Sinking Shafts.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 13th May, 1890- Accepted, 14th June, 1890
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Sinking Shafts.
I, RICHARD PENNEFATHER ROTHWELL, residing at No. 149 Fifth Avenue, in the
City of New York, County of New York, and State of New York, Mining Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of my invention for SINKING SHAFTS, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
In sinking shafts in wet ground or through quicksand or other loose ground, the
following methods have been in use :-
First, the ground is excavated by hand or machine tools, the shaft being kept dry
by pumping to allow this work to be done and the lining to be put in, the lining
being put in as the work proceeds, either by addition at the bottom, or by allowing
the lining which is suspended to be lowered as the excavation is made.
This is called "sinking dry." In recent years the artificial production of a ring
of ice around the shaft has been adopted, the shaft being sunk dry inside the ring
wall of ice. Rows of piles have also been driven to form a wall, inside of which the
shaft can be sunk dry.
"
I have also used a movable caisson as a "sinking frame which was jacked down
from the permanent lining or tubbing by means of hydraulic or other jacks, the
tubbing being put in at the bottom as the sinking frame was pushed down, the
material, water, &c., being removed from the shaft as in ordinary well sinking.
The disadvantages of sinking dry are, the great expense of pumping and the slow
progress of the work where there is much water, and the danger of losing the shaft
by the running of the quicksand or loose material which comes in, in such quantity,
as to make it impossible to continue the work, and which may even twist and break
the shaft lining or tubbing.
To overcome these difficulties, M. Chaudron, a Belgian engineer, M. Kindt,
M. Lippman and others have used the sinking method in which the shaft is drilled or
bored from the surface, and a tube or tubbing pushed down as the drilling progresses.
If the pressure on the tube should become so great that this cannot be pushed down
a smaller tube has to be put down inside the first, and this is carried down until rock
is reached or until a still smaller tube is required. The size of a shaft diminishing at
each operation. The water in the tube being always at its natural level, the pressure
on the side of the tube is not disturbed, and the ground has little tendency to "
When the wet ground has been passed and bard rock reached, a seat is cut in it and
the lining is allowed to settle down on a moss box or other device on this seat, thus
making a watertight joint and the water in the shaft can then be pumped out and
sinking dry continued or mine work commenced.
run.
My invention consists in the apparatus bereinafter described and pointed out which
combines the advantages of sinking wet with the very great economy and convenience
of putting in the lining from the bottom and of allowing access at all times to the
bottom of the shaft, and it affords the means of keeping the shaft always vertical
and of the same diameter however deep, or in a direct line inclined to the vertical.,
In the accompanying drawing,
Fig. 1 represents a central vertical section of the improved apparatus, and
Fig. 2 a transverse section, a part being broken away, and
Fig. 3 is a vertical section of an electric light and port.
The reference figure 1, indicates a movable caisson having a watertight connection
with an interior tube 2, in which the tube drill 3, 4, is worked. This drill, which
may be of any approved form, in the present instance consists in the hollow rod 3
having expanding drills or tools attached thereto in such manner as they can be
passed up or down in the tube, and, expanded when below it to drill or bore the shaft

page_text: "
to the necessary size for the caisson to descend. Where rock has to be bored with
percussion drills, a free falling device is used to prevent jar. A hollow rod is also
used so that the sand or débris may be forced up through it by means of a water or
air jet applied in the usual manner. The great loss of time required for moving the
rods and pumping the sand in the usual way is thus avoided. The tools may
be joined as at 14, and provided. with stops 15 to prevent their closing in one
direction.
The invention is independent of the form of the drill. 7, indicates the shaft lining
or tubbing, which may be put in at the bottom, as the shaft is sunk, in any suitable
manner. In the drawing it is represented as formed of sections bolted together by
means of flanges. A watertight connection between the caisson and the lining
is maintained by means of suitable packing, or other device indicated at 8..
The caisson is pushed down as the lining of the shaft requires, by any suitable
means. Hydraulic jacks are indicated in the drawing, which stand upon suitable
seats 10 and push against the bottom of a lower section of the tubbing or lining, as
at 11. The lower part of the caisson is strengthened by radial steel plates 13, of which.
there may be any suitable number bolted to the floor and to the vertical walls of the
caisson and inner tube 2.
At intervals between the tubbing 7 and the tube 2 braces or fenders 16 are
interposed as guides to hold the central tube in place as it descends with the
caisson.
12, indicates a. well known arrangement of a hand tool, having watertight ball and
socket connections with the ports 6 of the caisson. A suitable number of these ports
are arranged in the bottom of the caisson for the admission of bars or tools 'or nozzles
with which, the ground can be loosened, either by jets of water with heavy pressure,
or by tools or drills, and through which electric lights 5 may be inserted for the
purpose of examining obstructions or ascertaining the difficulties met with in sinking.
By means of a port having an upward extension 51 an electric lighting device
provided with suitable packing can be pushed down through the .caisson floor or
withdrawn as required, adequate power being applied in any known way to the light
or globe holder, the said holder or extension thereof filling the port extension 6.
Inspection ports and main hole ports can be provided in the central tube and in the
bottom of the caisson. 18, indicates a pipe with branches for introducing a fluid
under pressure. This pipe may pass through the drill and be arranged substantially
as illustrated. Well known hydraulic valves may be employed to direct jets through
the floor of the caisson.
'Workmen can descend between tube 2 and the tubbing and caisson, water being
excluded by the watertight connections above described. Water rises in the central
tube to the water level in the soil, thus equalizing the pressure on the water,
sand, &c. outside of the caisson, and preventing the sand from running as would be
the case were the water pumped out of the centre tube, and the water in this tube
"does not interfere with the operation of the drill, nor with the workmen.
The fine material loosened or triturated by the drilling is to be removed by
pumping from the bottom of the inner tube, as in the Chaudron system, or by
jets as indicated at 17 forcing the débris to pass up through the hollow rod or
tube (that also may act as the rod for the drill or boring tool) or from below the
caisson.. Boulders or coarse material can also he removed through the central tube,
as will be readily understood.
The tubbing and the caisson can be made of any suitable material. The former is,
however, preferably made of cast metal sections having inner flanges for bolting
together whereby its exterior is free from projections and its passage. through the
stuffing box of the caisson facilitated.
-
From the foregoing description it will be understood that I use a caisson or
sinking frame which is made practically watertight, and that the lining of the shaft
enters the caisson through a stuffing box arrangement which may be of any suitable
construction, such, for example, as that described in connection with the patents of
the United States numbers 311,656 and 346,543 granted to Hall and to Hall and

page_text: :
Bull, which apparatus, however, can only be used for tunnelling, the ground being
removed by dredging or washing. My construction embraces the central tube, before
described, and provides an annular space inside the lining or tubbing of the shaft wide
enough to allow a workman to bolt up the segments of the tubbing. "I make the
centre portion of the shaft a tube connected with and in fact a part of the sinking
caisson Water stands at its natural level in this tube, and the tools for drilling or
boring the shaft are lowered and worked through it, as in the Kindt-Chaudron
method.
$
1.
The movable caisson is pushed down by jacks from the permanent lining or
tubbing, and its movement is therefore under complete control while the tubbing can
be added to as the caisson descends. And water that may enter through the
caisson stuffing box can be readily pumped out.
.
When the caisson has reached an impervious bed a seat and watertight joint
may be made as in the Chaudron wet sinking method and the caisson be let down
in it,/or by: forcing cement through ports in the side of the caisson, the port of
the shaft may be made, watertight. The lining or tubbing being connected with it,
the caisson is, thereupon abandoned, and the water pumped out of the centre tube,
and that and the bottom of the caisson removed, so that the shaft may be continued
by the dry sinking method, if desired.
By the use of the above described apparatus, shafts can be sunk to great depths
in wet soil and quicksands with safety and ease, and at much less expense than by
means heretofore known.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. For use in shaft sinking, the movable caisson having a watertight connection
with the shaft tubbing and provided with the interior tube rigidly connected to and
movable with said caisson, said tube being in free communication with the open air,
substantially as set forth, whereby workmen can safely descend in wet situations to
great depths and the lining or tubbing be built on at the bottom.
2. For use in shaft sinking, the combination of the caisson having watertight
connection with the tube rigidly connected thereto and extending upwardly, said tube
being in free communication with the open air, and a drill or boring tool substan-
tially as set forth, whereby a shaft can be sunk below water level and water excluded
from the space between the tube and the tubbing while standing at the same level
within the tube and outside the caisson and tubbing, and the drill operated, and mud,
sand or rock removed while the hydrostatic pressure on the outside of the caisson
and shaft lining is undisturbed and objectionable movement of the sand and soil
prevented.
3. For use in sinking shafts, a caisson provided with a tube extending upwardly
and in free communication with the open air and forming a rigid continuation
of the wall of the cassion, the latter having a watertight connection with the
tubbing of the shaft, whereby water will stand at the same level in the tube and
outside the caisson tubbing in combination with jacks or other means of pushing
down the caisson and tubbing, substantially as set forth, whereby water can be
excluded from the caisson, a hydrostatic column maintained, a drill or other tool be
used, and the caisson lowered.
4. In an apparatus for sinking shafts, a watertight caisson having a watertight
connection with the shaft tubbing and having its floor continuous with an interior
tube open to the air, said floor being provided with ports-through which jets of
water may be forced under heavy pressure to cut away the heavy material through
which the shaft is being sunk, and through which bars or other tools, or electric
lights may be passed to facilitate the work, substantially as set forth.
5. In an apparatus for sinking shafts, a watertight caisson provided with a
port and with an electric light located in or below said port, substantially as set
forth.

page_text: 6. In an apparatus for sinking shafts, a watertight caisson provided with an inner
tube in combination with a boring tool secured to the foot of a hollow rod, substan-
citially as set forth.
7. In an apparatus for sinking shafts, a watertight caisson provided with an
inner, watertight tube, and an interior hollow tool rod provided with means for
producing an upward current through said hollow rod, substantially as set forth.
8. In an apparatus for sinking shafts, a watertight caisson provided with an
inner tube, a tool rod located in said tube and a pipe for introducing a fluid under
pressure immediately, below the tool, substantially as set forth.
9. In an apparatus for sinking shafts,, a watertight caisson provided with an
sinner tube and strengthening plates bolted to the caisson tube, substantially as se
forth.
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14
9. In an apparatus for. sinking shafts,, a watertight caisson provided with a
sinner tube and strengthening plates bolted to the caisson tube, substantially as se
forth.
Dated this 10th day of April 1890.
betminer
S. S. BROMHEAD,
:
97, Newgate Street, London, E.C., Patent Agent.
London: Printed for Her Majesty's Stationery Office, by Darling & Son, Ltd.-1990.
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