IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO ROCK DRILLING MACHINES
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Huntington Reynolds, of New York City,
in the State of New York, United States of America, for the In-
vention of "IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO ROCK DRILLING MACHINES,'
"
Sealed the 18th August 1875, and dated the 23rd June 1875.
°
.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said 'George Huntington
Reynolds at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition and Declaration, on the 23rd June 1875, pursuant to the
9th Section of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
1. TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
HUNTINGTON REYNOLDS, of New York City, in the State of New York,
United States of America, send greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
RELATING TO ROCK DRILLING MACHINES," and have petitioned Her Majesty
0 to grant unto me, my executors, administrators, and assigns, Her
Royal Letters Patent for the same, and have made solemn Declaration
that I am the ¨ and first Inventor thereof,

page_text: Figure 7 is an end view showing the upper end of the cylinder, with
its provisions for confining the nuts on the through bolts.
Figure 8 is a longitudinal section of a portion on a larger scale
showing the chuck with the drill in place and firmly confined; Figure 9
is a corresponding cross section on the line 2, 2, in Figure 8.
Figure 10 is a section through a weight in the plane of the leg on
which it is mounted.
Similar letters of reference indicate like parts in all the Figures.
I will indicate the main casting which forms the cylinder by the single
letter A, distinguishing certain parts thereof by additional marks A',
a², etc., when necessary. B is a piston formed with a deep annular
recess around its centre, as indicated by B*. The piston rod 6 extends
out through a peculiar stuffing box, which is equipped with elastic
material adapted to serve as a spring in case the piston should tend to
move too far in either direction. The piston is much longer relatively
to its diameter than pistons are usually made, and in my experiments
has been operated without any packing. The steam is admitted through
a passage a into the annular chamber B*, which forms a belt around the
centre of the length of the piston, and is always maintained full of
steam at the full boiler pressure, or at such lower pressure as may be
caused by a partial closing of a throttle valve not represented. When
the piston is at exactly mid-stroke the steam is not allowed to flow into
or out of the cylinder at all, but in working the piston never rests in
this position for a moment. It is flung violently past the central point,
and by its own motion admits outs-off and exhausts the steam, in
starting the weight of the piston and its connections holds it at the
lower end of the cylinder.
To start the machine the valve should be suddenly opened, admitting
the steam at as full pressure as may be. It fills the annular chamber B*,
and in this position of piston also flows around through a port or
channel a' and gets below the piston. There being in this position of
the parts no pressure above the piston, it is thrown up with all the force
that the steam can exert on the lower end. It accumulates a high
velocity in its upward motion, and then having covered or closed the
port a' it uncovers and opens the port a", admitting the live steam from
the belt B* to act on the upper end of the piston, arresting its motion,

page_text: and at the same time uncovering the port a³, and allowing the steam
from the lower end to exhaust through it. Under these conditions the
upward motion of the piston is rapidly checked, and it immediately
descends as rapidly as it previously rose. The descending motion again
accumulates a sufficient momentum to carry it very forcibly onward, and
then closes the upper steam passage a³, uncovers the upper exhaust
passage a, and admits steam again. to the lower end of the cylinder
through the port a¹.
Although I use the word steam with reference to the fluid used it
will be understood that it may be compressed air or any other suitable
clastic fluid, means being employed to compress the air or evolve car-
bonic acid or other elastic fluid for the purpose.
"
This arrangement of the parts renders available some of the expansive.
action of the steam or other fluid. The working is ordinarily very rapid,
amounting under usual conditions to as high as ten or more double:
strokes per second. When the piston has commenced to rise and has
by its movement cut off the further access of steam to the lower end
through the port a¹ the steam already there will act expansively until a
subsequent period, when the exhaust port a³ is uncovered, and for a little
period afterwards until the steam is exhausted. The same conditions a
occur on the down stroke.
It will be understood that the piston should be fitted as nearly steam
tight as is practicable, and that the recess or hollow belt B* should be
made with smooth and accurately formed boundaries.
The passage a may terminate in the cylinder in a plain round hole, a
the belt B* being always sufficiently capacious to allow a free opening
for the steam.
The mouths of the several ports a³, a³, a³, aª, should be extended
partially around the cylinder to allow ample opening for a very active
movement of the elastic fluid, as the piston is in the act of covering or å
uncovering the passage.
The piston and the connected drill require to be turned about the
sixteenth of a revolution after each stroke. I have devised means for
effecting this without complicated machinery, and without preventing
the turning of the drill into any position desired when the machine is 3
stopped. I effect this by the twisted rod C of square or star shaped

page_text: section or other section not round. It extends from the upper end of
the cylinder down into and nearly through the piston. It fits easily
through a nut or close fitting piece B', which is firmly bolted or other-
wise secured in the upper end of the piston, and thus plays up and down
upon it. The rod C is forged on or otherwise rigidly fixed to a stout
disk O', the plane under face of which matches steam-tight against a
corresponding plane annular surface A', at or near the cylinder end.
The twisted rod O and head or disk O' are kept in a central position by
means of the extension c, which is in the centre of the upper face of the
O disk, and rests in a corresponding hole in the upper head A³ of the
cylinder. A little space between the disk O' and the adjacent surface of
the head A¹ is kept always filled with steam of the same pressure as that
which fills the belt B*. There is a free communication with the belt B*
by a passage a cored in the casting. It follows that any variation in
5 the working pressure by opening or closing the throttle valve, not
represented, or by raising or lowering the pressure of the steam, or
increasing or diminishing the action of an air compressor, is felt in the
´space above the disk O', which is always filled with steam equal to that
in the belt B, and consequently equal to the maximum pressure
▸ which alternately acts in the two ends of the cylinder. During the down
stroke of the piston the conditions are very different. During this move-
ment or the entire first part thereof, the steam is pressing with full
working pressure on the under face of the disk O', and thus balances
the pressure thereof. In this condition, when the disk is thus relieved
› from pressure, it is easily turned. Consequently during each descent of
the piston, the twisted rod O is not held rigidly, but is turned partially
around, allowing the drill to descend without turning. When on the
upstroke, the steam is allowed a free exhaust from the upper end of the
cylinder, the pressure of the steam above the disk O' is unbalanced by
the pressure in the exhausted space below it, and the disk is by the
pressure above it held rigidly on the seat A'. The twisted rod O¹ is
consequently held stationary during the up-stroke of the piston, and it
compels the piston to turn about a sixteenth of a revolution. At each
reciprocation of the piston therefore it is revolved to about the proper
amount required required to effect the most successful drilling. The seat
of the disk Ơ¹ may be conical instead of plane if preferred.
LA
mi

page_text: apparatus, but also by allowing the drill to be turned freely by hand or
otherwise when the action of the piston is stopped.
The construction of the stuffing box and its appurtenances may be
briefly described as follows:-A gland P fits loosely around the piston
rod and extends a little distance into the cylinder. Against its flanged
or larger end P¹ is applied a deep body of packing N of a character
which is adapted to serve both as a packing to make the piston rod
steam-tight, and as a spring to soften the shock in case the piston moves
too far. I have in my improvements used what is known as Tuck's
Patent packing. A corresponding gland Q, Q, applies on the outer side
of the stuffing box with its end Q projecting outward beyond the
confining follower R. When the piston B tends to move too far down
it strikes the gland P, P', and forcing it downward compresses the pack-
ing N. When the piston tends to move too high the collar B³ which may be
the plane upper end of a stout chuck which confines the drill strikes the
lower gland Q, Q¹, and forcing it upward against the packing N com-
presses it in the same manner as before. Thus the elastic material N
serves as a spring to gently arrest the motion of the piston when it
tends to move too far in either direction, and the strain modified and
softened by the intervention of the elastic packing or cushion N is
received entirely on the lower head A², forcing it either upward or
downward.
The lower head A³ is confined by long bolts E, E, which lie in grooves
extending along in each of the wings or longitudinal guides A*. They
take a firm hold of the latter near their upper end. They exert a great
compressive force which the material of the guides A' is able to resist.
When the piston strikes the gland P, P', and thus forces the lower
head A downward, the bolts E receive the strain and transmit it to the
flange at the upper end of the cylinder, and the compressive strain is
received directly endwise on the guides A. These guides besides thus
bearing the compressive strain of the bolts E at ordinary periods con-
tribute to increase the tensile strength of the cylinder when a rending
strain is received from the impact of the piston against the cushion at
the bottom of the cylinder. They also fulfil their ordinary function of
guiding the cylinder as it is fed up and down in the adjustable frame or
cradle G.
Recesses F corresponding in form to the nuts e are formed in the

page_text: nuts e are firmly locked until the head A' is again removed. It will be
understood that the head A' is secured by bolts, not represented, which
extend to a sufficient depth into the material of the cylinder A to take a
firm hold thereof. The piston never strikes the upper head A' because
the cushion N at the lower end receives the blow in both directions.
•
The metal of the cylinder A adjacent to the bolts E is properly
finished to form guides or slides, these glide in corresponding slides
formed in the cradle G, which latter is made in halves secured together
by a bolt g. A feed screw H mounted in a cross piece properly secured
to the cradle G is tapped through a lug As formed on the cylinder A, as
represented, and allows the latter to be moved forward and backward by
turning the feed screw H, which may be done by hand or by machinery
as the work proceeds.
The tripod legs I, J, J, aro supported and adjusted by means of a
peculiarly. formed bolt K which extends through the cradle G. On the
bolt K are two square places %, one of each of which is received in a
corresponding square hole in each of legs J, J. The third leg I is
mounted on a cylindrical portion of the bolt K, and may be adjusted in
any required position when the nuts L on the ends of the bolt K are
loosened. So also the bolt K and the legs J, J, may be turned in any
required position when the nuts are loosened, but the two legs J, J,
cannot be turned independently of each other by reason of the fact
that they are both rigidly set on square portions of the bolt K. The
inner faces of the legs J, J, are made conical, and each fits in a corre-
sponding conical recess in the cradle G. The T piece or cross piece I at
the head or upper end of the leg I is furnished with conical ends which fit
into corresponding recesses in the inner faces of the cradlo G. After
loosening either or both the nuts L the leg I may be set at any required
angle to the legs J, J, and the entire cradle G and its contents may be
inclined in any required position according to the direction of the hole
to be drilled; then by tightening the nut or nuts L the whole is rigidly
set in that position, and on admitting the elastic fluid through the
passage a from a strong. hose or other conduit,, not represented, the
piston and its attached drill commences to reciprocate rapidly in the
proper line, and the attendant by turning the feed screw H drives
forward the entire cylinder and its contents, as he finds that the hole is
excavated.

page_text: All previous devices known to me for adjusting the angle of the
drill in relation to the legs, or the position of the legs with regard to
cach other or to the drill, require the loosening and tightening of two
or more separato bolts. In practice the changes required are very
frequent, almost constant. It is essential that two of the legs be by
some means firmly connected together as it is found not safe to loosen
all three of the legs and set the whole entirely at liberty. My device
fulfils all the conditions and makes the line of direction of the drill and
the position of the back leg and of the front pair of legs adjustable
within every possible limit by the slacking of a nut on either end of the
single bolt K. A large proportion of the work is done in tunnels and
narrow cuts where the drill is liable to operate with one side very close
to a solid wall of rock, so it is of advantage to be able to liberate from
either side.
The improved chuck is adapted for use in the above described machine,
or in any rock drilling machine where a piston and rod is reciprocated
violently by the action of steam or air. The rapidly recuring blows
of a drill against the rock induces so rapid deterioration of the cutting
edges that it becomes necessary in some kinds of rock to change the
drill as often as every ten minutes. The improved chuck connects the
piston rod to the drill with great firmness and with unusual facility for
exchange of drills. The drill is liberated by a single blow from a
hammer, and on a fresh one being introduced the movement of a ring
necessary to firmly siezo it is induced by the blows of the drill against
the rock.
The piston rod 6 is formed with a nicely rounded end and with a
symetrical groove having inclined faces.
V₁, V', are cheeks adapted to apply and to fit closely around such piston
rod, and also around the end of the drill D. The exterior surface of
the checks V', V³, is generally conical, but with an annular recess v, as
shown.
The interior of the cheeks V₁, V, is formed cach with an internal
collar or continuous projection & having inclined faces. The internal
collar formed by this projection is nearly continuous around the piston
rod, and matches into the corresponding annular recess in the latter,
fitting its inclined faces tightly against the corresponding inclines. The
length of the piston rod beyond this part is carefully proportioned to

page_text: the depth of the corresponding cavities in the cheeks, so that the cheeks
shall bear firmly not only against the inclines but also against the
rounded end of the piston rod.
The recesses in the cheeks which receive the drill are of less diameter
and are made as perfectly cylindrical as possible, adapted to take firm
hold on the cylindrical shank of the drill D.
A wide conical hoop U is adapted to fit on the tapering exterior of
the cheeks V, V³, in the position shown, and thus hold the cheeks
firmly around the piston rod so long as the band U is tightly in position.
A narrower tapering hoop T is adapted to match around the larger
portion of the cheeks V², V³, and confine the cheeks upon the drill D so
long as the hoop T is tightly in position. When it is desired to release
the drill a blow with a hammer against the front side of the hoop T
releases its hold. On moving it backward to the recess it sinks
therein and allows the cheeks V₁, V³, to relax their hold on the drill.
In this condition of the parts the drill may be readily drawn out by a
vigorous pull of the hand, and a fresh one of similar size may be
inserted.
To secure the drill it is necessary simply to move the hoop T forward
out of the recess v, and to cause it to commence to take hold on its
taper seat. Then steam or air being admitted to the cylinder, not
represented, to cause the reciprocation of the piston the first blow or
the first few blows of the drill against the rock drives the hoop T
forward by its momentum upon the larger portion of the cheeks V', V',
until it can go no further and the drill is then tightly held and is
'operated like the other. When it is dull the machinery must be
again stopped, and the simple manipulation to exchange the drills
repeated.
"
The front legs taking the place of the back one, and the back one
taking the place of the front ones requires the spurs or points upon the
bottom of the legs to be capable of being reversed. If only an ordinary
point of a drill leg it would involve troublesome adjustment if the leg
was capable of being reversed. I have devised a leg which has double
points which relieves me from the necessity of removing the bottom of
this leg from the machine, or from changing the points at the bottom of
the leg in any manner.
Another important feature is that I make the bottom part of the leg

page_text: the stationary piece in place of its being the extension. In ordinary drill
legs the extension piece has been at the bottom. In my improved leg
the extension piece is the upper end of the leg. In consequence of this
change I am enabled to attach the weight to the lower part, and I am
enabled to adjust the legs without removing the weight. I have made 5
the double points upon the leg. I have made the cross piece or furnished
the means upon this bottom leg for receiving the weight, which allows
me to attach the weight whether the leg is one side up or the other, and
also to support and confine the weight whether the weight rests down-
ward upon this leg or rests in the reverse way. The means employed 1
for confining tho weight upon the leg is such that whether the leg be
turned over or placed in such position that the weight is inclined to drop
outward towards the point or inward towards the centre it will be
equally well supported. The weight itself is so constructed that it fits
equally well upon this leg in several positions. It may be reversed 1
entirely in position on the leg, or it may be turned quarter ways around.
In either of the positions it will be received and firmly retained upon
the leg.
The upper end of each leg is marked m and is mainly cylindrical, but
with a tapering flat portion extending along one side, as indicated. The 2
upper portion m is of less diameter than the lower portion n, and is
adapted to be adjusted up and down within the hollow interior of the
latter, and confined by one of the pinching screws O.
Two tocs n', n², are formed at the base of cach leg n, extending in
opposite directions. In the position shown the toes n² are effective, and 2
the toes ¹ stand idly in the air. The tripod is formed with two legs
extending forward and one leg backward, but it is frequently desirable to
reverse the arrangement in this respect. This is instantly effected by
supporting the machine temporarily by the hands of men, or otherwise,
slacking the bolt K, and reversing the arrangement of the legs, carrying 3
the two legs which are now in front to the rear, and the one leg which
is now in the rear to the front. This arrangement brings all the tocs 13¹
into use, and leaves the toes n³ idly in the air.
Each of the parts n is cast or otherwise formed with a short stout
cross piece z of corresponding diameter. For convenience and lightness 3
I prefer to make this cross piece also hollow, corresponding in this
respect with the main body n. The weight W is formed with a deep

page_text: cross groove or score to, y, which when the weight is properly applied
upon the leg receives the leg n and cross pieces, as will be obvious.
The bottom of each of the recesses w, y, is widened near the centre, as
indicated by w', y'. When the weight W has been placed upon a leg in
such position that the leg n is received in the score w, and the cross
piece received in the score y, so soon as it has been lowered to its full
place and liberated it will move downward upon the leg by gravity to the
extent allowed by the increased width of the portion y' of the cross score;
this locks it against being displaced by any ordinary agitation even
when the legs stand very nearly upright. By making both scores w, Y,
similarly conditioned tho weight may be turned quarter round, or may
be completely reversed and applied in either position, that is to say, the
leg n may be received in the score wor in the score y as chance may
determine. This is an important advantage when the machine is
worked by ignorant or careless men, or, as is very often, the case, is
worked with little light.
It is an important advantage of my Invention that the leg and cross
piece will engage with and securo the weight with equal readiness and
firmness, when, as is sometimes required in drilling in the steep side of
a cut or tunnel, one leg is required to stand inclined upwards.
I make a flattened place extending along the legs but growing
shallower towards what is in the ordinary position the upper end, so that
in case the machine is not properly supported when a pinching scrow is
slackened instead of falling all togetlier it will sink slowly as the screw
is relaxed, moving down only to such extent as is required to bring the
shallower portion of the recess under the screw and cause the leg to
become again set in a new position.
When for
There are two of the screws O on each side of each part n.
any reason it shall be desired to bring the other toe n' into uso with the
leg in the same position in other respects the screw O is relaxed, the
weight W being removed and the weight of the machine temporarily
supported by other means. The part m may then be turned over to
-bring the point n' downward, and the opposite screw O will then be in
position to be turned and effect the proper pinching on the flattened
surface. This change may be frequently desirable in case of the fracture
or injury of one of the toes.
Talin

page_text: nerem specified.
14th. A tripod leg, the outer end carrying the weight and allowing
the leg to be lengthened and shortened while the weight remains
undisturbed, as herein specified.
15th. The rock drill tripod with telescopic legs, arranged with
the tubular or female part outermost, and provided with means for
attaching steadying weights thereon, as herein specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Huntington Reynolds, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Sixth day of May, in the
year of our Lord 1875.
GEORGE HUNTINGTON REYNOLDS. (L.s)
Witness,
WILLIAM CLARK DEY,
Clerk for Thomas Drew Stetson,
28, Murray St.,
New York City.