CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS MARCA DART AND CAN MOTATO
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Andrew Shanks, Engineer, No. 6, Robert Street,
Adelphi, Westminster, for the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS
MARCA DART AND CAN MOTATO "
Sealed the 29th September 1859, and dated the 5th April 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Andrew Shanks at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
5th April 1859.
I, ANDREW SHANKS, Engineer, No. 6, Robert Street, Adelphi, Westminster,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINERY FOR FORGING AND STAMPING METALS," to be as follows:
I employ a small steam engine exclusively for working the valve that
operates on the piston attached to the hammer, thereby doing away with any
direct connection with the hammer itself, such as the usual intervention of
levers, cams, &c. The passage for the steam in lifting the hammer I regulate
by hand, so that a long or a short stroke may be given at discretion, the number
of blows per minute is determined by the above-mentioned small steam engine
going faster or slower, which is done by regulating the throttle valve. To
prevent the hammer turning round in the cylinder I make a long groove in
the piston, with a tongue of metal projecting from the cylinder into the groove."
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Andrew Shanks in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
5th October 1859.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-second year of Iler
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Andrew Shanks, Her special licence that I, the said Andrew Shanks,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Andrew
Shanks, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during tho
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 "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR FORGING AND STAMPING METALS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Andrew Shanks my executors or administrators, by
an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and scals,
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 1, the said Andrew Shanks, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
My improvements consist in the principle of working the hammer by a
continuous rotary movement, the hammer itself being without cams or levers,
attached so as to operate on the valve gear in any way. I obtain at will by
this rotary movement of the wheel i, Fig. 1, which may be driven by steam
power or by hand, heavy blows or light blows, also long strokes or short
strokes, and the rate of working; this is effected by varying the speed of the
wheel i, and also by regulating the valves a and placed between the boiler
and the valve gear that operates direct on the hammer itself. These extra
valves are for the purpose of regulating the pressure of the steam on either
side of the hammer piston, one being for the top and the other for the under
side, by diminishing the supply of steam to the under side of piston by the
valve d, while the speed of the wheel i remains unchanged. The piston thereby
moving upwards at a diminished rate, is met by the steam from above before
the stroke is completed, thereby producing short strokes according to the speed
of the wheel; when much steam is used the wheel must be driven faster in
proportion. In all cases it is intended that the upward movement of the
hammer piston should be checked by the steam reacting on it before it gets

page_text: quite to the end of the stroke; but for convenience an elastic buffer is placed
inside the cylinder at the top for the piston to strike against. To prevent the
hammer from turning round in the cylinder I make the piston rod part of an
elliptical form, with stuffing box to suit.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
The same letters refer to the same parts in Figs. 1 and 2. a, the steam
pipe leading direct from the boiler, with the throttle valve e to regulate the
force of the blows; b, the blow-off pipe; c, the steam pipe for the under sido
of the piston; this pipe has also a valve d to regulate the speed of the
hammer n, the piston valve tube i, the wheel h, the handle k, the anvil
block m, the anvil f; the hammer having a piston solid with itself at the top
end working in the cylinder g, supported by the pillars l, l.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
performing it, I declare that I do not claim the several parts or elements
of the machinery or apparatus herein-before described or referred to when
taken separately, or otherwise than when combined and acting in the manner
Lerein-before described; and I hereby declare that I do claim as of the
Invention intended to be secured by Letters Patent,—
First, the constructing of steam hammers of forging machines operated by
a rotary movement to work the valve or valves in lieu of cams or levers, as
herein-before described.
Second, the employment of two extra valves to regulate independently the
pressure of steam on either side of the hammer piston, as herein-before
described.
Third, the forming of the piston rod part of the hammer into an elliptical
shape to prevent its turning round in the cylinder, also the placing of an
elastic buffer inside the cylinder for the piston to strike against.
In witness whereof, I, the said Andrew Shanks, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
ANDREW SHANKS. (L.S.)