US291664A - Vehicle-spring - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 2 Sheets SMet 1.

G. L. ARTZ.

VEHIGLE SPRING. N0.'291,664, Patented Jan. 8; 1884.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. G.L. ARTZ.,

VEHICLE SPRING.

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GEORGE L; ARTZ, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

VEHICLE-SPRING.

I SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 291,664, dated January 8, 1884.

Application filed September 17, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE LARTZ, a citizen of the United States, residing at Columbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in Vehicle Springs, of which the following is a specification.

My spring is particularly adapted for sidebar vehicles and it consists of four separate and independent quarterelliptic springs connected to a center bearing-plate in pairs, the upper short spring of each pair having its foundation upon the innerend of the lowershort spring, and secured directly to it by the same bolts and clips which secure the pair to the bearing-plate, thereby supporting the upper short springs directly upon the lower ones, and obtaining the full elasticity of every part of each spring, increasing the durability of the spring as an entirety, while the superimposed relation of each pair forms practically a single spring, having its separate pairs ardgs ranged side by side, so that the widthof the superimposed joined pairs is only the width of two springs. This construction, while providing a foundation for the upper short springs directly upon the lower springs,

I gives the advantage of allowing eachspring 1 to be adjusted independently of each other upon the bearing-plate to suit different widths of bodies and of running-gear, or sidebars set different distances apart; and this, so far as I know and can find, is a result due to the arrangement of my four separate and independent quarter springs secured together in pairs. A spring of three separate and independent parts has been used,in which a semielliptic spring has been arranged between two short top springs, each spring being separately bolted to a bearing-plate, side by side, so that said plate has a width equal to that of the three springs, each short top, half 4 elliptic spring having its foundation uponthe bearing-plate and not upon the lower mainspring;

plied thereto; Fig. 2, a cross-section of the same; Fig. 3, similar section, showing a .modified arrangement of the springs upon their connecting-plate. Fig. 4 represents in perspective my improved spring; Fig. 5, a similar view, the springs beingarranged differently upon their connectiiigplate. Fig. 6 shows the plate or plates to which the inner ends of the four springs are attachedjand Fig. 7 shows, in top, side, and bottom views, the manner of securing and bracing the four springs to their connectingplate; and Fig. 8 the spring applied to a long connecting-plate shown in Fig. 6. p

Springs consisting of an upper and a lower part have been united at the middle of their length, with their ends divergent, the upper spring supporting the body, and the lower one connected with the side bars; but in such construction the full elasticity of either spring cannot be obtained, and moreover such spring is only adapted to fit vehicles having a certain width of body and distance between the side bars, and the springs therefore were required to be of the exact length to fit the vehicle; but as carriages are now largely manufactured in parts, and afterwards put together and finished for the trade, such springs cannot be generally used, and give much trouble to the manufacturers in being fitted to bodies which vary greatly in width, while the running-gear side bars are generally made the same width apart. A spring of two sections connecting the side bars has been combined with a rigid truss-bar for supporting the body, and with a plate for connecting the inner ends of said springs, so that they may be adjusted upon said plate to suit the width between the side bars, the said plates and the inner ends of the springs being rigidly secured to the rigid t-russ-bar,thereby obtain,- ing only a portion of the elasticity of the sectional springs. My improved spring, of four connected parts secured and braced together in pairs at their inner ends, gives the. full elasticity to each part, and can be readily adjusted and fitted to the gear and body parts of vehicles, thereby constituting anew article of manufacture furnished the trade, adapted for adjustment to suit different widths of runhing-gear.

Referring more particularly to the construction of my springpit will be seen from the drawings that the upper spring is in two separate parts or sections, A A, and the lower spring is of two similar separate and distinct parts or sections, B B, having a length greater than the upper sections. These separate and distinct sections are secured together at their inner ends in pairsone above the other-to a plate. 0, of steel or wrought iron, each section being formed of one, two, or more leaves. The upper leaves of the upper sections terminatein eyes attheir outer ends, and are attached by clips D to the sill-bars of the body, while the lower leaves of the lower springs terminate in eyes, and are attached by clips E and shackles F to the side bars of the runninggear. The springs thus united in pairs diverge at their outer ends in curved lines, and they are secured together at their inner ends by bolts G, passingthrough coincident openings in the joining leaves and in the plate 0, and fastened by a nut, H. Adjacent to such boltrfastening, a clip, I, embraces the joining leaves of the upper and lower springs and the plate 0, close to their edges, and is firmly clamped thereto by a cross-bar, J, and nuts J, so as to brace the springs together upon each other, and to their connecting-plate and keep them in line, the clip for this purpose being arranged between the fastening-bolt and the outer ends of the springs.'- The plate 0 is provided with perforations 0, a suitable distance apart, into which the bolts G may be adjusted when it is desired to adjust the springs in pairs in or out to suit the width of the body and the side bars, or to adjust the upper or the lower section's independently of each other, to suit the body, or to suit the side bars. For this purpose the leaves of the springs may also be provided with additional perforations d. I prefer to use a plate having a width sufficient to allow the joining ends of each pair of springs to be fastened upon the plate side by side, so that the ends pass each other with sutficient space between them to allow one leg of the bracing-clips to pass between them, as shown in Fig. 7. The springs, however, may be at tached in pairs to each end of a narrow plate, in line with each other, as shown in Fig. 5. The plate may be cut away to form end bearing parts, and thus use a long and wide plate, without diminishing the full elasticity of the springs, as shown in Fig. 6; or each pair of springs may be secured to a separate plate, and the plates screwed upon a screw-stem, whereby the plates may be separately adjusted upon their screw-connecting stem to set the springs in or out, and the springs may be adjusted upon such separate plates. The plate may be secured between the inner ends of the upper and lower sp'ringsections, or on their under sides, as shown, and the plate may be slotted. The springs may be of any suitable form. The springs consisting of the four divergent separate sections, connected to a middle pl'ate in pairs, renders the spring elastic throughout its length, and transfers the strain and weight from the plate-connection to the side-bar connections, and when the plate is placed at the bottom of the springs, the separate lapping sections press against each other and yield to the load. The sections of the springs are adjusted upon their connectingplate by loosening the clips and removing the fastening-bolts, and the clip may be adj usted to suit the adjustment of the bolts G. r

I claim 1. The combination of the four separate and independent quarter-elliptic springs, A B, A B, connected together in pairs, the upper spring of each pair having its foundation upon the inner end of the lower spring,with a bearing, 0, to which each pair is secured, substan tially as described, for the purpose specified.

2. The combinatiomwith the body and side bars of a vehicle, of a spring composed of four separate and independent quarter elliptic springs connected together in pairs A B, A B, the upper spring of each pair having its foundation upon the inner end of the lower spring, the bearing-plate O, the clips I, and the bolts G, whereby each pair of superimposed springs is secured to allow for separate and independent adjustment of each spring of each pair, substantially as described.

3. As a new manufacture, a vehicle-spring composed of four separate and independent quarter-elliptic springs connected together in pairs, the upper spring of each pair having its foundation upon the inner end of the lower spring, a bearing-plate to which each pair of springs is separately secured in superimposed relation side by side, and suit-able attachments,

whereby said separate pairs of springs are connected to the body and to the runninggear, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE L. ARTZ.

\Vitnesses'z' H. E. BRADLEY, J. W. MOONEY.

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