IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR HOLEING, CUTTING, OR EXCAVATING COAL AD MED MINERALS
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Winstanley, the younger, Mining and
Civil Engineer, and William Barker, Mechanical Engineer, both
of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR HOLEING, CUTTING, OR EXCAVATING COAL
AD MED MINERALS
"
Sealed the 26th August 1870, and dated the 15th March 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Winstanley
and William Barker at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 15th March 1870.
We, ROBERT WINSTANLEY, the younger, Mining and Civil Engineer,
and WILLIAM BARKER, Mechanical Engineer, both of Manchester, in
the County of Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR HOLEING, CUTTING, OR
EXCAVATING COAL OR OTHER MINERALS," to be as follows:-
Our Invention consists in an improved mode of constructing and
giving motion to a horizontal cutter for holeing or cutting a groove in

page_text: the face of coal or other mineral, and in the machinery for traversing
the machine along the working of the mine.
In performing our Invention we employ a truck or carriage mounted
on wheels which run on rails as usual. To this truck are fixed two
oscillating cylinders, the pistons of which are worked by compressed air
or steam, and are connected to a vertical crank shaft, to which is fixed a
toothed spur pinion gearing into a large spur toothed wheel, which also
forms the cutting wheel. The cutters project only an inch or so beyond
the teeth of the large spur wheel, being secured to it by set screws and
wedges. The cutting wheel is mounted on the end of a radius plate
moving on a bush concentric with the crank shaft. By this arrangement
the cutting wheel can be swung round until it comes within the framing
of the carriage; and on commencing operations the attendant by turning
a hand wheel actuating a worm and segment the cutting wheel is
gradually worked into the face of the coal until the radius plate stands
at about right angles to the line of rails, or in other convenient position.
The carriage is then traversed slowly along the face of the coal by a
hauling chain or rope passing around a drum, which is driven by a ratchet
wheel and catch or other equivalent, thus making a horizontal groove in
the coal near the level of the rails, or as it is technically called " 'holeing."
The coal is then brought down by wedges in the usual manner.
The above details in the mode of driving the cutting wheel may be
varied, and the particular mode of connecting the cutters to the wheel
may be applied to other coal-getting machines; also by varying the level
or angle of the cutting wheel the position and direction of the groove
cut in the coal or other mineral may be varied.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Robert Winstanley and William Barker in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 15th September 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, ROBERT 30
WINSTANLEY, the younger, Mining and Civil Engineer, and WILLIAM.
BARKER, Mechanical Engineer, both of Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of March, in the year 35

page_text: of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-
third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said Robert Winstanley, the younger,
and William Barker, Her special licence that we, the said Robert
Winstanley, the younger, and William Barker, our executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Robert Winstanley,
the younger, and William Barker, our 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 FOR HOLEING, CUTTING,
OR EXCAVATING COAL AND OTHER MINERALS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that we, the said Robert Winstanley, the younger, and William.
Barker, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under our, or their, or one of our or their hands and scals, 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 Scal Patent Office within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Robert Winstanley, the younger,
and William Barker, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement (that is-
to say):
Our Invention consists in an improved mode of constructing and
giving motion to a horizontal revolving cutter for "holeing" or cutting a
groove in the face of coal or other mineral, and in the machinery for
traversing the machine along the working of the minc.
And in order that our Invention may be fully understood and readily
carried into operation we will proceed to describe the annexed Sheet of
Drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a vertical section of our improved
machine for holeing, cutting, and excavating coal or other minerals;
Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the cutting wheel; Fig. 3 is an elevation
of the machine; Fig. 4 is a plan shewing the position of the cutting
wheel before commencing to "hole" or excavate; and Fig. 5 is a plan
shewing the machine with the cutting wheel in position for "holeing" or
cutting at the full depth..

page_text: a, a, is the framework of the machine, which is supported by the
flange wheels 6 on the tramway or rails of the mine; c, c, are two
oscillating cylinders, the pistons of which are worked by means of com-
pressed air or steam. These cylinders are provided with ordinary slide
valves, the slides of which are worked by the links or quadrants d, d, or
other equivalents. The piston rods of the cylinders c, c, are connected
to the crank shaft e, which revolves in bearings in the framework. At
the lower or bottom end of the crank shaft is keyed a toothed pinion e¹;
which is shrouded at the top. The teeth of this pinion gear into the
teeth of the spur wheel f, which is also the cutting wheel. The cutters
or knives f¹ are fixed on the periphery of the wheel. In the annexed
Drawings they are shewn in front of every other tooth of the spur wheel,
but the number of cutters may be varied. By this means the power is
applied directly on the periphery of the cutting wheel. The cutters
project outwards beyond the teeth of the spur wheel from half an inch
to an inch, and they are secured in their places and held fast by means
of wedges and screws. The wedges f are inserted on the top of the
wheel, and they are held tight against the cutters by the set screws f³,
which are inserted from the outside, as shewn on the Drawings. The
cutting wheel fis carried by and revolves at the end of the radial arm
or plate g. This radial arm has also a toothed segment or quadrant g¹ at
the back, which is actuated by the worm and hand wheel ', by which
arrangement the radial arm or plate g and the quadrant g¹ are turned.
partly round in their bearing, as shewn best in Fig. 1.
The mode of operation is as follows:-When the machine is placed
on the tramway or rails of the mine close against the face of the coal or
other mineral, and the cylinders commence to work, the cutting wheel f
can be gradually worked or made to cut its way into the coal by the
attendant turning the worm h and hand wheel h¹ until the cutting wheel
is at about right angles with the body or frame of the machine, as shewn
in Fig. 5, or in any convenient position according to the depth of
holeing required. The machine is then moved slowly along the face of
the coal by a chain or otherwise, as will be described hereafter, the
cutting wheel excavating and throwing out the coal or slack as the
machine moves along the road or tramway. When the machino has cut
or holed along the whole length of the face or working the cutting
wheel can be brought back into its original position underneath the
frame or body of the machine by means of the worm h and wheel h', as

page_text: shewn in Fig. 4, ready for beginning to "hole", at the commence-
ment of the face after the coal has been brought down or "fallen" by
means of wedges or in any other manner. It will be perceived that this
arrangement of bringing the cutting wheel underneath the back part of
the machine greatly facillitates its being moved through the narrow
roads of the mine. The machine can be traversed or moved along the
face of the coal by means of the chain i, one end of which is fastened
some distance in front of the machine. This chain passes around the
"chain pulley "j, which is driven by the ratchet wheel k and the handle
or lever worked by the attendant; or the lever may be driven by a
connecting rod and eccentric working on the top part of the crank
shaft e.
It is evident that the chain i after passing round the pulley j
is left behind as the machine moves forward. We prefer however to
drag the machine forward when it is holeing by means of a small crab
or winch fixed at any convenient distance in front of the machine. Tho
chain or wire rope from the crab can be hooked to an eyebolt in front of
the machine. When the machine is working on an inclination or "down
brow" it will advance by its own weight without any external aid.
We wish it to be understood that the particular mode of connecting
the cutters to the wheel as above described may be applied to other
coal-getting machines, and that by varying the level or angle of the
cutting wheel the position and direction of the groove cut in the coal or
other mineral may be varied so as to cut grooves in the sides or near the
top of the seam.
Having thus stated the nature of our Invention, and described the
manner of performing the same, we wish to remark that we do not
intend to limit ourselves to the details given, as they may be modified
without departing from the peculiar character of our Invention; and in
some cases the machine instead of being worked by compressed air or
steam may be driven by hand power or manual labour; and we claim,―
First. The peculiar construction of the cutting wheel whereby the
power is applied on its circumference, as shewn and described.
Secondly. The application of a radial arm for supporting the cutting
wheel, whereby the cutting wheel may be made to swivel on the fulcrum
of the radial arm, and thus to cut its way into the face of the coal or
other mineral to be excavated.
Thirdly. The improved mode of connecting the cutters to the cutting
wheel, as shewn and described.

page_text: And, lastly. The general combination and arrangement of the parts
forming the machine for "holeing," cutting, or excavating coal and other
minerals.
In witness whereof, we, the said Robert Winstanley, the younger,
and William Barker, have hereto set our hands and seals, this
Thirteenth day of September One thousand eight hundred and
seventy.