing spring in such manner
that when the latter is at rest the compensating spring is in tension and when the
bearing spring has reached the limit of its load the compensating spring is entirely
without tension and inactive. When the bearing spring is returning to its normal
position the compensating spring comes again into action and thereby causes the
bearing spring to return quietly and without shock. The compensating springs are
attached to the bearing spring at the middle by bolts or otherwise.
When a single semi-elliptical bearing spring is employed I use a single com-
pensating spring and in this case it is desirable to guide its extremities. For this
purpose I connect either the end of the bearing spring or of the compensating
spring to a guide in which the other spring can slide. The ends of the two springs
are kept apart by a thin metal case in which is a packing composed of a perforated
block of caoutchouc or other like elastic material.
Dated this 13th day of November 1893.
J. C. MEWBURN,
55 and 56, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Springs for Carriages and other Vehicles.
I, EUGENE MARIUS DESPREZ of 16 Rue Drouot, Paris, France, Doctor, 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 compensating springs for carriages or other vehicles that

page_text: is to say springs which will more or less diminish the reactions which are produced
in ordinary bearing springs when owing to the wheels passing over uneven ground
the load suddenly acts on the springs and a more or less sharp reaction or rebound
takes place.
Helical springs are perhaps the best to employ when it is required to compensate,
but as these cannot be fitted to the existing types of vehicles without considerable
alterations in the latter I have endeavored to apply means of compensation to
elliptical and semi-elliptical springs such as those formed of laminated plates and
now commonly used as bearing springs for carriages and other vehicles.
My invention consists in combining with a semi-elliptical spring or with each
half of an elliptical spring a spring formed of one or more plates of similar form to
the bearing spring but so arranged that its tension is in the opposite direction to
that of the bearing spring in order to compensate for or diminish the reactions due
to jolts arising from irregularities of the road.
In carrying out my invention in the case of an elliptical spring I combine with
each half of same a compensating spring formed of one or more plates and in such
manner that the action of this compensating spring is always the reverse of that of
the corresponding half of the bearing spring. The compensating spring is attached
to the inner face of the corresponding half of the bearing spring in such manner
that when the latter is at rest the compensating spring is in tension and when the
bearing spring has reached the limit of its load the compensating spring is entirely
without tension and inactive. When the bearing spring is returning to its normal
position the compensating spring comes again into action and thereby causes the
bearing spring to return quietly and without shock. The compensating springs
are attached to the bearing spring at the middle by bolts or otherwise.
For
When a single or semi-elliptical bearing spring is employed I use a single
compensating spring and in this case it is desirable to guide its extremities.
this purpose I connect either the end of the bearing spring or of the compensating
spring to a guide in which the other spring can slide. The ends of the two springs
are kept apart by a thin metal case in which is a packing composed of a perforated
block of caoutchouc or other like elastic material.
In order that my said invention may be fully understood and readily carried into
effect I will now proceed to describe the accompanying drawings.
Figure 1 represents in elevation an elliptic spring made in the usual way for
carriages, and adapted according to my invention to form a compensating spring.
Figure 2 is a plan of the same.
Figure 3 shows in elevation a single or semi-elliptic spring adapted to form a
compensating spring.
Figures 4, 5, 6 show front, end and plan views respectively on a larger scale of
the system of mounting these springs inore particularly in the case of the spring
shown in Figure 3.
Like letters refer to like parts in all the figures.
Referring to Figures 1 and 2 the bearing spring is formed by a pair of flat
springs and 2 joined at their extremities 3-3 in the usual way. The spring 2
is kept in its required place by means of a bolt and nut in its centre 4 or by any
other convenient method.
When there is no weight on the spring it takes a curve proportionate to its
elasticity but under the pressure of the weight which it has to sustain this curve
diminishes the more as the pressure increases. On account of the various
irregularities in the roads and the jolts caused by them, a series of variations of
curve are produced in the springs, each alteration being immediately followed by a
sharp return to the original position; the vehicle consequently receives jolts which
although reduced correspond to those to which the axles are submitted.
My invention completely obviates these jolts by delaying the sharp return of
the spring to its original position. To effect this result I furnish each of the
springs 1 and 2 with a spring 5 and 6 which acts as a compensating spring. For
this purpose each of the spring 5 and 6 is mounted on the bearing spring in such a

page_text: way as to act in a contrary direction to that of the latter. By way of example as
represented in the figure the bearing spring is in a state of repose and the
compensating spring is in tension; the position of the compensating spring in
repose being approximately horizontal and this position it assumes when the
Thus when the bearing spring is
bearing springs support the maximum load.
at its extreme tension the compensating spring has no action. As the bearing
spring returns to its original position, the compensating spring bends thereby
counteracting the bearing spring causing the bearing spring to resume its original
position quietly and without shock.
The compensating spring is attached to the bearing spring by means of bolts or
otherwise at its centre thus leaving the ends of the compensating spring free to
inove.
Referring to Figure 3 the function is the same but the bearing spring 1 is single
instead of double. The compensating spring 5 is attached to the bearing spring
at its centre but in this case it is desirable to guide its ends. To effect this I
place at each extremity either of the compensating spring or of the bearing spring
(in the figure the extremity of the bearing spring) a guide 7 through which the end
of the compensating spring passes and in which it slides. The two springs are
kept apart by means of a thin metal case 8 in which is a packing 9 composed of a
perforated block of caoutchouc or other like elastic material.
The guide 7 may be attached either to the bearing or to the compensating spring
and accordingly one of thein will be movable in the guide.
It is important to notice that by this system of combining a compensating with a
bearing spring, prepared and put together beforehand, the coachbuilder and wheel
wright will not find it any more difficult to attach it to a carriage than the ordinary
springs.
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 :-
1. The combination with double elliptical bearing springs of carriages or other
vehicles, of a supplementary spring or springs arranged and combined so as to act
in a different or contrary direction to the elliptical bearing spring, substantially as
and for the purpose described.
2. The combination with single or semi-elliptical bearing springs for carriages
or other vehicles of a supplementary spring arranged and combined so as to act in
a different or contrary direction to the bearing spring and of a guide to facilitate
the action between the two springs, substantially as and for the purpose described.
3. The improved carriage spring substantially as described and as illustrated in
Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.
4. The improved carriage spring substantiall; as described and as illustrated in
Figures 3, 4, 5 and 6 of the accompanying drawings.
Dathic Oth dow of A vast 1894
J. C. MEWBURN & ELLIS,
55 and 56, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agents.