An Improved Method of Operating and Improvements in Gas or Petroleum Hammers, Gas Pumps, Gas Punching, Rivetting, or Cutting Machines, in part applicable to Gas or Petroleum Engines.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 18th July, 1892
Complete Specification Left, 18th May, 1893-Accepted, 18th Aug., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Method of Operating and Improvements in Gas or
Petroleum Hammers, Gas Pumps, Gas Punching, Rivetting, or
Cutting Machines, in part applicable to Gas or Petroleum Engines.
I, DUGALD CLERK, of Driffold Villa, Manor Hill, Sutton Coldfield, in the
County of Warwick, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
My invention relates to an improved method of operating gas hammers and the
like and mechanical devices for carrying out the said improved method in its
application to gas hammers, gas pumps, gas punching and cutting machines, gas
riveting and like machines. The invention is also applicable to gas engines.
Part of my invention consists in a method of compressing a mixture of gas or
inflammable vapour and air from atmosphere or other low pressure to a higher
pressure without the aid of a pump by means of the ignition or explosion of a
part of the combustible mixture, and applying the said compressed mixture to a
hammer, pump, or engine cylinder to be ignited to actuate the said hammer, pump,
engine or like arrangement. The first part of the mixture which is ignited expands
and compresses the mixture which remains unignited into a chamber through a
check valve into a combustion chamber where it is ignited, or from a first chamber
into a second chamber through a check valve and from the second chamber through
When
a check valve to a third chamber which may be the combustion chamber.
multiple chambers are so used the ignition spreads from one chamber to the next
in series or the chambers are ignited in series so that a stage compression is caused
and a higher compression pressure is attained in the motor combustion chamber
than would otherwise be the case.
The object of the invention is to obtain the practical advantages of an explosion
of compressed gaseous mixture in direct acting cylinders or in gas engines while
avoiding the use of compressing pumps.
In carrying the invention into effect as applied to gas hammers, I arrange a
hammer with piston and cylinder like a steam hammer but having a combustion or
explosion space above the piston, and a check valve opening into the said
combustion space from a charging cylinder. The charging cylinder contains a
piston operated by hand lever or by connection with the hammer. The movement
of the said piston draws in a charge of gas and air, which charge at a certain part
of the stroke is ignited at a point distant from the check valve leading to the
combustion space.
The progress of the flame forces part of the unignited mixture
into the combustion space and ultimately the flame passes the check valve and
ignites the compressed mixture in the combustion chamber and produces a high
pressure explosion which explosion operates the hammer and causes it to deliver
a blow.
The charging piston may be furnished with a piston rod passing through a
cylinder cover, or it may work in an open ended cylinder and be actuated by a
crank link, toggle links or crank and links so that when the charge is drawn in the
"dead centre and
piston thrust due to the primary explosion is taken up on a
little or no strain is carried to the hand lever or other connection operating the
said charging piston.
د"
When the hammer completes its stroke a valve is opened which allows the
cylinders to exhaust and the valve is preferably held open till the charging piston
rises discharging its contents through the check valve or otherwise.
Gaseous pressure is preferably utilized to raise the hammer from the anvil and

page_text: +
such pressure may be accumulated in a reservoir by means of a blow off valve from
the cylinder, and caused to act constantly under the hammer piston to raise the
hammer after the blow. The rate of rise may be regulated by throttling the
exhaust or the inlet from the reservoir, but freedom of passage is provided to
the reservoir when the hammer is on its downward stroke.
In carrying the invention into effect as applied to a direct acting pump operated
by gas, I arrange a double acting motor cylinder with combustion space at each
end, and connect the piston by a piston rod direct to the pump piston, while I
arrange the charging cylinder and check valve as hereinbefore described with
reference to the gas hammer, but I preferably make the charging cylinder double
acting so as to actuate the pump'on both strokes. I may arrange a single acting
pump actuated by explosion of compressed gases in one direction and brought back
by compressed gases as in the case of the hammer, but I prefer a double acting
pump. I may use a tumbling link or crank to move the charging piston to two
extreme positions actuated by the movement of the pump for a part of the stroke:
and by a weight or spring for the remainder or I may connect the charging piston
direct to the motor piston and ignite at each end of the stroke discharging through
the check valve as described.
Lift or other valves may be applied for exhaust and gas and air inlet operations.
In the gas hammer and pump as hereinbefore described the charging piston .may
move with the power piston if desired.
In applying my invention to gas punching, cutting and riveting machines, .I
adopt the same arrangements of charging and motor pistons as described with
reference to my gas hammer and gas pump, and compress and ignite the mixture in
the same manner, but I control and utilize my motive power by means of a'
hydraulic ram, which ram or piston is connected to the punch, cutting knives, or
riveter and is forced to its work by hydraulic pressure. The hydraulic pressure is
generated by the stroke of the gas power piston under the influence of a high
pressure explosion, and the said power piston actuates a long stroke small diameter
plunger which acts on the large area but short stroke ram and raises the pressure
sufficiently to do the work of punching, shearing or riveting. The ram or piston
may be withdrawn by pressure on a reduced area and this pressure may be
maintained by a small spring compressed accumulator piston.
.
I withdraw my power piston and plunger by compressed air or other device, and
may withdraw the ram in the same manner. Ignition is accomplished in any known
manner.
gas
In applying my invention to gas engines I dispense with the usual means of
compressing the charge and compress without punip by the explosion of a part of
the charge, and I construct a compression engine to give an impulse at every
revolution in the following manner-1 enclose the front end of the cylinder and
connect the piston to the crank by piston and connecting rods, the back end of the
cylinder I arrange as a combustion chamber with a check valve leading into it
from a low pressure chamber. The piston on its back stroke takes in a charge of
and air partly into the combustion space and partly into a chamber connected with
it and into the front side of the cylinder itself. At full back stroke or nearly so
the charge is ignited and partly compressed by the explosion into the combustion
space when the compressed mixture is fired by ignition tube or other igniter
connected to the combustion space or by flame passing through the check valve
after compressing the mixture. A compression explosion is thus obtained and the
piston is propelled on its forward stroke. On the back stroke the exhaust valve is
opened and the exhaust gases discharged till the end of the stroke is nearly reached.
The compression space is then partly charged with combustible mixture or with
air and then gas and the explosion in the low pressure chamber and front end of
the cylinder is caused to compress the mixture to be fired under compression. The
explosion is caused to pass through multiple chambers when higher compressions
are desired as hereinbefore described and suitable check valves are applied to these

page_text: chambers to increase the compression step by step. The contents of one or more
of such chambers may be expanded by the engine piston to add to the power.
Dated this 16th day of July 1892.
MARKS & CLERK,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Method of Operating and Improvements in Gas or
Petroleum Hammers, Gas Pumps, Gas Punching, Rivetting, or
Cutting Machines, in part applicable to Gas or Petroleum Engines..
I, DUGALD CLERK, of Driffold Villa, Manor Hill, Sutton Coldfield, in the
County of Warwick, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My invention relates to an improved method of operating gas hammers and the
like and mechanical devices for carrying out the said improved method in its
application to gas hammers, gas pumps, gas punching and cutting machines, gas
riveting and like machines.
The invention is also applicable to gas engines.
Part of my invention consists in a method of compressing a mixture of gas or
inflammable vapour and air from atmosphere or other low pressure, to a higher
pressure without the aid of a pump, by means of the ignition or explosion of a part
of the combustible mixture, as described in Specification No. 18788 of 1891 of a
Patent already granted to me; and applying the said compressed mixture to a
hammer, pump, or engine cylinder, to be ignited to actuate the said hammer, pump,
engine or like arrangement. The first part of the mixture which is ignited expands
and compresses the mixture which remains unignited into a chamber through a
check valve, into a combustion chamber where it is ignited; or from a first chamber
into a second chamber through a check valve, and from the second chamber
through a check valve to a third chamber which may be the combustion
chamber. When multiple chambers are so used the ignition spreads from
one chamber to the next in series, or the chambers are ignited in series so that a
stage compression is caused, and a higher compression pressure is attained in the
motor combustion chamber than would otherwise be the case.
The object of the invention is to obtain the practical advantages of an explosion
of compressed gaseous mixture in direct acting cylinders or in gas engines, while
avoiding the use of compressing pumps.
Referring to the accompanying sheets of drawings:-
Figure is a front elevation part in section of a gas hammer according to my
invention.
1
Figure 2 is a diagrammatic side elevation showing the operation of the linkage
used to actuate the hammer shown in Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a front elevation part in section of a modification of haminer in which
a separate charging piston is used. Figure 4 is a side elevation, part section,
looking upon the exhaust valve side of the hammer the section being taken through
the linea (Figure 3). It shows the gas and air cylinder and controlling lever.
Figure 5 is a side elevation also looking upon the exhaust valve, showing a mode
of operating the said exhaust valve.
Figure 6 is a side elevation part section of Figure 3 on the line cd, through the
compressing chamber.
Figure 7 is a sectional plan of a pump constructed according to my invention.
Figure 8 is a sectional elevation corresponding to Figure 7.
Figure 9 is a sectional side elevation of an hydraulic rivetter according to my
invention.

page_text: Figure 10 is a sectional elevation of the application of my invention to a gas.
engine..
In carrying the invention into effect as applied to gas hammers, I arrange a
hammer (Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6) with piston A, and cylinder B like a steam
hammer, but having a combustion or explosion space C above the piston, and a
check valve D³ opening into the said combustion space from a charging cylinder D
(Figures 1 and 2). The charging cylinder D contains a piston D' operated by
hand lever D10 or by connection with the hammer. The movement of the said
piston D' draws in a charge of gas and air, which charge at a certain part of the
stroke is ignited at a point distant from the check valve D³ leading to the com-
bustion space C. The progress of the flame forces part of the unignited mixture
into the combustion space and ultimately the flame passes the check valve D³ and
ignites the compressed mixture in the combustion space C and produces a high
pressure explosion, which explosion operates the hammer and causes it to deliver a
blow.
The charging piston D' may be furnished with a piston rod D' passing through
a cylinder cover, or it may work in an open ended cylinder and be actuated by a
crank link as De, toggle links as D8 D or crank and links, so that when the charge
is drawn in, the piston thrust due to the primary explosion is taken up on a
"dead
centre," and little or no strain is carried to the hand lever D, or other connection
operating the said charging piston. When the hammer completes its stroke a
valve F is opened which allows the cylinders to exhaust, and the valve is preferably
held open till the charging piston Di rises, discharging its contents through the
check valve D or otherwise.
Gaseous pressure is preferably utilized to raise the hammer from the anvil and
such pressure may be accumulated in a reservoir as O (Figure 6), by means of a
blow off valve as K' from the cylinder D, and caused to act constantly under the
hammer piston to raise the hammer after the blow. The rate of rise may be
regulated by throttling the exhaust or the inlet from the reservoir, but freedom of
passage is provided to the reservoir when the hammer is on its downward stroke.
The passage K leads to the check valve K' and the port O³ connects to the pressure
reservoir by a pipe as O2.
I prefer to utilize both sides of the piston D' in operating the hammer and the
action is as follows:-When the hand lever D10 is moved to raise the piston D¹,
the exhaust valve F is held open by the lever F¹ operated by the cam F³, on the
lever spindle and the contents of the cylinder D are discharged through the
valve D³. Gas and air meantime flow by the valve D into the cylinder D under
the piston D. The piston D' has a valve D' kept to its seat by a spring, and on
the return stroke of D', the valve E is held open by any convenient connection.
The mixed gases under the piston D' flow by the pipe E to E' then through the
said valve E into the combustion space C filling it with mixture. At a certain
point the valve E2 is closed or the valve F, or both, and then the gases lift the
valve D and pass to the upper side of the piston; till that point the upper end of
the cylinder D has been filling with mixture from the valve D. Cylinder D and
combustion space C are thus filled with combustible mixture and when the piston D'
gets to the bottom of the stroke, the mixture impinges on the heated tube or
bulb D by aid of the diaphragm shown, and ignition occurs producing a high
pressure explosion as described.
:-The
Figures 3, 4 and 5 illustrate a modification of the hereinbefore described gas
hammer in which modification the charging cylinder is separated from the low
pressure combustion chamber. The arrangement and action are as follows:-
low pressure combustion chamber I, connects to the cylinder combustion space C
by way of the check valve D³, and a suitable port; and at the lower end has an air
inlet valve H which is also the outlet from the pump, and an air inlet valve H²
supplies the pump. An air pump piston G working in a cylinder G has a gas
plunger H also working in a cylinder. Both gas and air pistons thus move
together. When the lever L arranged with the weight L' to balance the piston is

page_text: moved to cause the piston to move down, air is drawn in above the air piston G
and gas above the gas plunger H. The hammer is meantime sustained in its upper
position by gaseous pressure from the reservoir O, acting through O' under A, as
hereinbefore described. When the lever L is forced down and the pistons G and H
are raised, air flows by the valve H³ into the chamber I and inflammable gas-
passes through the valves H', and a suitable pipe to the aperture I' when it mixes
with the entering air. Meantime the exhaust valve F is held open. Gas and air
thus fills the chamber I, is then displaced and also passes into the combustion
space C.
When the pistons G and H reach the top of their stroke the exhaust
valve F is closed and the mixture in I is fired by any convenient known igniting
device. The flame then travels through I and compresses a part of its contents.
into the space C, and then produces a high pressure explosion and causes the
hammer to strike its blow.
By varying the stroke of the pistons G H the power of the blow may be
regulated from a very light to a very heavy blow; or a lever M carrying a cam
may be attached to L and the position of the lever on L may be varied to cause the
cam to hold up the linkage M1 M², and with it the inlet gas valve so as to return gas.
to the mains instead of injecting it into the chamber I. When the cam allows the
valve to fall then gas is injected, but not till then. The force of the blow is thus
varied and a constant or nearly constant strength of mixture maintained near the
igniter. The upward range of the hammer is limited by air buffer or other
buffering or checking device.
Figure 5 is a side view of the exhaust valve F showing a link N2 operated by a
lever N' on the shaft or spindle N of the hand lever L. The link N' operates the
exhaust valve a slot at the upper end allowing the spring on the valve to close it
when the pistons G and H are fully or nearly fully up.
In carrying the invention into effect as applied to a direct acting pump (Figures 7
and 8) operated by gas, I arrange a double acting motor cylinder P with combustion.
space at each end, and connect the piston by a piston rod P direct to the pump
piston O; while I arrange the charging cylinder or chamber I 12, and check valve
as hereinbefore described with reference to the gas hammer, but I preferably make
the charging cylinder R double acting, with piston R' for air, and pistons R³ R³ in
cylinders R and R for charging the chambers II' with combustible mixture, so as to
actuate the pump on both strokes. I may arrange a single acting pump actuated
by explosion of compressed gases in one direction and brought back by compressed
gases as in the case of the hammer, but I prefer a double acting pump.
may use.
a tumbling link or crank to move the charging piston to two extreme positions.
actuated by the movement of the pump for a part of the stroke and by a weight or
spring for the remainder, or I may connect the charging piston direct to the motor
piston and ignite at each end of the stroke discharging through the check valve as
described.
Lift or other valves may be applied for exhaust and gas and air inlet operations.
The lever S is shown arranged to operate the piston R¹ R³ R' by the spring S
and link S on the rod P². The link S³ moves the lever S a part of its stroke, and
then the spring pin working in a slot S¹ in the lever S suddenly slides to the end of
the slot and causes the completion of the charging piston movement.
In the gas hammer and pump as herein before described the charging piston may
move with the power piston if desired.
In applying my invention to gas punching, cutting, and riveting machines
(Figure 9) I adopt the same arrangement of charging and inotor pistons as described
with reference to my gas hammer and gas pump, and compress and ignite the
mixture in the same manner, but I control and utilize my motive power by means
of a hydraulic ram as T³, which ram or piston is connected to the punch, cutting
knives, or riveter as T', and is forced to its work by hydraulic pressure. The
hydraulic pressure is generated by the stroke of the gas power piston A. under the
influence of a high pressure explosion, and the said power piston actuates a long

page_text: stroke small diameter plunger To which acts on the large area but short stroke:
ram Ts and raises the pressure sufficiently to do the work of punching, shearing or
riyeting. The ram or piston T3 may be withdrawn by pressure on a reduced area
and this pressure may be maintained by a small spring compressed accumulator
piston.
I withdraw my power piston A and plunger T by compressed air or other device,
and may withdraw the ram T³ in the same manner.
Ignition is accomplished in any known manner.
In applying any invention to gas engines I dispense with the usual means of
compressing the charge and compress without pump by the explosion of a part of.
the charge, and I construct a compression engine to give an impulse at every
revolution in the following manner :-I enclose the front end of the cylinder Ù
Fig. 10 and connect the piston A to the crank by piston and connecting rods
respectively W and X, the back end of the cylinder I arrange as a combustion
chamber C with a check valve D3 leading into it from a low pressure chamber U.
The piston A on its back stroke takes in a charge of gas and air partly
into the low pressure chamber U₁ connected with the front side of the cylinder
and into the front side U of the cylinder itself. At full back stroke or nearly
so the charge is ignited by any known igniter such as a suction flame igniter V
and flame and partly compressed by the explosion from the front side of
the cylinder by way of the low pressure chamber into the combustion space C
when the compressed mixture is fired by ignition tube or other igniter connected
to the combustion space C or by flame passing through the check valve D³
after compressing the mixture. A compression explosion is thus obtained
and the piston A is propelled on its forward stroke. On the back stroke the
exhaust valve is opened and the exhaust gases discharged till the end of the stroke
is nearly reached. The exhaust valve is not shown in the drawing Fig. 10. The
compression space C may then be partly charged by a separate pump if desired
with combustible mixture or with air and then gas and the explosion in the low
pressure chamber U₁ and front end U of the cylinder is caused to compress the
mixture to be fired under compression. The explosion is caused to pass through
multiple chambers; when higher compressions are desired as hereinbefore described,
and suitable check valves are applied to these chambers to increase the compression
step by step. The contents of one or more of such chambers may be expanded by
the engine piston to add to the power.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A gas hammer, gas pump, gas riveting, cutting, punching or like machine or
a gas engine in which combustible mixture is compressed into the operating or
power cylinder there to be ignited to produce a high pressure explosion, the compres-
sion and sometimes the ignition being accomplished by a low pressure explosion
substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. A gas hammer operated as described in the preceding claim, having a charging
piston moving in the low pressure chamber and suitable supply and discharge valves
together with a reservoir charged with gases compressed by the low pressure
explosion to raise the hammer, substantially as herein before described.
3. A gas hammer operated as described in Claim 1 having gas and air charging
piston or pistons and a separate low pressure explosion chamber into which the
charge is passed, together with suitable valves and controlling levers, and means of
raising the hammer, substantially as herein before described.
4. The gas hammers arranged as hereinbefore described with reference to
Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 of the drawings.
5. The gas pump arranged as herein before described with reference to Figures 7
and 8 of the drawings.

page_text: 6. The gas riveting machine arranged as hereinbefore described with reference
to Figure 9 of the drawings.
Dated this 17th day of May 1893.
MARKS & CLERK,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents for the Applicant.