IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY AND APPARATUS FOR WORKING COAL AND OTHER MINES, AND IN APPARATUS FOR LOADING WAGGONS OR OTHER VEHICLES
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Firth, of Burley, near Leeds, in the County
of York, Merchant, and Samuel Firth, of the same Place, Gentleman,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY AND APPARATUS FOR
WORKING COAL AND OTHER MINES, AND IN APPARATUS FOR LOADING WAGGONS
OR OTHER VEHICLES."
Sealed the 29th December 1863, and dated the 30th July 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Firth and Samuel
Firth at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition,
on the 30th July 1863.
We, WILLIAM FIRTH, of Burley, near Leeds, in the County of York,
Merchant, and SAMUEL FIRTH, of the same Place, Gentleman, do hereby
declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY AND
APPARATUS FOR WORKING COAL AND OTHER MINES, AND IN APPARATUS FOR LOADING
WAGGONS OR OTHER VEHICLES," to be as follows:-
The improvements in machinery and other apparatus for working coal and
other mines relate to machinery similar to what is described in the Speci-
fication of a Patent granted to Donisthorpe, Firth, and Ridley, dated 26th
November 1861, (No. 2977).
The present Invention consists, first, in adapting the apparatus to work the
seams of coal at different angles of dip and rise; with this object the frame of

page_text: the carriage on that side of it which faces the coal and carries the pickers, and
against which the pickers work, is of a shape to correspond with and be
parallel to the line of the face of the coal. The pickers are mounted in a
similar manner to those shown in the before-mentioned Specification. The
axle or spindle of the horizontal picker may also be let into and work within
a bracket from the frame of the apparatus, or otherwise arranged, so that it
may be adapted to the required angle, and the picker made to work in the
position desired, the purpose being to work the picker at right angles to the
face of the coal, notwithstanding the dip or rise of the seam and of the way on
which the carriage is moved; or this parallel position may be obtained by
employing wheels of a larger diameter on that side of the carriage furthest
from the coal against which the apparatus works. In this case the wheel of
the larger diameter would have to be mounted loosely upon its shaft and be
easily removeable therefrom, and wheels varying in diameter would be required
to meet the different inclinations of the seam.
Another improvement consists in adapting an expansion chest to the air
cylinder to obtain a better supply of compressed air to work the piston.
By the mode now adopted, the supply of air from the supply pipe is not
regular or sufficient. It has therefore been found better to store an expansion
cbest with compressed air, and by valve gearing allow the supply of air
necessary to work the piston to pass into the cylinder. By these means a full
charge of compressed air is instantaneously obtained to work the piston.
Another improvement consists in the employment of oscillating instead of
fixed cylinders to work the apparatus. It has been found in practice that the
length of the machine may be reduced with great advantage, and this we
accomplish by dispensing with the connecting rod shown in the Drawing to the
before-mentioned Specification, and by applying an oscillating cylinder in com-
bination with the other mechanism therein described.
Another mode of obtaining this result when using a fixed cylinder consists
in giving direct action from the piston rod to a link which connects two cranks,
one driving the picker crank driving the picker, the other a counterbalance
on its axis.
In loading waggons and other vehicles, particularly with coals, which are
commonly loaded by discharging them from a shoot. The waggon or other
vehicle to be loaded is placed in a position directly underneath the shoot, so as
to rest upon a lift connected with a cylinder or cylinders. worked by hydraulic
or other pressure. By means of this pressure the lift and the waggon or
other vehicle resting upon it are raised until the mouth of the shoot is but very

page_text: little higher than the bottom of the vehicle. As soon as the loading commences
the pressure from the cylinder or cylinders is released, and the lift and the
waggon or other vehicle upon it are allowed to gradually descend until they
return to the level of the tramway or road. The loading is thus effected with
but a very slight fall from the shoot into the vehicle, and thus the breakage
and other damage which often results from the fall is almost entirely avoided.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Firth and Samuel Firth in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 27th January 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME," we, WILLIAM
FIRTH, of Burley, near Leeds, in the County of York, Merchant, and SAMUEL
FIRTH, of the same Place, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,
the said William Firth and Samuel Firth, Her special licence that we, the
said William Firth and Samuel Firth, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as we, the said Willian Firth and Samuel Firth,
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 AND APPA-
BATUS FOR WORKING COAL AND OTHER MINES, AND IN APPARATUS FOR LOADING
WAGGONS OR OTHER VEHICLES," upon the condition (amongst others) that we,
the said William Firth and Samuel Firth, our executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under our or their bands and seals, or under
the hand and seal of one of us or them, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was
to be performed, and canse 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 we, the said William Firth and Samuel Firth,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the

page_text: same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
The improvements in machinery and other apparatus for working coal and
other mines relate to the machinery similar to what is described in the Speci-
fication of a Patent grant to Donisthorpe, Firth, and Ridley, dated 26th
November 1861 (No. 2977).
The present Invention consists, first, in adapting the apparatus to work seams
of coal at different angles of dip and rise. With this object the frame of the
carriage on that side of it which faces the coal or the reverse, and carries the
pickers, and against which the pickers work, is of a shape to correspond with and
be parallel to the line of the face of the coal. The pickers are mounted in a
similar manner to those shown in the before-mentioned Specification. The
axle or spindle of the horizontal picker may also be let into and work within
a bracket from the frame of the apparatus, or otherwise arranged, so that it
may be adapted to the required angle, and the picker made to work in the
position desired, the purpose being to work the picker at right angles to the
face of the coal, notwithstanding the dip or rise of the seam, and of the way
on which the carriage is moved; or this parallel position may be obtained by
employing wheels of a larger diameter on that side or the reverse (according
as the inclination may be to the rise or the dip) of the carriage furthest from
the coal against which the apparatus works. In this case the wheels on one
side would have to be mounted loosely upon the shaft, or it might be on a
separate shaft, and be easily removable therefrom, and wheels varying in
diameter would be required to meet the different inclinations of the seam.
Another improvement consists in adapting an expansion chest to the air
cylinder to obtain a better supply of compressed air to work the piston. By
the mode now adopted the supply of air from the supply pipe is not regular
or sufficient; it has therefore been found better to store an expansion chest
with compressed air, and by valve gearing allow the supply of air necessary to
work the piston to pass into the cylinder. By these means a full charge of
compressed air is instantaneously obtained to work the piston. It is pre-
ferred to have an air chest connected to the engine and in communication
with the valve box of the cylinder, but it may be arranged at a short distance
therefrom; this chest should contain a quantity equal to three or more charges
of the cylinder.
Another improvement consists in the employment of oscillating instead of
fixed cylinders to work the apparatus. It has been found in practice that the
length of the machine may be reduced with great advantage, and this we

page_text: accomplish by dispensing with the connecting rod shewn in the Drawing to
the before-mentioned Specification, and by applying an oscillating cylinder
in combination with the other mechanism therein described.
Figure 1 of the Drawing hereunto annexed shews a truck with an oscillating
cylinder mounted thereon, the cylinder turning or moving on an axis upright
when cutting horizontal grooves and horizontal when cutting vertical
grooves.
This piston rod is connected directly to the lever which carries the socket for
the handle of a pick.
In the arrangement shewn the pick lever may be mounted at either side of
the carriage or truck.
Another mode of obtaining this result when using a fixed cylinder consists
in giving direct action from the piston rod to a link which connects two cranks,
one driving the picker, the other a counterbalance on its axis.
In Figure 2 an arrangement is shewn when employing a fixed air cylinder.
In this arrangement the piston rod is connected to the lever arms of two
sockets which turn on axes as shewn, one at each side of the truck or
carriage. In loading waggons and other vehicles particularly with coals
which are commonly loaded by discharging them from a shoot or screen,
the waggon or other vehicle to be loaded is placed in a position directly
underneath the shoot, so as to rest upon a lift connected with a cylinder or
cylin lers worked by hydraulic or other pressure. By means of this pressure
the lift and the waggon or other vehicle resting upon it are raised until the
mouth of the shoot is but very little higher than the bottom of the vehicle; as
soon as the loading commences the pressure from the cylinder or cylinders is
released, and the lift and the waggon or other vehicle upon it are allowed to
gradually descend until they return to the level of the tramway or road. The
loading is thus effected with but a very slight fall from the shoot into the
vehicle, and thus the breakage and other damage which often results from the
falls is almost entirely avoided.
Figure 3 shews a side elevation partly in section, and Figure 4 an endl
elevation partly in section. In this arrangement the tramway is fixed on the
level, the frame of the lift being above the level, so as to be below the axles of
the truck when standing upon the rails, is mounted on the rams of two
hydraulic cylinders. On to this platform a coal truck is received, and is
retained in position by a notched bar or plate coming under one of the axles
of the wheels. The empty truck and frame of the platform are lifted by
water introduced into the hydraulic cylinders till the empty truck comes
under up to the bottom of the shoot of the inclined riddles, over which the

page_text: coal is discharged into the truck. As the truck becomes full the truck is
allowed to descend with the platform, by the men who attend the machine
allowing the water to pass out of the hydraulic cylinders. If desired, the
weight of coal introduced into a truck may be ascertained by having water
guages applied to the bydraulic cylinder.
In witness whereof, we, the said William Firth and Samuel Firth,
have hereunto set our hands and scals, this Twenty-sixth day of
January, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
sixty-four.
WILLIAM FIRTH. (L.S.)
(L.S.)
SAM FIRTH.
WILLIAM FIRTH. (L.S.)
SAM. FIRTH.
(L.S.)