Improvements in, and in Machinery for, Getting Coal.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Mar, 1895
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Dec., 1895-Accepted, 25th Jan., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in, and in Machinery for, Getting Coal.
We, DAVID DAVY, of Broom Croft, Parkhead, Sheffield, Engineer and
ERNEST HAGUE, of Castle Dyke, Sheffield, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
"
The usual method of getting coal is to undercut or "hole" the lower part of
the seam and, after removing the temporary supporting sprags, to break the
The "holing
coal down by wedging or blasting at the upper part of the seam.
is usually done by means of a hand pick, and in some cases by machines, some of
which might be employed in the improved method of mining coal which forms
the subject of this invention and in conjunction with the machine hereafter
described.
This improved method of, and machine for, mining coal have for object to
enable the coal to be obtained in the form of blocks of approximately regular
shape and size and with far less slack or small than by the method now adopted, so
that the aggregate value of the coal obtained will be greater and an economy will
be effected in the cost of working.
According to this improved method, a horizontal groove is cut along the face
of the seam of coal to a depth equal to the thickness of the block it is desired
to obtain, it being preferred that this groove be cut at some parting of bind or
inferior coal in the seam, so as to avoid waste, the width of the groove being
just sufficient for the traverse within it of the cutter shaft of the machine next
described. When this horizontral groove has been cut for a sufficient distance
along the face of the seam, a vertical groove is cut parallel to the face of
the seam and at a distance therefrom equal to the desired dimension of the block
of coal to be obtained, this groove intersecting the horizontal groove at right
Thus a section
angles and extending equal distances above and below the same.
of coal corresponding in height to the total height and length of the vertical
groove and its distance from the face of the seam will, with the exception of
the partings at the top and bottom have been severed from the main bulk of the
seam of coal being worked, the completion of the operation being then easily
effected by means of crowbars or picks.
The machinery employed in putting this method into practice may consist of one
single machine adapted to make both the horizontal and vertical cuts and provided for
that purpose with horizontal and vertical rotating cutter discs, or an ordinary
holing" machine (modified so as to cut at a considerable distance from the foot of the
seam) may be used for making the horizontal cut, the vertical groove being, in
any case, cut by means of a machine constructed as hereafter described, which
particularly forms the subject of this invention.
This machine comprises a circular cutter disc having peripheral cutters which
may either be integral with the disc or removable for renewal. This disc is
carried at the extremity of the overhanging end of a horizontal shaft which is
mounted in bearings in a swinging frame supported on a suitable carriage, the
overhanging end of the shaft projecting from the frame a distance equal to the
desired distance from the face of the seam at which the vertical groove is to be
cut. The disc is of a diameter equal to the total height of the groove to he cut
and it is driven by a compressed air, oil, or electric, motor mounted on the carriage
and geared with the cutter shaft through a train of wheels and pinions, the

page_text: shaft-carrying swinging frame being free to swivel about the first or second
motion shaft in order to accommodate itself to the height at which the horizontal
groove is cut. The overhanging part of the shaft which travels in the horizontal
groove previously cut in the seam, is journalled near the cutter disc in a travelling
bearing having rollers which bear against the top and bottom sides of the groove
in which the bearing travels, whereby the tendency to overturn the machine, due
to the overhanging stress or leverage, is resisted. The machine is hauled along
tram-rails laid upon the floor at a suitable distance from the face of the seam, and
in order to resist the tendency to twist the machine from its track, owing to the
leverage due to the distance from the side of the machine at which the cutters
encounter resistauce, the machine is provided with guide rollers bearing against
the sides of the tram-rails, in addition to the travelling wheels. In order to clear
away the small coal and prevent choking of the cutters, suitable scrapers or brushes
in the form of endless chains or Archimedean screw conveyors would be applied to
operate in the grooves as the cutting proceeds so as to remove the debris as fast as
it is formed.
If the horizontal and vertical cutting discs are combined in the same machine,
their shafts would each be mounted in adjustable frames and both be driven
from the same motor.
Dated this 21st day of March 1895.
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.
Improvements in, and in Machinery for, Getting Coal.
We, DAVID DAVY, of Broom Croft, Parkhead, Sheffield, Engineer and
ERNEST HAGUE, of Castle Dyke, Sheffield, Colliery Owner 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:-
The usual method of getting coal is to undercut or "hole" the lower part of
the seam, and, after removing the temporary supporting sprags, to break the coal
down by wedging or blasting at the upper part of the seam. The "holing" is
usually done by means of a hand pick, and sometimes by machine cutters such
as are used in the first of the two machines hereafter described.
This invention relates to an improved method of, and machinery for, mining
coal in such a way as to enable the coal to be obtained in the form of blocks of
approximately regular shape and size and with far less slack or small than by the
method now adopted, so that the aggregate value of the coal obtained will be
greater and an economy will be effected in the cost of working.
According to this improved method, a horizontal slot is cut along the face of
the seam of coal at about the middle of the height of the face, and to a depth
from the face equal to the thickness of the blocks it is desired to obtain, it being
preferred if possible that this slot be cut at some parting of bind or inferior coal
in the seam so as to avoid waste. A vertical slot is then cut substantially parallel
to the face of the seam and at a distance therefrom equal to the desired dimensions
of the blocks of coal to be obtained, this slot intersecting the horizontal slot at
right angles and extending equal distances above and below the same. Thus
sections of coal corresponding in height to the total height of the vertical slot (less
the width of the horizontal slot) and in thickness to the distance of the vertical
slot from the face of the seam, will (with the exception of the partings at the top
and bottom) have been severed from the main bulk of the seam of coal being
worked, the completion of the operation being then easily effected by means of
crowbars or picks.

page_text: For the purpose of cutting these slots it is preferred to employ a single machine-
adapted to make both the horizontal and vertical cuts simultaneously, the former
preceding the latter in point of distance, the machine being for this purpose provided
with horizontal and vertical rotating cutters fixed on, or carried round by, a disc-
or wheel or an ordinary "holing" machine (modified so as to cut at a considerable
distance from the foot of the seam) may be used for making the horizontal cut,.
the vertical slot being, in any case, cut by means of revolving cutters fixed on, or
carried round by, a disc or wheel as hereafter described.
For the purpose of cutting the vertical slot, it will be obvious that cutters fixed
on an endless chain and carried round by a sprocket wheel will be the equivalent of
cutters fixed to the edge of the wheel itself which I prefer to use as hereafter
described.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this:
Specification, wherein
Figures 1 to 5 shew the revolving cutter disc combined with a revolving bar
cutter as used in a "holing" machine, whilst
Figures 6 and 7 illustrate a machine in which horizontal and vertical revolving
disc cutters are combined for making the horizontal and vertical cuts.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevatiou, and Figure 2 is a plan of the first.
machine, Figure 3 being an end elevation shewing the bar cutter at work, and
Figure 4 a view of the cutter disc as at work in the coal. Figure 5 is a detail,.
Figure 6 shews & plan, and Figure 7 a part sectional end elevation of the second.
machine.
The same letters of reference denote like parts in all the figures.
The machine essentially comprises a circular cutter disc A having peripheral
cutters which are preferably removable for renewal or which may be integral with
the disc. This disc is mounted to revolve in a vertical plane parallel with the side
of the machine and is carried at the extremity of a horizontal shaft B which
projects from the side of the machine and is bolted to the end of a shaft B', mounted:
in bearings in a frame which is supported upon a wheeled carriage by means of a
screw adjustment whereby the height of the shaft from the floor line may be varied!
as required, according to the desired height of the horizontal cut which is made by
a bar cutter C which like the disc cutter shaft is bolted to the end of a shaft D
mounted in the same frame as the shaft B. Upon this frame is also mounted the
motor which may be a compressed air engine, as shewn, so that the motor and.
cutter shafts are adjustable together.
The bar cutter C is of the ordinary description used in "holing" machines and
it is mounted at the leading end of the machine so as to cut the horizontal slot in
advance of the shaft B', which travels therein. The piston rods of the motor
cylinders are coupled to the crank shaft E which is geared by spur wheels F, G,
with the shaft D and thence through the train of pinions and wheels H, I, J, K,.
with the shaft B¹. The upper frame is supported upon the wheeled carriage by
four screw pillars L which are geared together by longitudinal and cross shafts and
bevel pinions and work in nuts supported by the carriage and are operated by a
ratchet motion from any convenient point. The pair of nuts at the leading end of
the machine are supported on trunnions and those at the other end rest on springs.
so as to allow the upper frame freedom to oscillate up and down in order that it may
follow easily any deviations of the horizontal slot from the normal level.
The machine is hauled along as the cutting proceeds, by a rope attached to a.
fixed point and to a hauling drum N loose on the shaft of I, J, and driven by a
crank-operated ratchet feed motion O working a counter-shaft P geared by a pinion
with a wheel Q on the end of the drum.
The disc cutter shaft B which travels in the horizontal slot previously cut in the
seam is journalled in a travelling bearing L' having rollers which bear against the
upper side of the horizontal slot in the coal in which the bearing travels and whereby
the tendency to overturn the machine due to the overhanging stress or leverage is
resisted. The machine is hauled along tram-rails laid on the floor parallel to and

page_text: at a suitable distance from the face of the seam and in order to resist the tendency
to twist the machine from its track, owing to the leverage due to the distance from
the side of the machine at which the cutters encounter resistance, the machine is
provided with guide rollers which, as usual in such machines, bear against the sides
of the tram-rails, in addition to the travelling wheels. In order to clear away the
small coal, and prevent choking of the cutters, suitable scrapers or brushes in the
form of endless chains or Archimedean screw conveyors might be applied to
operate in the slots as the cutting proceeds, so as to remove the debris as fast as it
is formed.
Referring to Figures 6 and 7 in which both a vertical cutting disc A is combined
in the same machine with a horizontal cutting disc or wheel M in lieu of the bar
cutter C the machine is constructed as before described except that the horizontal
disc or wheel cutter M is pivoted to the arm of a bracket N1 projecting from the
side of the adjustable frame and is driven by a bevel pinion Oi fast on the end of
the shaft D and in gear with a ring of teeth on the face of the cutter wheel. The
cutters of disc A in any case make a cut of only just sufficient width for necessary
clearance of that disc but as the horizontal slot must be cut of sufficient width to
give passage to the boss of the disc the shaft B and its travelling bearing, the
disc M is provided with cutters of the form shewn in Figure 7.
It is to be understood that the cutter (whether of the bar or disc kind) for
making the horizontal slot does not necessarily form a part of the same machine, as
in some mines it may be more convenient to mount the vertical disc cutter on a
separate machine and to make the horizontal cut by an ordinary holing machine.
The cutter for making the horizontal slot is not by itself claimed as of our
invention.
: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :-
1. The herein described method of getting coal, which consists in cutting a slot
in the face of the seam horizontal in length and depth, and likewise a slot parallel
to the face of the seam and intersecting the horizontal slot at right angles and
extending equally above and below the same, the last mentioned slot being cut by
cutters revolving in a vertical plane and fixed to or carried round by a disc or wheel,
substantially as specified.
2. A machine for getting coal, consisting essentially of a revolving cutter disc
carried at the end of a shaft and projecting from the machine frame so as to make
a cut substantially parallel to the face of the seam and of equal depth above and
below a horizontal slot in which the disc shaft travels, substantially as specified.
3. A machine for getting coal, comprising a revolving cutter bar projecting from
the side of the machine for cutting a horizontal slot in the face of the seam in
advance of and in combination with a revolving cutter disc also projecting from
the side of the machine for cutting a vertical slot in the body of the coal,
substantially parallel to the face of the seam, as specified.
4. A machine for cutting coal, comprising a cutter disc revolving in a horizontal
plane and projecting from the side of the machine for cutting a horizontal slot in
the face of the seam and a second cutter disc revolving in a vertical plane and
projecting from the side of the machine so as to cut a vertical slot in the body of
the coal, substantially parallel to the face of the machine, as specified.
5. The herein described machines for getting coal constructed and operating
substantially as specified.
Dated this 23rd day of December 1895.
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.