IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF AND IE APPARATUS OR MECHANISH FOR DRIVING PILES
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Woodcroft Hammond, of 43, Princess
Street, in the City of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF AND
IE APPARATUS OR MECHANISH FOR DRIVING PILES."-A communication
from abroad by Philip Syng Justice, of the City and County of
Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania, United States of
America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Woodcroft
Hammond at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 19th January 1869.
I, HENRY WOODCROFT HAMMOND, of 43, Princess Street, in the City
5 of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF AND
IN APPARATUS OR MECHANISH FOR DRIVING PILES," a communication from

page_text: abroad by Philip Syng Justice, of the City and County of Philadelphia,
in the State of Pennsylvania, United States of America, to be as
follows:-
The object of the Invention is to drive piles more rapidly, forcibly,
and economically than has been done by means hitherto used, and the u
Invention consists in applying the force of gunpowder or other explosive
materials to act between a cap or cylinder upon the pile to be driven,
and a ram or hammer arranged in suitable guides so as to force the pile
downwards and the hammer upwards, the hammer being arrested and
held at its greatest elevation until the next blow is required, being then 1
allowed to fall, and by its fall to drive the pile and explode the charge
placed in the cylinder, which still further forces down the pile and at
the same time lifts the hammer for the next blow.
The apparatus or mechanism employed consists of a vertical tube or
column upon a suitable base, the tube having a longitudinal slot in it I
from top to bottom to form guides for the hammer and cylinder. The
cylinder has a recess in its under side to fit the head of the pile upon
which it rests, and in the upper side of the cylinder a hole or cavity is
formed to receive the charge of explosive material and fulminating
powder. The hammer has a rod or plunger formed on it with a nipple 2
upon its end, which is so arranged that when it falls it will enter the hole
in the end of the cylinder and explode the charge. There is a toothed
rack secured to the side of the tube, and upon the hammer a pawl is
jointed so that it will enter the teeth of the rack on the ascent of the
hammer and prevent its descent until required. The pawl is pressed
towards the teeth of the rack by a spring which acts to catch upon the
pawl, and hold and prevent it from entering the teeth of the rack during
the descent of the hammer, the momentum or downward force of the
tail of the pawl, and of the spring releasing the pawl from the spring
catch when the blow is struck. A buffer or other spring is secured at 3
the upper end of the tube to prevent the hammer from ascending too
high

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Henry Woodcroft Hammond in the Great Scal
Patent Offico on the 14th Juno 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
WOODCROFT HAMMOND, of 43, Princess Street, in the City of Manchester,.
in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of January, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-
second year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Ifer heirs and successors,
givo and grant unto me, the said Henry Woodcroft Hammond, Her
special licence that I, the said. Henry Wooderoft Hammond, my exccu-
tors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry
Woodcroft Hammond, 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 THE MODE OF AND IN APPARATUS OR MECHANISH FOR DRIVING
PILES," (a communication to him' from abroad by Philip Syng Justice,
of the City and County of Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania,
United States of America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Henry Woodcroft Hammond, my exccutors or. administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my, 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 Offico within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters.
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Henry Woodcroft Hammond, 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 statement, reference being had to the Drawings
hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that
is to say):
--
This Invention relates to driving piles more rapidly, forcibly, and
economically than has been done by means hitherto. used, and consists

page_text: in applying the force of gunpowder or other explosive materials to act
between a cap or cylinder upon the pile to be driven, and a ram or
hammer arranged in suitable guides so as to force the pile downwards
and the ram upwards, the ram being arrested and held at its greatest
clevation by means of a rack and paul until the next blow is required,
when it is allowed to fall, and by its fall to drive the pile and explode
the charge in the cylinder, which still further forces down the pile, and
at the same time lifts the ram for the next blow.
In order to enable others to use and practice the Invention, I describe
its construction and operation thus,―
On reference to the accompanying Drawings, which form a part of
the Specification, Fig. 1 represents a front view of pile driver with a
ram with only one plunger and a spring or elastic buffer, while Fig. 2
shews a ram with 2 plungers and an atmospheric cylinder or buffer.
A, Fig. 1 represents a vertical tube or column upon a cast-iron base B, 1
which tube or column has a longitudinal slot in it from top to bottom to
form guides for the ram G and cylinder R; the cylinder R has a recess
or chamber T in its under side to fit the head of the pile upon which it
rests, and in the upper side of the cylinder a hole or cavity S is formed
to recieve the charge of explosive material and fulminating powder; the
ram G has a rod or plunger O with a nipple P on it, which is so arranged
when it falls it will enter the cavity or chamber S and explode the
charge; there is a toothed rack O secured to the side of the tube
or guides, and a paul I screwed or jointed upon the ram G at K, which
prevents its descent until required; M and N are pins to limit the
amount of stroke of paul I; the paul I is pressed towards the teeth of
the rack a spring L which acts to catch upon the paul and hold and
prevent it from entering the teeth of the rack during the descent of the
ram, but which the momentum or downward force of the tail of the
paul and of the spring again released; F is a spring or elastic buffer
to limit the upward stroke; and D is a ring; and E a cap for ornament.
In Fig. 2, A is the lower plunger for entering into precussion chamber
or cavity 8 in cylinder R; B is the ram; C is the upper plunger for
cushioning in air cylinder K; D is a paul jointed to ram for catching in
rack I; E is a spring for forcing the paul against the rack; F is a
pulley to work the cord G; G is a cord, one end of which is attached to
the paul, and the other in the hands of the operator to allow the descent
of the ram; H is a spring to hold the paul from the rack; I is a rack
]

page_text: securod to one of the guides J; J are the guides; K is an air cylinder
in which the upper plunger O cushions; L is a pulloy over which a rope
may be passed to hoist the piles into place; M is a weight to release the
paul from the spring when the blow has been struck; and N is an air
valvo opening inwards in cylinder K.
Having now particularly described ny Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that the
guides need not be constructed from a tube or cylinder, nor yet is it abso-
lutely necessary that the rack should be fixed upon the guides, and tho
paul upon the ram; for if the rack was transposed to the ram and the paul
to the guides, the alteration would not effect the result; in a like manner
a transposition might be made with the chamber or cavity 8 and the
plunger O; I therefore do not confine myself to the exact shape of
apparatus, but what I do claim under the abovo recited Letters Patent
is,―
Firstly. The employment of gunpowder or other explosive materials to
operate a ram in manner and for the purpose described.
And, secondly. The employment of a paul in combination with a
spring and rack when operating as hercin set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Woodcroft Hammond, havo
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of June,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
nine.