IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM AND OTHER HAMMERS AND ANVILS
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Imray, of 65, Bridge Road, Lambeth, in the
County of Surrey, Engineer, and James Copeland, of 12, Marlborough
Place, Kennington, in the same County, Engineer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM AND OTHER HAMMERS AND ANVILS."
Sealed the 28th August 1860, and dated the 7th March 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Imray and James
Copeland at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 7th March 1860.
We, JOHN IMRAY, of 65, Bridge Road, Lambeth, in the County of Surrey,
Engineer, and JAMES COPELAND, of 12, Marlborough Place, Kennington, in
the same County, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM AND OTHER HAMMERS AND ANVILS," to be as
follows:-
Our improvements apply to the arrangement of anvils and hammers, so that
their position is adjusted by hydraulic pressure, and the force of the blows given
and received by them transmitted through fluid; and also to the construction
of steam hammers in connection with such arrangements.
Our improved anvil consists of an anvil block mounted on the ram of a
bydraulic cylinder containing water, oil, or other suitable liquid, and commu-
nicating with a pump or an elevated cistern or reservoir under pressure, the
communication being regulated by cocks or valves, so that the liquid can be

page_text: admitted into the cylinder to raise the ram and anvil block, or discharged
from the cylinder to lower them.
In like manner our improved hammer, whether worked by steam or other
power, is made in two parts, one a cylinder containing liquid, and the other a
ram fitted to the cylinder, so that when one part gives the blow the other part
is subjected to diffused fluid pressure, instead of the shock resulting from solid
connection of parts.
In our improved steam hammer the steam cylinder is mounted on a frame
and fitted with a piston having a heavy rod passing through a gland and guide
rod at the bottom of the cylinder. The lower end of the rod is fitted with a
hydraulic hammer, as above described, or with a shoe for striking the forging
placed on a hydraulic or other anvil below. The ports leading to the top and
bottom of the cylinder communicate with a cylindrical or other slide valve
worked by a hand lever, or other convenient means. When the slide is moved
in one direction steam is admitted under the piston and permitted to escape
from above the piston so as to raise it, and when the slide is moved in the
opposite direction the supply of steam is shut off from the bottom of the
cylinder, and the steam already there is permitted to pass from the bottom to
the top so as to impel the piston downwards. The upper part opens into the
cylinder at some distance from the top, so that the piston in rising over it
closes it, and cushions against the steam retained above it. The lower end of
the cylinder has two ports, the one close to the bottom for admitting steam to
raise the piston fitted with a valve, which opens to let steam enter the cylinder,
but closes against its egress; and the other port which communicates through
the slide with the top of the cylinder at some distance above the bottom,
so that the piston descending over it closes it, and cushions against the steam
retained below it.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Imray and James Copeland in the Great Seal. Patent
Office on the 6th September 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS. SHALL COME, we, JOHN
JMRAY, of 65, Bridge Road, Lambeth, in the County of Surrey, Engineer,
and JAMES COPELAND, of 12, Marlborough Place, Kennington, in the same
County, Engineer, send greeting..
9
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters 3
Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of March, in the year of our Lord

page_text: One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of Her
reigu, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,
the said John Imray and James Copeland, Her special licence that we, the
said John Imray and James Copeland, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as we, the said John Imray and James Copeland,
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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM AND
OTHER HAMMERS AND ANVILS," upon the condition (amongst others) that we,
the said John Imray and James Copeland, our executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under our or their hands and seals, or
under the hand and seal of one of us or them, 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 we, the said John Imray and James Copeland, 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 improvements apply to the arrangement of anvils and bammers, so that
their position is adjusted by bydraulic pressure, and the force of the blows
given and received by them transmitted through fluid; and also to the con-
struction of steam hammers in connection with such arrangements.
Our improved anvil consists of an anvil block, mounted on the ram of a
hydraulic cylinder containing water, oil, or other suitable liquid, and commu-
nicating with a pump or an elevated cistern or reservoir under pressure, the
communication being regulated by cocks or valves, so that the liquid can bo
admitted into the cylinder to raise the ram and anvil block, or discharged from.
the cylinder to lower them.
In like manner our improved hammer, whether worked by steam or other
power, is made in two parts, one a cylinder containing liquid, and the other a
ram fitted to the cylinder, so that when one part gives the blow the other part
is subjected to diffused fluid pressure, instead of the shock resulting from solid
connection of parts.
In our improved steam hammer the steam cylinder is mounted on a frame,
and fitted with a piston having a heavy rod passing through a gland and guido

page_text: at the bottom of the cylinder. The lower end of the rod is fitted' with a
bydraulic hammer, as above described, or with a shoe for striking the forging
placed on a hydraulic or other anvil below. The parts leading to the top and
bottom of the cylinder communicate with a cylindrical or other slide valve
worked by a hand lever or other convenient means. When the slide is moved.
in one direction, steam is admitted under the piston, and permitted to escape
from above the piston so as to raise it, and when the slide is moved in the
opposite direction the supply of steam is shut off from the bottom of the
cylinder, and the steam already there is permitted to pass from the bottom to
the top so as to impel the piston downwards. The upper part opens into
the cylinder at some distance from the top, so that the piston in rising over it
closes it, and cushions against the steam retained above it. The lower end of
the cylinder has two ports, the one close to the bottom for admitting steam to
raise the piston fitted with a valve, which opens to let steam enter the cylinder,
but closes against its egress; and the other port which communicates through
the slide with the top of the cylinder at some distance above the bottom,
so that the piston descending over it closes it, and cushions against the steam
retained below it.
Figure 1 is a section of a steam hammer, striker, and anvil constructed
according to our Invention; and Figure 2 is a section of a portion of the
same, as will be hereafter described. a is the framing, which may be either a
hollow column, as represented in the Drawing, or a ribbed girder; b is the
steam cylinder; c, the piston; and d, the piston rod, which is made of large
diameter, in order to obtain the necessary weight and strength, and at the
same time to occupy considerable space in the cylinder under the piston, so
that the steam may be worked expansively for the down stroke, as hereafter
described; e is the steam slide, which is slightly coned and fitted into a case,
from which three ports f³, ƒ³, ƒ³, communicate with the cylinder; g is the
steam pipe from the boiler; and h, a valve, which can be held down to its seat
by means of a screwed spindle, and which when the spindle is screwed up is
free to rise, and permit the steam to pass from the boiler, but shuts of itself so
as to prevent any return of the steam towards the boiler; the slide e has two
notches e and es, such that when it is in the position shewn in Figure 1;
steam coming from the boiler through the valve box h, passes through the notch
e', and the port f', into the cylinder, and pressing on the lower annular surface
of the piston causes it to rise while the steam passes from the cylinder above
the piston through the port f' and the notch into the waste steam pipe.i;
but when the slide is turned partly round by a suitable lever k, worked by
hand, so as to bring it into the position shewn in Figure-2 (where like letters

page_text: and figures refer to like parts), the steam from the under side of the piston can
pass by the port f, and the notch e, into the port fs, and thence to the
cylinder above the piston, where the space is of greater capacity than the
aunular space below the piston, and expanding therein press the piston down-
wards. The port f³ opens into the cylinder at some distance below the cover,
so that the piston in its ascent, after passing the mouth of that port, cushions
against the steam remaining above it, and the, port f' is also at some distance
above the bottom of the cylinder, so that the piston in its descent after
passing the mouth of that port cushions against the steam left below it, which
is prevented by the valve h.from escaping by the. port f', even if the slido
should leave that port uncovered; 7 is a gland for preventing leakage. round
the piston rod, and also for guiding it; the lower end of the piston rod has a
collar projecting all round, and a rounded bottom which nearly fits into a cup-
shape cavity in the striker m; n is a ring free to slide on the piston rod, but
secured by keys into the mouth of the striker, which is recessed so as to
receive it; the ring n has a cavity n', with an oblique edge in its inner side,
and the piston rod has a slight projection all round at the part where that
cavity surrounds it; the small space left between the rounded end of the
piston rod and the cup of the striker is filled with oil or other suitable liquid,
so that when the striker delivers a blow the pressure resulting from the con
cussion is, transferred through.this liquid to the end of the piston rod, and such
portion of the liquid as may leak up between the piston rod and the ring n..is
caught in the cavity n', and when after the blow the piston rod is raised again
with the striker hanging to it, the liquid flows back from the cavity n¹ to the
cup of the striker to be ready for the succeeding blow; the object of this
arrangement is to save upsetting and damage to the piston.rod, and parts in
connection therewith from repeated concussions, by transmitting the percussive
force through a liquid cushion instead of through solid material; and this
arrangement is applicable to other hammers, even when in other respects they
are not constructed according to our Invention. In the base of the framing
there is a cylinder o, fitted with a ram o', working through a leather collar or
other suitable packing, and this ram has the anvil block p fixed upon it, and
is supported at any required height by water forced into the cylinder under
the ram, or lowered by letting the water issue from the cylinder, so that the
anvil can be brought to a suitable level for the work or tools placed on it
receiving their proper stroke from the hammer, while at the same time the
anvil and ram, being supported on a liquid base, the concussion resulting from
the blow is transmitted through a liquid cushion to the foundation, which is
thereby relieved of much of the strain resulting from the transmission of the

page_text: blow through solid materials. This arrangement of anvil can be applied to
other hammers, by making the cylinder and ram unconnected from the framing
and supplying the cylinder by water at sufficient pressure to raise the ram
either from a pump or an elevated cistern, or by other means, as may be found
suitable. When this anvil is used in connection with the hammer, constructed
according to our Invention, we find it convenient to work it in the following
manner-A portion 9 of the hollow base of the hammer forms a cistern con-
nected with the main steam pipe by a branch r from the cistern q, a channel s,
with a valve s', like the steam valve h, above described, communicates with
the cylinder of the anvil, and from the cylinder there is a waste cock t. The
valves being held down by its screwed spindle, the condensed water from the
steam pipe flows into the cistern q, where it is subjected to the steam pressure.
On screwing up the spindle of the valve s', the water being under pressure
passes through it into the cylinder and raises the ram, and the valve s¹ shuts
to prevent the return of any water from the cylinder when the anvil receives a
blow. When it is desired to lower the ram the valve s¹ is screwed down, and
the stop-cock t is opened, so as to allow a portion of the water in the cylinder
to flow out.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention, and the manner in which
the same is to be performed, we claim as our Invention the particular arrange-
ment of steam hammer herein described, and the mode of constructing the
lower end of the rod and striker, so as to have a liquid cushion between them for
receiving the blow applied to hammers worked by steam or by any other power;
and also the construction of anvils capable of being raised by hydraulic pressure,
whether separately or in combination with steam or other hammers; and also
the particular mode, herein described, of applying the pressure to such anvils
when in connection with steam hammers.
In witness whereof, we, the said John Imray and James Copeland,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty-first day of August,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
JOHN IMKAI.
(L.S.)
JAMES COPELAND. (L.S.)
JOHN IMKAI.
(L.S.)
JAMES COPELAND. (L.S.)