IMPROVE- MENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR DRIVING HOLES OR DRIFTWAYS IN Rocks
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT Emile Watteen, of the Royal Exchange, Middles-
boro-on-Tees, in the County of York, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR DRIVING HOLES OR DRIFTWAYS IN
Rocks."-A communication from abroad by Joseph François and
Guillaume Dubois, both of Liége, in the Kingdom of Belgium.
Sealed the 22nd October 1872, and dated the 7th May 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Emile Watteeu at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
7th May 1872.
I, EMILE WATTEEU, of the Royal Exchange, Middlesboro-on-Tees, in
the County of York, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention,
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR DRIVING HOLES OR DRIFT-
WAYS IN ROCKS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has reference to an improved construction of
machinery or apparatus operated by compressed air, steam, or other
fluid under pressure for driving holes or driftways in rocks, of which

page_text: the principal parts are shewn in the longitudinal section of the machine
on the accompanying Drawing.
The Invention consists mainly in peculiar and novel devices for
operating the slide valve of the machine, and for effecting the rotation
of the cutting tool or chisel.
On the Drawing B is a cylinder carried by a suitable framing, in
which cylinder works a piston C, to the end of the piston rod C¹ of
which is attached the cutting tool or chisel. The piston C has the
requisite reciprocating motion imparted to it by the admission of
compressed air, steam, or other fluid under pressure alternately through
the passages or ports Z, Z', the slide valve N being made to control such
admission by the following means:-Upon the piston rod C¹ is formed or
fixed a circular tappet D, which at the end of each back stroke of the
piston rod is caused to come in contact with the pedal or trigger E turn-
ing on a pin F. This trigger in being actuated by the tappet D strikes 1
against the stem G of a valve G closing an escape aperture in the slide
valve box K, the valve G being kept closed by a spring H when not
actuated by the trigger. The slide valve N is connected by two rods M,
M', to two pistons I, L, working in cylindrical parts K', K², of the slide
valve box. The piston L is smaller in diameter than I; on its inner face 2
it is acted upon by the pressure of the air or steam in the valve box K,
while on its outer face it is only acted upon by the atmospheric pressure,
the cylindrical hole K* being open at the outer end. The piston I is
acted upon on both faces by the pressure of the air or steam in the
valve box, the rod M being for this purpose formed with a hollow ?
passage P, into which opens a small lateral hole O, so that the steam
or air can pass through the rod M to the space K' on the outer side
of the piston. From this arrangement it will be seen that if the
valve G is closed the pressure upon the piston I being in equibrio,
while the pressure on the inner face of the piston L is in excess of the 3
atmospheric pressure on its outer face, the slide valve will be moved
over so as to uncover the port Z' and thus admit steam or air to the
front of the piston C for effecting the back stroke of the piston rod
and chisel. In thus moving back the tappet D is brought in contact
with the trigger E, whereby the valve G will be forced open. The air 3
or steam will now escape from the space K' quicker than it can flow
through the small opening O, and the pressure of the air or steam upon
the inner face of the piston I in overbalancing the pressure upon the

page_text: smaller area of the piston L will cause the slide valve to move over
so as to open the port Z for effecting the forward or working stroke of
the piston C and cutting tool. As soon as the tappet D has moved
forward sufficiently to release the trigger E, the spring H will close the
valve G, and an equilibrium of pressure on the piston I being thus
re-established the slide valve will be again moved over as first described
for producing the next back stroke of the piston C. U, U³, are fixed
stops for limiting the motion of the slide valve N. For partially
rotating the cutting chisel at each stroke the piston rod C³ (the front
part of which is formed of a triangular or polygonal section) slides
through a bush capable of rotating in the front part of the framing,
and carrying a ratchet wheel, in gear with which is a pawl carried by
an arm on the end of the rod c. This rod is of a square section and
passess through cylindrical bushes V₁ carried by a bracket V, and also
through a sleeve S having two opposite lateral tappets which are raised
alternately so as to impart the requisite rocking motion to the rod c
for actuating the pawl and ratchet wheel by two pistons working in
cylindrical recesses on each side of the slide valve box, into which
cylindrical recesses steam or air under pressure is admitted alternately
through the hole T, T', in the ports Z, Z', of the cylinder B, so as to raise
the said pistons. The advancing of the cylinder B is effected as the
work of driving the hole by the chisel proceeds by means of the screw Y
carried by the framing and turned by hand.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Emile Watteeu in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 21th October 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EMILE
WATTEEU, of the Royal Exchange, Middlesboro-on-Tees, in the County
of York, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-fifth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Emile Watteeu, Her special license, that I,
the said Emile Wattecu, my executors, administrators, and assigns,

page_text: piston rod O' is formed or fixed a circular tappet D, which at the end
of cach back stroke of the piston rod is caused to come in contact with
the pedal or trigger E turning on a pin F. This trigger in being
actuated by the tappet D strikes against the stem G' of a valve G
closing an escape aperture in the slide valve box K, the valve G being
kept closed by a spring H when not actuated by the trigger. The slide
valve N is connected by two rods M, M³, to two pistons I, L, working in
cylindrical parts K', K, of the slide valve box. The piston L is smaller
in diameter than I; on its inner face it is acted upon by the pressure
of the air or steam in the valve box K, while on its outer face it is only
acted upon by the atmospheric pressure, the cylindrical hole K* being
open at the outer end. The piston I is acted upon on both faces by the
pressure of the air or steam in the valve box, the rod M being for this
purpose formed with a hollow passage P, into which opens a small
lateral hole O, so that the steam or air can pass through the rod M to
the space K' on the outer side of the piston. From this arrangement it
will be seen that if the valve G is closed the pressure upon the piston I
being in equilibrio, while the pressure on the inner face of the piston L
is in excess of the atmospheric pressure on its outer face, the slide valve
will be moved over, so as to uncover the port Z', and thus admit steam
or air to the front of the piston C for effecting the back stroke of the
piston rod and chisel. In thus moving back the tappet D is brought in
contact with the trigger E, whereby the valve G will be forced open.
The air or steam will now escape from the space K' quicker than it can
flow through the small opening O, and the pressure of the air or steam
upon the inner face of the piston I in overbalancing the pressure upon
the smaller area of the piston L will cause the slide valve to move over,
so as to open the port Z for effecting the forward or working stroke of
the piston C and cutting tool. As soon as the tappet D has moved
forward sufficiently to release the trigger E the spring H will close the
valve G, and an equilibrium of pressure on the piston I being thus
re-established, the slide valve will be again moved over, as first described
for producing the next back stroke of the piston C. U, U, are fixed
stops for limiting the motion of the slide valve N.
For partially
rotating the cutting chisel at each stroke the piston rod C¹ (the front
part of which is formed of a triangular or polygonal section) slides
through a bush & capable of rotating in the front part of the framing,
and carrying a ratchet wheel «, in gear with which is a pawl b carried
by an arm on the end of the rod c, and also a pawl b¹ mounted on the

page_text: end frame. These two pawls are pressed on by springs, so as to engage
with the teeth of the ratchet wheel a, or a spring on the one pawl con-
nected by a rod to the other pawl, as shewn in Fig. 3, serves for both.
The rod c is of rectangular section, and passes through two bushes V'
mounted in bearings on a bracket V attached to the cylinder. It also
passes through a sleeve S, which has on each side a tappet or arm
S' and S. Each of these arms rests on a small piston or plunger
Q and R working in a cylindrical recess in the bracket, and com-
municating by passages T, T", with the cylinder ports Z and Z' respec-
tively. When the compressed air, steam, or other fluid is by the 1
movement of the slide, as described above, admitted to either of the
ports Z or Z, the pressure communicated through the passage Tor.T'
acts on one or other of the pistons or plungers Q or R, and thereby gives
a rocking motion to the sleeve S and the rod c, whereby the pawl bis
made to act on the ratchet wheel a, so as to impart intermittent rotation 1
to the chisel rod c'. As the hole made by the chisel becomes deeper the
cylinder B is advanced by means of a screw Y carried on the framing,
and turned by hand.
Having thus described the nature of this Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by my 2
foreign correspondent, what I claim is,―
First. The mode, substantially as herein described, of operating the
slide valves of machinery or apparatus for driving holes or driftways in
rocks worked by fluid under pressure.
Second. The mode, substantially as herein described, of effecting 2
rotation of the chisel used in such machinery or apparatus by the action
of the fluid under pressure.
In witness whereof, I, the said Emile Watteeu, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.
MILE WALLEN
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