Wagon-spring.

Application filed Marell 8,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Charles A. Goins, a citizen of the United States, residing at Tulsa, in the county of Tulsa, State of Okla5 homa, have invented a new and. useful Wagon-Spring, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide a wagon spring that may be readily at10 tached or detached to the ordinary bolster, so that the wagon body may be. used with or without the springs and so that, in cases where it is desired to utilize the wagon truck without the body the springs may be readily 15 detached and the bolsters will then be free for any of the conventional uses.

A further object of this invention, is to construct a wagon spring of a plurality of spring units of variable tension, each of the 20 units being independent and interchangeable. .

A still further object is to provide a spring of this type not only with units of variable tension but wherein the independ25 ent elements are constructed so as to have a graduated tension.

With these and other objects in view, reference will be had to accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specifica30 tion, and wherein like characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, in which:—

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective of the spring carrying element showing one 35 of the springs in position. Fig. 2 is.a front view of one of the bolsters showing the spring in position. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective showing another form of catch, and Fig. 4 is a perspective of a portion 4G of the base of one of the springs showing the locking rod in dotted lines.

Reference character 1 indicates a bolster upon which is seated a spring carrying member in the form of a beam or bar of rectangu45 lar cross section, indicated by 2.. This bar or member 2 is secured in position on the bolster by means of U-shaped clips 3 which seat in and engage the grooves 4. The king pin 5 is in this instance shown passing 50 through the spring carrying, member, however this feature is immaterial as the clips form a satisfactory fastening means.

The spring carrying member is provided with cups or pockets 6 to receive the springs. 35 These pockets 6 are formed in the top of the member 2 and are spaced in a relative pre1916. Serial No. 82,978.

determined manner according to the type and tension of the springs used. These pockets are of sufficient depth to securely pocket the ends of the springs and one of 60 the walls of each of the pockets adjacent to one of the longitudinal edges of the said spring carrying member 2 is cut away to form a passage or opening to allow, the placing or removing of one of the springs 65 from the side. The bottom of the pocket may have an inwardly inclined face as shown at 6' to cause a more effectual, seating of the spring. Such a provision is not necessary because of the fastening means 70 provided.

The fastening means may be in the form of a longitudinal rod 7 which, extends through the carrying member 2 in such a manner as to engage one of the coils of the 75 springs, which latter, may or may not .be provided with a depression for the seating of same.

The springs are preferably of coiled formation and the thickness and strength of- 80 each of the springs gradually decreases from the base upward, so that resistance against depression gradually increases. The springs are of varied length and tension, the longer springs 9, 9' being located near the extremi- 85 ties of the spring carrying member 2, and the intermediate springs, which may be. of any suitable number, are of ever increasing tension and decreasing, length as they approach the central spring 10. This latter 90 being of greater strength acts not only as a spring but as a buffer or stop for the wagon body when the other springs have been depressed to their limit. In the present instance there are shown seven springs, in- 95 eluding the central or buffer spring 10. As previously stated the other springs gradually increase in length outwardly and tension inwardly, the two springs next adjacent the buffer spring being of equal height and 100 tension, etc., and each of the other sets of corresponding springs on the opposite sides of the buffer spring being approximately equivalents.

In use it will be seen from Fig. 2 that the 105 wagon body indicated by the reference character A. normally rests on the longer springs 9, 9' which are secured near the ends of the spring carrying member. When additional weight is placed in the wagon body 110 these springs will be depreessed and the body will engage and rest upon the second

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Q set of springs and this movement of the wagon body due to increased weight will continue until finally the body will rest upon tne central spring 10 which is of such exces5, she tension as to act as a buffer and to prevent any further lowering of the body.

In place of the rod 7 for locking the springs in position in the pockets, independent locks may be provided in the form of 10 pivoted catches 12, see Fig. 3. This catch is lormed of a piece of metallic rod and.is pivoted by means of pin 13 to swing laterally with relation to the longitudinal axis of the bar 2 ancl is adapted to engage the catch 15 14. to be locked into position. Preferably this latch 12 is of resilient material to enable more convenient disengagement from the catch 14.

„ 7™ ^changes may be made in the de20 tails of construction and arrangement without. departing from the spirit of the invention.