US212716A - Improvement in platform-springs for vehicles - Google Patents

Description

T. GMMANDT. Platform-Spring for Vehigles.

No 212,716. Patented Feb. 25,1879.

7i -Q\ i .3. I \M N.PETERS. PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON. D. O.

UNITED STATES PATENT QFFIc.

.TARGE Gr. MANDT, OF STOUGHTON, WISCONSIN.

IMPROVEMENT IN PLATFORM-SPRINGS FOR VEHICLES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 212,716, dated February 25, 1879; application filed March 21, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, TARGE G. MANDT, of Stoughton, in the county of Dane and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Platform-"Springs; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and in whicl1- Figure l is a top plan. Fig. 2 is a side elevation. Fig. 3 is a rear view. Fig. 4 is aperspective view of the under side of the upper concentrically-grooved disk, which takes the place of fifth-wheel. Fig. 5 is a vertical section of the two disks and axle, on lineman, Fig. 1; and Fig. 6 is a side view, on an enlarged scale, of the double head at the end of springs, which forms a part of and is used with my improvement.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

y invention relates to an improved construction and combination of parts of so-ealled platformsprings used in vehicles, the nature of which will be fully understood from the following description, taken in connection with the drawings.

Ais the axle, to each end of which, on its under side, are clipped the side springs, B B. O is the rear connecting-sprin g, the ends of which are connected with the rear ends of springs B B by cross or angle heads in the usual man- To the middle of spring 0 is secured, by clips 0 0 or in any other suitable manner, a block or plate, D, made of cast or malleable iron, of a width corresponding to that of the spring, and having at each end two oblique cars, 61 (Z d d, with perforations for the bolts 6 e.

E E are two oblique or converging springs, each of which is secured, at one end, to the ends of the side springs, B B, and at the other converging ends to the oblique heads of the plate D by the bolts 0 e.

The saud-board F is secured upon springs E E by clip-plates f and bolts 9, just over the axle, and has secured upon its middle a flat metal disk, G, having a central perforation, h,

and sidenotches, Upon this plate or disk rests a corresponding cap-plate, H, having an annular downward-projecting flange, k, and central bolt, l, which fits into the perforation h in plate G and beam or board F, and serves as the king-bolt, having a nut, j, at its lower end.

Disk H has a series of concentric depressions or flat grooves, (denoted by m m,) which form receptacles for cotton waste soaked in tallow or oil, or other lubricating material, besides reducing the area of contact or wearing-surface, so that the two disks will slide easily upon each other. Its flange 76 has in wardly-bent lugs or ears 70 lo, which fit into the notchesz'z'in the periphery of plate G, and project in under this when, after placing disk H upon disk G, the former is turned to either side. Thus, it will be observed that even if bolt Z were Withdrawn, the two disks cannot come apart except when the catch-lugs k k are immediately opposite to the notches z 2'; and it will also be seen that the annular flange or guard 70 will prevent sand or dirt from entering between the plates and obstruct the free motion thereof.

The forward ends of each of the springs E E terminate in what I call a double head, N-- that is, the downward-bent flanges of the end of the spring which constitute the head are provided with two perforations or bolt-holes on each side instead of one, as usual. The bolt or pin which unites the ends of springs E B and E B, respectively, is inserted into the rearmost of these perforations, the forward part of the flanges projecting out over the uniting-point, so as to form a recess, into which are inserted the eyes r r, one on each end of the cross or end bar I of the tongue, the couplingeyes r being pivoted upon and held in place by the bolts n. In the drawings I have shown these double headsN as part of the upper converging springs E E; but it is obvious that this arrangement may be reversed, and that the side springs, B B, may be made with double heads for the insertion of the ton glue-coup lings.

The advantages ofthis construction are, that I dispense with all gear, making the draft direct by the ends of springs without the use of intermediate links or couplings. The ends of 2 cream .ployment of cast or malleable heads.

K K are the steps, each of which consists of an oval plate having a concave step or shoulder, 0, on its under side, which fits over the curve of the rear head of the side spring, upon which it is secured by a single bolt or rivet,

The shoulder 0 prevents the plate from turning to either side, so that it will always remain rigidly in its position without the use ofi clips, hangers, or equivalent devices.

By clipping the side springs onto the under side of the axle, instead ofupon the'upper side, as usual, I make the draft from the under side of the axle, besides lowering the platform and bringing it closer to the ground, one objection to this class of springs as ordinarily made being theirheight, which raises the'\vagon'-box a greater distance from the ground than is, as I a rule, desirable.

The double heads or ears N N arecoi'i'struct- 'ed in one piece with each spring E E by first thickening their forward ends, then rolling or hammering'the thickened portionsto'thethickness of the body of the spring, bywhich'sfaid ends will be widened'or spread out, when the same may be perforated to form 'the apertures for the reception of the side-'sprin g-connec'ti'n g bolts and those of the thill-coupli'ngs. The

next step is to bend or turn the spread-out portions downwardly at ri' ght angles to the bodyor plates of the springs, when 'thetn'rneddown portions or heads or cars may be finished in the manner shown or otherwise, thus completing the construction of the heads or cars.

I am aware that, broadly, the use of an end spring, side springs, and converging springs in combination is old.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States- 1. In a platform spring for vehicles, the springs E E, having the double heads or clips N N, in combination with the springs B B and cross-bar I of the tongue, substantially as and for the purpose 'set forth.

2. The combination of the spring-platform coni 'ao'sed'of the parallel 'side'sp'rin gs, B B {end spring- 0, an converging springs EE, provided at their front ends with doubleheads N N, constructed asdescrib'ed, :ivi'th the' tong'ue I I, provided with coi'iplin'g-eyes i r, substantially and for the"1: ur'pose herein -sh'ownand described. V v p A 3. The step-plates K, havingeoncajvesteps or shoulders 0 on their underside, 'fittin-gover the convex heads of springs B B,'and "secured thereto by a single bolt or rivet, p,"s"ubstantially "as and for the purpose herein sh'ownand described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as 'myown I have hereto aftikediny signature in presence'oftwo witnesses. TARGE "Gr. 'M'ANDT.

Witnesses J NO. W. HADIGAN, AUeus'r PETERs'oHN.

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