Improvements in Coal-heading or Tunnelling Machines.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Feb., 1892
Complete Specification Left. 22nd Dec., 1392-Accepted, 22nd Feb., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Coal-heading or Tunnelling Machines.
I, GEORGE WILLIAM WINN, of Nostell Colliery, Wakefield, in the County of
York, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to the cutter heads and driving of machines for boring or
tunnelling the arrangement being such that while a circular cut may be made I can if
desired make an elliptical cutting with the longer axis in any required direction.
For this purpose instead of employing two machines side by side, as has been
done heretofore, I use a single machine with a cutter head attached capable of
cutting an ellipse or oval heading, and which is adjustable within the limits of the
machine and will cut any size of heading from the full size for which the machine
is designed down to a circular heading of a diameter equal to the smaller diameter
of the ellipse or oval heading.
The machine may be driven by compressed air or an electric motor, but the
difficulty of driving this class of machine by electricity has hitherto been in
reducing the speed down from the high speeds at which electric motors necessarily
run to the slow speed required by the heading machine. When these machines
have been fitted with electric motors this reduction of speed has generally been
effected by worm gearing, but this in addition to being inefficient is difficult to
apply in many cases, owing to the worm and worm wheel shafts having to be at
right angles to one another. To avoid this I have devised a special form of gearing
hereinafter described whereby the speed is reduced by means of spur gearing
alone.
In carrying my invention into effect I employ a shaft carrying the main portion
of the cutter head which is revolved by the spur gearing hereinafter to be described.
A sleeve works through the frame with the cutter head and shaft but does not
revolve, and has a fixed spur wheel keyed on its outer end.
Two spur wheels each half the diameter of the fixed spur wheel works on studs
on the cutter head and engage with the larger wheel.
The two smaller spur wheels carry slides in which are crank pins which may be
fixed by nuts at any position in their length according to the size of heading
required, or a grooved cam plate may be keyed on the end of the sleeve in place of
the spur wheel, which cam plate may be made to control the motion of the cutter
head through levers and pins working in the cam groove.
The outer portions or extremities of the cutter head carrying the cutting
tools slide on the part of the cutter head, and these two sliding heads carry near
their outer extremities pins which are connected by connecting rods to the crank
pins in the slides of the two smaller spur wheels.
As the shaft revolves carrying the cutter head the two smaller spur wheels revolve
round the fixed spur wheel and the sliding parts of the cutter head are alternately
extended and closed by the connecting rods, and the two spur wheels being half the
size of the larger wheel the sliding cutter heads are extended and closed twice in
each complete revolution of the fixed cutter head and give the necessary motion to
the cutters for forming an ellipse or oval heading. By varying the position of the
pins in the slides various sizes of headings may be made and if the pins are run into
the centres of their wheels a circular heading is formed.
The form of gearing I prefer to employ in rotating the cutting shaft is as
follows,―
spur
A spur wheel is bolted to the framework of the machine; another wheel
running on a fixed sleeve in which the cutter shaft revolves receives motion from a

page_text: pinion on the main shaft, a bushed hole is formed near the extremity of this last
mentioned spur wheel in which a pin revolves carrying on either side of the wheel
a pinion, the one gearing into the fixed wheel, the other into a wheel which is
keyed onto and drives the cutter shaft.
As the spur wheel revolves it carries round with it the pinions fixed on either
side one of which gives motion to the cutter shaft through the medium of the wheel
keved thereto.
If the teeth of the wheels are arranged in a certain proportion the cutter shaft
may be driven slowly round.
Dated this 22nd day of February 1892.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Coal-heading or Tunnelling Machines.
I, GEORGE WILLIAM WINN, of Nostell Colliery, Wakefield, in the County of
York, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement:--
This invention relates to the cutter-heads and driving of machines for boring or
tunnelling, the arrangement being such that while a circular cut may be made
I can if desired make an elliptical cutting with the longer axis in any required
direction.
For this purpose instead of employing two machines side by side, as has been
done heretofore, I use a single machine with a cutter-head attached capable of
cutting an ellipse or oval heading, and which is adjustable within the limits of the
machine, and will cut any size of heading from the full size for which the machine
is designed down to a circular heading of a diameter equal to the smaller diameter
of the ellipse or oval heading.
The machine may be driven by compressed air or an electric motor, but the
difficulty of driving this class of machine by electricity has hitherto been in reducing
the speed down from the high speeds at which electric motors necessarily run to
the slow speed required by the heading machine. When these machines have been
fitted with electric motors this reduction of speed has generally been effected by
worm gearing, which in my Provisional Specification I described as being inefficient
and difficult to apply. I have since found however that in some cases it may with
advantage be used and therefore while in general I prefer to employ spur gearing
I have illustrated in this Complete Specification a form of worm gearing.
In carrying my invention into effect I employ a shaft carrying the main portion
of the cutter-head which is revolved by the spur gearing hereinafter to be described.
A sleeve works through the frame with the cutter head and shaft but does not
revolve, and has a fixed spur wheel keyed on its outer end.
Two spur wheels, each half the diameter of the fixed spur wheel, work on studs
on the cutter head and engage with the larger wheel.
The two smaller spur wheels carry slides in which are crank pins which may be
fixed by nuts at any position in their length according to the size of heading required,
or a grooved cam-plate may be keyed on the end of the sleeve in place of the spur
wheel, which cam-plate may be made to control the motion of the cutter head
through levers and pins working in the cam groove.
The outer portions or extremities of the cutter head carrying the cutting tools
slide on the part of the cutter head, and these two sliding heads carry near their
outer extremities pins which are connected by connecting rods to the crank pius in
the slides of the two smaller spur wheels.
As the shaft revolves carrying the cutter-head the two smaller spur wheels
revolve round the fixed spur wheel and the sliding parts of the cutter-head are

page_text: necessary motion to the cutters for forming an ellipse or oval heading. By
varying the position of the pins in the slides various sizes of headings may be made
and if the pins are run into the centres of their wheels a circular heading is
formed.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 is a view of the machine partly in side elevation and partly in central
longitudinal section.
Figure 2 is an elevation of the front end of the machine and cutter-head.
Figure 3 is a view of part of the machine shown partly in plan and partly in
horizontal section.
Figure 4 is a transverse section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.
Figure 5 is a diagrammatic elevation of the alternative form of driving gear,
and
Figure 6 is a plan of said gear.
Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.
A is the frame which may be of any suitable construction and which is mounted
on four rollers or wheels B capable of running on the rails C, and which frame is
also capable of being fixed in any desired position in the tunnel or heading Z, by
means of the screws D in the usual manner. The frame A is provided with
bearings A' A and E for supporting the main or cutter head shaft F. This shaft
is rotated preferably from the electric motor G the necessary reduction in the
speed of which, as transmitted to the shaft F, may be effected by worm gearing as
shown in the drawings, or preferably by means of spur gearing as hereinafter
described. The worm gearing shown in the accompanying drawings, consists of a
worm G¹ secured to the motor shaft G2 and which worm engages with the worm
wheel H, Figs. 3 and 4, secured on the lower end of the vertical shaft H' which
also has secured upon it the worm H' which engages with the worm wheel Fl
mounted rigidly on the main shaft F.
The before mentioned bearing E is of considerable length the central part
being hollowed out so as to reduce the surface with which the shaft F is in frictional
contact. The bearing E is capable of sliding longitudinally in a sleeve A³ rigidly
secured to the front end of the frame A, and is prevented from moving longi-
tudinally on the shaft F by being located thereon between the boss of the disc or
plate J and collar F2 the latter secured on the shaft preferably by a bolt or
screw F³. I is a spur wheel rigidly secured on the front end of the bearing E
but, along with said bearing, is prevented from rotating by means of the feather I'
which is capable of sliding longitudinally in a groove or key-way A* formed
in the stationary sleeve A3 which is rigidly mounted in the front end of the
framing A.
On the front end of shaft F is rigidly secured by means of a key F or other-
wise the cutter-head disc or plate J which as shown clearly in Fig. 2 is provided
with eight bearings J' in each pair of which one of the preferably hollow rods or
bars K is free to move longitudinally. These hollow bars K are arranged in two
pairs each operating in a direction opposite to the other pair the two outer ends of
the bars of each pair being connected by a cross-head K' to which is secured one
of the cutters or tools L as shown in Fig. 3. Each pair of bars K and the cross-
head connecting them constitutes a tool carriage and is hereinafter referred to
as such. Each of the cross-heads K' is connected by a pin K² to the outer end of
a connecting link M the inner end of which is pivotted on the crank pin N¹
adjustable in the slot N² of a crank disc N.
Each cross-head K¹ is provided with an opening K³, Fig. 1, for allowing the end
of one of the bars K connected with the other cross-head K' to pass through it
when the cross-heads K₁ are nearest together, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2;
or this result may be obtained by otherwise forming the cross-heads K' or by so

page_text: arranging the bearings J¹ that the two sets of bars K may work in different
planes.
Each disc N or the equivalent such as a crank is rigidly secured to or formed
in part with a pinion O which is revolvably mounted on a stud P¹ secured by a
nut P2 in the recessed casting or disc P. Each pinion O is half the diameter of
the spur wheel I. The disc P is secured to the cutter-head disc or plate J by
means of bolts and nuts or stays Q or in any other convenient manner which will
ensure the two parts P and J revolving together and allowing sufficient room for
the independent rotation of the crank discs N. Near the before mentioned worm
wheel F¹ a gear wheel R is secured on the shaft F and with this wheel R engage
two spur wheels S each secured on the back end of a screwed shaft S¹ which is
supported at its back end in a bearing A' preferably formed in part with the main
shaft bearing A² before mentioned and at its front end in a bearing A preferably
formed in part with the before mentioned stationary sleeve A³ as shown in Fig. 3.
The main shaft F is journalled out at F Fig. 1 so as to receive the non-rotating
cross-head T each end of which is provided with a nut T¹ through which works the
appropriate screw S. Each screw S¹ is prevented from moving longitudinally in
the bearings A A' by the boss S2 of spur wheel S at one end fitting against the
bearing A and the collar S³ secured on the screw S¹ fitting against the bearing A6
at the other end.
In the operation of the machine the motion obtained from the motor G is trans-
mitted through the gearing G' H H1 H2 and F' to the main shaft F as will be
well understood. This rotation of the shaft F carries round the cutter head disc J
and with it the sliding tool carriages K K' and cutters L and at the same time
also rotates the recessed plate or casting P in which are mounted the pinions O.
These pinions O by gearing with the fixed spur wheel I are caused to rotate upon
their studs P and carry around with them the crank discs N with the result that
through the crank pins N¹ connecting links M pins K2 and cross heads K¹ the
tools L are each moved nearer to and farther from the centre of the shaft F twice
at every revolution of the shaft F because the pinions are half the size of the spur
wheel I. The rotation of shaft F also causes the spur wheel R to rotate and
through it the spur wheels S which carry round the screws S¹ by the rotation of
which the cross head T is.fed forward and through it the shaft F so that the
cutters L are continuously moved up to their work and by reason of the collar F2
the bearing E and pinion or spur wheel I are also moved along with the shaft the
recessed plate P and pinions O also participating in this longitudinal movement by
reason of the stays Q connecting P with J.
The apparatus arranged as before described is serviceable for forming elliptic
tunnels with the longer or major axis of the ellipse horizontal, and by setting the
crank pins N' nearer to or farther from the centres of the studs P¹ the size of the
tunnel may be respectively decreased or increased; or by setting the crank pins N¹
concentric with the studs P a cylindrical tunnel or heading may be formed as no
sliding motion but only a rotary motion will be imparted to the tool carriages. By
adjusting the machine in this last described manner a cylindrical boring of one
diameter only can be made but if the pinions O be disconnected from spur wheel I
or the spur wheel I released so that it may rotate freely along with the pinions O,
cylindrical borings of any size can be made from the largest to the smallest
diameters of the elliptical borings which the machine is capable of producing.
Should it be desired to arrange the machine so that may be serviceable for
forming elliptic tunnels with the longer axis vertical or otherwise than horizontal
it will be necessary to provide suitable means for enabling the spur wheel I to be
adjusted in a rotary direction within the sleeve A³ for example the machine shown
in the accompanying drawings could readily be arranged for cutting elliptic tunnels
with the longer or major axis vertical by providing the sleeve A³ with a second
key-way A at a right angle to that shown in the accompanying drawings, so that
the spur wheel 1 may be rotated to an extent of 90° and again prevented
from further rotation beyond that point by means of the feather I engaging with

page_text: the said second keyway A'; or it will be readily understood that other means may
be provided for this purpose.
When the machine is arranged for cutting elliptic tunnels with the major axis
otherwise than horizontal the means shown in the accompanying drawings for
supporting and fixing the frame A must be correspondingly modified.
The before mentioned alternative form of gearing for driving the shaft F as
shown in Figs. 5 and 6 consists of a fixed spur wheel T concentric with the cutter
shaft F and bolted or otherwise secured to the framework A, another and preferably
larger spur wheel T¹ running loosely on the cutter shaft F and receiving motion
from a pinion T2 on the motor shaft.
A bushed hole may be formed near the edge of the spur wheel T¹ in which
revolves a pin or short shaft T3 carrying on either side of the wheel T'a pinion T
or T, the pinion T gearing into the fixed wheel T and the pinion To into a
wheel Te keyed on to the cutter shaft F.
As the spur wheel T¹ revolves it carries round with it the pinions T T³ the
latter (T) of which gives motion to the shaft F through the medium of the
wheel Te keyed thereto.
The before described apparatus may be modified without departing from the
spirit of my invention for example the pinions O may be carried by the plate or
disc J instead of by the recessed plate P which in such a construction might be
dispensed with, also instead of two tools and tool carriage, may use only one
although I prefer to employ two.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A coal heading or tunnelling machine for forming elliptic tunnels.
2. A coal heading or tunnelling machine for forming both elliptic and cylindrical
tunnels.
3. A coal heading or tunnelling machine capable of forming elliptic tunnels with
the longer or major axis either horizontal vertical or inclined.
4. In a coal heading or tunnelling machine the combination with the cutter
shaft F of a cutter-head plate or disc such as J and sliding tool carriage such
as K K substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
5. In a coal heading or tunnelling machine the combination with the main shaft F
and cutter head plate or disc J secured thereto of a non-rotating spur wheel I
pinions and cranks such as O N connecting link M and sliding tool carriage substan-
tially as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
6. In a coal heading or tunnelling machine the combination with the main
shaft F and cutter head plate or disc secured thereto and having one or more
sliding tool carriages mounted thereon of a cam for reciprocating the tool carriage
or carriages substantially as described.
7. In a coal heading or tunnelling machine the combination with the main
shaft F and cutter-head plate or disc J secured thereto of a non-rotating spur
wheel I pinion and crank such as ON connecting link M and sliding tool carriage K
substantially as described.
8. In a coal heading or tunnelling machine the combination with the main
shaft F and non-rotating spur wheel I of a non-rotating and longitudinally movable
bearing such as E and feather I' substantially as described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
9. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the complete machine
substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 20th day of December 1697
G. W. WINN,
W. P. Thompson & Boult,
Agents for the Applicant.