Method and apparatus for starting diesel type hammers

摘要

A self starting diesel hammer (20) having a tubular casing (30) inside which a heavy ram (32) is driven up by means of an explosion and then falls back onto an anvil (46) while compressing air under the ram so that fuel injected under the ram (32) causes the air to explode and drive the ram (32) up again, and a source of compressed gas (106) and a valve (110) arranged to direct the gas under the ram (32) to throw it upwardly in the casing (30) to start operation of the hammer.