IMPROVEMENTS IN PILLARS FOR SUPPORTING THE ROOF IN COAL AND OTHER MINES
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Oliver Johnston, of Newcastle-upon-Tyne,
for tho Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PILLARS FOR SUPPORTING THE
ROOF IN COAL AND OTHER MINES."
Sealed the 28th November 1861, and dated the 6th June 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Oliver Johnston
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
6th June 1861.
I, WILLIAM OLIVER JOHNSTON, of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, do hereby declare
the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PILLARS FOR SUPPORTING
THE ROOP IN COAL AND OTHER MINES," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in pillars for supporting the
roof in coal and other mines. For this purpose pillars of wood are usually
employed, and most of these pillars are, when the minerals are worked out,
abandoned in the workings, because the weight of the roof on the pillars
prevents the removal of them.
According to this Invention, I employ pillars of metal cast or formed in
two parts, and by preference hollow. When the pillar is required for use, the
two parts of which it is formed are placed the one on the other, and are then
secured, and the pillar is set up in its place as when wooden pillars are
employed. When it is desired to remove the pillar (the weight of the roof
being then upon it) the fastening between the two parts is removed, & the
two parts of the pillar then either fall apart or are readily separated, the

page_text: joint being so formed as to allow of their doing so notwithstanding the weight
on the pillar. It is preferred to make the two parts of the pillar which rest
the one on the other inclined or bevilled, so that when placed the one on the
other the parts will just slide if not retained; and in order to hold the parts in
their places whilst the pillar is in use, I employ a ring which slides over the 5
joint, and then prevents the parts moving the one on the other.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Oliver Johnston in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 6th December 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
OLIVER JOHNSTON, of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, send greeting..
at
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fourth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her. heirs. and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
William Oliver Johnston, Her special licence that I, the said William Oliver
Johnston, my executors, administrators; and assigns, or such others as I, the
said William Oliver Johnston, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should
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 "I-
PROVEMENTS IN PILLARS FOR SUPPORTING THE ROOP IN COAL AND OTHER MINES,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Oliver Johnston,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascer-
tain 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 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 William Oliver Johnston, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say :-
This: Invention has for its object improvements in pillars for supporting the
roof in coal and other mines. For this purpose pillars of wood are usually

page_text: employed, and most of these pillars are, when the minerals are worked out,
abandoned in the workings, because the weight of the roof on the pillars-
-prevents the removal of them.
.
:
According to this Invention, I employ pillars of metal cast or formed in
two parts, and by preference hollow. When the pillar is required for use,
the two parts of which it is formed are placed the one on the other, and are
then secured, and the pillar is set up in its place as when wooden pillars are
employed. When it is desired to remove the pillar (the weight of the roof
being then upon it,), the fastening between the two parts is removed, and tho
two parts of the pillar then either fall apart, or aro readily separated, the
joint being so formed as to allow of their doing so notwithstanding, the weight
on the pillar. It is preferred to make the two parts of the pillar which rest
the one on the other inclined or bevelled, so that when placed the one on the
other, the parts will just slide if not retained; and in order to hold the parts
in their places whilst the pillar is in use, I employ a ring, which slides over the
joint, and then prevents the parts moving the one on the other.
:
And in order that my said Invention may be most fully understood and
readily carried into effect,. I will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto
annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is an elevation of a pillar constructed according to my Invention
for supporting the roof in coal and other mines. The pillar is here shewn as
it appears when in use; it consists of three parts, the upper portion a, tho
lower b, and the ring c, which holds the parts a and b together. Figure 2. is
an elevation of the same pillar with the ring c removed; Figure 3 is a longi
tudinal section of the pillar; and Figures 4 shew the ring c separately. The
joint between the parts a and b is, as the Drawing shews, made at just such
an inclination, that when a weight is resting on the pillar, the parts a and b
will just slide the one off the other, but their tendency to do so will not be
sufficient, under any circumstances, to strain the ring c, or prevent it being
readily knocked off when required. The portion of the parts a and b around
the joint, the ring fits on is turned conical, so that the ring being of cor-
responding form may, when driven on, remain in its place until force is used
to displace it. d is a chain to keep the parts a, b, and c together when out of
use.
The pillars are used in the mine in the same manner as the wooden pillars
now ordinarily employed, but they will not have to be abandoned, as is the
case with wooden pillars whenever a heavy strain comes upon them; for with

page_text: pillars constructed according to this Invention, on knocking off the ring c,
they will at once fall whatever may be the weight upon them.
Figure 5 is an elevation, and Figure 6, a longitudinal section of a pillar
constructed on a similar principle, but somewhat modified in form. Here the
upper part of the pillar is made smaller in diameter than the lower, into which
it is able to descend: The upper part has notches at its lower end, into which
a catch turning on an axis carried by the lower part of the pillar drops when
the upper part of the pillar is raised to arrange the pillar for use; and to
remove the pillar, it is necessary only to strike down the tail of the catch, and
the upper part of the pillar falls down within the lower.
Figure 7 is an elevation, and Figure 8 a longitudinal section of another
form of pillar. In this arrangement the upper and lower parts of the pillar
are jointed together at a point beyond the bearing surfaces of the upper and
lower parts of the pillar; this pillar when in use will stand firmly whatever
the weight upon it, but a moderate blow near the joint will at any time over-
turn it.
As respects the arrangements shewn at Figures 5, 6, 7, and 8, I would
remark, that I have introduced them into this Specification in great measure
to shew that the form of the pillar may be varied without departing from my
Invention, and that I prefer, in practice, the arrangement shewn at Figures
1, 2, 3, and 4.
What I claim is the constructing pillars such as are employed for sup-
porting the roof in mines of metal (by preference hollow,) and in two parts so
formed that when the pillar is in use the parts safely rest the one on the other,
but are still capable of being readily separated whatever the weight on the
pillar.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Oliver Johnston, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Fourth day of December, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
WILL". OLIVER JOHNSTON. (L.S.)