IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR DETACHING COAL AND STONEVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Wardle Asquith and Robert Embleton Ornsby,
both of Seaton Delaval Colliery and Thomas Nicholson of Hexham-on-Tync,
both in the County of Northumberland for an Invention of IMPROVED
APPARATUS FOR DETACHING COAL AND STONE
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Wardle Asquith,
Robert Embleton Ornsby, and Thomas Nicholson at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents on the 31st October 1883.
THOMAS WARDLE ASQUITH and ROBERT EMBLETON ORNSBY, both of Seaton
Delaval Colliery and THOMAS NICHOLSON of Hexham-on-Tyne both in the County
of Northumberland "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR DETACHING COAL AND STONE'
"
Our. Invention relates to improved apparatus for bringing down coal and stone
in mines and quarries and it consists of an expansible plug to be inserted in a hole
bored in the coal and therein tightened and expanded by mechanical means until
the coal is brought down.
This expansible plug is constructed of two semi-cylindrical segments having
V'spaces between them at the ends and of a pair of oppositely directed wedge
shaped blocks which are received in said V spaces between the segments and are
drawn towards one another therein by right and left handed screw threads on a
spindle working in corresponding holes tapped through the wedges. The spindle
traverses the expanding plug axially and is of such length as to extend out a
sufficient distance from the face of the coal, and is worked by an ordinary ratchet
lever.
By the action of the wedges when thus drawn together the semi-cylindrical
segments composing the body of the expansible plug are forced apart equally at
both ends.
The spindle may be supported centrally in the hole by a loose wood plug and a
key or crutch is provided for pushing the expansible plug home to its proper
position and steadying it until it is tight in the hole. The limbs of the crutch
bear on the two segments, and keep them in position on the wedges whilst the
plug is being pushed into the hole, and prevent the plug from turning in the hole
until it is tightened in the hole when the crutch is withdrawn.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent and of an
Order of the Lord Chancellor filed by the said Thomas Wardle Asquith,
Robert Embleton Ornsby, and Thomas Nicholson in the Patent Office on the
21st July 1884.
THOMAS WARDLE ASQUITHI, and ROBERT EMBLETON ORNSBY, both of Scaton
Delaval Colliery and THOMAS NICHOLSON of Hexham-on-Tyne both in the County
of Northumberland "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR DETACHING COAL AND STONE."
Our Invention relates to improved apparatus for bringing down coal and stone
in mines and quarries and it consists of an expansiblo plug to be inserted in a holo
bored in the coal and therein tightened and expanded by mechanical means until
the coal is brought down.
This expansible plug is constructed of two semi-cylindrical segments having
V spaces between them at the ends, and of a pair of oppositely directed wedge
shaped blocks which are received in said V spaces between the segments and are
drawn towards one another therein by right and left handed screw threads on a
spindle working in corresponding holes tapped through the wedges. The spindle
traverses the expanding plug axially and is of such length as to extend out a
sufficient distance from the face of the coal and is worked by an ordinary ratchet
lever. By the action of the wedges when thus drawn together, the semi-cylindrical
segments composing the body of the expansible plug are forced apart equally at
both ends. The spindle may be supported centrally in the hole by a loose wood
plug and a key or crutch is provided for pushing the expansible plug home to
its proper position and steadying it until it is tight in the hole. The limbs of the
crutch bear on the two segments and keep them in position on the wedges whilst
the plug is being pushed into the hole and the ends of the limbs may engage in
holes in the ends of the segments so as to prevent the plug from turning until it is
tightened in the hole, when the crutch is withdrawn.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a side elevation (partly in longitudinal section) of our improved
expansible plug, and Figure 2 is a corresponding end view of the same. Figure 3
is a plan of the same, one of the expanding blocks being partly broken away at one
end to show the wedge. Figure 4 is a corresponding cross section. Figure 5 is an
elevation of the apparatus as in use in the hole. Figure 6 shows different views of
the crutch for holding the segments in position whilst inserting the plug in the
hole. The same letters of reference indicate the saine parts in all the figures.
"
AA are the two segments, B B the two wedges, and C the spindle, all made
of steel. The segments A are each semi-cylindrical at the middle portion and
sloped or bevelled on the inner face at the two ends to correspond to the angle of
the wedges B and form V shaped spaces between them in which the wedges are
received. The wedges do not run to a sharp point but are truncated as shown and
they are bored longitudinally and tapped with right and left screw threads
respectively to correspond to the screw spindle C which passes through them and
between the segments A, the latter having each a longitudinal groove on the inner
face to give free passage to the spindle as shown in Figure 4. The spindle C lias
right and left screw threads CC cut upon a part of the spindle of larger diameter
than the rest to allow the front wedge to be slipped into place along the plain part
of the spindle. D figure 5 is the loose wood plug slipped on the spindle to support
its front end centrally in the hole, and E is the crutch or key for use as above
described.

page_text: The operation of the apparatus is as follows:-The expanding plug having been
contracted to its smallest diameter by screwing back the wedges, is introduced in
the hole in the position shown in Figures 1 and 5, that is to say, with the
expanding segments A respectively above and below the wedges, the crutch E
being employed to retain the parts in their proper relative positions until by
turning the spindle so as to screw the wedges towards one another, the blocks A
are forced apart sufficiently to jam in the hole. The crutch is then withdrawn and
the wood plug D slipped on the spindle and then by continuing to screw the
wedges towards one another, the segments are expanded as represented in dotted
lines in Figures 4 and 5 until the mass of coal broken down. It is obvious that
one wedge only may be tapped and the spindle be threaded in one direction only
and pass freely through the other wedge and bear against it by a collar or shoulder.
We however prefer the first described arrangement.
Having described the nature of our Invention and the manner of performing the
same, we declare that what we claim as our Invention to be protected by the
herein before in part recited Letters Patent is.
1* An expansible plug consisting of a pair of semi-cylindrical segments, a pair of
oppositely directed wedges working between said segments and a right and left
screw threaded spindle working axially through holes tapped in the wedges, the
whole combined for operation substantially as shown and described for the purposo.
specified.
2nd In an expansible plug for breaking down coal the employment of a screw
spindle working through a pair of oppositely directed wedges and moving them in
opposite directions for the purpose herein specified.
In Witness whereof I the said Thomas Wardle Asquith for myself and on behalf
of the said Robert Embleton Ornsby and Thomas Nicholson have hereunto set my
hand and seal this seventeenth day of July, A.D. 1884.
W ASOUT /al