IMPROVED MEANS OF OR APPARATUS FOR BORING HOLES, SUCH APPARATUS BEING SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR BORING ROCK, COAL, MINERAL, OR OTHER MATERIAL
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Martin Macdermott, Architect, and Arthur David
Williams, Civil Engineer, both of 25 and 26, Pudding Lane, in
the City of London, for the Invention of "IMPROVED MEANS OF OR
APPARATUS FOR BORING HOLES, SUCH APPARATUS BEING SPECIALLY ADAPTED
FOR BORING ROCK, COAL, MINERAL, OR OTHER MATERIAL."
Scaled the 18th August 1871, and dated the 22nd February 1871.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Martin Macdermott and
Arthur David Williams at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition and Declaration, on the 22nd February
1871, pursuant to the 9th Section of the Patent Law Amendment
Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, MARTIN
MACDERMOTT, Architect, and ARTHUR DAVID WILLIAMS, Civil Engineer,
both of 25 and 26, Pudding Lane, in the City of London, send greeting.
WHEREAS we are in possession of an Invention for "IMPROVED MEANS
OF OR APPARATUS FOR BORING HOLES, SUCH APPARATUS BEING SPECIALLY ADAPTED

page_text: FOR BORING ROCK, COAL, MINERAL, OR OTHER MATERIAL," and have petitioned
Her Majesty to grant unto us, our executors, administrators, and assigns,
Her Royal Letters Patent for the same, and have made solemn Declara-
tion that we are the true and first. Inventors thereof.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Martin Macdermott and Arthur
David Williams, do hereby declare that the following Complete Specifi-
cation, under our hand and seal, fully describes and ascertaius the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to bo
performed, in and by the following statement:-
In the Letters Patent granted to Ferdinand Floran Villepique, dated
A.D. 1869, 4th October, No. 2878, for an Invention for "An Improved
Method of and Apparatus for Piercing or Boring Holes in Rock,
Mineral, and other Material of a similar Nature, Applicable in Tunnel,
Mine, Quarry, and other such Work," which Letters Patent by inden-
ture registered in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 22nd day of
April 1870, were wholly assigned and made over to us, certain
apparatus and implements are shown and described for the purposes
therein stated. We therefore finding that the nature of the substances
to be bored in the kinds of work referred to in the said Letters
Patent offers a great variety of conditions varying with the nature of
the material to be bored, with the position of the hole, and with other
circumstances, such as whether the boring has to be effected in
tunnel or in open workings, and so forth, have devised and do include
in this Invention improved apparatus for and improvements in the
methods of boring holes in rock, and so forth, so as to meet many of
those varying requirements not hitherto satisfied, and thus to render
the operation of boring for mining and other like purposes more rapid
and economical.
In the Specification of the Patent No. 2878, A.D. 1869, already
referred to, will be found a description of the apparatus forming the
subject of that Invention, and it is to be understood that our present
Invention includes improvements in the apparatus therein shown and
described, new and improved parts in connection therewith, and like-
wise new and improved apparatus for a like purpose.
For the purpose of boring rock or other like substance by cutting or
chipping the same by means of a cutting tool working under great
pressure, we use an apparatus consisting of the following principal

page_text: parts: Firstly, of a standard formed either of a metal tube of any
suitable section or of two or more bars or tubes fastened together so as
to form a single standard. This standard, whether single or otherwise,
carrics at one extremity thereof an oscillating foot piece furnished with
two or more claws working on an axle by which it is connected with tho
standard; and at the other extremity thereof is a screw terminating in a
point, which screw works in a nut within the tube; or we make in
some cases the nut revolve in which the screw last mentioned turns; in
this arrangement the head of the screw is furnished with claws.
Our apparatus consists, secondly, of "automatic feed mechanism"
attached to the standard firstly herein described, through. which
mechanism the main screw which actuates the advance of the drill
proper making the hole is passed, and this mechanism acting upon the
said screw, and being capable of adjustment at will by the man working
the implement, varics and regulates the advance of the boring tool so as
to proportion it to the varying resistance offered by the material itself
which is penetrated.
Our apparatus consists, thirdly, of the boring tool, which for materials
of medium hardness we make of a spiral form with a cutting end varied
to suit the materials to be bored. In some cases we enclose a spiral or
twist drill in a metal tube, within which it is made to revolve, leaving
the cutting end free to act.
We do not, however, limit ourselves to these particular kinds of drills
as boring tools of any required form or kind can be adjusted to our
apparatus.
The fourth and last principal part of our apparatus consists of a
handle, wheel, or other motor, by means of which the screw and boring
tool are driven.
Manual or other power can be applied to work our apparatus.
We now proceed to describe particularly, reference being had to the
annexed Drawings and the several letters and figures appearing on the
same, our various improvements and improved apparatus for boring in
rock and other like materials.
Figs. 1 and 2 represent respectively the front and side views (Fig. 1
being partly in section) of an improved apparatus, consisting of the
several principal parts herein-before described.

page_text: The standard is here composed of two metal tubes a and a', one
sliding within the other, the larger tube a¹ having a conical lead which
fits into a corresponding conical collar sliding outside the smaller tube,
and capable of being fixed at several points of the same by means of a
sliding wedge-shaped cotter b. The screw shown at one extremity of
the tubular standard a' has a foot piece triangular in plan with a claw at
cach of the angles, the tube a' and the nut which forms part of the same
turning on the said screw which remains stationary.
At the other
This form of standard is
length is required because
extremity of the standard is a rocking claw.
especially applicable where great variation in
of the telescopic arrangement of the tubes a and a³, and the rigid junction
obtained by the juxtaposition of the conical head and collar. Sliding on
the tube a are two clip collars, which may be clamped at any point of
the same. To the lower one of these collars are attached the handles
and gearing driving the screw, and the upper collar carries the automatic
feed mechanism (referred to in our foregoing general description) enclosed
in a box through which the main screw c passes, this screw being driven
by the handles by means of a chain and wheels connecting the handles
with the screw in the manner shown on the Drawing.
Figs. 11, 12, and 13 are Drawings to an enlarged scale of the auto-
matic feed mechanism (or slip nut) used in this apparatus, together with
the arrangement for driving the screw. Fig. 11 shows a sectional plan;
Fig. 12, a section on the line x, y, of the same; Fig. 13, a back view of
In this mechanism the
the same with the driving wheel i removed.
main or driving screw c passes through a nut d of the form shown,
which is fixed in the metal box c, but free to turn in the same. The
box c is attached to the standard a by means of a clip collar with conicał
attachment, as shown, which allows of the box and the box and the screw
which passes through it being fixed at various angles. Working on an
axle fixed to the box e is a chain wheel which by means of a chain
gears with the lower wheely attached to the axle driven by the handles.
The chain wheel has an elongated boss slotted externally to receive a
feather in the boss of the bevilled cog wheel h, the two working together
but allowing the wheel to slide towards the chain wheel when
required. Gearing with the wheel is another wheel i, the boss of
which carries a feather fitting in the keyway of the main scrow c, the
said wheel being free to slide along the screw c. At one end of the
metal box e here referred to is a ring of friction rollers for the purpose.
of reducing the friction between the box and the nut.

page_text: The brake arrangement is as follows:-On the outside of the box e is
attached a metal band fitting within the hood shaped part of the nut d,
which can be expanded and contracted by means of a lever & which is
fixed to the metal box e, leather or other suitable substance being
interposed between the band and the nut d. The part of the nut d
j
which contains the said band is toothed to gear with the wheel / when
required.
The effect of this arrangement is that when rotary motion is communi-
cated from the handles by means of the chain wheel g, f, h, i, to the
main screw c, the thrust of the screw on the nut is taken by the friction
rollers already described, the nut being thereby rendered free to revolve
with the screw, but brake power equal to the power of the motor being
applied by means of the metal band j and the lever k to the nut & its
rate of revolution or slip is regulated by the resistance encountered by
the drill attached to the screw.
The arrangement above described will be herein-after referred to as
the "slip nut." When the borer has to be withdrawn from the hole the
wheel is brought back on the screw c (to disconnect it from the wheel h),
the wheel is then geared to the nut & which can then be rapidly turned,
the screw c being withdrawn through the nut without revolving, and
the borer withdrawn straight from the hole with the detritus within its
spiral, thereby saving time and avoiding the clogging which might
otherwise occur.
Figs. 3 and 4 are a side and a back elevation of another form of our
apparatus specially (though not exclusively) adapted to boring holes
near the roof or the floor of headings. In this implement the brake
power instead of being applied directly to the "slip nut," as in the
apparatus last described, is placed near the driving handle in order to be
within easy reach of the workman, and is communicated to the slip nut
by means of a chain and wheels. These Figures show the standard
formed of a metal tube oval in section (by preference) having at one end
the pointed headed adjusting screw working in a nut within the standard,
already described, and in connection with which screw is a foot plate,
which however is only necessary in soft ground. To the other end of
the standard is fixed the box which contains the slip nut mechanism
through which the driving screw works; this box carries a rocking foot
piece and claws. Sliding on the standard is a clamp collar which carries
an axle, on one end of which works the driving chain wheel m together

page_text: with its handle. By means of a chain and a wheel a working in the
driving screw and having a "feather" within its boss which fits a key-
way in the said screw, the screw is driven through the slip nut contained
in the box, and at the other end of the axle last referred to a chain
wheel o works, the centre of which is of a conical form, as shown, and |
fits into a conical cup fixed on the axle. By means of the screw and
nut p the conical surfaces referred to (which have leather interposed)
are pressed together forming a brake, the retarding power of which is
communicated by means of a chain and a chain wheel to the slip nut,
the chain wheel 7 being fixed to or forming a part of the slip nut.
When boring, pressure so adjusted as to equal the power at the handle
is put on the brake o by means of the screw and nut p, the effect being
that when the thrust of the main screw working through the slip nut is
greater than the brake power communicated to the nut, the nut slips,
and thus renders the advance of the screw and the boring tool which
is fixed in it proportional to the resistance encountered by the borer.
When the hole has been bored the slip nut is released from the brake
power by slackening the nut p, the slip nut is then made to revolve by
turning the brake wheel o which has a handle for this purpose, and in
this way the direct withdrawal of the horer from the hole together with
the detritus contained in its spiral is effected.
Figs. 5, 6, and 5' represent respectively the side elevation, the back
elevation (with part in section), and a sectional plan of the form of
apparatus we prefer in cases where greater rigidity is required than it
is possible to obtain by the use of a single standard. In this form the
tubular metal standard is formed of two parts r and r¹, the latter sliding
through the telescopic neck formed in one end of the double tuber. By
means of a wedge cotter in the said neck the tube can be fixed at
various points of its lengths, and thus greater or less length of standard
can be obtained, additional adjustment as to length of standard being
obtainable by means of the screw passing through the nut in r³, as
shown. The upper end of the double tuber carries a rocking claw
which works in a conical swivel within the tube as shown. In the
interval between the double portions of the standard the metal box
containing the automatic feed mechanism through which the main
scrow a works is fixed by means of two sliding clamp collars, and any
desired direction can be given to the screw and borer attached with the
aid of the conical clamp bolts on either side of the box in conjunction

page_text: with the conical swivel joint by which the rocking foot piece and claws
are attached to the standard. To one end of the main screws is fixed a
socket carrying the spiral borer, to the other is attached a ratchet or
other handle for driving the screw.
We will now proceed to describe the feed mechanism contained in the
box through which the screw & works, reference being had to the
enlarged scale Drawings shown in Figs. 9 and 10. Fig. 9 being a side
elevation of the same with one side of the box removed; Fig. 10 á
sectional plan of the box and the mechanism therein contained. In this
arrangement the main screws passes between and gears with the worm
wheels and ', these latter being fixed to axles working in suitable
bearings in the box as shown. In each worm wheel is a metal band
having one end formed into an eye into which the pins or u¹ are
inserted, these pins being fixed also to the portion of the metal box
which is not shown in Fig. 9. The other end of each of the metal bands
last referred to attached to the clutch 10 of the form shown, which
clutch by means of the screw x is made to slide up or down and thus
cause the expansion of the metal bands bringing them with any required
pressure into contact with the leather or other like substance with which
the worm wheels and are lined. During the operation of boring a
|pressure equal to the power exerted to drive the main screws with its
borer is put on the worm wheels and by means of the screw ≈ (with
its clutch 10) which is worked by a handle outside the box as shown,
expanding the metal bands in the worm wheels. When the thrust of
the main screws is greater than the pressure or brake power of the
worn wheels the latter revolve and thus give an advance to the screw
and its borer proportional to the resistance the borer has to encounter.
When the hole has been bored by removing the pressure from the
worm wheels the screw can be drawn through them and the borer (with
the matter in its spiral) thus instantaneously withdrawn from the hole.
Figs. 7 and 8 represent respectively a side and a back elevation of a
novel apparatus for boring holes in hard rock by impact or percussion,
being an improvement upon an Invention described by us as a commu-
nication from abroad by Ferdinand Villepique, of Autun, in the Empire
of France, in a Provisional Specification lodged at the Great Seal Patent
Office and for which Provisional Protection was allowed bearing date
August 23rd, 1870, No. 2316, which Provisional Protection we finding
that the apparatus as thereunder described would not effect the purpose

page_text: for which it was devised we have not proceeded with, and in lieu thereof
we purpose to use the now to bo described apparatus of our own
Invention which is capable of boring in hard rock. The standard which
is formed of a metal tube, oval in section by preference, has at one end
our usual adjusting screw with pointed head and at the other the rocking
foot piece with claws already herein described. The axles for the
handles (or other motor) together with the frame containing the
mechanism for driving the boring bar are attached to and capable of
sliding on the standard by means of clamping pieces such as we have
already described. The boring bar or chisel having a suitable cutting
end rests in a cradle and between rollers as shown. By means of
mechanism contained in the interval between the metal frames in which
the rollers work the rotary motion communicated by means of a chain
from the handle is converted into an intermittent traction motion which
acting with springs and other mechanism throws the bar forward with
great force and rapidity.
We now proceed to describe particularly the said mechanism, reference
being had to the enlarged Drawings, Fig. 144, which represents a section
on the line A, B; Fig. 15 a side elevation of the mechanism and frames;
Fig. 16 a longitudinal section on the axis of the boring bar y; Fig. 17 a
section on the line B, 0; Fig. 18 a section of the line D, E; Figs. 19
and 20 show the side and top views of the "traction escapeinent.”
The boring bar y resting in the cradle F which has a spiral twist passes
between the rollers G. G¹, and G", the rollers working on axles which also
serve to connect the two frames H and H. The rollers G and G' with
their frame are arranged to turn back on hinges as shown to admit of
the removal of the boring bar, one end of the cradle F which is of the
form shown is formed into inclined planes against which presses a pin I
which passes through and connects a saddle shaped metal strap I', thic
latter serving as a connection between the bar and the cradle. To either
side of the strap I' is attached a spring, by preference of india-rubber,
the other ends of these springs being fixed with a bolt in an elongated
slot (at any point of the slot) in both frames. On the axle J one end of
which is fixed to the standard, work the wheels L and K, the latter
being the chain wheel which is driven by another lower chain wheel
fixed on the standard, the wheel L has a rocking escapement M working
on the pin N which is fixed on the wheel L as shown in Fig..19. A
portion of the escapement M. passes through the wheel Land locks the

page_text: same to the chain wheel K by means of a projection on the latter. At
the other end of the escapement M is a projection of the form shown in;
Fig. 20 which strikes against tlie bolt O fixed in the frame H. At one
end of the cradle F is fixed a traction band by preference of corrugated:
steel, which band passes under the cradle F and is attached at its other
extremity to the wheel L by means of the pin P. The effect of the
whole arrangement of parts above described is that motion being given,
to the chain wheel K (by means of the handle and chain), this chain.
wheel being locked by the escapement M to the wheel L, the latter by
its traction band draws back the cradle F and springs together with the
boring bar y. The increasing tension of the springs has the effect of
clutching the boring bar by the pin I pressing against the inclined plane.
of the cradle F, and the bar is thus drawn back with the cradle on.
which it rests. The escapement M striking against the bolt O suddenly
unlocks the wheels L and K and the springs thus released throw forward
the bar and cradle with all the force they exert, the spiral twist in the
cradle giving at the same time to the bar a portion of a revolution on.
its axis at cach propulsion. As the tension of the springs decrease the
bar is released from the cradle by the "clutch escapement” I and I' and
is thrown forward between the rollers striking the rock against which it
is directed with all its momentum, but without communicating any
shock to the apparatus. The blow being thus delivered the boring bar
is again clutched and the operation is repeated with great rapidity.
In all the various apparatus we have described the standard is supposed
to be fixed between two bearing surfaces, but it frequently occurs, as
in quarries and other open workings, that only one such surface is avail-
able, and in such cases we fix or mount the box and driving screw of the
apparatus on a truck or frame, suppressing the standard herein-before.
described.
:
In Figs. 21 and 22, which are respectively an elevation and a plan,"
we show our method of fixing our apparatus in a frame, this frame being
held to the rock by a pneumatic holder of novel construction, an enlarged
scale section of which is shown in Fig. 23. It consists of a metal cup Q
with an india-rubber diaphragm R bolted to its circumference in the
manner shown, so as to be air-tight. India-rubber packing is placed
between the diaphragm and the lip of the cup to adjust the holder to
the inequalities of the surface on which it is placed. In the centre of
the cup Q is a screw S fastened to the centre of the diaphragm R; by

page_text: means of the nut T and the screw S the diaphragm R is drawn from the
surface of the rock at its centre, thus creating a vacuum and holding
down the frame attached with a power equal to the pressure of the air
on the area of the diaphragm.
In cases where from fissures on a too great inequality of surface in the
rock we are unable to use the pneumatic holder last described wo use an
expanding circular "Lewis" of novel construction, which is shown
Figs. 24, 25, and 26, Fig. 24 being a plan, Fig. 25 a section on centre
line, Fig. 26 a section on line 2, y. A small hole having been drilled
in the rock the circular "Lewis" is inserted and fixed therein by turning
the screw U the conical head of which caused the said "Lewis" to
expand in the hole, by which means a great holding power is obtained,
as the circular "Lewis" herein described and shewn holds on all the
points of its circumference, therein differing from the "Lewis" in ordinary
use, which holds only in two directions.
It is to be understood that the several apparatus herein-before described
for boring in rock and so forth may be worked by manual or other
power, and that where chains are herein specified as the means of
transmitting motion the same effect may be obtained by shafting or other
gearing in ordinary use.
Having now particularly described the nature of our said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed or carried out in
practice, we would here remark that we do not limit ourselves to the
precise details and configuration of parts we have herein described and
have shown by the Drawings, as the same may obviously be varied in
detail without in any way departing from the essential parts of our
Invention; but what we claim as novel and original, and therefore as the
Invention intended to be secured by us are, -—
The herein described improved means of or apparatus for boring holes,
such apparatus being specially adapted for boring rock, coal, mineral, or
other like material consisting in the particular combinations and arrange-
ments herein-before described and illustrated by the accompanying
Drawings, or any mero modification or mechanical equivalent for the
same, wherein the following are novel and peculiar points, namely,-
First. The use of automatic feed mechanism or any similar mechanism
for the purpose of regulating the advance of a boring tool in which brake
power is applied directly to worm wheel gearing having a screw actuating
the advance of the said boring tool.

page_text: Second. The hercin-before described arrangements for regulating the
advance of a screw and boring tool attached by the application of brake
power to the nut through which the screw passes, so that the nut is
made to revolve at a rate differing from that of the screw, which rate
adjusts itself to the resistance the boring tool has to overcome.
Third. The arrangements for seizing and letting go a boring bar as
herein described and shown by the Drawings..
Fourth. The use of the pneumatic holder and the expanding circular
"Lewis" herein-before described for the purpose of retaining in position
the boring machinery.
In witness whereof, we, the. said Martin Macdermott and Arthur
David Williams, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this
Twenty-second day of .February, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.
Witness,
THOMAS MORGAN,
Secretary,
MARTIN MACDERMOTT..
(L.S.)
ARTHUR DAVID WILLIAMS. (L.S.)
Inventors' Patent Right Association, Limited,
21, Cockspur Street.