and other Minerals and in Apparatus for Effecting the same.
Year: 1888

page_text: and other Minerals and in Apparatus for Effecting the same.
We, THOMAS BOWER and ROBERT WILLIAM BOWER, Colliery Owners, and JAMES
BLACKBURN, Colliery Manager, all of Allerton Main Colliery, Leeds in the County of
York do hereby declare the nature of our said invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
The object of our invention is to effect the breaking down and blowing of coal and
other minerals by means of compressed air, thereby dispensing entirely with ordinary
explosives in mining operations, and effecting the same in a simple, safe, and
economical manner.
Our invention consists of an air compressing apparatus, fitted with air and hydraulic
pumps; a portable vessel to contain the compressed air, and the necessary valves,
gauges, tubes and connections for operating the same.
And in order that our said invention may be particularly described and ascertained,
reference is hereby made to the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters of
reference indicate corresponding parts.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an apparatus, suitable for carrying out our invention.
Fig. 2 is an end view of the same. Fig. 3 is a section of the portable air vessel, for
conveying compressed air to the nine. Fig. 4 is an end view of the same, and Fig. 5
is a view of the tube which enters the bore hole.
h
a is a strong metallic vessel, fitted with a pressure gauge b, a safety valve c, an air
pump, and hydraulic pump g. The pumps g and may be driven by the eccentrics e
and fitted to a revolving shaft d, or by cranks or other ordinary means. j is a pipe
fitted to the upper part of a, provided with the valve k.
The pipe p is connected to the receiver m, having a valve 1. m is a strong portable
vessel for receiving compressed air from the vessel a and retaining the same until
required for use.
When using the apparatus for filling the vessel m with compressed air, the pump h
is employed to pump air into a, until the pressure attains to about 150 pounds per
square inch, indicated by the gauge. The pump h may then be shut off by the

page_text: valve n, and the pump 7 is employed to pump water into a, whereby the air confined
therein is still further compressed to the necessary pressure. The pipe p is then con-
nected to the receiver m, the valve l acting as a stop cock. The receiver m is then
filled with compressed air from the vessel a and carefully stopped and disconnected
from the vessel a. The receiver m is then ready for use.
In using this receiver for breaking down coal, and analogous purposes, we first
make the ordinary bore hole. We then inject a small quantity of water into the bore
hole to render it perfectly air-tight. The pipe o is then inserted into the bore hole
and tamped. The receiver m is then united to the pipe o by any ordinary method,
and on the opening of the valve the pressure of the air is communicated to the
interior of the bore hole, whereby the mineral is split and broken, as required.
In applying our apparatus to mineral which happens to be very porous, we insert
in the bore hole a tube formed of rubber or other flexible material to prevent the
dissipation and loss of the compressed air.
We do not confine ourselves to the precise forms and arrangements shown by the
drawings, as it is obvious that they may be very much modified.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said Inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be perforined we declare that what we
claim is
1. The method of and means and appliances for breaking down and blowing coal
and other minerals, and analogous operations, by means of portable receivers con-
taining compressed air, substantially as herein before described and illustrated by
the drawings.
2. The method of compressing air for the purposes aforesaid, by the combined
action of pneumatic and hydraulic pumps, substantially as herein before described and
illustrated by the drawings.
3. The method of rendering the bore-hole air tight, by injecting water therein
substantially as herein before described.
Dated Autoust 24th 1888.
HUGGINS & RUTLAND,
Agents for Applicants.