IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM HAMMERS
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Rhodes, of Wakefield, in the County of
York, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM HAMMERS."
Sealed the 8th June 1860, and dated the 14th December 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Rhodes at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 14th
December 1859.
I, JOSEPH RHODES, of Wakefield, in the County of York, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
STEAM HAMMERS," to be as follows:-
The improvements have for their object the adaptation or combination of
means by which facility is given in the working of steam hammers. The
hammer head is affixed to a moveable cylinder capable of moving vertically or
in other suitable direction on a stationary piston supported from above, whilst
what may be called the piston rod is formed with inlet and escape passages
for the steam, as also to receive a rod to a valve in the piston adapted to
admit steam to the under side of the piston to aid the weight of the hammer
in giving force to the head thereof, and also to admit steam on the upper side
of the piston to raise the cylinder again with its head. The standards sup-
porting the piston are made adjustable for different work. The block is also
readily removeable to suit various work.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Joseph Rhodes in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
14th June 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPII
RHODES, of Wakefield, in the County of York, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Joseph Rhodes, Her special licence that I, the said Joseph Rhodes, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Joseph
Rhodes, 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 STEAM
HAMMERS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Joseph
Rhodes, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 Joseph Rhodes, do hereby declare the
nature of the 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 thereof, that is to say :-
The improvements have for their object the adaptation or combination of
means by which facility is given in the working of steam hammers. The
hammer head is affixed to a moveable cylinder capable of moving vertically or
in other suitable direction on a stationary piston supported from above, whilst
what may be called the piston rod is formed with inlet and escape passages for
the steam, as also to receive a rod to a valve in the piston adapted to admit
steam to the under side of the piston to aid the weight of the hammer in
giving force to the head thereof, and also to admit steam on the upper side of
the piston to raise the cylinder again with its head. The standards supporting
the piston are made adjustable for different work; the block is also readily
removeable to suit various work.

page_text: The Cenece may be any understood,
proceed
to describe the Drawings annexed, in the various Figures of which the same
letters are employed to indicate like parts.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shows a section, Figure 2, an external front view, and Figure 3,
a side view of a steam hammer arranged according to my Invention. a, a, is
the main framing or standards; b, the hammer block, which is readily
removeable to suit different work; c is the head of the hammer affixed to the
cylinder d, which is capable of moving on the stationary piston e affixed to
and carried by the standards a, a; f is the passage for the steam to the
piston, and g the escape passage for the steam after it has done its work; h
is a slide valve by which the direction of the steam for action as well as for
the escape is regulated. This valve h is connected to the rod h', which passes
through a stuffing box h, and at its upper end is formed to receive one end of
the lever i, which turns upon a fixed centre ', and at its other end is con-
nected to the upper end of the rod 2, the lower end of which is formed to
receive the end (1) of the lever j, by which self-acting reversing motions to
the slide valve are obtained in the following manner:-The lever j turns
upon a centre j', and the ends (2) and (3) are capable of being alternately
acted upon by the adjustable projection or wiper & affixed to the cylinder, and
moving with it. The lower end of the rod is capable of moving along the
arm (1) of the lever j, and of being set thereto at different distances by the
set screw (4), so as to vary the amount of leverage exerted, and the axis j' is
affixed to an eccentric piece 7 capable of turning in fixed bearings, and to
which is affixed the lever 11, by which it is capable of motion in those
bearings to vary the position of the centre j'. If desired, the valves may be
operated by hand by removing the set screw (4), and operating the rod ³ by
the handle 3 affixed thereto.
The Drawing, Figure 1, is shown with the parts in the position for admitting
the steam by the passage (1) to lift the cylinder with the hammer head,
whilst the steam is escaping from the lower part of the cylinder by the pas-
sages (2) (3): and to give force to the hammer head by the pressure of the
steam, the valve will be reversed, as indicated by dotted lines, by the action of
the projection or wiper k, and then the steam will be admitted to the under
side of the piston e to act upon the lower portion of the cylinder d, and the
steam above the piston in the cylinder d will escape by the passages (1) (3)
to the escape passage g, and so on in succession.

page_text: The standards a, a, are each formed from the foundation a² in two parts
fixed together, and capable of adjustment in relation to each other by screws
a, a¹, to suit different quantities of metal to be operated upon; m is the valve
for shutting off the steam operated by the handle n. Steam hammers thus
constructed are very compact and powerful, rapid in their action, and specially
adapted for light and heavy forging and smith's work, and easily worked.
Having thus described a steam hammer constructed according to my
improvements, I would have it understood that I do not confine myself to the
precise details shown and described, as these may be varied without departing
from the peculiar character of my Invention; but what I do claim is the
adaptation or combination of means by which facility is given in the working
of steam hammers, substantially as explained.
In witness whereof, I the said Joseph Rhodes, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
Witness,
WILLIAM BROOKES,
73, Chancery Lane, London,
Patent Agent.
JOSH. RHODES. (L.S.)