This section is from "Scientific American Vol XXIV. No. 12", by Munn & Co. Also available from Amazon: Scientific American Science Desk Reference.
Our engravings illustrate an improved compound car-spring, which appears to possess all the requisites of a first-class spring, combining in its construction extreme simplicity with great strength, and a feature whereby the power of the spring increases with increase of the load, and vice versâ, so that its flexibility remains nearly constant for all loads.
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of this spring, with a portion of the side of the case broken out to show the interior arrangement of the spiral springs. Fig. 2 is a section of the compressing plate. Fig. 3 is a plan view, showing the arrangement of the tubes which enclose the springs.

 
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