IMPROVEMENTS IN FORGE AND OTHER HAMMERS
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles John Carr, of Wentworth, Yorkshire,
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FORGE AND OTHER
HAMMERS,"
Sealed the 1st November 1858, and dated the 7th May 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles John Carr at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
7th May 1858.
I, CHARLES JOHN CARR, of Wentworth, Yorkshire, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FORGE AND OTHER
HAMMERS," to be as follows:-
I construct a cylinder open at the top and closed at the bottom to rise and
fall in vertical guides; within this cylinder I place an air-tight piston with
holes through the body of the same, and fitted with valves opening outwards,
to the center of which piston I attach a connecting rod working in a joint, the
other end being connected to a crank or eccentric fitted to a shaft working in
bearings over the same ;. on this shaft is a pulley or drum driven by a strap
froin any prime mover. I cast a passage down the shell of the cylinder
opening out by a port into the same, at such a distance from the bottom as
shall be requisite to give the required stroke of the hammer. Upon the
crankshaft being made to rotate, the piston, which I will suppose to be on the
bottom stroka, is,by the connecting rod attached thereto, made to ascend, and
being now below the port opening into the passage cast down the shell of the
cylinder, vacuum is created between the ascending piston and the bottom of

page_text: the cylinder, which by theexternal atmospheric pressure acting on the under
side will follow the piston until it comes in contact with a buffer fixed at a
proper height. The crank or eccentric in completing its upward stroke will
now raise the piston above the port opening into the cylinder, when imme-
diately the atmosphere rushing down the passage and through the port into
the cylinder, the vacuum formed between the under side of the piston and the
bottom of the cylinder will be destroyed, and the cylinder will descend and give
the blow,the hammer head being fixed to the bottom of the same. Or in lieu
of the above arrangement I make the cylinder a fixture to the standard and
open at both top and bottom,and which will in this case be provided with two
pistons, the lower one elongated to form the hammer head, the upper one
fitted with a connecting rod attached to a crank or eccentric, and worked in
the same manner as described in the piston working in the sliding cylinder
To describe the action of the hammer under this arrangement, I will
suppose
the lower and upper pistons at the bottom of their strokes, leaving a space
between them somewhat exceeding the maximum thickness of the iron to be
forged; upon the ascent of the upper piston a vacuum will be formed between
it and the lower one, which will then by the pressure of the atmosphere ascend
until it strikes a buffer, the crank then proceeding forward to its top stroke,
the upper piston will pass a port or opening made in the cylinder as described
before, when the external air rushing in thereat, the vacuum between the two
pistons will be destroyed and the lower one will descend and give the blow.
In this case the port or opening into the cylinder will be cast or made direct
through the outside, or as another modification,a stationary cylinder "fixed to
the standard," closed at the bottom and open at the top, might be made with
two pistons, as described in the last arrangement,but the lower one fitted with
a rod passing through a stuffing box or gland made in the cylinder cover; to
the lower end of this rod the hammer head is fixed. In this case the upper
piston beiug lifted by the crank and connecting rod, and a vacuum thereby
created between the two, the lower one will ascend, "but the weight thereof
must be proportioned to the area of the end of the rod exposed to the atmo-
spheire pressure." As in the former cases the upper piston passes a port made
in the cylinder, upon doing which the lower piston descends and gives the
blow, but in this case being assisted in its descent by the vacuum formed
between its under side and the cylinder cover. Instead of the port made in
the cylinders as named, several openings may be cast in and round the same
in such a position as will be suitable to the required stroke of the hammer,
and in the passing of which by the piston in its ascent the blow would be
given. In the pistons connected with and operated upon by the crank shaft

page_text: will be valves opening outwards as described, to give free passage to the
air under the same in the down stroke, which valves will close upon the
piston, turning its lower center, but other valves may be substituted for
this arrangement, by which the force of the blow may be modified or by
other means. My other improvements consist in the fixing within or
beneath the cylinders or to the pistons used in air and other hammers
an india-rubber or other spring, adjusted so as effectually to prevent the
hammer giving bare blows upon the anvil by arresting its fall before striking
the same, when through carelessness or otherwise material to be worked is
not continuously supplied thereto. This will of course require additional
strength in the part of the standard supporting the cylinder, or in the case
of the one sliding in guides, to sustain the blow of the same. In hammers
where the piston or weight is lifted by cams, I attach to the piston rod, cross
head, or weight, a spring buffer made of india-rubber, steel, or similar sub-
stances and sufficiently elastic to break the blow or concussion caused by
the action of the cam or cams in lifting the same, thereby greatly reducing
the wear and tear, and rendering the driving of such hammers direct by
tooth wheels, instead of pullies, Luch safer.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Charles John Carr in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
6th November 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
JOHN CARR, of Wentworth, Yorkshire, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Charles John Carr, Her special licence that I, the said Charles John
Carr, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Charles John Carr, 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 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
FORGE AND OTHER HAMMERS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Charles John Carr, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in

page_text: writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should parti-
cularly 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 Charles John Carr, 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, reference being had to the Drawings hereto annexed, and in which
Fig. 1, Sheet 1, is a side elevation of a forge or other hammer; Fig. 2, a
transverse section of the same; Fig. 3, a section at A, B, Figs. 1 & 2; Figs. 4 & 5,
a plan & section of piston; Fig. 6, section of a valve worked by an eccentric;
Fig. 7, section of hammer with valve attached thereto; Fig. 8, Sheet 2, is a
section of a modification of the same hammer; Figs. 9 & 10, elevation &
section of the cylinder and pistons; Fig. 11, section of another modification of
the saine hammer; Figs. 12 & 13,elevation & section of the cylinder & pistons;
Fig. 14, elevation of a hammer raised by a cam or cams; Figs. 15 & 16,
elevation and section of cylinder, cam, & buffer; Fig. 17 section of buffer;
Figs. 18 & 19, Sheet 3, section & elevation of a similar hammer, as shewn
in Figs. 1 & 2, Sheet 1, with another arrangement of operating same. Similar
letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several Figures.
In Figs. 1 & 2, the hammer is provided with a cylinder A open at the top
& closed at the bottom, working in vertical guides B, fastened to a frame or
standard C; within this cylinder is an air-tight piston D (shewn to an enlarged
scale in Figs. 4 & 5), with holes a fitted with a ring valve b opening upwards.
To the centre of the said piston rod, I attach a connecting rod E working in
a joint, the other end of which is connected to a crank F, fitted to a shaft G,
working in bearings fastened to the said frame or standard C; on the said
shaft G are fast and loose pulleys or drums H, driven by a strap from any
prime mover; a pulley with clutch box can be substituted for the two pulleys
or drums, as shewn. Around the said cylinder A, at a distance according
to the required stroke, are openings or ports c,for the purpose of admitting air
to give the blow. Upon the crank shaft being made to rotate, the piston D,
which is supposed to be on the bottom stroke, is, by the connecting rod E,
made to ascend; & being below the openings or ports c in the cylinder, a
vacuum is created between the ascending piston & bottom of the cylinder,
which, by the external atmospheric pressure acting on the under side, will
follow the piston until it comes into contact with a buffer J (hereafter
described) fixed to the frame at the required height, or until the piston passes

page_text: the said openings or ports c, when immediately the air rushes through the
said openings or ports, destroying the vacuum between the cylinder and piston,
& the hammer or cylinder A (having a hammer head A2) descends & gives
the blow. To prevent the cylinder A or hammer head A2 either striking or
too forcibly striking the surface of the anvil K, I place on the said frame C
another similar buffer K' (which I call the bare blow buffer), to receive the
blow.
Fig. 7 shews a mode of regulating the stroke of the hammer, as well as for
allowing the air between the piston & bottom of the cylinder to escape on its
downward stroke. L is a bracket fastened to the frame C, & to the bracket
isconnected a valve box Mconstructed to slide upon the said bracket, & which
is actuated by the wheel d, screw e, & lever f; g is a slide valve working on
the outside of the box M by the eccentric N on the shaft G, so as to open
and close the port h; the port h is opened when the eccentric reaches the top
stroke of the piston; & when the hammer is required to give its full stroke
or blow, to shorten the stroke of the hammer or cylinder A, & thereby lessen
the blow, it is only necessary to lower the valve box M. by means of the said
wheel d, screw e, & lever f. h' is a flap valve opening outwards to allow the
air to escape on the downward stroke of the piston; the pipe; works through
a stuffing box into the valve box M at each stroke of the hammer, & being
open at the top places the valve box in direct communication with the
cylinder. To stop the action of the hammer the handle of the rod O is pulled,
so as to remove the strap from the fast to the loose pulley H & by the same
action or motion of the rod a catch k descends & supports the cylinder by
laying hold of the projection on the cylinder A. Instead of the catch for
supporting the cylinder, a bolt or pin passing through the frame may be
attached to the rod O, so that by its motion as aforesaid it will cause the said
bolt or pin to enter a corresponding opening in the cylinder at any given
portion of the stroke; or any other method may be used for supporting the
cylinder. The buffer J before mentioned can be lowered or raised, as shewn
in Fig. 1, or in any other suitable manner.
In Figs. 18 & 19, Sheet 3, the hammer is similar to that shewn in Figs.
1 & 2, Sheet 1, but having 2 shafts, one of which is the crank shaft, and
the other the pulley or drum shaft; on these shafts are placed two eccentric
spur wheels P properly balanced (or oval gearing, or eccentric chain wheels,
pulleys, or drums, may be used), so as to give to the piston alternately an in-
creasing and decreasing motion. The object of applying these eccentric wheels
P, or oval gearing, or eccentric chain wheels, pulleys, or drums, is to commu-
nicate a slower motion to the piston upon turning the bottom centre, thereby

page_text: giving a greater lifting power, and an increased speed upon turning the top
centre. At or near the bottom of the cylinder A in Figs. 15 & 19 is an
opening provided with a flap valve m opening outwards, as a substitute for
the valve b in the piston, & which may however be used with the said valve
m for the purpose of allowing the air that is between the piston & the bottom
of the cylinder to escape on its downward stroke. There is also another
opening fitted with a cock or valve n, which will be used for the purpose of
admitting air into the cylinder when required to decrease the amount of
vacuum, thereby lessening the blow. The bare blow buffer K¹ in this
arrangement of hammer is part of a circle, & is supported by resting on a
ledge formed or cast on the frame C. The cylinder at or near the centre is
increased by a band A', for the purpose of striking the upper buffers J, as
also for striking the bare blow buffer K¹, to prevent concussion between the
hammer face & anvil.
In Figs. 8, 9, & 10, Sheet 2, an arrangement of hammer is shewn with the
cylinder A fixed to the frame, and open at both ends; in this case the
cylinder is provided with two pistons D1, D2, the lower one D2 elongated to
form the hammer head & the upper one D¹ fitted with a connecting rod, which
is attached to a crank or otherwise, & worked in the same manner as above
described.
To explain the action of the hammer under this arrangement, I will suppose
the pistons to be at the bottom of their strokes, leaving a space between them
somewhat exceeding the maximum thickness of the iron to be forged; upon
the ascent of the upper piston a vacuum will be formed between it & the
⚫lower one, which will then, by the pressure of the atmosphere, ascend until it
strikes the buffers J, J, the upper piston continuing its stroke until it passes
the port, or ports, or openings, made in the cylinder, as described, when the
atmospheric air rushes in, destroying the vacuum, and causes the lower piston
to descend & give the blow. Instead of using the ports or openings, a valve
may be substituted worked by an eccentric, tappets, or otherwise.
The arrangements for the escape of the air between the two pistons on their
downward strokes & for lessening the blow is the same as that described for
the hammers, Figs. 1, 2, 18, & 19. The bare blow buffer K¹ in this arrange-
ment can be fixed to the bottom of the cylinder, or to the under side of the
lower piston D².
In Figs. 11, 12, & 13, another arrangement of hammer is shewn, the
cylinder being also fixed to the frame, but closed at the bottom & open at the
top; this modification is also provided with 2 pistons D3, D4, the upper one,
as in Fig. 8, & the lower one fitted with a hollow or solid rod passing through

page_text: a stuffing box or gland S, made on the cylinder cover, & to the lower end of
the rod the hammer head is fixed; in this case the upper piston being put in
motion a vacuum is created between the two pistons, and the lower one will
ascend until the hammer head strikes against the buffer T. The weight of
the lower piston rod and hammerhead must be proportional to the area of the
end of the rod exposed to the atmospheric pressure. As in the former
method the upper piston continues its stroke until it passes a port, or ports,
or openings in the cylinder, when the air rushes in, destroying the vacuum,
& causes the piston to descend and give the blow, but in this case, assisted by
the vacuum between the lower piston & the cylinder cover. The bare blow
buffer K in this arrangement is similar to that for the hammer, Fig. 8. Figs.
14, 15, & 16, represent an atmospheric hammer, the cylinder of which is open
at the top & closed at the bottom; the piston being raised by a cam or cams
by means of a cross head fastened to the piston rod either above or below the
cylinder. To the said cross head, for the purpose of lessening the blow given
by the cam, I attach the spring buffer J, Fig. 17, where it will be seen that
the rod or pin r, with a flat cylindrical piece welded thereto, & upon which
the cam strikes, passes through the india-rubber s or other elastic material &
the said cross head; on the upper end of the said rod or pin r is cut a screw,
for the purpose of fastening the said rod & india-rubber s to the cross head by
a nutt, & between the said nutt & cross head is an india-rubber washer v, for
the purpose of sustaining the recoil. A similar buffer is used for the hammers
before mentioned, but fastened to the frame. The bare blow buffer K¹ can
be adopted for the hammer, Fig 14, in the same manner as above described
for Figs. 8 & 11.
The above arrangements of hammers described and shewn in Figs. 1 to 13
inclusive, & in Figs. 17 & 18, are also applicable to the stamping, rivetting,
or embossing metals, to the hammering or crushing of quartz, ores, or other
similar substances, as well as to all description of falling hammers.
Having thus described the particulars and nature of my Invention, I wish
it to be distinctly understood that I do not confine myself to the exact details,
nor their form, as shewn & described; but what I claim is,-
―
First, the raising of the cylinder A, open at the top and closed at the bottom,
& working in vertical guides, with the hammer head attached thereto or cast
thereon, as shewn in Figs. 1, 2, 7, 18, & 19, by creating a vacuum in the
manner berein described, by means of the piston D receiving its motion by
any of the well-known mechanical contrivances.
Second, the releasing of the cylinder A from the influence of the vacuum
by the admission of air through the openings or ports c in the cylinder, as soon

page_text: as the piston has passed the said openings or ports, so that the cylinder with
the hammer head A2 attached thereto shall descend and give the blow.
Third, the flap valve m & cock or valve n, or their equivalents, for the
induction & eduction of air, for the purposes herein described.
Fourth, the moveable valve box M, as shewn in Figs. 6 & 7, with the flap
valve, slide valve, port, &c., also for the induction & eduction of air, for the
purposes herein described
Fifth, the buffer J, Fig. 17, as applied for the purpose of preventing the
cylinder A from rising too high, as well as to permit the piston passing the
said openings or ports c in the cylinder.
Sixth, the bare blow buffer K', for the purpose herein described.
Seventh, the eccentric wheels, or oval gearing, or eccentric chain wheels, or
pulleys, or drums, for the purposes herein described.
Eighth, the arrangement of hammer, as shewn in Figs. 8, 9, & 10, with
the cylinder fixed to the frame, & open at both ends, & provided with 2
pistons, the lower one having the hammer head fastened thereto; also the
arrangement of hammer as shewn in Figs. 11, 12, & 13, with the cylinder
fixed to the frame, & open at the top and closed at the bottom by a cover with
a stuffing box thereto, through which the rod of the piston, either solid or
hollow, works, and on which there is fastened the hammer head, as herein
shewn & fully described.
And, ninth, the application of the buffer. J & bare blow buffer K¹ to
atmospheric hammers on the principle of that patented by A. E. L. Bellford,
the 27 October, 1854, No. 2289, as shewn in Figs. 14, 15, & 16, & herein
fully described.
In' witness whereof, I, the said Charles John Carr, have hereunto set my
hand and seal. this Sixth day of November, in the year of our Lord
CHARLES JOHN CARR. (L.s)