US390898A - portmann - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

H. G. PORTMANN.

CENTER BEARING SPRING FOR ROCKERS. No. 390,898. Patented Oct. 9, 1888.

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HENRY G. PORTMANN, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO \VILLIAM \V. PORTMANN, OF SAME PLACE.

CENTER-BEARING SPRING FOR ROCKERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 390,898, dated October 9, 1888.

Application filed May5, 1888. Serial No. 272,933.

To (LU whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, HENRY G. PORTMANN, of the city of St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Reciprocating Center-Bearing Springs for Rockers, &c., of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

This invent-ion relates to an improvement on myinvention for combined childs carriage, cradle, and chair for which a patent was is sued on January 31,1888, No. 377,270; and it consists in a reciprocating rocker center-bearing spring with its hanger-links, that is especially adapted for attachment beneath the rockers of combined carriages, cradles, and rocking chairs such as are the subject-matter of my said patent, but may also be used as a subsidiary spring-balance attachment beneath all other elevated or raised rockers.

Figure I is a perspective view of one ofthe axles and rocker-springs of my combined. carriage and cradle, as described and shown in the aforesaid patent, with the reciprocating rocker center-bearing spring attached beneath it. Fig. II is an enlarged detail, and shows the rocker, axle, and center-bearing spring with part broken away to fully show said spring and its means of attachment; and Fig. III is a vertical section taken on line III III, Fig. II, and shows the axle, the standard ris ing from said axle, the rocker within the slot in which said standard rises, the hanger-links, the upper screw-bolt that couples said links and rockers, the center-bearing spring, and its screw-bolted attachment to the hanger-links.

Referring to the drawings, in which similar figures of reference indicate like parts in all the views, 1 represents the axle.

2 is the rocker-section of the combination rocket-spring, which is secured to the springsection 3, which it supports, by screw belts or rivets 4, and together comprise the axle and rocker-spring of a combined childs carriage and cradle, as shown and described in my aforesaid patent.

5 is a vertical standard, that rises from the axle (with which it is integral) and passes through the slot 6 of the rocker.

{No model.)

7 represents the reciprocating rocker center-bearing spring, the loop 8 of which is pivotally secured between the two hanger-link plates 9 by the screw-bolt 10, which passes through the links at their lower ends and through said loop, and, being secured by the screw-nut 11, the said bolt secures the lower end of the spring and the lower ends of the pendent links together. The spring curves around upward, and its upper flanged extremity, 12, is seated in theinverted socket13 on the under side of the axle. The upper ends of the hanger-links are coupled together by the bolt 14, which also passes through the rocker-section and through the trapezoidalshaped slot 15 in the standard 5, that rises from and is integral with the axle 1; and the screw-nut 16, which engages on said bolt, secures it in its seat, holds the pendent links that constitute hangers for the suspension of the spring, and holds the rocker in rocking connection with the arched axle which it surmounts.

It will be seen that the hanger link plates keep the rockers definitely in line with the axles, or, in a rocking-chair, with the raised rocker tracks or platforms, and at the same time allows them free rocking movement along those lines, and the upper bolt, 14, that passes through the upper ends of the hangers, the rockers, and the trapezoidal-shaped slots 15 in the standards 5, has given to it a free spring-actuated movement within said peculiar shaped slot that allows free exercise of the rockers along the lines of the axles, but will not allow of any lateral adverse divergence from said lines.

The springs 7, whichare hung directly beneath the middle of the axles and rockers,give to the latter, when set in motion, lively, easy reciprocating movements both in rocking to and fro, and on arrival at each extremity of their movement insures their return to their center-bearings by the counteracting reciprocating movements of their center bearing springs, which are consequently balancesprings.

By the use of this reciprocating center-bearing spring and the hanger-links, by which it is suspended and by which it is held in line with the axle or track (as the case may be) on which the rocker springs work, the difIiculty is avoided that arises with rockers that work on raised or elevated tracks or platforms (as the bearings become worn or strained) of divergence from the line of said tracks in their movements; also, there is in the center-bearing balance action of said subsidiary spring an easy, flexible, normal tendency exerted on the spring-rockers to overcome the shock of the interchange of their reciprocating movement and smoothly glide from one into the other, the springs acting as balance-springs to overcome the dead-centers in their movements.

I have shown and described my reciprocating center-bearing springs and hangers, especially in their adaptation as an attachment to my combined childs carriage, cradle, and rocking-chair; but I do not confine myself to said application of theinvention, for it is evident that it would be advantageously appliea ble to all forms of rockers, both spring and otherwise, of cradles, rockingchairs, Ste, in which the rockers are elevated or raised above the floor, &c., where they are used. The said elevation of the rockers provides the needed opportunity for the attachment of my invention, (both the springs and the hangers that support them and guide them in line on their tracks;) also, the smoothly flexible spring movement that thus governs the rockers in all stages of their movements, especially in overcoming the dead-center in the reciprocating movement to and fro, peculiarly adapts it for use on platform rocking-chairs for invalids and the aged and infirm, and also for my combined carriage and cradle or other elevated rocker-cradles when in use for weakly or invalid children.

\Vhen my reciprocating rocker center-bearing spring is used as an attachment to rockingchairs or cradles other than a combined childs carriage and cradle,i n which the flanged end of said reciprocating spring is seated in the inverted socket 13 in the axle of said car riage, the said flanged end of the spring is secured in a similar inverted socket beneath the track-platform of said rocking-chair or cradle in substantially the same position in relation thereto as it does in the other case to the axle. 1

I claim as my invention 1. In cradles, rocking-chairs, childrens carriages, &e., the combination of the combined rocker and spring, the trackbar on which said rocker Works, the pendentlinks pivoted to the rocker, so that they swing on line with said rocker, and the Cspring which is pivotally secured to and within said pendent links, sub stantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In cradles, rocking-chairs, childrens carriages, &c., a reciprocating center-bearing C- spring beneath the rockers, and traek'bar arranged as the roekers move to and fro to balance the movements as they alternate from one motion to the other, and the upper limb of said spring, which exerts a 'fulerumal reactionary pressure on the track-bar,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In cradles, rocking-chairs, childrens carriages, 820., the combination of a reciprocating center-hearing C-spring and the hanger-links by which it is suspended, the said hangerdinks arranged by being pivoted to the rockers and hanging pendent past the axles to retain the rockers on line with their track, and the said spring to balance the reciprocal movement of the rockers, and at the extremity of said movement to bring them back to their center-bearings, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

at. In cradles, rocking-chairs, ehildrens carriages, &c., the combination of the combined rocker and spring, the axle on which said rocker works, the slotted standard that rises from said axle and passes through said rocker, the hanger-links, the bolt 14,that secures said hanger-links to the rocker and the rocker to the slotted standard of the axle, and the reciprocating eenterbearing springs beneath the rockers, secured at one end to the foot of the hangers and at the other end on an inverted socket beneath the axle or track -platl'orm above, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

I-IEXRY G. PORTMANN.

In presence of BENJN. A. KNIGHT, Suit. KNIGHT.

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