IMPROVE- MENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING OR EXCAVATING COAL AND OTHER MINERALS
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John William Melling, of Wigan, in the
County of Lancaster, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING OR EXCAVATING COAL AND OTHER
MINERALS."
Sealed the 7th August 1868, and dated the 11th February 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John William Melling
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 11th February 1868.
I, JOHN WILLIAM MELLING, of Wigan, in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING OR EXCAVATING COAL AND OTHER
MINERALS," to be as follows:-
My Invention is particularly applicable to that kind of machinery
where a cylinder with piston and rod actuated by compressed air,
steam, or other fluid are employed to give a reciprocating motion to
a tool or tools that pare off or slot away the coal or other mineral,
and form a grove or groves or cuttings in the face or end of the
coal or other mineral.

page_text: The first part of my Invention consists in employing (in addition to
the usual means of regulating the to-and-fro motion of the piston in
the cylendar) a tap, valve, or other means for enlarging or contracting
the size of the outlet or exhaust port or pipe, either with or without
a tap, valve, or other regulator in the port or pipe between the main
slide or other valve and the piston rod end of the cylinder, to control
the speed at which the air, steam, or other fluid shall escape after
having done its work in the cylinder, and thus to control the speed
of the piston, and also to prevent the piston striking the end of the
cylinder. The second tap or valve before mentioned will also assist in
economising and regulating the quantity of air, steam, or other fluid
used in the return or non-cutting stroke of the piston.
The second part of my Invention consists (where strict economy in
the motive power is required) in arranging that a portion of the air
or other fluid may be used a second time after it has produced the
outward or cutting stroke; for this purpose I allow a part of the air
or other fluid to pass through valves into and through a pipe or.
reservoir to the other end of the cylinder, there to produce the return
stroke.
The third part of my Invention consists (where it is desired to
operate at or near the floor. of the mine) in placing the piston rod
eccentrically to the piston, so that the centre of the piston rod can
be brought in line with or near the centre of the tool or tools. The
before-mentioned parts of my Invention are applicable to all machines
where a cylinder is used to give a to-and-fro motion, either direct to
a cutting tool or tools, or to a lever arm, or other appliance, by which
a segmental movement is produced.
The fourth part of my Invention consists in making that part of
the machine to which the tool holder is bolted or otherwise secured
and attaching it to the other parts of the machine by fulcrum studs
in such a manner that the tool or tools when cutting abut against
the cross head or slide block which holds them in a straight line, but
in the return or non-cutting stroke the tools are allowed to fall back
or away from the end of the grove just operated upon until near the
end of the stroke, when they will be set right again ready for another
cut by a stud or roller fixed to the guide of the cross head, also in
attaching the tool or tools to the upper or lower part of the movable
slide block to vary the height of the cut from the floor of the mine.

page_text: The tools consist of four or other convenient number of cutters fixed
to a bar.
The fifth part of my Invention consists in employing (in addition
to the ordinary wheels used to support or carry the machine when at
work) a second set of wheels that can be raised or depressed at pleasure.
I prefer placing these wheels so as to run in a direction at right angles
to the other wheels, thus facilitating the removal of the machine in
any direction. When the machine is at work the supplementary wheels
are raised by levers or otherwise and kept up clear of the floor or
rails; when they are depressed the machine is raised, so that it can
be removed from one place to another with greater ease and facility.
This part of my Invention may be applied to all machines that operate
at or near the floor of the mine.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John William Melling in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 11th August 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
WILLIAM MELLING, of Wigan, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the
thirty-first year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said John William Melling, Her special
license that I, the said John William Melling, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John William Melling,
my 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 POR CUTTING OB EXCAVATING COAL AND
OTHER MINERALS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
John William Melling, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,

page_text: should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, 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 John William Melling, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement (that is to say):
:-
My Invention is particularly applicable to that kind of machinery
where a cylinder with piston and rod actuated by compressed air,
steam, or other fluid are employed to give a reciprocating motion to
a tool or tools that pare off or slot away the coal or other mineral,
and form a groove or grooves or cuttings in the face or end of the
coal or other mineral.
The first part of my Invention consists in employing (in addition to
the usual means of regulating the to-and-fro motions of the pistons in
the cylinder) a tap, valve, or other means for enlarging or contracting
the size of the outlet or exhaust port or pipe to controul the speed at
which the air, steam, or other fluid shall escape after having done its
works in the cylinder, and to control the speed of the piston, and also
to prevent the piston striking the end of the cylinder.
The second part of my Invention consists (where it is desired to
operate at or near the floor of the mine) in placing the piston rod
eccentrically to the piston, so that the centre of the piston rod can
be brought in line with or near the centre of the tool or tools.
The third part of my Invention consists in connecting the tool or
tools to the slide blocks, so that on the return stroke they may fall
away from the face of the coal or other mineral; also in attaching
the tool or tools to the upper or lower part of the moveable slide
block to vary the height of the cut from the floor of the mine.
The fourth part of my Invention consists in employing (in addition
to the ordinary wheels used to support or carry the machine when at
work) a second set of wheels that can be raised or depressed at
pleasure.
2
3
The last part of my Invention consists where strict economy in 3
the motive power is required in arranging that a portion of the air

page_text: or other fluid may be used a second time to perform the return stroke
after it has produced the outward or cutting stroke.
:
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily
carried into operation, I will proceed to describe the accompanying two
Sheets of Drawings.
. On Sheet 1 Figure 1 is a front elevation of my improved machinery for
cutting or excavating coal and other minerals; Figure 2 is a side view,
Figure 3 a plan, and Figure 4 a back clevation of the same. On Sheet 2
Figure 5 is a longitudinal section of the same machine. The machines
shewn in the Drawings are especially adapted for operating on coal.
In these views a is the cylinder fitted with the piston and rod b',
also with the slide valve c working in the chest c'; d is a valve or
regulator at the end of the port a', so fixed that by means of the
screw it can be made to enlarge or contract the area of that port
when the air is exhausting from that end of the cylinder, thus con-
trolling the speed of the piston and cushioning it to prevent its striking.
the cylinder cover. Any kind of tap or regulator by which the size
of the port can be adjusted will answer. the purpose. I. prefer onc
that does not contract the area when the air or other fluid is being
admitted to the cylinder, but only during the exhausting, as is the
case with the valve d, which along with the spring d³ is forced back:
against the cover during the induction, but during the eduction the
spring forces the valve d against the head of the screw d', which is
set to the proper distance according to the opening required. e is a
tap placed in the pipe a leading from the port a'; the main object of
this tape is to control the area of the pipe during the eduction; a' is
the induction pipe, see Figure 2, and a the eduction pipe, sec Figure 5.
Instead of the tape the valve shewn in Figures 6, 7, and 8 may be used;
this valve consists of the spindle f screwed into the cover f¹ of the
pipe a. On the spindle f is the valve f, the wings of which fit in
the pipe a; the spring f holds the valve in contact with a nut at the
end of the spindle f. When the air is passing from the chest c¹ to
the front end of the piston 6 the pressure of the air. compresses the
spring and opens the valve for the return stroke of the piston, and
when the piston has arrived at the back end of the cylinder the
spring f gradually closes the valve fs, but leaves it sufficiently open
for the exhaust, the amount of opening being regulated by the screw on
the spindle. To the piston rod is cottered or otherwise fixed the slide

page_text: block or cross head g, shewn detached in Figures 9 and 10; h is another
slide block, shewn detached in Figures 11 and 12, which is attached to
the block by the fulcrum pin or pins g' and go, and by the catches g³
which are hinged to the blocks g and catch over the edge of the block h;
these catches are forced apart by the spring 9. To the slide block h
is fixed the end of the cutter bar h, a shoulder on which fits in a
recess in the block h, and the cutter bar is held secure by the bolt h.
This cutter bar is provided with four cutters ³, but the number of cutters
may be increased or reduced; the front cutter is narrower than the
others, which gradually increase in width, as shewn in Figure 5; by this
means when the tools are drawn back each cutter gets into a space
wider than itself, thereby giving facility for advancing the machine
for the next cut. On referring to Figures 1 and 5 it will be seen that
the slide block is made with recesses above and below corresponding
to the shoulders on the cutter bar h', which can thus be brought either
close to or at a certain distance from the floor of the minc. The
cylinder a is made with the two brackets a³, to which arc attached the
slides i. The fast cross head or slide block g works in the grooves in
the slides i. The slide block h also works in the grooves, but does
not come in contact with the faces of the slides. The two rollers g³
are mounted on the fast cross head 7; one of these rollers communicates
motion through the lever k, the rod, the catches and to the
ratchet wheel fixed to the traversing shaft 1. At the lower end
of the shaft is fixed the spaced wheel, around which passes the
chain. Both ends of this chain being fixed it is evident that when
the shaft is turned partly round the whole machine is traversed a
short distance along the face of the coal in the direction of the arrow.
The other roller g³ communicates motion through the bent lever 7, the
crank lever 1, and link to the valve c. The machine is carried
when at work upon the wheels m and n. The wheels m run upon the
strong front rail o, which requires to be
mine by propping from the roof, or otherwise, in order to keep the
machine to its work. The wheels n run upon the back rail p, which
may be secured by staying from the rail o. The axles of the wheels n
are connected by the belt q, see Figure 4; these axles pass through slots
in the brackets cast to the cylinder a, and by this means the wheels
can adjust themselves to the rails. The supplementary wheels are
set at right angles to the others, and facilitate the removal of the
machine in any direction. These wheels are mounted on studs fixed
secured to the floor of the

page_text: to the levers, and they can be raised or depressed at pleasure. The
piston rod 6' is shown to be eccentric to the piston b, for the purpose
of bringing it nearer in line with the cutting tools ³, and the piston
rod is of large diameter to reduce the area of the front of the cylinder,
as the power required to make the inward or non-cutting stroke is not
ncar so great as that for the outward one. The valve c may be of
any suitable class, but I prefer a double-ported one, as shewn in
Figure 5.
The mode of operation is as follows, and the Drawings represent
the cutters at about half their outward stroke; when in this position
the pin is the fulcrum of the tool holder 7, and the block is held
up to the block g by the catches ; at this time the compressed air
or other fluid is passing from the chest c¹ through the port a¹. I wish to
remark here that the valve c ought to have been shewn about three-
eighths of an inch nearer to the front end of the cylinder, so as to shew
the port a¹ open, and the valve d should also have been shewn open,
being held open by the air passing through it. When the cutters
arrive near the end of their stroke the catches g pass through an
opening in the stay , thereby releasing the block h, and when the
cutters are at the end of the stroke the position of the valve c is
reversed, and the air passes through the port and pipe a² and 'tap e
to the front of the piston, at the same time' the spring d closes the
valve d as far as the screw d' will allow it. The moment the return.
stroke commences the exhausted air passes the valve d through the
passage a', through the valve c, and into the eduction pipe as, the
connection between the interior of the valve c and the chest c¹ being
closed by the packing shewn in Figure 5. When the return stroke.
commences the cutter bar is allowed to fall back to release the
cutters from the face of the coal by the pin g³ being smaller than
the hole in which it fits. When the cutters are nearly at the end of
the return stroke the shoulder * comes against the latch h, which forces
the block against the block g, the spring g' then forces the catches g
asunder to hold the blocks together, when the shoulder comes
against the latch 5, or about that time one of the rollers g³ comes in
contact with the lever, which imparts the requisite lateral motion
to the machine in the direction of the arrow in Figure 3, for giving the
next cut. The position of the lever k, and consequently the amount
of traverse of the machine, is regulated by the spring and bolt within
it; this spring forces the lever back when the cutters are partly

page_text: advanced in the next cut. Previous to the advance of the cutters the
position of the valve c is again reversed by the other roller acting
on the lever 1, as above described. When the machine is worked in
the contrary direction to that indicated by the arrow in Figure 3, the
fulcrum stud g¹ is put in the place of g³, and the catches are placed
in the opposite recesses; the position of the tool bar and latch
is also reversed, and the chain is led on to the outer side of the
wheel º.
Figure 13 is a longitudinal section, and Figure 11 a plan of a modification
of my improved machinery. In this arrangement the inward or non-
cutting stroke is produced with a portion of the air or other fluid that
has been already used to drive out the piston. « is the cylinder;
b, the piston; and c, the valve, which in this case is shown as uncovering
two narrow ports at to admit air from the chest c' to the back of the
piston, there to produce the outward stroke. Afterwards the air passes
into and through the valve c to the port a³, along which and through
the flap valves and into the reservoir ta portion of the air or other
fluid freely passes; the air can also pass through the valve s¹ to the
front of the piston. There is also an exhaust port or pipe in the side
of the passage a³, the area of which is regulated by the sliding shutter u,
shewn in dotted lines, or any other equivalent may be used instead of
the sliding shutter. When the air is allowed to pass from the back
of the piston to the port and passage a² it rushes through the exhaust
port at the same time as through the valves, but as the area of
the port is much smaller than the opening covered by the valve s
the reservoir becomes filled before the pressure is very much reduced.
As soon as the reservoir and the space between the front of the
piston and the cylinder end are filled to the pressure of that in the
port as the valve s closes and retains all the air that has passed through;
the remainder escapes through the opening u. vis a compound tap
or valve shewn detached in Figures 15 and 16, and connected to the
passage between the end of the cylinder a and the reservoir t; this
tap is to allow the air to escape after having produced the inward
stroke; the area of this tap can be adjusted by turning the plug v¹ so
as to regulate the exhaust and prevent the piston striking the end of
the cylinder. In Figure 13 the piston rod b¹ is shewn concentric to the
piston ; the roller ³ acts upon. the double elbow lever which works
both the valves c and through the link . The lever is acted
upon by the edge of the sliding block g, and gives the requisite lateral

page_text: motion to the machine, as described in reference to Figure 3. The other
parts of the machine are similar to those above described, and do not
need to be more particularly referred to.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, and described the
manner of performing the same, I wish it to be understood that I do
not intend to limit myself to the details given; I would also remark that
my improvements may be used combined as shewn, or independently of
cach other, and I claim,-
First. The application and use of a valve or valves or regulators in
addition to the main valve to control the exhaust, as described.
Secondly. Placing the piston rod eccentrically to the piston, for the
purpose described.
Thirdly. The improved mode of allowing the cutting tools to fall
away from the face of the coal or other mineral at the return stroke,
as shewn and described.
Fourthly. Attaching the cutting tool, or tools to the upper or lower
part of the slide block to vary the height of the cut from the floor
of the mine, as shewn and described.
Fifthly. The application of additional wheels set at right angles to
the supporting wheels to facilitate the removal of the machine from
one part of the mine to the other.
And, lastly. The improved mode of using a portion of the air or
other fluid employed for working the machine to effect the inward
stroke of the cutters, as shewn and described in reference to Figures 13.
and 14.
In witness whereof, I, the said John William Melling, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, the Seventh day of August, Onc
thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
JOHN WILLIAM MELLING. (L.S.)