IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF FOUNDATIONS OF BUILDINGS, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN.
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Broughton, of No. 9, Albert Villas,
Dalston, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF FOUNDATIONS OF
BUILDINGS, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN.
"
Sealed the 30th April 1872, and dated the 5th March 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Broughton at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 5th March 1872.
I, THOMAS BROUGHTON, of No. 9, Albert Villas, Dalston, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF FOUNDA-
TIONS OF BUILDINGS, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN," to be as
follows:-
.

page_text: foundations of buildings, and in apparatus employed therein. For this
purpose I employ a frame or carriage running on rails or guides so as to
be able to traverse along the line of the foundation which has to be
prepared. The frame or carriage carries a heavy stamper which is raised
and dropped by a steam engine or directly by a steam cylinder, or by
hand labour. The earth yields beneath the blows of the stamper until
a trench with a solid bottom capable of supporting the load which is to
be put upon it is obtained; the frame or carriage traverses along its
guides as the work progresses. The trench is filled in with concrete up
to the surface level, or to the level at which it is desired that the walls,
which may be of brick, stone, concrete, or other material, should spring.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas Broughton in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 5th September 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS ]
BROUGHTON, of No. 9, Albert Villas, Dalston, in the County of Middlesex,
Civil Engineer,, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of March, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty- 2
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Thomas Broughton, Her special license
that I, the said Thomas Broughton, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas Broughton, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE CONSTRUCTION OF FOUNDATIONS OF BUILDINGS, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED
THEREIN," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Thomas
Broughton, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-

page_text: ticularly 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 and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas Broughton, 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 thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the construction of
foundations of buildings, and in apparatus employed therein. For this
purpose I employ a frame or carriage running on rails or guides so as to
be able to traverse along the line of the foundation which has to be
prepared. The frame or carriage carries a heavy stamper which is raised
and dropped by a steam engine, or directly by a steam cylinder, or by
hand labour. The earth yields beneath the blows of the stamper until
a trench with a solid bottom capable of supporting the load which is to
be put upon it is obtained; the frame or carriage traverses along its
guides as the work progresses. The trench is filled in with concrete up
to the surface level, or to the level at which it is desired that the walls,
which may be of brick, stone, concrete, or other material, should spring.
In order that my said Invention may be most fully understood and.
readily carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawings here-
Figure 1 is a side elevation; and Figure 2, a front elevation of
apparatus for constructing foundations in accordance with my Inven-
tion.
1
a, a, are rails laid upon sleepers parallel to the foundation to be con-
structed; b is a carriage running on these rails, and on the cross girders
b', 6', of this carriage a rectangular girder frame c is supported upon
wheels c. On the frame c a steam boiler and engine d is fixed. The
crank axis of the engine has a pinion d' upon it driving a spur wheel e¹
on an axis e; e is a pinion on the same axis gearing with a spur
wheelf on an axis f. The axis falso has a chain wheelf” fixed upon

page_text: it, and the endless chain 9. passes around it. The chain g is supported
at the top by a chain wheel h, the axis of which is mounted in bearings
upon the timber supports i which stand upon the girder frame c; k is a
rammer; it is a heavy mass of cast iron, it may be in one piece, or as
the Drawing shews the head may be separate and attached by a dove-
tail; is a stem bolted to the rammer, and it is adjustable so that it
may be set to project up from the rammer more or less as the work may
require ; 1, 1, are guides for the rammer as it is lifted. The workman
places the stem k' of the rammer between the links of the endless chain g,
and then as the chain travels the rammer is lifted. As the chain passes
over the chain wheel the stem ¹ of the rammer escapes from the
chain, and the rammer falls on to the soil and consolidates it; m is a
screw with a hand wheel m¹ upon it; the screw is carried in bearings
upon the cross girders b, and takes into a nut fixed upon the girder
frame c, so that by turning the screw m the frame c with all the parts
which it carries can be moved in a direction at right angles to the
rails a, in this way the rammer can be caused to fall exactly in the linė
required. Between each descent of the rammer the apparatus is moved
a short distance along the rails a, and so the work continues from end to
end of the line of foundation. The apparatus is then caused to return
so as to pass over the work a second time, and so it is traversed to and
fro until the fall of the rammer ceases to produce any preceptible
impression on the soil which it strikes. Then I fill with concrete the
trench which has been produced, which will vary in depth according to
the nature of the soil, and even in different parts of the same line of
foundation, and upon the concrete I commence to build the wall.

page_text: claim the method of apparatus for constructing foundations, substantially
as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Broughton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Fourth day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Broughton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Fourth day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.
THOS. BROUGHTON. (L.S.)