IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING OR GETTING SLATE. STONE. COAL, AND OTHER SUBSTANCES
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Fothergill Cooke, of Abería, near
Carnarvon, North Wales, and George Hunter, of Maentwrog,
Merionethshire, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
FOR CUTTING OR GETTING SLATE. STONE. COAL, AND OTHER SUBSTANCES."
Sealed the 20th April 1866, and dated the 20th December 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Fothergill Cooke
and George Hunter at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 20th December 1865.
Wę, WILLIAM FOTHERGILL COOKE, of Aberia, near Carnarvon, North
Wales, and GEORGE HUNTER, of Maentwrog, Merionethshire, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
FOR CUTTING OR GETTING SLATE, STONE, COAL, AND OTHER SUBSTANCES," to be as
follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in machinery for cutting
or getting slate, stone, coal, and other substances. For these purposes
two revolving cutters, each formed of two segments of cylinders, are
used, and moveable cutting tools or teeth are fixed on the- forward edges
of the segments of cylinders so as to project beyond such edges, and
thus form a succession of projecting cutting teeth. The two cutters
have also other cutting teeth set or fixed in openings through the two
sections of cylinders forming each cutter, and these other cutting teeth
come into action behind or after those before mentioned, and they open or

page_text: widen the circular cuts produced by the first-mentioned cutting teeth,
which enable the cutters to advance more freely. The two cutters are
mounted on chucks on the ends of two parallel shafts, which have in some
cases central drills or cutters projecting from them, one on to each shaft,
so as to drill or cut a hole in the centre of the work of each of the two
revolving cutters to receive a blasting charge. The two shafts, with their
chucks carrying each their two segments of cylinder cutters, are carried
on a carriage mounted on wheels. The two shafts, and consequently the
two cutters, are by suitable gearing caused to revolve in opposite directions,
by which considerable steadyness of action is obtained as compared to
arrangements where only one revolving cutter is employed. Each of the
two rotating cutters makes a circular cut into the face of the work, and the
two circular cuts thus made nearly come up to or may even slightly
intersect each other. Jets of water are forced into the cuts made by the
two rotating cutters, and also by the drills or central cutters. Power is
applied to drive the two parallel shafts of the cutters by engines worked by
hydraulic power or by compressed air; or endless ropes or chains may be
used driven by fixed power at a distance from the work, or other means
may be employed. The carriage of the cutters and also of the engines
which actuate them is carried either on wheels running in the centre of
the bottom of each cut, or on wheels which are bevilled at their peripheries
in-order that they may run on the lower parts but not at the bottoms of
the two circular cuttings, in order that there may be spaces between the
wheels in each cutting to admit of the mud and slush passing at the bottom
of each cutting, and also to admit of the masses of slate or stone being
moved back under the carriage between the wheels in each cutting.. On
the back end of each of the sections of a cylinder constituting each of the
two revolving cutters or on arms on their shafts is an inclined scraper,
which moves back the mud or slush from the cutting, and such slush or
mud is then further moved back under the carriage in the bottom of each
cutting by means of scrapers worked by hand, or by chains or rods or other
convenient means under the carriage. The carriage is progressively moved
up to the face of the work by means of a chain, which is progressively
wound on to a cylinder by the working of the engine, the forward ends of
the chain being fixed or anchored to the cuttings. In some cases, in place
of arranging the machinery so as to cut two tunnels side by side as above
explained, two revolving cutters are employed, one within the other, the
shaft of the inner cutter passing through the centre of the outer cutter.
These two cutters are caused to revolve in opposite directions, the inner

page_text: cutter revolving faster than the outer cutter. In place of making cuts
only at the circumference of each cutter, the revolving cutters are in some.
cases arranged to make cuts so as to grind down the whole surface against.
which they work.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Fothergill Cooke and George Hunter in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 20th June 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILLIAM
FOTHERGILL COOKE, of Aberia, near Carnarvon, North Wales, and GEORGE
HUNTER, of Maentwrog, Merionethshire, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto us, the said William Fothergill Cooke and George Hunter, Her
special licence that we, the said William Fothergill Cooke and George
Hunter, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we,
the said William Fothergill Cooke and George Hunter, 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 MACHINERY FOR CUTTING
OR GETTING SLATE, STONE, COAL, AND OTHER SUBSTANCES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that we, the said William Fothergill Cooke and George
Hunter, our executors. or administrators, by an instrument 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 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 Fothergill Cooke, on behalf
of myself and the said George Hunter, 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 :-

page_text: This Invention has for its object improvements in machinery. for cutting
or getting slate, stone, coal, and other substances. For these purposes
two revolving cutters formed of segments of cylinders are used, and
moveable cutting tools or teeth are fixed on the forward edges of the
segments of cylinders so as to project beyond such edges, and thus form a
succession of projecting cutting teeth. The two cutters have also other
cutting teeth set or fixed in openings through the two sections of cylinders
forming each cutter, and these other cutting teeth come into action behind
or after those before mentioned, and they open or widen the circular cuts
produced by the first-mentioned cutting teeth, which enable the cutters to
advance more freely. The two cutters are mounted on chucks on the
ends of two parallel shafts, which have in some cases central drills or
cutters projecting from them, one on each shaft, so as to drill or cut a
hole in the centre of the work of each of the two revolving cutters to
receive a blasting charge. The two shafts with their chucks are carried
on a carriage mounted on wheels. The two shafts, and consequently the
two cutters, are by suitable gearing caused to revolve in opposite direc-
tions, by which considerable steadiness of action is obtained on a moving
carriage as compared to arrangements where only one revolving cutter
is employed, when it is nécessary to rigidly fix the carriage and slide
forward the cutters to obtain the requisite steadiness. Each of the two.
rotating cutters makes a circular cut into the face of the work, and the
two circular cuts thus made nearly come up to or may even slightly
intersect each other: Jets of water are forced into the cuts made by the
two rotating cutters, and also into the bore holes made by the drills or
central cutters. Power is applied to drive the two parallel shafts of the
cutters by engines worked by hydraulic power or by compressed air; or
endless ropes or chains may be used driven by fixed power at a distance
from the work, or other means may be employed. The carriage of the
cutters and also of the engines which actuate them is carried either on
wheels running in the centre of the bottom of each cut, or on wheels
which are bevilled at their peripheries, in order that they may run on the
lower parts but not at the bottoms of the two circular cuttings, in order
that there may be spaces between the wheels in each cutting to admit of
the mud and slush passing at the bottom of each cutting, and also to adniit
of the masses of slate or stone being moved back under the carriage
between the wheels in each cutting. The carriage is progressively moved
up to the face of the work by means of a chain, which is progressively
wound on to an axle rod or cylinder by the working of the engine, the

page_text: forward end of the chain being fixed or anchored to the cutting in advance:
In some cases, in place of arranging the machinery so as to cut two
tunnels side by side as above explained, two revolving cutters are employed,
one within the other, the shaft of the inner cutter passing through the,
centre of the shaft of the outer cutter. These two cutters are caused to
revolve in opposite directions, as in the double tunnel machine previously.
described, the inner cutter revolving faster than the outer cutter. In
place of making only narrow cuts by single tools following each other, or,
set slightly zig-zag at the circumference of each cutter, the front edges of
the revolving cutters are in some cases made wider so as to carry two
or several tools abreast, and are so arranged as to grind down a more
considerable portion of the surface against which they work, and the
segments of the cutters may be strengthened and made broader in their
fronts and in their bases where attached to the chucks in proportion to

page_text: increase in diameter; the blades themselves may also be rolled thinner in
front than they are at the back, as shown at X, X, Figure 5, where they
are bolted to the chucks and so gradually increase in diameter with the
clearing tools, making the front part lighter and the back part stronger.
F are the axles, which may either be hollow to admit jets of water to the
front to clear away the cut rock from about the blades, or they may carry
drills to bore concentric holes into the cores or central portions of the
work for blasting, as shown at Y, Figure 5, and when one cylinder is
made to revolve within another cylinder to form only one tunnel then the
axle of the outer cylinder X is hollow to receive the solid axle of the
inner cylinder C, as shown in the same Figure 5. For clearing the cuts,
jets of water are also supplied through flexible pipes, and it is desirable
that the jets of water should be directed at the top of each of the cuts
whence the water may flow both ways round the cut, but the jet pipes
should be moveable to allow the workman to direct a jet of water
wherever required. G, G, are the main driving wheels; H are pinions
which communicate motion to the wheels G; J, J, J, show a train of
wheels for reducing speed from the motive power, which in Drawing is
shown as a turbine, and which is preferred where a supply of water can be
readily obtained, otherwise a compressed air engine or other power may
be employed, and be caused by suitable gearing to give motion to the
wheels G ; K is a strap pulley worked by a pulley L on the turbine axle ;
M is a turbine of an ordinary construction fed through a flexible tube with
or without a telescope pipe playing in the chamber U. In connection
with iron tubes from the pressure head or pumping engine fresh lengths
of cast-iron pipes are introduced as the machine advances into the tunnel ;
N is the feed shaft driven by the clutch O, fixed on one of the main shafts
F; O¹ is a lever to move the clutch; P is a worm gearing with and driving
the worm wheel P¹, by which motion is given to the feed barrel or shaft
Q, the shaft of which has a clutch R, by which the barrel or shaft Q inay
be disconnected from the worm wheel P¹ and the barrel or shaft Q driven
by hand by a crank handle on the end R¹; Q¹ is part of a common
set of blocks and chain for drawing the carriage towards an iron pin
or anchor fixed in the rock to which the front block is made fast.
The feed can be altered by using a sheave more or less in the block. A
crab and chain is the simplest and most convenient mode of running back
the machine. S, S, are steadying rollers which act as guides to steer the
machine; these are shown in Figures 2, 3, 5, and 6, and the vertical guide
is shown in Figure 7. The manner in which the steering of the machine

page_text: is effected by the side steadying rollers is by causing one or other of them
to press more or less against the side of the tunnel. The vertical steadying
rollers are pressed up against the top of the tunnel by water pressure or by
springs or otherwise; one such roller is placed at each end of the machine.
T, T, the rollers which support the carriage, used either singly as at T, or
in: pairs as shown at T, T, Figure 3, and in Figure 6 which shews the
carriage for single tunnel machines. In the latter cases the rollers are
bevilled, whilst in the former case they should be turned out or hollow in,
the middle to allow water to wash away the cuttings and so prevent an
accumulation in front of the wheel, which would tend to lift the machine.
M' is 'the turbine waste pipe through which the water rushes over the front
of the machine, washing away the cuttings from the floors of the tunnels;
M³ is the feed pipe of the turbine controlled by the sluice M³; U is a
chamber cast in the carriage frame to lead the water to the turbine through
the feed pipe M; the chamber U is connected by the flexible feed pipe Ur.
with the water main U. After the machine has cut in eighteen inches or
three feet, according to the length of the cutter blades, the machine is
drawn back 8 or 10 feet by the crab, and if working in slate rock of-good
quality the core or central part of the working is carefully split out by
wedges or small blasts, then cleft into small slabs and either passed over the
guides on a small truck running on a trough, or between the wheels T, T¹,
to the rear of the machine, or if the cores or central parts of the work are
unfit for manufacturing they are shattered by a larger central blasting
charge. When the larger pieces are removed by the means above described
the smaller rubbish is swept out by a strong rush of water from the turbine.
Before the machine is again advanced the thin diaphragm of rock left
between the last made cuts is broken down by the hammer, making the
two tunnels into one, and so admitting the carriage of the machine to
advance. From 6 feet to 7 feet is a good height for the tunnel, as giving
ample room for working the machine. The tools move at an average speed
of about 20 feet in the minute, depending upon the structure of the rock
under operation, and the machine moves forward at the rate of feed of from
eight to ten inches per hour. The cutters and chucks revolve in opposite
directions, by which a steady action is attained and a uniform counter
resistance. If air or other power than water be used the cuttings may be
removed either by hand hoes, or, if preferred, by mechanical means, such as
a series of scrapers or metallic or other brushes, which may be lifted when
advancing by the machinery as the cutters begin to assume their horizontal

page_text: position, and drawn back along the floor of the tunnel between the
wheels T, T, before the cutters descend to their vertical position.
In the Diagram Drawings of the single tunnel machine shown at
Figures 5 and 6, A is the carriage, of the machine;. T, T, bevil rollers for
supporting the machine; S, S, the side and vertical steadying rollers;
B, B, are the chucks; C, C, are inner cutters; C, C³, the outer cutters,
which are shewn to taper gradually to the front. The inner cutters revolve
on the axle F¹, which turns within the hollow-axle F that carries the outer
cutters. Motion is communicated to- these axles by a toothed wheel J,
which is driven as shewn in Figures 1, 2, and 3, the inner cutter being
čaused to revolve at a higher velocity than the outer cutters. O.is the
clutch arrangement for transmitting motion to the apparatus for feeding
forward the machine, as shewn in Figs. 1, 2, & 3.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, we claim the combined arrangements of cutters and
machinery herein described, whereby two rotating cutters on different axes
are made to rotate in opposite directions.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Fothergill Cooke, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of June, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
WILLIAM FOTHERGILL COOKE.
(L.B.)