Improvements in Miners Tools
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Feb., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 10th Nov., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 14th Dec., 1888
1, ROBERT LAMB MUIR of 68 Brandon Street, Motherwell in the County of
Lanark, North Britain, General and Furnishing Ironmonger do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This Invention, which relates to Improvements in Miners Tools, consists in the
construction of a tool to serve the double purpose of what is known as a needle for
the stemming of the holes for blasting and what is known as a cleaner for cleaning
the holes.
It being necessary under the present mining act to use a needle and cleaner of
copper in order to guard against ignition by friction, the employment of copper
therefore for these tools has rendered them more expensive than if the tools were of
common rod iron.
In accordance with my Invention I take the ordinary copper needle and forge at
the thicker end of it a catch piece or cleaner, which thus constitutes a complete tool
for cleaning purposes.
In order to use the tool thus constructed for the purposes of the ordinary needle, I
form the thicker end of the needle squared so that a bar handle with a corresponding
central aperture or socket may be passed from the point of the needle down on
to the squared portion and thus provide a convenient handle for drawing out the
needle.
In lieu of this form of handle it may be a ring with a socket piece forged upon it
to fit on the said squared portion the opposite portion of the said ring being either
formed with a similar socket or simply indented to allow the ring to lie flat.
11 1
600
JOHNSONS,
115, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow,
Petitioner's Agents.

page_text: Improvements in Miners Tools.
I, ROBERT LAMB MUIR of 68, Brandon Street Motherwell in the County of
Lanark, North Britain, General and Furnishing Ironmonger do hereby declare the
nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This Invention which relates to improvements in miners tools, consists in the
construction of a tool to serve the double purpose of what is known as a needle for
the stemming of the holes for blasting, and what is known as a cleaner for cleaning
the holes.
It being necessary under the present mining act to use a needle and cleaner of
copper in order to guard against ignition by friction, the expense of having two
separate tools of this metal is overcome by my invention of one tool to serve both
purposes.
Figure 1 of my drawing illustrates my combined tool; figure 2. is an edge view of
the tool; figure 3 is a sectional view through the handle portion of the tool.
In accordance with my invention, the needle A has its thicker end formed with a
cleaner B forged upon its extremity, the needle portion forming the rod or holder in
the cleaning operation, the handle C being slid from off the said end of the needle
when using the tool as a cleaner. When using the needle the handle is slid on to the
squared portion a of the needle, in the position shewn in the drawings, and forms a
convenient means of withdrawing the needle. The said ring handle C is formed
with squared sockets c to fit closely upon the squared portions of the rod of the
needle.
In lieu of two sockets for the ring handle, I may use one socket only, the opposite
portion of the ring being indented to allow the ring to lie flat. The ring handle may
be also of copper, but I prefer to make it of brass or other cheaper metal; also in
lieu of the needle being of solid copper, it may only be of that metal where exposed
to friction.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
First. The tool for miners use consisting of a combined "needle" and "cleaner,"
substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described and shewn on the accom-
panying drawings.
Second. The ring handle C substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore
described and shewn on the accompanying drawings.
Third. The mounting of the scraper B. upon the one end of the needle, in combina-
tion with the ring handle C.
Dated this Oth dow of Now 1000