AN INSTRUMENT, ENGINE, OR MACHINE, TO BE WORKED BY STEAM, OR WATER, OR HORSES, FOR THE PURPOSE OF BOREING CYLINDERS OF IRON AND BRASS FOR STEAM ENGINES, AIR PUMPS, AND OTHER MACHINES, WHEREBY SUCH CYLINDERS ARE BORED MORE TRUE, SMOOTHER, AND WITH GREATER FACILITY
Year: 1802

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, MICHAEL-
BILLINGSLEY, of Birkinshaw, in the County of York, Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS His present Majesty King George the Third, in and by His
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Twenty-second day of
December, in the forty-third year of His reign, for Himself, His heirs and
successors, did give and grant unto me, the said Michael Billingsley, His
especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said Michael
Billingsley, my executors, administrators, and assigns, by myself and them--
selves, or by my or their deputy or deputies, servants or agents, or such other as
I, the said Michael Billingsley, my executors, administrators, or 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 that part of His said Majesty's United King-
dom called England, His Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-
Tweed, my Invention of "AN INSTRUMENT, ENGINE, OR MACHINE, TO BE WORKED
BY STEAM, OR WATER, OR HORSES, FOR THE PURPOSE OF BOREING CYLINDERS OF IRON
AND BRASS FOR STEAM ENGINES, AIR PUMPS, AND OTHER MACHINES, WHEREBY SUCH
CYLINDERS ARE BORED MORE TRUE, SMOOTHER, AND WITH GREATER FACILITY;" in

page_text: which said Letters Patent there is contained a proviso obliging me, the
said Michael Billingsley, by an instrument in writing under my hand and
seal, particularly to describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, and to cause the same to be
inrolled in His said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within one calendar
month next and immediately after the date of the said recited Letters
Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereto had, will more fully
and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Michael Billingsley, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be
performed, as herein-after particularly described, as follows, that is to say :-
My instrument, engine, or machine, consists of certain parts or apparatus
organized and connected together in such a manner that the cylinder intended
to be bored shall preserve a vertical position as to the axis thereof, instead of the
horizontal position heretofore adopted and used; by which means I permit the
sand and borcings from the face of the metal to fall down, instead of occupying
one side of the cylindar, and wearing away the edges of the cutters, so as to
require them frequently to be changed, and to cause an irregularity in the
figure, and even in the diameter of the cylinder, thereby rendering the same
much less effectual for steam engines, or any other piston work, in which it is
essential the fittings should be very accurate. Whereas, in my new method,
the finishing part of the cutters are employed upon a clean face of metal, and
not being encumbered with the cuttings, the cutters go completely through
from first to last without requiring to be changed, and bore the cylinder with
the utmost precision and truth.
The Drawing hereunto annexed represents a section of the said instrument,
engine, or machine, in which A, A, represents a round pit, walled with stone
.or brick, about four feet deep, with cast-iron pillars, firmly built and bedded in
the masonry thereof, for the purpose of screwing down a cast-iron ring on a
level with the mill floor. B is a strong plate fixed in the building of the pit,
and serving to afford a proper support for the gudgeons of the hori-
zontal wheels. K, K, represent two initre-gear wheels, communicating from
the first mover. D is a wheel upon the same arbor as K, and serving to drive
another horizontal wheel C, into which last wheel the boring rod G is inserted,
and by which the said boring rod is carried round. F represents an hori-
zontal strong metallic piece, formed of eight radii or arms, proceeding from
the centre where the brasses or collar work of the boring rod are lodged.
This horizontal frame is very firmly screwed to the iron bolts in the masonry.

page_text: It serves to support the standards H, which can be slided to different distances
from the centre, and there fixed so as to retain the cylinder by means of the
clamp I. J, J, represents the cylinder, fixed below by the clamp I, and above
by screws 7, proceeding from a strong metallic ring represented at P. L, L,
are two very strong uprights of cast iron, screwed to the bottom ring F, and
supporting the cross piece S, which affords the upper collar for the boring rod G.
M is the boring head, carrying the cutters, as fixed in N, the sliding collar.
0, 0, two racks, which carry the boring head down the cylinder. R is a strap
embracing the boring rod and the wheel T, which last is by that means carried
round. The train of wheelwork U, V, W, X, in the usual manner of tooth
and pinion work, produce a slow motion in the arbor Y, which, by means
of the pinions Z, Z, cause the racks O, O, to work the boring head
downwards.
From the foregoing description of the machinery, every competent workman
or engineer will easily understand the process or mode of operation, for which
reason it is unnecessary to enter into any further detail. I, therefore, shall
only observe, that the communication from the first mover to the boring rod G
may be varied as to the number and figure of the wheels; and also that the
slow motion of Y may be effected by other trains of wheelwork, or by a screw,
or by various other well-known methods, which skilful workmen will find no
difficulty on applying to the instrument, engine, or machine here described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Michael Billingsley, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Twenty-eighth day of December, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and two.
MICHAEL BILLINGSLEY. (L.S.)
Signed, scaled, and delivered by the
within-named Michael Billingsley
(being first duly stamped), in the
presence of

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the same Twenty-eighth day of
December, in the year above mentioned, the aforesaid Michael Billingsley
came before our Lord the King in His 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 Thirtieth day of December, in the year above written.