Purposes.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Oct., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 3rd July, 1888
Complete Specification Acceoted. 3rd Aug., 1888
like Purposes.
I, THOMAS ARCHER, jnr. of Dunston Engine Works, Gateshead, Engineer do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The usual method of working coal is to corve out a space at or near to the bottom
of a seam of coal, then to bore a hole or series of holes at or near to the top of the
seam-then to blast or force down by wedges, lime cartridges or other appliances
the mass between.
My improved apparatus is one to replace the present form of apparatus for forcing
down the mass of coal between the upper bore holes and the corve. In the present
arrangement it is usual to employ wedge-pieces opening the up and down way with
a roller or wedge between them, which roller or wedge is drawn or forced into such a
position as that the wedges at the end of the bar open and exert a pressure in the
desired direction. In order that such an apparatus may work with considerable force
and with the requisite range it is necessary that it be strongly made and that the
bore hole be of considerable size by which the cost of boring it is increased: it is also
necessary that the whole apparatus be of considerable weight by which the facility of
working it is diminished.
Now I by my invention, am enabled to obtain considerable range of powerful
action with a very light and slender rod.-I employ a hollow rod closed at what is
intended to be the inner end, (with reference to the coal it is applied to when in
action) excepting for an opening at one side at a very short distance from the end;
the opening at the side slants in such a way as that a ball placed within the rod can
come in contact with no dead stop if forced through the hollow rod but must be
gradually diverted from the straight path of the axis of the rod by the slope at the
end which I have described.At the other end of the rod I place a strong screw
fitting the rod internally; in the space between the screw end and the slant of the
end, I place a series of hard steel or chilled cast iron. balls, or rollers, or blocks.
I then insert the rod so charged in a bore hole which it nearly fits and screw into it

page_text: the strong screw which I have described. By this, means first one of the balls or
rollers is forced out at the other end, and then another, and another so as to exert an
increasing pressure until the mass of coal gives way. Or I may dispense with the
screw and apply a lever arrangement at the end of my hollow rod and put in a new
ball or roller at each movement of the lever.-It will thus be seen that in soft tenacious
coal I can accumulate a nest of balls of indefinite extent until the pressure becomes
such as to break down the coal operated upon and as the strain upon the apparatus is
entirely upon the inclined plane and solid end of the rod with a tension strain only
upon the rod itself I am enabled to use a very small and light rod and a small bore
hole. I may apply this apparatus for the winning of coal without corving by applying
a sufficient number of rods at the top and bottom of the seam at intervals whereby a
pressure is exerted at any desired distance behind the face of the coal.
My apparatus is also-available for other purposes such as sinking or quarrying or
for winning other kinds of minerals.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Winning Coal or Minerals and for
like Purposes.
I, THOMAS ARCHER, jnr. of No. 6 Park Terrace, Gateshead-on-Tyne in the
County of Durham, Engineer 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 working coal is to corve over a space at or near to the
bottom of a seam of coal then to boro a hole or series of holes at or near to the top
of the seam, then to blast or force down by wedges, lime cartridges or other.
appliances the mass between. My improved apparatus is one to replace the present
form of apparatus for forcing down the mass of coal between the upper bore holes
and the corve. In the present arrangement it is usual to employ wedge pieces
opening the up and down way with a roller or wedge between them which roller or
wedge is drawn or forced into such a position as that the wedges at the ends of the
bar open and exert a pressure in the desired direction.-In order that such an
apparatus may work with considerable force and with the requisito range it is
necessary that it be strongly made and that the bore hole be of considerable size, by
which the cost of boring it is increased it is also necessary that the whole apparatus
be of considerable weight by which the facility of working it is diminished.
Now I by my invention, am enabled to obtain considerable range of powerful
action with a very light and slender rod.-I employ a hollow rod closed at what is
intended to be the inner end with reference to the coal it is applied to; when in
action excepting for an opening at one side at a very short distance from the end→
the opening at the side slants in such a way as that a ball placed within the rod can
come in contact with no dead stops if forced through the hollow rod but must be
gradually diverted from the straight path of the axis of the rod by the slope at the
end which I have described.
At the other end of the rod I place a strong screw fitting the rod internally in the
space between the screw end and the slant of the rod.-1 place a series of hard steel
or chilled cast iron balls or rollers or blocks.
I then insert the rod so charged in a bore hole which it nearly fits and screw into
it the strong screw which I have described.-By this means just one of the balls or
rollers is forced out at the other end and then another and another so as to exert an
increasing pressure until the mass of coal gives way.-Or I may dispense with the
screw and apply a lever arrangement at the end of my hollow rod and put in a new
ball or roller at each movement of the lever.-It will thus be seen that in soft tenacious
coal I can accumulate a nest of balls of indefinite extent until the pressure becomes
such as to break down the coal operated upon and as the strain upon the apparatus is
entirely upon the inclined plane and a solid end of the rod with a tension strain only
upon the rod itself-I am enabled to use a very small and light rod and small bore

page_text: hole. I may apply this apparatus for the winning of coal without corving by applying
a sufficient number of rods at the top and bottom of the seam at intervals whereby a
pressure is exerted at any desired distance from the face of the coal.-My apparatus is
also available for other purposes such as sinking or quarrying or for winning other
kinds of minerals.
The drawing hereto annexed illustrates a simple form of apparatus according to my
invention. A. is the tube and B. B. are the balls or rollers.-C. is the screwed
spindle and the shaded figure round my apparatus represents the coal or mineral
which it is desired to loosen.-1 may use a lever for producing the required pressure
without as described having its range such as to equal the diameter of a ball or roller,
but having a less range and a wedge to take up the smaller space gained at each
movement so that a series of movements shall amount to more than the diameter of a
ball or roller and the wedge can then be removed into its first position and a new ball
or roller inserted so as to be worked up by a series of movements as before.
I may also arrange that balls or rollers be delivered on 2 or more sides of my
tube by having two screws and two slopes, or with one screw and arrangements to
deliver a ball upwards and downwards alternately.-1 may also as alternative make
the tube end to open up so as to accumulate the nest of balls or rollers within it.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is :-
The use of balls or rollers applied substantially as described so as to produce under
heavy pressure an accumulation of material at or near the base of a bore hole for the
purpose of dislodging the coal or mineral operated upon.