AN IMPROVED MODE OR METHOD OF REGULATING OR GOVERNING LIFT, TILT, OR PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION OR OTHER HAMMERS WORKED BY MECHANICAL POWER
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samuel Cotton, of Broughton, near Manchester,
in the County of Lancaster, Machinist, for the Invention of "AN
IMPROVED MODE OR METHOD OF REGULATING OR GOVERNING LIFT, TILT, OR
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel Cotton at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 4th
November 1856.
I, SAMUEL COTTON, of Broughton, near Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, Machinist, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "AN IMPROVED MODE OR METHOD OF REGULATING OR GOVERNING LIST, TILT,
OR OTHER HAMMERS WORKED BY MECHANICAL POWER," to be as follows:-
My improvements relate to working hammers by means of cams or eccentric,
tappet, friction, or other mechanical motions for lifting them, and when the
force of the blow is regulated by a piston working in an air cylinder, the
said cylinder being little more than the length of the stroke of the hammer;
and consists in closing both ends of the said air cylinder with lids or covers,
the piston rod being connected to the hammer and passing through a stuffing
box in the lower lid, the upper lid being perforated with holes, and provided
with a valve closing in the inside, and a spindle passing through the centre
of the lid, with a spring attached for closing the valve at each return of the
piston. At the end of the valve spindle I attach a cross lever, one end of

page_text: which works in a suitable joint, to allow it to move upwards or downwards
with the valve. At the other end of this lever is a nut, the inside being
cut with a scroll or coarse screw thread. The upper and lower ends of the
cylinder are furnished with two stop-cocks, each of which is in communication
with two air-tight flap valves, one opening inwards and the other outwards.
The stop-cocks are connected by a rod or spindle, the upper end being cut
with a scroll or thread to correspond with the nut at the end of the lever,
attached to the valve spindle in the upper lid, by which the valve can be
held close as circumstances may require. For operating on the materials
the lower end of the connecting rod is furnished with a handle, so that the
work man by moving the handle either one way or the other can regulate
any weight of blow that may be required. By this mode of working the
hammer I get a much heavier blow with a lighter weight of hammer, on
account of being able to form a compression of air in the upper end of the
cylinder and a vacuum at the lower end, and by working both of them in
combination I can strike any weight of blow or succession of blows that may
be required, or I can regulate it so as not to strike at all.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Samuel Cotton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
4th May 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, SAMUEL
COTTON, of Broughton, near Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Machinist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Пler most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Пler Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Samuel Cotton, Her special licence that I, the said Samuel Cotton, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Samuel
Cotton, 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 "AN IMPROVED MODE OR METHOD
OF REGULATING OR GOVERNING LIFT, TILT, OR OTHER HAMMERS WORKED BY
MECHANICAL POWER," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said

page_text: Samuel Cotton, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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 bo
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 I, the said Samuel Cotton, do hereby declare the
nature of the 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)
My Invention relates to improvements in lift, tilt, or other hammers
worked by means of cams, eccentrics, tappets, friction, or other mechanical
arrangements, and consists in regulating or governing the force of the blow,
by employing a piston working in an air cylinder, the interior of which is
somewhat longer than the length of the stroke of the hammer and the depth
of the piston, the cylinder having lids or covers, the lower one being furnished
with a stuffing box, through which the piston rod connected to the hammer
passes, and the upper one being perforated with holes, which are covered or
closed when required by a valve, connected to a spindle passing through the
centre of the lid, a spring being fixed around the spindle for the purpose of
closing the valve at each return stroke of the piston. To the upper part of
the valve spindle I attach a lever, one end of which works in a suitable joint,
to allow it to move upwards and downwards with the valve, and the other
furnished with a screw and nut to regulate its position. Each end of the
cylinder is furnished with a cock, the apertures of which are in communication
with two air-tight flap valves, one opening inwards and the other outwards,
the said cocks being connected by a rod or spindle, to which is fastened at
any convenient part a lever or handle, so that the workman may turn the
cocks and change the positions of the apertures at pleasure. At the upper
part of the top cock is a scroll or thread, corresponding with a similar scroll
or thread in a nut placed upon it, which acts under or against the screw and
nut at the end of the lever, wi moves the valve under the upper lid of
the cylinder, so that when the rod and cocks are moved by the handle the
valve will either bo tight or free. Or, a cam may be placed upon the tcp
cock and act under the end of the lever, so as to produce the same result.
Or, by another arrangement, I place upon the exterior of the upper lid of the
cylinder a flap or valve, connected to the cross lever with two joints in the
centre, which can be raised by a wedge or slice cam, placed on the end of
the top cock, so as to admit air to the cylinder, or be pressed over the holes
in the lid, and prevent the ingress of air without any strain on the cocks.

page_text: In this case the cross lever is not in connection with the valve in the upper
lid. The flap valves in communication with the stop-cock are placed in an
angular position to each other; the one which opens inwards at the top is
square or angular to the one opening inwards at the bottom; those opening
outwards being in similar positions; so that when one cock is full open to
the ingress valve the egress aperture at the side is closed, the other stop-cock
and valves being just the reverse. By partially turning the cocks their
apertures may be open to all the flap valves, and by varying the position of
the cocks air will be admitted to and from either side of the piston to a full
or limited extent, thereby obtaining various degrees of regulating power. In
order to obtain the greatest effect from the compound action of the weight
of the hammer, and the elastic force of compressed air in combination with
the vacuum, the valve in the upper lid is released by the scroll, in one case,
and in the other case, the valve placed outside the upper lid is lifted up, so
that when the under valve opens air may pass to the cylinder, in order to
be compressed by the return stroke. I also employ an improved cam, for
more easily overcoming the resistance of the compressed air, and enabling
the centre to be turned with greater ease than by the ordinary cam.
The manner of carring the said improvements into practical effect will be
clearly understood by reference to the accompanying two Sheets of Drawings
and the letters of reference thereon, in which Fig. 1 is a front view of a lift
hammer to which my improvements are attached, Fig. 2, a transverse view of
the same; Figs. 3 and 4, sections across the cylinder and cocks; Fig. 5, a
plan of the upper lid of the cylinder; Fig. 6, a plan, and Fig. 7, a section of
a cam for working the cross lever and exterior valve; Fig. 8, a section, and
Fig. 9, a front view of my improved lifting cam or tappet, and shewing the
mode of applying it.
In Figs. 1 and 2, the main standard or frame of the machine is represented
at a, and the guides at 6, which guide the hammer c vertically, being
lifted by the cam d, which acts on the antifriction roller e, mounted on
the pin or stud f, in the upper part of the hammer. The cam d, fornis
part of or is made fast to the shaft g, which carries the fast and loose
pullies h, and the fly wheel i, the shaft g being actuated by a driving belt or
other suitable means. Connected to the main standard or frame a is the
cylinder k, furnished with lids or covers, the lower one 1 having a stuffing
box m, and the upper one n being perforated with holes as shewn in Fig. 5.
Within the cylinder is the air-tight piston o, forged to or forming part of the
piston rod p, which works through the stuffing box m, and is made air-tight
by rings of metal in conjunction with vulcanized india-rubber. The piston o

page_text: is kept air tight in the cylinder by the two metal rings q, which are pressed
against the interior of the cylinder by the india-rubber ring or spring r.
On
the top of the piston there is also a cup-shaped leather packing s, held fast
to the piston by the plate t, which is screwed on the top of the piston,
a pin being employed to prevent it turning. The hammer c is connected to
the piston by a T-shaped head, forged to and forming part of the piston
rod, fitting a corresponding space in the top of the hammer. At the under-
side of the upper lid or cover n is a valve u, covered with vulcanised
india-rubber; the valve being connected to the spindle v, around which is
the spring w, for the purpose of closing it at each return stroke of the
piston. The top of the valve spindle is connected by the wing nut x
to the cross lever y, working in the joint z, thereby allowing the lever
to move up and down with the valve, the other end of the lever y being fur-
nished with a screw and nut for the purpose of regulating its position. The
upper and lower ends of the cylinder are furnished with the cocks a¹ and b',
each of which is in communication with two air-tight flap valves, made of
vulcanised india-rubber or other suitable material, one valve opening inwards,
and the other outwards; the ingress valves are shewn at c', d', and the egress
ones, at e,f. The cocks are connected by a rod or spindle g¹; the upper
part of the top cock is cut with a scroll or thread, corresponding with the nut
h', working upon it and under the end of the scrow in the cross lever y. To
the lower cock is connected the rod k¹, to which a lever or handle l' is made
fast for the purpose of altering the position of the aperture in the cocks. In
the main frame is a space or groove for the gag or short bolt m³, acted upon
by the lever or handle n', which presses the shot bolt in the groove or recess cut
in the side of the hammer, so that the hammer can be held up when not
required to work.
In Figs. 6 and 7, I shew a slice or wedge cam o', placed on the top of the
spindle, above the cocks, for the purpose of raising the cross lever y; I also
shew an external valve p', which covers the holes in the upper lid of the
cylinder, unless lifted off by the rods or joints r¹, connected to the cross lever.
In this case the internal valve u is at liberty, being merely held up by a
spring, which gives way when required. In this arrangement the concussion
of the blow causes no unnecessary strain on the cocks.
In Figs. 8 and 9, I shew my improved internal cam for lifting the hammer.
The driving shaft is shewn at s' and the cam at t', with its recessed or internal
part at u, which as it revolves acts upon the antifriction roller v', placed on.
the stud w, on the hammer . The hammer commences to lift when the
cam is at the extreme length or point y', and as the revolution proceeds, the

page_text: length of leverage increases, by the ascent of the antifriction roller towards
the centre, which is thereby much more easily turned than is possible with the
ordinary cam. In these Figures the hammer is shewn at its highest position,
and on the point of falling. The operation of the hammer having my
improved regulator or governor is as follows:-When the driving shaft g is
put in motion, the cam d is carried round; the gag or shot bolt m' is then
withdrawn, liberating the hammer c, ready for work. If the handle l¹ bo
moved towards the right hand, the cocks will be turned, the aperture of the
lower cock being opened to the outlet valve f, thereby allowing the air to
escape from the under side of the piston o, and the aperture of the upper
cock a; will be opened to the inlet valve c', allowing the air to enter between
the piston and the top cover n of the cylinder. The internal valve u is
liberated (so that it may act freely) by the scroll on the spindle above the
cocks, acting in the nut, and releasing the cross lever y, as seen in Figs. -1
and 2, or by raising the cross lever y, and the external valve, by the wedge or
slice cam o' shewn in Fig. 6; the hammer will then descend and with it the
piston, which forces the whole or a great portion of the air from the underside
of the piston, through the outlet valve f', the external air passing at the samo
time through the upper inlet valve c', and the aperture of the upper cock a¹ to
the space between the upper lid of the cylinder and the piston, the concussion
of the blow drawing down the internal valve, and allowing the cylinder to bo
filled with air when deficient. When the cam d, comes in contact with the
antifriction roller e, it will lift the hammer c, the piston rod p, and the air-
tight piston o, thereby compressing the air in the upper portion of the cylinder,
and at the same time forming a suction or vacuum in the lower part of
the cylinder, between the lower lid and the piston. The air being confined
in the upper part of the cylinder by the inlet valve e', and the internal
valve u, which closes from the inside as soon as the piston commences to
ascend, causes the compression, and the lower outlet valve being closed by
the pressure of the atmosphere, causes the suction or vacuum; consequently
when the cam has lifted the hammer to its highest position and turned the
centre of the roller, the hammer is liberated and its descent accelerated by the
combined action of the expansive force of the compressed air in the upper part
of the cylinder and the suction or vacuum in the lower part, the force of the
blow being greatly e creased thereby. When it is desired to strike a blow of
less weight than above described, the handle l' is drawn to the left hand; the
scroll or thread on the spindle of the upper cock raises the nut h' and the
cross bar y, thereby closing the internal valve u; or by the modification shewn
in Figs. 6 and 7, the cam o' on the spindle above the cocks allows the cross

page_text: lever y to descend, and with it the external valve p¹, which covers the holes in
the upper lid of the cylinder, through which in either case no air can enter by,
the aperture in the cover to the upper portion of the cylinder, (the flap valves
and cocks then being alone in action;) there will consequently be less air to
be compressed, and therefore less expansive force given to the blow of the,
hammer. If a lighter blow than the weight of the hammer is required, the,
handle must be drawn more to the left hand, by which the upper cock a¹ is
partly closed to the aperture of the upper inlet valve c', and opening to the
aperture leading to the outlet valve e', causing a less quantity of air to be
admitted in the upper part of the cylinder; at the same time the air passago
leading from the inlet valve d' through the lower cock is increased, and the
passage to the outlet valve f' decreased, thus retarding the air in its escape
from the underside of the piston, thereby forming a kind of cushion or re-
sistance to the piston, and decreasing the weight of the blow. To allow the
hammer to remain at the top during the setting or moving of the article to be
operated upon, the handle l' must be drawn still more to the left hand, at
about right angles to the frame or main standard; the thoroughfare of the lower
cock is then wide open to the aperture of the inlet valve d¹ and closed to the
aporture of the outlet valve f¹, the lower portion of the cylinder being thereby
filled with air, forming a cushion for the piston to sit upon; at the same time
the thoroughfare of the upper cock being closed to the aperture of the inlet
valve cand opened to the aperture of the outlet valve e', which closes im-
mediately the piston ceases to rise, thereby preventing the ingress of air in the
upper portion of the cylinder, by which means the effect of the cushion of air
below the piston effectually holds the hammer up.. By the use of the aforesaid
arrangements it is evident that any required variation of force in the blow or
successions of the same weight of blow, can be obtained without difficulty.
Having thus fully described the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, I desire it to be distinctly
understood that I do not claim any of the old and well-known mechanical
instruments forming parts of my Invention only so far as they are used in
combination with the other contrivances for effecting the object set forth in my
Specification, nor do I confine myself to the exact details herein set forth, as
such may be varied or modified without departing from the principle thereof,
5 but I claim,-
Firstly, the construction of lift, tilt, or other hammers with cylinders closed
at each end, the force of the blow being regulated by the compound action
of the expansive force of compressed air (whether heated or not) combined
with a vacuum gained by mechanical means.
•

page_text: Secondly, the construction of and adaptation to such cylinders of inlet and
outlet flap valves in conjunction with stop cocks for regulating the action or
blows of such hammers.
Thirdly, the construction and application of mechanical arrangements for
closing and securing the inlet valve in the upper cover to prevent the ingr ss
of air, and for closing the aperture in the upper cover by an exterior valve for
the same purpose.
Fourthly, the connection of the working piston with the hammer by a.
T-shaped head, forged solid on the end of the piston.
And, fifthly, the application of the scythe-shaped or internal cam for lifting
the hammer, as all such improvements are herein described and illustrated in
the accompanying two Sheets of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Cotton, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this First day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the within-
named Samuel Cotton, in the presence
of
E. J. HUGHES, Patent Agent,
Manchester.
SAMUEL COTTON. (L.s.)