IMPROVED MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR BORING ROCKS OR HARD SUBSTANCES
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the
Invention of "IMPROVED MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR BORING ROCKS OR
HARD SUBSTANCES."-A communication from abroad by Nicolas Joseph
Jacquet, aine, of Rue St. Sebastien, Paris, in the Empire of France.
Sealed the 23rd May 1864, and dated the 30th March 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
30th March 1864.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVED MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR BORING ROCKS
OR HARD SUBSTANCES," to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to facilitate the boring of rocks or other
hard substances in mining operations, the construction of tunnels, and other
works where the removal of hard rocky substances is required.
The machine or apparatus is intended to be worked by hand labour, and
the principal object of the Invention is to support the boring tool in the
required position while the boring operation is proceeding.
The machine consists principally of two frames, which are made to slide one
[Price 8d.1

page_text: upon the other, so that the machine may be lengthened or shortened as the
nature of the work to be done may require. Each of these frames is provided
with a projecting centre pin or point, which when thrust into the sides or
walls of the excavation will support the compound framing in any required
position. One of these centre pins or points is made adjustable by being
attached to the end of a screw, whereby it may be thrust, forward into the
solid rock, and thus made to hold the machine firmly. The boring tool is
constructed something like an auger, and is secured in a socket at the end of
a rod which passes through a hollow screwed 'shaft. This latter turns in a
female screw mounted in bearings in a carriage, which is capable of being
moved to any position along the compound framing, on which it is secured to
pins and clamping screws. The bearings for holding the hollow screwed shaft
of the boring tool are also capable of being turned. on their centres, so as to
bring the boring tool into the desired position. Instead of the boring tool
being advanced by a hollow screwed shaft, this object may be effected by
means of a rack-and-pinion motion. Water may be conveyed through a
flexible tube to the interior of the hollow shaft, and from thence into the hole
that is being bored. Rotary motion may be communicated to the boring tool
by means of a ratchet arm and click, or a winch handle fixed on the end of
a rod which carries the tool. The boring tool is turned by hand, and as its
shaft is twisted into the form of a screw the debris from the hole, assisted by
the water which is injected, will be forced out of the hole.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 30th September 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-seventh year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said William Edward Newton, Her special license that I, the said
William Edward Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said William Edward Newton, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time

page_text: to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed,, should
and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "IMPROVED MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR BORING ROCKS OR
HARD SUBSTANCES," being a communication from Nicolas Joseph Jacquet,
aine, of Paris, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William
Edward Newton, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in
what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be
filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Edward Newton, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
The object of this Invention is to facilitate the boring of rocks or other
hard substances in mining operations, in the construction of tunnels, and other
works where the removal of hard rocky substances is required.
The machine or apparatus is intended to be worked by hand labor, and the
principal object of the Invention is to support the boring tool in the
required position while the boring operation is proceeding. :
The machine consists principally of two frames, which are made to slide one
upon the other, so that the machine may be lengthened or shortened as the
nature of the work to be done may require. Each of these frames is provided
with a projecting centre pin or point, which when thrust into the sides or walls
of the excavation will support the compound framing in any required position.
One of these centre pins or points is made adjustable by being attached to the
end of a screw, whereby it may be thrust forward into the solid. rock, and thus
made to hold the machine firmly. The boring tool is constructed 'something
like an auger, and is secured in a socket at the end of a rod which passes
through a hollow screwed shaft. This latter turns in a female screw mounted
in bearings in a carriage, which is capable of being moved to any position
along the compound framing, on which it is secured by pins and clamping
screws. The bearings for holding the hollow screwed shaft of the boring tool
are also capable of being turned on their centres, so as to bring the boring
tool into the desired position. Instead of the boring tool being advanced by
a hollow screwed shaft, this object may be effected by means of a rack-and-
pinion motion. Water may be conveyed through a flexible tube to the interior

page_text: of the hollow shaft, and from thence into the hole that is being bored. Rotary
motion may be communicated to the boring tool by means of a ratchet arm
and click, or a winch handle fixed on the end of a rod which carries the tool.
The boring tool is turned by hand, and as its shaft is twisted into the form of
a screw, the debris from the hole, assisted by the water which is injected, will
be forced out of the hole.
In the accompanying Drawing Fig. 1 is a longitudinal elevation of the
boring apparatus set up ready for use; Fig. 2 is a side view of the same.
The apparatus consists of a main frame 3, upon which is fitted a moveable
frame 1, capable of adjustment, so that the distance between the steel points 2
and 5 shall vary from 4 to 6 feet, according to the size or height of the
gallery. The frame 1 carries the moveable carriage 6, 6, in which is mounted
the bracket 8, having a female screw bearing 9 constructed in two parts,
which are held together by a screw 11, the extremity of which rests in a step
fixed upon one of the bearings 9. The guide frames are held together by a
cross piece 7. Screw nuts 13 serve to tighten up the carriage which carries
the hollow screw 18, which may have either a square or triangular thread.
Through the screw 18 runs the rod 16, intended for the reception of the
boring tool 24 (Fig. 1), for which purpose it has at its extremity a round or
oval socket 23. The rod 16 is kept in its proper position by means of the
screw nut 19 and washer or packing ring 20. This rod 16 has a squared
head at 17, for the reception of a winch or handle, whereby it may be turned.
The screw nut is kept in place by means of tightening screws 22, and its upper
part is provided with four nicks or ratchet teeth 21, in which the pawl 15 at
the end of the lever handle 14 (seen detached at Fig. 1) takes; this may be
either single or double acting.
The operation of the apparatus is as follows: The frame 1 is moved along
the main frame 3 until the points 5 and 2 come in contact with the walls of
the gallery, the point 5 being moveable for adjusting purposes by means of the
screw 4; the carriage 6 is then brought up to its place, and fastened there
by means of a strong pin inserted in one of the holes 26 of the frame 3, the
bracket 8 is then placed in position, and the direction in which it is required
to bore is given to the screw 18, and it is fixed in that position by tightening
up the nuts 13. In order to bore, the pawl lever 14 is placed upon the square
head 17 of the rod 16, and moved round. The boring tool 24 is caused to
advance, in order to penetrate the rock or other substance when required, by
causing the pawl 15 to take into the ratchet teeth on the screw nut 19, which
will communicate rotary motion to the screw 18, and by that means cause the
boring tool to advance. The operation is commenced with a boring tool about

page_text: 15 inches in length, and when it has advanced as far as it will go this tool is
removed by unscrewing the screw 11, and another boring tool 25 inches in
length is inserted in its place, and so on up to any convenient depth of hole.
The arrangement shewn at Fig. 1bis may also be employed, in which instead of
the hollow screw 18 a rack 27 is used, and through which the tool rod 16
passes; the rack' is worked by means of the pinions 28 and 29 mounted in
the carriage 8. The extremity 30 of the rod 16 serves to receive the socket
23, in which the boring tool is inserted. When the hole is sufficiently deep
the enlarging tool shewn at Fig. 3 or Fig. 4 is employed for the purpose of
forming a chamber at the bottom of the hole, in order that less powder may
be employed, and a larger portion of rock or other matter dislodged at once.
The enlarging tools represented at Figs. 3 and 4 are both intended to have
water supplied to them by means of an india-rubber pipe 40 (see Fig. 5) fixed
above the stop-cock 39, and screwed on to the joint 33. The hollow boring
tool 31 is made in several lengths, which are fastened together by screwing,
or by a bayonet joint; 32 is a ring furnished with steel filings. The caoutchouc
rings 36 is for the purpose of preventing the escape of the water, which enters
the joint 37 and passes through the opening 38 into the hollow boring tool.
In the enlarging tool shown at Fig. 3, 41 is the hollow tube, 42 the passage
for the water, and 43 the steel blade or cutting tool.
tube, and 45 the internal rod, which terminates in a
pressing upon the blade or tool 46 causes it to project more or less from the
extremity of the tube 44. The tenon 47 fixed to the rod 45 is caused to move
backwards or forwards by means of the two hand screws 48, which causes the
conical end of the rod to bear more or less upon the blade 46. When hollow
boring tools are employed, steel filings or other hard substance may be placed
in the ring 32 at the end of the hollow rod 41 and 44 in Figs. 3 and 4.
When the boring is effected in a downward direction, the hollow boring tools
may, as above stated, be made in the form of a screw of quick pitch, so as to
work the debris out of the hole.
In Fig. 4, 44 is the
conc; this cone by
Having now described the Invention of "Improved Machinery for Boring
Rocks or Hard Substances," which has been communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent as aforesaid, and having explained the manner of
carrying the same into effect, I claim as the Invention secured to me by
Letters Patent as aforesaid, mounting the boring tool in an adjustable frame,
so constructed as to be fixed against the sides or walls of the gallery, as herein
set forth, so that the boring tool may be forced forward in the desired direction,
and made to pierce the hard rock,

page_text: I claim also the mode herein set forth of mounting, constructing, and
operating the cutting tools.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
W. E. NEWTON. (L.S.)