IMPROVEMENTS IN FORGE HAMMERS.
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Matthew Butcher, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Manufacturer, and Thomas Henry Newey, of Birmingham,
aforesaid, Machinist, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FORGE
HAMMERS.'
Scaled the 3rd November 1855, and dated the 5th May 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Matthew Butcher and
Thomas Henry Newey at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 5th May 1855.
We, MATTHEW BUTCHER, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Manufacturer, and THOMAS HENRY NEWEY, of Birmingham aforesaid, Ma-
chinist, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN FORGE HAMMERS" to be as follows:-
Instead of making the "bray" of a forge hammer against which the cambs
act to lift the hammer in the way in which the said "bray" is usually made,
we make the same as follows:- We screw the said "bray "into the under side
of the hammer, and adjust the length of the said "bray," and conscquently
the greater or less height to which the hammer is raised, by screwing it to a
greater or less distance into the hammer. Between the head of the "bray"
and the hammer we place a metal washer, which takes all percussive action
from the screw, and prevents injury to the said screw. As the said washer

page_text: must be of a thickness dependent upon the distance to which the "bray" is
screwed into the hammer, we provide washers of different thicknesses; and in
order readily to put them on the screw without withdrawing the said screw,
we divide each washer into two semicircular pieces, and place these pieces on
the screw between the "bray" and the hammer. The chair on which the
fulcrum of the hammer rests requires to be raised and lowered as the bray
is lengthened and shortened, and we raise the said chair by means similar to
those described with respect to the "bray," excepting that in addition to metal
washers we use washers of vulcanized caoutchouc to diminish the reaction
of the hammer on the chain. In fixing the anvil into the head of the hammer,
we attach the same by means of a dovetail slide, and fix it by means of a cotter,
which wedges between the dovetail on the anvil and the groove in the hammer.
A projection on one side of the dovetail enters a recess in the hammer, and
prevents the anvil sliding out when it is kept to its bearing by the cotter.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Matthew Butcher and Thomas Henry Newey in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 3rd November 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, MATTHEW
BUTCHER, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manufacturer, and
THOMAS HENRY NEWEY, of Birmingham aforesaid, Machinist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the eighteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said Matthew Butcher and Thomas Henry Newey, Her special licence that
we, the said Matthew Butcher and Thomas Henry Newey, our exccutors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Matthew Butcher
and Thomas Henry Newey, our executors, administrators, and assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter during the term 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 "IMPROVE
MENTS IN FORGE HAMMERS," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the
said Matthew Butcher and Thomas Henry Newey, by an instrument in writing
under our hands and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us, should par-

page_text: ticularly 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 Matthew Butcher, 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 thereof, that is to say :-
Our Invention consists of the improvements in forge hammers herein-after
described, and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing.
Figure 1 represents in side elevation, Figure 2 in plan, and Figure 3 in
longitudinal vertical section, a forge hammer constructed according to our
Invention. Instead of making the "bray" of a forge hammer, that is to say,
the projecting part of the said hammer, against which cambs or teeth on a'
rotating shaft act, to lift the said hammer, as the said "bray" is usually
constructed, we make the said "bray" as follows:-We screw the said
"bray" into the under side of the hammer b, and adjust the length of the said
"bray," and consequently the greater or less height to which the hammer is
raised, by the action of cambs on the shaft c, by screwing the said "
bray "to
a greater or less distance into the hammer b. Between the head of the
"
bray" a and the hammer 6 we place a metal washer d, which said washer
takes all percussive action from the screw of the "bray" a, and prevents
injury to the said screw. As the washer & must vary in thickness as the
"bray" a is screwed a greater or less distance into the hammer b, we provide
washers of different thicknesses, and in order to put them readily on to the
screw without withdrawing the said screw from the hammer, we divide each
washer into two semicircular pieces, as represented in Figure 5, and place-the
said pieces on the screw between the "bray "and the hammer. The shoulder e
on the "bray" retains the washer d in its place. When the "bray" has
been adjusted, it may be securely fixed by a nut
The chairs g, Figure 1, represented also in section,
fulcrum of the hammer rests, require to be raised and lowered as the bray
is lengthened or shortened, and we raise the said chairs by means of washers
as described with respect to the "bray." The chair 9 is screwed to a cross
piece h, which said cross piece carries at its under side the screw i. The
said screw i passes through the nut or screw box k, which is formed into a
worm wheel, in which the worm 7, shown in dotted lines in Figure 2, engages.
The worm is turned by means of the winch m. By turning the winch.m
on the top of its screw.
Figure 4, on which the

page_text: the screw i, cross piece h, and chair g, may be raised to any desired height, and
a washer n is put between the screw box or worm wheel k and the cross
piece h, the said washer n being made of two semicircular pieces, as repre-
sented in Figure 5.
g
In addition to metal washers, we sometimes use washers of vulcanized
caoutchouc or wood, to diminish the action of the hammer on the chair. We
prefer to put the said washers of caoutchouc between the chair 9 and the cross
piece h, but we do not limit ourselves to any particular position. In fixing
the anvil o into the head of the hammer, we attach the same by means
of a cotter p, which wedges between the dovetail on the anvil and the
groove in the hammer; a projection 7 on one side of the dovetail (see the
plan, Figure 1 A,) enters a recess of a corresponding shape in the head of
the hammer, and prevents the anvil from sliding out so long as the said anvil
is kept to its bearing by the wedge or cotter p.
When the forge hammer is of that kind which is raised by teeth acting
against the under side of the head of the hammer, we make the projection
extend across nearly the whole breadth of the hammer, as shown in the plan,
Figure 1B; the teeth raising the hammer strike against and wear the part q,
instead of the head of the hammer. When the part q is worn it can be
replaced by substituting a new anvil o. We sometimes also form a dovetail
on the lower anvil, as shown in Figure 1 C, and attach moveable anvils r, of
different thicknesses, by means of the said dovetail; or swages or other tools
may be fixed in the lower anvil by the same means.
Having now described the nature of our said Invention, and the manner of
carrying the same into effect, we wish it to be understood that we do not limit
ourselves to the precise details herein described, as the same may be varied
without departing from the nature of our said Invention; but we claim as our
Invention,
Firstly, making the "brays" of forge hammers adjustable, as herein described,
and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing.
Secondly, making the chairs on which the fulcrum of the forge hammer
moves adjustable, as herein described, and illustrated in the accompanying
Drawing..
Thirdly, the use of moveable metal washers for receiving the percussive
action in the "brays" and chairs of forge hammers, where the said "brays "
and chairs are adjustable, and thereby preventing injury to the adjusting
screws of the said "brays" and chairs, as herein described, and represented in

page_text: Fourthly, the use of washers of vulcanized caoutchouc and wood under
the chairs of forge hammers, for the purpose of diminishing the action of the
hammers thereon, as herein described.
Lastly, the methods herein described, and illustrated in Figures 1,1 A, 1B,
and 1 C, of the accompanying Drawing, of constructing and fastening anvils
in the heads of forge hammers, and in the fixed anvils against which the forge
hammers work.
In witness whereof, I, the said Matthew Butcher, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
Witness,
RICHARD SKERRETT,
Clerk to George Shaw.
MATTHEW BUTCHER. (L.B.)