IMPROVEMENTS IN EXPANDING DRILLS FOR BORING ROCKS
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the "International
Patent Office," No. 8, Southampton Buildings, London, Consulting
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN EXPANDING DRILLS
FOR BORING ROCKS."-A communication from abroad by Elliott Perry
Gleason, of the City and State of New York, United States of
America.
Sealed the 3rd December 1869, and dated the 6th August 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 6th August 1869.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the "International Patent Office,'
No. 8, Southampton Buildings, London, Consulting Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN EXPANDING
DRILLS FOR BORING ROCKS," a communication, to be as follows:-
After a hole has been bored in a rock it is often of importance to form
a chamber at or near the lower or inner end of said hole, into which

page_text: gunpowder or other explosive material is introduced.
Various tools
have been devised for this purpose, but they have generally been com-
plicated and liable to get out of order.
This Invention relates to a drill or cutter attached to a bar by a joint
and formed with a round back taking against an incline, so that as the
drill is dropped or projected the cutter acts laterally and finally forms
by continual working a chamber with an inclined top and bottom surface
surrounding the drill hole. This chamber can be enlarged by successive
cuts above or below the first chamber, and the said drills or cutters are
easily sharpened or replaced when worn, and by using two cutters acting
on opposite sides one forms a means of reaction for the other, so that
the drill bar remains central or nearly so in the drill hole. I use a tube
with a cap screwed to its upper end; through this the drill rod slides,
and the said rod is polygonal so as to be guided by a hole through the
'said сар. At the lower end of the drill rod are the drills or cutters
united by a knuckle joint, the pin of which can be slipped out when the
parts are withdrawn from the hole in the rock, so that the cutters can be
sharpened or others introduced. Each of these cutters is made with
an inclined or curved back, so that the tendency of them is to work
outwards when coming into contact with an incline and thereby chamber
out the rock. The drill and cutters might be used without the tube,
but I prefer to use said tube and provide it with the base, which is
screwed into the lower end of the tube, and formed with inclined slots
opening out through the side of the tube, so that the drills or cutters
will be directed laterally as they drop or are forced down. This tube
encloses and protects the cutters and rod, and also enables me to direct
the chambering tools upon the rock at the desired point. I prefer to
employ a screw or adjusting pin to rest at the bottom of the hole and
determine the point at which the chambering is affected. This screw or
pin may be changed to bring the chamber at any desired place around
the hole. The rod is connected with other rods if necessary in a long
hole, and the tube and cutters remain in the lower end of the tube, the
said tube being gradually revolved as the chambering progresses. When
the cutters are employed without the tube they commence to act
around the edge of the bottom of the hole, and as the chambering pro-
gresses they are thrown out laterally by the backs of the cutters acting
against the incline or cone formed in the rock itself.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 4th February 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the International Patent Office, No. 8, Southampton
Buildings, London, Consulting Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-
third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said William Robert Lake, Her special licence
that I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Robert Lake, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time 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 "IMPROVEMENTS
IN EXPANDING DRILLS FOR BORING ROCKS," a communication to me from
abroad by Elliott Perry Gleason, of the City and State of New York,
United States of America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said William Robert Lake, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
scals, 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 Robert Lake, 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 accompanying
Drawing forming a part of this Specification:-
After a hole has been bored in a rock it is often of importance to form
a chamber at or near the lower or inner end of the said hole, into which
gunpowder or other explosive material is introduced. Various tools
have been devised for this purpose, but they have generally been com-
plicated and liable to derangement.

page_text: This Invention relates to a drill whose cutting parts are attached to
a bar by a joint and formed with a round back taking against an incline,
so that as the drill is dropped or projected the cutter acts latterally, and
finally forms by continual working a chamber with an inclined top and
bottom surface surrounding the drill hole. This chamber can be enlarged
by successive cuts above or below the first chamber. The said cutting
parts are easily sharpened or replaced when worn, and by using two
cutters acting on opposite sides, one forms a means of reaction for the
other, so that the drill bar remains central or nearly so in the drill hole.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 is a vertical section of the said drill with parts in position for
boring; Figure 2 is a sectional plan on the line x, x, Figure 1, the cutters
being removed; and Figure 3 is an elevation of the drill bar and cutters;
Figure 4 is a transverse section on the line y, y, Figure 1; Figure 5 is
an edge view of one of the cutters. Like letters indicate the same parts
throughout the Drawing.
After the usual hole has been sunk to the required depth in the
rock I introduce my improved apparatus. a is a tube with a cap b
screwed or otherwise fastened to its upper end; through this the
drill rod c slides, and this rod should be polygonal so that the cutters
may be guided properly through the said cap b. At the lower end
of the drill rod c are the cutters e, e, which are united by a knuckle
-joint f, the pin of which can be slipped out when the parts are
withdrawn from the hole in the rock, so that the cutters can be
sharpened or others introduced. Each of these cutters is made with an
inclined or curved back, so that their tendency is to work outward or
expand when they come into contact with an incline and thereby form
the desired enlarged hole or chamber in the rock. The drill might be
used without the tube a, but I prefer to use the said tube and provide
it with the base or cap 6, which is screwed or otherwise secured in the
lower end of the tube a and formed with inclined slots i, i, opening out
through the side of the tube a, so that the cutters will be directed
latterally as they drop or are forced down. This tube encloses and
protects the cutters and rod, and also enables me to direct the chambering
tools to the desired point on the rock. I prefer to employ a screw or
adjusting pink to rest at the bottom of the hole and determine the
position at which the chambering is to be effected. This screw or pin
may be changed to cause the formation of the chamber at any desired

page_text: part of the hole. It is to be understood that the rod c is connected
with other rods if necessary in a long hole, and that the cutters remain
in the lower end of the tube, the said tube a being gradually revolved as
the chambering progresses. When the cutters e are employed without
the tube a they commence to act around the edge of the bottom of the
hole, and as the chambering progresses they are thrown out latterally by
the backs of the cutters acting against the incline or cone formed in the
rock itself.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent I claim,-
First. A drill cutter jointed to the drill rod and formed with a curved
or inclined back so as to be thrown out latterly by contact with an
incline, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
Second. The tube a, base b, and its inclined slot i, i, in combination
with the rod c and cutters e, e, hinged or jointed to the said rod c,
the parts operating substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Fourth day of February,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
seventy.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE. (L.S.)
Witness,
H. J. GEDGE,
Clerk to Messrs. Haseltine, Lake, & Co.
Southampton Buildings,
London.