IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY AND APPARATUS FOR MINING OR WORKING COAL AND OTHER MINERALS
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Farrar, of the Firm of Pigott and Farrar,
Engineers and Millwrights, and Edwin Booth, Mining Engineer, both of
Barnsley, in the County of York, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINERY AND APPARATUS FOR MINING OR WORKING COAL AND OTHER
MINERALS."
Sealed the 5th September 1865, and dated the 16th March 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Farrar and Edwin
Booth at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition,
on the 16th March 1865.
We, JAMES FARRAR, of the Firm of Piggott and Farrar, Engineers and Mill-
wrights, and EDWIN BOOTH, Mining Engineer, both of Barnsley, in the County
of York, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY AND APPARATUS FOR MINING OR WORKING COAL AND OTHER
MINERALS," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in the application of steam, compressed air, or other
elastic fluid for the purpose of working a slotting tool or cutter to and fro, so
as to produce a steady and constant action of the slotting tool or cutter upon
the face of the coal or other minerals. One or more reciprocating tools or cutters
are actuated by the pressure of steam, compressed air, or other elastic fluid, so
as to produce horizontal or longitudinal grooves or narrow cuttings to any
desired extent and at any desired level in the face or end of the coal or other

page_text: substance to be acted upon, and thus to facilitate its removal or detachment
from the roof and floor of the mine. The machine or apparatus is mounted
upon a carriage having wheels for the purpose of traversing along the face or
end of the coal or other mineral upon which the machine is intended to operate.
The steam, compressed air, or other elastic fluid is supplied by means of
a flexible hose pipe or pipes, which adapt themselves to the position of the
machine as the work progresses. The tool or tools receive a reciprocating
motion by means of the piston and rod which is actuated by the pressure of the
elastic fluid employed; the tool or tools is or are fixed in a socket in the end
of the piston rod and secured by a set screw. The elastic fluid acts on both
sides of the piston for actuating the tools or cutters, and the cylinder is provided
with proper valves; the cutting stroke of the tool or tools is produced by the
action or pressure of the elastic fluid on the pistons or rams in the cylinder or
cylinders, and the return or non-cutting stroke by the same agency, and to
prevent the back stroke from injuring or destroying the cylinder a spring is
fixed to one side of the piston. The machine is secured as it works along the
face or end of the coal by a smaller cylinder acting on a rod connected to two
arms with a roller upon each arm, to fix and secure the machine firmly between
the floor and roof of the mine or working place, and these rollers are covered
with vulcanized india-rubber rings to enable them to work under any inequality
in the roof of the nine or working place, sufficient space being provided for
any greater inequality in the roof of the working place by the motion of the
piston in the cylinder. The machine is traversed along the face or end of the
work as the cutting proceeds by means of a pulley attached to and worked by
the machine, over which a chain or rope works, and which chain or rope may
be secured at each end of the face over or along which it is intended to traverse
the machine for the purpose of slotting the coal or other mineral, or the cutting
tool or tools may be worked by an air engine with wheels working a crank or
cranks to which the tool or tools is or are connected.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed s
by the said James Farrar and Edwin Booth in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 16th September 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JAMES
FARRAB, of the Firm of Pigott and Farrar, Engineers and Millwrights, and
EDWIN BOOTH, Mining Engineer, both of Barnsley, in the County of York, send 3.
greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said James Farrar and Edwin Booth, Her special license that we, the
said James Farrar and Edwin Booth, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as we, the said James Farrar and Edwin Booth,
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 AND
APPARATUS FOR MINING OR WORKING COAL AND OTHER MINERALS," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that we, the said James Farrar and Edwin Booth,
our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our, or their,
or one of our or their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, 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 we, the said James Farrar and Edwin Booth,
do hereby declare the nature of our 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 Invention consists in the application of steam, compressed air, or other
elastic fluid, for the purpose of working a slotting tool or cutter to and fro, so
as to produce a steady and constant action thereof upon the face of the coal or
other minerals; this to-and-fro motion of the reciprocating tool or cutter
produces horizontal or longitudinal grooves or narrow cuttings to any desired
extent and at any desired level in the face or end of the coal or other
substance to be acted upon, and thus facilitates its removal or detachment from
the roof and floor of the mine.
And in order that our Invention may be fully understood and readily
carried into operation, we will proceed to describe the accompanying Sheet of
Drawings, reference being had to the figures and letters marked thereon.
Figures 1, 2, and 3 are an elevation, side view, and plan of our improved
machinery or apparatus, which is mounted upon the carriage a, which is
provided with wheels b running upon the tram rails c, for the purpose of
traversing the machine.along the face or end of the coal or other mineral to

page_text: be operated upon. The steam, compressed air, or other elastic fluid for working
the machine is supplied by means of a flexible hose pipe or pipes, which adapt
themselves to the position of the machine in the mine as the work progresses.
The tool marked d is fixed to the piston rod e, and receives a reciprocating
motion by means of a piston or ram working in the cylinder f, which is provided
with proper valves for the ingress and egress of the elastic fluid employed; the
cutting stroke of the tool is produced by the action or pressure of the elastic
fluid on the piston or ram in the cylinder f, and the return or non-cutting stroke is
performed by causing the elastic fluid to act on the opposite side of the piston
or ram. In order to prevent the back stroke from injuring or destroying the
cylinder, a spring is fixed to one side of the piston or ram, which spring acts
as a cushion against the end of the cylinder. The machine is secured as it
works along the face or end of the coal by the small cylinder 9, the piston or
ram of which acts on the rod i, to which is jointed the double arm j with a
roller loose upon each arm to fix and secure the machine firmly between the
floor and roof of the mine or working place; these rollers are covered with
vulcanized india-rubber rings to enable them to work under any inequality in
the roof of the mine or working place, sufficient space being provided for any
greater inequality in the roof of the mine or working place by raising or
Jowering the piston in the cylinder 9. The machine is traversed along the
face or end of the work, as the cutting proceeds, by means of the cylinder 1,
in which is a piston or ram, to the piston rod of which is jointed the
link m, which is jointed to the vibrating lever n, to this lever is jointed the
catch o, taking into the teeth of the ratchet wheel p, fixed to the same axle as
the pulley q, around which the chain or rope r is coiled; this chain or rope may
be secured at each end of the face of the mine over or along which it is intended
to traverse the machine for the purpose of slotting the coal or other mineral;
or instead of the self-acting machinery above described, the carriage may be
moved forward after every cut by hand. It is evident that when the cutting
tool d is in operation the carriage a is securely held by the pressure of the
rollers k against the roof of the mine, but as soon as the cutter has completed
its cut, and when it has returned into the position shewn in Figure 3, the
elastic fluid is admitted into the cylinder to bring the pulley 9 into operation;
the partial rotary motion given to the pulley q causes the carriage to advance
the required distance in the direction of the arrow for another cut to be given
by the cutter d. When the requisite length of slot has been produced through
the coal or other mineral it is detached by wedges or otherwise from the floor
and the roof, and removed in trucks as in mines that are worked in the ordinary
We wish to observe that the cutting tool instead of being fixed
manner.

page_text: direct to the piston rod as shewn may be worked by an air or other engine,
with wheels working a crank to which the tool is connected, and in some cases
it may be necessary to employ two or more cutters so as to form two or more
slots in the coal or other mineral simultaneously.
Having thus stated the nature of our Invention, and described the manner
of performing the same, we declare that we claim the application of steam,
compressed air, or other elastic fluid for making a slot or slots in the face of
coal and other minerals to facilitate the removal thereof from the mine, as
shewn and described, and we also claim the improved combination of machinery
shewn and described for effecting the said object.
In witness whereof, I the said Edwin Booth, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of September, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-five.
EDWIN BOOTH. (L.S.)