US163112A - Improvement in carriage-springs - Google Patents

Description

H. SPRAGUE. Carriage-Springs.

Pa'tented May1`1,l875.

lllilllllllmm ummm lllllll HARVEY SPRAGUE, OF GHURGHVILLE, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF HIS RIGHT TO WILLIAM S. BROWN, OF LE ROY, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN CARRIAGE-SPRINGS.

Speciiication forming part of Letters Patent No. RSSLE H2, dated May 11, 1875; application filed April 19, 1875.

To all whom 'it may concern:

vBe it known that I, HARVEY SPRAGUE, of Ohurchville, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Oarriages and WVagons; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation ot1 the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan of a wagon inverted or turned bottom upward, and provided with my improvement. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the reach and springs and connecting parts, right side up. Fig. 3 is a cross-section of the bolster and front axle in line of the kin g-bolt.

. My improvement is of that class in which the front and rear axles are connected by a spring-arch, and a rigid reach is avoided.

The invention consists in the arrangement of the side springs, reach, cross-strap, bodyloop, and braces; and also in the employment of a circle-plate of peculiar construct-ion, as hereinafter described.

A A represent the wheels. a a are the front and rear axles, and a2 is the bolster. B is the wagon-body. rlhese parts are of ordinary construction. C O are two side springs, pivoted at b b to clips on the top or sides ot the rear axle and front bolster, and supporting the wagon-body by being attached to side blocks projecting` down from the wagon-body. They are made arched or convex, and may be composed of several leaves, to give proper stiffness and strength. D is a spring-reach, ofthe same curvature as the side springs, and lying centrally between them. Its ends are slotted longitudinally, as shown at o c, andare attached on the under side ot' the front and rear axles by bolts or T-clips, which pass through the slots c c. The reach lies as much lower than the side springs as the distance between the end attachments of said parts. E is a central cross-strap, bolted fast at the ends to the springs O G, and in the center to the reach D. In order to meet the points ot' attachment it is made concave or curved, as shown in Fig. 2. G G are two rear braces, bolted fast to the center of the reach, and extending backward and outward in an angular direction, and bolted fast to the bottom of the rear axle near the ends, the two being thus in the form of a V, as shown in Fig. l. In attaching the braces G Gthe rear ends are first secured to the axle, and the front ends are then sprung up to rest against the reach. By this means, when the weight is applied upon the springs todepress them, the braces will prevent rolling or turning of the axle as they expand under depression to the same degree that the springs and reach do, thereby balancing the axle. H is a body-loop, bolted fast to the center of the reach, and curved upward, and attached at the ends to the bottom of the wagon-body longitudinally. The wagon-body, therefore, has four attachments-viz., to the ends of the body-loop longitudinally, and to the center ot the side springs transversely.

The object of the cross strap E, angular braces G G, and body-loop H, as combined with the side springs and reach, is to give strength and position to the wagon-body, and prevent tilting or depression out of the horizontal line when preponderance of weight is applied at either side, or either end. When weight is applied on one side the thrust transversely is taken by the cross-strap E and transferred across to the opposite angular brace G, and expended upon the farther end of the rear axle, the cross-strap and brace, although not in a straight line, approximating suflciently thereto for this purpose, and the eft'ect in preventing tipping or tilting being better than where the rear braces are carried back longitudinally in line with the reach and springs, and at right angles to the cross-strap, as in other wagons of this class. The crossstrap and angular braces also prevent torsion of the reach. So long as such torsion is prevented the wagon-body cannot sag on one side more than on the other. When undueweight is applied on one end or the other the longitudinal tipping is prevented, by reason of the attachment ot' the body to the springs and reach being in a central transverse line. The body-loop H in that case serves as a brace to carry the strain to the center only, and since there is no stiff connection between the front and rear axles the wheels can spread longitudinally, and the springs will depress equally 2 EGSJIQ throughout their whole length. There will be no appreciable tipping unless the weight is in excess of the capacity of the springs.

Another advantage of my invention consists ofthe arrangement whereby the axle and bolster are prevented from rolling or turning as the springs are depressed. The two side springs being attached on top or at the side, and the reach and angular braces on the bottom, they expand equally when depressed, thereby balancing the axles. This effect is further produced by pivoting the ends ot' the springs, i11- stead of attaching-them rigidly, which has been heretofore done, and in forming the slots c c in the reach, so that no binding or strain can occur. The eect of holding the axles balanced is further produced by the body-loop H, which prevents any end play or shucking ofthe wagon in one direction or the other by jerks.

I is the circle-plate, which is in the forni of a loop, and embraces the front axle. rIhe end ofthe reach is attached to the loop by a rivet, j", in the rear of the king-bolt g. The kingbolt passes through the bolster and axle in the usual manner, and also through the ends of the circle-plate. The slot c in the end of the reach is of such size that the end of the reach cannot come in contact with the king-bolt at any time.

When the draft is applied to the wagon the strain comes upon the upper end of the kingbolt and upon the rivet f, and not upon the end of the reach. By this means I obviate wear upon the end of the reach, and avoid the necessity of making it thicker or stron ger than vthe body of the reach itself'.

The construction of the springs above described makes them very light, strong, and so elastic to break all shocks which occur by striking the wheels on obstructions.

Having thus described my invention, I do not claim, broadly, side springs, nor a springreach. Neither do I claim, broadly, connecting the front and rear axles with a spring-arch without a rigid reach; but

What I claim as new is 1. The combination of the side springs G C, spring-reach D, cross-strap E, body-loop H, andthe angular braces GVG, extending from the center of the reach to the outer ends of the rear axle, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination, with the springs C G and spring-reach D, of the cross-strap E and the angular braces G G, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination ot' the pivoted side springs C C of the rear axle and bolster, the reach D, attached on the bottom of the axles, and the body-loop I-I, fastened to center ot' the reach, to prevent longitudinal motion thereof fromturnin g the axles, substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HARVEY SPRAGUE.

Witnesses:

R. F. OsG-oon, E. B. SCOTT.

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