A Machine for Pecking and Loosening the Surface of Roads and other Hard Surfaces.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Nov., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 19th May, 1892-Accepted, 9th July, 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A Machine for Pecking and Loosening the Surface of Roads and
other Hard Surfaces.
JOHN ERNEST WALLIS Erdesley, Basingstoke Hants Engineer do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object the providing of a machine for the purpose of
pecking and loosening the surfaces of roads and other hard surfaces.
The apparatus consists of one or a number of steel or other suitable pecks or
picking points. These pecks or picking points may be worked separately or
together, they are arranged so as to be raised and dropped or forced down into the
road or ground which is to be pecked. This is done by steam power acting on the
pecks singly or collectively by means of suitable cylinders, piston-heads, valves and
the other necessary parts by which the pecks are raised and forced down by steam-
power, or the steam may raise the pecks only and let them drop by their own
weight, which weight can be varied. Where steam-power is not employed as above
the pecks are raised and allowed to drop by a lifting apparatus and gear, then the
pecks are arranged with weights and when liberated by the lifting arrangement
these weights drive the pecks into the ground or road which is to be pecked. The
weights are adjustable to vary the strength of the blow. The apparatus is to be
attached to a road engine, steam road roller, or anything else from which the power
to work the apparatus may be derived either by steam, by belt, or gearing or any
other method of transmitting the required power, or it may be mounted on separate
travelling wheels the revolving of which may afford the driving power. In this
laiter case horse power might be employed.
Dated this 4th day of November 1891.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A Machine for Pecking and Loosening the Surface of Roads and
other Hard Surfaces.
I, JOHN ERNEST WALLIS of Erdesley, Basingstoke, Hampshire, Engineer do
hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
My invention relates to a machine for pecking and loosening the surfaces of roads
and other hard surfaces, wherein one or more pecks or picking tools is or are made
to operate by a reciprocating percussive action upon the surface of the road so as
to penetrate to a sufficient extent into the same to break it up.
The said tools are for this purpose arranged to be alternately raised and dropped
or forced downward by steam or other power acting upon pistons or lever arms to
which the tools are attached.
When several tools are employed, they may be actuated either consecutively or
simultaneously.

page_text: The said apparatus can either be combined with an ordinary road engine or steam
roller the steam from which is made to actuate the pecks or picking tools, or the
apparatus can be mounted by itself on wheels and be worked by steam from a
boiler on the vehicle.
From the above it will be seen that the said machine can be constructed in a
variety of ways for carrying out the purposes of the invention; by way of example
I will describe some of the arrangements which I prefer to employ, for which
purpose I will refer to the accompanying drawings.
Fig. 1 shews a side elevation of one arrangement, as applied to a steam roller;
Fig. 2 shews a front view of the picking apparatus, the cylinders and pecking
tools being viewed in the direction a Fig. 1, and the foot of the cylinder casting in
the direction b.
To the side or end of a steam roller A of any known construction is fixed a
casting B constituting three steam cylinders arranged side by side, and each
containing a piston C, the piston rod D of which carries at its lower end the picking
tool E. The piston rod has for this purpose a head F keyed on it which slides on
a guide G fixed to the cylinder and to which is pivotted a socket piece H in which
is secured the picking tool E. The socket piece H is connected to the head F by
a pin I, the head being made to fit with a semi-circular end surface against a corre-
sponding hollow of the socket piece H so that the shock of impact in operating is
taken by these surfaces and not by the pin 1. The hollow of the socket piece also
bears with a straight side against the one straight side of the head F, while the
other side of the socket piece is open. It is held with the straight side abutting
against the head by means of a spring J connecting the two parts as shewn. When
in this position the centre line of the picking tool E is by preference made to form
a small inward angle with the centre line of the piston rod, as shewn, for a purpose
to be presently stated.
Steam is supplied to the slide chests of the cylinders B by a pipe K, and is
admitted to the cylinders by ordinary slide valves L, actuated by elbow levers M
pivotted to the guide G, the cranked short arm of which lever is connected to the
slide rod, while the long arm is slotted, and engages with a stud N on the head F
of the piston rod, so that by the reciprocating motion of the latter a vibrating
motion is imparted to the lever M, causing the slide valve to be moved so as to
alternately admit steam on either side of the piston, and thus to effect the recipro-
cating motion of the picking tool, so that on this being propelled downwards by
the steam pressure, it is caused to penetrate to a certain extent into the road
surface.
Owing to the before mentioned slightly angular position of the picking tool E,
relatively to the piston rod, it will be seen that as the steam roller advances with
the apparatus in the direction of the arrow, the tool E will, after being driven into
the ground by its percussive action, be made to turn on the centre pin I into the
position in line with the piston rod, and then, in being dragged along, it will turn
still farther on its pin and will operate with a certain leverage upon the ground in
front of it so as to break it up. On being withdrawn by the upstroke of the
piston, the tool E will at once be drawn back into its original position by the
spring J.
The slightly inward angular position of the tool prevents the possibility of its
slipping outward by turning upon the pin I, when in the downward stroke it meets
with a hard obstacle.
When the apparatus is not in use, the pistons with their picks are held in the
raised position by pushing the pin O in the guide G forward so as to enter a hole O¹
in the sliding head F. The exhaust steam from the cylinders is led from their
jacket P through a pipe Q to the smoke box of the boiler.
The angle at which the cylinders and picks are shewn inclined to the ground line
is that which has been found to be most advantageous; they may however be
inclined at other angles, or they may even be arranged vertically.
Fig. 3 shews a modified arrangement of the cylinder, in which the guide G for

page_text: the piston rod is dispensed with, the latter being made sufficiently strong to with-
stand the strain put upon it. The slide valve is in this case actuated by an elbow
lever M at the upper end of the cylinder, receiving a to and fro motion by means.
of a sliding loop D on an upward extension D' of the piston rod.
The steam cylinder might also be made single acting, raising the piston against
the action of a helical spring interposed between the end of the cylinder and the
piston rod head, which spring would then effect the working downstroke.
It will be evident that various other arrangements of valves may be used for
working the steam cylinders.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I make
no general claim to pecking or loosening the surface of roads by means of picking
tools operated by pistons or plungers acted on by fluid pressure; but what
claim is:
In a machine for pecking or loosening the surface of roads connecting the pecks.
or picking tools by joints to the pistons of steam cylinders carried by a road engine
or steam roller, the cylinders being supplied with steam from the engine so as to
impart an up and down motion to the picking tool, as described with reference to.
Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings.
Dated this 19th day of May 1802
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.