the cutter-bar
Year: 1885

page_text: manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement
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Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved machine
Fig 2 is a rear view, partly in section
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Fig 3 is a side view, partly in section, showing parts of the invention'
Fig 4 18 a detached view showing a modification of devices' for moving the
cutter-bar backward.
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Fig. 5 18 a detached view showing in plan the method of supporting the ends of
one of the shafts
The improvements relate chiefly to the mode of constructing the stationary
frame-work or bed of the machine, its sliding cutter frame, and the mechanism for
advancing the cutter bar into the coal and withdrawing it therefrom
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11, 1, are the side pieces of the stationary fiame or bed, and are commonly called'
by me "channel bais," because of their being provided upon their inner faces with
channels or grooves to receive and support T-bars 2, 3, to be hereinafter described.
Each channel bar is provided upon its upper edge with an inwardly projećung
flange 4, to which there is secured a cogged rack bar, to be described. These
channel bars are connected with each other and supported at suitable distances
apart by means of girts or ties 5, 6, with the additional girt or tie 7, at the rear
end of the machine, and, when desired, a corresponding one at the front end thereof,
the girts being securely bolted to the channel bars at suitable intervals' As
indicated in Fig 2, blocks 8, 8, are formed upon the lower members 5 of the girts
to furnish additional support for the channel bars; and when preferred, the
girt 5, 6, 6, 7, may be cast or forged in one continuous piece of metal, either of
wrought iron or of cast iron. As shown in Fig 1, the central gurt has its side
portions, 6, 6, bent over and bolted to the upper flange, of the channel bar, while
the one which is nearest to the front end of the machine has it's side portion's cut
off even with the upper surfaces of the channel bars. The vertical webs 2, 2% of
the T-bars fit closely the grooves in the inner faces of the channel bars, their'
horizontal webs 3; 3, being of such width as to facilitate the bolting of many of the
operative parts of the machine, the bearings for the shafts and the diagonal
braces 9, 9, thereto, these braces being, by preference, bolted to the inner edges ot
the webs or flanges 8, 3.
10 18 the cutter bar mounted in bearings attached to shoes at the forward ends
of the sliding cutter frame.
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11 (see Figs. 3 and 4) is the chain-driving shaft, mounted at its ends in suitable'
hearing bolted to the This and thin
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page_text: with the cutter bar, both of which may, if desired, be provided with sprocket
wheels, to receive the chain.
12 are the cylinders, located at the rear end of the sliding cutter frame.
13 is the crank shaft, carrying the eccentrics 14, 14, which are connected with
the valve stems 15, 15, by means of eccentric roda.
For convenience in construction and arrangement of parts, I usually prefer to
connect the eccentric rod at the right hand of Figs 1 and 2 to the upper portion of
the eccentric-straps, the eccentric rod at the left of these figures being arranged on
a line intersecting the axis of the crank shaft horizontally, but any usual or
preferred construction of these parts may be adopted
For the purpose of supporting a portion of the shafts of the machine, I propose
to employ vertical bearing plates 16, (see Fig 3) one upon each side of the machine;
or a skeleton framework or bracket may be used for this purpose, said plates or
skeletons being bolted to the T-bars, and, when desired, these plates or brackets
may be united with each other by suitable transverse girts or ties, to further stiffen
the frame.
17 is a pinion on the crank shaft, meshing with the spur gear 18 on a secondary
shaft 19 which carries a worm 20 This worm engages with a worm wheel 21
mounted upon the forward upper end of an inclined shaft 22, which is supported
in a sleeve 23, the sleeve being in turn supported by means of arms or bearers 24, 24,
which latter may be either bolted to the T-bars, or they may be cast in one piece
with one of the cylinders or its steam chest, or they may be made in one and the
same piece with one of the plates or brackets 16
25 is a worm on the rear lower end of shaft 22 and made to engage with and
rotate a worm wheel 27 mounted loosely upon the cross shaft 28, the bearings 29
of which are also attached to the T-bars, or these bearings may consist of boxes,
one member of each of which 18 cast with one of the cylinders The shaft 28 18 of
increased diameter at the center, so as to form shoulders, between one of which,
and the bearing 29, the worm wheel 27 18 supported against lateral movement, or
collars may be secured to the shaft, one on either side of the worm wheel
30, 30, are spur pinions keyed to the ends of the shaft 28 and meshing with
cogged racks 81, 31, which are firmly bolted to the under sides of the flanges 4, 4
of the channel bars. In Fig 5 I have illustrated one method which I propose to
employ for supporting the outer ends of the shaft 28 in which figure the bearing 29
is represented as being constructed with outwardly projecting arms, which are
bolted to the upper surface of the horizontal web 3 of the 1-bar, a portion of which
18 cut away to receive the end of the shaft and the pinion carried thereby, so that
it shall mesh properly with the cogged rack 31 By preference the arms of the
box 29 are cast in one and the same piece with the lower half of the box, which
may be divided centrally of the shaft, the upper half or cap being bolted to the
lower half, as is customary in boxes thus constructed By preference I make these
cogged racks in short sections, but they might be formed integrally with the
channel bars, if desired. I do not wish, however, to be limited to the exact
position shown of these cogged racks, because they might be arranged below the
pinions, although I prefer to place them above in order, to guard against their
becoming filled with coal dust or other material
33 is a ratchet wheel mounted loosely upon shaft 28 at the opposite end of the
enlarged central portion.
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34 is a swinging bent arm or strap, the lower end of which 18 mounted upon
shaft 28, its upper end being U-shaped to receive the upper end of a pawl 26 which
18 pivoted therein, as plainly indicated in Figs l'and 2, in such position that the
lower free end of the pawl engages with the teeth of ratchet wheel 33
The com
bined thickness of the ratchet wheel and the lower end of the arm is equal to the
distance between the adjacent bearing 29 and shoulder of the shaft 28, so that
lateral movement of the wheel and arm relative to said shaft is prevented
85 18 an eccentric rod or link connecting the bent arm with an eccentric 36 on
shaft 19 so that as said'shaft 'revolves the pawl" imparts an intermittent rotary

page_text: movement to the ratchet wheel in the direction indicated by the arrow 2 in
Fig. 3
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37 18 a double clutch-faced hub splined or keyed to shaft 28 so as to rotate there-
with, while free to slide thereon. The inner face of the worm wheel 27 and that
of the ratchet wheel 33, that is, the faces of these wheels which are adjacent to the
hub, are also ratchet-faced, so that when the ratchet teeth or lugs on hub 37 are
made to engage with the corresponding ratchet teeth or lugs on worm wheel 27 the
cutter frame is advanced and the cutter bar is turned into the coal or material
being operated upon, but when the ratchet teeth or lugs of the hub are caused to
engage with the corresponding teeth or lugs of ratchet wheel 33, the cutter frame
and the cutter bar is withdrawn from the coal or the like
It will be readily understood that by reason of the mechanism which connects
shaft 19 with shaft 28 being composed of worm gearing, the rotation of shaft 28 in
the direction indicated by arrow 1, Fig 3, 18 very much slower than is the rotation
of the said shaft in the direction of arrow 2, same figure, the movement in this
direction being produced by the pawl and ratchet wheel, and by changing the
length of throw of the eccentric, or by pivoting the pawl higher or lower in the arm 34,
the speed at which the cutter bar is moved backward may be changed at will
38 is a cleaning chain shaft mounted in the cutter frame, and 39 are clearing
chains running from the shaft 38 to shaft 11 and operating to withdraw the
cuttings from the track of the machine.
3
40, 40, are worms or conveyors on the outer ends of shaft 38, for the purpose of
drawing in the cuttings toward the center of the machine within reach of the
clearing chains,
As will be readily understood from an examination of Figs 1 and 3, when the
engines are running, the train of gearing which connects the engine shaft with the
chain shaft will rotate the said driving chain shaft F, and through a chain of
suitable construction the cutter bar which is advanced slowly into the coal by
means of the worm gearing, shaft 28, and cogged pinions and cogged rack, as has
been explained, and when a cut of sufficient depth-say four or five feet-bas
been made the cutter bar is withdrawn by means of the ratchet wheel and
mechanism connected therewith, as will be fully understood without further
description or, when preferred, the cutters may be withdrawn from the coal by
means of the devices shown in Fig 4, in which 41 is a sprocket wheel mounted on
shaft 28, and provided with a ratchet-faced hub adapted to engage with the
corresponding part of the sliding clutch-faced hub 37, the sprocket wheel being
mounted loosely on the shaft.
42 is a chain connecting sprocket wheel 41 with a corresponding sprocket wheel
or sprocket teeth on the chain driving shaft, so that when the sliding hub 37 18
connected with the sprocket wheel 41 the cutters will be withdrawn from the coal
without reversing the direction in which the engine is ordinarily running when
cutting into the coal.
As I purpose to use any of the usual or approved devices for supporting the
piston rod, cross heads, and forked pitman, these parts need not be specifically
described, although in the drawings I have shown the outer ends of the piston rods
supported in brackets 44 mounted upon the outer ends of horizontal arms 43 which
are ngidly attached at their real ends to the steam chests of the cylinders 12
I am aware that channeling and other rock cutting and drilling machines have
been constructed with cogged racks on the supporting frame or bed pieces, and with
pinions meshing therewith to move the cutters in one or both directions relative to
the said supporting bed pieces.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1 In a mining machine, the combination of the stationary bed frame having
parallel Bide pieces, the sliding frame having its side bars fitted to slide in the side

page_text: pieces of the bed frame and provided with inwardly projecting ribs, the cutter bar,
and cutters mounted across the front end of the sliding frame, means connecting
the cutter bar with the engine shaft for driving the cutters, cogged racks projecting
inwardly, from the upper edges of the side pieces, of the bed frame, a horizontal
shaft provided with pinions upon its outer ends meshing with the cogged racks,
bearings for the, horizontal shaft attached to the inwardly projecting ribs of the
sliding frame, an engine shaft,, and means connecting the engine shaft with the
horizontal shaft,for advancing the cutters into the coal, substantially as set forth.
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2 In a mining machine, the combination of a stationary bed frame, having
parallel side pieces, the sliding bed frame having its side bars fitted to slide in the
Bide pieces of the bed frame, cogged racks projecting inwardly from the side pieces,
a horizontal shaft supported at its ends in bearings which are attached to and project
inwardly from the side bars of the sliding frame, the pinions.mounted on the ends
of the, horizontal bars between its bearings and the side pieces of the main frame;
and openings in the side pieces of the sliding frame, to receive the pinions,
substantially, as set forth.
يوية
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3 In a mining machine, the combination of a stationary bed frame having
parallel side pieces, the sliding frame having its side bars fitted, to, slide in the side
pieces of the bed frame, the cutter bar mounted across the front ends of the sliding
fiame, means connecting the cutter bar with the engine shaft for driving the cutters,
cogged racks projecting inwardly from the side pieces, a horizontal shaft supported
between the side bars of the sliding frame and in the same horizontal plane, or
thereabout, pinions mounted on, the ends of the horizontal shaft, a continuously
rotating cogged gear mounted loosely on the horizontal shaft, and a clutch adapted
to connect the continuously rotating gear with the horizontal shaft, substantially
as set forth
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4 In a mining machine, the combination of a stationary bed frame, having
parallel side pieces, the sliding frame having its side bars fitted, to glide in the side
pieces of the bed frame, means connecting the cutter bar with the engine shaft for
driving the cutters,, the cutter bar mounted across the front end of, the sliding
frame, cogged racks projecting inwardly from the side pieces, a horizontal shaft
supported between the side bars of the sliding frame, two wheels mounted, loosely
on the horizontal shaft and rotating in opposite, directions, and clutches adapted
to connect the opposite-rotating wheels with the horizontal shaft alternately,
substantially as set forth.
151
> . 1
$
5 In a mining machine, the combination, of a stationary bed frame, a sliding
frame carrying a cutter-bar, and having its side bars fitted, to, slide on the, bed
frame, cogged racks attached to the bed frame, a horizontal shaft mounted on the
sliding frame and carrying pinions which mesh with the cogged racks, two rotating
wheels loosely mounted on the pinion shaft, devices connecting one of the loosely-
mounted wheels, with the engine shaft and adapted to advance the cutter bar
slowly into the coal, and devices connecting the other loosely mounted wheel with
the engine shaft for withdrawing the cutter bar from the coal at a higher rate of
speed, substantially as set forth.