IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR BREAKING PIG-IRON
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake
& Co, Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London for an Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR BREAKING PIG-IRON" communicated to
him from abroad by Theodore Augustus Blake, of New Haven, Connecticut,
United States of America
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th September 1883.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE of the firm of Haseltine Lake & C° Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR BREAKING
PIG-IRON "[A communication to him from abroad by Theodore Augustus Blake,
of New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America]
و"
This invention relates to machines for breaking pig-iron, the object being to
adapt the principle of the well known " "Blake ore crusher to this purpose. The
said invention consists in upright converging jaws, one of which is stationary and
the other having a vibratory movement imparted thereto toward and from the
other, the one armed with two vertical bearing points, the other with an inter-
mediate bearing point, the said two points distant from each other less than the
length of the pig; and in details of construction as more fully hereinafter
described.
In carrying the said invention into practice I provide a bed which may have
wheels for convenient transportation or be arranged to stand upon a stationary
foundation. At one end of the bed is an upright jaw divided into two parts each
having a vertical rib on the face. These two ribs are located distant from each
other less than the length of the pig to be broken, and the two parts are arranged
so as to leave a space or recess between them. The second jaw is hung in the
sides of the frame upon an axis substantially parallel with the plane of the two
parts of the other jaw, and so as to swing upon its axis toward and from the plane
of the other jaw, and is arranged relatively to the faces so that the plane of the
faces and of the jaw converge from their lower end upward. The sides of the

page_text: frame terminate in rear of the plane of the vibrating jaw and the face of the latter
is provided with a vertical rib similar to the vertical rib on the other jaw.
Vibratory movement is imparted to the second jaw by means of an excentric on
the driving shaft, said driving shaft being supported in bearings and power
being applied thereto in any of the usual methods for applying power to revolve
driving shafts.
From the excentric a rod extends forward, and carries at its lower end a toggle
block Between the forward side of the block and the jaw a toggle bar is arranged,
and a like toggle bar between the rear side of the toggle block in a usual and
well known manner
A spring is arranged so as to be compressed by the forward movement of the jaw,
and its reaction serves to retract the jaw
By terminating the sides just in rear of the plane of the face of the vibrating
jaw, a transverse open space is left between the movable and stationary jaws, and
through which the extremities of the pig may project.
In operation the workman bringing the pig comes to the machine into the recess
and so as to drop the pig over the stationary jaw into the space between its two
bearing points and the corresponding intermediate bearing point on the movable
jaw. The pig falls until it comes to a bearing between the ribs on the fixed jaw
and the rib on the movable jaw, then the forward vibratory movement of the second
jaw forces the central portion of the pig forward, resisted at each side by the ribs,
which operation causes the pig to break between the fixed jaws, the pieces of the
pig falling into the recess, from whence they are removed, or they may-fall to the
right and left.
The open spaces or recess between the two parts of the fixed jaw affords great
facility in the introduction of the pig, for the reason that a single laborer taking a
pig may so come to the machine as to be able to introduce it alone, whereas were
the forward end closed that is no recess or space left at the front into which the
workman may enter he could not reach over that end so as to lift the pig into the
mouth of the machine, but the introduction of the pig would require two laborers,
one at each side, to thus lift the pig over the end of the frame and into the mouth
of the machine. I do not wish however to limit my invention to the division of
the fixed jaws, as they may be united so as to close the front end.
Instead of the two ribs being fixed and the intermediate rib vibrating, this order
may be reversed, that is the intermediate rib may be stationary and the two side
ribs vibrate, the essential feature of my invention being a pair of upright converging
jaws one of which shall have a vibratory movement imparted to it, and one shall
present two bearing points and the other an intermediate bearing point whereby a
force may be brought upon the pig between the two bearing points from the
opposite side to break it.
An additional movable jaw may be arranged parallel with the second jaw but
outside one of the stationary parts, and so that a pig having been introduced one
end of the pig would be at one of the ribs, the other project beyond the other rib,
and so that two breaks would be made, one between the two ribs as before
described, and the other at the outside. In the arrangement of the two movable
jaws, however, it will be desirable to have an additional stationary rib and so as to
make two spaces between which the two jaws will operate.
While I have described the common and well known mechanism for imparting
vibratory movement to the one jaw, I do not wish to be understood as limiting my
invention to that particular mechanism, as other known devices for imparting
vibratory movement to that jaw may be employed without departing from my
invention.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Robert Lake in the Patent Office on the 24th March
1884.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake, and C, Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London, "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR BREAKING
PIG-IRON A communication to me from abroad by Theodore Augustus Blake,
of New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America,
"
C
. C
This invention relates to machines for breaking pig-iron, the object being to
adapt the principle of the well known "Blake" ore crusher to this purpose. The
said invention comprises upright converging jaws, one of which is stationary, the
other having a vibratory movement imparted thereto toward and from the
stationary jaw. One jaw is also provided with two vertical bearing points, and
the other with an intermediate bearing point, the said two points being distant
from each other less than the length of the pig. The said invention also comprises
various détails of construction, all as more fully hereinafter described
In the accompanying drawing.
Figure 1 is a side view, and
Figure 2 is a top view or plan of a machine constructed according to this
invention.
A indicates the bed of the machine which may be provided with wheels for
convenient transportation, or be arranged to stand upon a stationary foundation.
At one end of the bed is an upright jaw divided into two parts B, B, each having
a vertical rib C on the face. These two ribs are located at a distance from each
other less than the length of the pig to be broken, and the two parts are arranged
so as to leave a space or recess D between them.
E indicates a second jaw, hung in the sides F of the frame upon an axis G,
substantially parallel with the plane of the two parts B. B. of the other jaw, and
so as to swing upon its axis toward and from the plane of the other jaw. The said
jaw E is arranged relatively to the faces C C, so that the plane of the faces CC
and of the jaw E converge from their lower end upward. The sides F of the
frame terminate in rear of the plane of the vibrating jaw E, and the face of
the latter is provided with a vertical rib H similar to the vertical rib C on the.
other jaw.
Vibratory movement is imparted to the jaw E by means of an eccentric I on
the driving-shaft K, the said driving-shaft being supported in bearings L, the
power being applied thereto in any of the usual methods for applying power to
revolve driving-shafts.
From the eccentric a rod extends forward, and carries at its lower end a toggle
block M. Between the forward side of the block and the jaw F a toggle bar Ñ is
arranged, and a like toggle bar P between the rear side of the toggle block M and
the block R in a usual and well known manner.
A spring S is arranged so as to be compressed by the forward movement of the
jaw, and its reaction serves to retract the jaw.
By terminating the sides just in rear of the plane of the face of the vibrating
jaw, a transverse open space is left between the movable and stationary jaws as
seen in Figure 1, through which space the extremities of the pig may project
In operation the workman stands in the recess D and drops the pig over the
stationary jaw into the space between its two bearing points and the corresponding
intermediate bearing point on the movable jaw as indicated in dotted lines.. The

page_text: pig falls until it comes to a bearing between the ribs on the fixed jaw and the rib
on the movable jaw, then the forward vibratory movement of the jaw E forces the
central portion of the pig forward, which operation, as the pig is held stationary
at each side by the ribs CC, causes the pig to break between the fixed jaws, the
pieces of the pig falling into the recess D from whence they are removed, or they
may fall to the right and left
The open space or recess D between the two parts of the fixed jaw, it will be
seen, affords great facility in the introduction of the pig, for the reason that a single
labourer taking a pig to the machine is able to introduce it alone, whereas were
the forward end closed that is to say no recess or space left at the front into which
the workman could enter, he could not reach over that end so as to lift the pig into
the mouth of the machine, but the introduction of the pig would require two
labourers, one at each side, to lift the pig over the end of the frame and into the
mouth of the machine, I do not wish however to limit my invention to the division
of the fixed jaws, as they may be united so as to close the front end
Instead of the two ribs being fixed and the intermediate rib vibrating, this order
may be reversed, that is the intermediate rib may be stationary and the two side
ribs vibrate, the essential feature of my invention being the arrangement of a pair
of upright converging jaws, one of which shall have a vibratory movement
imparted to it, and one of which shall present two bearing points and the other an
intermediate bearing point, whereby a force may be brought upon the pig between
the two bearing points from the opposite side to break it
An additional movable jaw may be arranged parallel with the jaw E but outside
one of the stationary parts, so that a pig having been introduced, one end of the
pig would be at one-of the ribs C and the other project beyond the other rib C
whereby two breaks would be made, one between the two ribs as before described,
and the other at the outside. In the arrangement of the two movable jaws,
however, it will be desirable to have an additional stationary rib like the rib Cand
so as to make two spaces between which the two jaws will operate.
While I have described the common and well known mechanism for imparting
vibratory movement to the one jaw, I do not wish to be understood as limiting my
invention to that particular mechanism, as other known devices for imparting
vibratory movement to that jaw may be employed without departing from the
nature of my invention.
Having thus fully described the said invention as communicated to me by my
foreign Correspondent and the manner of performing the same, I wish it understood
that I claim in a machine for breaking pig-iron.
First. The combination of a frame and a pair of converging jaws one of which
has a vibratory movement imparted to it, and one of the said jaws being provided
with two vertical bearing points, and the other with an intermediate vertical
bearing point, whereby a pig of iron laid transversely between the said two jaws
will be broken between the said two bearing points, substantially as described.
Second. The combination of a frame, a vertical jaw divided into two parts, both
parts being stationary and the frame recessed between them, and a vibrating jaw
hung to swing in a plane between the said stationary parts of the one jaw, the
plane of the face of the stationary jaw, and the plane of the vibrating jaw being
arranged so as to converge from their lower ends upward, and the said jaws each
being provided with vertical bearing points, whereby the pig placed between said
jaws will take its bearing on the two stationary parts, and the intermediate
vibrating jaw will force the pig to break between the said two bearing points,
substantially as described.
Third, The combination of a frame, a vertical jaw divided into two parts, both
parts being stationary and the frame recessed between them, a vibrating jaw hung
to swing in a plane between the two parts of the said stationary jaw, the plane of
the face of the two parts of the stationary jaw and the plane of the vibrating jaw
being arranged so as to converge from their lower ends upward; and the frame,

page_text: constructed with the sides open to expose the space between the stationary and
vibrating jaws, with mechanism to impart a vibratory movement to the vibrating
jaws, substantially as described
°
In witness whereof I the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal this Twenty fourth day of March in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty four.
W ROB LAKE (L.S.)