IMPROVEMENTS IN COAL MINING MA CHINERY
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Jones, of the Firm of John Jones and Sons,
of William Street Ironworks, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN COAL MINING MA
CHINERY."
Sealed 'the 16th April 1867, and dated the 19th October 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Jones at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the. 19th
October 1866.
I, CHARLES JONES, of the Firm. of John Jones and Sons, of William Street
Ironworks, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster,. Engineer, do hereby.
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN COAL MINING
MACHINERY," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists of novel constructions and combinations of certain
parts, and a novel arrangement of all the parts of a machine for cutting deep
channels or grooves in coal or other mineral substance, so as to facilitate
removal thereof, as well as of a new form of rail to be used with the said
machine, the object of the whole of the machinery being to provide a strong,
durable, compact machine, occupying small space, being easily moved and
steadied on and by the rails, and when at work acting effectively and
economically. The parts which are novel as regards construction and com-
bination I would have it understood can be used in or with coal-cutting
machines arranged otherwise than according to my Invention.
ווק

page_text: The cutting of the deep channels or grooves is effected according to my
Invention by planing or paring away the coal or other mineral substance by
cutters so fitted on a bar made to reciprocate by power obtained in any con-
venient manner, that they plane or pare away the coal both in travelling or
moving outwards from and inwards towards the machine. As the reciprocating
action can be obtained most economically by employing compressed air or
other fluid at pressure. I will specify in the following description of the
machinery an arrangement in which oscillating cylinders are employed.
On four or more carrying wheels framework, herein-after called the "under
frame," is borne. The said "under frame" supports other framework, herein-
after called the "upper frame." The principal parts of the machine are
carried on or connected to the latter. The oscillating cylinders are placed at
an angle, and are provided with valves, pistons, and piston rods; these piston
rods are connected to cranks fastened to a horizontal shaft resting in well
secured bearings. A worm or helix fitted on the said horizontal, shaft gear's
with the teeth of a horizontal wheel whose vertical axis is coupled to a "box
crank." The said "box crank" has connected to it a bar which projects over
the side of the framework of the machine, and it is to this bar reciprocating
motion has to be given. On the said bar the cutting tools are fitted, each one
on a stud, in such manner that they are at liberty to make a partial revolution
thereon. These tools are short pieces of tempered metal, each with an
aperture therein for the stud; their cutting ends are so formed that they
readily catch the coal both in moving away from or towards the machine.
When several cutting tools are enrployed, and this I prefer, although one
could be used, I place the one in advance of the other, that is to say, the one
nearest the machine will be first, the next second, and so on outwards.
this is requisite as a means of practically increasing the length of the move-
ment or stroke of the bar, which is necessarily short. The cutter next the
machine when it takes a new cut brings the others into position, so that each
of the outer ones begins to cut where the one inside of it left off. The above-
mentioned bar is supported and guided in and by a frame which projects over
the side of the machine, and is maintained in position and strengthened so as
to resist lateral pressure by a diagonal stay, or several stays, which pass
outwards from the upper frame of the machine in the same plane as the
supporting and guiding frame. The said supporting and guiding frame and
its stay or stays and the reciprocating bar with the parts connected thereto,
being the only parts which enter amongst the coal or other mineral during
the cutting operation, are made of short vertical depth, so that only a small
quantity of the mineral shall be reduced to dust or powder. When motion is
And

page_text: given to the pistons it is conveyed therefrom by the piston rods, horizontal
shaft, worm or helix, toothed wheel, and "box crank," to give reciprocating
motion to the bar carrying the cutters; both in the to and fro motions these
cutters plane or pare away the coal or other mineral substance as before
mentioned. So as to clean out the dust or powder which has been planed or
pared away I attach to the reciprocating bar close to the cutters small shoe
pieces; these by being fitted on studs or pins move so as to pass easily through
the dust or powder during the outwards, that is from the machine, movement,
but during the return stroke they move round and collect the dust or powder,
bringing it with them as far as they travel, so that the next shoe will collect
it, and finally it will be drawn outside the cut, and the reciprocating bars and
the cutters will have space for free action.
I will now describe the form of the rail, the means by which the machine
is made to travel or move thereon, and also how the machine is made so to
grip or adhere to the rails as to be held perfectly steady and firm when in
action. The rail has a vertical web and two lateral flanges. Two of these
On the
rails, parallel to each other, are secured on the floor of the mine.
lower lateral flanges and between these and the.upper flanges and close to the
vertical web the carrying wheels herein-before mentioned are caused to run.
The travelling or moving of the machine is effected by a hand wheel, on the
axle of which there is a worm or helix, the said worm or helix gears into and
operates a toothed wheel on one of the axles of the carrying. wheels. To the
upper frame of the machine two or more friction wheels free to rotate on their
axes are placed. These rest on the upper surfaces of the upper flanges, and
by coupling piece or coupling pieces and tightening screws or other means
passing over the axles of the carrying wheels or over part of the under frame,
they bind the machine to the rails and hold it securely.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Charles Jones in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
18th April 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
JONES, of the Firm of John Jones and Sons, of William Street Ironworks,
Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of Her

page_text: reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Charles Jones, Her special license that 1, the said Charles Jones, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as J, the said Charles
Jones, 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 COAL
MINING MACHINERY," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Charles Jones, 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 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
Scal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the
date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that, the said Charles Jones, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, reference being had to the Sheet of Drawings hereunto
attached, and to the figures and letters of reference thereon, that is to say:-
My Invention consists of novel constructions and combinations of certain
parts, and a novel arrangement of all the facts of a machine for cutting deep
channels or grooves in coal or other mineral substance, so as to facilitate
removal thereof, as well as of a new form of rail to be used with the said
machine, the object of the whole of the machinery being to provide a strong,
durable, compact machine, occupying small space, easily moved and steadied
on and by the rails, and when at work acting effectively and economically.
The parts which are novel as regards construction and combination I would
have it understood can be used in or with coal-cutting machines arranged
otherwise than according to my Invention.
The cutting of the deep channels or grooves is effected according to my
Invention by planing or paring away the coal or other mineral substance by
cutters so fitted on a bar made to reciprocate by power obtained in any con-
venient manner, that they plane or pare away the coal both in travelling or
moving outwards from and inwards towards the machine. The reciprocating
action can be obtained most economically by employing compressed air or
other fluid at pressure, I will specify in the following description of the
machinery an arrangement in which oscillating cylinders are employed.

page_text: Figure represents a plan view of machinery constructed according to my
Invention, a portion of a seam of coal being shewn; Figure 2. an end
clevation of Figure 1; Figure 3. a view partly in side elevation and partly in
longitudinal section; Figure 4. a transverse section at the line Z, Z; Figure 5,
a sectional plan of the box crank at the line X X; and Figures 6, 7, and 8,
modifications of cutting tools. In all these views the same letters denote
like parts.
are
A, A', the carrying wheels with shafis or axles a, u', supporting the under
frame B; B supports the upper frame C; D, the oscillating cylinders, pro-
vided with valves d, pistons d', and piston rods ; these piston rods
connected to cranks E fastened to a horizontal shaft. F, resting in well secured
bearings G. A worm or helix, fitted on the said horizontal shaft, gears with
the teeth of a horizontal wheel H, the vertical axis h of which is coupled into
or to a box crank I, consisting of part of the upper frame C, which acts as a
casing and guide, the crank i, 'sliding block i, and reciprocating piece ;
the reciprocating piece has connected to it the cutter bar J, which projects
outwards laterally from the machine. On J the cutters K are fitted, each on
a stud k, in such manner with a shoulder or bearing that they are at liberty
to make a partial revolution; these cutters K are made of tempered steel
pieces at the ends, and their cutting edges are formed with steps so that they
"bite" readily both in the outwards and return strokes; the cutter nearest the
machine is placed in advance of the next, and that in advance of the third,
and so on outwards; in this way the length of the movement or stroke of the
bar J is practically lengthened. L is the fixed guide, and C. stop pieces for
reversing the cutters K; J'. à diagonal stay for J. When the cutters K are
near the end of the stroke either outwards or inwards their inner ends at K³
come into contact with the stop pieces 1. they are thereby caused to describe
about one-third of a circle at their outer ends and to cut away the coal M. as
shewn at m. It will be observed that the parts above described which enter
amongst the coal or other mineral during the cutting operation are of short
vertical depth, the object being that only a small quantity of the mineral
shall be reduced to powder. So as to clean out from the channels or grooves
the dust or powder which has been planed or pared away I attach to the
cutter bar J, close to the cutters K, small shoe pieces N. the upper edges of
which are shewn in Figure 1. When the bar J is moving outwards from
the machine these pieces fold up flat, to the bar, but during the return or
inwards stroke they encounter the dust or powder and are Torced into a

page_text: vertical position in their breadth, by which means the dust is drawn outside
the channel or groove, and there is space left for free action.
I will now describe the form of the rail, the means by which the machine
is made to travel or move thereon, and also how the parts are made so
to grip or adhere to the rails as to be held perfectly steady and firm when
in operation. The rail O has a vertical web o and two lateral flanges 01, 0³.
Two of these rails are placed on the floor of the mine in parallel lines.
Between O' and Os the carrying wheels A, A', are caused to run. The
travelling or forward movement of the machine is effected by the hand
wheel P, the axle p of which carries the worm or helix p'; p' gears into and
operates the toothed wheel a secured on the axle a. In the arrangement
here shewn, and which I prefer, only the following carrying wheels A are
geared so as to be operated by the parts for moving the machine forward.
It will be obvious, however, both sets of carrying wheels and axles might
be connected. In the frame B the axis Q of the friction wheels R is secured.
R are free to rotate on Q, and their peripheries rest on O'. A screwed
coupling piece passing through a screwed opening in Q and provided
with a handle p, connects Q and a, and enables the attendant to bring the
wheels R and A more firmly against the flange O' so as thereby to hold the
machine in its place.
In Figures 1 and 2 the cutters K have steel end pieces sel into and
the cutters K, and held in position by pins, by screws, or other means.
The
cutters shewn in these views pare or planc away the coal in a vertical
line, but in Figures 6 and 7, which are modifications of cutters, the cutting
surfaces are oblique and cut deeper at one edge than at the other, as at T.
In Figure projections u are shown to prevent the tool from moving too
far round. The distance which these cutiers are allowed to travel on their
studs in any case must not be such as to allow them to lic parallel to the
cutter bar, as in that case the cutting surfaces could not act, and the manner
of providing shoulders or bearings to determine the travel it will be obvious
may be effected in many ways.
Figure 9 is a plan and Figure 10 a vertical section of a reciprocating bar with
fixed cutter. T represents coal; U, reciprocating bar; and V, cutters rigidly
secured to the bar. In Figure 8 all of the cutters V are shewn detached;
the end of the cutter it will be observed is here, as in the cutters first above
described, made so that it can be removed.
The manner of operating and mode of operation of my machinery is as
follows: The rails being laid in the mine without fixing and the machine
placed thereon at the working face, as shewn on the Drawings, on the engine

page_text: attendant turning on the air or other fluid pressure the pistons d' are made to
move; that motion is conveyed by the piston rods d, cranks E, horizontal
shaft F, worm or helix f. toothed wheel and axis H, h, and box crank I to the
bar J, which is caused to reciprocate. The machine being now in operation
the attendant whose duty it is to feed or propel the machine along the rails,
and so provide a new "bite" for the cutters K each stroke, turns the hand
wheel P. and the motion so produced through p. pl. and a. causes the axle a
and the carrying wheels A, A', to rotate and move forward on the rails O.
The length of the travel is adjusted to suit the character of the mineral
being mined, an inch to an inch and a half for every new cut is usually
sufficient. Should the machine slide back on the rails the attendant will
require to turn the handle and increase the grip or frictional holding on O',
by the wheels R and A.
The machine, it will be seen, is free to be moved round on the shaft or axis
so as to work from either side without touching the lower frame and the.
bearing wheels: this movement. however, can only be made in one direction.
namely, in that direction indicated by the arrow: it will also be seen the
The
machine can be worked at any desired angle to the line of the rails.
swivelling or turning of the upper frame of the machine and the parts carried
thereon is made on the vertical axis h. It will be obvious the upper flange O¹
of the rail O will to some extent prevent the machinery from rising when at
work; apparatus of any suitable kind to hold down or fix the machinery
between the floor and roof can be employed.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention and particularizeri.
the same, I would have it understood that what I claim is,-
First, in coal-mining machines constructing the cutters or cutting tools and
connecting them to a reciprocating bar in such manner that they will plane,
cut, or pare away the coal or mineral, both in the outwards from and inwards
towards the machine movements of the said reciprocating bar, and so form
deep channels or grooves in the said coal or mineral to allow the mass to be
"broken down" quickly; workable details having been described herein and
shewn in the accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
Second, the combination of the box crank I and bar J as means for trans-
mitting in small compass and by durable and simple parts the requisite motion
to cause the bar J to reciprocate in the manner and for the purpose set forth,
both when moveable and rigid cutters are employed.
Third, the shaft F with worm or helix and horizontal toothed wheel H, as
means for transmitting motion in coal-mining machines, substantially as
described and shewn on the Drawings.

page_text: Fourth, so constructing coal-mining machines that the axis or centre on
which the upper frame C and the parts carried thereon swivel over the lower
frame B is also the axis of the crank shaft from which motion is transmitted
(as by on the Drawings) to operate a reciprocating bar. substantially as
described and shewn on the Drawings.
Fifth, the rails O with double flanges 01, 0%, and carrying wheels A, A. in
combination as means for allowing the machine to he easily moved on a smooth
way and prevented from rising when at work; substantially as herein described
and shewn on the Drawings.
Sixth, in combination with the rails O with flanges 0, 0, and carrying
wheels A, A'. the friction wheels R and tightening gear Q. S, s. to hold the
machine in position up to its work, substantially as herein described and shewn
on the Drawings.
Seventh, as means for feeding and propelling coal-mining machines on
rails. the employing of a worm or helix and a toothed wheel, substantially as
described and shewn on the Drawings by P, p, pl.
And, eighth, the general arrangement and combination of the whole of the
parts herein described and shewn on the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Jones, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
In the presence of
JOHN T. KING,
Patent- Agent,
Liverpool.
CHARLES JONES. (L.S.)