It will be seen how imperative is the necessity of the wheel-plate being a perfectly true circle and of its taking a perfectly flat bearing; the forging and finishing such a piece of work requires, therefore, peculiar care and skill. In the figure showing the open futchells, the stays which run from the back end to the front of the futchells are the wheel-irons, the back-stays, and the bed-clips in one. They clip over the ends of the bottom bed, and being at these points made flat, they are cranked downwards to take their bearing on the spring-block, and here they are fixed to the springs either by means of bolts passing through them or by clips and couplings. The best plan is by the latter, as when they are bolted on holes have to be drilled through the springs, which renders them weak at these points; the same may be said of the manner of fixing the bottom half of the spring on to the axle.
The wheel-iron, bed-clip, and back-stay being in one, a good opportunity is afforded to the smith to display his skill and taste, as it is desirable that this piece of workmanship should be well forged and fitted, and at the same time a certain grace of outline must be given to it, otherwise the appearance of the vehicle will be spoiled. When it is finished it should fall into its position and take all its bearings accurately without force being used, for if in bolting on any strain should be put upon it, in order to get it into its place, it will be liable to snap on meeting with an obstacle on a rough road.
The English coachsmith ought to possess a better knowledge of metallurgy than he does. All smiths get a certain rule-of-thumb knowledge, but what they should possess is a thorough scientific knowledge of the properties of the metals they are dealing with. We cannot enlarge here upon the subject, but the artisan will do well to study a work like “Metallurgy of Iron,” in Weale’s Series; and if it only teaches him to tell accurately the good qualities of metal from the bad, he will have a greater knowledge than a large number of coachsmiths have. For general purposes it is as well that he should know that perfectly pure iron is so soft and tough, and at the same time so malleable, that it can be rolled into sheets ¹⁄₃₀₀ part of an inch in thickness; and that when wrought iron can be twisted, cold, into almost any shape without breaking, he may rest assured that it is as near pure iron as any one could wish to have for the proper execution of smith’s work.
Fig. 29.
[Fig. 29] illustrates a light fore-carriage, with drop pole and shafts, suitable for light phaetons, coupés, and Victorias.
The portion marked A represents the lower part. The new mode of constructing this carriage is the doing away with the bent futchells and using puncheons in their places. The inside front-stay is forged in one piece; in the centre is formed the socket to receive the king or perch bolt. The stay rests on the top of the two puncheons. There is a T plate formed solid with these stays running back to the bed, and at C forms the inner part of the socket for receiving the shafts. The back-stay passes around under the puncheons, crossing the bed to the front and bolted where the front-stay crosses the puncheons, the other end extending to the front, forming the outside of the socket for receiving the shafts. C C represents a piece of hickory bolted between the two stays.
The following dimensions applicable to the figure may be useful:—Springs 1½ inches thick, consisting of four plates 37 inches long, 11½ inches opening, which maybe varied to suit the body of the carriage they are intended for. Lower bed 1¼ by 1⅛ inches; ⅜ inch plate on the bottom. Wheel or stay-iron ½ inch round, increasing the size to the puncheons. The box clips over the bottom bed with clip bars, which are worked solid. The clips are put on from underneath the springs, and are secured by nuts on the top. The size of the half-wheel iron is 1 inch by ½ inch.
The portion of the figure marked B gives the upper portion of the fore-carriage.
