IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY EMPLOYED IN FORMING TUNNELS AND GALLERIES IN ROCKS
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Herbert Newton Penrice, of Witton House, near
Norwich, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY EMPLOYED IN
FORMING TUNNELS AND GALLERIES IN ROCKS."
Şealed the 20th April 1866, and dated the 8th January 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Herbert Newton Penrice
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 8th January 1866.
I, HERBERT NEWTON PENRICE, of Witton House, near Norwich, do hereby.
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY,
EMPLOYED IN FORMING TUNNELS AND GALLERIES IN Rocks," to be as follows:--
This Invention has for its object improvements in machinery employed in
forming tunnels and galleries in rocks. For these purposes a circular plate or,
frame with radial arms or otherwise is employed, on the face of which are
projecting tools or cutters which are set in concentric circular rings or other-
wise, and it is sometimes preferred that when such projecting tools or cutters
are set in concentric circles that the cutters or tools of some of the rings should,

page_text: project beyond others in order that they may produce circular grooves in the
face of the work whilst other circles of the tools or cutters break down the
rings of rock intermediate of the circular grooves. This frame or plate is
made to move to and fro a short distance at a high velocity, and such plate or
'frame is caused to turn so that each tool or cutter may be advanced slightly
between the succeeding cuts. In these particulars, and in regard to constructing
the engine which gives motion to the plate or frame, the present machinery is
nearly similar to that previously employed by me, and which is well known. The
small engine which drives the slide valve of the larger cylinder also by suitable
gearing gives the step-by-step rotation. The forward part of this machinery is
supported by a sledge or curved support of the radius of the cylindrical cut made
by the machinery. This sledge or support is made in two parts, one of which
is capable of adjustment whilst the other part is fixed. This arrangement is
necessary in consequence of the tendency of the fore part of the machine to
droop in working. The hinder part of the machine is carried by a pair of
wheels which are in radial planes, so that they do not rest on the bottom of
the tunnel but have an angular space between them, leaving the bottom of the
cutting for the passage of the slush and for the broken stone to be moved back,
which is done by an endless chain with rakes thereon. The engine is worked
by compressed air, steam, or other fluid, and in order that the carriage of the
machine may be moved to its work, and at the same time be in a condition to
resist the shocks consequent on the strokes or blows of the tools or cutters on
the circular plate or frame, a third wheel is employed, which is constantly
pressed upwards with force against the roof or top of the cutting by a powerful
spring. It is preferred that this upper wheel should be directly above the two
carrying radial wheels before mentioned in order that the pressure of the
spring may be such as to cause such wheels to present more friction against
the lower surface of the cutting than they would do by the simple weight of
the machinery, and it is desirable that the tires of these wheels (the faces of
which correspond with the curve of the cutting against which they press)
should be rough or spiked to give them better holding when propelling the
carriages of the machine, and if desired the upper wheel may also be driven.
The carrying wheels, which are in radial planes, receive motion from the
engine by means of screw wheels on their axles, which are driven by screws,
these screws are on two shafts which receive motion from the engine. The
endless chain of rakes or scrapers which move back the broken stone and
slush or mud receives motion from a transverse shaft which by means of chain.
wheels and two endless chains gives motion to the drum or barrel over which

page_text: The transverse.
the links of the endless chain of paddles or scrapers move.
shaft by a screw and screw wheels receives motion from another shaft driven,
by the engine.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed-
by the said Herbert Newton Penrice in the Great Seal Patent Office on'
the 5th July 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HERBERT.
NEWTON PENRICE, of Witton House, near Norwich, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of January, in the year of our Lord.
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Herbert Newton Penrice, Her special licence that I, the said Herbert
Newton Penrice, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said. Herbert Newton Penrice, 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 EMPLOYED IN FORMING TUNNELS
AND GALLERIES IN ROCKS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Herbert Newton Penrice, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should
particularly 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 I, the said Herbert Newton Penrice, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same iş
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 machinery employed in
forming tunnels and galleries in rocks. For these purposes a circular plate
or frame with radial arms or otherwise is employed, on the face of which are.
projecting tools or cutters which are set in concentric circular rings or other-

page_text: wise, and it is sometimes preferred that when such projecting tools or cutters
are set in concentric circles that the cutters or tools of some of the rings-
should project beyond others, in order that they may produce circular grooves
in the face of the work whilst other circles of the tools or cutters break down
the rings of rock intermediate of the circular grooves. This frame or plate
is made to move to and fro a short distance at a high velocity, and such plate
or frame is caused to turn so that each tool or cutter may be advanced slightly
between the succeeding cuts. In these particulars, and in regard to construct-
ing the engine which gives motion to the plate or frame, the present machinery
is nearly similar to that previously employed by me, and which is well known.
The small engine which drives the slide valve of the larger cylinder also by
suitable gearing gives the step-by-step rotation. The forward part of this
machinery is supported by a sledge or curved support of the radius of the
cylindrical cut made by the machinery. This sledge or support is made in
two parts, one of which is capable of adjustment whilst the other part is
fixed. This arrangement is necessary in consequence of the tendency of the
fore part of the machine to drop in working. The hinder part of the machine
is carried by a pair of wheels which are in radial planes, so that they do not
rest on the bottom of the tunnel, but have an angular space between them,
leaving the bottom of the cutting for the passage of the slush and for the
broken stone to be moved back, which is done by an endless chain with
rakes thereon. The engine is worked by compressed air, steam, or other
fluid, and in order that the carriage of the machine may be moved up to its
work, and at the same time be in a condition to resist the shocks consequent
on the strokes or blows of the tools or cutters on the circular plate or frame,
a third wheel is employed which is constantly pressed upwards with force
against the roof or top of the cutting by a powerful spring. It is preferred
that this upper wheel should be directly above the two carrying radial wheels
before mentioned, in order that the pressure of the spring may be such as to
cause such wheels to present more friction against the lower surface of the
cutting than they would do by the simple weight of the machinery, and it is
desirable that the tires of these wheels (the faces of which correspond with
the curve of the cutting against which they press) should be rough or spiked
to give them better holding when propelling the carriages of the machine, and
if desired the upper wheel may also be driven. The carrying wheels which are
in radial planes receive motion from the engine by means of screw wheels on
their axles which are driven by screws, these screws are on two shafts which
receive motion from the engine. The endless chain of rakes or scrapers which.

page_text: move back the broken stono and slush or mud receives motion from a transverse
shaft, which by means of chain wheels and two endless chains gives motion to
the drum or barrel over which the links of the endless chain of paddles or
Scrapers move. The transverse sbaft by a screw and screw wheels receives
motion from another shaft driven by the engine.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, I will proceed more
fully to describe the manner of performing the same.
I
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
or
takes. The shaft
main shaft f, which
Figure 1 shows a side elevation, partly in section, of the principal parts of
a machine constructed and combined according to my Invention, the main
details not being shown, as they will be fully understood by an engineer and
readily applied, and they form no part of my Invention; Figure 2 shows the
back end elevation; Figure 3, a front end elevation; and Figures 4, 5, and 6
show transverse sections taken at the several places marked indicated 'on
Figure 1. In each of these Figures the same letters indicate the same parts
a, a, is the cylinder of the engine in which the piston b works, and c, c, is
the piston rod or cylinder to, which the circular plate or frame which carries
the tools or cutters is affixed. The piston rod or cylinder c, c, is arranged
to turn in bearings as is shown, and it has fixed on it the screw wheel or ring
with screw teeth e, e, into which a screw e¹ on the shaft
e turns in suitable bearings and receives motion from the
is driven by the small engine h which works the valve of the main engine a, a
From the main shaft f is derived all the motion of the machine as will
readily be traced on examining the Drawings; the details however of the
gearing are not shown, but the power it will be seen in each case is trans-
mitted from the main shaft to transverse shafts by screws and screw wheels.
The compressed air or other fluid employed is at all times acting.
on the
smaller area of the piston in the cylinder a, a, and by the valve it is alternately
shut off from and allowed to pass to the larger area of that piston as iš
well understood. i, i, is the endless chain of rakes or scrapers by which
the mud and broken stones are moved back, which receives inotion from the
inain shaft f, as is shown in Figures 1 and 2, by means of a transverse shaft
and of endless chains and chain wheels. jj, are two wheels the tyrės of
which are formed to a curve corresponding with the cutting which is being
formed by the machinery; these two wheels turn in planes which radiate
from the centre of the cutting or tunnel, and their axles receive motion by
screws and screw wheels from two parallet shafts k, k, as is shewn in Figure 5,

page_text: and such shafts k, k, receive motion from the main shaft f by means of a
screw and screw wheel and transverse shaft l, which by screws and. screw
wheels give motion to the two shafts, as will readily be understood by reference
to Figures 1 and 6 of the Drawings. Above the two wheels j, j, is a third
wheel m, which is constantly pressed upwards by a strong spring against the
roof or top of the cutting or tunnel; this third wheel serves two purposes, as
by pressing the peripheries of the carrying wheels j, j, (which I prefer should
be roughed or spiked) they offer more friction and holding when propelling
the machinery forward than would be the case if these wheels simply depended
on the weight of the machinery, and this wheel m together with the wheels
j,j, and the weight of the machinery, offer the requisite resistance to the back
thrust consequent on the forcible striking of the cutters against the face of
the work. n, n, is a sledge on which the fore part of the machinery is
supported; this sledge is curved to correspond with the form of the lower
parts of the cutting or tunnel. In working it is found that there is a
tendency to descend from a horizontal line, and consequently when a true
horizontal cutting is desired, or when it is desired to rise, it is necessary
to have means of raising the fore end from time to time to cause the working
to be as truly horizontal as may be, and it is also necessary to have the
means of regulating the position of the parts of the sledge so as to cause the
working to be kept to the desired line, whether that line be truly horizontal
or inclined thereto either in an upward or downward direction, this is
accomplished by having the sledge or under support n, n, in two parts as
shown in the Drawings, with adjusting screws as shewn. For this purpose
the central part of the sledge n is fixed and constant, and is supported by
and slides on the bottom of the cutting; but when it is desired to cause the
fore part of the machine to rise, the moveable or adjustable part of the sledge
is adjusted, and this adjustment is by means of screws n', n³, which are
arranged to depress the moveable fore part n* of the sledge which is carried by
two side pieces n³, n², turning at their hinder ends on the axes or studs n³, n³.
By depressing the fore end n* of the sledge slightly. below the fore end
of the fixed part n of the fixed part of the sledge the working will be in a
direction slightly upward, and when the fore part of the fixed part n has
been moved with the fore end of the machinery over the newly cut parts of
the work the moveable part n* of the sledge is to be raised and the sledge
will then act as if all in one piece, the front part n supporting the fore end
of the machinery for a short time.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of

page_text: performing the same, I would have it understood that what I claim is the
combined arrangement herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Herbert Newton Penrice, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of June in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
H. N. PENRICE.
(L.S.)