IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF AND MACHINERY FOR Tunnelling, MINING, AND COAL CUTTING.
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Low, of Wrexham, in the County of
Denbigh, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF AND
MACHINERY FOR Tunnelling, MINING, AND COAL CUTTING.”.
Sealed the 2nd May 1871, and dated the 5th November 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Low at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
5th November 1870.
I, WILLIAM Low, of Wrexham, in the County of Denbigh, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE
OF AND MACHINERY FOR TUNNELLING, MINING, AND COAL CUTTING," to be as
follows:-
The mode which the hereafter described machinery is intended as a
means of effectuating is the perforation of the chalk, coal, or substance
through which a tunnel or heading is to be driven with a number of

page_text: holes in such manner as to constitute the approximate outline of the
transverse form, three sides usually of the tunnel or heading.
This machinery for preparing for blowing or crushing down consists
of drills, chisels, or cutting tools set upon shafts ranged so as to corre-
spond with the particular form of tunnel or heading to be driven, leaving
the centre part of the machine free for the carrying off of material cut
away. These shafts are actuated by wheelwork set upon other shafts, so
as to render the whole system capable of being actuated simultaneously
from one source of power, whether hydraulic, steam, compressed air, or
otherwise. Trams similar to those used for tramways for running back
the machine can be used, and side rails to facilitate motion.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Low in the. Great Seal Patent Office on
the 5th May 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
Low, of Wrexham, in the County of Denbigh, send greeting.
.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent bearing date the Fifth day of November, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-fourth
year of Her reign, did, for. Herself, Her heirs and successors, give. and
grant unto me, the said William Low, Her special licence that I, the
said William Low, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said William Low, my 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 THE MODE OF AND MACHINERY
FOR TUNNELLING, MINING, AND COAL CUTTING," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said William Low, my executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands
and scals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed; and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
+

page_text: calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Low, 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 :—
The mode which the hereafter described machinery is intended as a
means of effectuating is the perforation of the chalk, coal, or substance
through which a tunnel or heading is to be driven with a number of
holes in such manner as to constitute the approximate outline of the
transverse form of three sides usually of the tunnel or heading.
This machinery is for preparing for blowing or crushing down, and
consists of drills, chisels, or cutting tools set upon shafts ranged so as to
correspond with the particular form of tunnel or heading to be driven,
leaving the centre part of the machine free for the carrying off of
material cut away. These shafts are actuated by wheelwork set upon
other shafts, so as to render the whole system capable of being actuated
simultaneously from one source of power, whether hydraulic, steam,
compressed air, or otherwise. Trams for running back the machine can
be used, and side rails to facilitate motion.
As above mentioned, the mode of action being by drilling a number of
holes in straight lines on three sides of the tunnel, heading, or drifting,
the machine is so constructed that waggons can be taken through it to the
fore breast to remove the same, which may be thrown down within the
space perforated by the drills or augers either by blasting, sawing, or
otherwise. If the material acted upon be coal, then by adopting the plan
of sawing the coal may be taken out in convenient sized blocks without
subjecting it to the great loss which arises from the large amount of
slack produced by blasting and in the carriage and handling of irregular
pieces of coal.
Having thus far by these Presents described the nature of the said
Invention, and intimated generally in what manner the same is to be
performed or put in practice, I now proceed to describe and ascertain
in what manner the same is to be performed or put in practice as
follows:-

page_text: Fig. 3, view of driftway or heading with circular holes made by the
mechanism ready for breaking down or blasting (half only shown).
The machine consists mainly of two strong cast-iron frames A kept in
position relatively to each other by two cross bracing castings B. On
the frame next to the fore-breast of the driving are a number of brass
nuts C in cast-iron brackets. These nuts have a thread cut in them to
suit a like number of screwed borers D, the unscrewed portion of same
being marked D*, which pass through them, having fastened thereto at
one end the boring tool, drill, auger, or bit D³, of form and size suitable
to the material to be perforated. The other ends of these borers are
formed either square or round, and thereby the borers are turned round.
On the back frame, or that away from the driftway or heading, are
fastened cast-iron brackets E, forming the bearings for the gearing which
actuates the borers. This gearing is of the following construction:-
Each borer, it will be seen, has a spur pinion cast with a long boss, the
outside of which is turned to fit in a bearing of one of the castings
mentioned before. The inside of the boss of the spur pinion is made
square if the end of the borer be made square, or round with a sliding
key if the end of the borer be made round, the object of this being that
the pinion shall turn the borer round, whereby it screws itself forward
through its nuts in the front frame, and so each and all of the borers
simultaneously advances one thread of the screw forward for every turn
of the borer into the material to be perforated. Between each two borers
is fitted a spur wheel F gearing into the two pinions which turn the
borers, and keyed on a shaft turning in another bearing of the brackets
before mentioned. On the same shaft is keyed a mitre wheel, which
gears into one of a number of mitro wheels G on the main driving shaft.
The frames, borers, and gearing are carried by four wheels running on
rails laid on the floor of the tunnel or heading, as shown by the Drawing.
The machine is proposed to be driven by steam, compressed air, or by
hydraulic engine, the latter being preferred.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same may be performed or put
in practice, I hereby declare that I claim, the Invention herein-before

page_text: described of "Improvements in the Mode of and Machinery for Tun-
nelling, Mining, and Coal Cutting," it being understood that I do not
limit myself to the use of, nor do I claim the constituent details of the
mechanism described in these Presents and shown in the accompanying
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Low, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.
0 Witness,
WILLIAM (L.S.) LOW.
RICH. MARSDEN P. Low,
Roseneath Grove Park, Wrexham.

page_text: and the Lrawing marked Fig. 2.
Fig. 1. side view of machinery and
Fig. 2. front view of machinery
showing
a the framing. b the drills or
cutting tools, the screw shafts of
which are shown (marked b*)
in Fig. 1. working through nuts
bas show. c driving shafts
and geareng for actuating the
shafts of crils or cutting tools.
d. rails for fucilitating movement
of machinerye waggons for
conveying away the debris. f
rails for waggons to run on.
The drills or cutting tools with
their screv shafts are mounted
on the frarung and are actuated
by the toothed wheels and
shafting brany convenient
motive. pover as stated in the
Provisional Specification