Improvements in and Apparatus for Coal Mining.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 19th May, 1899
rifection left. 17th Feb., 1900-Accepted, 17th Mar.,
1900
Improvements in and Apparatus for Coal Mining.
I, The Right Honourable SAMUEL CUNLIFFE, BARON MASHAM, of Swinton,
Masham, in the County of York, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
For all mechanical coal getting it is necessary that there should be a con-
siderable length of straight face or wall of coal that is being worked. Hitherto
only one set of rails has been placed in front of this coal face for the under-
cutting machine to travel over to undercut and bring down the coal and when
This
this has been done it has taken several days to remove the fallen coal owing
to the want of some ready and convenient means of conveying it away.
long delay is not only attended with very serious cost but is often the cause
of falls of the roof which are both. troublesome and dangerous.
To remedy this I according to my invention make provision for much more
rapidly filling the coal into the corves or trucks in which it is to be conveyed
away and for moving the corves to and from the spot at which they are
filled.
I am enabled to do this by maintaining two lines of rails parallel with the
face in place of one line only using the No. 1 line or that nearest the coal face
for the cutting machine to pass over and using the one furthest from the face
(or No. 2 line) for the corves cr trucks into which the coal is to be filled
leaving the space occupied by the line of rails nearest to the coal face (or No. 1
line) free for men to stand in for loading coal into the corves so soon as the
cutting machine has passed.
48
I also provide two parallel roads or headings one leading to one end of the
two lines of rail which are in front of the face of coal that is being worked
up line" for empty
and the other to the other end one road serving as an
trucks to be passed to the one end of No. 2 line and the other as a "down
line" for the corves when filled to be conveyed away from the other end of
this line.
Thus not only can a large number of men be employed simultaneously in
O filling coal into the corves but the corves can be moved along continuously
and without interfering with one another.
35
40
The lines of rail Nos. 1 and 2 which are in front of the working face are
curved at their ends to meet and join the lines of rail in the up and down
roads.
The corves on line No. 2 may be coupled to one another and form a continuous
train which I cause to be drawn forward slowly and continuously by an electric
or other hauler whilst men fill them with coal as they are thus moved slowly
along. Other haulers are also provided for bringing empty corves to one end
of the line and conveying away full corves from the opposite end.
The coal can in this way be got away so rapidly that each day the line of
rails No. 2 which is furthest from the coal face can be shifted into the space
from which the coal has been cleared away, the distance it is shifted being

page_text: equal to the extent to which the coal is to be undercut. The old line of
rails No. 2 thus becomes line No. 1 to be used for the cutting machine to
travel over whilst the line which previously was No. 1 line remains unmoved
and becomes line No. 2. The two roads or headings being lengthened each
day to the extent of coal got and always kept somewhat in advance of the
working face.
Thus each line of rails will only remain down in one place for a short time
not exceeding two days and as the outermost rail will only be about 6 feet
from the coal face the roof above this outer rail would in many mines hold
up without any prop supports for more than the length of time that this outer
line of rails is being used. If however props are required a line of them can be
erected in the space betwen the lines Nos. 1 and 2.
As above stated I preferably keep the corves on line No. 2 which are being
filled in slow continuous movement the movement might however be intermittent
the corves remaining at rest for a time to be filled and then conveyed away and
a fresh train of empty corves brought into its place.
In some cases instead of the empty corves going on to line No. 2 at one end
and passing off when full from the opposite end it may be more convenient
for the empty corves. to pass on at one end and when filled be caused to pass
off from the same end.
In some cases also instead of two lines of rail only being maintained in front
of the face that is being worked three lines may be maintained-line No. 3
which is furthest from the coal face being then used for empty trucks to be
passed along from one road to the end of line No. 2 and then be drawn back
over line No. 2 to the same road.
Wherever props have to be used for temporarily propping up the roof I
form them of iron or it may be of wood with iron ends and with a vertical screw
made to screw into the top of the post. The top of the screw I make to support
an iron girder bar 4 or 5 feet in length and hold it against the underside of
the roof one end of the bar coming over one line of rails and the other over
another line. In some cases also I form this girder with projecting flanges
along the lower part of its sides for supporting boards which can be made to
pass across from one girder to another wherever the roof is exceptionally bad.
Dated this 17th day of May 1899.
Improvements in and Apparatus for Coal Mining.
I, The Right Honourable SAMUEL CUNLIFFE, BARON MASHAM, of Swinton,
Masham, in the County of York, 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:-
-
For all mechanical coal getting it is necessary that there should be a'con-
siderable length of straight face or wall of coal that is being worked. Hitherto
only one set of rails has been placed in front of this coal face for the under-
cutting machine to travel over to undercut and bring down the coal and when
this has been done it has taken several days to remove the fallen coal owing
to the want of some ready and convenient means of conveying it away. This
long delay is not only attended with very serious cost but is often the cause
of falls of the roof which are both troublesome and dangerous.
To remedy this I according to my invention make provision for much more

page_text: lly filling the coal into the corves or trucks in wu
1.
and for moving the corves to and from the spot at which they are
am enabled to do this by maintaining two lines of rails parallel with the
as shewn in diagrams Figures 1 and 2 in place of one line only using the
line) for the corves or trucks
1 line or that nearest the coal face A for the cutting machine to pass over
using the one furthest from the face (or No.
which the coal is to be filled leaving the space occupied by the line of
s nearest to the coal face (or No. 1 line) free for men to stand in for loading
1 into the corves so soon as the cutting machine has passed.
66
"down
I also provide two parallel roads or headings B one leading to one end of the
up line" for empty
lines of rails which are in front of the face of coal that is being worked
d the other to the other end one road serving as an
acks to be passed to the one end of No. 2 line and the other as a
e " for the corves when filled to be conveyed away from the other end of
is line. In Figure 1 the roads or headings B are only wide enough for one
ae of rails. In Figure 2 they are wide enough for two lines of rails.
Thus not only can a large number of men be employed simultaneously in
lling coal into the corves but the corves can be moved along continuously
nd without interfering with one another.
The lines of rails Nos. 1 and 2 which are in front of the working face are
urved at their ends to meet and join the lines of rails in the up and down
oads B or movable turntables might be used for shifting the corves on to and
rom the line of rails 2 on to and from those. up and down roads.
The corves on line No. 2 may be coupled to one another and form a continuous
rain which I cause to be drawn forward slowly and continuously by an electric
or other hauler whilst men fill them with coal as they are thus moved slowly
along. Other haulers are also provided for bringing empty corves to one end
of the line and conveying away full corves from the opposite end.
The coal can in this way be got away so rapidly that each day the -line of
rails No. 2 which is furthest from the coal face can be shifted into the space
from which the coal has been cleared away, the distance it is shifted being
equal to the extent to which the coal is to be undercut. The old line of
rails No. 2 thus becomes line No. 1 to be used for the cutting machine to
travel over whilst the line which previously was No. 1 line remains unmoved
The two roads or headings being lengthened each
and becomes line No. 2.
day to the extent of coal got and always kept somewhat in advance of the
working face.
Thus each line of rails will only remain down in one place for a short time
not exceeding two days and as the outermost rail will only be about 6 feet
from the coal face the roof above this outer rail would in many mines hold
up without any prop supports for more than the length of time that this outer
line of rails is being used. If however props are required a line of them can be
erected in the space between the lines Nos. 1 and 2 as shewn at C.
As above stated I preferably keep the corves on line No. 2 which are being
filled in slow continuous movement the movement might however be intermittent
the corves remaining at rest for a time to be filled and then conveyed away and
a fresh train of empty corves brought into its place.
In some cases instead of the empty corves going on to line No. 2 at one end
50 and passing off when full from the opposite end it may be more convenient
for the empty corves to pass on at one end and when filled be caused to pass
off from the same end.
In some cases also instead of two lines of rails only being maintained in fron
of the face that is being worked three lines may be maintained-line No.
55 which is furthest from the coal face being then used for empty trucks to b
passed along from one road to the end of line No. 2 and then be drawn bac
line No. 2 to the same road.

page_text: Wherever props have to be used for temporarily propping up the roof I
form them of iron or as shewn at Figures 3 and 4 it may be of wood with iron
ends and with a vertical screw D made to screw into the top of the post. The
top of the screw I make to support an iron girder bar E 4 or 5 feet in length and
hold it against the underside of the roof one end of the bar coming over one
line of rails and the other over another. line. In some cases also I form this
girder with projecting flanges E' along the lower part of its sides for supporting
boards F which can be made to pass across from one girder to another wherever
the roof is exceptionally bad.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
1 claim is:
1. The herein before described improvements in coal mining consisting in
maintaining two lines of railway along the front of the face of coal that is
being worked one line (No. 1) for the cutting machine and the other (No. 2)
for the trucks or corves into which the coal is to be filled, thereby allowing
of the broken down coal being filled into trucks or corves ranged all along the
face and rapidly conveyed away.
2. Maintaining the corves or trucks on line No. 2 in slow continuous move-
ment whilst coal is being filled into them.
3. The construction of pit props substantially as hereinbefore described and
illustrated at Figures 3 and 4 of the drawings annexed.
Dotad this 13th dov of Februar 1900