IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR DRILLING OR BORING ROCK
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Vivian, of No. 23, King Street, Whitehaven, in the
County of Cumberland, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINERY FOR DRILLING OR BORING ROCK."
Sealed the 22nd August 1876, and dated the 24th June 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Vivian at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th June 1876.
JOHN VIVIAN, of No. 23, King Street, Whitehaven, in the County of Cumberland,
Civil Engineer. IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR DRILLING OR BORING ROCK."
My improvements have reference to that description of machinery for drilling or
boring rock, more particularly applicable for "prospecting" purposes, wherein a
rotary cutter, by preference provided with diamonds or gems acting by abrasion, is
mounted on the end of a vertical rotating boring rod which is extended from time
to time as the boring proceeds.
According to my present improvements I mount the vertical tubular boring rod
in a bracket or frame attached to a horizontal slide on the end of a carriage. In a
bearing at the lower end of this frame is mounted the hollow axis of a bevil wheel
through which passes the boring rod, the axis having an internal feather fitting
in a longitudinal groove in the boring rod so that while this is caused to rotate
by the bevil wheel it is at the same time free to slide vertically through it. The
bevil wheel is in gear with another bevil wheel on a shaft mounted on the frame
and receiving motion by bevil gearing from the driving shaft mounted on the
carriage. The last-mentioned bevil gearing is so arranged that when the slide is
inoved laterally with the frame the bevil wheel on the frame can move out of gear
with the bevil wheel on the driving shaft. The upper end of the boring rod runs
in thrust bearings in a cross head capable of sliding up and down on vertical guide
bars on the upper end of the frame. To the cross head is fixed a loop, to which
is connected a chain or rope that passes up over a pulley on a pair of shear legs
placed over the rock drill, the chain being led down from such pulley over a
second pulley and having its end weighted so as to balance more or less the weight
of the boring rod. If desired to put a downward pressure upon the boring rod
during the boring operation this may be effected by passing a chain or chains
attached to the said cross head down and under a pulley or pullies attached to
the sliding frame and then up and over other pullies, the end of the chain or
chains being weighted to any desired extent. As the work of boring proceeds
[Price 6d.]

page_text: The
the boring rod slides down through the bevil wheel by which it is rotated, its
upper end moving down together with the cross head along the guides. When it
has descended to the bottom of these it is raised again by means of the chains,
the upper part carried by the frame is uncoupled from the part in the borehole,
and the frame is slid to one side on the carriage to allow the rod to be raised out
of the borehole, or to allow an additional length to be coupled on to it.
The upper
end of the boring rod carried by the frame works in a hydraulic union supplied
with water by a flexible or jointed pipe in the usual manner for effecting a
flow of water through the boring rod down the borehole to the cutter.
driving shaft of the machine receives its motion through a pulley and belt from
any convenient motor engine; it also imparts motion through spur gearing to a
crank shaft mounted on the carriage and working a force pump for the supply
of water to the bore rod, and this crank shaft also imparts motion when required
by gearing to another shaft on the carriage, on which is a barrel for hauling in
the chain by which the boring rod is raised. The crank shaft is also provided
with winch handles for hoisting the boring rod by hand instead of by the engine..
The entire boring apparatus being mounted upon a carriage it. can readily be
transported to wherever required.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Vivian in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 19th December
1876.
JOHN VIVIAN, of No. 23, King Street, Whitehaven, in the County of Cumberland,
Civil Engineer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR DRILLING OR BORING ROCK."
My improvements have reference to that description of machinery for drilling or
boring rock, more particularly applicable for "prospecting" purposes, wherein a
rotary cutter, by preference provided with diamonds or gems acting by abrasion, is
mounted on the end of a vertical rotating boring rod which is extended from time
to time as the boring proceeds.
According to my present improvements I mount the vertical tubular boring rod
in a bracket or frame attached to a horizontal slide, on the end of this frame is
mounted the hollow axis of a bevil wheel, through which passes the boring rod, the
axis having an internal feather fitting in a longitudinal groove in the boring rod,
so that while this is caused to rotate by the bevil wheel it is at the same time free
to slide vertically through it. The bevil wheel is in gear with another bevil wheel
on a shaft mounted on the frame and receiving motion by bevil gearing from the
driving shaft mounted on the carriage. The last-mentioned bevil gearing is so
arranged that when the slide is moved laterally with the frame the bevil wheel on
the frame can move out of gear with the bevil wheel on the driving shaft. The
upper end of the boring rod runs in thrust bearings in a cross head capable of
sliding up and down on vertical guide bars on the upper end of the frame. To the
cross head is fixed a loop, to which is connected a chain or rope that passes up over
a pulley on a pair of shear legs placed over the rock drill, the chain being led down
from such pulley over a second pulley, and having its end weighted so as to balance
more or less the weight of the boring rod. If desired to put a downward pressure
upon the boring rod during the boring operation this may be effected by passing a
chain or chains attached to the said cross head down and under a pulley or pullies
attached to the sliding frame, and then up and over other pullies, the end of the
chain or chains being weighted to any desired extent. As the work of boring pro-
ceeds the boring rod slides down through the bevil wheel by which it is rotated, its
upper end moving down together with the cross head along the guides. When it
has descended to the bottom of these it is raised again by means of the chains, the
upper part carried by the frame is uncoupled from the part in the borehole, and

page_text: the frame is slid to one side on the carriage to allow the rod to be raised out of the
borehole, or to allow an additional length to be coupled on to it. The upper end
of the boring rod carried by the frame works in a hydraulic union supplied with
water by a flexible or jointed pipe in the usual manner for effecting a flow of water
through the boring rod down the borehole to the cutter. The driving shaft of the
machine receives its motion through a pulley and belt from any convenient motor
engine; it also imparts motion through spur gearing to a crank shaft mounted on
the carriage and working a force pump for the supply of water to the bore rod, and
this crank shaft also imparts motion when required by gearing to another shaft on
the carriage, on which is a barrel for hauling in the chain by which the boring rod
is raised. The crank shaft is also provided with winch handles for hoisting the
boring rod by hand instead of by the engine. The entire boring apparatus being
mounted upon a carriage it can readily be transported to wherever required.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 represents a side view partly in section, Fig. 2 an end view, and Fig. 3
a plan of the carriage and machinery for rock boring arranged according to my
Invention; and Fig. 4 represents to a smaller scale the arrangement of shear legs
and counterweight relatively thereto.
A is the tubular boring spindle mounted in bearings B and C on a frame D which
is fitted to slide horizontally by means of a screw E on the end of the carriage.
The lower bearing C takes the hollow boss of a bevil wheel c, through which passes
the boring spindle A, the boss c¹ having a feather fitting a longitudinal groove in
the spindle so that the latter can slide through, but must revolve with the wheel c,
which is driven by another wheel f on a shaft F, this latter shaft being driven by
bevil gearing f¹, g, from the main driving shaft G. When the frame Ď is moved
towards the front the wheel f¹ is taken out of gear with g, which remains fixed
in position on the shaft G. This wheel may, however, be fitted with a feather to
slide along the shaft G, and held between cheeks projecting from the frame D so as
to slide along it, remaining always in gear with f¹, a clutch being provided on the
shaft to throw it out of gear when required. The upper end of the spindle A runs
in a thrust bearing in a cross head H, a plan of which is shewn at Fig. 5. This
cross head is fitted to slide on vertical guide bars h, and has fixed to it a loop h¹,
to which is attached a chain or rope I that is led over a pulley suspended from
shear legs K by suitable guide pullies to a counterweight i. Above the cross head H
is a hydraulic joint L connected by a hose pipe to the air vessel of a force pump M
which is worked from a crank on a shaft N driven by gearing from the main
shaft G. The shaft N may by means of a clutch and pinion n be made when
required to give motion to a barrel O for drawing up the rope or chain I to raise
the boring spindle, as shewn in Fig. 4. The shaft N is made to receive winch
handles, so that it may be worked by hand when the main shaft is at rest.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I claim in respect of machinery for drilling or boring rock
by a rotary cutter-
First. Mounting the drill spindle, the gear for driving and raising the same, and
the pump for supplying water to the borehole, on a carriage, substantially as and
for the purposes herein set forth.
Second. Mounting the drill spindle on a frame which can be slid laterally on the
carriage referred to above, substantially as and for the purposes herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Vivian, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Thirteenth day of December, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-six.
JOHN VIVIAN. (L.S.)