IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATIONACHRY FOR DRIVING GALLERIES THROUGH ROCK AND OTHER STRATA
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Herbert Newton Penrice, Captain in the Royal
Engineers, now stationed at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, in the County of
Northumberland, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Herbert Newton Penrice
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
29th March 1856.
I, HERBERT NEWTON PENRICE, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR DRIVING GALLERIES THROUGH
ROCK AND OTHER STRATA," to be as follows:-
The machinery is constructed by "jumping" or chipping a cylindrical hole
or gallery by means of cross-cutting steel edges or points, fixed radially on a
shaft, which revolves slightly between each stroke, by which means the tools
will always be chiselling against an edge. The shaft is driven backwards and
forwards by a piston working in a cylinder, and it strikes a tappet which
works the valve or valves, and by means of a small piston, or otherwise, com-
municates motion to a ratchet wheel and worm to turn the shaft.
The machine moves forward on a bed plate fixed on a tramway at the bead
of the gallery. The cylinder is supplied with steam through a sliding or

page_text: flexible pipe, and the pressure of the steam presses the machine forward, its
advance being regulated by means of rollers or stops revolving with the
cutters or jumpers, and resting against the face of rock which is being cut;
another sliding or flexible tube conveys away the exhaust or waste steam. The
boiler may be placed at the outer end of the gallery, the steam and exhaust
pipes being drawn out and lengthened as the work progresses. Instead of
working the machine by steam, it may be worked by compressed air or other
fluid, or by vacuum. The chips or debris are drawn out from the gallery or
heading by a dredge working under the bed plate.
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 29th September 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME; I, HERBERT
NEWTON PENRICE, Captain in the Royal Engineers, now stationed at New-
castle-upon-Tyne, in the County of Northumberland, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the nineteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Herbert Newton Penrice, Her special licence that I, the said Herbert
Newton Penrice, my executors, 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 Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR 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, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nattire 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

page_text: be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, reference being had to the accompanying Draw-
ings, and to the figures and letters marked thereon, that is to say:-
The Invention consists in improved machinery for "jumping" or chipping
a cylindrical hole or gallery through rock or other strata, by means of chisels
or points fixed in a frame or cutter holder on the end of a shaft, which is
driven backwards and forwards by steam or other power, and which revolves a
little between each stroke, by which means the tools are constantly chiselling
against an edge of the rock or other strata.
Figures 1 and 1 bis, Sheet I. of the accompanying Drawings, represent a
plan of the machine, the chief portion of which is shewn in Figure 1; Figure
1 bis is a continuation of Figure 1, and shews the steam and exhaust pipes.
Figure 2, Sheet II., represents a side view of the machine; Figure 3, Sheet II.,
is an end view of the same. The same letters refer to similar parts in all
the Figures.
A is a steam cylinder, fitted with a piston, having a rod B of large diameter,
which works through a stuffing box on the cylinder cover. To the piston rod
B is attached the shaft C, which carries the cutter frame D, in the form of a
cross, on which are fixed the chisels, points, or cutters; E is the valve box,
containing a valve for regulating the admission of steam to a small cylinder N,
which works the valve for the cylinder A, as herein-after described; F is the
valve rod, which is worked by the tappet lever G, and the tappets H, H',
on the shaft C. Steam is constantly admitted into the annular space between
the piston rod B and the cylinder, and it is alternately admitted and allowed
to escape from the other end of the cylinder. The piston is thus driven
forward until the cutters strike the face of the rock, and the tappet II strikes
the lever G and reverses the valve. The steam then escapes through the
exhaust pipe, and the piston is driven back by the steam in the annular space
round the piston rod B. In returning, the tappet H³ strikes the other end of
the lever G and closes the exhaust passage, and again admits steam to the
cylinder. The steam passage may be made to enter the cylinder at a short
distance from its end, so that a portion of steam is inclosed and impounded as
the piston passes the passage, and this portion of steam forms a cushion, which
stops the motion of the piston and prevents it from striking the end of the
cylinder. The steam in the annular space round the piston rod balances the
pressure on an equal area of the opposite side of the piston, but the pressure
of the steam on an area equal to that of the piston rod B is unbalanced, and
the piston is thus driven forward with great force. The cutter head with its
cutters is thus caused to impinge upon the face of rock in a rapid succession

page_text: of blows, at the same time the cutter frame or head is caused to rotate a
little at each stroke in the following manner:-A portion of the shaft C is of
hexagonal or polygonal form, and passes through a collar of the same form,
which is caused to revolve by means of an endless screw I, which works in a
worm wheel or teeth on the periphery of the collar. The screw I carries a
ratchet wheel K, which is driven by a paul or click on a sliding bar L, which
is attached to the piston rod M of the small steam cylinder N. Figure 4,
Sheet III., is a horizontal section of the cylinders A and N; Figure 5 is a
vertical section of the cylinder N and valve box E. T is the steam pipe, through
which steam enters the valve box E, which communicates with the cylinder
N by a passage f. The cylinder N communicates with the cylinder A by a
passage g. These passages are always open, so that the left-hand ends of the
cylinders A, N, at which the stuffing boxes are situated, are constantly filled
with steam. h is a slide valve, which is worked by the valve rod F, and travels
over an eduction passage i, and a passage j, leading to the end of the cylinder N
behind its piston k. The piston k is attached to the large piston rod M by a
rod, which is also connected to a slide valve l, which travels over an eduction
passage m, and a passage n, leading to the end of the large cylinder A, behind
its piston o.
The steam, being constantly admitted into the left-hand ends of
the cylinders, acts upon the pistons k and o, which are of larger diameter than
their respective rods M and B, and thus drives them towards the right hand.
The valve is then moved towards the left by the tappet H¹, and steam is
thus admitted through the passage j behind the piston k. This piston is then
driven forward by the steam, and the valve is thus shifted, so as to open the
passage n, and admit steam behind the piston o, while at the same time the
ratchet wheel K is advanced by the paul on the bar L, and the cutter framo
is thus turned round a little. The piston o is now driven forward by the
steam, and the cutters are driven against the face of the rock; at the same
time, the tappet H shifts the valve h, and allows the steam to escape from
behind the piston k, which then returns to its original position, and thus shifts
the valve so as to allow the steam to escape from behind the piston o.. The
piston o then makes its return stroke, and the tappet II' again shifts the valve
h, and the pistons make another stroke, aud so on. The cutting tools are
thus kept in rapid motion as long as the machine is supplied with steam.
The length of stroke is adjusted by shifting the tappets H and H' along the
shaft C. The passage n enters the cylinder A at a short distance from its end,
so that when the piston o passes this passage it incloses a portion of steam,
which forms a cushion or spring, and prevents the piston from striking the
end of the cylinder. The bar L carries two collars, which strike against rings

page_text: of vulcanized caoutchouc, interposed between them and the support or guide p,
through which the bar L slides. The shaft C passes through a bush or bearing O,.
which is capable of revolving with it, and is carried by a suitable support on the
frame or bed R, which also carries the steam cylinders. This bed R is capable
of sliding upon the carriage S, which carries a long rack a, a, indicated by
dotted lines in Figure 2. b, b, b, are a series of pauls mounted on the bed R,
and also shewn by dotted lines in Figure 2; c is a lever, by which the pauls b
can be lifted out of the rack when required. Steam is supplied to the
cylinders by means of a steam pipe T, T, T, T³. The portion T passes
through a stuffing box t at the end of the pipe T, which is supported by a
bracket attached to the carriage S, so that the pipe is capable of elongating as
the bed R advances upon the carriage S. The pipe T¹ terminates in a smaller
pipe, which also slides through a stuffing box t¹ at the end of the pipe T³,
which also carries another stuffing box t, through which slides a pipe T³,
leading from a steam boiler. By this means, the machine may advance a
considerable distance before it becomes necessary to insert additional lengths
of pipe. The pipes T¹ and T have collars or stops, to prevent them from
being drawn completely out of the stuffing boxes. The eduction or exhaust
pipe U, U, U, U³, is constructed in a similar manner, with stuffing boxes
u, u, u. V is the steam valve or cock. The pressure of the steam on the
pipe T forces the machine with its bed R forward upon the carriage S. The
advance of the machine is regulated and controlled by means of stops W, W,
which are mounted on a frame X, attached to the front bush or bearing O,
with which it revolves. These stops come in contact with the face of the
rock, and allow the machine to advance gradually as the rock is chipped away
by the chisels or cutters. The pauls b, b, prevent the bed R from sliding. back
upon the carriage S. The carriage S runs upon a railway Y. The machine is
employed in the following manner :-The rails Y are laid in front of the face
of rock and in a line with the gallery to be cut, and the machine is placed
upon the rails, with the bed R drawn back upon the carriage S and the
stops W, in contact with the face of the rock, which may be previously
roughly faced by hand if required. A steam boiler is placed in a convenient
position and connected to the steam pipe T. On opening the steam valve V,
the machine is immediately put in motion, and the chisels are driven back-
wards and forwards and at the same time slowly revolve; a cylindrical hole or
gallery is thus cut into the rock. The bed R gradually advances on the
carriage S until it has reached the end of its course, which may be about five
feet, or more or less. The steam pipe T and the exhaust pipe U³ are then
disconnected; a five foot length of rails is introduced in front of the car-

page_text: riage S, the rock being chipped by hand to receive them if necessary. The
rails may be fixed upon a curved plate of iron d, which forms a smooth
surface for the passage of the debris, which is drawn out by a long rake or
scraper passed under the machine. The rails with the plate d may be pushed
forward altogether, in lieu of inserting a fresh length in front of the machine.
The pauls 6 are raised by the lever c, and the machine with its bed R is drawn
back upon the carriage S. The whole machine with the carriage S is then
advanced, so as to bring the stops W against the face of the rock; a five
foot length of pipe is now introduced in the steam pipe T3 and in the exhaust
pipe Us, and the joints are made good. The machine is again set to work as
before until another five foot length of gallery has been cut, and so on. In
order to avoid the necessity of frequently disconnecting and reconnecting the
pipes, they may be made to draw out ten feet or more. The details of the
machine may be varied: thus, the cylinder N, with its piston k, rod M, and
valve may be dispensed with, and the passages f and ; may communicate
directly with the large cylinder A; the paul, which drives the ratchet
wheel K, is then driven by the tappet lever G. In lieu of keeping one end
of the cylinder constantly supplied with steam, as herein-before mentioned,
the valve and the passages may be so arranged that both ends of the cylinder
may be alternately supplied with steam, and connected to the exhaust passage,
as in an ordinary double-acting steam engine; the machine may be worked
by compressed air or other fluid in lieu of steam; it may also be worked by
the pressure of the atmosphere. For this purpose, an air pump or other
exhausting apparatus, worked by a steam engine or other motive power, is
connected to the exhaust pipe of the engine, in which a partial vacuum is thus
formed, and the atmospheric air is admitted into the valve box. The valve
and passages are so arranged as to admit the air alternately to each end of the
cylinder, and to connect each end of the cylinder alternately to the eduction
passage; the piston rod B is not then made of larger diameter than is
necessary to give it sufficient strength. When a greater amount of power is
required than can be conveniently obtained from a single cylinder, two or
more cylinders, placed one behind the other, may be employed. The piston
rod is then made to pass through all the cylinders, and is attached to all the
pistons. Each cylinder may be provided with a separate slide valve, or one
slide valve may be employed for all the cylinders. The form and arrangement
of the cutters and the number of arms in the cutter frame may be varied.
In lieu of advancing the bed R by the pressure of the steam, it may be
advanced by a screw or a rack and pinion, and the advancing motion may
be given by hand, or by a ratchet or other contrivance, worked by the machine

page_text: itself; or the bed R may be advanced by the pressure of the steam, and its
advance may be controlled by a screw in lieu of being regulated by the
stops W; in such cases the stops W, W, may be dispensed with. The
machine may also be constructed with the bed R firmly fixed upon or forming
part of the carriage S, which may then be advanced upon the rails by the
pressure of the steam, or by a screw acting against the rock in the rear of
the machine, and worked by the machine itself or by hand. The machine
may be employed for cutting through chalk and other strata as well as
through rock.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do not claim
generally the application of steam power to the driving of galleries in rock;
but what I claim is, the constructing self-acting machinery for driving galleries
through rock and other strata with a cylinder and piston and a cutter frame
attached to the piston rod, and so arranged that the cutter frame is driven
backwards and forwards by the action of steam or other fluid on the piston,
and is also caused to revolve a little at each stroke, while at the same time the
machine with the cylinder is continually advanced as the work proceeds by
means of the pressure of the steam, controlled by stops resting against the
face of the rock or other stratum which is being cut or otherwise, as herein-
before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Herbert Newton Penrice, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
Witness,
CHARLES COWPER.
20, Southampton Buildings,
Chancery Lane.
H. N. PENRICE. (L.S.)