AN IMPROVED METHOD OF GETTING COAL AND FOR THE MACHINERY OR APPAratus CONNECTED THEREWITH.
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Stuart Norris, of Liverpool, in the
County of Lancaster, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED METHOD
OF GETTING COAL AND FOR THE MACHINERY OR APPAratus CONNECTED
THEREWITH.
"
Sealed the 10th June 1870, and dated the 1st March 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Stuart Norris
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 1st March 1870.
I, RICHARD STUART NORRIS, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED
METHOD OF GETTING COAL AND FOR THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS CONNECTED
THEREWITH," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in improved single and multiple drilling
machines for drilling one or a series of holes in the sides of the seam of
coal. Each drill is fastened in a drill holder working in a carriage fitted
to a frame so that it can slide to and fro. In the frame and carriage
there is a screw held to a toothed wheel by a key way and key, the.

page_text: toothed wheel being geared to other toothed wheels on the drill holders,
and when revolving motion is given to the screw revolving and advancing
motions are given to the drills at the same time, the carriage sliding in
the frame at the required speed. At the back end of each drill holder
I employ a clutch box in connection with a spiral or other spring acting
upon the drill holder, and turn one portion of the clutch by hand or
power, so that the drill holder and drill connected to it shall have a
to-and-fro motion as one portion of the clutch is relieved from the other
and afterwards closed up by the spring, which movements are con-
tinually taking place at the same time as the drill holder and drills
are gradually advancing, and thus in addition to the ordinary drilling
taps or blows are given to the coal by the drill as it advances, and
thereby additional impetus is given to the drill and the holes are made
with great expedition. Or the backwards and forwards movements may
be given to the drills by tappets or cams instead of by the clutch boxes.
-When-using-a-number_of_drills_for_drilling a number of holes in a line
the stock or frame in which the drills are held may be moved forwards
and backwards on a bed, so that after one series of holes has been made
the drills can be moved to come in contact with the coal between the
holes, so that by a second drilling a continuous slot of any length can be
made in the coal. When a single drill is used for making shot holes in
coal I place the drill holder on a frame which can be adjusted to any
required position for enabling the holes to be drilled horizontally,
vertically, or at an angle, which position shall be determined by the
underlooker or other responsible person in order to prevent shot holes
being drilled in improper or dangerous positions.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Richard Stuart Norris in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 31st August 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD 3
STUART NORRIS, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, send.
greeting..
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the First day of March, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-third a

page_text: year of Her reign, did for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Richard Stuart Norris, Her special license that
I, the said Richard Stuart Norris, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Richard Stuart Norris, my.
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 "AN IMPROVED
METHOD OF GETTING COAL AND FOR THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS CONNECTED
THEREWITH," upon the condition, amongst others, that I, the said Richard
Stuart Norris, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, 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 .
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Richard Stuart Norris, do hereby
declare the nature of my 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:-
i
This Invention consists in improved single and multiple drilling,
machines for drilling one or a series of holes in the sides of the seam of:
coal. Each drill is fastened in a drill holder working in a carriage fitted,
to a bed or frame so that it can slide to and fro, and in the carriage and:
standards on the bed or frame there is a screw carrying toothed wheels:
gearing into other toothed wheels on one or more drill holders, and when i
revolving motion is given to the screw revolving and advancing motions.:
are given to the drill or drills at the same time, the carriage sliding on.
the bed at the required speed. To the back of each drill holder I fix.
a clutch gearing into a similar clutch fixed to the carriage, and place.
on the holder a spiral spring, so that as the holder and drill are turned:
they shall have a to-and-fro motion as one portion of the clutch. is:
relieved from the other and afterwards closed by the spring, which'.
movements are continually taking place at the same time as the drill.
is revolving and advancing, and thus in addition to the ordinary drilling.
taps or blows are given by the drill to the coal, and thereby additional:
impetus is given to the drill, and the holes are made with great,
expedition.

page_text: These improvements will be clearly understood by the following
particular description thereof, reference being had to the figures and
letters on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, in which Figs. 1 and 2
are side and end elevations, and Fig. 3 a plan of one of my improved
multiple drilling machines used for getting coal; Fig. 4, a section of
Fig. 3 at the line A, B; Fig. 5, a section of Fig. 3 at the line C, D.;
Fig. 6, a plan of the bed or frame without the carriage; Fig. 7, a plan
of part of the carriage and gearing; Figs. 8 and 9, detached views of
one pair of clutches; and Fig. 10, a detached view of one of the drill
holders; Figs. 8 and 9 being drawn enlarged, and the other Figures to
a scale of three inches to the foot.
a represents the bed or frame of the machine; b, the standards;
e, d, e, f, the carriage; g, h, the drill holders; i, the drills; k, l, the
clutches; m, the spiral springs; and n, the screw. At the bottom of
the carriage there are grooves o, Fig. 4, fitting corresponding-surfaces
on the bed a, and to the standards b fixed to the bed there are bearings
for the screw n, which is turned by the handle p and gearing q, r, when
there are several drills; but when only one or two drills are used the
handle is fixed to the screw. The drill holders g, h, one of which is
shewn detached in Fig. 10, work in bearings in the upright frames d, f,
of the carriage, the spiral springs m being placed between the frame d
and the bosses g, in the sockets of which the drills are keyed or
otherwise held, and the stationary clutches k are fixed to the frame e,
and the other clutches / keyed to the spindles of the holders, and as
the clutches revolve on the clutches the drills are moved to and fro
by the combined action of the clutches and springs. On the screw n
there are two toothed wheels s, t, the wheels having in it a nut fitting
the thread of the screw, and the wheel ta key fitting a long groove u,
Fig. 3, cut in the screw, and these wheels gear into two pairs of
wheels v, o, fixed to the two middle holders, and by means of the
additional wheels all the holders are geared together. The wheel t
is turned with the screw and actuates the wheels v, w, the wheel v
turning the nut wheels with a less velocity than the screw by means.
of the differential gear, thereby causing the carriage to advance on the
bed at the required speed and force the drills as they revolve gradually'
into the coal; and to the frames d, e, is fixed a spindle a' carrying a
pawl which can be raised by the handle c¹ for allowing the wheel t
to be placed in and out of gear as required, and then lowered to keep

page_text: the wheel in position. When there is a single or odd number of drills
the wheels s, t, may gear into one pair of wheels on one holder, and
gearing be employed when there are several drills. When the holes
are to be drilled the drills are in their most backward position, with
their cutting edges against the scam of coal, the wheel t being in gear
with the wheel 10, as shewn in Figs. 1, 3, and 4, and when revolving
motion is given to the handle p revolving, tapping, and advancing
motions are given to the drills and holes formed in the seam of coal
to any required depth. After the drilling the carriage and drills have
to be returned as quickly as possible, and for this purpose. the wheel t
is moved out of gear, as shewn in Fig. 7, to enable the screw and nut
to act with the full pitch, entirely unaffected by the differential gear.
After drilling one set of holes the machine is shifted to drill another
set, and so on according to the size of the seam, and the lines of holes
are made at the bottom, the top, the sides, or at any intermediate
positions; and the holes are broken into each other and the coal broken
off the seam by bars and levers, and thus the coal is got with great
economy of time and a large proportion of the ordinary slack or waste
is prevented. When desired I place the drills wider apart than shewn
in Fig. 3, and after drilling one series of holes shift the bed to enable
the drills to drill the coal between the first set of holes, and thereby
form a near approach to a continuous slot. When a single drill is used
for making shot holes I place the carriage of the drill holder on a bed
or frame which can be adjusted to any required position for enabling
the holes to be drilled horizontally, vertically, or at an angle, which
position shall be determined by the underlooker or other responsible
person, in order to prevent shot holes being drilled in improper or
dangerous positions.
Having now described the nature and particulars of my said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, I desire it to
be understood that I claim,-
-
First. The clutches and springs for causing the drills to give taps
or blows to the coal as they revolve and advance.
And, secondly. The improved arrangements and combinations of the
several parts for forming single and multiple drilling machines for
drilling one or a series of holes in any required part of the seam of coal,

page_text: as all such improvements are hercin described and illustrated in the
accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Stuart Norris, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of August,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
seventy.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the
within-named Richard Stuart.
Norris, in the presence of
G. SEPTIMUS HUGHES,
Patent Agent,
Manchester.
R. S. NORRIS. (L.S.)