IMPROVEMENTS IN HAMMERS TO BE WORKED BY STEAM OR OTHER FLUID." PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robinson Thwaites, of Bradford, in the County of
York, Engineer, Edward Hamer Carbutt, of Bradford, in the County of
York, Engineer, and John Sturgeon, of Burley, near Leeds, in the
County of York, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
HAMMERS TO BE WORKED BY STEAM OR OTHER FLUID."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robinson Thwaites, Edward
Hamer Carbutt, and John Sturgeon at the Office of the Commissioners
of Patents, with their Petition, on the 18th February 1867.
We, ROBINSON THWAITES, of Bradford, in the County of York, Engineer,
EDWARD HAMER CARBUTT, of Bradford, in the County of York, Engineer, and
JOHN STURGEON, of Burley, near Leeds, in the County of York, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN HAMMERS
TO BE WORKED BY STEAM OR OTHER FLUID," to be as follows:-
In steam hammers as heretofore constructed it has been usual .to impart
the requisite up-and-down motion to the tup or hammer head from a steam
cylinder or cylinders placed above the anvil, and supported or guided by
strong and massive framework, necessitating thereby an excessive height and
consequent want of stability and heavy and expensive framework, particularly
where a great weight and considerable length of stroke are required.
Now, the object of our improvement is in the first place to altogether dispense
with or greatly reduce the amount of framework required in steam hammers,
particularly where the tup is required to be of a considerable size and weight,
and also to reduce the height necessary for any required length of stroke to

page_text: the smallest possible amount, at the same time retaining a clear space above
the anvil when the hammer is at the top of its stroke. For this purpose
we make the tup or moving part of the form of a cross beam, connected at or
near its extremities to two piston rods (one at each end), working in two
steam cylinders, situated one on either side of the anvil block, and underneath
the tup instead of above as has heretofore been the case. These cylinders
are arranged so as to dip below the floor line, and by this means that portion
of the height occupied by the cylinder in ordinary hammers is saved. The
tup is made of sufficient span to allow the necessary space around the anvil;
and for the convenience of transport may be made in separate pieces bolted
or otherwise secured together. The tup may be caused to run in guides, or
the cylinders and piston rods may be made to act as guides by making the
piston rods sufficiently strong; and giving sufficient bearing length within the
cylinders. Instead of the cylinders being fixed they may be firmly attached
to or formed as a part of the tup or moving portion of the hammer, and the
pistons and piston rods may be fixed and made to act as guides; and in this
case we prefer to make the piston rods to pass entirely through the cylinders
and through stuffing boxes in the covers and bottoms of the cylinders; other
guides may also be used in conjunction with the fixed rods. In making this
kind of hammer we may make the piston rods hollow, and use them as steam
and exhaust pipes; and the steam may be admitted into the cylinders by
valves placed in the said pipes, thereby dispensing with valves or ports in the
cylinders.. This form of hammer may also be arranged so as to strike blows
at various heights above the anvil, and yet have the advantage of its full
length of stroke. This we accomplish by attaching the pistons to sockets
which work over the fixed rods and project through the stuffing boxes at one
end of the cylinders, and may be raised or lowered simultaneously by means
of suitable gear; as, for instance, the sockets may have internal screws formed
within them, the fixed rods having corresponding screws formed upon them,
so that when the sockets are turned round they and the pistons attached
thereto will be raised or lowered along the fixed rods according to the direction
in which they are turned. We may also apply this principle of varying the
position of the pistons to ordinary steam hammers of the moving cylinder
class. In cases where the hammer is only required to be used single acting
(that is to say, where the steam or other fluid is employed only to raise it, and
it fails by its own weight) the pistons may be made of the form of plungers, the
full diameter of the cylinder on that side where it is not necessary to admit the
fluid; this gives them the advantage of additional strength, and refers to
both classes of hammers described above. When a great space is required

page_text: about the anvil we prefer to make the tup or cross beam of wrought iron
principally, in order that it may be made of a greater span than a cast-iron
cross beam of the same. weight and strength.
. Another part of our Invention consists in making the tups of hammers
worked by steam or other fluid of a hollow or box form so as to allow of their
being more or less weighted by the addition or removal of loose pieces of
metal with which the hollow casting may be filled, and to afford facility of.
transport.
. Another part of our Invention consists in attaching the mechanism by which
the valves of steam and other hammers are worked to suitable brackets fixed
to the wall or floor, or in any other convenient position instead of to the frame-
work of the hammer as heretofore, so that the valve gear may be entirely
detached from the hammer, and out of the way, the necessary motion being
imparted to the valve gear by means of a rod or other suitable connection.
from the hammer, or by hand.
It is evident that what we have described with reference to hammers with.
two cylinders will also apply to hammers with a greater number of cylinders
without, altering the principle of the Invention. Thus a hammer may be
made having three or more cylinders, the tup or cross beam having a corre-
sponding number of arms, at or near the extremities of which the cylinders or
piston rods are attached, or of which they form a part, or otherwise being of..
such a form that all the cylinders or piston rods may be attached thereto or
form part thereof.
In cases such as above referred to where two or more cylinders are employed
to give motion.to.one hammer, and each cylinder has its own separate valve,
it is evident that the valves should be coupled together by means of levers,
rods, or other gear, so as to ensure both or all working in concert; but we.,
may place one valve at the junction of the branch pipes. leading to the
cylinders, and having command over both, or all the cylinders together, thereby.
dispensing with ports or valves in the cylinders themselves.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Robinson Thwaites, Edward Hamer Carbutt, and John
Sturgeon in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 14th August 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, ROBINSON,
THWAITES, of Bradford, in the County of York, Engineer, EDWARD HAMER

page_text: CARBUTT, of Bradford, in the County of York, Engineer, and JOHN STURGEON,
of Burley, near Leeds, in the County of York, Engineer, send greeting.
☑
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Iler Letters,
Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto;
us, the said Robinson Thwaites, Edward Hamer Carbutt, and John Sturgeon,
Her special licence that we, the said Robinson Thwaites, Edward Hamer:
Carbutt, and John Sturgeon, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as we, the said Robinson Thwaites, Edward Hamer Carbutt,':
and John Sturgeon, our 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 HAMMERS TO BE WORKED BY STEAM OR OTHER. FLUID," upon
the condition (amongst others) that we, the said Robinson Thwaites, Ellward:
Hamer Carbutt, and John Sturgeon, our executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under our, 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 Office within six calendar months next: anda
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Robinson Thwaites, Edward Hamer
Garbutt, and John Sturgeon, do hereby declare the nature of our said: Inven-s
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly..
described and ascertained in and by the following 'statement:-
In steam hammers as heretofore constructed it has been usual to impart the:
requisite up-and-down motion to the tup or hammer head by means of a steamn
cylinder or cylinders placed above the anvil and supported or guided by strong
and massive framework, Decessitating thereby an excessive height and conse-
quent want of stability, and heavy and expensive framework, particularly
where a great moving weight and considerable length of stroke are required.
Now the object of our improvements is in the first place to altogether,
dispense with or greatly reduce the amount of framework required in steam
hammers, particularly where the tup is required to be of considerable size and
weight, and also to reduce the height necessary for any required length of
stroke to the smallest possible. amount, at the same time retaining a clear
space above the anvil when the hammer is at the top of its stroke. For this

page_text: purpose we make the tup or moving part of the form of a cross. beam, having
the necessary motive power for imparting the up-and-down movement applied
thereto at or near its extremities and on each side of the anvil block instead of
near the centre or overhanging the block as has been usual hitherto; this may
be accomplished in different ways; for instance, the cross beam may be
connected at or near its extremities to two piston rods. (one. at each end.)
working in two steam cylinders situated one on either side of the anvil block,
and underneath the tup instead of above as has heretofore been the case; the
working cylinders in this case may be arranged so as to dip below the floor
line, and by this means that portion of the height.occupied by the cylinder in
ordinary hammers is saved. The tup is made of sufficient span to allow the
necessary space around the anvil, and the latter may be placed diagonally
under the tup in order to leave a clear space on either side. For convenience
of transport the tup may be made in separate pieces bolted or otherwise
secured together. "A much lighter foundation plate and a comparatively small
amount of upright framework would be sufficient under this arrangement, as
in this case the framework has only to steady and guide the tup and has not
to carry the cylinders together with the whole of the mechanism, supported at
a considerable height above the floor as heretofore; or the cylinders and piston
rods may be made to act as guides without any additional framework by
making the piston rods sufficiently strong and giving sufficient bearing length
within the cylinders. The piston rods may moreover be made to pass
entirely through the cylinders and through stuffing boxes in the covers and
bottoms of the cylinders, by which increased guiding surface is obtained and
_consequently greater steadiness of action. Instead of the cylinders being
fixed they may be firmly attached to or formed as a part of the tup or moving
portion of the hammer, and the pistons and piston rods may be fixed and
made to act as guides, and in this case also the piston rods may be made to
pass entirely through the cylinders and through stuffing boxes in the covers
and bottoms of the cylinders; other guides may also be used in connection
with the fixed rods. In making this kind of hammer we may make the
piston rods hollow and use them as steam and exhaust pipes, and the steam
may be admitted into the cylinders by valves placed in the said hollow piston
rods, thereby dispensing with valves or ports in the cylinders. In cases where
the hammer is only required to be used single acting (that is to say, where the
steam or other fluid is employed only to raise it and it falls by its gravity only),
the pistons may be made of the form of plungers the full diameter of the
cylinder on that side where it is not necessary to admit the fluid; this
gives them the advantage of greater strength, and refers to
both classes of

page_text: hammers described above; in this case also the fixed cylinders may be firmly
attached to or form a part of the anvil block, adding to the weight of the
anvil block, and dispensing with the necessity of separate foundations for the
cylinders. When a considerable space is required about the anvil we may
make the tup or cross beam of wrought iron principally, in order that it may
be made of a greater span than a cast-iron cross beam of the same weight and
strength...
'
The principles of construction above described in reference to hammers
with two cylinders will also apply to hammers with a greater number of
'cylinders. Thus a hammer may be made having three or more cylinders, the
tup or cross beam having à corresponding number of arms, at or near the
extremities of which the cylinders or piston rods are attached, or of which they
form a part, or otherwise being of such a form that all the cylinders or piston
rods may be attached thereto or form part thereof..
: .
In all the above-mentioned cases where two or more cylinders are employed
to give motion to one hammer, éach cylinder may have its own separate valve,
the valves being coupled together by means of levers, rods, or other gear, so
as to ensure both or all working together in concert; or a single valve
may be placed at the junction of the branch pipes leading to the cylinders and
having command over both or all the cylinders together, thereby dispensing
with ports or valves in the cylinders themselves.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
...)
Having thus stated generally the nature of our Invention we shall now
proceed to explain the same more particularly by reference to the accom-
panying Drawings.
.
In Sheet 1, Fig. 1 is an elevation, partly in section and partly in outline, of
'a steam hammer on our improved plan, arranged to work with steam on both
sides of the piston, and having the cylinders fixtures, and the piston rods
which carry the top moving therein; Fig. 2 is a plan of the same machine.
The anvil block A is so placed as to carry the palet diagonally or at an
angle of about 45 degrees to the tup B, thereby leaving a clear space on each
side thereof, and is supported on a foundation independent of that of the other
parts. The tup B is a strong iron beam, to each end of which the hollow
piston rods C, C, are made fast by the long bolts D, D, by the short flange
bolts D', D', and by the pins D³, D. The long bolt D also secures the
piston E in its place. F, F, are the steam cylinders, each of which is provided
with a broad flange near the top, by which it is fastened to its base plate G,
which is made of a box form, having an opening near its centre through

page_text: which the cylinder passes. The base plates G, G, are themselves supported
and connected together by the girders H, H, which rest on suitable stone
foundations. The cylinders are further supported by the short stands I, I;
placed underneath; an open space is left at one side of each cylinder to allow
access to the lower part of the cylinders by means of the step ladders J, J.
The hollow piston rods C, C, are made of strength sufficient to enable them.
to serve as guides to the tup, thereby dispensing with the usual, upright
framework. In order to give additional support to the tup when at the top of
its stroke the long bolt. D is continued forward at its lower end as a piston.
rod working through a stuffing box K on the bottom cover of the cylinder, a
sufficient opening. being left in the floor below for the passage of the rod.
The steam pipes, L, L, leading to each cylinder have at their junction with the
main pipe from the boiler a stop valve M which commands both pipes, and.
admits the steam to or shuts it off. from both cylinders at the same time.
The steam enters underneath the piston valve N, and, while the hammer is
descending the steam passes into the cylinder above the piston through the
port O, while the steam underneath the piston (which had in, the up stroke
been employed to lift the hammer) escapes through the port P. into the
annular space round the barrel of the valve, and thence through the exhaust
pipe Qinto the atmosphere. In order to raise the hammer, the valve N is
raised so as to open the steam passage O' underneath the piston, and the
exhaust P above the piston. If the piston in ascending should pass the
upper exhaust port P¹ the steam remaining above will be compressed and
form an elastic cushion to check the further. upward progress of the tup... The
valves of the two cylinders are connected by the system of levers, and rods
R, R', R, R, and S, and may be worked from either side by the.. hand
levers T, T', and are balanced by the weighted levers U, U.; In the upward
movement of the hammer the valves are reversed by the bracket: V. coming in
contact with the stop V₁ on the rod Vs which it lifts, thereby moving the
lever W, on the other end of. which is a cam X, which by depressing the
lever S reverses the valve before the pistons reach the top of the cylinders,
but the valves may be reversed at any earlier, point in the upward stroke by
means of the hand levers T when the full stroke is not required.
...In Sheet 2, Fig. 1 is a front elevation, partly in section, and Fig. 2 a side
elevation of a single action steam hammer on our improved plan, the steam
being employed. to lift the hammer which descends by gravity only..
A is the anvil block in which the palet B is fitted at a suitable angle, as in
Sheet, 1, Figs. 1 and 2; C, C, are the cylinders which are_ fastened to the

page_text: ánvil block A by means of keys at D, D, D, and the bolts E, E. The
plungers F, F, which work as pistons in the cylinders are fastened to the
tup G by means of keys H, H, and bolts I, I. The long bolt K.secures the
piston. Lin. its place. The steam is admitted to the; cylinders through
pipes M; M, fitted. in stuffing boxes N, N, on the cylinders, so that the
vibrations caused by the blows may not affect the, steam. pipes, and also to
allow for the permanent sinking of the block and the cylinders connected
'therewith consequent upon the working of the hammer. Instead of the valves
being applied to the cylinders. a single valve O.is employed communicating
with pipes leading to both cylinders. The steam enters the valve at P and
passes through the opening Q, shown in dotted lines, to the pipes on each
side leading to the cylinders. When the valve is raised the port Q is opened
on the side of the exhaust pipe R, through which the 'steam escapes as the
hammer descends. The valve O is. worked by a hand. lever S. In order to
prevent the hammer being driven up too high the valve is reversed by means
of a chain T, one end of which is fastened to the hammer and the other wound
round a drum U, on which is a cam U¹ balanced by a weight. U. The
upward movement of the hammer draws up the chain.T, and gives a partial
revolution to the drum U, and causes the cam U¹ to press back the arm V on
the lever S, thereby reversing the valve... When..the hammer descends the
balance weight U2 brings back the drum U and the cam U¹ to their original
position. A spring or other:contrivance may be used instead of the balance
weight U Other means may be employed to cause the hammer to, reverse
the valve when it goes beyond its proper stroke. The branch pipe W which
leads from the port W in the upper part of, the cylinder to the exhaust
pipe R allows the escape of the steam from the cylinder if the hammer should
pass beyond its proper height of stroke.
In Fig. 3 is shown an elevation, partly in section, of a double-action hammer
in which the tup A is formed in two pieces fastened together by the bolts B, B,
and the rings C, C... Instead of the piston rods serving as guidés separate cast
iron guides D, D, are applied. Instead of the valves being applied to the
cylinders (as in the example, given in Sheet 1) a single valve is employed
commanding both cylinders. Fig. 4. is an enlarged view of this valve shewing
its connection with the cylinders. A is the piston. valve arranged in the same
manner as the valve shown in Fig. 1, Sheet 1. The steam enters the valve
through the pipe B and passes to the cylinders C, C, through the ports
D, D, D', D', and the pipes E, E, E, E; and exhausts through the same
pipes, but through the ports F, F, F, F', into the exhaust pipe.G.. Fig. 5 is

page_text: a front elevation showing a hammer in which the piston rods A, A, are
connected to the tup B by means of wrought-iron cross beams C, and may be
fastened more securely by the tension rods D, D.
In Sheet 3 is shown an elevation, partly in section, of a single-action hammer
on our improved plan, in which the piston rods and pistons are fixed and the
cylinders move. A is the anvil block in which the palet is fixed at an angle
as has been previously shown; B is the tup, having at each end the cylinders
C, C; D, D, are upright pillars serving as piston rods and also as guides ;
E, E, are wrought-iron turned pipes of a less diameter than the pillars D, D,
and which serve as piston rods and also as exhaust pipes, and are held
together by the cross beam F, and further steadied and secured by the tie
rods G. The steam is admitted through the pipes H, H', and passes through
the ports I, I, in the valve and K, K, in the piston into the cylinder. When
the valve is lowered, as in the positions shown in the Drawing, the ports K, K;
are opened to the exhaust pipe E, allowing the hammer to descend. The
pressure on the valve is balanced by the small piston L, to which it is
connected by the chain L'; both the valves are connected together by the
levers and rods M, N, O, P, Q, R, so as to work simultaneously; and the
valves are reversed when the hammer reaches the top of its stroke by the
tup B coming in contact with the sliding bar S, by raising which it forces the
cam T, which is attached thereto, against the bowl U on the bar P, thereby
shifting back the bar and reversing the valve. It is evident that the valves
may be worked by hand by means of a handle placed in a convenient position
and connected by a rod with the system of levers M, N, O, P, Q, R.
Hammers in this form may also be made double action.
In witness whereof, we, the said Robinson Thwaites, Edward Hamer
Carbutt, and John Sturgeon, have hereunto set our hands and seals,
this Thirteenth day of August, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-seven.