IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM HAMMERS
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Gilbert Glossop, of Sheffield, in the County of
York, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM
HAMMERS."
Scaled the 4th January 1876, and dated the 24th September 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Gilbert Glossop at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
24th September 1875.
I, GILBERT GLOSSOP, of Sheffield, in the County of York, Engineer, do
liereby declare the nature of my said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
STEAM HAMMERS," to be as follows:
-
My Invention has for its object maintaining the full pressure of steam
from the boiler acting upon the piston of a steam hammer to nearly the
whole extent of the stroke in lieu of the piston being met with and
cushioned by the steam for the return stroke, whereby a heavier blow is
obtained than by the ordinary methods, and it consists in the employ-
ment for that purpose of an independent valve (designated a set valve)
in conjunction with and worked by an ordinary valve, and of an improved

page_text: arrangement of the different inlet and outlet ports, and of the exhaust
pipes and cylinder.
In carrying out my Invention the cylinder is made with the valve
chambers and the exhaust pipe in one piece. The two valvo chambers
communicate with each other by means of the ports, and also by a
central opening through which the steam has access at all times. The
valves are by preference made of a cylindrical or piston shape, each end
being alike with either one or more blocks or heads, but other forms
may be employed. The first or ordinary valve is worked by hand or by
suitable levers or connections to the tap or other moveable part of the
hammer, and admits the steam to the top and bottom of the independent
set valve alternately, the action of the steam on the valve immediately
opening one of the cylinder ports to the full extent. By this arrange-
ment steam can be kept on the hammer piston to nearly the full extent
of the stroke on one or on both sides. The "cut off" can bo regulated:
by the first or ordinary valve, and the full power of the steam obtained
to the bottom of the stroke without being cushioned by the entrance of
steam for the return stroke.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said Gilbert Glossop in the Great Scal Patent Office
on the 23rd March 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GILBERT
GLOSSOP, of Sheffield, in the County of York, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of September, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in
the 39th year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and succes-
sors, give and grant unto me, the said Gilbert Glossop, Her special
license that I, the said Gilbert Glossop, my executors, admini-
strators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Gilbert Glossop,
my executors, administrators, or 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

page_text: 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 Gilbert Glossop, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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 Gilbert Glossop, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to
say:―
My said Invention has for its object maintaining the full power of
the steam upon the piston of a steam hammer to nearly the whole
extent of the stroke in lieu of the piston being met with and cushioned
by the steam for the return stroke, whereby a heavier blow is obtained
than by the ordinary methods, and it consists essentially in the employ-
ment for that purpose of an independent valve (designated a set valve)
in conjunction with and worked or roversed by another valve which may
be of any ordinary or suitable description.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood, I shall
refer to the accompanying Drawing, which represents a vertical section
through the cylinder and valve box of a steam hammer having my
Invention applied thereto.
A is a cylinder; B, a valve chamber (corresponding to that of the
ordinary valve); and C, a supplementary valve chamber, all of which in
the arrangement illustrated are cast together in one piece. The two
valve chambers B and C communicate with each other by means of
ports D, E, and also by a central opening F through which the steam
(introduced from the inlet F¹) has access at all times. G is the starting
valve which works in the valve chamber B; and H is the set valva
working in the valve chamber C. The valves are by preference made of
a cylindrical or piston shape, each end being alike, as shewn in the
Drawing, but other forms may be employed. The valve G is worked
by hand or by suitable levers or connections to the tup or other moveable

page_text: part of the hammer, and admits the steam to the top and bottom of
the set valve H alternately, the action of the steam on the valve imme-
diately opening one of the cylinder's ports I, K, to the full extent. In
the position shewn by the black lines in the Drawing both valves aro
closed. If now the valve G be moved into the position indicated by
the red lines the steam will be admitted into the portion a of the valvo
chamber C beneath the valve H, thereby moving such valve into the
position indicated by the corresponding red lines and opening the port I;
the steam then passes from the central portion 6 of the valve chamber C
to the upper end of the cylinder A and acts upon the top of the piston
therein (not shewn in my Drawings), the steam from the lower end of
the cylinder simultaneously exhausting through the port K and the
exhaust outlet L, and the steam from the portion c of the valve chamber C
at the upper end of the valve H at the same time exhausting through
the port D and the exhaust outlet M. When however the valvo G is
moved in the opposite direction the motion of the valve H also takes
place in a direction the reverse of that herein-before described, and the
steam is admitted through the port K to the lower end of the cylinder A
beneath the piston, the exhaust steam from the opposite end passing
off simultaneously through the port I and the exhaust outlet N, and the
exhaust steam from the end a of the valve chamber O being also dis-
charged at the same time through the port E and the exhaust outlet O.
If desired the central opening F may be dispensed with, the steam
being supplied direct to the valve chamber B and to the central portion
of the valve chamber C separately by means of pipes fitted with cocks
so as to admit of the steam being shut off when required. By means of
this arrangement I am enabled to cut off the steam from the valve
chamber B and to work the valve H by hand if necessary, for which
purpose its spindle is extended beyond the valve box, as shown at d.
By the use of my Invention steam can be kept on the hammer piston
to nearly the full extent of the stroke in either direction or in both
directions, the "cut off" may be regulated by the valve G which corre-
sponds to the ordinary valve, and the full power of the steam can be
obtained to the bottom of the stroke in lieu of the piston being cushioned
by the entrance of steam for the return stroke.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or

page_text: carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to
be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to
me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the employ-
ment in steam hammers of a distributing valve operated under the
action of steam admitted by or through a separate or independent valve,
substantially as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Gilbert Glossop, have to this my
Specification set my hand and seal, the Twenty-first day of
March, One thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.