IMPROVEMENTS IN POWER HAMMERS
Year: 1854

page_text: Sealed the 6th October 1854, and dated the 7th April 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Naylor at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 7th
April 1854.
I, WILLIAM NAYLOR, of the City of Norwich, Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN POWER HAMMERS"
to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a peculiar construction of forging hammer, to be
worked by the direct action of steam and vacuum combined, and consists in
the employment of a cylinder, which is carried upon a suitable frame or standard.
A hammer block is attached to the solid piston rod or sling. This rod passes
through a hollow rod, cast on to a part of the piston, and is secured to the
other part by a loose pin, thereby giving a slight play to prevent any jarring of
the piston when the hammer strikes the anvil.
The steam is conducted to the lifting cylinder by a suitable steam pipe, and

page_text: passes through a belt or zone round the cylinder, entering at the bottom over
a piston valve, which regulates the admission of the steam under the piston in
the lifting cylinder. A vacuum is formed on the upper side of the working
piston by a suitable apparatus, herein-after described. When the hammer is
lifted a certain distance, a roller attached thereto strikes against a rod, which
elevates the valve rod and valve piston and vacuum slide. These valves are
held open by a catch rod, and the steam is thereby allowed to pass out of the
cylinder under the piston valve, while the atmospheric air passes by the end of
the slide valve direct into the cylinder above the piston as it is falling. As the
steam is always exerting a pressure upon the piston valve, it tends to open the
communications of both steam and vacuum to the cylinder by the valves being
brought down, when the lever which works them is liberated by the catch rod,
before mentioned. The period of the stroke at which this is effected is regu-
lated by an adjustable catch, which is made to slide up or down the rod, so as
to receive a blow from the roller attached to the hammer. On the valve lever
being liberated, the pressure upon the piston valve brings it down simultaneously
with the slide or vacuum valve, thereby opening both communications with the
cylinders. The pistons of the vaccuum and steam valves are elevated by the
action of the vacuum. The lift of the piston valve is eased by the action of a
piston fitted to the top of the cylinder, which is acted upon or drawn inwards
by the vacuum. This piston is connected to the end of a weighted lever, which
is attached at its opposite extremity to the valve rod. The apparatus for pro-
ducing a vacuum consists of a pair of vessels, into which the steam from the
hammer, stationary engine, or boiler is admitted by pipes for that purpose.
These pipes are, however, closed periodically by slide valves, which are actuated
by pistons working in cylinders, which pistons are forced upwards by water
pressure. Thus, according to the quantity of water passing into these cylinders
in a given time, so will the number of exhausts take place. The motion of the
slide valves is assisted by a ball, running in a hollow cross head, which is attached
to the actuator of the slides. When the steam is turned into the right hand
vessel a clack valve contained therein is closed, and an injection of cold water
admitted, and so with the other vessel. Thus, by a supply of water from a
pump or tank, the whole machinery is self-acting.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Naylor in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
7th October 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
NAYLOR, of the City of Norwich, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the seventeenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Naylor, Her special license that I, the said William Naylor,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Naylor, 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 and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN POWER HAMMERS,'
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Naylor, 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 William Naylor, 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 state-
ment, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the letters
and figures marked thereon, that is to say:--
My said Invention relates to the working of of power hammers by the aid
of a vacuum combined with steam, or by a vacuum alone. Fig. 1, on Sheet 1
of my Drawings, represents an edge view of my steam and vacuum hammer
drawn to an eighth scale; and Fig. 2 is a corresponding side elevation of the
same. The rest of the Figures are enlarged details of the piston and rod,
which will be hereinafter more fully explained. The working cylinder A is
supported on the wrought iron framing B; C is the hammer block, which is
attached to the solid piston rod or sling D; this rod is connected with the upper
plate E of the piston F, as shewn at Fig. 3, by a pin G, which is passed
transversely through an eye in the upper end of the piston rod; this eye fits
into a double eye or pair of lugs H, formed on the under side of the upper

page_text: piston plate E. The lower end of the piston rod D, represented in elevation
at Fig. 4, has also an eye J formed upon it, which serves to secure it to the
hammer block by the aid of a transverse bolt K, Figs. 1 and 2. This bolt
passes transversely through the hammer block and through the eye J in the
end of the solid piston rod. In order to give a little play to the hammer block,
and consequently prevent the jarring which occurs on striking the anvil, and
which is so injurious to the piston rod in hammers of this class, I have formed
two vertical slots K' in the hammer block, where the holding pin passes
through, so that a slight vertical play is allowed to the hammer block when it
strikes the anvil. The end of the rod is packed inside the hammer with caout-
chouc or with wood, in the ordinary manner, to afford increased elasticity. The
solid piston rod D passes down through a hollow or tubular rod L, which is cast
on to the lower plate M of the piston, and extends down to within about an inch
of the top of the hammer block, as shewn. The spring M serves as a buffer to
the lifting piston, and assists in accelerating the fall of the hammer. The steam
is conveyed to the lifting cylinder through the pipe N, and passes round the
cylinder by the belt O cast thereon; it enters the piston valve P above the
piston Q, and passes thence into the cylinder through the steam port R, beneath
the lifting piston F; the vacuum is at the same time acting at the top of the
piston through the slide valve S, as shewn by the dotted arrow, on to the vacuum
generator, hereinafter described, through the pipe T. When the hammer has
been lifted a certain distance, the roller U strikes against the rod V, thereby
partly lifting it and partly pushing it aside, by which action the levers W and
Ware caused to lift the valve rod X, which is connected with them by the
link Y. By raising the valve rod X, the piston Q will be elevated simul-
taneously with the vacuum slide valve S; while in this position, the pendulum
rod Z, which oscillates from the fixed centre a, catches under the lever W₁, and
holds both valves open, by preventing the rod X descending until the steam
has passed out of the cylinder under the piston Q of the valve P into the
exhaust or waste pipe b. While the steam is escaping from the lower part of
the lifting cylinder A, the atmospheric air enters the upper portion of the
cylinder by passing by the end of the slide S direct into the cylinder above
the piston as it is falling. As the steam is constantly exerting a downward
pressure upon the piston Q of the steam valve P, it will tend to open the com-
munications of both steam and vacuum valves with the cylinder so soon as the
valve rod X is allowed to descend by the release of the lever W₁ from the catch
C on the pendulum rod. This may be effected at the instant the hammer
strikes the anvil, or after the blow has been given, or when a light blow is
necessary. The liberation of the valves may take place either at the face of

page_text: the anvil or at any distance from it, by simply adjusting the height of the
inclined slider d on the pendulum rod, so as to receive a blow from the roller
U at the exact point of stroke desired; this has the effect of driving the
catch c from under the lever W₁, whereupon the pressure of steam upon
the piston Q of the steam valve will bring down the rod X with the slide S
and piston Q. This has the effect of opening both the communication of
power and of elevating the piston, or picking it up again at any desired part
of its stroke. It will thus be obvious, that by suitably adjusting the slide d,
the blows may be given alternately light or heavy at will. e and and fare the
vacuum and steam regulators; the cylinder e is open at the bottom and the
cylinder at the top. They consist of two pistons or blocks G and H, working
in the cylinders J and K; the blocks g and h are fitted on to the spindle 1,
which works through both regulators, and is weighted at M to keep the blocks
g and h down. Two other pistons n, o, are also fitted into the spindle l, and
work in the upper cylinders P and g. The blocks g, h, are elevated by the
action of the vacuum, which acts upon the upper side of the piston n through
the side passager, and tends to draw it up, whilst at the same time the steam
in the regulator f exerts a pressure against the under side of the piston block
h, through the side passages, and assists in elevating the spindle I, and with
it the blocks g, h, by which means they will open or close more or less the
apertures of the steam and vacuum pipes, and will have the effect of keeping
the force constant, by which the hammer is worked; thus, if we assume the
combined or accumulated power of the vacuum and steam to be equal to
20 lbs. per square inch, and that that is the required constant pressure, let
us assume the vacuum to be 10 lbs. and the steam in the boiler 30 lbs. ;
then, if there were no regulator, the force would be double that which
was required; but with the means of regulating the force when the vacuum
is 10 lbs., it exerts a power of 10 lbs. through the passage r, and draws up
the piston and weight m, altho' the steam in the boiler is at 30 lbs.,
as before stated. When the steam in this pipe is more than 10 lbs. it
acts on the bottom side of the piston h, and by lifting it up stops its own
supply of steam. Again, if there were no vacuum, the steam, after it arrived
at 20 lbs. would, with a little more pressure, elevate the piston h, and
thereby prevent excess of pressure.
The amount of working pressure is
entirely regulated by the amount of weight at m and the weight of the
pistons themselves. In order to case the lift of the vacuum slide S and steam
valve piston Q, a small cylinder t, opening into the vacuum end of the lifting
Within this
cylinder, is screwed or otherwise secured to the cylinder cover.
cylinder works a piston, which is connected by a link with the weighted lever u.

page_text: The opposite end of this lever is connected by a link v to the top of the slide
rod X. It will thus be obvious, that the vacuum inside the lifting cylinder
will draw down the piston in the small cylinder t, which will have the effect of
raising the opposite end of the lever u, and consequently of assisting in the
lifting of the steam valve piston Q against the pressure of the steam upon it;
but when the vacuum is destroyed, as it must be to allow the hammer to fall,
then the piston Q exerts its full force to open the valve for another lift. I
shall now proceed to describe another modification of my power hammer, in
which I employ a vacuum alone as the working power. Fig. 1, on Sheet 2 of
my Drawings, represents a sectional plan of the lifting cylinder and valve
mechanism of the vacuum hammer, taken through the line 1, 2, in Fig. 2.
Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same, with the standards or supports
removed; Fig. 3 is a plan of the top of the cylinder and parts connected
therewith; and Fig. 4 is a complete side elevation of the cylinder and
hammer block. A is the lifting cylinder; and B, the ram hammer, partly cored
out; C is the valve rod of the slide valve D; E is a small vacuum cylinder for
working the slide D; F is the piston rod of the small cylinder E, which is
coupled by a key or other suitable coupling to the top of the valve rod C;
G represents the slide valve of the small cylinder E; H is a lever, which is
pushed by a spring under the bottom of the valve rod C, when the piston E
has lifted the slide D. The lever H is fixed to the spindle I, which turns in
suitable bearings in the top and bottom flanges of the cylinder; the lever J,
which is fitted on to the upper end of the rod I, moves simultaneously with
the lever H. The moving ends of the levers J and H are connected by a rod
or spindle K, which carries a double cone slide block L; this block is made to
slide up or down the spindle K, and may be adjusted to any height for the
purpose of regulating the intensity of the blows; thus it is raised up the
rod K when a light blow is required to be given, and lowered when a heavy
blow is wanted. A projection M is formed upon the vertical rod N, which
works up and down a slotted groove O, Fig. 1, simultaneously with the
hammer block. The lower end of this rod is joined to the flange S on the
bottom of the ram; the projection M acts upon the valve spindle C in the fall
of the hammer, by striking the cone L, and removing the lever H from under
the bottom of the valve rod, whereupon the piston in the cylinder E brings
down the slide valve D, and opens a communication between the vacuum
vessel and the lifting cylinder, thereby lifting the hammer block in readiness
for another blow. The position of the cone L upon the rod K regulates the
distance the hammer shall fall before it is lifted up again, and consequently
regulates the intensity of the blow. The vacuum is connected with the small

page_text: cylinder E by a pipe P, and acts upon the piston of the rod F, causing it to
lift or force down the slide valve D. R is a catch lever, which is represented
in the Drawing as holding down the valve rod C and slide D against the effort
of the piston in the cylinder E, which tends to raise the valve when the hammer
rises high enough for its flange S to come in contact with the lower end or tail
of the lever R; the hold upon the rod C is withdrawn and the valve D is
raised, to allow the atmosphere to enter the lifting cylinder and admit of the
hammer falling. T is a rod with a slot in it for working the small slide G;
this rod is attached to one end of the double lever U, the other end being
connected to the rod V. The rod T receives a vertical motion from a pro-
jecting pin T on the back of the slide D. On referring to the Drawing, it
will be seen that the valve G is in the position for the piston F¹ to be lifted so
soon as the rod C is liberated by the removal of the catch R. The stud T¹ on
the back of the slide D will arrive at the end of the slot in the rod T when
the slide D has nearly arrived at the extent of its stroke, and the position of
the slide G will then be changed during the remaining portion of the stroke
of the valve D, through the lever U and connecting rod V. During the
changing of the position of the slido G, the lever H will slip underneath the
valve rod C, and retain it elevated until the descent of the hammer and rod N,
whereupon the projection M, striking the cone L, will remove the lever H
from underneath the rod C, and allow the slide D to fall and bring its stud T¹
down to the bottom of the slot in the rod T, thereby raising the small slide G;
simultaneous with this movement the catch lever R will engage with the
projection on the valve rod C, and keep it down until it is again released by
the flange S of the hammer. Thus, when the hammer is raising, the slide D
is kept down by the lever catch R, and when it is falling the same valve is
held up by the lever II. W is the vacuum regulating cylinder, which is fitted
with a small piston W₁. The passage X communicates between the main
pipe Y and the upper side of the piston W. When a vacuum is generated
beyond what the hammer is adjusted to work at, it raises the piston block Z
across the pipe Y, the bottom of the cylinder W being open to the atmosphere.
Z is a balance weight, which is weighted according to the power of vacuum
required, and serves to keep both pistons down in the cylinder W. The work is
most effectively performed when the lifting power is constantly the same; sup-
posing the area of the cylinder W to be twelve square inches, then if the moving
weights of Z and Z be 108 lbs., it will be obvious to the practical man, that even
if the vacuum were generated to 14 or 15 lbs. per square inch, that force could
not be brought to the hammer; for so soon as 9 lbs. per square inch is exceeded,
the action of the atmosphere under the piston Z would raise it over the main

page_text: passage of the vacuum pipe Y. When this is closed, and the vacuum over
the hammer is less than 9 lbs. per square inch, then the decrease of vacuum
will communicate through the passage X to the piston W¹, and allow the
weight Z¹ to draw down the block Z to the necessary point for the proper
working of the hammer. The apparatus which I employ for generating the
vacuum is represented in vertical section at Fig. 5 of the same Sheet of
Drawings. A and A' are the vacuum generating vessels. The steam from the
steam hammer, stationary engine, or boiler enters by the pipe B, and passes
through the pipe C¹ into the vessel A¹. The Drawing represents the slide
valve T as full open, and the valve T entirely closed; but when both valves are
closed, then as the steam cannot enter either of the vessels, it rises up the
pipe M, and escapes by the valve M'. The valves T and T' are actuated by
water pressure; the water being turned on at P, it passes through a four-way
cock R into the cylinder D, and by its force raises that piston, which actuates
the levers a, a¹, a¹¹, and causes a ball E in the box F to run from left to right,
striking the right hand end of the box, which together with the weight of the
ball moves the levers a over to the right. This movement turns partly the
toothed segments U, and reverses the position of the valves T, T'; that is,
the valve T is closed and the valve T opened; the change in the position of the
levers a draws up the rod G¹, which is connected at one end with the lever a
and at the other to the four-way cock R, which it turns round to the opposite
position, so as to form a communication with the cylinder D', and allow the
water to escape from the cylinder D through the cock R, and down the pipe S.
The water pressure is now turned on under the piston of the cylinder D', and
according to the quantity of water passing into these two cylinders in a given
time, so will be the number of exhausts in the vessels A, A¹. By a valve in
the exhaust steam pipe B, of the construction shewn in detail plan at Fig. 6,
and in section at Fig. 7, the quantity of water is regulated according to the
quantity of steam. When the steam stops flowing, the supply of water is
stopped also, and when the steam recommences to flow, the water flows also.
The steam, when flowing, enters in the direction of the arrow, and by striking
against the hinged valve A elevates it to a certain extent, according to the
amount of steam passing. This valve works steam-tight, in a rectangular
portion of the steam pipe, the sides of which are planed for that purpose. The
upper or hinged portion of the valve is made fast on a spindle B, which is
connected with the water supply regulating cock C; thus any movement
imparted to the valve A will be instantly transmitted to the cock C, and by
adjusting them correspondingly they will always remain in the same relative
positions. The water from the condensed steam at starting is collected in a

page_text: vessel D, which contains a float E connected to a valve F. As the water rises
or accumulates in the vessel D, the float will rise also, and by opening the
valve F allow the water to run off. When the steam is turned into the right
hand vessel A', the valve N in the vacuum pipe N¹ closes, and the cock H
turns the water through the rose jet I in the vessel A; the valve J is opened,
and the air is drawn from the hammer into the vessel A through the pipe J',
at the same time the steam is filling the right hand vessel A' and blowing
the air through the valve L, and the condensed water through the pipe O
and valve O. I may here observe, that the injection is not open during the
whole time that the process of exhaustion is taking place. When the rod
which is attached to the lever of the cock H has pushed the lever to its highest
point, the cock H is open and letting in the injection. The time that the
injection is to run in will be regulated by the length of the rod; for the
ball E in the box F no sooner runs from one side to the other than it changes
the position of the four-way cock, and the opposite piston D¹ begins to rise;
and at any given point of the rise of the piston D¹, the cock H on the opposite
side may be made to close and shut off the injection. It will thus be obvious
to the practical man, that by a constant supply of water from a pump or tank
the whole machinery will be self-acting, for when the steam comes it will be
condensed by the water, but when there is no steam there will be no working
or waste of water.
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 carried into
effect, I would observe, in conclusion, that I do not confine or restrict myself to
the precise details or arrangements which I have had occasion to describe or
refer to, as many variations may be made therefrom without deviating from
the principles or main features of my said Invention; but 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,
First, the general construction and arrangement of power hammers working
either by the action of steam and vacuum combined, or by vacuum alone, as
herein-before described.
Second, the peculiar construction and arrangement of steam and vacuum
valves, as herein-before described with reference to my combined steam and
vacuum hammer, delineated on Sheet 1 of the Drawings.
Third, the system or mode of working or actuating such valves by the
self-acting mechanism, herein-before described and illustrated on Sheet 1 of
my Drawings.
Fourth, the peculiar construction and arrangement of steam and vacuum

page_text: regulators, as herein-before described and illustrated at Fig. 2, on Sheet 1 of
my Drawings.
Fifth, the system or mode of connecting the hammer block with the lifting
piston by means of solid and tubular piston rods combined, as herein-before
described.
Sixth, the system or mode of working power hammers by the aid of a vacuum
working in conjunction with steam.
Seventh, the system or mode of working power hammers by the aid of a
vacuum alone, as herein-before described and illustrated on Sheet 2 of my
Drawings.
Eighth, the peculiar construction and arrangement of vacuum valves and
the self-acting mechanism for working the same, as herein-before described
and illustrated at Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4, on Sheet 2 of my Drawings.
Ninth, the system or mode of regulating the amount of vacuum, as herein-
before described and illustrated on Sheet 2 of my Drawings.
Tenth, the application and use of a spring, as hercin-before described, for the
purpose of accelerating the blow of the hammer, and serving also as a buffer
in case the hammer should rise too high.
Eleventh, the peculiar construction and arrangement of vacuum generating
apparatus, and self-acting mechanism connected therewith, as herein-before
described and illustrated at Figure 5, on Sheet 2 of my Drawings.
Twelfth, the system or mode of regulating the supply of water to the vacuum
generators, according to the supply of steam by the peculiar arrangement of
valve and cock, herein-before described and illustrated at Figures 6 and 7, on
Sheet 2 of the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Naylor, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixth day of October, One thousand eight hundred
and fifty-four.
WILLIAM NAYLOR. (L.S.)