Improvements in Apparatus for Hydraulic Percussion Boring, also applicable as a Motor for Operating Reciprocating Tools, and for other purposes.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Sept., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 15th June, 1896-Accepted, 18th July, 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Hydraulic Percussion Boring, also
applicable as a Motor for Operating Reciprocating Tools, and
for other purposes.
I, PIERRE GASC of 16 Rue Drouot, Paris in the Republic of France, Inventor,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
;--
The improved hydraulic percussion borer which forms the object of this invention
is characterized by the combination with the cylinder in which moves the hydraulic
tool-carrying piston having a rotary arrangement, of a system of distribution
operated by a sub-motor self-operated by the tool-carrying piston.
It comprises the following parts:-
(1) A main body;
(2) A motor piston or tool carrier ;
(3) A mechanism for rotating this tool ;
(4) A distributor
(5) A sub-motor
(6) A mechanism for controlling the sub-motor;
(7) An air reservoir.
Each of these constituent parts of the borer will be successively examined.
1. THE MAIN BODY.
The main body embraces in one rigid whole the fixed parts of the machine.
These parts are:
(a) A cylinder in which the motor piston or tool carrier moves; this cylinder
is formed at the rear by a plate and in front by a stuffing box and a washer. At
the front is a passage, which places the front end of the motive piston in
communication with the distributing box. At the rear, openings or ports place
the rear end of the motor piston in communication with the same distributing box.
(6) The distributing box which is cylindrical, the rear being closed and the
front forming a continuation of a cylinder in which the motor piston and the
distributing slide move. The two cylinders have a common axis separated by a
closing ring. In the distributing box open admission and discharge ports also
passages communicating with the motor piston.
(c) A cylinder in which move the motor piston and the distributing slide.
This cylinder is closed at one end by a plug and at the other end by a closing
ring. It communicates with the cylinder of the sub-motor by means of
channels.
(d) A cylinder in which the slide of the sub-motor moves. This cylinder is
closed at one end by a stuffing box. At the other end it is open and communicates
with the general discharge pipe.
A discharge passage communicates with the front of this cylinder.
(e) The passage which establishes communication between the front of the
motor cylinder and the distributing box.
Openings or ports which establish communication between the rear of the
motive cylinder and the distributing box.

page_text: 7. THE AIR RESERVOIR.
The air reservoir consists of a suitable closed vessel provided with two pipes,
one of which serves to connect the reservoir to the main body of the borer, and the
other to receive the pipe for supplying the motive water.

page_text: of the stops fixed on the rod of the sub-motor this latter is set in movement and
follows the motor piston until one of the stops encounters the support; at this
moment the friction collar, the distributing piece and the sub-motor stop, but
the motor piston can continue its course by sliding through the collar. As a
consequence of the movement of the sub-motor, the water under pressure is
admitted on a suitable side of the piston motor of the distributing slide, the latter
is displaced and the distribution is thus reversed as the motor piston completes its
course. The moment at which the reversal of the distribution is effected and the
duration of this reversal are regulated by
(1) The position of the stops by means of which the distributing piece moves
the sub-motor ;
(2) The sectional area of the water supplied under pressure to the sub-motor.
This sectional area may be varied by means of a screw valve;
(3) The sectional area of the motor piston of the slide distributing valve;
(4) The weight of the distributor.
When the operating water is under high pressure and the motor piston or borer
has only a short distance to traverse, the distributing piece as well as the stops and
the rod carrying the distributing piece may be dispensed with, the rod of the
sub-motor slide is then invariably fixed to the collar. The course of this collar is
limited in front and behind by stops which are fixed either on the principal body
or on the stuffing box of the borer piston. The maximum travel which may be
obtained in this arrangement is slightly greater than the length of the pistons of
the sub-motor increased by the width of the sub-motor ports.
This improved machine in addition to its application as a borer may also be
employed to detach blocks of rock or ore by striking the head of a wedge
inserted in a hole previously bored, a solid head being fixed to the tool carrier
for the purpose.
The apparatus may also be employed as an hydraulic motor to operate tools
working by blows, the tool being fixed to the carrier to replace the borer previously
described, or to operate parts having a reciprocating movement fixed by any known
means to the rod of the motor piston, or to operate revolving shafts by connecting
the rod of the motor piston either to a crank, the main body being fixed to a frame
thus producing a fixed machine, or to a crank, the main body being then provided
with two trunnions oscillating in brackets, thus producing an oscillating machine.
The improved hydraulic percussion borer works as follows:-
The distribution is effected in the manner herein before described. This
distribution being independent of the position of the piston in the motor cylinder
and the rod of the piston being able to slide in the collar which operates the
distribution, it follows that the piston advances from the cylinder in proportion to
the depth of the hole and that the tool follows this depth without any watching or
any special mechanism being necessary. The improved method of distribution
rendering loss impossible, the whole of the shock on the bottom of the hole is
ensured.
Each time the driving water is admitted on the rear face of the piston a jet of
water passing through the piston and the borer cleanses the bottom of the hole.
The travel of the boring piston may vary within very wide limits. It is regulated
by the distance apart of the stops and it is always a little greater than said distance
by reason of the sliding of the rod in the collar.
When the sub-motor is operated by hand, the travel of the piston may attain a
distance equal to the possible displacement of the piston in the motor cylinder,
such displacement being arbitrary in the construction of the borer. This property
of being capable of giving a very long travel to the boring piston and consequently
of obtaining very powerful blows allows this improved borer to be used as a
punch.
The boring of bore holes in mines by means of this improved borer is entirely
automatic. The elasticity of the movement of the piston allows the same apparatus
to be worked with charges of water varying within wide limits, consequently water

page_text: may be utilised from a source or reservoir at points differing as regards distance
and altitude.
Dated this 18th day of September 1895.
WM. P. THOMPSON &. Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.
An air reservoir.
Each of these constituent parts of the borer will be successively examined,
reference being had to the drawings accompanying this specification, in which
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section in elevation of the collective apparatus ;
Figure 2 a plan view;
Figure 3 a transverse section on the line X Y of the rotary pawl case
(Figure 1).
Similar letters of reference refer to like parts in the various figures.
1. THE MAIN BODY.
The main body embraces in one rigid whole the fixed parts of the machine.
These parts are:
(a) A cylinder 1, in which the motor piston or tool carrier 2 moves; this
cylinder is formed at the rear by a plate 3 and in front by a stuffing box 4 and a
• washer 5. At the front is a passage 6 which places the front end of the motive
piston in communication with the distributing box 7. At the rear, openings or
ports 8 place the rear end of the motor piston 2 in communication with the same
distributing box.
(b) The distributing box 7 which is cylindrical, the rear being closed and the
front forming a continuation of a cylinder 9 in which the motor piston 10 and the
distributing slide move. The two cylinders have a common axis 11 separated by a
closing ring 12. Into the distributing box 7 open admission and discharge
ports 13 and 14 respectively also passages 6 and 8 communicating with the motor
piston.
(c) A cylinder 9 in which move the motor piston 10 and the distributing slide.
This cylinder 9 is closed at one end by a plug 15 and at the other end by a closing

page_text: 5. THE SUB-MOTOR.
The sub-motor slide is formed of two small pistons 20 carried by a rod 38 which
is prolonged externally in a cylinder through a stuffing box 22 and passes through
a guide support 39. Two rings forming stops 40, 41, for controlling the sub-motor
are fixed on this rod 38 between the stuffing box 22 and the guide support 39. Two
other stops 42 are fixed on the same rod on each side of the support. In the
drawing the stop 40 only is shown between the support 39 and the stop 41.

page_text: LIN
The air reservoir 46 consists of a suitable closed vessel provided with two pipes,
one of which 47 serves to connect the reservoir to the main body of the borer, and
the other 48 to receive the pipe for supplying the motive water.
WORKING OF THE DISTRIBUTION.
The motor piston or tool carrier 2 carries with it in its travel, the friction
collar 43, and rod 44, which carry the distributing piece 45.
As soon as the latter encounters one of the stops 40-41 fixed on the rod 38 of
the sub moter 20 this latter is set in movement and follows the motor piston until
one of the stops 42-40 encounters the support 39; at this moment the friction
collar, the distributing piece and the sub-motor stop, but the motor piston can
continue its course by sliding through the collar. As a consequence of the move-
ment of the sub-motor, the water under pressure is admitted on a suitable side of
the piston motor of the distributing slide, the latter is displaced and the distribution
is thus reversed as the motor piston completes its course. The moment at which
'the reversal of the distribution is effected and the duration of this reversal are
regulated by :―
(1) The position of the stops 40-41 by means of which the distributing piece
'moves the sub-motor;
(2) The sectional area of the water supplied under pressure to the sub-motor.
This sectional area may be varied by means of a screw valve 50 (Figure 2);
(3) The sectional area of the motor piston of the slide distributing valve;
(4) The weight of the distributor.
When the operating water is under high pressure and the motor piston or borer
has only a short distance to traverse, the distributing piece 45 as well as the
stops 42, 40, 41 and the rod 44 carrying the distributing piece may be dispensed
with, the rod of the sub-motor slide is then invariably fixed to the collar 43. The
course of this collar is limited in front and behind by stops which are fixed either
on the principal body or on the stuffing box 4 of the borer piston. The maximum
travel which may be obtained in this arrangement is slightly greater than the
length of the pistons of the sub-motor increased by the width of the sub-motor
ports 18, 19.
This improved machine in addition to its application as a borer, as shown in the
drawing, may also be employed to detach blocks of rock or ore by striking the
head of a wedge inserted in a hole previously bored, a solid head being fixed to
the tool carrier for the purpose.
The apparatus may also be employed as an hydraulic motor to operate tools
working by blows, the tool being fixed to the carrier to replace the borer previously
described and shown in the drawing or to operate parts having a reciprocating
movement fixed by any known means to the rod of the motor piston, or to operate
revolving shafts by connecting the rod of the motor piston either to a crank, the
main body being fixed to a frame, thus producing a fixed machine, or to a crank,
the main body being then provided with two trunnions oscillating in brackets thus
'producing an oscillating machine.
The improved hydraulic percussion borer works as follows:-
The distribution is effected in the manner hereinbefore described. This
distribution being independent of the position of the piston in the motor cylinder
and the rod of the piston being able to slide in the collar 43 which operates the
distribution, it follows that the piston advances from the cylinder in proportion to
the depth of the hole and that the tool follows this depth without any watching or
any special mechanism being necessary. The improved method of distribution

page_text: rendering loss impossible, the whole of the shock on the bottom of the hole is
ensured.
Each time the driving water is admitted on the rear face of the piston a jet of
water passing through the piston and the borer cleanses the bottom of the hole.
The travel of the boring piston may vary within very wide limits. It is regulated
by the distance apart of the stops 40, 41 and it is always a little greater than said
distance by reason of the sliding of the rod in the collar.
When the sub-motor is operated by hand, the travel of the piston may attain
a distance equal to the possible displacement of the piston in the motor cylinder,
such displacement being arbitrary in the construction of the borer. This property
of being capable of giving a very long travel to the boring piston and consequently
of obtaining very powerful blows allows this improved borer to be used as a
punch.
The boring of bore holes in mines by means of this improved borer is entirely
automatic. The elasticity of the movement of the piston allows the same apparatus.
to be worked with charges of water varying within wide limits, consequently water
may be utilised from a source or reservoir at points differing as regards distance
and altitude.
It will be understood that the shapes, dimensions, proportions and accessory parts
may be varied and that such materials may be employed in their construction as
may be deemed suitable.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
:-
1. An hydraulic percussion borer or like apparatus characterised by the com-
bination with a motor-piston or tool-carrier provided with mechanism for causing
it to rotate in its cylinder, of a system of distribution governed by a sub-motor
actuated by the motor-piston or tool-carrier by means of an arrangement of collar
and distributing pieces connected with said motor-piston, and an air-reservoir under
pressure receiving the motor water and serving to regulate the pressure; the whole
substantially as herein before described and shown as an example in the accompanying
drawings.
2. As a constituent part of an hydraulic percussion borer, a motor-piston or
tool-carrier bored longitudinally, in order to permit the water to enter at the bottom
of the bored hole, and provided with a rotating mechanism formed of a helicoidal
rod combined with a nut and pawl and ratchet arrangement permitting the rod to
turn in one direction and to communicate in turn a rotary movement to the piston,
substantially as herein before described and shown as an example in the accompanying
drawings.
3. As a constituent part of an bydraulic percussion borer or like apparatus, a
distributing apparatus formed by the combination of an equilibrium slide valve
connected with a motor-piston governed by an arrangement of sub-motor formed
of two small pistons also connected with the tool-carrying piston by means of a
collar and distributing pieces, substantially as herein before described and shown as
an example in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 12th dor of June 1806
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6 Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.