AN IMPROVED STONE CRUSHER
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Hyde and John Hyde, of Seend, near
Melksham, in the County of Wilts, Engineers, for the Invention
of "AN IMPROVED STONE CRUSHER."
Sealed the 5th May 1874, and dated the 8th November 1873.
PPROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Hyde and
John Hyde at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 8th November 1873.
We, JOSEPH HYDE and JOHN HYDE, of Seend, near Melksham, in
the County of Wilts, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "AN IMPROVED STONE CRUSHER," to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is the construction of a machine for
crushing stone and breaking ore of a more simple nature than those
machines now generally employed for these purposes, and which shall
be at the same time as effective in its operation.
Our improved machine consists substantially of two upright levers
or jaw bones, in the lower ends of which is fitted a gudgeon, each ends
of which work in a slot cast in a bed plate. Upon the inside of the

page_text: lower parts of the said levers are cast a series of V shaped ribs or
grooves, running parallel with each other or standing in a vertical
direction, and being wider at those parts of the levers where the said
ribs or grooves begin than at their lower extremities, decreasing, that
is, from their upper to their lower parts.
The stone or ore required to be crushed or broken is fed by suitable
means between the said jaws, which are actuated by a steam engine
and piston fixed or attached to the upper ends thereof; the rod passing
to the opposite jaw or lever, and the stalk or rod of the slide valve
being similarly connected; so that when steam is put on the said jaws
or levers are worked backwards and forwards, one by the piston and
the other by the cylinder, and the two jaws or levers working in
opposite directions, the required movement is given to the slide valve,
and the stone or ore within the said jaws or levers is crushed at the
lower extremity thereof to a proper degree of fineness; the size of the
fragments being regulated by a screw wedge provided in the slot of
the bed plate.
As a modification of our Invention, and by means of some alteration
of mechanical details easily understood, one of the said jaws or levers
may if required be caused to be fixed or remain stationary, and thus
one only of the said jaws or levers be moveable.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Joseph Hyde and John Hyde in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 6th May 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOSEPH
HYDE and JOHN HYDE, of Seend, near Melksham, in the County of
Wilts, Engineers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of November, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the
thirty-seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto us, the said Joseph Hyde and John
Hyde, Her special licence that we, the said Joseph Hyde and John

page_text: Hyde, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we,
the said Joseph Hyde and John Hyde, our 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 "AN IMPROVED STONE CRUSHER," upon
the condition (amongst others) that we, the said Joseph Hyde and
John Hyde, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under our, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Joseph Hyde and John Hyde, do
hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement (that is to say) :—
The object of this Invention is the construction of a machine for
crushing stone and breaking ore of a more simple nature than those
machines now generally employed for these purposes, and which shall
be at the same time as effective in its operation.
Our improved machine consists substantially of two upright levers
or jawbones, in the lower end of which is fitted a gudgeon, each end
of which works in a slot cast in a bed plate. Upon the inside of the
lower parts of the said levers are cast a series of V shaped ribs or
grooves, running parallel with each other or standing in a vertical
direction, and being wider at those parts of the levers where the said
ribs or grooves begin than at their lower extremities, decreasing, that
is, from their upper to their lower parts.
The stone or ore to be crushed or broken is fed by suitable means
between the said jaws, which are actuated by a steam engine and piston
fixed or attached to the upper ends thereof, the rod passing to the
opposite jaw or lever, and the stalk or rod of the slide valve being
similarly connected; so that when steam is put on the said jaws or
levers are worked backwards and forwards, one by the piston and the

page_text: other by the cylinder, and the two jaws or levers working in opposite
directions, the required movement is given to the slide valve, and the
stone or ore within the said jaws or levers is crushed at the lower
extremity thereof to a proper degree of fineness; the size of the
fragments being regulated by a screw wedge provided in the slot of the
bed plate.
As a modification of our Invention, and by means of some alteration
of mechanical details easily understood, one of the said jaws or levers
may if required be caused to be fixed or remain stationary, and thus
one only of the said jaws or levers be movable.
That our Invention may be better understood we have annexed
Drawings thereof, which we now proceed to describe.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation, and Fig. 2 an end elevation of a machine
constructed according to our Invention for breaking stone or ore.
manner :-
a, b, are two heavy levers, hinged at c, d, to the two side frames e, f.
Each lever has secured to it or cast upon it a projection or jaw g, the
working face of which is grooved vertically in the usual manner for
the purpose of cracking the stone or ore. The two projecting jaws g
are arranged so as to be wider apart at the top than at the bottom,
as shewn. They thus form a kind of hopper to receive the stone or
ore, the two side frames e, f, preventing the escape of the stone or ore
at either side of the machine. A wedge h serves to regulate the
distance between the jaws g, so as to determine the size of the broken
stone or ore. Motion is given to the levers a, b, in the following
- To the upper end of the lever a a steam cylinder p is
attached by means of trunnions i, i, working in suitable bearings k, k.
The piston rod is attached to the upper end of the lever 6 by means
of an ordinary cap and brasses, or other equivalent means. Steam is
supplied through one trunnion, as at m, and after having done its
work is let away through the other trunnion, as at n. A slide valve
at o admits the steam to alternate sides of the piston in the cylinder p,
whereby the two levers a, b, are alternately drawn together and forced
assunder. A rods from the lever 6 communicates with the slide valve o
by means of a levert and slide rod u. When it is desired to work one
lever only, say the lever b, the other lever a remaining stationary, we
insert a strong bolt N through holes in the side frames e, f, and lever a,

page_text: thereby securing the lever a to the side frames e, f. The lever 6 then
receives all the motion.
Having now described the nature of our Invention and the manner of
carrying the same into effect, we desire it to be understood that we do
not limit ourself to the precise details herein-before described and
illustrated in the accompanying Drawings, as the same may be varied
without departing from the nature of our said Invention; but what
we do claim is, actuating the jaws or levers of machines for breaking
or crushing stone or ore by means of a steam cylinder and piston
directly attached to the said levers, without the intervention of cranks,
shafts, driving belts, spur or fly wheels, such as are ordinarily employed
for the purpose, substantially as herein-before described, and as
illustrated in the Drawings hereunto annexed.
In witness whereof, we, the said Joseph Hyde and John Hyde, have
hereunto set our hands and seals, this Second day of May, in
the year of our Lord 1874.
Witness,
G. R. HOLLAND.
JOSEPH HYDE. (L.S.)
JOHN HYDE.
(L.S.)