IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MINING, CUTTING, OR WORKING COAL AND OTHER MINERALS, AND FOR HAMMERING METALS AND CRUSHING MINERALS
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Andrew Howat, of Farnworth, near Bolton, in the
County of Lancaster, Brass Founder, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINERY FOR MINING, CUTTING, OR WORKING COAL AND OTHER
MINERALS, AND FOR HAMMERING METALS AND CRUSHING MINERALS."
Sealed the 16th August 1867, and dated the 27th February 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Andrew Howat at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
27th February 1867.
I, ANDREW HOWAT, of Farnworth, near Bolton, in the County of Lancaster,
Brass Founder, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MINING, CUTTING, OR WORKING COAL AND
OTHER MINERALS, AND FOR HAMMERING METALS AND CRUSHING MINERALS," to be
as follows:-
My improved machinery for mining, cutting, or working coal and other
minerals consists of one or more cutters, which are propelled against the coal
by a piston fitting in a cylinder; the piston and cutter are independent of
each other, and the piston is acted upon by steam or compressed air, which is
admitted into the cylinder by a suitable valve, the valves being acted upon by
a tappet wheel and levers. The piston and the cutter after the blow has been
given are brought back to their original positions by a spring, or the piston
I Price 8d1

page_text: and cutter may be brought back by steam or air instead of a spring. A spring
is placed inside the cylinder to hold the piston against the end of the cutter
bar. During the return stroke of the piston the air or exhaust steam makes
its escape through a side passage in the supply valve. The cylinder or
cylinders and the cutters are mounted on a stand connected by universal joints
or otherwise to a frame with wheels running on rails in the mine, and as the
frame is pushed forward the cutter or cutters make a horizontal groove of any
required depth and length in the face of the coal. The same machine may
be used for cutting vertical grooves in the coal. After the requisite grooves
are cut the coal is got out in the usual manner.
In cutting grooves in rock for tunnelling and for other purposes the
machine must be adapted to the particular object to be attained.
When my Invention is applied to hammering metals or crushing minerals
the piston is made to act on the hammer or stamper in the same manner as
on the cutters above described.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Andrew Howat in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
26th August 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ANDREW
HOWAT, of Farnworth, near Bolton, in the County of Lancaster, Brass
Founder, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Andrew Howat, Her special license that I, the said Andrew Howat,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I the said Andrew
Howat, my 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
MINING, CUTTING, OR WORKING COAL AND OTHER MINERALS, AND FOR HAMMERING
METALS AND CRUSHING MINERALS," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I;the said Andrew Howat, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-

page_text: ticularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invent:on, 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 Andrew Howat, 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
(that is to say):
My improved machinery for mining, cutting, or working coal and other
minerals consists of one or more cutters, which are propelled against the coal
by a piston fitting in a cylidner; the piston is acted upon by steam or com-
pressed air, which is admitted into the cylinder by a suitable valve. During
the return stroke of the piston the air or exhaust steam makes its escape
through a side passage in the supply valve. The cylinder or cylinders and the
cutters are mounted on a stand connected by universal joint or otherwise to a
frame with wheels running on rails in the mine, and as the frame is pushed
forward the cutter or cutters make a horizontal groove of any required depth
and length in the face of the coal. The same machine may be used for
cutting vertical or other grooves in the coal. After the requisite grooves are
cut the coal is got out in the usual manner.
In cutting grooves in rock for tunnelling and for other purposes the
machine must be adapted to the particular object to be attained.
When my Invention is applied to hammering metals or crushing minerals
the piston is made to act on the hammer or stamper in the same manner as
on the cutters above described.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily
carried into operation I will proceed to descride the accompanying Sheet
of Drawings, reference being had to the figures and letters marked
thereon.
Figure 1 is an elevation of my improved machinery constructed for being
worked by compressed air, and suitable for mining, cutting, or working coal,
and Figure 2 is a plan of the same.
.
a is a cylinder, to which are fixed trunnions supported in bearings in the
circular plate b, which fits in a recess in the slide plate c, this plate fits in
V grooves in the truck d, which is mounted on wheels running on rails in the
mine; within the cylinder a is the piston e, which is fixed to or forged with
the piston rodf passing through the stuffing box g; to the end of the piston
rod is fixed the cutter i; to the end of the cylinder a is fixed the tube h, in
the end of which is the pinionj, which is connected to the piston rod' by a

page_text: key and groove; the pinion k gears into the pinion j; the object of these two
pinions is to turn the cutter partly round when required, the pinion k being
fixed to the side shaft, passing along the side of the cylinder a, and furnished
with a hand wheel. The compressed air for working the piston e to and
fro in the cylinder a is supplied through the pipe n fixed to the end of the
cylinder; in this pipe is the taper plug or valve'o, shewn in section in Figure 3.
The plug is made with a through passage o¹, the small passage o2, and the
exhaust way o³; to the spindle of the plug is fixed the pinion p and one end of
the coiled spring p', the other end of which is fixed to a stud passing through
an eccentric slot in the bracket q, the object of this slot is to vary the force
of the spring and thus to regulate the speed with which it shuts the valve o ;
the pinion p gears into the rack, the shank of which passes through the end
of the cylinder a; the rack is guided by the stud s fixed in the end of the
cylinder; the front end of the cylinder is connected to the valve o by the
pipet, in which is the tapt¹, which is opened and closed when required by the
operator. The Drawing represents the parts in the positions they occupy
when the piston e is in and when the valve o is full open to admit the air to
the cylinder, the valve being held in this position by the rack r; as the piston
is propelled along the cylinder the cutter penetrates into the coal, and as soon
as the piston has advanced in the cylinder the spring p' acting on the plug o
turus it one-fourth round, thereby shutting off the supply of air to the
cylinder and bringing the passage o² opposite the supply pipe n to allow a
portion of the air to pass along the pipe t to the end of the cylinder a to bring
back the piston and cutter, and during the return of the piston the exhausted
air escapes from the cylinder through the passage 03 and thence through
openings in the lid of the valve. When the piston arrives near the back end
of the cylinder it comes against the shank of the rack r and presses the rack
back, thereby reversing the position of the plug or valve o, and again bringing
the passage o¹ in line with the pipe n for admitting air to the cylinder for the
next stroke. It is evident that in making a longitudinal groove in the coal
the truck must be moved as required along the rails, but the position and
direction of the cutter can also be varied by means of the trunnions and
swivel plate on which the cylinder is supported. When the requisite grooves
are cut the coal is got in the usual manner.
If it should be requisite to use the machine for boring holes in coal or
other minerals the angle of the cutter can be varied after every stroke by
slightly turning the shaft l, either by hand wheel or by a ratchet wheel
and catch actuated by the rack r or otherwise.
When my Invention is applied to hammering metals or crushing minerals

page_text: the machine would in most cases be vertical, and the piston instead of acting
on a cutter would be connected to and actuate a hammer or stamper.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, and described the manner
of performing the same, I declare that I claim,-
First, the general arrangement of machinery for mining, cutting, or
working coal and other minerals, and for hammering metals and crushing
minerals.
Secondly, connecting the cylinders of machines used for the purposes set
forth to the truck by trunnions and swivel plate, or other universal joint.
And, lastly, the peculiar construction of the valve for working the machines
above referred to.
In witness whereof, I, the said Andrew Howat, have hereto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of August, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-seven.
ANDREW HOWAT. (L.s.)