Improvements in or relating to the Working of Ram Blocks for Pile Driving and the like.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Sep., 1897-Accepted, 29th Jan.,
1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to the Working of Ram Blocks for Pile
Driving and the like.
I, WOLDEMAR DRÜHL, of Riga, in the Empire of Russia, Engineer, 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
The object of my invention is to effect improvements in or relating to the working
of ram blocks for pile driving and the like.
And in order that my said invention may be particularly described and ascer-
tained, reference is hereby made to the accompanying drawings, in which similar
letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.
Fig. 1 is a back view showing the ram lever locked, ready for releasing.
Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the position of the parts at the moment of
release.
Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, showing the ram lever released.
The ram-block is provided with spaces for the reception of the various parts of
the releasing and lifting mechanism. a is a chain formed with flat links. This
chain travels on rollers and is driven continuously in one direction by means of
a steam engine or other suitable motive power, the pins or points b serving to raise
On this
the ram-block. is a horizontal shaft revolving on a central axis c.
shaft the levers and are mounted. The lever is capable of being carried to
a horizontal position in contact with the pins b thus causing the ram-block to
be raised, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3. In this horizontal position the
lever, is held by two hooked rails or levers e, e, mounted on a spindle f, and
being rebated or cut away so as to provide shoulders or hooks at e¹, el, for retaining
the lever, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The levers e e are pressed towards each
other by two springs e² e². The short lever d², is connected by means of a rod g
which acts by the aid of a spring upon a stamp or die rod i, located in an opening
formed in the ram-block the extended portion being carried outwards a given
distance beyond the block, as shown in Fig. 3. h is a spiral spring which acts
as a buffer to reduce vibration. Above the hooked rails e e a cam or wedge ¹ is
attached to a spring k, which cam normally rests upon the hooked rails e e, as
shown in Fig. 1, but is actuated by means of a striking rail 7, suitably adjusted to
the guiding posts, whereby the lever is released.
Presuming the lever d¹ to be in the horizontal position shewn by dotted lines
in Fig. 3, the chain a in motion engages the lever, until the wedge ¹ strikes
against the bar which has been previously adjusted in a set position on the guide
posts. In consequence of the traction or pull applied to the ram blocks, the
wedge opens the hooked rails or levers e e (which are slightly bevelled at the
top, as shown in Fig. 2) thereby releasing the lever arm d, which then revolves
to the position shown by solid lines, in section, in Fig. 3, releasing the chain and
allowing the ram to fall.
Simultaneously with the rise of the lever d¹, the lever by means of the rod g
1

page_text: and spring h, presses outwards the extended portion of the stamp or die i
During the fall the wedge or cam is pushed by its spring & out from its former
position between the bars e e.
When the rod strikes the pile it recoils, and, by means of the spring h the
lever d² is driven up a height by the latter with the stamp i. The spring hand
the rod cause the arm d² to move upwardly, d being so turned as to bring the
arm into a horizontal position, the rails e e being brought into contact by the
springs e². The arm enters again one of the chain links a, and the ram block
is again raised.
The height of the fall, or drop of the ram, and, consequently, the force of the
blow is determined by the adjustable bar 7; and the rate of succession of the blows
is regulated by the speed of the chain a.
3
The openings in the block may be covered in by plates, in order to exclude dust
and the like, the plate being slotted to accommodate the lever d¹.
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 ram-block for pile driving automatically raised and released, characterised
by an axle located at the back of an opening formed in such block and carrying
an arm extending within the track or path of a chain, and held by hooked rails
pressed together by springs, which rails, when separated by a spring wedge driven
between them by an adjustable stop rail, release the arm which is raised and allow
the ram-block to fall, the other arm of the disc driving a bar out of the bottom
part of the block which, at the time of the blow struck by the ram block turns
the disc in an opposite direction so that the block is again put in gear with the
chain, substantially as described.
2. In ram-blocks for pile-driving and the like the general construction, com-
bination and arrangement of the several and respective parts, operating substan-
tially as herein before described and illustrated by the drawings.
Dated 23rd September 1897.
GEORGE DOWNING & SONS,
8, Quality Court, London, W.C., Agents.