IMPROVEMENTS IN DESTROYING EXPLOSIVE GASES IN COAL AND OTHER MINES IN ORDER TO RENDER THEM SAFE FOR THE MINERS TO ENTER
Year: 1867

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Harbert and
Frederick Goodman at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents. with
their Petition, on the 28th February 1867.
We, JAMES HARBERT and FREDERICK GOODMAN, both of Kidderminster, in
the County of Worcester, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN DESTROYING EXPLOSIVE GASES IN COAL AND OTHER MINES IN
ORDER TO RENDER THEM SAFE FOR THE MINERS TO ENTER," to be as follows:-
According to our Invention explosive gases are destroyed in the most
distant workings of coal and other mines by igniting and exploding any
accumulations of such gases by currents of electricity or by other suitable
means when required in order to render them safe and accessible to the miners
and others previous to descending into or entering the same. For this
purpose in order to cause the gas which may accumulate in the most distant
workings to explode when desired we prefer to employ a current or currents
of electricity conveyed to such parts by means of suitable conductors of elec-
Price Sd.l

page_text: tricity from a galvanic or other battery placed at a suitable distance interior
or exterior of the mine. At the part or parts of the mine where it is desired
to cause an explosion of gas or fire-damp to take place the conductors of
electricity are connected by a piece of platinum passing through or into a
fuzee or other explosive compound or material, so that when the electric
circuit is formed by connecting the opposite poles of the battery the piece of
platinum will become heated or fuzed so as to ignite the explosive or inflam-
mable material connected therewith, and thus cause the gas in the locality to
explode. By causing such explosions to take place at the "head" or ex-
tremity of the workings the foul air and gases will be driven out towards the
main shaft or entrance to the mine, after which the passage of atmospheric
air into the workings will soon render the same safe for the miner to enter.
Mechanical, chemical, or other means may be resorted to for producing
combustion and causing accumulations of noxious gases to explode in distant
parts of a mine when desired for the purpose of destroying such gases in
accordance with our Invention; for instance, detonating or other substances
may be ignited or exploded by percussive force brought into action by electro-
magnetism, or by other means when desired.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of, the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Harbert and Frederick Goodman in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 28th August 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JAMES.
HARBERT and FREDERICK GOODMAN, both of Kidderminster, in the County of
Worcester, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of Her
reign, did, for llerself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said James Harbert and Frederick Goodman, Her special licence that we, the said
James Harbert and Frederick Goodman, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as we, the said James Harbert and Frederick Goodman,
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 DESTROYING EXPLOSIVE

page_text: GASES IN COAL AND OTHER MINES IN ORDER TO RENDER THEM SAFE FOR THE MINERS
TO ENTER," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said James
Harbert and Frederick Goodman, our executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under our or their hands and seals, 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 per-
formed, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that the said
do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement
thereof, that is to say:-
According to our Invention explosive gases are destroyed in the most
distant workings of coal and other mines by igniting and exploding any
accumulations of such gases by currents of electricity or by other suitable
means when required in order to render them safe and accessible to the
miners and others previous to descending into or entering the same.
For this
purpose in order to cause the gas which may accumulate in the most distant
workings to explode when desired, we prefer to employ a current or currents
of electricity conveyed to such parts by means of suitable conductors of
electricity from a galvanic or other battery placed at a suitable distance
interior or exterior of the mine. At the part or parts of the mine where it is
desired to cause an explosion of gas or fire-damp to take place the con-
ductors of electricity are connected by a piece of platinum passing through or
into a fuzee or other explosive compound or material, so that when the
electric circuit is formed by connecting the opposite poles of the battery the
piece of platinum will become heated or fused, so as to ignite the explosive or
inflammable material connected therewith, and thus cause the gas in the
locality to explode. By causing such explosions to take place at the "head"
or extremity of the workings the foul air and gases will be driven out towards
the main shaft or entrance to the mine, after which the passage of atmospheric
air into the workings will soon render the same safe for the miner to enter.
Mechanical, chemical, or other means may be resorted to for producing
combustion and causing accumulations of noxious gases to explode in distant
parts of a mine when desired for the purpose of destroying such gases in
accordance with our Invention, for instance, detonating or other substances
may be ignited or exploded by percussive force brought into action by
electro-magnetism, or by other means when desired.

page_text: annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 shows a front view, and Figures 2 and 3 transverse sections of an
arrangement of apparatus suitable for causing explosions in the distant.
workings or parts of a mine in accordance with our Invention.
a is an electro-magnet mounted upon the plate b, which may be fixed in
any convenient manner at the head or other part of the workings of a mine or
pit where explosive gases accumulated, and where it is desirable such gases
should be exploded and destroyed prior to the entrance of the workmen or
miners to commence their work. Covered wire is coiled around each pole of
the magnet, as is well understood. the opposite ends of which conducting wire
are placed in communication with a suitable battery at the month or entrance
to the mine or pit, so that when the two ends of the wire are placed in contact
a current of electricity will pass through the coils, and thus cause the electro-
magnet a to attract the iron plate or keeper c mounted upon the lever arm c¹
carried by the axis c which moves in bearings formed in the supports
upon the bed plate b,
projection or catch c
fixed
as shown. Upon one side of the plate c there is a
which retains the lever hammer or striker d (mounted
on the pin or axis d' upon the bed plate) in the position shown in the
Drawing whilst the electric circuit is broken, but when the electric circuit is
completed by connecting the two extremities of the conducting wire the plate c
or keeper will be attracted to the electro-magnet, thus withdrawing the
projection or catch * from contact with the end of the lever or striker d
which is then free to make a partial revolution upon its axis (as shown by
dotted lines) by means of the coiled or other springs d, so as to cause its two
ends to strike and explode percussion caps placed upon the nipples e, e, fixed
in the hollow projections e', e', upon the plate b. The chambers formed in the
projections e', e', may be filled with gun cotton or other inflammable materials,
the ignition of which by the explosion of the percussion caps causes a flame to
issue from the chambers for the purpose of igniting the explosive gases which
may have accumulated in the neighbourhood of the apparatus.
The gun
cotton in the chambers we prefer to connect together by a rope or band of
gun cotton supported as shown to increase the flame and ensure the
explosion of both chambers.
:
In order to impart greater certainty of action to the apparatus lucifer or
other matches f, f, (which ignite by friction) are mounted on the end of one

page_text: of the lever arms or strikers d, which in its revolution causes the prepared
ends of the matches to rub against the rough or prepared surface of the plate
or frictional surface g to cause the matches to ignite, and thus produce a
flame of some duration. The plate or frictional surface g can be adjusted by
sliding the wires or arms g'. g. which support it to or fro in the holder or
projection on the plate b.
Apparatus similar to that previously described may be placed at different
parts of a mine or pit, and by being placed in communication with the con-
ducting wire they may be brought into action simultaneously, or they may be
arranged to act independently.
We would remark that although we have described a particular arrange-
ment of apparatus for the purpose of igniting inflammable materials so as to
cause explosions in the distant workings of a mine or pit in accordance with
our Invention we do not confine ourselves thereto. as a great variety of
means and apparatus may be contrived and employed for this purpose; but
what we claim is, the ignition and destruction of explosive gases in distant
parts or workings of coal and other mines or pits by electro-magnetic, galvanic,
chemical, or other similar means brought into action when desired from the
mouth or exterior of the mine or pit, as herein described, in order to afford
safety to the miners before they enter.
In witness whereof, we, the said James Harbert and Frederick Good-
man, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty-sixth day
of August, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
sixty-seven.
Witness.
J. G. TONGUE,
Patent Agent.
34, Southampton Buildings,
Chancery Lane, W.C.
JAMI
RBERT. (L.S.)
FRED GOODMAN. (L.S.)