1818.J 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



269 



STEAM PILE-DRIVER. 



( With an Engraving, Plate XII.) 

 Patented hy Mr. James Nasmyth, and Manufactured hji Messrs. 

 Nasmyth, Gaskell, and Co, of tha Bridgewater Foundry, Patricroft, 

 near Manchester. 



Public works are acquiring such magnitude even in their details, 

 and their several parts are so numerous, tliat they are constantly 

 making greater requirements on the resources of mechanical en- 

 gineering. It has been a matter of dispute frequently whether a 

 particular class of woi'ks belonged to the architect or the civil 

 engineer ; and Professor Hosking goes the length of claiming the 

 whole domain of civil engineering as belonging to architecture. 

 Others may now come forward and claim many of these works as 

 the province of mechanical engineering. Tlius, a still greater 

 tendency to the separation of the professions of the arcliitect and 

 engineer is created. The tubular biidges over the Conway and 

 the Menai, the High Level Bridge at Newcastle, iron and screw pile 

 lighthouses, and suspension-bridges, are more the production of 

 the mechanical engineer than of the architect. As a specimen, we 

 gave in our August number an account of the ingenious patent 

 Jacquard machine, invented by Mr. Roberts, for punching the 

 plates of the tubular bridge at Conway, for the purpose of saving 

 time and labour; and in our present number we publish the en- 

 gravings of another powerful machine, invented by Mr. James 

 Nasmyth, for driving piles by the aid of steam, and which has been 

 used with great success in the construction of the High Level 

 Bridge at Newcastle, the Docks at Plymouth, and other works of 

 magnitude. It is gi-atifying to see this mutual aid of civil and 

 mechanical engineering, for it is this combination of talent wliich 

 is best calculated to elevate the character of both branches of the 

 profession, and to extend their application. Whatever mechani- 

 cal processes diminish the cost of production, whether of a railway 

 or of a pin, contribute to increased use ; and we look forward to a 

 great reduction in r<iilway expenditure finim the progress of im- 

 provement, and consequently to an extension of the system under 

 circumstances where, from considerations of economy, its applica- 

 tion is not now contemplated. 



Any consideration of the great works of civil engineering, even 

 in such a case as the Eddystone Lightliouse, will show how much 

 depends on overcoming the mechanical obstacles which stand in the 

 way. Time is money, and money again often saves time ; and a 

 due attention to these points enables an engineer to execute his 

 works cheaply and well. At the present time, a great deal depends 

 upon the rapid and economical prosecution of works, and it be- 

 comes doubly important to call in the aid of mechanical science 

 wherever, as in the cases already named, it promises to do the 

 Fork more efficiently and more economically. 



The merits of the steam pile-driver now before us consist, 

 in the first place, in the direct manner in which the clastic 

 force of steam is employed as the agent by which the " monkey" 

 (or block of iron whicli strikes the head of the pile) is lifted 

 to the height requisite for that purpose. Secondly, in the 

 very peculiar and original manner in which the pile itself is 

 made to act as the only suppin-t for the active or blow-giving 

 portion of the apparatus ; by which arrangement, the entire 

 dead weight of the apparatus in question is turned to most im- 

 portant account as a '■'■persuader," to assist the pile in sinking 

 into the ground when in the act of being driven : this dead weight 

 also acting verv importantly as an anti-recoil agent, so far as its 

 entire weight (three tons) can accomplish that object.— Thirdly, 

 in the peculiar manner in which the pile-driving part of the ap- 

 paratus is permitted to sink down along with the pile, and guide 

 it in its descent, so as to remove aU chance of the pile twisting, or 

 in any respect swerving from the true position given to it at the 

 commencement of the operation of driving. — Fourthly, in the 

 peculiar manner in which a vast increased degree of energy is 

 given to the blows of the monkey beyond that which is due to 'the 

 height through which it falls. 



The engraving exliibits an arrangement of the " Patent Steam 

 Pile-Driver," for driving two piles in two continuous lines, without 

 the necessity of a previously-existing gangway, the machine mak- 

 ing its own way as it is moved forward. Fig. 1 is a side elevation ; 

 fig. 2, a section on a 6 ; fig. 3, front elevation ; fig, 4 a plan, 

 showing the engine and platform ; fig. 5, a plan of the timbers 

 whicli carry the platform and saws ; and figs. 6 and 7, enlarged 

 views of the steam-cylinder and driving-hammer. 



The apparatus and machinery consist of the following parts : — 



Firstly, the steam-boiler. A, similar to a locomotive-boiler, with 

 steam-chest on the top. This boiler stands upon a platform B, 



No. 133 — Vol. XI. — October, IS-IS. 



supported on iron wheels b, running on iron rails b\ placed on 

 balks of timber ft', fixed on to the top of the piles as they are 

 driven; and vertical guide-posts C C, with pulleys, cc,c^c', on 

 the top. 



Secondly, a small steam-engine D, placed horizontally in the 

 centre of the platform, with connecting-rod d, driving a crank d', 

 and pinion d-, on the crank-shaft, that takes into a cog-wheel e, 

 fixed on one end of a shaft E, with pinion e' on the other end 

 that takes into another cog-wheel /, fixed on the long shaft F, 

 upon which are fixed two pinion-wheels/',/', that take into cog- 

 wheels/-' /-, fixed on the axles of two spiral-fluted harrehp f\ 

 upon which are coiled the chains/^/', for lifting the steam-pile, 

 driving-cylinder, and hammer. Upon the ends of the shaft D, are 

 two smaller barrels G, for tlie ropes or chains g^ to lift the piles into 

 their places. 



Thirdly, the pile-driving apparatus, consisting of a cylinder 

 H, with its piston-rod passing out at the bottom, and directly at^ 

 tached to a block of iron or monkey I (weighing about 35 cwt.), 

 placed inside of a square wrought-iron case J, which acts as a guide 

 to the hammer in its rising or falling, and rests upon the shoulder 

 of the pile K at Jj; and at the same time, grasps the neck and 

 shoulders of the pile with great tightness, so that it cannot twist 

 or swerve from tlie position which the vertical guide-posts C 

 give to the case J, and which is clamped to the posts by the 

 sliding-clanips j^ j'. L, L, are steam-pipes from the top of the 

 boiler A, to the pile-driving cylinder H, jointed togetlier by swivel 

 joints of cast-iron. 



Fourthly, horizontal saws M, M, fixed on to the underside of 

 the platform, for cutting olf, to a level surface, the lieads of the 

 piles as they are driven. The saws are worked by the bevel 

 gearing m, fixed on to the middle shaft, E. 



With respect to the action of this machine, in order to describe 

 it with clearness, we shall suppose that the pile-driving part of 

 the apparatus seen in fig. 1, and enlarged view figs. 6 and 7, marked 

 H, I, J, has been wound up by tlie small engine D, and the gearing 

 F, and let down upon the shoulders of the pile K, and the steam 

 admitted under the piston in the cylinder H, by means of the jointed 

 wrought-iron pipes L, L, L, wliich serve to convey the steam from 

 the boiler A to the cylinder H, at whatsoever height the cylinder 

 may he at in respect to the boiler. The steam being let in under 

 the piston, the ste.im-hammer action is commenced, and the 

 35-cwt. block I, is made to give 75 to 80 blows per minute with a 

 fall of 3 feet, upon the liead of tlie pile, with such earnest energy 

 as to cause the pile to sink into the soil at an average rate of 

 from 5 to 10 feet per minute (according to the nature of the 

 soil). As each blow is given, the apparatus H, I, J, follows down 

 along with the pile, as tlie shoulders of the pile are the only means 

 of support to H, I, J, and they are therefore free to slide down 

 the face of the vertical pole C, the instant a blow is given to the 

 pile-head and drives it down ; and this action is so rapid, that the 

 eye can scarcely appreciate the interval. The jointed steam-pipe 

 at the same time accomodates itself to every new position which 

 the sinking pile causes the driving-apparatus to assume. For the 

 purpose of opening and closing the steam-valve, there is a small 

 inclined plane on the hammer-block, inside the case, which coming 

 in contact with the end of a small lever passing through an open- 

 ing in the side of the case J, shown in figs. 6 and 7, causes the 

 valve in the valve-box (cast on the steam-cylinder H) to open and 

 shut. When the steam has raised the piston to its proper height, 

 the steam-valve, by the action of this lever, is closed, and an 

 outlet-valve opened, which allows the steam to blow out into the 

 air and the Iiamiiier-block to descend. 



As soon as the pile is driven to the required depth, the apparatus 

 is again wound up by the small engine D ; and the next following 

 pile K', whicli may have been in the mean time hoisted by the 

 engine D and gearing G, ready for driving (as seen in fig. 1), is 

 then " pitched" or placed in its proper situation. The locomotive 

 gear is then put in motion, and the apparatus lowered down on to 

 the shoulders of the pile in question. The hoisting-chain f, is 

 tlien let free, so that the apparatus may be free to rest on the 

 shoulders of the pile, and follow down along with it as before. 

 The steaiji is now again let into the cylinder H, and the driving 

 proceeded with as before. The ease and dispatcli with which the 

 entire process is proceed with requires to be seen to be duly appre- 

 ciated. Piles have been driven by this machine into descriptions 

 of soils and under circumstancen which would ha\'e put all the at- 

 tempts of the ordinary pile-driving machines at utter defiance. 



It may be proper to observe, that notwithstanding the energetic 

 blows which this maehine showers down on the heads of the pUes, in 

 consequence of these blows being given by so massive a hammer as 

 35 cwt., and at the moderate velocity acquired by a fall of only 



3S 



