Improvements in Machinery for Cutting Coal, Stone, or other Hard Substances.
Year: 1891

page_text: he decision of the Comptroller-General, of the 7th day of May 1894,
allowed, under Section 18 of the Patents, &c. Act, 1883, an Amendment of
this Specification.
Date of Application, 31st July, 1891
Complete Specification Left. 2nd May, 1892-Accepted, 30th Sept.,
1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery for Cutting Coal, Stone, or other
Hard Substances.
WILLIAM PATTERSON 9 Front Street Tynemouth, Mechanical Engineer
THOMAS HEPPELL, Leafield House, Chester-le-Street, Co. Durham Mining
Engineer & Colliery Manager JOHN GEORGE PATTERSON 9 Front Street,
Tynemouth, Mechanical Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
:-
This invention has referrance to machinery specially designed and adapted for
cutting coal, stone, or other hard substances in appearance the machine very much
resembles the one for which Letters Patent was granted to us William and John
George Patterson dated 30th December 1889 and numbered 20,865.
Although strongly resembling the above machine yet this invention differs from
it very much in many of its most important parts.
We will now proceed to describe the said invention.
We make a tram or frame mounted on wheels, commonly called a tram this
tram runs on metal or other suitable rails, and to this tram at one or more places
we fix an arrangement to secure it to the rails, so that when the machine was in
motion, its working does not pull the machine off the rails while at the same time
the machine is allowed to move freely in a backward or forward direction.
Fixed on this tram is an engine or machine, or motor, into which machine a
stout bar of iron, steel, or other suitable material is fixed by means of a screw or
square or other equivalent.
This bar is of varying length and is used for carrying tools which we will
hereafter call cutters, these cutters can be placed on the bar by means of a screw
being cut on the bar with a like screw being cut in the centre of the cutter and
screwed on, one cutter after another, until the required length of cutter bar is
made up.
Or the cutters can be placed what we will call in the bar by the bar having cut
into it a slot or slots of a dovetail shape, and as the cutters are made a corre-
sponding shape and of any given length required, they fit into these slots and are
easily made firm and secure.
These cutters are of a novel and peculiar shape having cutting edges on top and
sides the cutters that fix on the bar can have one or more cutting edges all alike,
or different shapes, some a flat shape, others a rounded shape and others a square
or pointed shape and are so placed in position that one particular kind of tool may
rip the coal or other material that is being worked whilst the tool next following
may scrape or cut off the high parts that has been left on by the preceeding tool
or tools thus enabling the machine to work more efficiently and safely.
When we place the cutters in the slots of the cutter bar, as the slots are of a
dovetail or wedge shape the cutters slide in and are firm so far as the side pressure

page_text: is concerned, whilst the end pressure is provided for by a simple arrangement, of a
stopper, fixed in the said slots. The shape of these cutters may also be varied
both in shape and position in the same manner as the cutters fixed on the bar, and
described above.
Now as the end of this bar which carries the cutters is so far away from the
machine and is placed under the coal that is being cut, the pressure on this ba.
when the machine is in motion is very great, and interferes with its working
so we place a stay or support at or near the end or other suitable position of
this cutter har, one end of this stay is fixed to the machine and forms part of the
machine the other end of this stay is the one that is under the coal and close
behind the cutter bar, upon this cutter bar is fixed a bearing, and this bearing is
again fixed to the stay and thus supports the end of the cutter bar, and keeps
the cutters up to their work, and reduces the friction to a minmum.
By an arrangement of the cutters we are able to cut away the coal in front of
this said support or bearing, and the cutter bar has a rotary or a rotary and
reciprocating motion which is given to it by means of a cam or eccentric, when
desirable as the above cutters cut the coal we have a novel arrangement fixed to
the said stay to carry away the cuttings, by having a belt made of leather
or iron or other suitable material upon which we place scrapers and as these
scrapers are worked automatically they carry away the cuttings from every
cutter as the cuttings are being made thus allowing the tools to work more freely
and preventing them getting clogged or we use a reciprocating motion to effect the
same purpose.
The machine is made to travel in a backward or forward direction by an auto-
matic arrangement of a belt or shaft from the engine or motor to the wheels of the
tram which keeps the machine travelling up to its work as it cuts the coal away in
front of the cutter bar.
The machine can be worked by any kind of motive power such as manual,
steam, compressed air or electricity, and when we use the latter we encase all the
dangerous parts in an airtight chamber or covering so as to prevent the possibility
of any accident arising from the use of electricity as a motive power it will thus be
seen that this novel machine as a coal cutting machine will take away the most
dangerous and unnatural part of the miners work and thereby add to the safety of
pitmen in general, and lessen the cause of explosions in mines, by the under cutting
of the coal and the machine working automatically, thus giving the miner more
time to watch the working of the coal face and the state of the atmosphere in
which he is working.
حيمد
. T 1
1001
WILLIAM PATTERSON.
THOMAS HEPPELL.
JOHN GEORGE PATTERSON
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION (AMENDED).
Improvements in Machinery for Cutting Coal, Stone, or other
Hard Substances.
We, WILLIAM PATTERSON, of No. 9 Front Street Tynemouth in the County
of Northumberland Engineer, THOMAS HEPPELL, of Birtley, in the County of
Durham Engineer and JOHN GEORGE PATTERSON, No. 9 Front Street
Tynemouth Engineer 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 has reference to machinery specially designed and adapted for
cutting coal, stone or other hard substances. In appearance the machine very much

page_text: resembles the one for which Letters Patent were granted to the aforesaid William
and John George Patterson dated 30th December 1889 and numbered 20,865.
Although strongly resembling the above machine yet this invention differs from it
very much in many of its most important parts and we will now proceed to describe
the present invention. We make a " tram or frame mounted on wheels, commonly
"
"
called a "tram ;" this tram runs on metal or other suitable rails, and to it at one
or more places we provide means to secure it to the rails so that when the machine
is in motion its working does not pull the machine off the rails, while at the same
time the machine is allowed to move freely in a backward or forward direction.
Fixed on this "tram is an engine or machine, or motor, to the driving shaft of
which a stout bar of iron, steel or other suitable material is connected by a suitable
coupling or other equivalent. This bar is of varying length and is used for
carrying tools, which we will hereafter call cutters, these cutters can be placed on
the bar by means of a screw being cut in the bar with a like screw being cut in
the centre of the cutter and screwed on, one cutter after another, until the required
length of cutter bar is made up, or the cutters can be fixed by the bar having cut
in to it a slot or slots of a dovetail shape, and as the cutters are made a corre-
sponding shape and of any given length required they fit into these slots and are
thus made firm and secure. These cutters are of a novel and peculiar shape having
cutting edges on top and sides and can have their cutting edges all alike or different
shapes some a flat shape others a rounded shape and others a square or pointed
shape and are so placed in position that one particular shaped cutter tool may
"rip" the coal or other material that is being worked whilst the cutter tool next
following may scrape or cut off the projecting part that has been left on by the
preceding cutter tool or tools thus enabling the machine to work more efficiently.
When we place the cutters in the slots of the cutter bar, as the slots are of a
dovetail or wedge shape the cutters slide in and are firmly secured, so far as the side
pressure is concerned, whilst end wise they are secured by a single arrangement of
stopper," fixed in the said slots and may be varied both in shape and position in
the same manner as cutters fixed on the bar by other means as described above.
Now as the end of this bar which carries the cutters is so far away from the
machine, projecting therefrom, into and under the coal that is being cut, the pressure
on the bar, when the machine is in motion being is very great and may interfere with
its working and to relieve this we place a bracket stay or support, at or near the
outer end; one end of this stay is fixed to the machine and the outer end is under
the coal and close behind the cutter bar. Upon the cutter bar is fixed a bearing
which is attached to the outer end of the stay and thus supports the end of the
cutter bar, and keeps the cutters up to their work and reduces the strain and friction
to a minimum.
65
By an arrangement of the cutters we are able to cut away the coal in front of
this said support or bearing the cutter bar having both a rotary and reciprocating
motion which latter is given to it by means of a cam or eccentric as the coal
is cut.
We have a novel also an arrangement fixed to the said stay to carry away the
cuttings consisting of an endless belt or chain made of leather or iron or other suitable
material upon which we place scrapers, and as these scrapers are worked auto-
matically by the machine they carry away the cuttings from every cutter as the
cuttings are being made, thus allowing the tools to work more freely and preventing
them getting clogged or we may use a reciprocating motion to effect the same
purpose. The machine is made to travel forward by automatic feed gear, driven
by an arrangement such as a belt or shaft from the engine or motor to the wheels
of the tram which keeps the machine travelling up to its work as it cuts the coal
away in front of the cutter bar.
The machine can be worked by any kind of motive power such as manual,
steam, compressed air or electricity, and when we use the latter we encase all the
dangerous parts in an airtight chamber or covering so as to prevent the possibility
of any accident arising from the use of electricity as a motive power.

page_text: On the accompanying 3 sheets of drawings we illustrate our invention as we
propose to carry it into practical working.
Figure 1, Sheet 1 shews an end elevation of the machine.
Figure 2, Sheet 2 shews a plan of the machine and
Figure 3, Sheet 3 shews an elevation and end views of the cutter bar partly in
section with the device for attaching bracket stay to the outer end of the bar, to a
larger scale.
The prime mover which operates the machine is not shewn. This may be
manual, steam, hydraulic, compressed air or electrical power arranged so as to
impart by suitable gearing rotary motion to the cutter bar at a speed adapted to
the material to be cut.
The same letters of reference apply to corresponding parts on all the figures
where such parts are shewn.
"
"
The frame or "tram
A is mounted upon four wheels B to run on rails laid
along the floor parallel with the "face of the coal and has formed upon it the
two bearings C fitted with brasses in which runs the main driving shaft D, to which
rotary motion is given by suitable gearing from the prime mover through the spur
wheel E keyed upon the shaft. To a collar coupling F on the end of the shaft D
is bolted, by a similar collar coupling, the cutter bar G in which are three longi-
tudinal dovetailed slots H, from a to b, to receive the cutters J which are formed
with dovetailed stems to fit the slots into which they are inserted in succession at
the point
and pushed along the slots toward the end at a till the cutter bar is
completely equipped.
The requisite spaces between the cutters is are adjusted by projections formed upon
their stems, or separate distance pieces inserted between them fitting the dovetailed
slots, and the ends of the slots at a are enlarged so that the cutters may be inserted
or taken out by removing stopper pieces, inserted at that point, which secure the
cutters, end wise.
From the point b at outer end the cutter bar G is reduced in diameter, as at K,
and has a screw cut upon its end at C. The cutters upon the bar from a to b are
kept in position by the sleeve piece L (which also carries cutters in slots) being
slipped over the reduced part. The stay bracket M (see Fig. 2) bolted to the
frame of the "tram," is connected to the outer end of the cutter bar by a coupling
sleeve N carrying an arm O projecting from it with a slotted end to receive a bolt,
in the outer end of the stay bracket, which is slipped over the reduced portion K
of the bar into a recessed part in the sleeve piece L and another recessed piece P,
being screwed on the thread at end of reduced part of cutter bar K, like a box nut,
secures the cutters in the slots in the main portion of the cutter bar from a to b.
The sleeve pieces L and P are also fitted with cutters in dovetailed slots so as to
cut beyond and make a clear space in the coal for the stay bracket M to follow the
cutter bar and these cutters are secured endwise in L by the projecting arm O
and in P by the outside set of cutters being dovetailed into slots cut radially in the
solid end beyond the tapped portion. These spaces in the recessed portions of L
and P and the coupling sleeve N may be packed to exclude coal dust or grit. As
the small space Q between the sleeve pieces L and P must be left for the arm O
to connect with the end of the bracket stay M, the cutters on each side would leave
a narrow ridge of coal uncut and it is to remove this narrow ridge as well as for
other advantages that the device is required which we will now describe. We have
already said that the cutter bar has both a rotary and reciprocating motion and the
latter is given to it by means of a pair of cams R R' keyed on the main shaft D
which, as it revolves the cams with their inclined faces against the fixed pin or
roller S, moves the cutter bar alternately to the right and to the left to an extent
sufficient to cause the cutters on each side of the space Q to cut away the narrow
ridge of coal the slotted end of the arm O on the coupling sleeve N permitting of

page_text: the reciprocating motion. We consider that this reciprocating motion of the
cutter bar, combined with its rotary motion, will facilitate the operation of the
cutters to a very important extent and that in itself it is a valuable feature.
We will next describe the means by which we propose to keep the cutters clear
of being clogged by the débris which they have left behind in undercutting the
coal and which we consider a most important and novel feature in our invention us
thus enabling the machine to do a much greater amount of work than-existing.
machines-can-de by the absence of frequent stoppages to clear the cutters, with less
wear and tear. This appliance is shewn upon Fig. 2 and consists of an endless band
or chain T carried round sheaves U U. The sheave U upon shaft V is driven by
bevel gearing W from pullies and a belt, from the main shaft D, and the sheave U¹
is fixed in the bracket stay M and upon the endless band or chain T are scrapers X
which following up immediately behind the cutters effectually remove the débris.
as it is made and discharge it at the "face." Means are provided by a frame.
adjustable by a screw (shewn on plan Fig. 2) for keeping the band or chain T at.
a proper tension.
The machine may in another form be constructed with the whole of the working
parts, including the motive power, fixed upon a turntable centred on the "tram
so that the cutters operate with radial action commencing at the "face" and under-.
cutting the coal by a series of semi-circular cuts or the cutting may be commenced
in this manner and continued by the cutters travelling at right angles to the face
operating as previously described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
:―
First. In machines for cutting coal, stone or other hard substances the appli-
ention to-the-cutter bar of aback stay to support its outer end and prevent the-
straining or breaking of the bar by the resistance of the mineral to-the-entters.
Second Firstly. The In marhines for cutting coal stone or other hard substances the
mode of connecting such a the back stay M to the cutter bar, so as not to interfere
with the operation of the cutters, consisting of the coupling sleeve N embracing
the outer end of the bar and secured by the recessed sleeve piece L and nut P and
having a projecting slotted arm O which is attached to the backstay by a bolt,.
in such a manner that the cutter bar may have imparted to it reciprocating, as well
as rotary, motion with the objects hereinbefore stated substantially as described
and shewn.
Third. In cutting coal, stone or other hard substances imparting to the cutter bar
a-reciprocating, as well as a rotary, motion by means of the cams R. R'-revolving.
in contact with the fixed pin S or by an equivalent device substantially as described
and shewn.
Fourth. The mode of inserting the cutters in the cutter bar and securing them
therein substantially as described and shewn.
Fifth. The application-to-machines, for cutting coul, stone or other hard
substances, of-an-endless-chain-of-serapers-neting automatically-immediately behind
the-eutter-bar-to-clear away the coal dust or debris left by the cutters und prevent
them-being-elogged thereby substantially as described and shewn.
Secondly. In machines for cutting coal stone or other hard sustances the combination.
with the backstay and cutter bar the cutter bar being supported and connected to the
backstay at its outer end as described and claimed in Claim 1 of the mode of imparting
reciprocatory as well as rotary motion to the bar by means of cums & revolving in
contact with the fixed pin & substantially as described and shewn.
Sixth. Thirdly. The The arrangement of parts comprising the machine for under-
cutting coal, stone or other hard substances by manual, steam, hydraulic, compressed
air, or by electric power, having the outer end of the cutter bur supported by a star,
and having both reciprocating and rotary motions, the cutter being inserted and
secured in the bar in the manner described, and the automatic chain of sera ers to

page_text: clear away the debris from the cutters comprising the various parts consisting of the
rombination with the backstay and cutter bar of the mode of supporting and connecting
the cutter bar at the outer end of the backstay as described and claimed in Claim 1, of the
mode of securing the cutters in the bar and of the mode of clearing away the debris from
the cutters, the several parts being arranged, combined and adapted to operate, 5
substantially as described and shewn by the accompanying drawings.
T. J. DANSON, F.I.P.A.,
Agent for Applicants.
A. CRAWHALL CHAPMAN,
Newcastle-on-Tyne, Applicants' Agent for Amendment.