An Improved Method of Sinking Bore-holes. and Shafts in Water- logged Ground or Quicksand.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Aug., 1894
Complete Specification: Left. 30th Mar., 1895-Accepted, 4th May, 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Method of Sinking Bore-holes. and Shafts in Water-
logged Ground or Quicksand.
1, FRIEDRICH HONIGMANN of 30 Lagerhaus Strasse, Aachen, Germany,
Mining Manager, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The method hereinafter described of sinking bore holes and shafts in water
logged ground or quicksand, differs mainly from the methods heretofore employed,
in that the lining of the bore-holes with tubes or of shafts with masonry is
not. done during the boring, but only after the bore-holes and shafts have been
bored or carried down to the firm.or solid ground which it is desired to reach. In
order to enable this to be done, a resistance is offered by artificial means to the
inrush of the fluid soil, whereby to prevent and. render. impossible the caving, in or
falling in of the walls or sides of the bore-hole or shaft during the progress of the.
boring.
1. For the purpose of this resistance I provide within the bore-hole, shaft
being sunk, a head of water considerably exceeding the natural pressure of the
water in the water logged' ground through which the bore-hole or shaft passes,
and;
2. I employ a thick liquid within the boring, composed of a mixture of clay or
similar materials, which brings the specific gravity of the liquid up to 1.2.
The object of using such a semi liquid is both to increase the excess of pressure
of the internal column of liquid against the sides of the bore-hole or shaft, and
also and more especially to render the sides of the boring water tight down to a
certain depth by the penetration of the clayey materials, and thus to prevent the
escape of water to waste from the interior of the boring into the surrounding
soil.
By these means I ensure that the sides of the boring remain intact and do
not cave in, so that the bore-hole or shaft will remain unobstructed without
being lined, and the lining can be left until after the boring, operation has been
completed!
This method is carried out in practice as follows:-
First, in the case of bore-holes, a guiding tube, and in the case of shafts, a lined
shaft is sunk according to the method heretofore in use for a depth of from 10-to
20 metres below the water level, for the purpose of keeping out the upper strata of
loose ground and gravel, and of thus obtaining a firm guidance for the boring
tools, &c. during the subsequent boring operation:
When this work is completed, then the means above referred to are employed
before continuing to sink the bore-hole or shaft any further. For this purpose the
tubing of the hole or the lining of the shaft is carried up as high as possible above
tlie natural water level, and is filled with water up to this height. The specific
gravity of the liquid is brought up to about 1.2 by mixing with clay or similar.
material!
Whilst continually attending to these precautions, the sinking of the bore-hole
or shaft is proceeded with by means of the usual boring apparatus until the firm
ground is reached' where the hole or shaft is to end. Then, but only after the
boring has been completed the lining tube or the shaft lining is inserted and
carried down to the bottom of the hole and thus the external soil is kept out.

page_text: In order to more clearly explain the action of the pressure of the internal column
of liquid upon the sides of the boring, it may be stated that the excess of pressure
of the internal column of liquid over the natural water pressure in a layer of sand at
a depth of 50 metres, is calculated as follows:-
Artificial head of water = 10 metres
Then 10+50 or 60 metres x 0.2 (the co-efficient of the increase of specific
gravity of the liquid column) = 12 metres. 10+12=22 metres excess pressure
at a depth of 50 metres.
This excess of pressure in the bore over that of the surrounding soil exerts a
pressure of about 2-2 kilogs. per square centimetre upon the sides of the boring at
this point, and prevents any caving in of the sides.
Dated this 10th day of August 1894.
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Method of Sinking Bore-holes and Shafts in Water-
logged Ground or Quicksand.
I, FRIEDRICH HONIGMANN of 30 Lagerhaus Strasse, Germany, Mine
Manager, 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 :-
The method hereinafter described of sinking bore-holes and shafts in water-
logged ground or quicksand, differs mainly from the methods heretofore employed
in that the lining of the bore-holes with tubes, or of shafts with masonry, is
not done during the boring but only after the hore-holes and shafts have been
bored or carried down to the firm or solid ground which it is desired to reach. In
order to enable this to be done, a resistance is offered by artificial means to the
inrush of the fluid soil, whereby to prevent and render impossible the caving-in or
falling-in of the walls or sides of the bore-hole or shaft during the progress of the
boring.
1. For the purpose of this resistance I provide within the bore-hole or shaft
being sunk, a head of water considerably exceeding the natural pressure of the
water in the water-logged ground through which the bore-hole or shaft passes;
and
2. I employ a thick liquid within the boring, composed of a mixture of clay or
similar materials, which brings the specific gravity of the liquid up to 1.2.
The object of using such a semi-liquid is both to increase the excess of pressure
of the internal column of liquid against the sides of the bore-hole or shaft, and
also, and more especially, to render the sides of the boring water-tight down to a
certain depth by the penetration of the clayey materials, and thus to prevent the
escape of water to waste from the interior of the boring into the surrounding
soil.
By these means I ensure that the sides of the boring remain intact and do
not cave in, so that the bore-hole or shaft will remain unobstructed without
being lined and the lining can be left until after the boring operation has been
completed.
This method is carried out in practice as follows:-First, in the case of bore-
holes, a guiding tube, and, in the case of shafts, a lined shaft, is sunk according to
the method heretofore in use for a depth of froin ten to twenty metres below the
water level, for the purpose of keeping out the upper strata of loose ground and
gravel, and of thus obtaining a firm guidance for the boring tools, etc., during the
subsequent boring operation. When this work is completed, then the means above

page_text: referred to are employed before continuing to sink the bore-hole or shaft any
further. For this purpose the tubing of the hole or the lining of the shaft is
carried up as high as possible above the natural water level and is filled with water
up to this height. The specific gravity of the liquid is brought up to about 1.2 by
mixing with clay or similar material.
Whilst continually attending to these precautions, the sinking of the bore-hole
or shaft is proceeded with by means of the usual boring apparatus until the firm
ground is reached where the hole or shaft is to end. Then, but only after the
boring has been completed, the lining tube, or the shaft lining, is inserted and
carried down to the bottom of the hole and thus the external soil is kept out.
In order to more clearly explain the action of the pressure of the internal
column of liquid upon the sides of the boring, it may be stated that the excess of
pressure of the internal column of liquid over the natural water pressure in a
layer of sand at a depth of fifty metres, is calculated as follows:-
Artificial head of water = 10 metres
Then 10+50 or 60 metres x 0.2 (the co-efficient of the increase of specific
gravity of the liquid column) = 12 metres. 101222 metres excess pressure
at a depth of 50 metres. This excess of pressure in the bore over that of the
surrounding soil exerts a pressure of about 2.2 kilogrammes per square centi-
metre upon the sides of the boring at this point, and prevents any caving-in of
the sides.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
The method of sinking bore-holes and shafts in water-logged ground or quick-
sand, without at the same time lining (with tubes) the sides of the boring-
characterized by the production of a higher pressure within the bore-hole or shaft,
by increasing the height of the internal water-column, or by filling up the bore-
hole or shaft with a liquid of superior specific gravity to that of water, or by
applying both said means at the same time."
Dated March 20th 1905
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.