AN IMPROVED INSTRUMENT OR TOOL
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Currie Harrison, of 15, Sutherland Place,
Pimlico, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, and Henry John
Standly, of 20, Cockspur Street, Westminster, in the County of Mid-
dlesex, Esquire, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED INSTRUMENT OR TOOL
Sealed the 22nd July 1862, and dated the 2nd April 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Currie Harrison
and Henry John Standly at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 2nd April 1862.
We, WILLIAM CURRIE HARRISON, of 15, Sutherland Place, Pimlico, in
the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, and HENRY JOHN STANDLY, of
20, Cockspur Street, Westminster, in the County of Middlesex, Esquire, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED INSTRUMENT
OR TOOL FOR BORING OR DRILLING HOLES IN SLATE OR OTHER ROCK," to be as
follows:-
Our improvements relate to that class of instruments or tools known as
boring tools or drills applicable to boring or drilling slate or such other rock
as will admit of being cut by metallic tools; and these improvements consist

page_text: in the manner or mode of supplying a continuous or intermittent stream of
water (as the nature of the material may require) to the cutter at its point of
contact with the rock, which not only prevents the cutter from being in-
juriously heated, but at the same time washes away and forces back the borings
immediately they are disengaged from the rock by the cutter, rendering
clogging impossible. This movement is assisted by a spiral formation of the
tool, which aids in carrying the borings back along the tubular hole per-
forated by the cutter to its entrance, whence it escapes. Thus the accumu-
lation of the debris, and consequent clogging and heating of the tool, which
have hitherto baffled all attempts to bore slate rock for the purpose of blasting,
are entirely obviated.
Our improvements also refer to the manner of combining the cutter with
the stem and other parts of the instrument, so as to effect the object with
economy of labour, rapidity, and certainty. This we effect by sometimes con-
structing the driving stem of the instrument of a tubular form as thin as is
consistent with strength, and to the end of which, a suitable cutter is so
attached as to permit the passage of the water on either side of it. Water is
introduced and conveyed to the point of junction of the cutter. with the
tubular stem through a central tube, and is thence discharged against the face
of the cut, completely removing the borings, which would not otherwise be
carried off at once.
In some instances we make use of the central water tube
as the driving stem of the instrument, to the end of which we then attach the
cutter, the tube being of sufficient strength to resist any strain which may be
brought upon it. The external part of the central tube when so employed
has a spiral or other convenient form given to it which, in its rotation, con-
tinually stirs and agitates the mixture of water and borings, and thus facilitates
its rapid removal. As the instrument cuts away the substance upon which it
is operating it is caused to advance by means of a lever, screw, or a weight
over a pulley, as may be found most convenient, and while its progress is
rapid, the durability of the cutter is preserved by the constant action of the
water flowing upon it, so that a considerable saving is hereby effected in
tools, time, and labour in boring and drilling such substances as herein
described, and consequently the cost of such operations is thereby greatly
reduced.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters, Patent, filed
by the said William Currie Harrison and Henry John Standly, in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 2nd October 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILLIAM
CURRIE HARRISON, of 15, Sutherland Place, Pimlico, in the County of
Middlesex, Civil Engineer, and HENRY JOHN STANDLY, of 20, Cockspur
Street, in the County of Middlesex, Esquire, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Second day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said
William Currie Harrison and Henry John Standly, Her special licence, that
we, the said William Currie Harrison and Henry John Standly, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said William Currie
Harrison and Henry John Standly, 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 "AN IMPROVED INSTRUMENT OR TOOL FOR BORING OR DRILLING HOLES. IN
SLATE OR OTHER Rock," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the
said William Currie Harrison and Henry John Standly, our executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under our, or one of our, or their,
or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of tho 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 William Currie Harrison, 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:-
Our improvements relate to that class of instruments or tools known as
boring tools or drills applicable to boring or drilling slate, or such other rock as
will admit of being cut by metallic tools. And these improvements consist in
the manner or mode of supplying a continuous or intermittent stream of water
(as the nature of the material may require) to the cutter at its point of
-

page_text: contact with the rock, which not only prevents the cutter from being in-
juriously heated, but at the same time washes away and forces back the borings
immediately they are disengaged from the rock by the cutter, rendering
clogging impossible. This movement is assisted by a spiral formation of the
tool which aids in carrying the borings back along the tubular hole perforated
by the cutter to its entrance, whence it escapes; thus the accumulation of the
debris, and consequent clogging and heating of the tool which have hitherto
baffled all attempts to bore slate rock for the purpose of blasting are entirely
obviated.
Our improvements also refer to the manner of combining the cutter with
the stem and other parts of the instrument so as to effect the object with
economy of labor, rapidity, and certainty. This we effect by sometimes con-
structing the driving stem of the instrument of a tubular form as thin as is
consistent with strength, and to the end of which a suitable cutter is so
attached as to permit the free passage of the water (used in the operation of
boring) on either side of it. Water is introduced and conveyed to the point
of junction of the cutter with the tubular stem through a central tube, and is
thence discharged against the face of the cut, completely washing away and
removing the borings, which would not otherwise be carried off at once but
would accumulate and clog the tool. In some instances we make use of the
central water tube as the driving stem of the instrument, to the end of which
we then attach the cutter, the tube being made of sufficient strength to resist
the strain which may be brought upon it in the operation of boring. When
so employed, the external part of the central tube has a spiral or other con-
venient form given to it, which in its rotation continually stirs and agitates
the mixture of water and borings, and thus facilitates its rapid removal. As
the instrument cuts away the substance upon which it is operating, it is
caused to advance by means of a lever, screw, or a weight suspended over a
pulley, as may be found most convenient, to cause it to follow up the cut, and
while its progress is rapid, the durability of the cutter is insured by the con-
stant action of the water flowing upon it, so that a considerable saving is hereby
effected in tools, time, and labour in boring and drilling such substances as
herein described, and consequently the cost of such operations is thereby
greatly reduced

page_text: Figure 1 represents a side view of a boring instrument constructed with a
tubular stem and internal water tube; Figure 2 is a front view, and Figure 3,
a horizontal section of the same. The instrument is shewn in its simplest
form as applied to bore or drill vertical holes.
A is the mass of slate or other rock to be perforated; B is the metal
tubular stem having the end strengthened, in which are two slots or notches,
into which corresponding feathers or tenons on the end of the steel cutter C
are inserted. The cutter should be well fitted and secured by a set screw or
other convenient means, so that it may not be left in the hole when the
instrument is withdrawn from it. The edges of the cutter are shaped to suit
the substance to be cut, and are slightly bevelled to clear them, as in cutters
for boring metal. The breadth of the cutter should be made about one-
eighth of an inch wider than the diameter of the tubular stem so as to cut the
hole larger than the stem, preventing undue friction from rubbing against the
inside of the hole, and giving free escape to the water and borings. The
sides of the cutter should be hollowed to allow the water free passage to the
edges and point of the cutter, as shewn at large in Figures 4, 5, 6. D is
the central or water tube for conveying water to the cutter, extending the
entire length or thereabouts of the tubular stem. It is supplied by a flexible
tube, which is connected with it by means of a union joint. The quantity of
water admitted to the cutter is regulated by the nature of the substance to
be cut, and is adjusted by a stop-cock E, which is supported by a bracket e.
By uncoupling the union joint, the pipe may be readily detached when the
instrument is required to be moved from place to place. One head of water
may serve for several instruments, as flexible tubes may be led therefrom in
any direction. A spiral web or pin spirally disposed may be formed on the
external surface of the water tube for the purpose of stirring up the borings
as the external or tubular stem rotates round it, and facilitating their escape
with the water, but where an abundant supply of water is obtained, these
adjuncts are not needed, as the flow of the water is sufficient to discharge
them. F is a socket fitted to the outer end of the tubular stem B, having
openings f, through which the water and borings (which make their escape
through the tubular stem) are discharged when the instrument is used hori-
zontally or at an angle. This socket is used as a driving clutch, and is con-
nected by screw bolts with a flange piece G, on the end of the hollow
spindle H, on the opposite end of which a bevel wheel is keyed, and works
into a similar wheel which runs loose on the driving spindle I. This spindle
is either fitted with a fly wheel and handle (when worked by hand) or with a

page_text: -gut pulley (when worked by mechanical power) as shewn. The advance of
the instrument may be conveniently effected by means of a screw. K, which
may be moved by a hand wheel or by a weight suspended by a cord over a
pulley. The instrument should be mounted on a convenient frame, and it
will be desirable so to construct-it that the tool may be applied to its work in
whatever direction the workman may desire, either horizontally, vertically, or
angularly, and this may be effected by fixing the instrument or tool with its
.driving machinery on a sliding frame L working in V or other guides, which
will allow the tool and its gear to move in a straight line only as it follows up
the cut. The base of the guide frame being mounted upon pivots or an
axis M, the tool will admit of being set at any desired angle in the vertical
plane, and advanced' in that direction, the segment plate N and pin O retaining
it in any position on the main carriage or frame P. The tool may be set to
any other angle, either by simply shifting the frame on the' ground, or it may
be mounted on a pivot, so that it may have a horizontal movement, but
practically in such rough tools this is unnecessary, as the shifting of the frame
answers all the purpose. Such a combination of movements, as described, is
necessary to admit of the instrument being adapted to any part of a quarry
where blasting is required, as in driving tunnels, galleries, &c., in which the
borings are required to be made vertically in the floor and roof, and sometimes
horizontally and angularly at the headings, for all of which the instrument is
well adapted. Where desirable, and wherè sufficient height can be allowed,
the instrument and frame may be mounted on a low four-wheeled carriage, so
that it can more readily be transported from one place to another, and thus
avoid loss of time in shifting and setting.
A modification of the Invention, and one which we should from its sim-
plicity generally prefer, is that in which the external tubular stem, described
in Figures 1, 2, 3, and at large in Figures 4, 5, 6, is dispensed with, and the
water tube is employed for the double purpose of driving the cutter and of
supplying it with water. The cutter in such case is attached to the end of
the water tube, which may be there enlarged to receive the cutter, and be
fixed to it, as already described, or it may be made, as shewn in Figures 7, 8, 9,
where C is the cutter; D is the tube; x, a steel holder screwed into the end
of the tube D, and slotted to receive the tenons of the cutter; y, a screw,
which is recessed into the extended tail of the cutter, and prevents its being
drawn out of the holder when the tool is withdrawn.
The section,. Figure 9, shews the mode of, cutting the slots. so as to leave
an excess of metal on the driving side of the holder. In this form of the

page_text: instrument, the water tube being also the driving stem, must be of sufficient
strength to bear the torsional strain upon it, and it will be convenient to form
it as delineated in section at Figure 9, which shews a thick tube with flattened
sides. With this arrangement, the water and borings after leaving the cutter
pass away between the flattened sides of the tube and the sides of the boring.
As with this form of tool the water tube necessarily revolves, it will be
requisite to connect the flexible supply pipe with the water tube by a swivel
joint, so that the pipe may remain stationary while the water tube and stem
rotates. The velocity which it is desirable to give to this instrument will
much depend upon the quality of the substance to be cut, as it is obvious
that hard rock cannot be cut with the same facility or so rapidly as softer
rock. Borings have been set in by this instrument at the rate of 5 feet deep
per hour by hand power only. As the amount of power applied to turn it
governs the speed, the greater the power the more rapidly may the tool be
driven (as far as the strength of the cutter will allow), and consequently more
work accomplished, a very important consideration where large capital is
invested. In some cases, where the rock has not been exposed to atmo-
spherical influence, it may be found of a much softer quality, to which the
form of the cutter may be adapted by giving to it a keener edge, and thereby
executing the work with greater rapidity. It is always advisable to advance
the cutter by a steady continuous pressure, as a variable one is liable to set
and break the cutter.
Figure 7 is a side view of the cutter (enlarged) shewing the water
channel a, tenons 6, shoulders c, and extended tail d; Figure 8 is a section
through the cutter and tubes; Figure 9 is a transverse section of the cutter.
A is the rock; B, the tubular stem; C, the cutter; D, the water tube. The
arrows in Figure 5 shew the direction of the water as it flows to the cutter
and recoils from the face of the cut, mixing with and carrying away the
borings as fast as they are detached from the rock. The angle which the
cutting edges make with the axis of the tool is in some degree governed by
the quality of the substance to be cut, but generally soft substances may have
a more acute or penetrative angle than the harder kinds.
Having now described the nature and general application of the instrument,
we would have it understood that we do not confine ourselves to the precise
form of cutter herein described, or to the exact mode of mounting the instru-
ment, as herein described, so long as the main features of our Invention are
retained; but we would have it understood that what we claim is the feeding
or supplying the cutter with water through a tube or channel, or tubes or

page_text: channels so as to deliver it at or contiguous to its point of contact with the
rock without interfering with the discharge of the debris, which arrangement
not only prevents the cutter from being injuriously heated, but at the same
time washes away and forces back the borings immediately they are detached
from the rock, and prevents clogging.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Currie Harrison, for myself and
the said Henry John Standly, have hereunto set my hand and seal,
this Second day of October, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-two.
Witness to W. C. Harrison's signature,
2d Oct, 1862,
AMB. H. RENTON,
Ealing.
W. C. HARRISON. (L.B.)