IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR CUTTING OR PICKING COAL IN MINES, AND FOR SIMILAR PURPOSES
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake,
& Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for an Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR CUTTING OR PICKING COAL IN MINES,
AND FOR SIMILAR PURPOSES." A communication from abroad by Charles
Morse, of the United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 9th March 1880.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR CUTTING
OR PICKING COAL IN MINES, AND FOR SIMILAR PURPOSES." [A communication
from abroad by Charles Morse, of the United States of America.]
This Invention relates to machinery for cutting or picking coal or other material
in mines or the like to detach the same for removal, and the said machinery consists
chiefly of a rotary engine driven by compressed air, so arranged as to put in motion
a piston rod to drive a pick, chisel, or other cutting device for severing the coal
from its bed.
In carrying the said Invention into practice I provide an ordinary pneumatic
rotary engine in a suitable case, which case made a part of an air-chamber and a
cylinder. A valve is placed on the upper part of the said cylinder, and has two
ports communicating with it, both of which alternately take air from below the
said valve to the cylinder and alternately exhaust air into two other ports, which
communicate with pipes at the side of the cylinder; the said valve has imparted
-to-it-a-reciprocating-motion-by-a "crazy-wheel-on-the-shaft-of-the-rotary-engine,--
the said wheel operating in a groove which is formed in the top of a knuckle-joint
countersunk into the top of the aforesaid valve. On the end of the cylinder there
is formed a serrated or grooved bearing, on which is placed a sleeve arranged to be
rotated by a pinion. This pinion is hung upon a shaft running longitudinally with
the cylinder, and operated by a crank to rotate the pick or cutting tool.
The piston-rod is round in transverse section, excepting for a portion of its length
at one end which is square, and passes through a collar held to the outer end of the
said sleeve by a set-screw.

page_text: The pick or tool is held to the square part of the piston-rod by a socket-joint and
a key, and may be detached by driving a key through a hole which is provided,
and bearing against the end of the shank of the pick in the socket.
Wheels are provided supporting the machine, which is held to its work by one
or more ratchet wheels operated by a dog or pawl. A crank or wheel is provided
on the outer end of the shaft of the rotary engine to start the latter off its centre.
The exhaust pipes have side-ports and on them are placed collars which on being
turned allow a greater or less exhaust of air.
In the operation of the machine air is taken in through a pipe, and the amount
thereof is controlled by a valve in this pipe. The air so entering the chamber
passes to the rotary engine by means of a port and is discharged at another port
in the ordinary manner of pneumatic rotary engines.
The "crazy wheel" will give a reciprocating movement to the valve on the
cylinder, and this valve when in one position exhausts air at one of the said ports
upward into another of the said ports in the valve, from whence it passes out at
the discharge-pipe which is at the side of the cylinder and connects with said port.
Air is now taken in at the port at the opposite end of the cylinder, the ports acting
alternately to take in and discharge air, there being an exhaust pipe to each of the
two ports in connection therewith. This puts the piston in motion to give a
reciprocating movement to the pick or tool. To avoid the concussion in the move-
ment of the piston, and to cushion the latter, also to cushion the strokes of the pick,
india-rubber cushions are placed in the ends of the cylinder.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 9th
September 1880.
.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR CUTTING
OR PICKING COAL IN MINES, AND FOR SIMILAR PURPOSES." A communication
from abroad by Charles Morse, of the United States of America.
This Invention relates to machinery for cutting or picking coal or other material
to detach the same for removal from mines or the like, and comprises the
combination of a rotary engine driven by compressed air, and so arranged as to put
in motion a piston rod to drive a pick, chisel, or other cutting device for severing
the coal or the like from its bed, as hereinafter described.
In the accompanying Drawing,
Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation on the line 2, 2, Figure 2, of a
machine constructed according to my Invention.
Figure 2 is a transverse section thereof on the line x, x, Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a transverse section of the cylinder and air-chamber on the line f, f,
Figure 1.
Figure 4 is an enlarged view of the regulating-sleeve hereinafter described in
position on the exhaust-pipe.
Figure 5 is an enlarged, transverse section on the line y, y, Figure 4, of the
exhaust-pipe with the sleeve thereon.
A represents an ordinary pneumatic rotary engine in a case, which case is made
a part of the air-chamber B and cylinder C. A valve E is placed on the upper
part of the cylinder C, and the ports 3 and 6 communicate with it; these ports
alternately take air from below the valve E to the cylinder C, and alternately
exhaust air into the ports 4 and 7, which communicate with pipes 5 at the side of
the cylinder; the valve E has imparted to it a reciprocating motion by means of
a crazy wheel" F, that is to say, a wheel set obliquely on the shaft G of the
rotary-engine, this wheel operating in a groove S which is formed in the top of
the knuckle-joint R countersunk into the top of the valve E. On the end of the
cylinder C is formed a serrated or grooved bearing J, on which is placed a sleeve I, K,
arranged to be rotated by a pinion T. This pinion is upon a longitudinal shaft V
(shewn in dotted lines in Figure 1) parallel with the cylinder C, and operated by a
crank or handle W to rotate the pick or cutting tool M.
The piston-rod P is round in transverse section except at the part N, which is
square and passes through a collar L, held to the outer end of the sleeve I, K, by a
set-screw C. The pick or tool M is held to the part N of the piston-rod by a
socket-joint b and a key, and may be detached by driving a key through a hole a,
and bearing against the end of the shank of the pick in the socket.
The wheels A', A', support the machine, which is held to its work by one or
more ratchet wheels Z operated by a dog or pawl X.
H represents a crank or wheel on the outer end of the shaft G of the rotary
engine, and provides means for starting the latter off its centre.
The exhaust-pipes have side-ports 10, and on them are placed collars 12, which
on being turned allow a greater or less exhaust of air.
In the operation of the said machine air is taken in through a pipe d, and the
amount thereof is controlled by a valve e in this pipe. The air so entering the
chamber B passes to the rotary engine A by means of a port n, and is discharged
at a port o, as is usual in pneumatic rotary engines. The operation of the engine
causes the central shaft G to rotate, and the " 'crazy wheel" F will therefore
impart a reciprocating movement to the valve E; this valve in the position shown
exhausts air at the port 3 (see Figure 1) upward into the port 4 in the valve E,

page_text: whence it passes out at the discharge-pipe 5, which is at the side of the cylinder C,
and in connection with said port. Air is now taken in through the port 6 at the
opposite end of the cylinder, the ports acting alternately to take in and discharge
air, and there being an exhaust pipe to the port 7 similar to the pipe 5. This puts
the piston D in motion to give a reciprocating movement to the pick or tool M.
To avoid concussion in the movement of the piston, and to cushion the latter, also
to cushion the pick, india-rubber cushions 8, 9, are placed in the ends of the
cylinder C, as shown.
.
The said machine when placed in a coal-lead is held to its work by the ratchet-
wheel Z, operated by the dog or pawl X in the ordinary manner of operating this
kind of machinery, and the pick or chisel M is rotated by turning the crank or
handle W, so as to cause the pinion T to rotate the sleeve I, K.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent and the manner of performing the same, I wish it under-
stood that I claim,―
First. The combination of a rotary engine, the air-chamber, the crazy wheel, the
socket joint R, S, the valve E, the cylinder C, the sleeve I, K, the piston D, and
its rod P, N, and the pick or tool M, all as above specified for the purpose set
forth.
Second. The pick or tool M secured to the piston-rod by a socket-joint and key,
and the piston provided with a key-hole for inserting a key for the removal of the
pick, substantially as above set forth for the purpose specified.
Third. The combination of the exhaust pipes 5, having side ports 10 with the
collars 12 arranged to turn thereon to regulate the exhaust-air, as above set forth
and as shewn in the Drawing for the purpose specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Ninth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty.
TU
W. ROD. LAKE. (L.S.)