IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING COAL AND OTHER MINERALS
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Wordsworth Donisthorpe, of Belvedere, Harrogate,
William Leatham, of Leeds, and George Edmund Donisthorpe, of
Leeds, all in the County of York, for the Invention of "IMPROVE.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Wordsworth Donisthorpe,
William Leatham, and George Edmund Donisthorpe at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition, on the 1st
September 1870.
We, WORDSWORTH DONISTHORPE, of Belvedere, Harrogate, WILLIAM
LEATHAM, of Leeds, and GEORGE EDMUND DONISTHORPE, of Leeds, all
in the County of York, do hereby declare the nature of the said In-
vention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING COAL AND OTHER
MINERALS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for
cutting coal and other minerals. For this purpose in place of simply
giving a rectilinear to-and-fro movement to the pick or cutter employed

page_text: .
for cutting a groove in coal, or mineral, or causing it to move in the arc
of a circle whilst cutting, we impart to it a compound motion as herein-
after more fully described, so that whilst the pick is making its cut it
is moving in a compound curved course produced by moving the axis
of the pick in a circular course during the time that the forward and
backward stroke of the pick are being made by the pick being caused
to oscilliate backward and forward on such axis.
At Figure 1 of the Drawings hereunto annexed is shewn a diagram
of apparatus suitable for causing a pick to thus move to and fro in a
curved course. In this Figure a is a pick or cutter formed on a
quadrant capable of turning around a pin or axis a' carried by a plate b
-which-forms.a_support_to_steady_the_pick_in its to-and-fro movements,
the plate bis carried by three cranks c on axes d which are carried in
the framing of a suitable carriage capable of being moved slowly along
the face of the coal or mineral into which a groove is to be cut. The
framing of the carriage also carries an axis e upon which is a crank f,
which by a connecting rod g is connected to the quadrant. The axis é
and one of the axes d are geared together by toothed wheels so that
they shall revolve at equal speeds, and motion is imparted to the toothed
wheels in any suitable manner either by an engine mounted on the
frame of the carriage or by hand power. By this arrangement as the
pick is driven forward to make a blow by the crank f, the plate band
the axis a¹ are simultaneously moved by the cranks c, so that a com-
pound movement is given to the pick, and after the pick has completed
its forward stroke, its axis being continuously drawn back by the
movement of the plate b away from the path of its forward stroke, the
pick performs its backward stroke in the groove previously cut in the
coal or mineral and at a distance away from the path it formed in its
forward stroke, so that during the whole of the backward stroke of the
pick the carriage can be moving forward to bring the pick at its next
forward stroke into a position to make a fresh cut into the coal or
mineral. The slack coal or mineral cut away by the pick is also by the
backward movement of the pick swept out from the groove in the coal
or mineral.
Other arrangements for causing the pick to move in a similar com-
pound curved course to that above described might be adopted, as for
example, the stem of the pick might be fixed to a bed or bar carried by
two horizontal and parallel links or radius rods like the links of a

page_text: parallel ruler so that when the bed and pick carried by it moves forward
to strike a blow the pick point will move in a curved course.
According to another arrangement we pivot the stem of the pick at a
point intermediate of its length to a bed or bar similarly carried by
parallel links or mounted in guides so that it can slide endwise to and
fro, and to the rear end of the stem of the pick we joint a long link or
radius rod which at its opposite end turns on a fixed or moveable centre
so placed that as the pick moves forward in striking its blow the pick
shall simultaneously be turned on its pivot and the point of the pick
be thus caused to move backwards along the groove previously cut in
the coal or mineral.
We also give motion to the pick or cutter of machinery for cutting
coal and mineral in the manner shown by the diagram Figure 2. In
this arrangement the arm of the pick is fixed to a cylinder carried
between two links or crank arms a on an axis carried by the framing
of the machine, the piston rod of the piston which works in the cylinder
turns at its end on a fixed axis b which is also carried by the framing
of the machine, by this means when air or other fluid under pressure
is admitted alternately to the two ends of the cylinder the cylinder will
be carried round by the crank arms a and the pick will be caused to
move to and fro in a curved course as shown by the dotted lines.
Also according to our Invention we give motion to the pick or cutter
of apparatus for cutting coal and other mineral by means of spiral
grooves or projections upon the exterior of the cylinder of an engine,
such cylinder being caused to work to and fro upon a fixed piston or
plunger. The pick or cutter is carried by an arm from a boss or nut
working upon the outside of the main cylinder, and as the cylinder
moves to and fro it imparts an oscillating motion to the pick or
cutter.
In some cases we arrange the pick or cutter and the cylinder with
its piston or plunger to be carried by a frame capable of sliding hori-
zontally to and fro in the carriage of the machine so that at each to-and-
fro movement of the cylinder upon its piston or plunger the sliding
frame shall be moved horizontally, to and fro in its guides, and by this
means the pick or cutter may be caused to move in a curved course, in
place of in the arc of a circle.

page_text: Other arrangements for causing the arm of a pick or cutter to rotate
around the axis of the cylinder of the engine may be employed, as for
example, the cylinder or the plunger may give an end way motion to a
rack gearing into a toothed wheel on an axis, which by bevil gear
gives motion to an axis on which is a toothed wheel gearing into a rim
of teeth formed around the exterior of a ring by which the pick arm
is carried, the ring being capable of turning freely around the cylinder
of the engine. In this arrangement also the pick or cutter may be
caused to cut in a curved course by mounting the cylinder and parts
connected with it on a horizontal slide and by causing a toothed wheel
on one of the axes to gear with a fixed rack on the carriage or truck
of the machine, by this means the cylinder and parts connected with it
will be caused to move horizontally-to-and-fro-at_the_same time that
the pick is being caused to turn to and fro around the cylinder of the
engine. The engine may be worked by compressed air or other fluid
which may be admitted to and allowed to escape from the cylinder in
any suitable manner.
In order to move a machine for cutting coal and other mineral slowly
forward along the rails upon which it is supported we employ a gripping
apparatus to grip one of the rails.
The gripping apparatus is composed of two levers, the fulcrums of
which are carried at the opposite ends of a short link which lies across
the rail. One end of each lever is formed into a jaw to grip against
the sides of the rail and the other ends of the levers are acted upon by a
spring to force them apart, and they are also coupled together by toggle
levers. On the central joint of the toggle levers is a socket into which
is received the end of one arm of a lever the fulcrum of which is fixed on
the carriage of the machine. When the machine is at work this lever
is caused to rock on its axis at the end of the backward and forward
strokes of the pick or cutter of the machine, when the lever arm which
enters the socket of the gripping apparatus is moved in a direction to
bring the arms of the toggle lever in a line with one another, the jaws
of the gripping apparatus are pressed firmly against the rail, and as the
gripping apparatus is thus locked to the rail the machine is compelled
to move forwards, when the socket is moved in the opposite direction the
pressure of the jaws against the rail is released and the gripping apparatus
slips readily along the rail.
=

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Wordsworth Donisthorpe,. William Leatham, and
George Edmund Donisthorpe in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 1st March 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WORDS-
WORTH DONISTHORPE, of Belvedere, Harrogate, WILLIAM LEATHAM, of
Leeds, and GEORGE EDMUND DONISTHORPE, of Leeds, all in the County
of York, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the First day of September, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-fourth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto us, the said Wordsworth Donisthorpe, William Leatham,
and George Edmund Donisthorpe, Her special licence that we, the said
Wordsworth Donisthorpe, William Leatham, and George Edmund
Donisthorpe, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as we, the said Wordsworth Donisthorpe, William Leatham, and George
Edmund Donisthorpe, our 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 MACHINERY FOR CUTTING COAL AND OTHER MINERALS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said Wordsworth
Donisthorpe, William Leatham, and George Edmund Donisthorpe,, our
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our
or their hands and scals, or under the hand and seal of one of us. or
them, 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.
KNOW NOW YE, that I, the said Wordsworth Donisthorpe, on behalf
of myself, and the said William Leatham, and George Edmund Donis-
thorpe, do hereby declare the nuture of the said Invention, and in what

page_text: manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
-
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for
cutting coal and other minerals. For this purpose in place of simply
giving a rectilinear to-and-fro movement to the pick or cutter employed
for cutting a groove in coal or mineral, or causing it to move in the
arc of a circle whilst cutting, we impart to it a compound motion as
herein-after more fully described, so that whilst the pick is making its
cut it is moving in a compound curved course, produced by moving the
axis of the pick in a circular course during the time that the forward
and backward stroke of the pick are being made by the pick being
caused to oscillate backward and forwards on such axis.
At Figure 1 of the Drawings hereunto annexed is shown a diagram of
apparatus suitable for causing a pick to thus move to and fro in a curved.
course. In this Figure a is a pick or cutter inserted in a quadrant capable
of turning around or on a pin or axis a' carried by a plate b, which, forms
a support to steady the pick in its to-and-fro movements; the plate bis
carried by cranks c, c, on axes d, d, which are carried in the framing of
a suitable carriage, capable of being moved slowly along the face of the
coal or mineral into which a groove is to be cut. The framing of the
carriage also carries an axis e, upon which is a crank f, which by a
connecting rod g is connected to the quadrant. The axis e and one of
the axes dare geared together by toothed wheels or otherwise, so that
they shall revolve at equal speeds, and motion is imparted to the
toothed wheels in any suitable manner, either by an engine mounted on
the frame of the carriage or by hand power. By this arrangement as
the pick is driven forward to make a blow by the crank the plate b and
axis a' are simultaneously moved by the cranks c, c, so that a compound
movement is given to the pick, and after the pick has completed its
forward stroke, its axis being continuously drawn back by the movement
of the plate b away from the path of its forward stroke, the pick
performs its backward stroke in the groove previously cut in the coal
or mineral, and at a distance away from the path it followed in its
forward stroke, so that during the whole of the backward stroke of the
pick the carriage can be moving forward to bring the pick at its next
forward stroke into a position to make a fresh cut into the coal or
mineral. The slack coal or mineral cut away by the pick is also by the
movement of the pick swept out from the groove in the coal or mineral.

page_text: Other arrangements for causing the pick to move in a similar compound
curved course to that above described might be adopted, as, for example,
the stem of. the pick might be fixed to a bed or bar carried by two
horizontal and parallel links or radius rods, like the links of a parallel
ruler or otherwise, so that when the bed and pick carried by it
moves forward to strike a blow the pick point will move in a curved
course.
According to another arrangement we pivot the stem of the pick at a
point intermediate of its length to a bed or bar similarly carried by
parallel links or otherwise mounted in guides, so that it can slide.
endwise to and fro; and to the rear end of the stem of the pick we joint
a long link or radius rod, which at its opposite end turns on a fixed or
moveable centre so placed that as the pick moves forward in striking its
blow the pick shall simultaneously be turned on its pivot, and the point
of the pick be thus caused to move backwards along the groove pre-
viously cut in the coal or mineral.
In
We also give motion to the pick or cutter of machinery for cutting
coal and mineral in the manner shewn by the. diagram Figure 2.
this arrangement the arm of the pick is fixed to a cylinder carried
between two links or crank arms a on an axis carried by the framing of
the machine, the piston rod of the piston which works in the cylinder
turns at its end on a fixed axis b, which is also carried by the framing of
the machine; by this means when air or other fluid under pressure is
admitted alternately to the two ends of the cylinder, the cylinder will be
carried round by the crank arms a, and the pick will be caused to move
to and fro in a curved course, as shown by the dotted lines.
.
Also according to our Invention we give motion to the pick or cutter
of apparatus for cutting coal and other mineral by means of spiral
grooves or projections upon the exterior of the cylinder of an engine,
such cylinder being caused to work to and fro upon a fixed piston or
plunger. The pick or cutter is carried by an arm from a boss or nut
working upon the outside of the main cylinder, and as the cylinder
moves to and fro it imparts an oscillating motion to the pick or
cutter.
Figure 3 shows a plan view, and Figure 4 an elevation of a machine
constructed in the above manner. A is the carriage or frame of the
machine supported on wheels, which run upon rails laid along the floor
of the mine in front of the face of coal or other mineral into which a

page_text: groove is to be cut; B is the moving cylinder having one or more spiral
grooves B¹ cut around its circumference; this cylinder passes through a
hole bored truly through the upper bed or plate A¹ of the carriage A,
and is prevented from turning within the hole by arms or projections on
the cylinder cover working against the fixed uprights A², shewn in the
elevation Figure 4. C is the piston rod fixed at its lower end to the bed
of the carriage A. D is the pick carried by a collar which embraces the
cylinder; on this collar are projections to enter the spiral grooves in the
cylinder; the collar carrying the pick D is prevented from rising off the
upper bed or plate A¹ by a flange upon it, being overlapped by a ring or
by lugs fixed to the plate A', when air or other fluid under pressure is
admitted alternately to the opposite ends of the cylinder the cylinder
rises and falls and gives a swinging to-and-fro motion to the pick. E is
a bar bearing against the face of-the-coal-to-steady_the_machine when
at work.
Any suitable arrangement of valves may be employed for governing
the admission of air or fluid under pressure to the cylinder. Any
suitable arrangement of apparatus for causing the carriage to move
forward a distance just before each blow is given by the pick may also
be employed, so that we have not thought it necessary to shew any
special arrangement of apparatus for effecting this.
In some cases we arrange the pick or cutter and the cylinder with its
piston or plunger to be carried by a frame capable of sliding horizontally
to and fro in the carriage of the machine, so that at each to-and-fro
movement of the cylinder upon its piston or plunger the sliding frame
shall be moved horizontally to and fro in its guides, and by this means
the pick or cutter may be caused to move in a curved course in place of
in the arc of a circle.
A side view, end view, and plan view of a machine constructed in this
manner are shewn at Figures 5, 6, and 7. In this machine the bed or
table A in place of being a fixed portion of the carriage frame, as in the
previous machine is capable of sliding to and fro between horizontal
guides; the piston rod or plunger is also connected at its lower end to a
similar sliding bed, and the two slides are fixed one to the other by
uprights A³, so as to form a single sliding carriage; the cylinder cover
has two arms B₁ projecting from its opposite sides; these arms pass
through slots formed in the uprights A, which prevent the cylinder
from rotating, but permit it to rise and fall; on the outer ends of the

page_text: pressure of the gripping jaws upon the rail is then released. When the
cylinder again ascends the roller B³ passes the end of the lever arm E, the
lever arm being jointed, as shown, to allow of this, and the roller B' then
strikes against the upper projection R, and raises the longer arm of the
lever P, so that the shorter arm of this lever tends to move the socket O
in a backward direction, but as the gripping levers K are by this action
pressed firmly against the rail, and thereby prevented from sliding
backwards, the carriage of the cutting machinery is moved a distance
forward along the rail; the distance the carriage is so moved forwards
can be regulated by the distance at which the lower end of the rod Q is
fixed from the fulcrum of the lever P. The distance apart of the
proiections R may also be made adjustable.
In the machine above described the pick may be set to cut at any
desired angle, and also at any desired height from the floor of the mine.
For these purposes the lower portion of the frame of the machine is
mounted on axes carried by the axles of the supporting wheels, and the
frame of the machine can so be inclined to the axles and can be locked
to them in any desired position by lock nuts. In order to be able to set
the pick to cut at any desired height the frame of the machine can be
raised or lowered upon four vertical pillars or rams at the four corners of
the bed or lower part of the frame, the pillars or rams being received
into corresponding cylinders at the corners of the main framing of the
machine; the main frame of the machine can be raised upon these
pillars or rams by compressed air being forced into the cylinders, or by
'any other suitable means, and can be locked in any suitable position.
In order that the raising of the main framing of the machine may not
interfere with the action of the apparatus for moving the machine
forwards the projections R are not fixed directly to the rod Q, but they
are carried by a slide R', which can be locked to the rod Q in any
desired position by the lock nut R. In place of employing spiral
grooves or projections upon the exterior of a reciprocating cylinder to
cause a pick to rotate around the axis of the cylinder, as in the machine
above described, other arrangements may be employed for this purpose,
as, for example, the cylinder or the plunger may give an endway motion
to a rack gearing into a toothed wheel on an axis, which by bevil gear
gives motion to an axis, on which is a toothed wheel gearing into a rim
of teeth formed around the exterior of a ring by which the pick arm is
carried, the ring being capable of turning freely around the cylinder of

page_text: the engine. In this arrangement also the pick or cutter may be caused
to cut in a curved course by mounting the cylinder and parts connected
with it on a horizontal slide, and by causing a toothed wheel on one of
the axes to gear with a fixed rack on the carriage or truck of the
machine; by this means the cylinder and parts connected with it will be
caused to move horizontally to and fro at the same time that the pick is
being caused to turn to and fro around the cylinder of the engine. The
engine may be worked by compressed air or other fluid which may be
admitted to and allowed to escape from the cylinder in any suitable
manner.
A machine arranged as above described is shown at Figures 8 and 9.
In these Figures a is a rack fixed to a piston or plunger working in the
cylinder b; this rack gears with a pinion c on the axis d, and gives an
oscillatory to-and-fro motion to it; on this axis is a bevil toothed wheel e
which by other toothed wheels transmits a to-and-fro motion to the ring
f, which carries the pick or cutter. On the axis d is also a toothed
wheel gearing into a rack h, so that as the piston or plunger of the
engine rises and falls the pick is swung to and fro around the cylinder,
whilst at the same time the cylinder is moved backwards and forwards
in the frame of the machine.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention, and the manner
of performing the same, we would have it understood that what we claim
as our improvements in apparatus for cutting coal and other mineral
is,―
First. The arrangement of apparatus for cutting coal and other
mineral in such manner that the pick or cutter of the apparatus is caused
to move in a compound curved course as it strikes its blow substantially
as herein described.
Second. The combined arrangement substantially as herein described
and shown at Figure 2 for giving motion to the pick or cutter of apparatus
for cutting coal and other mineral.
Third. The combination in apparatus for cutting coal and other
mineral of a pick or cutter, with a ring embracing the cylinder of the
engine and capable of oscillating around it substantially as herein
described.
Fourth. The employment of spiral grooves or projections upon the
exterior of the cylinder to give an oscillatory motion to the ring which
carries the pick or cutter substantially as herein described.