CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN BORING EARTH, STONE, AND SUBTER- BANEOUS MATTERS, AND IN THE MACHINERY, TOOLS, OR APPARATUS APPLICABLE TO THE SAME
Year: 1845

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILLIAM
MATHER, and COLIN MATHER, of Salford, in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by
Her Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Third day of July, One thousand eight hundred and
forty-five, in the ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto us, the said William Mather and Colin
Mather, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that
we, the said William Mather and Colin Mather, our executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, and such others as we, the said William Mather and
Colin Mather, our executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during the term
of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within England and Wales and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, our
Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN BORING EARTH, STONE, AND SUBTER-
BANEOUS MATTERS, AND IN THE MACHINERY, TOOLS, OR APPARATUS APPLICABLE TO
THE SAME;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that we, the
said William Mather and Colin Mather, shall cause a particular description of
the nature of our Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be inrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said in part recited

page_text: fall of the boring head, after being lifted by the lever and tappet. There is
also a box x to contain weights as a counterbalance. Such is the general con-
struction and arrangement of the machine, and as its mode of operation will
be so evident to the practical mechanic, we do not think it necessary to
describe its action.
In Sheet 3, Figure 4 is a vertical section of the boring head. Figure 5 is
an exterior view of the same. a is the principal bar, to which the boring
head bis fastened, and also the rest of the apparatus for turning the same
partially round after each lift of the cam above. c is a frame of wrought
iron, as shewn in Figures 4 and 5. d is a ratchet wheel made fast on the bar
a. On the inside of the frame c, c, are two catches e, e, see Fig. 9, to work in
the ratchet wheel d. f is a wrought-iron swivel with a loop at the top end.
This swivel frises and falls on the bar a, between the ratchet d and the socket
g; on the outside of the swivel f there is an inclined key or feather h, which
works in a nut or block i in the frame c, c. The top part of the socket gis
of hardened steel, and is made square, on which the small ratchet wheel j
slides up and down. k is a frame or box screwed on the top part of the
swivel to carry the catches 1, 1, see Fig. 7, which take into the ratchet j;
m, m, are two plates in which the ratchet wheel revolves, and are fastened to
the frame or box k; n is a guard, the size of the hole bored, to keep the
frame c from working against the sides. Now, when the boring head is going
down the hole, its position is shewn in Figure 4, but when the cutter block
reaches the bottom of the hole, the swivel descends by its own gravity to the
shoulder d, and is prevented turning round by the catches 1, 1, acting on the
ratchet j, and thus compels the frame c, c, which carries the catches e, e, to
turn partially round in the direction of the arrows equal to the incline of the
key h; but when the whole apparatus is being lifted up by the cam, as
described in Sheets 1 and 2, the frame c becomes stationary, and thus compels
the swivel to move round equal to the incline of the key h, and thus puts a
twist into the suspending iron belt or flat rope being attached by the hook o
at the loop of the swivel f; but as the cam lifts the boring head higher than
the incline, and liberates the cutters from the bottom, the whole head turns
the reverse way by the twist which was put in the belt in going up the length
of the incline, and thus the cutter block is continually propelled round to
change the position of the cutters each time they fall or are lifted up by the
cam, and thereby causing them to fall in a fresh place at every stroke.
Figure 6 is a plan view of the cutter block, and Figures 7, 8, and 9 are sec-
tional plan views, taken at the dotted lines A, B, and C, in Figure 4.
In Sheet 4, Figure 10 is a vertical section of the apparatus for bringing up

page_text: the materials, after being cut or pulverized by the boring head, to the surface
for removal; and Figure 11 an exterior view of the same. This apparatus is
composed of a long cylinder a, a, in which there is fitted easily a clack c, c, and
cottar d, fast on the bottom end of the rod b, b, and passes through the double
rode, e, and through the bow d at the top of the cylinder a, a, where it is secured
by a cottar. fis a bucket or piston, with clacks, attached to the tube and double
rod e, e, which is repeatedly raised in the cylinder, and thus gives the effect of
pumping; it falls down by its own gravity till the cylinder is filled with mate-
rials of earth, stone, &c., which have been previously cut and pulverized by the
boring head or cutter block; when the cylinder is full, the whole is brought up to
the top, and the cottar g knocked out, which will liberate the bottom clacks from
the cylinder, and the whole of the materials will fall out. It is recottared and
put down again in the same way till all the borings are removed.
Fig. 12 is sectional plan taken at the line B, B. Figure 13 a plan of
clack c, c. Figure 13* a section taken at the line A, A.
In Sheet 5, Figure 14 represents the cutter block guard and bar for
widening the hole to any diameter required. Figure 15 is a plan of the same.
Figure 16 is a receiver to put at the bottom of the hole to collect the mate-
rials as they fall in widening. Figure 17 is a bar with two guards on to keep
it in the centre of the hole. At the end of the bar are two fingers or short
levers a, a, working on centre pins; the said levers close inwardly on coming
into contact with the ring at the top of the receiver, Figure 16; after passing
it, they then lie in a position for lifting the receiver up with its contents, as
shewn in Figure 16. Figure 18 is a plan of the guard fixed on the bar. As
the above-described three last Sheets of Drawings represent the various tools
upon so large a scale, they will readily be understood.
Having now described the nature of our Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, we desire it to be understood that we
claim as our Invention,-
Firstly, the combination and arrangement of the machinery described in
Sheets 1 and 2, or any modification of the same sufficient for the purposes
there set forth; and,
Secondly, the construction and application of the several parts as herein
shewn and described with reference to the remainder of the three Sheets of
Drawings, being the boring head, and most particularly its motion for turning
the cutter, block at or near the bottom, by whatever mode or machinery the
same may be actuated; and,
Thirdly, the application of the apparatus for raising the materials, as shewn
in the several Figures; and,

page_text: Lastly, we claim this apparatus particularly, as being applicable to any kind
of boring, whether by this machinery or the ordinary method of boring.
In witness whereof, we, the said William Mather and Colin Mather, have
hereunto set our hands and seals, this Second day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-six.
WILLIAM (L.s.) MATHER. COLIN (L.s.) MATHER.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the same Second day of January,
in the year above mentioned, the aforesaid William Mather and Colin Mather
came before our Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the
Specification aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained, in form
above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according
to the tenor of the Statute in that case made and provided.
Inrolled the Third day of January, in the year above written.