IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR TUNNEL- LING AND DRIVING GALLERIES THROUGH ROCK AND OTHER STEATA
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Herbert Newton Penrice, of Witton House, near
Norwich, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR TUNNEL-
LING AND DRIVING GALLERIES THROUGH ROCK AND OTHER STEATA."
Sealed the 19th April 1859, and dated the 6th November 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Herbert Newton Penrice
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
6th November 1858.
I, HERBERT NEWTON PENRICE, of Witton House, near Norwich, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
FOR TUNNELLING AND DRIVING GALLERIES THROUGH ROCK AND OTHER STRATA," to be
as follows:-
The machinery is adapted for cutting a cylindrical gallery or tunnel, and it
is furnished with a cutter holder or head, which carries a number of steel
points or chisels on radial arms, and is attached to the piston or plunger of a
steam or other engine. The cutter holder is driven forward against the rock
by the direct pressure of the steam or air or other fluid employed to work the
engine, and it is brought back in the same manner. The piston may be of
differential area on the two sides, and may also be worked with a constant
pressure on one side. The steam is admitted to the cylinder of the engine by
means of a balanced slide valve or other suitable valve or valves worked by a
separate small engine or engines, with or without multiplying geer. The valve
or valves can thus be opened and shut with great rapidity, and with a smooth

page_text: and casy motion. The cutters are thus caused to strike the rock with a rapid
succession of short strokes, and at the same time the cutter holder is made to
revolve slowly by means of a worm wheel and endless screw or other geer driven
by a ratchet actuated by the return stroke of the cutters or driven by the small
engine or engines, which also give motion to a strong screw, which works in a
fixed nut, and gradually advances the machine which slides or moves on sleighs
or wheels fitting the curve of the rock. The screw can be worked by hand
when required. The nut is fixed on a carriage or support which is secured by
pins inserted in the rock, and which carries two small machines with drills or
chisels, which cut holes in the rock to receive the pins when the carriage is
advanced; or these holes may be cut by hand. Under the machine is a bar
supported by guides or rods, and carrying a series of blades or jointed flaps.
This bar is moved to and fro by the engine or engines, and the blades rake out
the chips or fragments of rock from under the machine. The pipes which
convey the steam or other fluid to work the engines may be telescopic or
jointed or flexible to accommodate the advance of the machinery.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Herbert Newton Penrice in the Great Seal Patent Office
'on the 6th May 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HERBERT
NEWTON PENRICE, of Witton House, near Norwich, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-second year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Herbert Newton Penrice, Iler special licence that I, the said Herbert
Newton Penrice, my exccutors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Herbert Newton Penrice, my 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 Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR TUNNELLING AND DRIVING GALLERIES
THROUGH ROCK AND OTHER STRATA," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Herbert Newton Penrice, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,

page_text: should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same 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 Herbert Newton Penrice, 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 in and by the
following statement thereof, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings,
and to the figures and letters marked thereon (that is to say):-
The machinery is adapted for cutting a cylindrical gallery or tunnel, and it
is furnished with a cutter holder or head, which carries a number of steel
points or chisels on radial arms, and is attached to the piston or. plunger of a
steam or other engine.. The cutter holder is driven forward against the rock
by the direct pressure of the steam or air, or other fluid employed to work the
engine, and it is brought back in the same manner. The piston may be of
differential area on the two sides, and may also be worked with a constant
pressure on one side. The steam is admitted to the cylinder of the engine by
means of a balanced slide valve or other suitable valve or valves worked by a
separate small engine or engines, with or without multiplying gear. The valve
or valves can thus be opened and shut with great rapidity and with a smooth
and easy motion. The cutters are thus caused to strike the rock with a rapid
succession of short strokes, and at the same time the cutter holder is made to
revolve slowly by means of a worm wheel and endless screw or other geer
driven by a ratchet actuated by the return stroke of the cutters or driven by
the small engine or engines, which also give motion to a strong screw, which
works in a fixed nut and gradually advances the machine, which slides or
moves on sleighs or wheels fitting the curve of the rock. The screw can be
worked by hand when required. The nut is fixed on a carriage or support,
which is secured by pins inserted in the rock, and which may carry two small
machines with drills or chisels which cut holes in the rock to receive the pins
when the carriage is advanced, or these holes may be cut by hand. Under
the machine is a bar supported by guides or rods and carrying a series of
blades or jointed flaps.. This bar is moved to and fro by the engine or engines,
and the blades rake out the chips or fragments of rock from under the machine.
The pipes which convey the steam or other fluid to work the engines may be
telescopic, or jointed, or flexible, to accommodate the advance of the machinery.
Figure 1, Sheet I., of the accompanying Drawings is an elevation, and
Figure 2 is a plan of a machine constructed according to my Invention;
Figure 3, Sheet II., is a longitudinal section of the same. The same letters.

page_text: refer to similar parts in each Figure. A is the bed of the machine, resting on
two sleighs or sledges a, a; Bis the main cylinder fitted with a piston C attached
to or forming one piece with a plunger or strong piston rod D, which slides in
a bearing E, and carries the cutter head F. This cutter head has a number
of arms, on which are fixed the steel chisels or points or cutters f, f; M is the
steam pipe communicating with the valve box 6 of the main cylinder, which is
always in communication by a passage c with the annular space round the
plunger D. d is a passage communicating with the other end of the cylinder,
and which is alternately placed in communication with the valve box band with
the eduction passage e, by means of the slide valve g. Thus the piston and
cutter head are driven forward by the pressure of the steam or other fluid
acting on the whole of one side of the piston, and on the annular portion of
the other side of the piston, thus leaving an effective area equal to that of the
plunger D. The piston and cutter head are driven back again by the pressure
of the steam on the annular portion of the piston. The rod of the slide valve g
passes through a stuffing box, and is connected to a bent lever G, driven by a
crank or an excentric h, on the axis II of a pinion, which is driven by a wheel I
on the crank shaft J of a pair of small engines K, L. These engines are of
ordinary construction, with slide valves and eccentrics, and are supplied with
steam by the branch pipe i from the steam pipe M. By means of these
small engines and the wheel and pinion and excentric, the slide valve g of the
main cylinder can be driven with very great rapidity and with a smooth and
easy motion. The back of the slide valve is planed or turned, and a rectan-
gular ring of metallic packing is fitted in a rectangular groove or recess in the
top of the valve box so as to relieve the valve of a portion of the pressure of
the steam. A small hole in the back of the valve or in the top of the valve
box lid may be made to allow the cavity inclosed by the rectangular packing
to communicate with the exhaust passage or with the atmosphere.
crank shaft J carries a bevil wheel j, which drives a bevil wheel k on a shaft 7,
which carries a bevil pinion m, driving a wheel n on the axis of an endless
screw N. This screw N drives a worm wheel O on the plunger D, which
slides freely through it, but is caused to revolve with it by means of two keys
or feathers o, o, entering grooves in the plunger. The plunger D, piston C,
and cutter head F, are thus caused to revolve slowly. The bevil wheel & may be
moved out of gear with the wheel; when required. The wheels and k are
shown of equal size in the Drawing, but other wheels of unequal size may be
substituted, so as to vary the speed of revolution of the cutter head. In lieu
of causing the cutter head to revolve with a continuous motion, its revolution
may be effected by a ratchet motion. Thus a crank or eccentric may be
The

page_text: placed on the shaft II, and may communicate motion by a connecting rod or
eccentric rod to a
paul acting on a ratchet wheel on the axis of the screw N.
The wheels j, k, m, n, and shaft 7, are then dispensed with. The crank or
eccentric is so placed with regard to the excentric h that the revolving motion
of the cutter head may take place when it is not in contact with the face of the
rock. The paul may be moved by the backward motion of the cutter head and
piston, if preferred, but a smoother motion is obtained by the use of the crank
or eccentric as above described. As the rock is chipped away by the rapidly
repeated strokes of the cutters, the whole machine is gradually advanced by
means of a powerful screw P, turning in a nut Q, on a separate fixed back
carriage R. The front end of the screw is mounted in a bearing p, on the
bed A of the front carriage, and carries a worm wheel q, driven by an endless
screw r, on whose axis is a ratchet wheels; this wheel is driven by a paul on
a lever t, which is driven by a connecting rod u from one of the cranks of the
crank shaft J, or from a pin attached to it. By this means the screw P is
turned round slowly, and the machine is forced forward. The paul can be
reversed so as to draw the machine back, or to draw the back carriage up to
it. The length of stroke of the paul may be varied by adjusting the pin or
lever, and it can be disconnected from the crank shaft and worked by hand
or thrown out of geer when required. The back carriage is supported on
sledges or sleighs R', and is fixed while the machine is at work by means of
pins or bolts passing into holes chipped or drilled in the rock or otherwise.
These holes may be drilled by two small drills or cutters mounted in guides
transversely to the back carriage. These drills are driven forward by strong
springs, and are drawn back by a cam or cams on a shaft driven from the crank
shaft of the small engines; or these drills may be driven by a separate
cylinder, or engine or engines mounted on the back carriage, and supplied with
steam by a branch from the pipe M. The steam pipe M, which is connected
to the valve box, passes through a stufling box at the end of the next length
of pipe M', which is supported by brackets or standards m³, m², on the bed R
of the back carriage. The pipe M³ may be connected directly to the fixeil
steam pipes, which bring the steam from the boiler, or a few lengths of
telescopic pipes (or pipes sliding through stuffing boxes) may be introduced
between the pipe M' and the fixed pipes. When the machine has advanced
as far as the telescopic pipes can draw out, they are disconnected and pushed
into one another so as to reduce their length, and one or more lengths of pipe
are introduced and fixed, and the machine again set to work. The waste
steam is conducted away in a similar manner by a pipe T sliding in a pipe T,
carried by the standards m³, me, and connected by telescopic pipes to a fixed

page_text: pipe by which the steam is carried away. As the chips and fragments of
rock are separated by the cutters, they are removed by means of blades or
scrapers S, S, jointed to arms attached to a sliding bar U. This bar carries a
row of pins v, which are driven by a pinion won a rising and falling shaft,
like an ordinary "mangle motion." This pinion shaft carries a bevil wheel w',
which is driven by another bevil wheel w, on a shaft w³, which carries a spur
whcel w, driven by another spur wheel w³ on the shaft ; the bar U is thus
driven backwards and forwards. As it moves towards the cutter head F, the
scrapers S, S, fold back and pass over any chips or fragments of rock, but in
returning they resume the vertical position, beyond which they cannot pass,
and thus scrape or rake out the fragments. This apparatus may be prolonged
under the back carriage, but this is not necessary, as the fragments can be
raked out by hand with a long rake or scraper. The form and number of the
.cutters may be varied according to the nature of the rock, and single or double
rows may be employed.
The boiler or boilers for supplying the machine with steam may be placed
outside the tunnel or gallery, and the steam conveyed through pipes well
covered with felt or other suitable non-conductor. In many cases, however, the
boiler or boilers may be placed within the tunnel. Thus in making a railway
tunnel through rock the machine may be employed to cut a gallery of a
certain length, and holes may then be drilled in the sides and roof of the
gallery, and the rock removed by blasting until the tunnel is enlarged to the
full size required. The boiler may then be taken into this enlarged part, and
the machine again employed to drive the gallery in advance, and so on. In
other cases, again, the machine may be made large enough to cut the tunnel
of the required size at once. The waste steam from the machine is discharged
through a blast pipe into the pipe T leading to the exterior of the tunnel,
which pipe serves as the chimney for the boiler, and may also have an opening
at the end to admit air, so as to ventilate the gallery and tunnel. If the
length or size of the pipe should be such that the draught thus produced is
insufficient, a fan or other means of exhausting the air may be applied to the
outer end of the pipe.
In lieu of employing steam, the machine may be driven by air, which may
be compressed by air pumps worked by a steam engine outside the tunnel and
.conveyed to the machine by pipes; or it may be worked by the pressure of
the atmosphere by exhausting the air by means of pumps. The small engines
which drive the valve of the main cylinder may be of any suitable or ordinary
construction. Thus a rotary engine may be employed for this purpose, if
preferred.

page_text: The slide valve of the main cylinder may be driven by a crank or an
excentric, or a cam on the main shaft of the small engine or engines, if pre-
ferred; but by using multiplying geer, as shown in the Drawings, I am
enabled to drive the small engines at a moderate speed, while the large piston
and cutter head are caused to make a very rapid succession of short strokes.
By driving the slide valve and the advancing motion, and causing the cutter
head to revolve, and the chips to be scraped out by a separate engine or
engines regulated by a crank or by rotary motion, these operations are
effected with case and without blows or jerks on the machinery, which would
occur if these operations were performed by tappets actuated by the main
piston, or by a piston not regulated by a rotary motion. The revolution of
the cutter head may, however, be effected by a ratchet actuated by the return
stroke of the main piston and cutter head, if preferred. A separate and
distinct engine or engines may be employed for each or for any two or moro
of these operations, but this would unnecessarily complicate the machine.
Having now described the nature of the Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that what I claim
is,―
First, constructing machinery for tunnelling and driving galleries through
rock and other strata, with a cutter head attached to and driven by a piston,
actuated by steam or other fluid, which is admitted and discharged by means
of a valve or valves, moved by a separate engine or engines whose motion is
regulated by a crank or rotary motion, and is independent of that of the afore-
said piston, as herein-before described.
Second, constructing machinery for tunnelling and driving galleries through
rock and other strata, with a cutter head attached to and driven by a piston,
actuated by steam or other fluid, which is admitted and discharged by means
of a valve or valves moved by a crank or eccentric which is driven directly or
with the intervention of multiplying geer by a separate engine or engines, as
herein-before described.
Third, constructing machinery for tunnelling and driving galleries through
rock and other strata, with a cutter head attached to and driven by a piston
actuated by steam or other fluid, and caused to revolve on its axis by means
of a separate engine or engines regulated by a crank or rotary motion, as
herein-before described.
Fourth, constructing machinery for tunnelling and driving galleries through
rock and other strata with a cutter head attached to and driven by a piston
actuated by steam or other fluid, while the machine is caused to advance on

page_text: sleighs or wheels by means of a screw driven by a separate engine or engines,
regulated by a crank or rotary motion, as herein-before described.
Fifth, constructing machinery for tunnelling and driving galleries through
rock and other strata, with a cutter head attached to and driven by a piston
actuated by steam or other fluid, and provided with a series of reciprocating
scrapers, driven by a separate engine or engines, as herein-before described.
Sixth, constructing machinery for tunnelling and driving galleries through
rock and other strata, with a cutter head attached to and driven by a piston
actuated by steam or other fluid, which is admitted and discharged by means
of a valve or valves, moved by a separate engine or set of engines regulated
by a crank or rotary motion, and whose motion is independent of that of the
aforesaid piston, and which also effect one, or two, or all three of the operations
of turning the cutter head and advancing the machine, and scraping out the
chips and fragments, as herein-before described.
Seventh, constructing machinery for tunnelling and driving galleries through
rock and other strata, with a cutter head attached to and driven by a piston
actuated by steam or other fluid, which is admitted and discharged by a valve
or valves moved by a separate engine or engines, whose motion is regulated
by a crank or rotary motion, and is independent of that of the aforesaid
piston, and which cutter head is caused to revolve on its axis by a ratchet and
paul moved by the return stroke of the main piston and cutter head, as
herein-before described.
In witness whereof, J, the said Herbert Newton Penrice, have hereunto
set my hand and scal, this Fifth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
Witness,
CHARLES. COWPER,
20, Southampton Buildings,
Chancery Lanc.
II. N. PENRICE. (L.S.)