Improvements in Tunnelling Machines.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 10th June, 1887
Complete Left, 12th Mar., 1888
Complete Accepted, 27th Apr., 1888
Improvements in Tunnelling Machines.
1, REGINALD STANLEY, of Nuneaton Colliery, Nuneaton, in the county of
Warwick, Colliery Proprietor, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My present invention relates to further improvements in that class of machine or
apparatus for tunnelling or helping to make tunnels, passages, road- or air-ways in
coal, marl, stone or other substances described in the Specifications of my Letters
Patent No. 335 of 1885 and No. 1449 of 1886.
In the Specifications of the said Patents the construction of the tunnel or heading
is accomplished by the machinery propelling forward the whole machine at one and
the same time, by the means of spiked, ribbed or roughened wheels or rollers working
into or against or biting the floor, sides or roof of the tunnel or heading, and at the
same time as the machine advances cutting an annular groove around the circum--
ference of the face of the tunnel or heading, leaving a core which either falls off as
the work proceeds or is got off by means of tools the progress of the machine being
stopped while the core is being got off and removed, and generally so while the larger
lumps of material that fall off are being withdrawn and passed to the back of the
machine.
My present improvements have for object the cutting away the entire face of the
tunnel or heading by means of a series of cutters at the same time that the machine
is caused to advance without the aid of rails or of any part of the machine remaining
stationary or being fixed to the tunnel or heading while the cutting is in progress.
The cuttings and fine material thus made are thrown back or carried by an endless
belt or other means as the work proceeds without any stoppage except for the purpose
of changing the cutters or for necessary repairs.
The machine with the exception of the pipe, wire or other medium for communi-
cating the motive power is entirely self-contained and locomotive carried and impelled
forward at one and the same time by means of the said propelling wheels or rollers
which said propelling wheels or rollers by the action of screw pins, springs, or other
means are made to press outward against the roof, floor or side of the tunnel or

page_text: heading, from the centre in a contrary direction to one another, and thus cause the
spiked, ribbed, or roughened parts to enter or bite against the roof, floor or sides of
the tunnel or heading in such a manner that they hold the machine firmly and when
caused to revolve by the action of the engines attached to the machine with the aid
of suitable gearing, propel the whole machine forward at the same time the cutting is
in progress.
I generally use the spiked, ribbed or roughened propelling wheels at the front and
back of the machine and at the top and bottom but it is evident they can also be
applied to the sides of the heading or tunnel.
The direction of the cutting and travelling of the whole machine is regulated by
side wheels adjusted from the side of the machine by screw pins, also by altering the
direction and elevation of the driving wheels at the front and back of the machine, or
at the back only, the construction being generally similar to that described in the
Specification of my said Patent No. 1449 of 1886.
The present machine differs from the said patent (No. 1449) in that instead of
being constructed with the front portion of the arms that carry the cutters extended
forward in a horizontal position for the purpose of working in the annular groove
which has been formed by the revolution of the arms and cutters, the arms are made
to radiate only (without the horizontal arms) and along the length of their front face
to carry sufficient and suitable cutters for cutting away the entire face of the tunnel
or heading as the machine advances. I sometimes use a central drill extended beyond
the cutters which, entering the face of the tunnel or heading in advance of the cutters,
serves to help to keep the arms and cutters steady.
By this improved construction it will be obvious that the time required in fixing
the whole or any part of the machine or apparatus to the top, bottom or sides of the
heading or tunnel or for laying rails, or in removing the core or the lumps of material
that fall off as the work proceeds as in the case of the two patents before quoted, is
saved, and it is.not. necessary to stop the machine while at work in suitable material
for any purpose but that of replacing cutters or drills or to effect necessary repairs.
Dated L 104
1907

page_text: Improvements in Tunnelling Machines.
I, REGINALD STANLEY, of Nuneaton Colliery, Nuneaton, in the County of
Warwick, Colliery Proprietor, 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 :-
My present invention relates to further improvements in that class of machine or
apparatus for tunnelling or helping to make tunnels, passages, roads or air-ways in
coal, marl, stone or other substances described in the Specifications of my Letters
Patent No. 335 of 1885 and No. 1449 of 1886.
In the Specification of Letters Patent No. 1449 of 1886 the construction of the tunnel
or heading is accomplished by the machinery propelling forward the whole machine
at one and the same time, by means of spiked, ribbed, elastic, adhesive or roughened
wheels or rollers biting or working into or pressing against the floor, sides or roof of
the tunnel or heading and, at the same time that the machine advances, cutting an
annular groove (by means of radial and horizontal arms and cutters similar to those
described in my Specification No. 335 of 1885) around the circumference of the face
of the tunnel or heading, leaving a core which either falls off as the work proceeds, or
is got off by means of tools, the progress of the machine being stopped while the core
is being got off and removed, and generally so while the larger lumps of material
that fall off are being withdrawn and passed to the back of the machine.
My present improvements have for object to allow of cutting away the entire face
of the tunnel or heading by means of a series of cutters, arranged upon the face of
the radial arms, at the same time that the machine is caused to advance, without the
aid of rails and without any part of the machine remaining stationary or being fixed
to the tunnel or heading while the cutting is in progress. Also to provide for the
removal of the cuttings and fine material thus produced from the face of the heading,
by means of an endless belt carrying scrapers and acting in combination with
sweepers on the radial arms, or by other means as the work proceeds without
necessitating any stoppage of the machine except for the purpose of changing the
cutters, for putting in fresh pipes, or for necessary repairs.
In order to enable my invention to be fully understood I will proceed to describe
how it can be carried into practice by reference to the accompanying drawings,.
in which
.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a tunnelling machine constructed according to my
present invention, the said machine being shown at work.
Figure 2 is a plan of figure 1.
Figure 3 is an elevation of the opposite side of the machine to that shown in
figure 1.
Figure 4 is a rear elevation of the machine.
Figure 5 is a plan of the end of the central shaft and cutter arms showing an
arrangement of cross-head I sometimes employ for altering the direction in which the
cutting is to be made and for steadying the cutter shaft.
Similar letters in all the figures indicate similar parts.

page_text: A is the frame of the machine and B, B are carriages bolted to the sides of the
frame A at each end and on which are mounted the cog and worm gearing C, D,
operated by worm wheels E driven by worms F on the central shaft R. The shafts G
and H of the worm gearing C, D work in bearings J and K ; spiked wheels or
rollers L L which for convenience of description are hereinafter called the driving
wheels work between the carriages B, B.
The direction of the cutting and travelling of the whole machine is regulated by
altering the direction and elevation of the driving wheels L, L at the front and back
of the machine, or at the front or back only, by means of set screws or pins M and N,
the construction being generally similar to that described in the Specification of my
Letters Patent No. 1449 of 1886.
The central shaft R is carried by bearings attached to the front and back uprights
of the frame A and it is prevented from moving longitudinally by means of collars
fixed thereon.
Instead of constructing the machine with arms that carry the cutters extended
forward in a horizontal position for the purpose of cutting an annular groove as
described in my former Specification No. 1449 of 1886, I now employ radial arms S, S
only (without horizontal arms) and along the length of their front face I arrange
sufficient and suitable cutters V, V1, V³ for cutting away the entire face of the tunnel
or heading as the machine advances.
The radial arms S, S are fixed at the cutting end of the central shaft R and the
cutters V, V' are placed at intervals along its face.
The cutters V, V₁, are of two lengths, the longest ones V, V serving to cut their
way in the solid material and the short ones V1, V₁ serving to remove any ribs that
are left between the cuts made by the longer cutters.
Cis the endless belt and D', D' are the scrapers attached thereto for removing the
cuttings ar fine material from the front of the machine as the work proceeds without
hand labour which has hitherto been necessary when operating with the machines
forming the subjects of my former patents.
When the endless belt C¹ is put in motion by the action of wheels E¹, E¹ over
which it passes and is carried, the scrapers D1, D' sweep the cuttings and fine material
from the front to the rear of the machine whence it is removed in any suitable
The wheels E E¹ that carry the endless belt C and scrapers D¹, D¹, are
carried by and revolve on arms F1, F₁ fixed to and projecting horizontally from the
sides of the machine; the wheels E¹, E¹ are rotated from the central shaft R through
bevil wheels J and K' the wheel K being fixed on the rear end of the said shaft.
manner.
G¹, Gare the sweepers which I provide on the radial arms S, S for forcing the
cuttings and fine materials within range of the scrapers D¹, D¹.
The sweepers G¹, G₁ are attached to the sides of each of the radial arms S, S and
extend backwards so that as the cutting operation proceeds they sweep the cuttings
and fine material to the side of the heading and back towards the scrapers D', D¹ by
which the cuttings are then seized and carried backwards alongside of the machine
as herein before described.
The radial arms S, S are fixed on the central shaft R a sufficient distance from the
frame A of the machine to allow a seat H¹ to be placed behind the arms so that a
man can sit and regulate the working of the machine, and prevent any lumps that
might fall off from clogging the action of the scrapers D¹, D¹.
Å handle (not shown) is placed within reach of the attendant whereby he can shut
off or turn on the compressed air or other motive power that may be used to drive
the machine. At the side of the attendant and in front of him is arranged a shield I¹
which protects him from the action of the scrapers D' and sweepers G¹.
The shield I by scraping along the bottom of the heading prevents any cuttings or
fine material from getting under the machine as it advances, a plate L' being also
provided for a like purpose. This plate is provided with slots so that it can move up
and down over screw pins passed into the frame of the machine.
The edge of the plate is kept on the bottom of the heading by the mere weight of
the plate and thereby prevents the fine debris from getting under the wheels of the

page_text: machine as it travels forward. The shield I also serves to confine the cuttings and
fine material so that the sweepers and scrapers are forced to move them when the
machine is advancing and the arms are revolving in the right direction.
From the foregoing description it will be seen that the machine with the exception
of the pipe, wire, or other medium for communicating the motive power is entirely
self-contained and locomotive and is carried and impelled forward at one and the
same time by means of the driving wheels L, L which by the action of the screw
pins N, N (or by springs or other means) are made to press outward against the roof,
floor, or side of the tunnel or heading, from the centre in a contrary direction to one
another, and thus cause the spiked (or elastic or roughened) parts to enter (or press)
or bite against the roof, floor, or sides of the tunnel or heading in such a manner that
they hold the machine firmly and when caused to revolve by the action of the engines
and gearing attached to the machine, propel the whole machine forward at the same
time the cutting is in progress.
Further it will be evident that the time hitherto required in fixing the whole or
any part of the machine or apparatus to the top or bottom or sides of the tunnel or
heading, or for moving the machine forward between the cuttings as in the machine
forming the subject of Letters Patent No. 335 of 1885 or in removing the core or
large lumps of material as in the machine forming the subject of Letters Patent
No. 1449 of 1886 is saved and it is not necessary to stop the machine while at work
in suitable material for any purpose but that of replacing cutters, of attaching pipes,
or of effecting necessary repairs. By the improved arrangement of endless belt Ci
with scrapers D₁, D₁ attached, and the sweepers G¹ on the radial arms working in
conjunction as before described, the removal of the cuttings and fine material is greatly
facilitated and performed with regularity.
I generally use the driving wheels L L at the front and back of the machine and
at the top and bottom as illustrated in the drawings, but it is evident they can also be
applied to the sides of the heading or tunnel.
Instead of regulating the direction in which the machine is to cut by mounting
the driving wheels in adjustable bearings as illustrated in the drawings I can employ
side wheels for this purpose adjusted from the sides of the machine by means of set
screws in a similar manner to that described in my former Specification No. 1449
of 1886.
Or, as illustrated in figure, 5, I sometimes use a crosshead O, extending across the
tunnel at the back of the radial arms and having at each extremity a wheel P that
works against the side of the tunnel. The wheels P, P are regulated by double-acting
set screws so that they can be advanced or withdrawn at either side of the machine
according to the direction in which it is desired to cause the cutters to travel, the
wheels P, P working against the sides as the machine advances in the tunnel and
cutting into the side sufficiently to prevent the crosshead O revolving with the central
shaft R and radial arms S, S.-The central shaft R revolves within a bearing T
attached to the centre of the crosshead O and is prevented from being forced back
by a collar U fixed on the central shaft R. The crosshead O with the wheels P, P
also serves to keep the arms S, S and cutters V, V steady while the work is in
progress.
I sometimes use a central drill extended beyond the cutters which, entering the
face of the tunnel or heading in advance of the cutters, serves to help to keep the
arms and cutters steady.
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. A boring and tunnelling machine having a central shaft with radial arms and
cutters for cutting away the whole face of the tunnel the said machine being carried
on and steadied by driving wheels forced against the floor and roof of the tunnel so
as to bite into and bear against the circumference thereof and which, when caused

page_text: to revolve by the actuating machinery, propel the whole machine forward while the
cutting is proceeding substantially as hereinbefore described. .'
2. In a boring and tunnelling machine the arrangement of mechanism for removing
the cuttings and fine material while the whole machine is advancing consisting of
sweepers attached to the radial arms and working in conjunction with an endless
chain with scrapers working on the side of the machine substantially as hereinbefore
described.
3. The improved apparatus herein before described and illustrated in Figure 5 for
directing and steadying the cutting arms of a boring and tunnelling machine.
4. The improved tunnelling machine consisting of the parts constructed and
combined substantially as herein before described with reference to the accompanying
drawing and operating as and for the purposes set forthi.
T
1
1 1000
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London,
Agents for the Applicant.