IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY AND APPLIANCES FOR CUFFING COAL
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Lucas and William Nichols, both of
Leeds, in the County of York, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINERY AND APPLIANCES FOR CUFFING COAL,"
Sealed the 6th February 1874, and dated the 18th August 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Lucas and
William Nichols at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 18th August 1878.
We, JOSEPH LUCAS and WILLIAM NICHOLS, both of Leeds, in the
County of York, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY AND APPLIANCES FOR CUTTING COAL," to be as
follows:-
According to our Invention for cutting coal we employ a series of
cutters carried by a revolving axle or cutter bar, there being a space
from one cutter to the next upon the bar. By means of a screw or
other contrivance the cutter bar while revolving has also imparted to it
an endwise movement into the face of the coal, such endwise movement
being about equal to the distance from one cutter to the next upon the

page_text: bar. After an endwise movement of the cutter bar has been completed
the bar is advanced sideways a suitable distance along the face of the
coal to place it in position for the next cut, and then by the combined
revolving and endwise movements of the cutter bar another cut is made
into the coal, and by repeating these operations a groove is formed under i
or in the lower part of the coal, which can then be removed as is well
understood.
Before making an endwise cutting movement of the cutter bar into
the coal, and during the sideways forward movement of the cutter bar,
the cutters are caused by their revolution to cut recesses in the coal, and ]
after these recesses have been cut to the required depth the revolving
cutter bar is caused to make the endwise cutting movement, and the
operation may be repeated at both ends of the endwise movement of the
cutter bar; and the cutting may be thus accomplished both during the
inward and outward movements of the cutter bar; or by imparting to 1
the cutter bar a combined sideways and endwise movement during the
cutting operation a series of steps will be formed in the semicircular end
of the groove cut in the coal, so that upon drawing back the cutter bar
it can be moved sideways so as to place the cutters in the steps formed
during the preceding cut, and the endwise cutting can then proceed as 2
before and so on.
We employ a supporting bar or bracket to steady and support the
revolving cutter bar, and this supporting bar enters the groove cut in the
coal with the cutting bar, bearings for the revolving cutter bar being
formed upon the supporting bar. The supporting bar is carried by and
slides in a suitable frame or truck held firmly in front of the face of coal
to be cut. After the groove has been cut along the face of coal so far as
the frame or truck will permit, such frame or truck is advanced along
the face of the coal into a position which will admit of the operation
being continued.
The above contrivance can be actuated either by manual labor or by

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Joseph Lucas and William Nichols in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 18th February 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOSEPH
LUCAS and WILLIAM NICHOLS, both of Leeds, in the County of York,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty. Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
seventh year of the reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said Joseph Lucas and William Nichols,
Her special license that we, the said Joseph Lucas and William Nichols,
our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the
said Joseph Lucas and William Nichols, our 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 MACHINERY AND
APPLIANCES FOR CUTTING-COAL," upon the condition (amongst others) that
we, the said Joseph Lucas, and William Nichols, our executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under our or their hands
and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us or them, should par-
ticularly 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 Seal Patent Office within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
.
• NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Joseph Lucas and William
Nichols, 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 :-
According to our Invention for cutting coal we employ a series of cutters
carried by a revolving axle or cutter bar, there being a space from one
cutter to the next upon the bar. By means of a screw or other con-
trivance the cutter bar while revolving has also imparted to it an

page_text: endwise movement into the face of the coal, such endwise movement
being about equal to the distance from one cutter to the next upon the
bar. After an endwise movement of the cutter bar has been completed
the bar is advanced sideways a suitable distance along the face of the
coal to place it in position for the next cut, and then by the combined
revolving and endwise movements of the cutter bar another cut is made
into the coal, and by repeating these operations a groove is formed
under or in the lower part of the coal, which can then be removed, as is
well understood: .
Before making an endwise cutting movement of the cutter bar into
the coal and during the sideways forward movement of the cutter bar
the cutters are caused by their revolution to cut recesses in the coal, and
after these recesses have been cut to the required depth the revolving
cutter bar is caused to make the endwise cutting movement, and the
operation may be repeated at both ends of the endwise movement of the
eutter bar, and the cutting may be thus accomplished, both during the
inward and outward movements of the cutter bar; or by imparting to
the cutter bar a combined sideways and endwise movement during the
cutting operation a series of steps will be formed in the semicircular
end of the groove cut in the coal, so that upon drawing back the cutter
bar it can be moved sideways so as to place the cutters in the steps
formed during the preceding out, and the endwise cutting can then
proceed as before, and so on.
We employ a supporting bar or bracket to steady and support the
revolving cutter bar, and this supporting bar enters the groove cut in
the coal with the cutting bar, bearings for the revolving cutter bar being
formed upon the supporting bar. The supporting bar is carried by and
slides in a suitable frame or truck held firmly in front if the face of
coal to be cut. After the groove has been cut along the face if the coal
so far as the frame or truck will permit, such frame or truck is
advanced along the face of the coal into a position which will admit of
the operation being continued.
.
The above contrivance can be actuated either by manual labour or by
any other motive power.

page_text: Figures 1, 2, and 8 of the Drawings shew diagrams of a cutter bar
formed and worked according to our Invention. The three views shew
a plan of the cutter bar in the three positions it assumes at the com-
pletion of each of its movements. a is the revolving cutter bar, such
cutter bar being mounted and caused to revolve in bearings 6' formed
upon the supporting bar b. The revolving cutter bar a is provided
with cutters a', there being a space from one cutter a¹ to the next upon
the bar.
In Figure 1 the cutter bar a is shewn in the position it assumes after
being partly withdrawn endwise from the groove out in the coal, as
indicated by the arrow. The distance which the cutter bar a is with-
drawn is about equal to the distance from one cutter a¹ to the next upon
the bar a.
•
In Figure 2 the cutter bar is shown in the position it assumes after
being advanced sideways along the face of the coal in the direction of
the arrow. During this sideway movement by the revolution of the
cutter bar a the cutters a¹ have been caused to cut recesses in the coal,
as shewn at a³, a³; and after these recesses have been cut to the required
depth the revolving cutter bar a is caused to make an endwise move-
ment into the coal, as indicated by the arrow in Figure 3, which shews
the position of the cutter bar a after the end wise movement has been
completed and the cutters a¹ have removed the parts of the coal between
the recesses which had been cut, as explained in reference to Figure 2.
It will be understood that by repeating the series of operations above
described (in reference to Figures 1, 2, and 3 of the Drawings), a groove
will be cut under or in the face of the coal, such groove having a semi-
circular end, as shewn at the diagram, Figure 4, which shows a front
view of part of a face of coal having a groove out therein with a semi-
circular end. The dotted lines shew the crescent-shape form of the
portion of coal removed by each series of movements of the cutter bar a,
as above described in reference to Figures 1, 2, and 3.
We would here remark that according to our Invention the sideway
movement of the cutter bar a, so as to cut the recesses a³ in the coal,
may be repeated at the termination of each of its endwise movements, in
„which case the cutters a¹ will be caused to cut the coal both when the
cutter bar is being moved into and out of the groove.

page_text: Figure 5 shews a plan, Figure 6 an end view, and Figure 7 a vertical
section of coal cutting machinery constructed according to our In-
vention.
In the machine shewn at Figures 5, 6, and 7, a combined sideways and
endwise movement is imparted to the cutter bar a during the cutting
operation. By this means a series of steps is formed in the semicircular
end of the groove cut in the coal, as shewn at Figure 5, so that upon
drawing back the cutter bar a it can at once be moved sideways, so as to
place the cutters in the steps formed during the preceding cut, and the
endwise cutting can then proceed as before, and so on.
The bed piece c
is supported upon the rails d, which are temporarily laid parallel to the
face of the coal. When the machine is in operation the bed piece c is
firmly secured by screw struts from the roof of the working or otherwise.
The slide e slides upon the bed piece c, and the slide e supports and
guides the sliding bar f, which is caused to move backwards and forwards
across the slide e, as herein-after described. The supporting bar 6 and
the revolving cutter bar a are secured to the sliding bar f and move
with it, the guides upon the slide e being so formed diagonally to the
slide e and the bed piece c as and for the purposes above described; ƒ¹
is the driving axle supported in bearings secured to the bar f as shown;
upon the axle f¹ is fixed the toothed wheel f³, and upon the revolving
cutter bar a is fixed the toothed wheel a³; f³ and f* are intermediate
toothed wheels turning upon studs secured to the bar f, and motion is
communicated from the axle f¹ to the cutter bar a by the intermediate
wheels f, f. Upon the sliding bar f is secured the stud f* ; ƒ³ is a
socket turning upon the stud f*, and ƒ³, f", are cams or excentrics
formed or fixed upon the socket f*; ƒ³ is a worm wheel secured upon
the socket f³, and ƒ³ is a worm fixed upon the driving axle ƒ³, which
takes into and gives a comparatively slow movement to the socket f³;
e¹, e, are surfaces secured to the slide e. Now it will be seen that by
the revolution of the cams f' and ƒ" the cam f' will be brought into
contact with the surface e¹ so as to move the sliding bar ƒ (with all the
apparatus secured to it) towards the face of coal and into the position
indicated in the Drawings (Figures 5, 6, and 7) thus making the inward
cut into the groove formed in the coal. When this latter movement is
completed the cam f" is brought (by the further revolution of the socket
f) into contact with the surface e³, and by the continued further move-
ment of the cam f' the sliding bar f, with all that is attached, will be

page_text: withdrawn from the face of the coal a little further than the distancé
from one cutter a³ to the next upon the cutter bar a, preparatory to
another endwise movement into the groove out into the coal.
Before the last named endwise movement commences, the slide e,
together with the bar f and the cutter bar ø, are caused to move along
the bed piece c and, sideways along the face of the coal, so as to place
the cutters a¹ in a position for cutting away the series of steps last before
formed; f is a frame secured to the sliding bar f, and f" is a socket
formed in the frame 1, within which turns an axle f. Movement is
given to the axle f" from the axle f¹ by means of the toothed wheels
f", f". Upon the axle f" is a crank pin ƒ", which (by means of the
connecting rod f1) gives a rocking movement to the lever f", such last
named lever moving upon a stud secured to the frame f¼. The bed
piece o is provided with a rack o³, and the slide e carries a spindle e³, upon
3 which is fixed the pinion e' taking into the rack o³, so that when the
spindle is turned the slide e is moved along the bed piece c. e³ is a
ratchet wheel fixed upon the spindle e². e' is a lever moving upon the
spindle e³ and carrying the catch e'. Now it will be understood that the
lever f" will vibrate without coming into contact with the lever e' until
the bar is withdrawn from the face of the coal, but when such bar f
has been so withdrawn the lever f" will act upon the lever es so as to
cause the spindle ẹ³ to revolve a short distance and so give the necessary
advance to the slide e along the face of the coal preparatory to a fresh
cutting movement of the cutter bar a. f18 is an incline secured to the
; bar f, which comes under the lever eª when the cutter bar is advancing
into the coal and the incline facts to move the lever e³ into a suitable
position for being again acted upon by the lever f" when the bar fis
withdrawn from the face of the coal. e is a catch which acts to prevent
a retrogade movement of the slide e during the cutting operation. The
catches e" and e* are withdrawn from the ratchet wheel e' when it is
desired to move the slide e back along the bed piece o.
-
In order to actuate the apparatus hand power can be applied to
the axle f¹, or the machine may be actuated by a cord around the
pulley f". The cord passes around the pulley f", and around the
pullies f, fa, fa, carried from the frame f". The cord around the
pullies f", "f", ƒ", is endless and is carried over pullies at each end
of the working, motive power being applied to one of such pullies.
The pulley f turns upon the axle f¹, but by the handle ƒ” and

page_text: lever f" (carried by the bar f), the clutch f" can be caused to engage
with the pulley f", and so drive the apparatus. The various movements
then continue until the handle ƒ comes in contact with the projection c³
upon the bed piece c, when the apparatus will be arrested. In order to
continue the groove further in the coal it will now be necessary to
remove the struts by which the bed piece c was secured, afterwards
securing the slide e to a rope or chain so as to hold it from moving
forward with the bed piece c. The rails d, d, are provided with a
rack d, and the attendant by means of a hand lever de moves the bed
piece over the rails d and under the slide e into a suitable position, when
the bed piece c is again secured and the cutting of the groove resumed,
or the bed piece c can be moved along the rails & by means of a rope or
chain.
In order to lubricate the bearings 6' which support the cutter bar a
"from the supporting bar b, we form suitable covered channels along the
supporting bar 6 (see Figure 8), and the channels are continued along
the supporting bar 6 a sufficient distance to admit of such channels
(and the bearings 6') being supplied with oil during the working of the
machine. We would here remark that in order to avoid prolixity we
have not described, in reference to Figures 1, 2, and 3 of the Drawing,
the cutter bar a mounted upon a slide ƒ with attendant apparatus, as it
will be evident to a competent mechanic that the apparatus described in
reference to Figures 5, 6, and 7 of the Drawings can be readily adapted
'to work in accordance with the movements described in reference to
Figures 1, 2, and 3.
Having now described the nature of our Invention and means for
carrying the same into operation, we would observe that we make no
claim to any of the mechanical parts herein-before described, except
when employed substantially as and for the purposes. herein-before
described and we would further remark that the form and arrangement
of the parts employed for actuating the cutter bar a, and the supporting
bar 6 may be greatly varied without departing from the nature of our
Invention so long as a cutter bar is formed, supported, and worked sub-
stantially as herein-before described. What we claim is,—
Firstly. The application and use of the cutter bar a with the supporting
-bar 6, substantially as and for the purposes herein-before described in
reference to Figures 1, 2, and 3 of the Drawings.

page_text: Secondly. The application and use of the cutter bar a with the
supporting bar b, substantially as and for the purposes herein-before
described in reference to Figures 5, 6, and 7 of the Drawings.
Thirdly. The combination and arrangement of parts into a machine
for cutting coal, substantially as herein-before described in reference to
Figures 5, 6, 7, and 8 of the Drawings.
In witness whereof, we, the said Joseph Lucas and William
Nichols, have hereunto set our hand and seal, this Twelvth
day of February, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-four.