IMPROVEMENTS IN BORING HOLES IN THE RAILS AND SLEEPERS OF TRAMWAYS AND RAILWAYS AND IN THE MACHINERY EMPLOYED THEREFOR, THE SAID MACHINERY BEING APPLICABLE FOR BORING HOLES FOR OTHER PURPOSES."
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Gowans, of Edinburgh, in the County of
Mid Lothian, North Britain, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN BORING HOLES IN THE RAILS AND SLEEPERS OF TRAMWAYS AND
RAILWAYS AND IN THE MACHINERY EMPLOYED THEREFOR, THE SAID
MACHINERY BEING APPLICABLE FOR BORING HOLES FOR OTHER PURPOSES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Gowans at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with bis Petition, on the
5th September 1871.
ОР
I, JAMES GOWANS, of Edinburgh, in the County of Mid Lothian,
North Britain, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BORING HOLES IN THE RAILS AND SLEEPERS
TRAMWAYS AND RAILWAYS AND 18 THE MACHINERY EMPLOYED THEREFOR, -THE
SAID MACHINERY BEING APPLICABLE FOR BORING HOLES FOR OTHER PURPOSES,"
to be as follows, that is to say :—
13
This Invention relates to the arrangement and construction of a
machine for boring holes in the rails and sleepers of tramways or

page_text: railways, and it consists of an upright frame carrying a boring shaft
and bit, actuated by a wheel and pinion or otherwise, the base or stand
of which frame is by means of a hinged treadle or lever or other
suitable means worked by the foot, or otherwise attached firmly or
cramped to the rail, or sleeper, or both in which the hole is to be bored.
The spindle by which the borer is worked has a lever handle attached
to it to guide and facilitato the borer bit when at work and to withdraw
it rapidly.
It is obvious that besides being applicable for boring holes in the
rails or sleepers of tramways, and railways, the machine herein-before
described may be employed for boring holes in the members of other
structures, but it is especially applicable for the purposes mentioned.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Gowans in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 5th March' 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
GOWANS, of Edinburgh, in the County of Mid Lothian, North Britain,,
send greeting.
"
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the
36th year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said James Gowans, Her special license that
I, the said James Gowans; my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others' as I, the said James Gowans, my exccutors, adminis-
trators, or 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 BORING
HOLES IN THE RAILS AND SLEEPERS OF TRAMWAYS AND RAILWAYS AND IN THE
MACHINERY EMPLOYED THEREFOR, THE SAID MACHINERY BEING APPLICABLE FOR
BORING HOLES FOR OTHER PURPOSES," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said James Gowans, by an instrument in writing under my

page_text: hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of
the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,
and cause the samo to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent...
'
4
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Gowans, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings
and to the letters and figures marked thercon, that is to say :—
My said Invention relates to the arrangement and construction of a
machine for boring holes in the rails and sleepers of tramways or
railways. Besides being applicable for boring holes in the rails or
sleepers of tramways and railways the machine herein-before described
may be employed for boring holes in the members of other structures,
but it is especially applicable for the purposes mentioned.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood I
now proceed more particularly to set forth the system, modo, or manner
in or under which the same is or may be used or practically carried into
effect, that is to say :—
On the Sheet. of Drawings hereunto appended Figuro 1. is a side
elevation of my improved boring machine, whilst Figure 2 is a front
elevation of the same.
As shown in these Drawings the mechanism consists of a vertical
3 spindle or shaft A provided at its lower end with a socket B, in which
the boring bit O is held and firmly secured therein by means of a
pinching screw a or other mechanical equivalent. The vertical spindle
or shaft A is rotated by means of the bevil wheel and pinion D and E
respectively, these being actuated by the operator turning the handle F
) in a right or left hand direction. The moving parts now described aro
carried in the vertical frame G. The bevil pinion E is supported in the
bearing H attached to or forming part of the frame G. The vertical
spindle or shaft A. passes through the eye of the pinion E and through
the guide W, which is also attached to or forms part of the frame G.
The spindle or shaft A has a groove c cut down a portion of its length
corresponding in extent to the greatest depth of hole which can bo
"
"

page_text: bored by the machine. Into this groove c is fitted a feather, held in
the eyo
of the pinion E, so that the pinion E cannot be rotated without
rotating the vertical spindle or shaft A. During the operation of boring
a hole the vertical spindle or shaft A with the boring bit C is pressed
downwards by means of the operator or an assistant at the same timo
that the handle F is being rotated, depressing a lever K centred on the
vertical spindle or shaft A, and formed with a handle e for that purpose.
The spindle A is furnished with a collar to which the lever K is
attached by means of one or more pins or studs d. The lower extremity
of the lever K is attached to a link L, which is movable on the pin f
fixed in the frame G. The positions of the lever K and vertical spindle
or shaft A respectively when the boring bit O has completed its work
of boring a hole k through a tramway sleeper are indicated in dotted
lines at Figure 1. The lever K is also used for quickly withdrawing the
boring bit O after the boring is completed, and it is further to be
understood that when a self-fceding boring. bit, such as the screw
auger O shewn on the Drawings, is used for boring in the timber it is
not essential to employ the lever K for forcing down the boring tool
during the boring operation, and in this case the lever K is employed
for withdrawing the boring tool only after the hole is completed, and
when boring a hole in the rail J a drill of such shapo as is ordinarily
employed for boring in metal is used, in which case it is necessary to
depress the drill by the lever K. Attached to the base of the frame G
are two jaws M and N respectively, having cycs 9 at their upper
extemities, between which the treadle O is hinged by means of the
pins or studs h. The treadle O is provided with claws P, one on each
side thereof, which as the treadlo O is being pressed downwards by the
foot of the operator securely clutch or cramp the boring machine to the
tramway sleeper I and rail J or other similar piece or pieces of material
which are thus situated within or between the jaws M and N and tho
said claws P, and remain so during the operation of boring the hole.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, and the system, mode, or manner of carrying the same
into practical effect, I desire to observe in conclusion that I do not
claim the separate details of the machine herein described, but what I
do consider novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention
secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the
general arrangement and combination of parts constituting the said

page_text: boring machine; and I also claim the arrangement and construction of-
that part of the mechanism by which the boring machine is secured to
the material on which it has to operate as applicable to boring machines
of other constructions.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Gowans, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Second day of March One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-two.