AN IMPROVED FORGE HAMMER
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn
Fields, in the County of Middlesex, and of Glasgow, North
Britain, Gentleman, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED FORGE
HAMMER."A communication from Jean Schmerber.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry
Johnson at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
his Petition, on the 23rd May 1853.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the
County of Middlesex, and of Glasgow, North Britain, Gentleman,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED
FORGE HAMMER" to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to an improved construction of hammer
employed in forging heavy work, and consists in the combination of
cams or eccentrics and steam or compressed air, which may be heated
or otherwise. The body of the hammer itself sides vertically in an
iron framing, and is clevated before each stroke by a suitable cam
or eccentric carried by a driving shaft, which may be actuated in any

page_text: suitable manner. Above the hammer, and unconnected with it, is a
piston and rod sliding in vertical cylinder, the upper portion of which
is supplied with steam or compressed air by suitable valves. This
steam or compressed air not only serves as a cushion to the hammer
during its ascent, but exerts a certain pressure upon the piston, which
pressure is transmitted to the hammer for effecting the downward
stroke or blow of the same. The vapor may either be allowed to
escape after each stroke of the hammer, thereby allowing it to be
raised with facility by the cam for that purpose; or the air or steam
may be retained in the cylinder, the necessary compression being
effected by the raising of the hammer and piston. In such case the
cam will require to overcome both the weight and friction of the ham-
mer and the pressure of the steain or air in the cylinder. The lower
extremity of the piston rod rests merely upon the surface of the
hammer, being unconnected with it, and its stroke need not necessarily
be of the same length as that of the hammer, as all that is wanted is to
give an impulse to the hammer at the commencement of its downward
stroke. By another modification the hammer may be attached or
connected to the cylinder, the piston being fixed. In such case the
steam or compressed air will be admitted beneath, instead of above,
the piston.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent
Office, on the 23rd November 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, and of Glasgow, North Britain, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of May, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the sixteenth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said John Henry Johnson, Her special license that
I, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors, administrators, and as-

page_text: signs, or such others as I, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the torni
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise.
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IM-
PROVED FORGE HAMMER," a communication from Jean Schmerber, a
foreigner resident abroad, upon the condition (amongst others) that 1,
the said John Henry Johnson, by an instrument in writing under my
hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be
performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Henry Johnson, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawing, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:
This Invention relates to certain modifications in the construction
of large forging hammers and ore crushers, usually worked by the
direct action of steam, and consists in elevating the hammer by one
or more tappets or cams, and afterwards forcing it down to produce the
required blow by steam, or compressed air either hot or cold, acting
upon a piston.
The corresponding parts of the Figures on the various Sheets
of Drawings hereunto annexed are indicated by the same letters
throughout.
Fig. 1, on Sheet I, of the Drawings, represents a side elevation of
the hammer on this principle.
Fig. 2, is a corresponding front view of the same; and,
Fig, 3, is a vertical section taken through the centre of the cylinder.
The hammer A, works vertically in the guides of the main sup-
porting standard B, and is elevated by one or more cams C, which act
upon a projection or tappet D, on the body of the hammer. The

page_text: cam C, is keyed or otherwise secured to the shaft E, which carries
the fly wheel F, and fast and losse driving pulleys G, G'. This shaft
is actuated by a driving belt or by suitable gearing. On the upper
surface of the hammer rests the rod H, of the piston I, which works
in the cylinder J. The lower portion of this cylinder is open to the
atmosphere by the aperture K. The upper portion communicates by
a passage L, with a steam chest M, which receives the steam or com-
pressed air by the orifice N. Within this chest works a small slide
valve or distributing piston O, which receives an alternating vertical
movement by means of the eccentric P, fixed on the actuating shaft E.
The movement of the valve O, is so regulated that during the ascent
of the hammer a communication is formed between the cylinder J,
and the lower portion of the steam chest M, and consequently with
the atmosphere by the opening L'. During the fall of the hammer
the steam or compressed air acts upon the upper surface of the piston,
and greatly accelerates the descent of the hammer. When the hammer
is to be clevatel it will be evident that the cam or cams C, will have
to overcome merely the weight of the same and the friction of the
various moving parts.
The intensity of the blows are regulated and adjusted by closing or
opening more or less the valve Q, which admits the steam or com-
pressed air into the steam chest M. The number of blows may be
regulated by causing the driving belt to pass more or less over the
.loose pulley G'. These two effects may be united so as to diminish
the intensity of the blows at the same time that their number is
diminished, or the strength of the blows may be diminished while their
number is increased. In place of adopting a piston valve of a cylin-
rical form, as shewn in the Drawing, Sheet I, an ordinary slide
valve may be employed similar to the slide of a steam engine, or any
other convenient system of valve may be adopted, as will be well
understood by the practical engineer.
It is not necessary that the piston rod H, should follow the hammer
.throughout the entire length of its stroke or descent, and the hammer
need not come in contact with the bottom of the piston rod until it is
elevated a certain distance by the cam C. The main, shaft, in place

page_text: .circle,
of corresponding with the central axis of the hammer, may be situated
entirely out of the vertical plane of the latter. In this case the cam C,
in place of being a spiral, will assume the contour of a.
or
approaching thereto. The construction of the main standards or sup-
ports B, 'may be moilified to suit the various uses to which the hammer
may be applied. The shaft E; may be driven directly by a prime
mover, if required, instead of by the intervention of a driving belt'or
gearing, as before described?
Figure 1, on Sheet II, of the Drawings, represents a side elevation
of a hammer of a more simple construction than that above described
Figure 2, is a corresponding front view of the same; and, ***** mi
Figure 3, is a vertical section taken through the centre of the
actuating cylinder.
"
In this arrangement the valve gearing is dispensed with, the upper
portion of the cylinder J, being in constant communication with the
boiler or compressed air reservoir by the port N. It will thus be seen
on reference to the Drawings, that the cam or cams C, in elevating the
hammer, will have to overcome the weight and friction of the same,
in addition to the pressure of the steam or compressed air in the upper
portion of the cylinder, above the piston I.
.
Figure 1, on Sheet III, of the Drawings, represents a side elevation
of the most simple arrangement of hammer.
Figure 2, is a corresponding front view; and,
Figure 3, is a vertical section of the same through the cylinder.
This machine differs froin those herein-before described, inasmuch
as the ascent of the hammer A, compresses the air in the upper part of
the cylinder J, by raising the piston I. This air enters by the spring
conical valve Q, opening under the cylinder, and thereby replenishes
the same when a loss occurs by leakage. The compressed air acts as a
spring to force down the hammer on the instant that it is released
by the cam C.
The driving shaft E, in the arrangement may be also differently
placed with regard to the centre of the hammer, in order that any
other convenient mechanical arrangement may be adopted for raising
the hammer in place of camis. The main framing or supports of the

page_text: apparatus, and the contour of the hammer itself, may be modified also
to suit the various usages to which it may be applied.
Having now described and fully ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I may observe, in conclusion, that I do not confine or
restrict myself to the precise details or arrangements which I have had
occasion to describe or refer to, as many variations may be made
therefrom without deviating from the principles or main features of the
said Invention; but what I consider to be new and original, and
therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before
in part recited Letters Patent, is,-
First, the general arrangement and construction of forge hammers
or ore stampers in the manner and for the purpose herein-before
<lescribed.
Second, the application and use of steam or compressed air, whether
hot or cold, with or without distributing valves in combination with
cams for actuating the hammer, as herein-before described in reference
to Sheets I, and II, of the Drawings; and,
Third, the system herein-before described of working forge hammers
or ore stampers by compressed air alone, as described in reference to
Sheet III, of the Drawings.
In witness whereof, 1, the said John Henry Johnson, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, the Twenty-third day of November,
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.