IMPROVE- MENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR CUTTING OR GETTING COAL OR OTHER MINERALS
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Alexander, of Gartsherric Iron Works, in
the County of Lanark, North Britain, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR CUTTING OR GETTING COAL OR
OTHER MINERALS."
Sealed the 11th June 1872, and dated the 19th December 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Alexander at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 19th December 1871.
I, JOHN ALEXANDER, of Gartsherrie Iron Works, in the County of
Lanark, North Britain, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR CUTTING OR GETTING
COAL OR OTHER MINERALS," to be as follows, that is to say :-
This Invention relates to the combining of the parts of machinery or
apparatus for cutting or getting coal or other minerals so as to obtain a
simple, efficient, durable, and satisfactory machine.

page_text: The working parts are carried on a horizontal iron frame running on
four wheels, which rest on a pair of rails, and are by preference quite
plain or unflanged, displacement off the rails being prevented by pins
or lugs fixed to or formed on the frame and projecting down beside the
rails. The cutting of the mineral is effected by a modification of the
well-known arrangement of cutters on an endless chain, distended by a
gib projecting out horizontally from one side of the frame. The wheel
by which the chain is moved is beneath the frame and fast on a
vertical shaft, passing up through a tubular support formed or fixed on
the frame. A bevil wheel on the upper part of the vertical shaft is
driven by a pinion on a horizontal shaft on which there is a spur wheel
driven by a pinion running on a stud. The pinion on the stud is formed
with or fixed to a spur wheel which is driven by a pinion on a horizontal
crank shaft actuated by means of a horizontal cylinder worked by com-
pressed air or other fluid. On the vertical shaft there is an eccentric or
crank the strap of which is connected to a lever arranged with a pawl to
act on a ratchet wheel fixed to a barrel on which a chain or rope is
wound. This chain or rope is passed round a pulley held at a fixed point,
a head of the machine, and the end of the chain or rope is returned and
fixed to the frame, so that the winding-up of the chain or rope produces
the requisite progressive movement of the machine along the rails.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Alexander in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 18th June 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
ALEXANDER, of Gartsherrie Iron Works, in the County of Lanark,
North Britain, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of December, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said John Alexander, Her special licence
that I, the said John Alexander, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said John Alexander, my executors,

page_text: 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 OR APPARATUS FOR CUTTING OR GETTING COAL OR OTHER MINERALS,”
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Alexander,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Alexander, 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 in writing, reference being had to the
accompanying Drawings, that is to say :-
My said Invention relates to the combining of the parts of machinery
or apparatus for cutting or getting coal or other minerals so as to obtain
a simple, efficient, durable, and satisfactory machine.
And in order that my said Invention and the manner of performing
the same may be properly understood, I hereunto append two Sheets of
explanatory Drawings, to be herein-after referred to, and representing a
modification of coal cutting apparatus as made with my inprovements.
In these Drawings the same reference numerals are used to mark the
same or like parts wherever they are repeated.
Figure 1, on Sheet 1 of the Drawings, is a plan of the machine, and
Figures 2 and 3 on Sheet 2 are a side elevation and a front end elevation.
The working parts are carried on a cast-iron frame 1, of a rectangular
form in plan, and running on four wheels 2, which rest on a pair of
rails 3, and are by preference quite plain or unflanged, displacement
from the rails being prevented by pins or lugs 4 fixed to the frame 1,
and projecting down beside the rails 3. The cutting of the mineral is
effected by a modification of the well-known arrangement of cutters 5 on
an endless chain 6, distended by a gib 7, projecting out horizontally from
one side of the frame 1, and carrying a toothed wheel between checks at

page_text: its outer end. The outer part of the gib 7 is made adjustable, being
formed with a shank 8, which is screwed to receive adjusting nuts on
each side of a cross bar formed on the inner fixed part 9 of the gib. The
toothed wheel 10 by which the endless chain 6 is moved is beneath the
frame 1, and fast on a vertical shaft 11, passing up through a tubular
support 12, formed or fixed on the frame 1. A bevil wheel 13 on the
upper part of the vertical shaft 11 is driven by a bovil pinion 14 on a
horizontal shaft 15, on which there is a spur wheel 16 driven by a pinion
17 running on a stud 18. The pinion 17 on the stud 18 is formed with
or fixed to a spur wheel 19, which is driven by a pinion on a horizontal
crank shaft 20, carried in bearings formed for it in the forward part of
the frame 1. This crank shaft 20 has fast on it a fly wheel 21, and is
actuated in the ordinary way by means of a horizontal cylinder 22, bolted
down on the rear part of the frame 1, and worked by compressed air or
other fluid. The vertical shaft 13 has fixed at its upper end an eccentric
23 (or it might have a crank fixed or formed on it instead), the strap 24
of which is connected to a pair of levers 25, arranged with a pawl 26 to
act on a ratchet wheel 27, fixed to a barrel 28 on which a chain or rope
is wound. The journals of the barrel 28 turn in bearing blocks 29 bolted
upon the frame 1, and the levers 25 are centered loosely on one of the
journals, whilst a retaining pawl 30 prevents the barrel from slipping
back. The chain or rope which is wound on the barrel 28 is passed
round a pulley held at a fixed point ahead of the machine, and the end of
the chain or rope is returned and fixed to the frame 1, so that the barrel
acts with a double purchase, and by winding up the chain or rope
produces the requisite progressive movement of the machine along the
rails. The rails 3, which are by preference of malleable cast iron, are
laid upon transverse malleable cast-iron sleepers 31, which are contrived
to connect the lengths of rail and keep them to the proper gauge. For
this purpose the rail lengths 3 are formed with sockets at their ends to
fit upon snugs 32 cast on the sleepers 31, there being a pair of the snugs
at each end of each sleeper to receive the abutting ends of the rail
lengths. The sleepers 31 are also formed with flanges 33 at their ends,
one of which is set up against the coal face 34, whilst wedges, blocks, or
other convenient holders are applied against the other end to secure the
sleeper. With rails and sleepers combined in this way it is quite
unnecessary to lay any great length in advance of the machine, as those
over which the machine has passed can with great facility be lifted,
carried forward, and laid in front.

page_text: Where the thinness of the seam of coal or other mineral makes it
desirable the height of the machine can be reduced by a slight alteration
in the disposition of the parts, namely, by elongating the frame and
arranging the spur gearing all in the same horizontal plane, to admit of
which being done the crank shaft may be substituted by a shaft with an
overhung fly wheel and crank pin, the spur gearing being arranged
towards the inner side of the cylinder, and with the vertical shaft cither
inside or outside of it.
Having thus particularly described my said Invention and the manner
in which the same is to be performed, I have to state that I do not
restrict myself to the precise details herein described or delineated;
but that what I believe to be novel and original, and claim as the
Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters
Patent is, the arranging or combining together of the parts of machinery.
or apparatus for cutting or getting coal or other minerals substantially in
the improved manner herein described and delineated.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Alexander, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of June, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.
'
Witness,
Edmund HunT,
Patent Agent,
Glasgow.
JOHN ALEXANDER. (L.S.)