Improvements in Frames for Supporting Rock Drills Used in Shaft Sinking, and for Serving, when Transformed, as a Scaffold for Use when Lining the Shaft..
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 15th June, 1896
Complete Specification Left, 15th Apr., 1897-Accepted, 22nd May, 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Frames for Supporting Rock Drills Used in Shaft
Sinking, and for Serving, when Transformed, as a Scaffold for
Use when Lining the Shaft..
We, JAMES MCCULLOCH, of Portreath, in the Parish of Illogan, and JOHN
SHAW, of Fore Street in the Town and Parish of Camborne, both in the County
of Cornwall, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to an improved construction of frame for fixing rock-drills
for working when sinking shafts and for serving when transformed as a scaffold for
use when lining shafts with brickwork or other material. The said frame is built
up of round bars, cross heads, and arms adjustable outwardly and inwardly in the
cross heads by means of racks and pinions or worm gear or similar device the said
arms being secured after adjustment by set screws, pads or other suitable appliance
being provided to prevent injury to the arms by the screws. The arms are prevented
from turning in the cross heads by means of a slot and feather, or similar device.
Each arm is furnished with an inner screw-threaded rod which is controlled by a
handle or hand wheel. The said inner screw threaded rod screws into a pivot or
end piece capable of sliding axially in the arm and prevented from rotating by a
slot and pin or similar device its position being adjusted by the rotation of the
screwed rod or by fluid or liquid pressure. The said pivot or end piece is adapted
to securely hold the frame in place when forced against the side of the shaft. A
ratchet wheel, pawl and weight are provided to prevent the screw rod from
working loose under the action of the shocks caused by the rock drills when at
work.
The rock drills are mounted on the round bars and arms and are adjustable
thereon so as to admit of drilling holes in any desired position within the floor of
the shaft.
The frame is raised and lowered as required by a capstan from which it is
suspended by chains or wire ropes and is if desired counterbalanced by weights
suspended by means of chains or ropes passing over pulleys fixed in the shaft. The
capstan can be worked by any motive power.
The frame with the rock drills mounted thereon is lowered by the capstan to the
required working distance from the floor of the shaft, the arms are then extended
and secured, and the pivots are forced by the screws against the sides of the shaft
to hold the frame igidly in position so that the rock drills will be firmly supported
whilst at work. Should any of the arms or pivots become slack after the drills
have started by reason of the vibration they can be tightened up again by turning
their screwed rods without altering the positions of the bits in the holes. The
arms are slackened and drawn in when it is desired to raise the frame and to pass it
through the lining to the surface or otherwise. When one kibble is used to raise
the debris resulting from the blasting the same may be passed through the centre
opening of the frame. If two or more kibbles are used they may be passed
through the side openings. The kibbles are prevented from swaying about
by running guides on the wire ropes or chains that serve to lift and lower the
frame.
The frame also serves as a platform or scaffold required when lining the shaft
with brickwork or other material, the rock drills being then removed and the arms

page_text: and bars being covered with wood or iron plates to form the platform. When used
as a scaffold the frame is lowered to the required depth in the shaft and secured by
extending the arms and pivots as above described.
It is obvious that the above frame admits of readily and quickly putting the rock
drills to work, and of removing them when blasting is to be effected, and enables
the sinking to be done with great speed. It also offers equal facility for being
fixed and removed as a scaffold, thus facilitating the lining operation.
Dated this 15th day of June 1896.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
15 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.
Improvements in Frames for Supporting Rock Drills Used in Shaft
Sinking, and for Serving, when Transformed, as a Scaffold for
Use when Lining the Shaft.
We, JAMES MCCULLOCH, of Portreath, in the Parish of Illogan, and JOHN
SHAW, of Fore Street, in the Town and Parish of Camborne, both in the County
of Cornwall, Engineers, 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 relates to an improved construction of frame for supporting rock
drills at work when sinking shafts. The said frame is built up of round bars, cross
heads, and arms adjustable in the cross heads by means of racks and pinions or
worm gear or similar devices. Each arm is furnished with an inner screw-threaded
rod controlled by a handle or hand wheel and screwed into a pivot or end piece
capable of sliding axially in the arm, its position being adjusted by the rotation of
the screwed rod. The pivots or end pieces are adapted to securely hold the
frame in place when forced against the sides of the shaft. The rock drills are
secured to the round bars and arms and are adjustable thereon to admit of drilling
holes where desired in the floor of the shaft.
The frame is capable of being transformed into a platform or scaffold to be used
when lining the shaft with brickwork or other material, the arms and bars being
covered with wood or iron plates to form the platform.
The whole apparatus is raised and lowered as required by a capstan to which it
is connected by chains or ropes which pass over suitable pulleys at the head of the
shaft.
In order that our invention may be more clearly understood we will now describe
how the same may be carried into effect, having reference to the accompanying
drawings, of which
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the rock drill frame and illustrates the manner in
which the same is suspended and fixed in the shaft and also the manner of operating
the rock drills carried by the said frame.
Figure 2 is a plan of the frame,
Figure 3 comprises an end elevation, of, and a longitudinal section through, one
of the arms, drawn to a larger scale, and shows the means for operating the screw
and pivot or end piece.
Figure 4 is a plan of the frame having the platform attached thereon to form a
scaffold.
Figure 5 is a side elevation of the frame and platform and shows the arms drawn
in, and the chain for raising and lowering the frame.
Figures 6 and 7 are elevations at right angles to each other of the framing and
gear at the head of the shaft.

page_text: Figure 8 is a side elevation of the frame and kibble and shows the running guide.
for the kibble, and
Figure 9 is a plan of the running guides.
Like reference letters refer to the same parts in the several figures.
A, A are the bars which together with the blocks or crossbeads B and arms C
constitute the rock drill frame. The said bars are of circular section and are
secured together by means of the crossheads B which have holes formed in them at
right angles to each other to receive the ends of the hars A. the whole being so
arranged that a square frame is formed by the four bars with a crosshead at each
corner.
In addition to the two holes for the bars each crosshead has two other holes
formed in it also at right angles to each other, but one above the other so that
they do not coincide. The hollow arms C are fixed in the latter holes and project
therefrom outwardly.
These arms C are adjusted in the crossheads B, being provided with teeth D
with which & pinion carried by the crosshead and furnished with a tommy head E.
is adapted to gear. The arms C are prevented from turning in the crossheads B by
means of feathers fixed in the said crossheads so as to work in slots F in the arms.
Set screws G, the inner ends of which bear against friction blocks or pads, are
tightened to lock the arms in position.
Each arm C carries at its outer extremity a pivot or pointed end piece H the
tail of which is movable longitudinally in the said arm and has a slot I into which
a pin J, carried by the arm, projects and so prevents the turning of the pivot.
This end piece forms the nut for a screw K by means of which the said en
piece is moved inwardly or outwardly. The spindle of the screw is prolonged.
backward to the opposite extremity of the arm C where it is attached to a hand
wheel L by means of which it can be rotated. To prevent the backward
longitudinal movement of the screw K its spindle is furnished with a collar M
which bears against an internal shoulder formed in the arm C or against a bush
fixed in the arm. The forward movement of the screw is prevented by a ratchet
wheel N fixed to the screw spindle and bearing against the boss of a weighted
lever O which in turn bears against the end cover P of the arm C.
The ratchet wheel and weighted lever form part of the device for preventing
the working loose of the screw K by the action of shocks due to the working of
the rock drills. The lever O carries a pawl Q which engages with the teeth
of the ratchet wheel N when the latter is turned in the proper direction to force.
the end piece or pivot H outwardly. When the pivot has heen forced against the
side of the shaft, the lever O is raised to such a position that the weight at its
extremity by acting through the ratchet wheel N and screw K, will be caused by
gravity to tend to force the pivot H outwardly and so prevent it from working-
loose. The screw is prevented from turning backward when the lever O is raised
by a second pawl R fixed to the cover plate P of the arm C.
The rock drills S¹ are connected to clamps S mounted on the bars A and arms C:
in such a manner as to be adjustable longitudinally and radially thereon so that the-
drills may be capable of drilling vertical or inclined holes in the floor of the shaft.
By the use of this frame it is possible to drill holes close to the wall of the shaft.
and the frame can be readily raised and lowered through a smaller part of the
shaft, for example the lining, when the arms are drawn in.
The frame is suspended in the shaft by means of chains T which are attached to
shackles U fastened to bolts carried by the crossheads B and which are suspended
from ropes or chains V, passing over pullies W at the head of the shaft, and
operated by a capstan by means of which the frame and drills can be raised and
lowered. The pulleys W are carried on the head frame in such a manner that the
ropes V depend therefrom one on each side of the centre line of the shaft. The
weight of the drill frame may be counterbalanced by weights suspended from.
chains or ropes passing over pulleys at the head of the shaft and attached to the
said frame if desired.

page_text: The kibble X Figure 8 for raising the debris is suspended from a third rope
which passes up the centre of the shaft over a pulley Y to the winding engine.
When being lowered, this kibble passes down through the opening between the bars A.
The swaying of the kibble is prevented by a guide K Figure 8 mounted on the
rope by which the kibble is suspended and forined with eyes at its ends through
which the ropes V that serve to raise and lower the frame pass.
The frame is transformed into a scaffold by covering the arms and bars with
planks or plates. For this purpose angle framing Z Figure 5 is supported by
means of struts a clamped at their lower ends to the bars A and arms C and upon
this framing the planks or plates to form the floor of the platform are laid. When
the scaffold is in use, the shackles U are attached to eye-bolts b which extend
downward through the floor of the scaffold and are attached to the crossheads B.
The rock drills may be removed before applying the scaffold to the frame or they
may be allowed to remain on the arms as there is enough room between the scaffold
and the drills to clear the latter.
To use the aforesaid apparatus the frame with the rock drills mounted thereon
is lowered by the capstan to the required working distance from the floor of the
shaft, and the armis C are then extended the required distance by turning the
tommy heads E and secured by tightening the set screws G; the pivots H are
then forced by the screws K against the sides of the shaft to hold the frame
rigidly in position so that the rock drills will be firmly supported whilst at work.
The tendency of the arms or pivots to become slack by reason of the vibration
caused by the rock drills is avoided by raising the weighted lever O so that the
weight will tend to descend and turn the screw K to force the pivot outward. The
arms C are slackened and drawn in when it is desired to raise the frame. When
one kibble X is used to raise the debris resulting from the blasting the same may
be passed through the centre opening of the frame. If two or more kibbles are
used they may be passed through the side openings.
When used as a scaffold, the frame is lowered to the required depth in the shaft
and secured by extending the arms and pivots as above described.
It is obvious that the above frame admits of readily and quickly putting the
rock drills to work, and of removing them when blasting is to be effected, and
enables the sinking to be done with great speed. It also offers equal facility for
fixing and shifting as a scaffold, thus facilitating the lining operation.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manuer the same is to be perforined, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. A frame consisting of bars connected together by crossheads or blocks which
carry axially adjustable arms provided with axially adjustable pointed end pieces,
substantially as described, and for the purposes specified.
2. The combination, with the rock drill frame and kibble, of the guide which
engages with the ropes for raising and lowering the said frame and kibble and
prevents the swaying of the kibble, substantially as described.
3. The combination, with the frame for supporting the rock drills, of a platform
adapted to be fixed to the said frame in such a manner as to constitute a scaffold,
substantially as described, and for the purposes specified.
4. The apparatus, constructed substantially as described with reference to the
accompanying drawings for the purposes specified.
Dated this 15th day of April 1897.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.