IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM AND ATMOSPHERIC HAMMERS AND PRESSES, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO STEAM ENGINES
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Vaughan, of the Firm of Charles, William,
and Richard Vaughan and Brothers, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Manufacturers, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM
AND ATMOSPHERIC HAMMERS AND PRESSES, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO
APPLICABLE TO STEAM ENGINES."
Sealed the 12th September 1865, and dated the 4th April 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Vaughan at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 4th
April 1865.
I, JOSEPH VAUGHAN, of the Firm of Charles, William, and Richard Vaughan
and Brothers, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manufacturers, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
STEAM AND ATMOSPHERIC HAMMERS AND PRESSES, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO
APPLICABLE TO STEAM ENGINES," to be as follows:-
My improvements consist in causing the pistons of steam and atmospheric
hammers and presses, as they approach near the end of their upward stroke, to
close the exhaust passage, and thereby prevent any escape of air or steam
from above the piston after it has arrived at the position described. The
momentum of the rising piston and parts moved therewith continues the
motion of the piston after the exhaust has been shut off, the air or steam
between the piston and top of the cylinder is thereby compressed and forms as
it were an air cushion, which prevents the piston striking the top of the

page_text: cylinder, and which, as the piston commences its return or descending stroke,
starts the piston by its elasticity, and thus aids the air or steam in impelling
the piston downwards. This closing of the exhaust passage by the action of
the piston may be effected in various ways. I have found in practice that the
following arrangement answers very well :-At the bottom of the exhaust
passage is a valve kept open by a coiled or other spring, and on the under
side of the valve a stronger spring is fixed. The first-named spring keeps
the valve open until the piston in rising comes into contact with the lower
and stronger spring, and by compressing it causes it to close the exhaust
valve.
My improvements may also be applied to steam engines, the shutting off of
the exhaust being effected both at the top and bottom of the cylinder. In
this case the piston starts at the commencement of each stroke with greater
force than in ordinary steam engines, so that immediately the crank has
passed the dead point the crank rod is made to act upon the crank with much
more than the usual force.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Joseph Vaughan, in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
29th September 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
VAUGHAN, of the Firm of Charles, William, and Richard Vaughan and
Brothers, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manufacturers, send
.greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth year of Her
reign, did for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
-said Joseph Vaughan, Her special licence that I, the said Joseph Vaughan,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Joseph Vaughan, 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 AND ATMOSPHERIC HAMMERS AND PRESSES, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO
APPLICABLE TO STEAM ENGINES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,

page_text: the said Joseph Vaughan, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Joseph Vaughan, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the follow-
ing statement thereof, that is to say:-
My improvements consist in causing the pistons of steam and atmospheric.
hammers and presses as they approach near the end of their upward stroke,
or at any required point of their stroke, to close the exhaust passage, and
thereby prevent any escape of air or steam from above the piston after it has
arrived at the position described. The momentum of the rising piston and
parts moved therewith continues the motion of the piston after the exhaust
has been shut off; the air or steam between the piston and top of the cylinder
is thereby compressed and forms as it were an air cushion, which prevents the
piston striking the top of the cylinder, and which as the piston commences its
return or descending stroke starts the piston by its elasticity, and thus aids
the air or steam in impelling the piston downwards. This closing of the
exhaust passage by the action of the piston may be effected in various ways.
I have found in practice that the following arrangement answers very well:-
At the bottom of the exhaust passage is a valve kept open by a coiled or
other spring, and on the other side of the valve a stronger spring is fixed.
The first-named spring keeps the valve open until the piston in rising comes
in contact with the lower and stronger spring, and by compressing it causes it.
to close the exhaust passage. Or the valve by which the exhaust passage is.
closed may be carried by the piston of the hammer or press.
My improvements may also be applied to steam engines, the shutting off of
the exhaust being effected both at the top and bottom of the cylinder. In.
this case the piston starts at the commencement of each stroke with greater.
force than in ordinary steam engines, so that immediately the crank has.
passed the dead point the crank rod is made to act upon the crank with much.
more than the usual force.
Having explained the nature of my Invention I will proceed to describe
with reference to the accompanying Drawings the various ways in which the
same may be carried into effect.
Figure 1 represents in vertical section an atmospheric or steam hammer

page_text: provided with my improvements, in which hammer the air or steam is made
to act alternately on either side of the piston.
a is the cylinder of the hammer; b, the piston; c, the piston rod; and d, the
ram carried by the said piston rod; e is a valve, the stem e and piston e³ of
which work in a chamber f made in the piston and rod c. The said valve
e, e², e³, is supported upon a strong coiled spring 9, and is kept to its seat on
the said spring by a smaller spring h, one end of which small spring presses
against the closed end i of the chamber f, and the other end against the upper
side of the piston e³ of the said valve. The seat of the valve is thus made very
elastic by the pressures of the springs g, h, in opposite directions. As the
piston b approaches near the end of its upward stroke the valve e carried by
the said piston closes the exhaust passage k, and thereby prevents any further
escape of air or steam from above the said piston. The continued motion of
the piston after the exhaust passage is closed compresses the air or steam
between the piston 6 and the top of the cylinder a, and forms as it were an
air or steam cushion, which prevents the said piston 6 from striking the top of
the cylinder. On the ascent of the piston b, after the valve e has closed the
exhaust passage k, the spring g is compressed, and the spring expands, and
the valve e is pressed closely against the top of the cylinder a. On the
piston commencing its return or descending stroke, the compressed air or
steam between the piston 6 and the top of the cylinder a starts the piston by
its elasticity, and aids the air or steam in impelling the said piston downwards.
The valve e is kept to its bearing against the top of the cylinder a on the
starting of the piston, and the escape of the compressed air or steam through
the passage prevented by the expansion of the compressed spring 9, until
the stem of the said valve e has arrived in the piston rod c, at the position
represented; when the said valve now descends with the piston and opens
the passage for the air or steam to press upon the upper side of the
piston.
k
Figure 2 represents in vertical section another atmospheric or steam
hammer provided with my Invention, the ram of the said hammer being
raised by the compressed air or steam, and the said ram allowed to fall by its
own weight. Figure 3 represents an elevation of the piston, piston rod, and ram
of the said hammer separately; 1, is the cylinder; m, the piston; n, the piston
rod; and o, the ram. The piston rod n is hollow, and the exhaust passage p
is made through the said rod. The valve q, for closing the exhaust passage p,
is in this arrangement situated at the top of the cylinder 1, and works in a
chamber r in the said top, the said valve q, and the springs s, t, working in a
direction contrary to that represented in Figure 1. On the piston m making

page_text: its upward stroke the air or steam above the piston escapes by the exhaust
passage p in the hollow piston rod n; but when the said piston m has
approached near the end of its stroke it strikes against the valve q, and the
exhaust passage p is closed by the said valve, the air or steam between the
said piston and top of the cylinder being thereby compressed, and an air or
steam cushion formed which prevents the piston striking the top of the
cylinder, and on the descending stroke of the piston assists in impelling the
piston downwards as herein-before described. The action of the springs s, t,
is nearly similar to that of the springs g, h, in the arrangement represented in
Figure 1; that is, on the rising of the piston the spring s is compressed, and
the spring t expands, and the valve q is kept firmly to its bearing on the top of
the piston, and on the descent of the piston the spring s is expanded and forces
down the valve g. In place of making the exhaust passage in the piston rod
as last described the stem of the valve may be made hollow, and the exhaust
passage be made in the top of the cylinder in communication with the said
hollow stem.
This arrangement of my Invention is represented in Figure 4 of the
Drawings, where 1 is the hollow stem carrying the valve 2 at its bottom, and
3 the exhaust passage constituting the chamber in which the stem 1 works,
the sides of the said passage being perforated for the escape of the exhaust
air or steam. On the piston 4 making its upward stroke the air or steam
escapes through the hollow stem 1 to the perforated passage 3 until the
said piston strikes against the valve 2, when the said hollow stem is closed
and the further escape of air or steam is prevented, the action of the parts
being exactly similar to that of the parts in the arrangements represented in
Figure 2.
Instead of the arrangements shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3, the following
arrangements may be adopted :-In the hammer, Figure 1, the valve e, in place
of being on the top of the stem e², may be situated underneath the exhaust
passage k, and kept open by a coiled spring pressing it downwards, the other
parts remaining the same as represented. On the ascent of the piston the
stem coming in contact with the valve closes it, and the air or steam is
compressed as before described. On the return or descending motion of the
piston the stem, after the piston has descended through part of its stroke,
no longer pressing upon the valve at k, the said valve is depressed by its
spring and the exhaust passage k opened. In Figure 2 the valve 9 may be
situated on the top of the exhaust passage p, the said valve being pressed
upwards and kept open by a spring. On the rising of the piston m the
stem q comes in contact with and depresses the valve on the top of the

page_text: exhaust passage p, and on the return motion of the piston m, the rod ceases
to press down the valve on the top of the passage p, when the piston has
performed a part of its stroke, and the said valve is raised by its spring and
the exhaust passage p opened. I prefer, however, to use the arrangements
herein first described and represented in the Drawings, but I do not limit
myself to any of the details by which the rising piston is made to close the
exhaust passage.
The improvements described and represented may be applied to steam and
atmospheric hammers and presses of various constructions, and to steam
engines. When my Invention is applied to steam engines the shutting off of
the exhaust is effected both at top and bottom of the cylinder, and the piston
starts at the commencement of each stroke with greater force than in ordinary
steam engines, so that immediately the crank has passed the dead point the
crank rod is made to act upon the crank with much more than the usual
force.
Having explained the nature of my Invention, and the manner in which
the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do not limit
myself to the precise details herein described and represented, as the same
may be varied without departing from the nature of my Invention; but I
claim as my Invention the improvements in steam and atmospheric hammers
and presses herein-before described and illustrated in the accompanying
Drawings, that is to say, making the pistons of the said hammers and
presses, as they approach near the end of their upward stroke, or at any
required part of their stroke, close the exhaust passages of the said bammers
and presses, for the purposes and substantially in the manner described
and illustrated. Also, the application of the said improvements to steam
engines.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Vaughan, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
Witness,
RICHARD SKERRETT,
Clerk to George Shaw,
Birmingham.
JOSEPH VAUGHAN. (L.S.)