US495126A - Timber-driver for sewer-sheathing - Google Patents

Description

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(No Model.) f

W. D. VAN DUZEE. TIMBBRDRIVBR POR SEWER SHEATHING.

Patented Apr. 11, 1893.

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(No Model.)

W. D. VAN DUZEB. TIMBER vDRIVER POB. SEWER SHBATHING.

No. 495,126. Patented'Apr. 11, 1893,

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UNITED 'STATESv PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM D. VAN DUZEE, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

TIMBER-DRIVER FOR SEWER-SHEATHING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 495,126, dated. April 11, 1893.

Application tiled February 23,1892. Serial No. 422.359. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern.-

Beit known that I, WILLIAM D.VAN DUZEE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Timber-Drivers for Use on Sewer-Sheathing; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to timber drivers; and is especially designed to meet the conditions and requirements of sewer work.

As is well known, to persons familiar with the construction of sewers, vertical timbers called sheathing are employed to retain the banks of the trench, until the sewer proper has been constructed therein. These sheathing timbers are usually planks of about four to eight inches in width by two inches in thickness and of any desired length not ordinarily exceeding twelve to sixteen feet. Ordinarily, they are not driven over about threefourths of their length and often less. Hitherto, the work of driving these sheathing timbers has been,for the most part done by hand, requiring a large amount of hard labor with a man1. It has been proposed to employ piledrivers for the purpose; but the ordinary construction of such machines requiring side framing as guides for the drop-weight or movable steam hammer, renders such machines unsuitable for sewer work. The sheathingtimbers being light are capable of being quickly driven, when other than hand power is applied, necessitating a frequent change in the position of the driver. The clumsy framework required for supporting an ordinary pile-driver cannot b e moved with sufficient rapidity to make its application to this class of work profitable.

My invention has for its object to remove the above noted limitations by providing a driver which may be supported in its working position solely by the timber to be driven, without requiring the use of side-framing or stays of any kind; and which is so constructed and mounted that it may be readily and quickly removed from one timber to another.

The preferred form of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

Therein like letters referring to like parts throughout-Figure l is a side elevation. of the machine in working position. Flg. 2 is a sectional elevation of the same looking from the front. Figs. 3 and 4 are details in side view and plan respectively,showing the ropegrip. Fig. 5 is a vertical section through the ram-driving engine, taken crosswise from the valve chest. Fig. 6 is a vertical section of the engine cylinder taken on the line X X of Fig. 5; and Figs. 7 and 8 are details, showing the valve and the removable part of the valveseat detached.

A represents one of the walls of the sewer trench.

B represents one of the sheathing timbers, in its lowermost or driven position.

O C is a driving-head applicable to the timber to be driven.

D D is the ram-driving engine, and E is the ram-head or hammer, secured directly to the piston of the driving engine. 1 l

The part C' of the driving head is in the form of a hollow cylinder, which telescopes with a corresponding cylinder F secured to the lower end of the driving engine. These two parts or telescopiug members C and F, constitute the lower end guideand connection between the driving engine and the drivinghead and inclose the ram-head or hammer. They are held together with freedom for a limited movement by any suitable connection, such as the bolts, shown at e.

D2 is the steam supply pipe and D3 the exhaust pipe to the driving engine; D4 the throttle-valve on the same, and D5 an ordinary oil-cup.

G is a cylinder rigidly secured to the top of the driving engine. G is the piston within the said cylinder, and G2 a pipe from the upper end of the said cylinder, in communication with the steam supply pipe through a three-way cock G3 and a union G4. G5 is an exhaust branch to the said pipe through the said three-way cock G3.

H is the over-bead support, extending along the line of the work. It is preferably in the form of an I-beam, projected from the top of a suitable frame mounted on trucks and movable lengthwise of the sewer. This frame and truck are not shown in the drawings, but may be of any suitable construction. The beam IOO may be of any convenient length, according to the range of work it is desired to do without moving the truck and frame.

K is a trolley mounted to move on the lower anges of the beam and controlled by the operator through a pair of ropes K and sheaves K2.

L is a block and tackle connecting the piston G with the trolley K, by means of which, the driving engine may be set at any desired elevation, according to the drive required.

The cylinder G and the piston G with the means for supplyingand exhausting the steam to the upper end of the same, constitutea lifting engine, by means of which the driving engine is lifted from the timber last driven to the proper level for application to the next timber to be driven. The cylinder G of this lifting engine is preferably formed of a length equal to that of the ordinary drive required for sheathing timbers. The cylinder and piston of this lifting engine also serve as upper end guides for holding the driving engine in its vertical position, with freedom to follow the timber as driven bythe ram. The block and tackle is held in whatever posit-ion it may be set by a rope-grip M M, applied to the slack rope of the same, and controlled by a rigid connection N, extending to within reach of the machine operator. 0f this ropegrip, the part M is a clamp-head, secured in the upper end of the piston G and is provided with a stub shank N2 circular in cross section, which serves as the journal for the lower sheaves of the block and tackle. rlhe part M is an eccentrically pivoted clamp le ver, between which and the clamp-head, the rope is held. In order to adapt this grip to ropes of different sizes or different thicknesses ofthe same rope, the pivot stud p connecting the clamp-lever with the clamp-head is carried by a pair of bearing-blocks P, which are removably seated in the clamp-head and have the pivot stud-hole p, located at different distances from corresponding surfaces of the block. These holes are three in number. Hence, by shifting the bearing-blocks P, so as to bring one or another of the pivot stud holes p into line with the corresponding openings in the clamp-head, the pivoted part of the clamp may be set forward or thrown backward to vary the size of the rope passage, as may be required.

In the ram driving engine, I employ a valve of a simple and novel construction which is well adapted to engines doing this class of work or any kind of work where a variable cut-off is not needed. It will be readily understood by reference to Figs. 5, 6, 7 and 8. The valve is shown at D6, and is of the rocking or :rotary type, having a hollow hub through which the steam is admitted from the steam supply pipe and hollow radial wings d, through which the steam is passed to the cylinder ports when the wings are made to register' therewith. For convenience of construction, the valve is removably mounted in a removable section D7 of the valve-seat, which is ducts a extend from under the upper wing of the valve around the removable section of the valve seat and through the fixed part ofthe valve seat walls and terminate Within the cylinder below the center of the same. Corresponding valve ports o. or ducts extend from under the lower wing of the valve around the part D7 and through the fixed part of the valve-seat walls and terminate within the cylinder above the center of the same. The piston-head D is elongated sufiiciently to cover one or the other of these valve ports during its entire stroke; and is providedwith a pair of exhaust ducts b and b', which register at the proper times with the valve-ports Ct and ct respectively, to effect the exhaust from the valve, the piston rod being provided with a central bore or duct b continuous with b and b and terminating at a point outside the cylinder. The piston-rod is preferably grooved on its periphery at points coinciding with exhaust ducts b and b', as shown at c and c respectively, so as to provide a sufficient clearance space to the steam Aexhausted from the valve. These grooves insure a complete exhaust from the valve even if the time of registration of the exhaust ducts with the valve ports should be insufficient for the purpose. With this construction of the valve and the arrangement of the valve-ports and exhaust ducts, it is evident that the valve is operated by direct pressure from the cylinder. As shown in Fig. 5, the piston has uncovered the valve-port a and is in position to permit the exhaust from the valve-port a. Hence, the steam behind the piston will immediately op the valve, cutting off steam from the lower suitably secured in the steam chest D8. Valve IOO end of the cylinder and admitting the same v' to the upper end of the cylinder. On the down stroke, the reverse action takes place. When the piston uncovers the valve-port a', the duct b will be in registration with the valve-'port d, and hence the valve will be iiopped in the other direction, so as to admit the steam to the lower end and permitthe exhaust from the upper end of the cylinder. The hub of the valve is provided with small radial holes d for permitting live steam t0 enter behind the wings of the valve for steadying the same and holding the same in position when set, thereby'avoidin g the trembling or displacement of the valve under the action of the steam passing through the wings into the ports of the cylinder. I have found this valve to be very sensitive in its action and reliable and durable in use.

It will of course be understood, that so far as the timber-driver is concerned, any other suitable valve mechanism might be employed.

The operation of the machine is obvious. The trolley is moved on the over-head support until the machine stands in line with the timber to be driven.y It is then lowered on to ITO the timber and the driving-engine started.v

stopped and the lifting engine called into action. Thiswill instantly lift the driving en- Eine to the proper level for the next timber. The operator has then only to move the trolley and drop the machine on to the'neXt timber. This movement from one timber to another can be done in less time than is required by the workman in the trench to set the next timber in position for the drive. By actual usage, I have demonstrated the etliciency of this machine. rapid Work, saving alarge amount of difficult hard labor.

It should be noted that the driving engine could be supported solely by the timber to be driven. The supplementary or lifting engine and the block and tackle are in the nature of additional devices for the quick and convenient removal of the driving engine from one timber to another.

I make herein no claim tothe form of rope grip applied to the slack rope of the tackle, nor to the construction of the valve mechanism, as herein shown and described; but reserve the right to do so in future applications to be made by me.

What I claim, and desireto secure by Letters Patent of the United States,is as follows:

l. The combination with the ram driving engine of the driving head applicable to the timber to be driven, the said elements each being provided with one membervof a pair'of telescoping cylinders within which Works the ram of the driving engine, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a ram-driving engine sustainable in Working position by the timber to be driven, of a lifting engine having its cylinder secured to a fixed part of the driving engine and having a `piston adapted/to be It is capable of veryV suspended from an overhead support, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. The combination with the ram-driving engine and the driving-head applicable to the timber to be driven, each of said elements being provided With one fixed member of apair of telescoping cylinders Within Which Works the ram of the driving engine, and a lifting engine having its cylinder secured to the driving engine and having a piston adapted to be suspended from an .overhead support,whereby the driving engine is guided at both ends and may be lifted at Will from the ending to the starting level of the drive.

4. The combination with an overhead support extending along the line of work, of a trolley movable on said support, a ram driving engine sustainable by the timber to be driven and a lifting device connecting said engine with said trolley, whereby the driving engine may be transferred at Will from one y timber to another.

5. The combination with the driving head applicable to the timber to be driven, of the ram driving engine, the telescoping cylinders fixed one to the said head and the other to said engine and inclosing the ram-head, the liftingengine having its cylinder secured to the driving engine, an overhead support eX- tending along the line of work, atrolleymovable on said support and a block and tackle carried by said trolley and suspending the piston of `said lifting engine, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

WILLIAM D. VAN DUZEE.

Witnesses:

JAS. F. WILLIAMSON, E. F. ELMORE.

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