Fluid-operated hammer

Claim 1

A FLUID-OPERATED HAMMER COMPRISING A HOUSING HAVING A VALVE ASSEMBLY MOUNTED THEREIN, MEANS FOR CONNECTING SAID HOUSING TO A SOURCE OF FLUID UNDER PRESSURE AND TRANSMITTING THE FLUID TO SAID VALVE ASSEMBLY, TRIGGER ASSEMBLY MEANS MOUNTED BY SAID HOUSING FOR CONTROLLING THE FLOW OF SAID FLUID UNDER PRESSURE TO SAID VALVE ASSEMBLY, A BARREL HAVING A RECIPROCABLE HAMMER THEREIN FORMING PART OF SAID HOUSING, SAID HAMMER BEING RECIPROCATED BY SAID FLUID IN RESPONSE TO THE OPERATION OF SAID VALVE ASSEMBLY, MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE POSITION OF SAID HAMMER IN SAID BARREL FOR SEQUENTIALLY OPERATING SAID VALVE ASSEMBLY TO RECIPROCATE SAID HAMMER, MEANS MOUNTING A TOOL ON THE HOUSING FOR DIRECT IMPACT BY SAID HAMMER, SAID MEANS PROVIDING FOR SLIDING MOVEMENT OF THE TOOL BETWEEN A HAMMER CONTACTING AND AN IDLE POSITION, AND MEANS COOPERATING BETWEEN SAID BARREL AND SAID HAMMER FOR FORMING AN AIR TRAP CUSHIONING THE IMPACT OF SAID RECIPROCATING HAMMER.