IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING OR GETTING COAL OR OTHER MINERAL
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Alexander, of Gartsherric Iron Works, in the County
of Lanark, North Britain, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
FOR CUTTING OR GETTING COAL OR OTHER MINERAL."
Sealed the 28th March 1877, and dated the 22nd January 1877.
.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Alexander at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 22nd January 1877.
JOHN ALEXANDER, of Gartsherrie Iron Works, in the County of Lanark, North
Britain. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING OR GETTING, COAL OR
OTHER MINERAL."
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"
This Invention relates to mineral cutting machinery operating on the principles
of that described or referred to in the Specification of Letters Patent granted to the
present applicant, and dated 3 September, 1874 (No. 3009), and comprises im-
proved arrangements and mechanism for enabling and adapting such machinery for
shearing" or cutting vertically, as is required in what is known as "stoop" and
"room" working, or in dividing a coal or other mineral face vertically into blocks.
In carrying out the present Invention the machine as hitherto made for
'holeing" may be easily modified so as with suitable changes and additions or
substitutions to be usable for shearing; or machines may be constructed for shear-
ing only. The engine details are arranged as described in the earlier Specification
herein-before referred to, and the vertical second motion shaft is geared to a
horizontal shaft by means of bevil wheels provided with a clutch for driving the
horizontal shaft in either direction. The horizontal shaft is by preference placed the
long way of the machine, and has keyed on it a spur wheel which gears with a
spur wheel on a short shaft or spindle carried by a light frame. This crank frame,
as it may be termed, is arranged to turn upon the horizontal shaft, and it is by
preference made in two parts placed one on each side of the pair of spur wheels, and
riveted or bolted together with the wheels between. The spur wheels are made
partly hollow, and they and the crank frame are made as light as possible, con-
sistently with the necessary strength, and sufficiently broad or deep for the necessary
transverse stiffness. One of the crank frame pieces is made with a projecting boss
to receive the eye of the jib carrying the endless chain of cutters, and the spindle of
[Price 6d1

page_text: the outer spur wheel projects through this boss to have fixed on it the sprocket
wheel which carries and distends the inner end loop of the cutter chain, andwhich
drives that chain. The eye of the jib is formed with worm wheel teeth with which
there gears a worm carried by the crank frame, and by means of a hand wheel or
key applied to the spindle of this worm the jib can be adjusted at any required
angle on the crank frame. The crank frame is also itself formed with a toothed
arc, with which there gears a worm carried by the main framing of the machine,
and by means of a hand wheel or key applied to the spindle of this worm the crank
frame can be set round to any required position. In shearing with the improved
machinery the crank frame is adjusted at the outer side of the machine so that the
jib can be set up from it in an inclined position across the machine with its outer
end reaching up to the top of the intended shear cut at the coal face. The cutters
are set to move from the machine on the upper side of the jib and towards the
machine on the under side; and as the cutting proceeds the crank frame is gradually
turned upwards and over towards the coal face whilst the jib is moved on the crank
frame in such a way as to keep its outer end at about the same height until it has
penetrated sufficiently far into the coal face. The crank frame and jib are then
manipulated so as to move the outer end of the jib down in a vertical or more or
less curved line until the level of the floor is reached, and afterwards the end of the
jib is worked outwards in a direction as nearly horizontal as is convenient.
In order to admit of the machine being easily moved into and out of corners and
confined places where it is required for shearing and along the mine roads, the truck
or carriage frame is provided with a pair of axle studs, near the middle of each side,
on which studs wheels treading lower than the ordinary wheels or skidding props
at the corners can be placed when required. When the machine is on such middle
wheels it can be turned in a comparatively small space, and can consequently be
more easily moved into or out of any confined or narrow space.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Alexander in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 19th July
1877.
JOHN ALEXANDER, of Gartsherrie Iron Works, in the County of Lanark, North
Britain. IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING OR GETTING COAL OR
"
OTHER MINERAL."
stoop and
My said Invention relates to mineral cutting machinery operating on the
principles of that described or referred to in the Specification of earlier Letters
Patent granted to me, and dated 3 September, 1874 (No. 3009), and comprises
improved arrangements and mechanism for enabling and adapting such machinery
for "shearing" or cutting vertically as is required in what is known as
.room" working, or in dividing a coal or other mineral face vertically into blocks.
In carrying out my present Invention the machine, as hitherto made for
"holeing," may be easily modified so as with suitable changes and additions or
substitutions to be usable for shearing; or machines may be constructed for shear-
ing only. The engine details are arranged as described in my earlier Specification
herein-before referred to, and the vertical second motion shaft is geared to a
horizontal shaft by means of bevil wheels provided with clutches for driving the
horizontal shaft in either direction. The jib is carried by a crank frame, which
with gearing for driving the endless chain of cutters, is carried on the horizontal
shaft, and which can be adjusted in different positions by means of a worm and
worm wheel, whilst the jib can be similarly adjusted on the crank frame; and by
these means all the movements of the jib required for the shearing operation are
conveniently obtained.
And in order that my said Invention and the manner of performing the same may
be properly understood, I hereunto append a Sheet of explanatory Drawings to

page_text: be herein-after referred to, and representing my improved arrangements for shearing
or cutting the coal or mineral vertically. In these Drawings the same reference
numerals are used to mark the same or like parts wherever they are repeated.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings is partly an end elevation of my im-
proved machinery and partly a vertical section as at right angles to the coal face,
showing the jib 1, with its endless chain 2 of cutters in its shearing position.
Figure 2 is a vertical section of the machinery; and Figures 3 and 4 are a plan
and side view of one of the cutter-holding links of the endless chain. The frame or
carriage 3 of the machinery is shown in Figure 1, also the large spur wheel 4,
which is on the second motion shaft, but no other part of the machinery is shown
excepting the principal parts added for carrying out my present Invention; the parts
.not shown being the same as what are described in my earlier Specification herein-
before referred to. The horizontal shaft 5 is that herein-before described as driven
by means of bevil wheels (not shown) from the second motion shaft, and is by pre-
ference placed the long way of the machine. This shaft 5 has keyed on it a spur
wheel 6, which gears with a spur wheel 7 on a short shaft or spindle 8, carried by
what is herein-before termed crank frame 9, 10, and which is mounted loosely on
the shaft 5. The crank frame is made in two parts, 9, 10, placed one on each side
of the pair of spur wheels 6, 7, and rivetted or bolted together with the wheels 6, 7,
between. The spur wheels 6, 7, are made partly hollow, and they and the crank
frames 9, 10, are made as light as possible consistently with the necessary strength,
and sufficiently broad or deep for the necessary transverse stiffness. The outer
crank frame piece 9 is made with a projecting boss 11 to receive the eye 12 of the
jib 1 carrying the endless chain of cutters 2, and the spindle 8 of the outer spur
wheel 7 projects through this boss 11 to have fixed on it the sprocket wheel 13, which
carries and distends the inner end loop of the cutter chain 2, and drives that chain.
The eye 12 of the jib 1 is formed with worm wheel teeth 14, with which there gears
a worm 15 carried by brackets 16 fixed to the outer crank-frame piece 9, and by
means of a hand wheel or key applied to the spindle of this worm 15 the jib 1 can
be adjusted at any required angle on the crank frame 9, 10. The crank frame 9, 10,
is also itself formed with a toothed are 17, with which there gears a worm 18,
carried in brackets 19, attached to the main framing 3, and by means of a hand
wheel 20, or a key applied to the spindle of this worm 18 the crank frame 9, 10,
can be set round to any required position.
In shearing with, my improved machinery the crank frame 0, 10, is adjusted at
the outer side of the machine so that the jib 1 can be set up from it in an inclined
position across the machine,. with its outer end extending up to the top of the
intended shear cut at the coal face. The cutters are set to move in the direction of
the arrows in Figure 1 from the machine along the upper edge of the jib 1, and
towards the machine along the under edge of the jib; and as the cutting proceeds
the crank frame 9, 10, is gradually turned upwards and over towards the coal face,
whilst the jib 1 is moved on the crank frame in such a way as to keep its outer end
at about the same height until it has penetrated sufficiently far into the coal face.
The crank frame 9, 10, and jib 1, are then manipulated by means of the worms 18
and 15 so as to move the outer end of the jib 1 down in a vortical or more or less
curved line until the level of the flow is reached; and afterwards the end of the jib
1 is worked outwards from the interior of the coal face in a direction as nearly
horizontal as is convenient.
It is an important feature of my improved machinery, herein-before described,
that it admits of the shearing operation being effected whilst the main frame or
carriage 3 of the machine is in the position in front of the coal face which it occupies
when holeing or forming the horizontal cut along the bottom of the coal face. "In
order however to admit of the machine being easily moved into and out of corners
and confined places where it is required for shearing, and along the mine roads, the
truck or carriage frame is provided with a pair of axle studs near the middle of each
side, on which studs wheels treading lower than the ordinary wheels or skidding
props at the corners can be placed when required; and when the machine is
T

page_text: mounted on such middle wheels it can be turned in a comparatively small space,
and can consequently be more easily moved into or out of any confined or narrow
space.
The chain-link cutter-holder, shown in Figures 3 and 4, is of the kind which I
prefer to use with my improved machinery, and is substantially the same as that
delineated and described in my earlier Specification herein-before referred to,
excepting that the cutter 21 is an oblique chisel-shaped bit of steel entered into a
socket 22, formed for it in a projecting part formed on the link at its joint tongue
end, a wedge or spring key 23 being inserted beside the cutter to keep it in its
place. The cutters of the successive links are in rotation inclined in slightly dif-
ferent directions, so that the full breadth of cut is made by three or four of them,
the cutting edge of each being in width equal to a proportional part of the breadth.
This modification of my chain-link cutter holder is advantageously applicable when
holeing as well as when shearing.
Having thus particularly described my said Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, I have to state that I do not restrict myself to the precise details
herein described and delineated, but that what I believe to be novel and original,
and claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited
Letters Patent is,―
1. The construction or combining together of the parts of machinery for cutting
or getting coal or other mineral by means of an endless chain of cutters so as to
enable and adapt the same for shearing or cutting vertically, substantially in the
manner herein described and delineated.
2. The mounting of the jib carrying the endless chain of cutter so as to have an
angular movement of adjustment in a vertical plane upon a crank frame which has
also an angular movement of adjustment in a vertical plane, substantially as herein-
before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Alexander, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Eighteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-seven.