US109608A - Improvement in elastic running-gear for carriages - Google Patents

Description

.anni effin.

GEORGE n. cannnrsonr RUss'nLLvrLLn, KENTUCKY.

y Letters Patent No. 109,608, dated November 29, 1870.l

IMPROVEMENT `lN ELASTIC RUNNING-GEAR FOR CARRIAGES.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To all whom yit may concern:

Be it-known that I, GEORGE E. GABnE'rsox, of Russellville, in the county of Logan and 'State of Kentucky, have invented a new and improved Elastic Running Gear for Carriageshand I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact descrip- 4tion of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure-lis a side view. Figure 2 is a horizontal'section. Figure 3 represents a'moditication of the construction shown in figs. l and 2.

the forward axle.;

Secondly, a new form of loop for supporting the carriage-body andv g Thirdly, a novel method of ,preventing the fall 0r tripping ot' the 'carriage-body in case a spring should break. I

In the drawing- A represents the forward and B the rear axle;

y ,0, the main spriugs,cousistiug of several leaves, o c;

D, the carriage-body;

E E, the loops that support the body; i

M N, the devices that connect the springs to the axles and f F G, supplementary springs, attached to the parts M N or M B- respectively, and employed, if desired, for the purpose of furnishing additional elastic snpports for the extremities of the body D, as shown in the lrawing.-

My improvements consist, first, in the'coust-rnction of the part M, and its combination with the springs C G and forward axle Ai The palt M is designed to furnish a horizontal hearing' for the main springs, and a vertical socket for the king-bolt, the said bearing and socket being so connected together that they cannot be rocked independently .of each other.

In igs. 1 and'2, thepart M is represented as Iormed in a ksingle piece, having four arms, two, Im. m, extending backward nearly in a horizontal plane, and adapted to su'bort thes rines and two m1 m1 cxtendinnr forward in a vertical plane, one of them passing over and the other under the axlc,'so as to givea firm bearing for the king-bolt, and to allow the free movement of the axle in turning the carriage.

VIt is not absolutely essential, however, that the device be confined to the precise form above described, for, if preferred, it may be constructed as represented in tig. 3, the two arms m m running forward to a point over the axle on each side' of the head ofA the king-bolt, and distant a few inches therefrom, and being there attached to a head-block or bolster, b, made either o f met-al orwood, and if of metal constructed in one piece, with the arms m 'm or not, as

may be preferred.

Then the arms m m. arc thus connected to the part b, a connection ismadc with the lower end of the king-bolt by means of a U-shapcd brace, m2, as shown, the bolt passing through the center of the curve ot' the brace, and the ends of the brace being bent up and attachedto the arms m on.. f

This form of apparatus preserves the horizontal Abearings for the springs, and the vertical socket for the king-bolt, as before. rI he arrangement of the parts is, however, slightly different, and has some advantages overthc other form.'

The part on?, for example,'serves to brace the apparatus laterally'.v The weightof theca-rriage-body rests more directly on the axle, so that in the eventv of a fracture of the springs or the part M, the' bodv would not be likely to fall to the ground.

In form, too, it more closely resembles the common bolster arrangement, and therefore is less likely 'to arouse the prejudices of the public, so long accustomed to the old construction.

Other equivalent methods of construction may, perhaps, be adopted, it being only essential, first, that a horizontal part or parts should be employed equivalent tom fm, for the purpose of firmly holding the springs; secondly, that two parts should be employed as equivalents-of m1 mi, viz., one to hold the head,

and the other the footfof the king-bolt, the former above and thc latter below the axle; and, thirdly, that the parts thus holding the springs and the kingbolt should be rigidly connected together, so that one cannot be turned or rocked independently of thev other.

I amaware that a device has heretofore been in use that might be considered as having the equivalents of the parts fm. m, and also of the Vparts m ml, but as said parts were constructed so as to turn or rock independently of each other, and thereby canse the turning of the carriage to very frequently result in the overturning of it, the operation'of said device isesscntially unlike that of mine, and I make no claiml to its invention.

Disks or washers a a of leather, 'raw-hide, or other snitablematerial may bc employcdou cithcr side of the axle, between the parts m1 m, vfor the purpose of preventing the jarring and rattling of the carriage.

The met-al employed in the part- Mis preferably the finest and toughest charcoal iron, so thatthere can be no possible danger of fracture.

The rear ends of the arms m m are tobe widened and flattened, to adapt them to receive and hold the ends of both springs GC and F F.

It will be observed that by the employment of this device the necessity for a fifth wheel Vis obviated, and that no head-block or bolster is necessary, unless the part b, shown in tig. 3, beregarded' as theequivalent thereof1 The second feature of my invention is in the peculiar shape of the loops E E to adapt them for, use in connection with the springs O O, when the latter are arranged in the triangular position represented in iig. 2.

It is an obvious necessity that the base of the loops should conform to the direction of the spring, while the upper ends, that support the body, should be in line with the body. rIhe result is a twist in the shape ofthe loop, which, when the latter is made of wood, as has been the practice heretofore, prevents ,natiou of the two arms c being such as to bring them in line with each other under the body, so that a line passing through the two t'op flanges of one side loop will be nearly or quite parallel to' a similar line. passing through the top flanges of the other side loop. My third improvement consists in the means adopted for preventing injury to the ypassengers from the :incidental fraeture'of a spring.' rllhe only danger of this kind that needs to begnarded against arises from the possibility ofthe lower leaf, c, Abeing accidentally broken, the upper leaves not being liable to give'way, and, if they were, heilig supported by the lower leaf, softhat the carriage couldl not fall.

To prevent the carriage from fallingin case of the fracture of the lower leaf, I connect the second leaf, as well as the lower leaf, to the bearings M N, so that if the lower leaf breaks the second leaf 4w-ill hohl and save the carriage and passengers.

To this end the supporting-plates M'N are cach constructed with lips, a a, turn-ed over the two leaves,. so that the spring may work freely in a longitudinal direction, anda shoulder, offset, or lip, or other 'projection, u', is formed upon the second leaf, 'either on its side, as shown in tig. 2, or its cud or upper surface, as represented in fig. l, which cannot-bc di'awn past the lips n 11, but will lock against vvthein and prevent the leaf from being detached from -the bearings by any longitudinal strain, however great it may be. If, then, the lower .leaf should part, the weight of the carriage-body, coming directly upon the' secondleaf, will depress it anchdraw its ends toward each other but, as they cannot be withdrawn from the :socketJ4 formed by the lips u n, the v( :arriage-body will still be firmly supported and all dangerl tothe passengers will v be obviated. l Y

I do not wish to limit myself to the precisedctails of construction herein described, but 4desire to be at the different varieties of vehicle in use.

used, they will rest upon the parts fm. m N.

with the proper action of the Yspring in'its ordinarywork, but to hold the second leaf firmly in ease the first leafshould give way at any time.

The details'of construction `shown in the drawing may be modified at will to adapt myimprovements to For example, in constructing what Ais known to theftrade as a drop-front carriage, the forward arm e" of the loop may be dropped down lower thanrepresented; and in any crooked work the arms c elmay be more or less inclined vertically or laterally, to suit theshapc of the'. body. f

An elastic strip, r,may be insertedlbetween the base c andthe top leaf of the spring, to prevent rattling, if desired.

Avskeleton carriage for fast 'driving may be constructed by making the part E of f H-iron, properly bent, as above described, onevside of the H serving to support the seat, and the other resting upon the spring. In this case the forward end of thepart that rests on the spring may be elongated and bent up to form a. foot-rest for the driver.' lhe spring may be made in a single leaf The carriage will then be reduced merelyto wheels and connections, the lightest and simplest form possible. v

'.In lheavier carriages the rear end of the springs may be prolonged and bent up -into the C-form-for the support of the rear end of the vehicle, the whole thus combining in one an elliptic and a G-spring.

'lhe supplemental springs-F Gr may be madeof any idegree of rigidity, and will serve to equalize thepres'sure on the main springs, and' also to prevent the falling of the carriage-body in case of fracture of oneof the main springs. If these springs are employed, there may be three or four of them. Then four are 'hen three, two of them will be thus supported, and the third will bear directly upon the rear axle or upon the center of the part M. v

4It will be observed that the connectiol'l' between the two axles consists only of the springs C O, which thus A reach may, however, be

upon the springs, and provided with arlns'c e, adapted to thc support of diiierent-shaped carriage-bodies,'sub stantially as described.

3. The combination or the second leaf of the spring,

resting upon the fn'st leaf, with their supporting-plates.

or bearings, when constructed to operate together in ease of the fracture of thelower leaf, substantially as described.

4. The described arrangement of the supplemental springs FG, when employed-in addition to the main springs, for the purpose specified.

' a GEORGE EfGARRElSOS.

Witnesses: y

L. Hlm, E. A. Ennswon'rin

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