AN IMPROVED MECHANICAL HAMMER
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander M'Leish, of Lochee, in the County
of Forfar, North Britain, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED
MECHANICAL HAMMER,"
Scaled the 7th October 1873, and dated the 10th April 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander McLeish
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 10th April 1873.
I, ALEXANDER M°LEISH, of Lochee, in the County of Forfar, North
Britain, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention of "AN
IMPROVED MECHAnical Hammer,” to be as follows, that is to say :—
This Invention which relates to an improved mechanical hammer
consists of a framing provided with parallel guides in or upon which
the hammer and its attachments slide as it is reciprocated when per-
forming hammering operations.

page_text: The hammer block is fastened by a bolt or rod or by one or more
bolts or rods to a plate against which tappets or wipers on a revolving
shaft act. At the back of the plate is situated a spiral, elliptical, or other
suitably shaped spring which presses against the plate, and the pressure
of which is regulated by a screw or lever so as to adjust the intensity
of the blow. The hammer is operated by rotating the shaft and tappets
or wipers either by the hand of an attendant, or by a belt, or strap, or
by gearing. The hammer framing may be carried upon a slide or com-
pound slides, or upon a ball and socket joint, so as to regulate its position
relatively with the object being operated upon by it.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alexander McLeish in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 10th October 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
McLEISH, of Lochee, in the County of Forfar, North Britain, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Alexander M'Leish, Her special
licence that I, the said Alexander M°Leish, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Alexander M⚫Leish,
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,
exorcise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN
IMPROVED MECHANICAL HAMMER,” upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said Alexander MºLeish, 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alexander M°Leish, 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 :-
My improved mechanical hammer is composed of a framing provided
with parallel guides in or upon which the hammer proper and its
attachments slide as it is reciprocated when performing hammering
operations.
The hammer block is fastened by a bolt or rod or by one or more
bolts or rods to a plate against which tappets or wipers on a revolving
shaft act. At the back of the plate is situated a spiral, elliptical, or other
suitably shaped spring which presses against the plate, and the pressure
of which is regulated by a screw or lever so as to adjust the intensity
of the blow. The hammer is operated by rotating the shaft and tappets
or wipers either by the hand of an attendant or by a belt, or strap, or
by gearing. The hammer framing may be carried on a slide or com-
pound slides, or upon a ball and socket joint, so as to regulate its position.
relatively with the object being operated upon by it.
The foregoing statements particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and indicate in what manner the same is
to be performed or put in practice, and in further compliance with the
condition in the said Letters Patent contained I will now further and
particularly describe and ascertain in what manner the same is to be
performed or carried out in practice by referring to the Drawings accom-
panying these Presents.
Fig. 2 plan with cover of box removed to show the lifters.
Fig. 3 side elevation.
Fig. 4 vertical section.
In these Figures, A. is a revolving shaft; B, a fly wheel with handle
on one end of A.; C, C, fast and loose pulleys; D, D, spurs or lifters on
shaft A; E spiral spring of steel; F, G, flat plates of iron above and
below spring E; H, hammer and spindle; I, regulating screw; K,
handle for turning screw I; L, L, hollow boxes of iron containing and
In these Figures, A. is a revolving shaft; B, a fly wheel with handle
on one end of A.; C, C, fast and loose pulleys; D, D, spurs or lifters on
shaft A; E spiral spring of steel; F, G, flat plates of iron above and
below spring E; H, hammer and spindle; I, regulating screw; K,
handle for turning screw I; L, L, hollow boxes of iron containing and

page_text: supporting working parts; M, a pillar to which the whole machine is
fixed.
The machine is worked in the following manner :-The shaft (A) is
made to revolve by hand or power, and in revolving brings the spurs
(D) in contact with the flat plate (F) and rises or lifts it, and the
hammer spindle being fixed to said plate (F) it thereby rises along with
it. As the plate and spindle rises the spring (E) is forcibly compressed
until by the continued revolution of the shaft (A) the spurs are with-
drawn clear of the plate (F), thus allowing the spring to expand and
impel the hammers downwards upon the anvil. The force of the 1
stroke may be regulated at will by turning the regulating screw (I) at
the top.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature and
object of my Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed or put in practice, I hereby declare that I claim, the Invention ]
of "An Improved Mechanical Hammer," as herein-before set forth and
described, whereof the following is to be noted as a peculiar and im-
portant feature, namely, the lifting the hammer by having two pairs
of spurs or levers projecting in opposite direction from the shaft, and
so arranged as to pass completely under the plate below the spring in
such manner as to gain power and length of stroke.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander McLeish, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Seventh day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.
Witness,
JOHN ROBERTSON, Witness,
Merchant,
65, High Street,
Lochee.
ALEXANDER MCLEISH. (L.S.)