IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DRIVING PILES
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Hodson, of the Thames Ironworks Company,
Limited, of Blackwall, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DRIVING PILES."
Dealed the
20th July 1877, and dated the 23rd January 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Hodson at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 23rd January 1877.
RICHARD HODSON, of the Thames Ironworks Company, Limited, of Blackwall, in
the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
DRIVING PILES."
My Invention of improvements in apparatus for driving piles relates to that class
of machines in which the driving weight or monkey is lifted by the direct action of
steam, instead of effecting this object by means of a chain or rope.
In carrying out my Invention I employ a steam cylinder, to the lower end of
which is attached a heavy weight, or this end of the cylinder is made heavy and
massive, in order to give strength and weight to this part. Inside of this cylinder
is a piston attached to the upper end of a stationary rod which projects through
the lower end or monkey head of the cylinder, and rests in a socket made in a cap
or plate that is fitted on to the head of the pile which is to be driven, so that, in
fact, the whole weight of the apparatus rests on the pile, and. acts with a constant
and steady downward pressure thereon. Lateral projecting pieces are cast on the
side of the steam cylinder, and are fitted to move up and down in vertical guides,
which form part of the framing of the pile driver. These projecting pieces, which
may, if desired, be provided with anti-friction rollers, serve to maintain the steam
cylinder and its accessories in a vertical position.
From the above explanation it will be understood that the piston rod and piston
are stationary (except so far as they descend with the pile as it is driven into the
earth), and that the steam cylinder is capable of moving up and down on the piston,
the stationary piston rod acting as a guide to keep the cylinder in a vertical position,
and to prevent the lateral projecting pieces from binding or jamming in the vertical

page_text: guides, and thus produce undue friction when the weighted cylinder is moving up
and down.
The weighted steam cylinder is raised by admitting steam between the stationary
piston and the upper end of the steam cylinder. Steam is obtained from a boiler
conveniently placed for the purpose, and connected with the cylinder by means of a
flexible or jointed pipe. A valve box is placed on the upper end of the steam cylinder,
and is provided with a valve which is worked automatically by means of a short rod
which, by coming into contact with the top of the piston when the weighted
cylinder falls on to and strikes the head of the pile, shifts the valve and admits the
steam into the cylinder between the piston and the upper end of the cylinder.
The steam is cut off at the proper moment, and the exit valve for the escape of
the steam from the cylinder is opened by means of any suitable arrangement of
valve gear.
When the steam is admitted to the cylinder for the purpose of raising the same
it of course exerts a certain amount of downward pressure on the piston, and
thereby assists in driving down the pile. Immediately the blow is struck by the
monkey head of the steam cylinder the exit or discharge valve is closed and the
supply valve opened, as already explained, and the cylinder is raised a second time,
the monkey head of the steam cylinder being thus made to give a rapid succession
of blows until the supply of steam is cut off.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Richard Hodson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 23rd July
$877.
RICHARD HODSON, of the Thames Ironworks Company, Limited, of Blackwall, in
the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
DRIVING PILES."
My Invention of improvements in apparatus for driving piles relates to that class
of machines in which the driving weight or monkey is lifted by the direct action of
steam, instead of effecting this object by means of a chain or rope.
In carrying out my Invention I employ a steam cylinder, to the lower end of
which is attached a heavy weight, or this end of the cylinder is made heavy and
massive; in order to give strength and weight to this part. Inside of this cylinder
is a piston attached to the upper end of a stationary rod which projects through.
the lower end and monkey head of the cylinder, and rests in a socket made in a cap
or plate that is fitted on to the head of the pile which is to be driven, so that, in
fact, the whole weight of the apparatus rests on the pile, and acts with a constant
and steady downward pressure thereon. Lateral projecting pieces are cast on the
side of the steam cylinder, and are fitted to run up and down in vertical guides,
which form part of the stationary framing of the pile driver. These projecting
pieces, which may, if desired, be provided with anti-friction rollers, serve to maintain
the steam cylinder and its accessories in a vertical position.
From the above explanation it will be understood that the piston rod and piston.
are stationary (except so far as they descend with the pile as it is driven into the
ground), and that the steam cylinder is capable of moving up and down on the piston,
the stationary piston rod acting as a guide to keep the cylinder in a vertical position
and to prevent the lateral projecting pieces from binding or jamming in the vertical
guides, and thus produce undue friction when the weighted cylinder is moving up
and down.
The weighted steam cylinder is raised by admitting steam between the stationary
piston and the upper end of the steam cylinder. Steam is obtained from a boiler
conveniently placed for the purpose, and connected with the cylinder by means of a

page_text: flexible or jointed pipe. A valve box is placed on the upper end of the steam
cylinder, and is provided with a valve which is worked automatically by means of a
short rod, which, by coming into contact with the top of the piston when the
weighted cylinder falls on to and strikes the head of the piles, shifts the valve and
admits the steam into the cylinder, between the piston and the upper end of the
cylinder:
The steam is cut off at the proper moment, and the exit valve for the escape of
steam from the cylinder is opened by means of any suitable arrangement of
valve gear.
When the steam is admitted to the cylinder, for the purpose of raising the same,
it of course exerts a certain amount of downward pressure on the piston, and
thereby assists in driving down the pile. Immediately the blow is struck by the
monkey head of the steam cylinder the exit or discharge valve is closed and the
supply valve opened, as already explained, and the cylinder is raised a second time;
the monkey head of the steam cylinder is thus made to give a rapid succession of
blows until the supply of steam is cut off.
In the accompanying Drawing Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a pile-driving apparatus
constructed according to my Invention.
Figures 2 and 3 are vertical sections of the steam cylinder and its accessories
detached and drawn upon an enlarged scale, in order that the construction of the
valve and steam ports may be inore clearly understood. In Fig. 2 the several parts
are in the position they would assume when the steam cylinder and ram are in the
lowest position, or resting on the head of the pile, as would be the case just after the
ram has struck the pile; Fig. 3 represents the steam cylinder and ram raised from
the pile and in the act of falling. The valve and steam ports are in the state they
would be when, the cylinder having been raised by the admission of steam, the port
has been closed, so as to allow the steam to act expansively, and after it has done so
the exhaust port will be suddenly opened, so as to allow the steam to escape,
upon which the cylinder and monkey will at once fall, as it is represented in the
Figure.
Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken through the steam port and valve in the
line R, S, of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a horizontal section taken through the valve in the
line T, U, of Fig. 2. In Figures 2 and 3 A is the steam cylinder, which is purposely
made inassive and weighty, so as to act as a monkey, and is further provided at its
lower end with a heavy ram head A*.
'
Steam is admitted into cylinder A through the passage A¹ from the boiler B*,
Fig. 1. B is the main steam valve, which is of a cylindrical shape, and works up
and down in its seat made in the upper end of the steam cylinder A; B' is a steam
passage made in the valve B, and leading from steam passage A¹ into the steam
space C above piston J; B² is a main exhaust passage made in the opposite side of
the main valve B; and B³ is a smaller exhaust passage, also made in the main valve,
for allowing the steam to escape from the space above the piston valve D, which has
a motion independent of the main valve B; E is the main exhaust passage in the
cylinder or monkey; F is a smaller exhaust passage made in the cylinder, for the
escape of the steam from the space above the small piston valve D, which works in
the main steam valve, for the purpose of opening and closing the main exhaust
port B². A piston rod G is keyed to and works the main slide valve B, and is
connected at its upper end with the lever H, and this lever acts upon piston rod G,
for the purpose of bringing down the main slide valve B, and so opening or closing
the steain ports and regulating the height of fall of the cylinder or monkey. A
small piston or plunger I is connected by a link to the lever H, for the purpose of
raising the lever H independent of the piston rod G. The main piston J is fixed on
the upper end of the piston rod J¹, which rests upon the head P of the pile which is
being operated upon, and is therefore stationary, except in so far as it goes down
with the pile as the latter is driven into the ground.
The operation of the various parts is as follows:-Steam from the boiler B* is

page_text: conducted by the flexible pipe shewn in Fig. 1 to the cylinder A, and passes through
the steam passage and port A¹ down through the steam passage B¹ in the main
valve to the space C above the piston J of the monkey cylinder A. The rod of the
piston J rests upon the pile P, and at this part of the operation is exerting a pressure
upon the pile equal to the weight of the monkey that is being raised by the action
of the steam in the cylinder. When the monkey cylinder A has been raised above
the pile the proper height required for the fall the lever H is acted upon by a chain
or cord, one end of which is attached to the lever at the point L, Fig. 2, and the
other end to some fixed point independent of the monkey cylinder. The allowance.
of slack cord or chain from the commencement of the monkey's upward movement
regulates the height of the fall by the following arrangement, and which can be
better described by referring to the sectional elevation shown in Fig. 3. Let it be
supposed that the monkey cylinder has ascended so high as to take up all the slack
of the cord or chain, the one end of which is attached to the lever H, and is therefore
holding the lever at L as a fixed point, although the monkey is still being raised.
The monkey cylinder A will continue to ascend until the lever H assumes the.
· position indicated by the dotted lines M in Fig. 3.
The valve and the monkey cylinder will take their relative positions, as shewn:
upon the Figure, and the operation for the fall may be described as follows:-The
end of the lever.L being fixed by the cord the continued ascent of the monkey.
cylinder A will cause the valve B to gradually alter its position in its seat until it
closes the steam port A', after which, and during the remainder of the upward
movement of the monkey cylinder, the steam in the cylinder will be working
expansively. The position of valve in its seat will be gradually altered until the
exhaust passage B² and E are fairly opposite each other, but still closed by the piston
valve D, so as to prevent the steam from escaping from the cylinder. This piston
valve travels down with the main valve B, into the position shewn at Fig. 2, until
the port B3 and F begins to open by these openings coming opposite to each other.
When this moment arrives the pressure above the valve D, and that on the under
side of the valve, will be no longer in equilibrium, but will be reduced above the
valve, which will consequently move upward into the position shewn in Fig. 3.. By
so doing the valve D will open wide the main exhaust port, and will liberate the
steam suddenly from the interior of the monkey cylinder, which will then come
down with force upon the pile P. Previous to its completing the fall the top end of
the short piston rod N strikes upon the valve rod G at the point O, and alters
instantaneously the positions of the valve in the monkey cylinder from that shewn
in Fig. No. 3 to that shewn at Fig. No. 2, thereby closing the exhaust passages E, F,
and opening the steam ports A, B1, for the upward motion of the monkey cylinder,
as before described, the height of fall being regulated by the length of slack rope or
chain, as already explained..
The object of the small plunger or piston I, upon which the pressure of steam is
always acting, is to raise the lever H, previous to the movement of the valve B by.
the fall of the monkey cylinder.
.
The parts of the steam valve B are so constructed and arranged that when the
weight and pressure of steam are properly balanced the valve will be almost in
equilibrium, and no injurious effect will be produced from the sudden blows between.
points N and O.
Having now described my Invention of "Improvements in Apparatus for Driving
Piles," and having explained the manner of carrying the same into effect, I claim as
the Invention secured to me by Letters Patent as aforesaid,-
-
Constructing, adapting, and operating the steam cylinder A in such a manner that
it will act as the monkey or ram, whereby the pile is driven into the ground.
I claim particularly mounting the piston rod J¹ and piston J in a fixed or
stationary position on the head of the pile, and combining therewith a moveable
heavy cylinder, which is made to work up and down on..
- the stationary piston by:
the direct action of steam, as herein set forth.

page_text: . I also claim the mode herein set forth of constructing and working the valves
through which the steam is admitted to and escapes from the cylinder, so that the
operations of the monkey cylinder may be self-acting, as above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Hodson, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-first day of July, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-seven.
STATIDA
WAS
RICHARD HODSON. (LS.)