IMPROVEMENTS IN ROCK DRILLS
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Ker Gulland, of No. 2, Westminster
Chambers, Victoria Street, in the County of Middlesex, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN ROCK DRILLS
"
Sealed the 21st September 1875, and dated the 7th April 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Ker Gulland
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 7th April 1875.
I, JAMES KER Gulland, of No. 2, Westminster Chambers, Victoria
Street, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN ROCK DRILLS," to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to improved arrangements for working rotary
rock drills directly from a motive-power engine, the advance of the drill
as the work proceeds being effected without the use of gearing and
screwed drill spindles such as have heretofore been usually employed.
For this purpose I employ a compact rotary engine of any known con-
struction, such as Sudlow's engine or such as West's engine, and I pass

page_text: through the revolving piston or hollow shaft thereof the tubular drill
spindle, which is made with a longitudinal key groove entered by a feather
in the piston or shaft, so that the drill spindle is caused to rotate with
the piston or shaft, but can slide longitudinally through it. The drill
spindle enters one end of a long cylinder carried by the engine framing,
in which cylinder is a piston connected to the drill spindle in a manner
to be presently described, so that the spindle can rotate independently of
the piston, but must move longitudinally with it. The cylinder is closed
at its other end, and is there put in communication by means of a pipe
with steam or air under pressure, which acting on the piston causes the
drill spindle to advance as the work of boring proceeds. The pipe
supplying the fluid is also connected to the other end of the cylinder,
having at one point of its length a four-way cock or slide, by means of
which either end of the cylinder can be put in communication with the
fluid under pressure, while the other end is opened to discharge, according
as the drill spindle is to be moved forward in working or to be drawn
back out of the hole.
The piston is made in two parts, one in front of and the other behind
a collar on the drill spindle, and these two parts are bolted together and
provided with cup leathers or other suitable packing to prevent leakage
of the fluid past the piston.
Between the collar of the drill spindle and the hinder part of the
piston are inserted a number of washers, alternately of steel and brass,
so as to constitute a thrust bearing and diminish the friction of the
piston against the collar of the drill spindle while it is pressing it for-
wards. Or instead of this arrangement of washers a thrust bearing of
ordinary construction may be employed.
A water pipe enters the closed end of the cylinder and extends its
whole length, passing through the hinder part of the piston and into the
interior of the hollow drill spindle, so as to supply the drill with water.
As the piston slides along this pipe the cup leather or packing at the
hinder side of the piston is arranged to fit on this pipe in the middle as
it fits the interior of the cylinder at its periphery.
According to another arrangement, instead of mounting the drill
spindle in the line of and to act as the shaft of the rotary engine it may
be placed at right angles or at other convenient angle thereto and passed
through a sleeve driven by bevil gearing from the engine shaft, such

page_text: sleeve being fitted with a feather, so that the drill spindle can slide
through it, but must revolve with it. In this case the before-mentioned
long cylinder for advancing the drill is fixed to the engine frame in line
with the axis of the drill spindle for the purpose of advancing or
3 retracting it as described above.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Ker Gulland in the Great Scal Patent Office
on the 4th October 1875
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
KER GULLAND, of No. 2, Westminster Chambers, Victoria Street, in the
County of Middlesex, send greeting
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Iler
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the thirty-
eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessois, give and grant unto me, the said James Ker Gulland, Her
special license that I, the said James Ker Gulland, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said James
Ker Gulland, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
tune 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 ROCK DRILLS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said James Ker Gulland, my executors, or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or
one of their hands and scals, should particularly describe and asccr-
tain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the samo
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 James Ker Gulland, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained

page_text: in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to the
accompanying Sheet of Drawings, and to the figures and letters marked
thereon, that is to say :—
My Invention relates to improved arrangements for working rotary
rock drills directly from a motive-power engine, the advance of the drill
as the work proceeds being effected without the use of gearing and
screwed drill spindles such as have hitherto been usually employed.
For this purpose I employ a compact rotary engine of any known con-
struction, such as Sudlow's engine or such as West's engine, and I pass
through the revolving piston or hollow shaft thereof the tubular drill
spindle, which is made with a longitudinal key groove entered by a
feather in the piston or shaft, so that the drill spindle is caused to rotate
with the piston or shaft, but can slide longitudinally through it. The
drill spindle enters one end of a long cylinder carried by the engine
framing, in which cylinder is a piston connected to the drill spindle in a 1
manner to be presently described, so that the spindle can rotate inde-
pendently of the piston, but must move longitudinally with it. The
cylinder is closed at its other end, and is there put in communication by
means of a pipe with steam or air under pressure, which acting on the
piston causes the drill spindle to advance as the work of boring proceeds. 2
The pipe supplying the fluid is also connected to the other end of the
cylinder, having at one point of its length a four-way cock or slide, by
means of which either end of the cylinder can be put in communication
with the fluid under pressure, while the other end is open to discharge,
according as the drill spindle is to be moved forward in working or to be 2
drawn back out of the holc.
The piston is made in two parts, one in front and the other behind

page_text: A water pipe enters the closed end of the cylinder and extends its
whole length, passing through the hinder part of the piston and into the
interior of the hollow drill spindle, so as to supply the drill with water.
As the piston slides along this pipe the cup leather or packing at the
hinder side of the piston is arranged to fit on thus pipe in the middle as
it fits the interior of the cylinder at its periphery.
According to another arrangement instead of mounting the drill.
spindle in the line of and to act as the shaft of the rotary engine, it
may be placed at right angles or at other convenient angle thereto and
passed through a sleeve driven by bevil gearing from the engine shaft,
such sleeve being fitted with a feather so that the drill spindle can slide
through it, but must revolve with it. In this case the before-mentioned
long cylinder for advancing the drill is fixed to the engine frame in line
with the axis of the drill spindle for the purpose of advancing or
retracting it as described above.
Fig. 1 represents a longitudinal section of a rock drill arranged
according to my Invention.
A is a rotary engine of any known compact construction provided with
a tubular shaft, through which passes the tubular drill spindle B fitted
with a feather to the engine shaft so that it revolves with it, but can
slide freely through it. On the drill spindle B is a collar 6 enclosed
within a piston C with alternate gun metal and steel friction washers c,
instead of which a thrust bearing of ordinary construction might be
employed. The piston C is made tight by cup leathers to work within a
long cylinder D. A water pipe E enters the end of this cylinder and
extends its whole length within the hollow drill spindle B, the back cup
leather of the piston C being made to embrace it so as to prevent leakage.
A pipe F provided with a four-way cock or slide f has a branch to each
end of the cylinder D, so that by turning the cock or moving the slide f
water under pressure, steam or other fluid under pressure supplied to the
cock or slide may be made to act on either side of the piston O so as
to force it forwards or backwards as may be desired.
The rotary engine A being put in motion by steam, compressed air, or
other working fluid causes the drill spindle B to revolve, carrying the drill
at its front end, and the back face of the piston C being at the same time

page_text: JAMES KER GULLAND. (L.S.)