AN IMPROVED ROCK DRILLING MACHINE
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Hermann Osterkamp, of Eschweilerpumpe, near
Aix la Chapelle, in the Kingdom of Prussia, for the Invention
of "AN IMPROVED ROCK DRILLING MACHINE."
Sealed the 18th November 1870, and dated the 20th May 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Hermann Österkamp
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 20th May 1870.
I, HERMANN OSTERKAMP, of Eschweilerpumpe, near Aix la Chapelle,
in the Kingdom of Prussia, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "AN IMPROVED ROCK DRILLING MACHINE," to be as follows :--
The improved rock drilling machine consists essentially of a cylinder
and piston. The piston fills the cylinder partially, and is rendered
air-tight by a packing made of five or more rings or recesses turned
out on the surface of the piston. In the same manner the piston rod
is kept air-tight in the cover or stuffing box through which it works.
The drill is fixed to the outer end of the piston by a wedge. The other

page_text: end of the piston rod is formed square, and embraces a rod which
passes through the cover of the cylinder, and has a bevil wheel fixed
thereon for imparting rotatory motion to the piston. The piston at the
same time works up and down the cylinder with the piston rod. The
rotatory motion of the aforesaid bevil wheel and piston and drill is
effected by a second bevil wheel fastened on an axis which has a toothed
wheel. The reciprocating movement of the piston is effected by the
distribution of the parts and their construction which essentially differs
from drilling machines or engines as heretofore constructed. At the side.
of a small cylinder and in connection with it is attached a smaller
cylinder fitted with a piston, the rod of which has two parts or passages
formed therein forming a slide valve for admitting and cutting off the
compressed air as desired.
•
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Hermann Osterkamp in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 19th November 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HERMANN
OSTERKAMP, of Eschweilerpumpe, near Aix la Chapelle, in the Kingdom
of Prussia, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of May, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-
third year of Her reign, did, for Herself,. Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Hermann Osterkamp, Her special licence
that I, the said Hermann Osterkamp, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Hermann Osterkamp, 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 "AN IMPROVED
ROCK DRILLING MACHINE," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Hermann Osterkamp, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and

page_text: seals, 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
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Hermann Osterkamp, 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, that is to say :-
The improved rock drilling machine consists essentially of a cylinder
and piston, the piston fills the cylinder partially and is rendered air-tight
by a packing made of five or more rings or recesses turned out on the
surface of the piston. In the same manner the piston rod is kept air-
tight in the cover or stuffing box through which it works. The drill is
fixed to the outer end of the piston by a wedge. The other end of the
piston rod is formed square and embraces a rod which passes through the
cover of the cylinder, and has a bevil wheel fixed thereon for imparting
rotatory motion to the piston. The piston at the same time works up
and down the cylinder with the piston rod. The rotatory motion of the
aforesaid bevil wheel and piston and drill is effected by a second bevil
wheel fastened on an axis which has a toothed wheel. The reciprocating
movement of the piston is effected by the distribution of the parts and
their construction, which essentially differs from drilling machines or
engines as heretofore constructed.
At the side of the aforesaid cylinder and in connection with it is
attached a smaller cylinder fitted with a piston, the rod of which has
two ports or passages formed therein forming a slide valve for admitting
and cutting off the compressed air as desired.
And in order to explain my said Invention as completely as possible,
I now proceed to describe the best means I am acquainted with for
carrying the same into practical effect, reference being had to the
illustrative Sheet of Drawings accompanying these Presents, and to
the numeral figures and letters of reference marked thereon respectively
as follows:

page_text: Figures 2 and 3 shew the outside of the cylinder X, the piston a fills
the cylinder partly and works tight therein by an air-tight packing pro-
duced by five rings B, turned out on the surface of the piston. In the
same manner the part C of the piston is tightened in the cover c as in
a stuffing box, the drill is fixed at the end of the piston by a wedge at 1,
the other end of the piston rod is formed with a square aperture to
receive and embrace a rod d of the same shape; this rod passes through
the cover of the cylinder and terminates in a bevil wheel e by which
the said rod can be turned round in the cover of the cylinder, turning
.at the same time the piston, which also moves up and down with the said
piston rod. The rotatory motion of the bevil wheel and piston, and the
drill 2 fixed thereto, is effected by a second bevil wheel g fastened on the
axis f, which has a ratchet wheel t fixed thereon. At the side of the
cylinder X and in connection with it is attached a smaller cylinder h
fitted also with a piston, the rod i of which has at the back end two
different apertures k and 7. When the pistons of the cylinders are in
the positions shewn at Figure 1, the compressed air, which is the motive
power to be employed, streams out of the tube in throughthe apertere k
of the small piston into the working cylinder X, pressing the piston and
with it the drill forwards until the upper end reaches the aperture n,
then the air enters into the distributing cylinder h, pressing likewise
the piston o forwards. The aperture & in the distributing rod then goes
beneath the entrance A of the cylinder, and when the working piston
continues its course to the fore end of the cylinder, the opening of the
distributing rod comes against the entrance A, thus effecting the com-
munication of the compressed air in the cylinder with the atmosphere.
At this moment the working piston goes backwards driven by the com-
pressed air of the common reservoir, which communicates without
interruption with the lower part of the piston by the channel 7. Imme-
diately after the fore part of the piston has reached the lateral opening p,
the air goes also into the distributing cylinder, driving its piston back-
wards into the piston shewn at Figure 1, and also the piston in the
cylinder X. This movement then begins again when the working piston
goes forward, the compressed air which was before it returns to the
reservoir, whilst the, small volume of air which was working in the
smaller cylinder passes through the small opening g into the open air.
On the back end of the distributing rod is fastened a pawl 3. for moving
the toothed wheelt forwards at each stroke of the piston, and with it
the axis fand the working piston a, a catch u prevents the wheel going

page_text: b
backwards, the drilling machine is fastened to a support 6 by a wedge;
this support can be moved to and fro on a frame e by the screw d and
the crank c. Two rods f fastened to the frame in combination with a
third rod g, which can be shortened and lengthened to form a stand,
which in most cases is sufficient for the use of the machine without
any need of fixing it otherwise. The moving forward of the drill is
by the workman by means of the crank c on the screw d. The man
who works the machine is always able without any difficulty and without
the least loss of time to effect the moving forwards of the drill and to
accomodate this precisely to the degree of hardness of the rock.
The great advantage produced by the omission of self-moving apparatus
as heretofore employed is a much simpler construction and a greater
solidity with much less weight, the whole machine weighing not more
than forty or fifty pounds.
The frames which in other machines are expensive and difficult to
manage, and which in other drilling machines are indispensible, are by
this Invention rendered unnecessary and the machine rendered much
cheaper. The gain of time also is of the greatest importance.
My rock-drilling machine may be held generally during its working
by a man supporting with one hand the arms of the handle 5 at Sheet 2,
or pressing his body lightly on the handle, he has thus always one hand
free for turning the screw which produces the advancing of the machine
and is if necessary assisted in bearing its weight during the drilling by
the third rod g, which can be lengthened or shortened at will. My
improved machine is sufficient for almost every position desired for
drilling holes, especially for working in the open air.
The working of my machine is much safer than that of the other
drilling machines, owing to the small weight of its movable pieces and
the circumstance that the compressed air works my machine without
shocks. The effect of the workman is very much greater in my improved
machine than in other machines, which from their weight and heavy
frames make it necessary for at least two men to attend them; these
men take frequently much more time to setting up or adjust the
ordinary heavy drilling apparatus than is required by my machine to
drill the holes.
Having now fully described and set forth the nature and object of my
said Invention for "An Improved Rock Drilling Machine," together

page_text: with the best means I am acquainted with for carrying the same into
practical effect, I would remark in conclusion that I hereby declare my
Invention to consist in and I claim, constructing and operating a
machine suitable for drilling rock, substantially in the manner above
stated and represented by the accompanying Sheets of Drawings..
In witness whereof, I, the said Hermann Osterkamp, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eighth day of November, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.