IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY AND APPARATUS USED FOR DRIVING AND DRAWING PILES, ALSO FOR RAISING SOIL, AND ALSO IN SHOES AND HOOPS FOR PILES
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Wymen Woodford, of No. 12, Sutherland
Street, Walworth, in the County of Surrey, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY AND APPARATUS USED FOR DRIVING AND
DRAWING PILES, ALSO FOR RAISING SOIL, AND ALSO IN SHOES AND HOOPS
FOR PILES"
Sealed the 6th March 1863, and dated the 18th September 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Wymen Woodford
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 18th September 1862.
I, JOHN WYMEN WOODFORD, of No. 12, Sutherland Street, Walworth, in
the County of Surrey, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "In.
PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY AND APPARATUS USED FOR DRIVING AND DRAWING PILES
ALSO POR RAISING SOIL, AND ALSO IN SHOES AND HOOPS FOR PILES," to be as
follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in machinery used for driving.
and drawing piles, also for raising soil, and also in shoes and hoops for piles.
In place of constructing the framing and parts of a pile-driving machine, as
heretofore, I form the uprights of a machine of two parallel side plates or
bars of wood, the lower ends of which are received into an iron shoe, to which
they are connected by a pin joint, so that they may be capable of being used.
as a jib of lifting machinery when raising soil. In addition to the upright
Price Rd1

page_text: plates or bars having the power to assume an inclined position, the iron shoc
in which their lower ends are received is formed with a hollow neck or axis
which is received into a suitable hollow tubular step or bearing in such
manner that a chain may pass through such axis and through the step or
bearing in which it turns in order that the chain may pass parily round a
pulley, and thence to a barrel or crab. The upper ends of the upright bars
are also received into an iron socket, which turns on a vertical axis or pin.
By this arrangement, the upright framing of a pile-driving machine is
rendered capable of being turned to its work without the necessity of turning
the whole of the framing. The lower part or bed of a pile-driving machine
is made triangular, and the upright bars or plates are applied to one of the
angles, there being a sill or bearer at the back and frout on which the ends
of the side framings are fixed; on this triangular frame a platform or floor
may be formed to receive the crab or winding barrel. In order to support
the upright bars or plates, two diagonal stays are used which respectively
spring from the other two angles of the triangular base or lower frame; these
diagonal stays incline towards each other, and come together at their upper
ends, where they are connected to the upper ends of the side plates or bars by
the socket and vertical axis or pin above-mentioned. The upright bars or
plates are further stayed, when desired, by moveable stay rods or bars to the
diagonal stays above mentioned. Between the upright bars or plates there is
a space in which there are other uprights, consisting of two parallel plates or
bars, which are capable of being slid up and down between the two first-
mentioned upright bars or plates, so that when desired the uprights may be
lengthened, whether when using it for ajib or otherwise. Chains and pulleys are
applied for winding up the monkey, drawing piles, and raising soil. The
uprights are retained in an inclined position by chains when being used as a
jib. In constructing a monkey it is cast hollow, but open at top to receive
weights or pieces of metal, so that it may be weighted to the desired extent;
and in order to retain the separate weights or pieces of iron introduced into
a hollow monkey from movement (when in use) a block of wood or other
suitable packing is introduced, and the same is shut or held in tightly. In
place of forming the back of a monkey as heretofore, it is cast with a web
which is received into the space between the upright bars or plates, and this
web has projections at the top and bottom extending beyond the upright bars
or plates through holes or slots, in which suitable transverse pieces are intro-
duced in order to retain the monkey from getting away, and yet allow it to
slide freely up and down the upright bars or plates. When drawing piles, a
strongly-framed lever is used, having its axis applied to the uprights of the

page_text: pile-driving machine, the lever being of considerable length beyond its axis
of motion, whilst that end of the lever which is attached to a pile extends but
a short distance from the axis of motion. The end of the lever is attached
to a pile by means of two connecting rods or links one on each side of the
pile. The upper ends of the two connecting rods are pin-jointed to the two
side plates of the framed lever. The lower ends of the two links or con-
necting rods are pin-jointed to a band which is fixed around the pile. In
place of employing the ordinary shoes for piles, I form shoes of cast-iron;
the lower part of each shoe is formed solid with inclined faces, whilst the
upper part is cast hollow to form a socket for the lower end of a pile, which
is cut to fit into the hollow socket at the upper part of the shoe, and according
as the pile is desired to draw in one or two directions when being driven the
sides of the shoe opposite the direction or directions in which the pile is
desired to draw when being driven are formed with bevils.
In some cases it is desired to use wrought-iron straps up the lower ends of
wood piles in addition to the cast-iron shoes, in which cases the inner surfaces
of the cast shoes are formed with grooves to receive the iron straps placed on
the end of a pile before introducing the end of the pile into a shoe. When
thus using wrought-iron straps, it is preferred that holes should be made
through them to correspond with the holes in the shoe, in order that the same
nails or spikes which are used to fasten the cast-iron shoe may also pass
through the wrought-iron straps. In order that the hoops used on the upper
ends of piles may not injure the wood when such hoops are being driven, I,
in place of using flat iron when forming such hoops, employ round iron bars,
or it may be half round iron, so that the inner face or surface of a hoop may
have a curved transverse section to come against the pile, by which the
hoops of piles will not only be more readily driven, but they will not injure the
wood, and such hoops will otherwise be found more serviceable in use.
When raising soil, in place of employing ordinary apparatus, I construct
and use a vessel in two parts, by preference of sheet iron rivetted together;
this vessel, when the two parts are closed together, is of a curved semicircular
section. The ends of each of the two parts are quadrants, and the plates
which form the sides and a part of the vessel are bent or formed to a curve or
circle corresponding with the outer edges of the ends. This form is.not
essential, but is preferred; it is also preferred that the ends of the vessel
should not be parallel, but that they should incline from their upper edges
slightly outwards, so that the bottom of the vessel is somewhat larger than
the top, by which acharge of soil will be readily delivered, when the two halves
of the vessel are caused to open or soparate.
An inclined arm is formed at

page_text: the inner angle of each qua trant, and the arms of each pair thus produced
at each end of the vessel cross each other, and provision is made to introduce
a pin or axis through each pair of arms, so that when the vessel is suspended
by the four arms (two at each end) the two parts or halves of which the
vessel is formed will be closed together, and form a vessel which is closed at
bottom and open at top, and the greater the weight of the load the more
tendency there will be to keep the two parts of the vessel closed together. In
addition to the four arms above-mentioned, by which the vessel is lifted,
there is an eye or lug fixed or formed at the outer edge or each part or half
of the vessel to which chains are fixed, and by which the vessel is upheld
when it is desired to cause the two parts of the vessel to separate at the
bottom. The raising chains attached to the arms are lowered when the
vessel is upheld by the other chains attached to the sides of the vessel.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Wymen Woodford in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 18th March 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I. JOHN
WYMEN WOODFORD, of No. 12, Sutherland Street, Walworth, in the County
of Surrey, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said John Wymen Woodford, Her special licence that I, the said John
Wymen Woodford, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said John Wymen Woodford, iny 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 MACHINERY AND APPARATUS USED FOR DRIVING AND DRAWING
PILES, ALSO FOR RAISING SOIL, AND ALSO IN SHOES AND HOOPS FOR PILES," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Wymen Woodford,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and

page_text: 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 1, the said John Wymen Woodford, 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 following statement thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in machinery used for
driving and drawing piles, also for raising soil, and also in shoes and hoops for
piles. In place of constructing the framing and parts of a pile-driving
machine as heretofore, I form the uprights of a machine of two parallel side
plates or bars of wood, the lower ends of which are received into an iron shoe,
to which they are connected by a pin joint, so that they may be capable of
being used as a jib of lifting machinery when raising soil. In addition to the
upright plates or bars having the power to assume an inclined position, the
iron shoe in which their lower ends are received is formed with a hollow neck
or axis, which is received into a suitable hollow tubular step or bearing in
such marner that a chain may pass through such axis,and through the step
or bearing in which it turns, in order that the chain may pass partly round a
pulley, and thence to a barrel or crab. The upper ends of the upright bars
are also received into an iron socket, which turns on a vertical axis or pin
By this arrangement the upright framing ofa pile-driving machine is rendered
capable of being turned to its work without the necessity of turning the whole
of the framing. The lower part or bed of a pile-driving machine is made
triangular, and the upright bars or plates are applied to one of the angles,
there being a sill or bearer at the back and front, on which the ends of the
side framings are fixed. On this triangular frame a platform or floor may be
formed to receive the crab or winding barrel. In order to support the upright
bars or plates two diagonal stays are used, which respectively spring from the
other two angles of the triangular base or lower frame, these diagonal stays
incline towards each other, and come together at their upper ends,where they
are connected to the upper ends of the side plates or bars by the socket and
vertical axis or pin above mentioned. The upright bars or plates are further
stayed when desired by moveable stay rods or bars to the diagonal stays above
mentioned. Between the upright bars or plates there is a space in which
there are other uprights consisting of two parallel plates or bars, which are
capable of being slid up and down between the two first-mentioned upright
bars or plates, so that when desired the uprights may be lengthened whether

page_text: when using it for a jib or otherwise, chains and pulleys are applied for winding
up the monkey, drawing piles, and raising soil. The nprights are retained in
an inclined position by chains when being used as a jib. In constructing a
monkey it is cast hollow, but open at top to receive weights or pieces of metal,
so that it may be weighted to the desired extent, and in order to retain the
separate weights or pieces of iron introduced into a hollow monkey from
movement (when in use), a block of wood or other suitable packing is intro-
duced, and the same is shut or held in tightly. In place of forming the back
of a monkey as heretofore, it is cast with a web, which is received into
the space between the upright bars or plates, and this web has projections
at the top and bottom extending beyond the upright bars or plates, through
holes or slots, in which suitable transverse pieces are introduced in order
to retain the monkey from getting away, and yet allow it to slide freely
up and down the upright bars or plates. When drawing piles, a strongly
framed lever is used, having its axis applied to the uprights of the pile-driving
machine, the lever being of considerable length beyond its axis of motion,
whilst that end of the lever which is attached to a pile extends but a short
distance from the axis of motion. The end of the lever is attached to a pile
by means of two connecting rods or links, one on each side of the pile. The
upper ends of the two connecting rods are pin jointed to the two side plates of
the framed lever. The lower ends of the two links or connecting rods are pin
jointed to a band which is fixed around the pile. In place of employing the
ordinary shoes for piles, I form shoes of cast iron. The lower part of each
shoe is formed solid with inclined faces, whilst the upper part is cast hollow
to form a socket for the lower end of a pile, which is cut to fit into the
hollow socket at the upper part of the shoe, and according as the pile is
desired to draw in one or two directions, when being driven, the sides of
the shoe opposite the direction or directions in which the pile is desired to
draw when being driven are formed with bevels.
In some cases it is desired to use wrought-iron straps up the lower ends of
wood piles in addition to the cast-iron shoes, in which cases the inner surfaces
of the cast shoes are formed with grooves to receive the iron straps placed on
the end of a pile before introducing the end of the pile into a shoe. When
thus using wrought-iron straps, it is preferred that holes should be made
through them to correspond with the holes in the shoe, in order that the same
nails or spikes which are used to fasten the cast-iron shoe, may also pass
through the wrought-iron straps. In order that the hoops used on the upper
ends of piles may not injure the wood when such hoops are being driven, I in
place of using flat iron when forming such hoops, employ round iron bars, or

page_text: it may be half round iron, so that the inner face or surface of a hoop may
have a curved transverse section to come against the pile, by which the
hoops of piles will not only be more readily driven, but they will not injure
the wood, and such hoops will otherwise be found more serviceable in use.
When raising soil, in place of employing ordinary apparatus, I construct
and use a vessel in two parts, by preference of sheet iron rivetted together;
this vessel when the two parts are closed together is of a curved semicircular
section. The ends of each of the two parts are quadrants, and the plates which
form the sides and under part of the vessel are bent or formed to a curve or
circle corresponding with the outer edges of the ends. This form is not
essential, but is preferred, it is also preferred that the ends of the vessel
should not be parallel, but that they should incline from their upper edges
slightly outwards, so that the bottom of the vessel is somewhat larger than the
top, by which a charge of soil will be readily delivered, when the two halves
of the vessel are caused to open or separato. An inclined arm is formed at
the inner angle of each quadrant, and the arms of each pair thus produced at
each end of the vessel cross each other, and provision is made to introduce a
pin or axis through each pair of arms, so that when the vessel is suspended
by the four arms (two at each end), the two parts or halves of which the
vessel is formed will be closed together, and form a vessel, which is closed at
bottom, and open at top, and the greater the weight of the load the more
tendency there will be to keep the two parts of the vessel closed together. Iu
addition to the four arms above mentioned by which the vessel is lifted, there
is an eye or lug fixed or formed at the outer edge of each part or half of
the vessel to which chains are fixed, and by which the vessel is upheld
when it is desired to cause the two parts of the vessel to separate at the .
bottom. The raising chains attached to the arms are lowered when the
vessel is upheld by the other chains attached to the sides of the vessel.
Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed more
fully to describe the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shews a side elevation, Figure 2 a plan, aud Figure 3 a front
elevation of machinery used for driving and drawing piles, and raising soil.
a, a, is the upright, formed of two plates or bars of wood,. the lower ends of
which are received into an iron shoe b, to which the ends are connected by pin
joints. The iron shoe is formed with a hollow neck or axis 6*, which is
received into a hollow tubular step 62, through which the chain from the crab
passes. The upper ends of the bars a, a, are received into an iron socket c,

page_text: which turns on a pin or axis c' connected to the diagonal strut or framing d,d,
hence the uprights a, a, can be turned to their work without turning the
framing. a, a', is the framed base or stand of the machine, on which a
suitable floor may be constructed for receiving the crab, as is shewn by
dotted lines in Figure 1. Between the two upright bars a, a, are two
parallel upright bars b', 6', which are arranged to slide between the bars a,
by which the height of the upright bars inay be increased when desired,
whether when using the parts 6, 6, as a jib, or as a continuation of the
bars a, and this will readily be understood by reference to Figure 1, where
the parts are shewn in different positions by dotted lines.
In constructing a monkey for a pile-driving machine it is cast hollow, as is
shown in Figures 4 and 5, which respectively represent a side and a front
elevation of a monkey, which is open at top, to admit of pieces of metal being
introduced, in order from time to time to weight the monkey to the desired
extent, then a block of wood is introduced, aud made fast above the metal
weights. At the back of the monkey is formed a web, which is received and
slides between the two uprights or bars b', b, and the monkey is retained'in
position by transverse pieces passed through the slots or openings formed in
the projections on the web at the back of the monkey. In Figure 1 the
monkey is shewn in its place. In order to draw piles, a lever such as is
shewn by dotted lines in Figure 1 is employed, the axis of which is received
into suitable bearings formed in the uprights a, a, b, b. The shorter end of
the lever is to be provided with hooks or catches, suitable to take into the
holes in the perforated bars which are fixed at the two sides of the pile near
its upper end. The lower ends of the perforated bars are fixed to the pile by
a strap or band, as is shewn in Figure 1, hence when the longer arm of the
lever is drawn upon by tackle attached thereto, and which may be put into
communication with and worked by the crab, the pile will be raised a distance,
when the hooks or catches at the shorter end of the lever will be required
to be moved into holes further down, and so on till the pile is raised.
Figures 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11, shew the construction and application of
cast-iron shoes to piles in place of the ordinary wrought-iron shoes heretofore
used. The lower parts of these shoes are cast solid, and to the form desired,
whilst the upper parts are cast hollow, to form sockets for the reception of the
ends of the piles when wrought-iron straps are used in combination with cast-
iron shoes, as is shewn in Figures 7 and 10, then the upper parts of the shoes
are cast with grooves to receive such straps. In place ofusing flat wrought-iron
bars in making rings, I employ round, or half round iron, or iron with a curved
section where it comes next the piles, as is indicated at Figures 6 and 9, which

page_text: will not only be found to drive better, and with less injury to the wood, but
will be also found to be more lasting.
Figures 1, 12, 13, and 14, shew apparatus for raising soil, which consists
of a vessel formed of wrought iron in two parts, which are connected
together by an axis a passing through inclined arms b, b, on each of the
two halves of the vessel. The Drawings shew the form of vessel preferred,
the shape, however, may to some extent be varied; c, c, are chains by which
the two halves are caused to open, unless the weight of the vessel and the
soil contained therein come on to such chains. The vessel is lifted by means
of the arms b by a suitable chain and links d, d.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that what I claim is,―
First, the combined arrangement shewn and described in respect to
Figures 1, 2, and 3, of the Drawings for driving and drawing piles.
Secondly, I claim the mode of constructing monkeys for driving piles,
as herein described.
Thirdly, I claim the construction for and application of shoes of cast iron
to piles, as herein described. _.
And, fourthly, I claim the apparatus herein described for raising soil.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Wymen Woodford, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of March, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.