IMPROVED METHODS OF AND APPARATUS FOR RENDERING COAL MINES
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Peter Walker, of Bowsey New Hall, near
Warrington, in the County of Lancaster, Brewer, for the Invention
of "IMPROVED METHODS OF AND APPARATUS FOR RENDERING COAL MINES
Scaled the 14th April 1870, and dated the 25th October 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Peter Walker at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
25th October 1869.
I, PETER WALKER, of Bewsey New Hall, near Warrington, in the
County of Lancaster, Brewer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVED METHODS OF AND APPARATUS FOR RENDERING COAL
MINES LESS INJURIOUS TO THOSE EMPLOYED THEREIN," to be as follows:-
My.Invention relates more particularly to those coal mines ordinarily
known as fiery mines, that is to say, to those mines the atmosphere of
which by reason of the admixture therewith of inflammable gas or gases,

page_text: as, for example, carburetted hydrogen, is capable of being set on fire or
exploded, or is at times liable to be fired or exploded by means of the
lights used by the workers in the said mines or by other means, as is well
understood. In order to guard against the occurence of the said
explosions it has been customary to employ in such mines as aforesaid t
the description of lamp well known as the safety lamp, but in cases
where the ordinary ventilation of the workings is insufficient to prevent
the accumulation of the said gas or gases in the said workings or in
other parts of the mine the employment of the said safety lamp tends
to permit of the said accumulation, and it may be said that on the 1
occurence of any explosion the loss of life and the damage to property
is greater than if such lamps had not been used.
Now the object of my said Invention is to prevent the said gas or
gases from accumulating to the same extent as at present, and this I
seek to effect by setting fire to or exploding the said gas or gases or 1
admixture of atmospheric air and gas or gases at frequent intervals, and
at such times as there may be no human beings in the mine, and for this
purpose I prefer to employ a current or currents of electricity, magnetism,
or galvanism, which is or are conveyed into the interior of the mine by
means of conducting wires in manner as will be well understood. In 2
various parts of the workings and other parts of the mine wherein the
aforesaid gas or gases have been found to accumulate I cause the
contact of the conducting wire or wires to be broken, so that when a
sufficiently strong current, as, for example, of galvanism, is passed
through the said wire or wires heat shall be generated sufficient to fire 2
or explode the air contained in the said parts of the mine supposing the
said air to be capable of being fired or exploded, or I employ the said
heat to effect the firing or discharge of a cartridge or of cartridges con-
taining gunpowder or other explosive material or compound, or I cause
the said current to ignite any suitable combustible material or pre- 3
peration, so as to produce a flame sufficient to fire or explode the air as
aforesaid. I would prefer to discharge the said galvanic current or
currents through the said conducting wires at frequent intervals, as, for
example, the said discharge may in some cases be effected each morning
before the descent of the operatives, and as the accumulation of large 3
quantities of the aforesaid gas or gases will by these means be to a great
extent prevented the explosions when such occur will be slight as

page_text: compared with those which have taken place previously to my said
Invention. Other means for firing or exploding the said air or mixture
of gases than the current or currents aforementioned may be employed,
as, for example, apparatus may be placed in suitable positions in the
minc, such apparatus being so constructed as to be capable of being
wound up or set so as that after an interval of time sufficient to enable
the person or persons winding up, setting, or placing the said apparatus
to reach a place of safety the said apparatus shall fire or explode a
cartridge, or shall set fire to a suitable combustible material or pre-
peration, or shall otherwise generate heat sufficiently intense to fire or
explode the aforesaid mixture of gases. In lieu of winding up or
setting the said apparatus a current or currents of galvanism or other
similar fluid as aforesaid may be employed to cause the said apparatus
to act as aforesaid, or a wire, cord, or other equivalent may be led from
the said aparatus or from each aparatus and be continued until a place
of safety is reached from whence the said apparatus may be caused to
act by pulling the said wire or cord.
Various other means may also be employed as may be desired so long
as the principle of my Invention is retained, namely, the intentional
firing or exploding of the gas or gases or mixture of air and gas or
gases at such times and for the purposes as aforesaid.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Peter Walker in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 23rd April 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, PETER
WALKER, of Bewscy New Hall, near Warrington, in the County of
Lancaster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in
the thirty-third year of Her reign, did, for Ierself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said Peter Walker, Her special
license that I, the said Peter Walker, my executors, administrators,

page_text: and assigns, or such others as I, the said Peter Walker, 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, excrcise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, 5
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MEANS FOR RENDERING COAL MINES LESS INJURIOUS TO THOSE
EMPLOYED THEREIN," upon the condition, amongst others, that I, the
said Peter Walker, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my or their hands and seals, should particularly I
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
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
"
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Peter Walker, do hereby declare 1
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 and accompanying Drawings, that is to say :—
My Invention relates more particularly to those coal mines ordinarily
known as fiery mines, that is to say, to those mines the atmosphere of 2
which by reason of the admixture therewith of inflammable gas or gases,
as, for examplo, carburetted hydrogen, is capable of being set on fire or
exploded or is at times liable to be fired or exploded by means of the
lights used by the workers in the said mincs or by other means, as is
well understood. In order to guard against the occurence of the said 2
explosions it has been customary to employ in such mines, as aforesaid,
the description of lamp well known as the safety lamp, but in cases
where the ordinary ventilation of the workings is insufficient to prevent
the accumulation of the said gas or gases in the said workings or in
other parts of the mine the employment of the said safety lamp tends
to permit of the said accumulation, and it may be said that on the
occurence of an explosion the loss of life and the damage to property is
greater than if such lamps had not been used.
Now the object of my said Invention is to prevent the said gas or
gases from accumulating to the same extent as at present, and this I 3
scek to effect by setting fire to or exploding the said gas or gases at
frequent intervals, and for this purpose I employ a current or currents

page_text: of electricity, magnetism, or galvanism, which is or are conveyed into the
interior of the mine by means of conducting wires in manner as will
be well understood. In various parts of the workings and other parts
of the mine wherein the aforesaid gas or gases have been found to
accumulate I cause the contact of the conducting wire or wires to be
broken, so that when a sufficiently strong current, as, for example, of
galvanism, is passed through the said wire or wires heat shall be gene-
rated sufficient to fire or explode the air contained in the said parts of
the mine, supposing the said air to be capable of being fired or exploded,
or I employ the said heat to effect the firing or discharge of a cartridge
or of cartridges containing gunpowder or other explosive material or
compound, or I cause the said current to ignite any suitable combustible
material or preperation so as to produce a flame sufficient to fire or
explode the air as aforesaid. I would prefer to discharge the said
galvanic current or currents through the said conducting wires at
frequent intervals, as, for example, the said discharge may in some cases
be effected each morning before the descent of the operatives, and as the
accumulation of large quantities of the aforesaid gas or gases will by
these means be to a great extent prevented the explosions when such
occur will be slight as compared with those which have taken place
previously to my said Invention. The conducting wires or a portion thereof
may be permanently fixed so as to be ready for use at all times when
required. I prefer that the conducting wires in the pit be connected by
permanent conductors with sufficiently powerful batteries or apparatus
placed in a suitable situation above ground, so that the accumulations
of gas may be fired from the surface previously to the workmen descend-
ing into the pit, but in some cases it may be found advisable to have a
battery or batteries or other apparatus for generating such currents as
aforesaid fixed in a suitable position or in suitable positions below the
surface or fitted to be moved about as required. In such cases the gas
may be fired at intervals even during the working hours, it being
necessary that the workmen be sufficiently removed from the seat of
the intended explosion, and also that the gas should not be allowed to
accumulate to such an extent as to cause a dangerous explosion. It is
intended that the explosions shall be made to occur at such frequent
intervals as that they may be of a comparatively slight character, so that
the working of the mne shall not be interrupted to any great extent,
and as the gas accumulates to the greatest extent in those portions of

page_text: the mino which have been abandoned the gas may be fired at very
frequent intervals without interfering with the operations of the work-
men. Other means for firing or exploding the said air or mixture of
gases than the current or currents aforementioned may be employed,
as, for example, apparatus may be placed in suitable positions in the
minc, such apparatus being so constructed as to be capable of being
wound up or set so as that after an interval of timo sufficient to enable
the person or persons winding up, setting, or placing the said apparatus
to reach a place of safety the said apparatus shall fire or explode a
cartridge or shall set fire to a suitable combustible material or prepera-
tion, or shall otherwise generate heat sufficiently intense to fire or
explode the aforesaid mixture of gases.
In lieu of winding up or
setting the said apparatus a current or currents of galvanism or other
similar fluid as aforesaid may be employed to cause the said apparatus
to act as aforesaid, or a wire, cord, or other equivalent may be led from
the said apparatus or from each apparatus, and be continued until a
place of safety is reached, from whence the said apparatus may be
caused to act by pulling the said wiro or cord.
In order that this portion of my Invention may be better understood
I have attached hereunto a Sheet of Drawings made about one quarter
of the full size and representing two forms of apparatus which may be
employed, to which Drawings I will now refer.
Fig. 1 represents an apparatus designed to be operated upon by the
pulling of a cord. It consists of a foundation plate a, on which is fixed
or formed an anvil b, and to which is hinged the lever c carrying the
hammer or striker d. The said striker is retained in the position shewn
in the Drawing by means of the lever e, to which a cord fis attached.
When using the apparatus a cartridge containing an explosive preperation,
and, by preference, a substance or preperation capable of emitting flame,
is placed on the anvil, and the operator retires to a sufficiently safe
distance, when by pulling the cord f, which is of a sufficient length to
reach to the position assumed by the operator, the striker will be
released, and falling on the cartridge will cause the explosion thereof
The dotted lines at 9 represent a slight modification which may be made
in the apparatus. In this case the striker is sustained by a pin, which
may be withdrawn from its place in the standard g by means of the
a foresaid cord.
It may be found to be desirable to cause the said cord

page_text: to run in suitable pulleys, especially when it has to be bent out of the
straight line, and also it may be desirable when the distance to be
traversed is great to employ a small windlass to wind up the cord, and
thereby to release the striker. When a windlass is so applied the cord
may be led to a great distance, and may be connected with more than
onc firing apparatus so as to fire the gases in two or more different
parts of the pit at, one operation.
Fig. 2 represents an apparatus capable of firing a cartridge after an
interval of time sufficient to enable the operator who has wound up
and set the apparatus in motion to reach a place of safety.
In this example the striker is sustained by the sliding rod h, which is
connected with the rod i, which is operated upon in manner as follows:
-The framing & carries a train of gearing operated upon by a volute
spring in the barrel 2, and regulated by the fly m.
The wheel gears
with a pinion on the first motion shaft, and the disc o fixed to the same
shaft as the wheel n carries a stud p, which after the spring has been
wound up moves round from the position shewn in the Drawing in the
direction of the arrow as the apparatus runs down until the said stud
comes into contact with the projection on the end of the rod i, when the
said rod will be drawn in the direction of the arrow, and the striker will
be released. The apparatus is fitted with a strong cover to exclude dust.
The distance between the mechanism and the striker may be increased
to any suitable extent.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, together
with means for carrying the same into practical effect, I would have it
to be distinctly understood that I claim as my Invention,-
First. The intentional firing of the accumulations of gas or of explosive
mixtures of gases in coal mines by means of electricity, galvanism, or
magnetism for the purposes as herein-before described.

page_text: And, lastly. The employment for the purposes herein set forth of the
apparatus, substantially as herein-before described and illustrated in the
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Peter Walker, have hereunto set
my hand and scal, this Twenty day of April, in the year of 5
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.
Signed and scaled by the
said Peter Walker, in the
presence of
EDWARD K. DUTTON,
Agent to the Patentce,
3, Smithy Door,
Manchester.
PETER WALKER. (L.S.)