IMPROVE- MENTS IN ROCK-BORING APPARATUS
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Thomas Jones and Joseph Henry Wild both of
Leeds in the County of York, Engineers for an Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN ROCK-BORING APPARATUS "
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Thomas Jones and
Joseph Henry Wild at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
10th December 1883.
JOSEPH THOMAS JONES and JOSEPH HENRY WILD both of Leeds in the County
of York, Engineers "IMPROVEMENTS IN ROCK-BORING APPARATUS."
This invention relates to the application of percussive drills in sub-aqueous rock
boring, and the invention consists in the means for applying the same.
The drills we employ may be of any pattern and worked by air steam or
other suitable motive force. We also employ a vessel or floating structure similar
to that described in the specification of a patent granted to us and dated
22nd December 1881, N° 5614.
In carrying out our invention we lower a tube which we will term a guide
This tube should be of
tube, on to the rock in which the bore hole is to be made.
a length sufficient to reach from the platform of the vessel or the stageing above
high water mark for which purpose we prefer that it shall be composed of several
lengths which may be added to or diminished according to the state of the tide.
The drill which is provided with suitable flexible pipes to convey the air or
steam to the cylinder, to exhaust from the cylinder, and to convey water to the
bore hole to wash it out is let down into the tube by means of a chain or rope
which is passed over a pulley at the jib head of a crane to a winch on the
platform of the vessel or stageing.
Suitable means will be provided in the guide tube to prevent the cylinder of
the drill turning round during work and thereby twisting or straining the flexible
supply pipes.
To the top of the guide tube is attached in any convenient manner so as to be
easily removed a cross head in which a screw of any suitable length works. The
lower end of this screw which we will call the feed screw is to be attached by a

page_text: swivelling connection to the hoisting chain in the guide tube when the drill is
lowered into position for working, and will thus support the drill in the tube.
The hoisting chain may then be slackened from the winch so that the motion of the
vessel, should there be any, will have no effect upon the guide tube.
As the drill works in the bore hole the feed screw is gradually turned by means
of a hand wheel on its upper end which will allow the drill to descend.
The air or steam and water piping is wound on a hollow barrel or cylinder
which is divided transversely of its length into two compartments one for the air or
steam and the other for the water.
This cylinder is mounted on a hollow shaft, or fitted with trunnions which work
in suitable stuffing boxes arranged to permit of the passage of the air or steam for
working the drill and the water for clearing out the bore hole to the respective ends
of the cylinder.
The piping is secured to the cylinder by union joints or in any other convenient
manner.
Guide pulleys are provided in suitable positions on the platform of the vessel or
stageing over which the piping passes to the guide tube.
The water pipe is connected to a piece of tube of a diameter sufficiently small to
allow its entering the hole made by the steel drill bar. This tube is attached to
the lower end of the cylinder of the percussive drill and is intended to direct a
stream of water into the bore hole to clear away the débris. The exhaust air or
steam may be allowed to escape at the valve box of the drill, or it can be brought
to the surface by means of a flexible tube passing over a pulley in the same manner
as the other tubes.
The modus operandi is as follows:-The guide tube is first lowered on to the
rock, the drill with the piping attached is then lowered by the rope or chain winch
into the guide tube, the flexible hoses being simultaneously payed out from the
hollow roller or barrel until the drill rests on the bottom; the loose crosshead with
feed screw is then fixed on to the top of the guide tube and the end of the screw
is fastened by the swivelling shackle to the rope or chain. The winch is then
slackened out allowing the whole weight of the drill to be carried by the feed
screw and cross head on the top of the guide tube, the air and water piping is also
payed out so that it hangs loosely over the guide pulleys to prevent the action of
the drill being interfered with in the event of the vessel rolling or pitching during
the progress of the boring. The drill is started and the boring is continued until
the feed screw is run out. The chain or rope is then tightened up by the winch
so as to carry the weight of the drill while the feed screw is being released, run
back, and secured again to the chain at a higher point, the winch is then again
slackened off so that the drill shall be carried by the screw and the boring is
continued. This operation is repeated as many times as may be necessary until the
boring is complete.
It will be understood that while the drill is working the water for washing
away the debris will be kept turned on so that a continuous stream is continually
passing through the tube at the lower end of the drill into the bore hole.
The drill is then drawn out of the hole by the winch and at the same time the
flexible tubes are coiled up on the hollow roller or barrel.
When it is required to add to or shorten the length of the guide tube during the
boring operations the crosshead is removed and the drill and flexible tubes are
drawn up out of the guide tube, a length of tube is then fixed to or taken from the
top of the guide tube. The drill is then again lowered, the crosshead is attached,
the feedscrew secured to the chain and the boring proceeds as before explained.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Joseph Thomas Jones and Joseph Henry Wild in the Patent
Office on the 10th June 1884.
JOSEPH THOMAS JONES and JOSEPH HENRY WILD both of Leeds in the County
of York, Engineers "IMPROVEMENTS IN ROCK-BORING APPARATUS
"
This Invention relates to the application of percussive drills in sub aqueous rock
boring and the Invention consists in the means for applying the same.
The drills we employ may be of any pattern and worked by air steam or other
suitable motive force. We also employ a vessel or floating structure similar to that
described in the Specification of a Patent granted to us and dated 22nd December
1881 N° 5614.
In carrying out our Invention we lower from the vessel or stageing a tube,
which we will term a guide tube, onto the rock in which the bore hole is to be
made
The drill which may be on any suitable construction and provided with suitable
flexible pipes to convey the air or steam to the cylinder, to exhaust from the
cylinder and to convey water to the bore hole to wash it out, is let down into the
tube by means of a chain or rope which is passed over a pulley at the jib head of a
crane or on a traveller to a winch on the platform of the vessel or stageing.
In the accompanying drawings Fig: is an end view of a floating structure
with our improved apparatus adapted thereto and Fig: 2 is a side view of the
same.
A A are pontoons which are connected together in any convenient manner and
support a platform B.
Upon the platform is mounted a traveller C constructed in a manner similar to
that described in the Specification before referred to and provided with carriages D
from which the boring tools are hung by means of chains E. These chains are
secured to and are wound up upon hand winches F also carried by the traveller C.
G is the guide tube which we construct in lengths so that the tube may be
Jengthened or shortened according to the state of the tide if a floating structure is
being employed. This tube is provided internally with a feather or guide rod or
other convenient means to prevent the cylinder of the drill turning round during
work. The guide tube is lowered onto the rock it is desired to bore in any
convenient manner.
H is the. percussive drill which may be of any suitable construction and is
attached to a chain E and is let down in the guide tube until the bit touches the
rock. The drill is worked either by air water or steam as may be preferred though
there are disadvantages connected with steam which would render its use
undesirable.
Attached to the bottom of the drill cylinder is a cylindrical casing or tube a the
lower part of which is of a diameter nearly equal to that of the point of the bit so
that it can enter the hole formed by the bit in the rock. The bit works in this
tube a which is intended to convey water into the bore hole to clear the same of
debris as the tool works.-Water is conveyed to this tube a by means of the
flexible pipe b.-The air or other fluid to work the drill is conveyed to the drill
cylinder by means of a flexible pipe c and the exhaust air or other fluid may be
allowed to escape direct into the guide tube at d the valve box of the drill or it
may be brought to the surface by another flexible pipe.
The pipes b and c are connected by union joints or in any other convenient
manner to opposite ends of a hollow cylinder or drum on which they are wound up.
This cylinder is divided transversely of its length into two compartments I
and I the one I for the water and the other I' for the air or other motor fluid.

page_text: The cylinder is mounted either upon a hollow shaft or is fitted with trunnions
which work in suitable stuffing boxes or blocks arranged to permit of the passage
of the air or other fluid for working the drill and of the water for clearing out the
bore hole, into the compartments into which the fluids are forced by pumps or in
any other convenient manner.
To the top of the guide tube G is attached so as to be easily removed a
crosshead J shown detached in plan view at Fig: 3 in which works a screw K of
any suitable length. The lower end of this screw which we will term the feeding
screw is attached by a swivelling connection to a link of the hoisting chain E when
the drill is in position in the guide tube.
When the chain is attached to the screw the screw will bear the weight of the
drill and that portion of the chain below it, the remainder of the chain being
slackened out so that the motion of the vessel will not affect the guide tube which
will be quite free.
When attaching the chain E to the screw K. the latter is raised to its highest
position and as the boring progresses the screw is turned by means of a hand
wheel K on its upper end and thus the drill will be allowed to descend as
required
The modus operandi is as follows.-The guide tube G is first lowered on to the
rock the drill H with the pipes b c attached is then lowered by the rope or chain E
into the guide tube the pipes b c being simultaneously payed out from the hollow
cylinder or drum until the drill rests on the bottom. The loose crosshead J with
feed screw K is then fixed on to the top of the guide tube G and the end of the
screw is fastened by the swivelling shackle or connection to the rope or chain E.
The hoisting chain E is then slackened out allowing the whole weight of the drill
to be carried by the feed screw K and crosshead J on the top of the guide tube.
The air and water pipes b c are also payed out so that they hang loosely over their
guide pulleys to prevent the action of the drill being interfered with in the event of
the vessel rolling or pitching during the progress of the boring.-The drill is started
and the boring is continued until the feed screw is run out.-The chain or rope E
is then tightened up by the winch so as to carry the weight of the drill while the
feed screw K is being released run back and secured again to the chain E at a
higher point, the chain E is then again slackened off so that the drill shall be
carried by the screw as before and the boring is continued.-This operation is
repeated as many times as may be necessary until the boring is complete-The drill
is then drawn out of the hole by the winch and at the same time the flexible tubes
are coiled upon the hollow cylinder or drum.
When it is required to add to or shorten the length of the guide tube during the
boring operations the crosshead is removed and the drill and flexible tubes are
drawn up out of the guide tube.-A length of tube is then fixed to or taken from
the top of the guide tube and the drill is again lowered in the tube the crosshead
is replaced the feed screw secured to the chain and the boring proceeds as before
explained.
It will be understood that while the drill is working the water for washing away
the debris will be kept turned on so that a continuous stream is continually passing
through the tube at the lower end of the drill into the bore hole.
We may here remark that we are aware percussive drills have been used for
boring rocks under water but the drill cylinder has always been above water the
bit or tool being made of sufficient length to reach the rock the result of which is
that the tools are continually breaking from the jar. In our improvements the
drill is placed as close to the rock as if the work was to be effected out of the
water.
Having now described the nature of our Invention for "Improvements in rock
boring apparatus" and explained the manner of carrying the same into effect We
claim-
First: The arrangement of apparatus substantially as herein shown and described
hinh

page_text: Second The means for gradually lowering the drill in the guide tube as the
boring progresses such means consisting of a crosshead to be fitted to the guide tube
and a feeding screw to which the hoisting chain or rope is connected substantially
as herein shown and described.
Third: In apparatus for boring rocks the use of a cylinder or drum I I¹
constructed substantially as herein shown and described and for the purpose set
forth
Fourth: The combination with the drill cylinder of a cylindrical tube or casing
to direct a stream of water into the bore hole to wash out the debris caused by the
working of the tool substantially as herein shown and described.
In witness whereof we the said Joseph Thomas Jones and Joseph Henry Wild
have hereunto set our bands and seals this Ninth day of June One thousand eight
hundred and eighty four.
JOSEPH. T. JUNES
(L.S.)
JOSEPH. HENRY. WILD (L.S.)