IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM MACHINERY USED FOR DRIVING PILES. HAMMERING. STAMPING.
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frederick Joseph Bramwell, of Millwall,
Engineer, and Isham Baggs, of Liverpool Street, Engineer, both
in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN STEAM MACHINERY USED FOR DRIVING PILES. HAMMERING. STAMPING.
Sealed the 13th April 1858, and dated the 14th January 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frederick Joseph
Bramwell and Isham Baggs at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 14th January 1858.
We, FREDERICK JOSEPH BRAMWELL, of Millwall, Engineer, and
ISHAM BAGGS, of Liverpool Street, Engineer, both in the County of
Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM MACHINERY USED FOR DRIVING PILES, HAMMERING,
STAMPING, AND CRUSHING," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists of combining a steam engine with suitable
pile-driving, hammering, stamping, or crushing instruments, in such
manner that the steam may be first used on a smaller piston surface,

page_text: and then expansively on a larger piston surface. The construction of
engine for this purpose may be varied in form so long as this principle
of construction is retained. A very convenient arrangement is to have
a fixed steam cylinder, the piston rod (which may be hollow) of which
is of considerable diameter, to which the pile driver, hammer, or
stamping or crushing instrument is applied. In which arrangement
the steam valve is constructed to admit the steam below the piston to
lift it, and then to open a passage for the steam to act in the larger
area of piston above to cause the instrument to descend to do its work.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Frederick Joseph Bramwell and Isham Baggs in
the Great Seal Patent Office, on the 14th July 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, wc,
FREDERICK JOSEPH BRAMWELL, of Millwall, Engineer, and ISHAM BAGGS,
of Liverpool Street, Engineer, both in the County of Middlesex, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the
sixteenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said Frederick Joseph Bramwell and Isham
Baggs, Her special licence that we, the said Frederick Joseph Bramwell
and Isham Baggs, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as we, the said Frederick Joseph Bramwell and Isham Baggs,
our executors, administrators, or 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 STEAM MACHINERY USED FOR DRIVING PILES, HAMMERING, STAMPING, AND
CEUSHING," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said

page_text: Frederick Joseph Bramwell and Isham Baggs, by an instrument in
writing under our hands and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of
us, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said In-
vention, 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, and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Frederick Joseph Bramwell, on
the part of myself and the said Isham Baggs, do horeby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say:
This Invention consists of combining a steam engine with suitable
pile-driving, hammering, stamping, or crushing instruments, in such
manner that the steam may be first used on a smaller piston surface,
and then expansively on a larger piston surface. The construction of
engine for this purpose may be varied in form so long as this principle
of construction is retained. A very convenient arrangement is to have
a fixed steam cylinder, the piston rod (which may be hollow) of which
is of considerable diameter, to which the pile driver, hammer, or
stamping or crushing instrument is applied. In which arrangement the
steam valve is constructed to admit the steam below the piston to lift
it, and then to open a passage for the steam to act on the larger area of
piston above to cause the instrument to descend to do its work.
And in order that our Invention may be more fully understood, we
will proceed to describe the means pursued by us.

page_text: the slide valve casing, and on account of the steam pressing on the
under surface of the piston ³, it has always a tendency to raise it and
the slide valve. Through the lower end of the slide valve there passes
one arm of a cranked lever c, which turns upon a stud fixed in the
framing; the other end of the cranked lever c, carries a truck, which,
when the stamping instrument d is raised, comes in contact with the
tappet c', fixed on the stamping instrument d, the effect of which is to
lower the slide valve b, which is retained in its position by the end of
the cranked lever c, coming under the notch e', in the cranked lever e,
which turns on a stud fixed in the framing. The slide valve is released
for the upstroke by the tappet e, fixed on the stamping instrument
coming in contact with the bent lever, e³, turning on the stud e, fixed in
the framing of the machine, the outer end of which lever is connected
by a pin joint with the connecting rod es, which connecting rod is
attached by a pin joint to the cranked lever e. The steam ports of the
cylinder a, and the slide valve b, are so arranged, that when the piston c
completes its downward stroke the slide valve 6 is raised so as to admit
the steam below the piston c, the upper surface of which is of much
greater area than the under surface, on account of the size of the piston
rod c³, and lift it to the top of the cylinder a, when the slide valve 6 is
lowered so as to form a communication between the under and upper
surfaces of the piston c, when the steam will act by expansion on the
larger area of the piston above, to cause the stamping instrument d,
attached to the piston rod c¹, to descend to do its work.
.
In Sheet II. Figure 1, is a front view, and Figure 2, a vertical
section of a steam hammer constructed according to our Invention. And
as command over the blow is required we will proceed to describe the
arrangements by which we effect that object. There is let into the face
of the hammer f, a moveable piece f¹, which is so arranged that when
the hammer receives the sudden check consequent upon striking the
blow, the piece f¹, on account of the impetus it has received, continues.
to travel downwards, and in so doing is pushed outwards by having to
move on the inclines f, f, and it is pulled back into its proper position
by the spring f; when the piece f¹, is thrown outwards it comes in

page_text: 9,
contact with an arm g¹, which communicates a partial rotation to the
axis g, which at its upper end carries a pinion. which takes into and
drives a rack fixed on the slide g³, which is continually pressed upon by
the spring 9, in such a manner as to draw the lever h, with which it is
connected, from beneath the catch i, when the slide valve will be raised
by means of a similar piston to that described for the same purpose in
the Sheet I. The arm g¹, is capable of sliding up and down the axis
by means of a "feather key," and is held in its position by a support,
which allows of its turning; this support works on the screw g³,
which is turned by the handle g', so as to raise or lower the arm g¹, to
any convenient position. For the purpose of arresting the piston in any
part of its stroke there is an arm h¹, which is so arranged as to come
in contact with the stud h³, fixed on the hammer f. The arm h², has
formed in it the curved slot h*, which slides over two pins fixed on the
crank he. The arm h', is attached by a pin joint to the screw h,, working
in a nut suitably fixed on the framing, by means of which screw the
arm h, is drawn backwards or forwards, and in so doing the height of
the other end is altered. When the stud h³, strikes the lever h¹, it com-
municates a partial revolution to the crank h, by means of two studs
fixed on it, which pass through the slot h*, in the lever h', which turns
on a stud fixed in the framing of the machine. The crank hº, is con-
nected by a pin joint with a connecting rod h', which is attached by a
pin joint the lever h, which turns on a stud fixed on the slide 9, which
is then actuated in such a manner as to depress the slide valve, and
cause its end (the end of the lever h) to come under the catch i, which
holds it in that position till it is released by the mechanism before de-
scribed. The blow is tempered in the following manner:-The catch i,
slides on a weighted cranked lever 2, which turns on a stud fixed in the
framing; the catch i, is attached by a pin joint to a connecting rod 2³,
which is attached in a similar manner to a lever 2³, fixed on the axis i",
which turns in suitable bearings. On this axis is fixed or formed a screw
wheel, which is taken into and driven by a screw, the axis 2, of
which turns in suitable bearings fixed to the framing. By turning the
handle, attached to the axis of the screw, the catch i is raised or

page_text: lowered so as to regulate the amount of motion given to the slide
valve.
In witness whereof, I, the said Frederick Joseph Bramwell, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of July, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty- 5
three.
F. J. BRAMWELL. (L.S.)
Witness to the signature of the said
Frederick Joseph Bramwell,
B. GOBEY,
12, Cursitor Street,
Chancery Lane.