IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR BORING ROCKS, AND IN APPARATUS FOR DRIVING ROCK BORING, TUNNELLING, COAL CUTTING, AND
Year: 1867

page_text: County of Surrey.
of Surrey. Mechanical Engineer. and John Darlington, of
Moorgate Street Chambers, in the City of London, Mining Engineer,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR BORING ROCKS, AND
IN APPARATUS FOR DRIVING ROCK BORING, TUNNELLING, COAL CUTTING, AND
Moorgate Street Chambers, in the City of London, Mining Engineer,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR BORING ROCKS, AND
IN APPARATUS FOR DRIVING ROCK BORING, TUNNELLING, COAL CUTTING, AND
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Brown Jordan and
John Darlington at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their petition. on the 29th November 1867.
We, THOMAS BROWN JORDAN, of South Lambeth, in the County of Surrey,
Mechanical Engineer, and JoHN DARLINGTON, of Moorgate Street Chambers,
in the City of London, Mining Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR BORING ROCKS, AND IN
APPARATUS FOR DRIVING ROCK BORING, TUNNELLING, COAL CUTTING, AND OTHER
MACHINERY EMPLOYED IN MINES, COLLIERIES, AND QUARRIES," to be as follows:-
Our Invention consists, first. of a "boring" cylinder: secondly, of a
motive cylinder: and, thirdly, of an apparatus by which power may be
Price Sd1

page_text: circulated, and in the course of its circulation be communicated to one or
many rock boring, tunnelling. coal cutting, or other machines. To the
piston of the boring cylinder is attached to the borer: the length of this
cylinder exceeds the stroke of the piston in order that the borer may
penetrate some distance into the rock before changing it or advancing the
boring cylinder. An intermittent rotary motion is imparted to the piston rod
and consequently to the borer attached to it: this motion is obtained in any
ordinary well known manner. In some cases we propose to make the piston
rod hollow so that the borer may be lengthened at will; the under side of the
piston is left open to the atmosphere, and when the piston arrives at its lowest
place in the cylinder it sounds a signal whistle for a new adjustment of the.
borer. At the closed end of the cylinder is an opening for the admission and
emission of water or other suitable driving fluid. When water is employed
the cylinder at its closed end may be furnished with a small pressure
valve through which water may be injected into the borer hole. The
pressure on this valve limits the force of the blow. The horing cylinder
is mounted on any suitable stand or frame. an appropriate one being par-
ticularly described in our Patent dated the 26th December 1866 (No. 3395).
The aforesaid cylinder is connected to the "motive cylinder which forms the
second part of our Invention by means of flexible tubing. This motive"
cylinder is placed within a small cistern and is of larger dimensions than the
boring cylinder; the motive cylinder is to be fitted with a piston or plunger
and when necessary is to have supply and relief valves. The motive piston,
plunger, or other equivalent means of putting the fluid in motion may be
driven by any of the usual mechanical appliances, but we prefer to employ
the apparatus which forms the third part of our Invention. This apparatus
consists of two or more force pumps or plunger cases fitted with plungers.
Motion is communicated to the force pumps or plungers by any suitable machine
fixed in any convenient situation. When a pair of plungers are employed we
prefer placing them in one line and connecting them by a crass head and
driving them by a single crank, so that when one ram is drawn out of its case
the other is forced into its case. To each plunger case may be attached a
small apparatus for drawing and discharging water under adjustable conditions.
A main or run of pipes called by ns an hydraulic circuit." commences
from one of the plunger cases, and when the power is to be transferred to
subterranean galleries or drift ways the pipes (or hydraulic circuit) are
carried down a shaft through levels or openings where power is required, and
returned by the same or any other shaft to the second ram case so as to obtain
as it were an endless band of power. When necessary we fix air vessels in the

page_text: circuit to prevent concussion. In order to render this power active at
any part of the "hydraulic circuit" or main, we propose to lay branch pipes
from the said main to each end of a motive cylinder, and fit the inter-
mediate portion of the main with a throttle valve, by closing which the
branch pipes and cylinder become a part of the "hydraulic circuit" or
main. These motive cylinders may be repeated at different parts of the
hydraulic circuit.and will act simultaneously: they may also be used
for imparting rotary motion to any required mechanical apparatus: these
motive cylinders will not require any of the usual valvular gearing because
the alternate motion of the pistons in the motive cylinders is effected
by alternate motion of the fluid in the hydraulic circuit." The distribution
of the initial power is effected by filling the circuit pipes and cylinders
with water or other suitable fluid. and putting into operation the rams
or pistons at the juncture of the hydraulic circuit." As for practical purposes
water is regarded as incompressible, and the actuating rams bear directly upon
the water enclosed in the hydraulic circuit and motive cylinders, it follows
that the action of the motive pistons in the hydraulic circuit." will correspond
to that of the actuating plungers at its juncture, and we are thus enabled
to distribute power to a variety of apparatus, such as those used in mining,
tunnelling. colliery, or quarry operations without the expenditure of the fluid
employed, and by means of apparatus so small as to be applicable in the most.
confined situations.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Brown Jordan and John Darlington in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 26th May 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COMF, we, THOMAS
BROWN JORDAN. of South. Lambeth. in the County of Surrey. Mechanical
Engineer. and JOHN DARLINGTON, of Moorgate Street Chambers. in the City
of London, Mining Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria. by Her Leiters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of November. in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirty-first year of
Her reign. did, for Herself, Ier heirs and successors. give and grant unto
ns. the said Thomas Brown Jordan and John Darlington. Her special licence
that we, the said Thomas Brown Jordan and John Darlington, our executors.
administrators. and assigns. or such others as we. the said Thomas Brown

page_text: Jordan and John Darlington, 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 FOR BORING ROCKS, AND IN APPARATUS FOR
DRIVING ROCK BORING, TUNNEILING. COAL CUTTING, AND OTHER MACHINERY
EMPLOYED IN MINES. COLLIERIES, AND QUARRIES." upon the condition (amongst
others) that we. the said Thomas Brown Jordan and John Darlington,
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our,
or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
was to be performed, 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.
our executors
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Thomas Brown Jordan and John
Darlington, 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, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:--
Our Invention bears reference to certain machinery specially applicable to
many of the operations carried ou in mines. the term mine being here applied
in its most extended sense.
It will be convenient to divide our improvements into three main parts which
may be summarized as follows:-First. al boring cylinder op apparatus:
secondly. a motive cylinder or pimp: and, thirdly, an apparatus by which
power may be circulated, and in the course of its circulation be communicated
to one or more rock boring, coal cutting, tunnelling, or other machines.
Ju order that the said parts of our Invention may be fully understood, we
shall refer to certain illustrations of our Invention which may be seen on the
Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, the same letters of reference indicating
identical parts in those Figures which refer to the part of our Invention
immediately under consideration.
Fig. is an elevation of the boring cylinder and its accessories: Fig. 2 is a
longitudinal section of the cylinder and Fig. 3 is a cross section on a large
scale of our boring apparatus taken at the line x, y, Fig. 1. This section is
especially intended to shew the means we employ for turning the borer.
The boring cylinder is fitted with a piston and rod, one side of the piston is
open to the atmosphere, and the other is subject to a pressure of water or

page_text: other suitable fluid. A force pump may be used to inject the fluid into the
boring cylinder, and the said fluid is withdrawn from the cylinder by the back
stroke of the pump. The pressure of the atmosphere on the exposed side of
the piston in the boring cylinder caused by the back stroke of the pump
produces the return stroke of piston and rod of the boring cylinder, and
therefore the alternate withdrawing action of the borer which is attached to
the latter. A and B are two wrought iron side rods which with the cast-iron
pieces C. D. form the fixed frame of the apparatus; the ends of these rods
are screwed to receive the cast iron or steel toes E. F, G, H, which afford a
The front toes are
means of fixing the apparatus in any desired position.
placed on either side of the spot to be holed. and the back toes are fixed
against any retaining piece of wood wedged across the level in a mine. for
example, in such a way that the axis of the boring cylinder may be so adjusted
as to coincide in direction with the course of the intended hole. J is à brass
cylinder fitted with a piston K and piston rod 1: the lower part of the rod
is enlarged so that the boring bar M may be conveniently fixed to it. A'
mortise hole through this enlargement is fitted with a clamp, washer, and nut,
and the hole for receiving the borer is then bored into the enlarged end of the
piston rod and through the clamping piece, the parts being properly fitted, so that
tightening the nut tends to draw the clamping piece through the slot, and
thus securely fixes the head of the borer which passes through it. The length
of the cylinder is three or four times greater than the length of siroke of the
piston which works in it. in order that the borer may penetrate some distance
into the rock or other substance before changing it, so that when beginning a
hole or after changing the borer the piston will be situated near the upper
part of the cylinder and gradually work downwards as the hole deepens until
it nears the bottom of the cylinder when the borer must again be changed
for a longer one. The means of obtaining this progressive action and of accom-
modating it to the hardness of the rock or other matter will be explained later.
The required rotary motion is imparted to the borer by two ratchet wheels
which are geared by feathers on their bosses into grooves in opposite sides of
the piston rod, one groove being spiral, and the other straight or parallel to
the axis of the rod. The upper wheel has a thick buss which rotates in the
cylinder, and its feather gears into the spiral slot while the feather of the
lower wheel gears into the straight slot. There are two defeats to each wheel
so arranged that the wheels can only move round in one direction. By this
arrangement it is evident that the spiral slot in the piston rod will have the
effect of turning the wheel, the feather of which works within it in one
direction during the up stroke, and in the opposite direction during the down

page_text: stroke but since the wheel can move in one direction only, the rod itself
with its piston and borer attached to it will be forced to inrn when the said
upper wheel is detained, and as the lower wheel whose feather works in the
straight slot will prevent the rotating of the rod during the down siroke, the
upper wheel must turn and take up a new position for continuing the required
rotary action. The upper end of the boring cylinder is closed by a cast cap C.
and the nozzle C is grooved to receive a flexible tube that is to connect the
boring cylinder with the motive cylinder or pump. which forms, as aforesaid.
the second part of our Invention, as is illustrated by the Figures 4. 5. and 6.
Figure 4 is a plan of the cylinder and pump with the cover removed:
Figure 5 is a longitudinal section: and Figure 6. a transverse section taken
in each case through the centre of the pump barrel.
A is the working barrel of the pump, which we propose to line with brass:
B is the piston: C is the connecting rod which puts the piston in gear with
the crank pin D: this pin slides in a slotted crank plate E. and may be
clamped at any required distance from the centre of the plate in order that
the length of stroke in the pump barrel may be so proportioned that the effect.
will be to impart the necessary length of stroke in the piston in the boring
cylinder or barrel: F is a partially opened cistern which is to contain water
up to a certain level: G is a closed water chamber into which the lower end
of the pump cylinder opens. When our apparatus is in action this chamber
is connected with the nozzle of the boring cylinder by a flexible tube which is
kept in a state of distention by having a coil of wire arranged within it; H is
a heavy rigger which serves also as a fly wheel; and I is a crank pin by
which the pump may be set in motion through the agency of any ordinary
motive power, whether such power be communicated to the crank pin by
means of a shaft or of a connecting rod. Jis a valve fixed in the parting plate
between the cistern and the pressure chamber through which by the action of
the pump water may pass from the cistern to the pressure chamber; and K
is a valve through which water may pass from the pressure chamber to the
cistern. The valve is fitted with a cap M which may be lowered into or
raised out of its conical seat by the rod N in order to regulate the size of the
aperture through which water is admitted by means of the said valve J into
the pressure chamber; the valve J is a perforated cylinder covered with an
india-rubber tube, or it may be any other kind of valve suited for the admission
but not the emission of water through an adjustable aperture. The valve K is
a safety valve and is kept in its scat by a spiral spring or weighted lever, and
the amount of pressure or weight upon this valve regulates the force of the
blow struck by the boring bar.

page_text: From this detailed description of the boring and motive cylinders with
the connection subsisting between them their joint action will be readily
understood.
When the bore is to be worked water is first introduced into the pressure
chamber. connecting pipe, and boring cylinder, and all the air contained in
them is driven out through an aperture in the head of a boring cylinder which
is then closed: the boring machine is then secured in a manner suitable for
boring the required hole as previously explained. The pump or motive
cylinder is then put in action and being connected as aforesaid to the boring
cylinder in such a manner as to produce when working a similar and simul-
taneous action of the respective pistons belonging to the two cylinders, the
down stroke of the pump will consequently urge forward the piston rod L and
the boring bar M. Fig. 1. with a force proportioned to the weight on the
safety valve K. Fig. 4. The up stroke of the piston in the pump would tend
to chase a vacumin between the two cylinders if such a tendency were not
counteracted by the pressure of the atmosphere keeping the borer piston in
continuous contact with the retiring water. and thus cause the back stroke
of the said piston. The forward feed or progress of the borer as the hole
deepens (an action previously alluded to) is effected by so adjusting the opening
over the valve as to admit of a very small quantity of water being drawn
through it into the pressure chamber at every back stroke of the pump, and if
this quantity is kept slightly in excess of what is required to force the borer
in contact with the bottom of the hole. it follows that the pump crank cannot
turn its centre without lifting the safety valve K which returns the excess
into the cistern F. and since the load on the latter valve is under screw
adjustment we have by this means the power of regulating the force of the
blow given by the borer to suit the rock or other material worked in. The
work is done by regulating hydraulic pressure without discharging the fluid
employed.
The third part of our Invention is an extension of this system of working
hydraulic machines. We propose to use such machines not only for the purpose.
of driving the aforesaid drilling apparatus, but of driving any other apparatus
which requires to have power transmitted to it from a distant first mover.
The mechanical apparatus to be employed consists of simple and well
known paris so combined as to secure a novel result. We employ either a
double-acting force pump. or two plungers working through hydraulic collars
into cases set in the same straight line or in parallel straight lines, the whole
being so arranged that whilst one plunger is entering its case the other will
be passing out of its case. These plungers or rams are fitted with a cross

page_text: head, by which the power of any first mover is applied to the plungers.
Each
of the cases is in communication with a small supply cistern having adjustable
valves similar to those already described in the actuating pump of the boring
machine, but in the present instance these valves are only used to supply loss
of water caused by unavoidable leakage. A water-tight main or run of pipes
of any suitable length, which we call an hydraulic circuit," commences from one
end of the plunger cases, and may be carried through shafts, levels, openings.
or ways to any point where power is required, and brought back to the opposite
end of the aforesaid eases so as to obtain as it were an endless band of power.
In order to render this power active at any part of the hydraulic circuit." we
Jay branch pipes from the said main to each end of a motive cylinder, and fit the
intermediate portion of the main with a stop valve, by closing which the branch
pipes and motive cylinder become a part of the hydraulic circuit." Motive
cylinders of this description are fitted with pistons, piston rods. and stuffing
boxes of the usual kind, and when rotary motion is needed they have connecting
rods and cranks and small fly wheels. They do not want slide valves or any
apparatus for alternating the pressure to the different sides of the piston because
this is done by the oscillating motion imparted to the fluid by the distant force
pump. The distribution of the initial power is effected by filling the circuit pipes
and cylinders with water or other suitable fluid. and putting into action the
force pump at the junction of the hydraulic circuit." As for practical
purposes water is regarded as incompressible, and as the actuating rams bear
directly upon the water enclosed in the hydraulic circuit and motive
cylinders it follows that the motion of the pistons at work in the circuit will
correspond with the motion of the pistons in the force pump situated at the
juncture of the hydraulic matin. We are thus enabled to communicate the
power of a distant engine to various purposes without expenditure of the fluid
employed, and by apparatus so small as to be applicable in the most confined
situations.
Having thus described the nature of our said Invention, and the manner in
which the same may be carried into effect. we now observe in conclusion that
we do not confine ourselves to the precise details or arrangements which we
have had occasion to describe, as many variations may be made therefrom
without deviating from the main features of our Invention, but what we
consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim is.-
First. The combined application as a motive power of the atmosphere and
of an inelastic fluid, a fluid which is not to be discharged from the apparatus
in which it is employed for the driving of rock boring, coal cutting, tunnelling,
or other machines,, substantially as herein-before described.

page_text: Secondly. The mechanical arrangement and means for giving the necessary
rotary action to the boring bar, by and through the reciprocating motion of
the piston in combination with the piston rod, substantially as herein-before
described.
Thirdly. The means of modifying the speed of the forward motion of the
boring bar to suit the degree of hardness or difficulty of penetrability presented
by the rock or substance to be bored by a more or less enforced increase of
luid matter into the boring cylinder at every stroke of the piston, substantially
as herein-before described.
Fourthly. The transmission of power from a first mover through a continuous
circuit of pipes containing an inelastic fluid, and its employment at any
particular part of the said circuit of pipes without discharging the fluid
employed, substantially as herein-before described.
In witness whereof 1, the said Thomas Brown Jordan, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
THOMAS BROWN JORDAN. (L.S.)