IMPROVEMENTS IN APpa BATUS FOR GETTING OR CUTTING MINERALS
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Nisbet, of Coatbridge, in the County of Lanark,
North Britain, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APpa
BATUS FOR GETTING OR CUTTING MINERALS."
Sealed the 26th October. 1866, and dated the 1st May 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Nisbet at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 1st May
1866.
.I, JOHN NISBET, of Coatbridge, in the County of Lanark, North Britain,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR GETTING OR CUTTING MINERALS," to be as follows, that
is to say:
This Invention comprises improvements in apparatus for getting or cutting
minerals, which can be practically carried out with various modifications of
the accessory details. An important feature of the Invention is the actuating
of a lever, having a cutting tool on the end of it, by means of a segmental
rack acted upon by a revolving pinion, whereby the cutting tool is pulled
steadily round through a circular are.
In one modification of the apparatus there is a bottom platform upon
which the machine is arranged to slide either by hand or by automatic gear.
The tool lever is centred on a stud at the back end of the machine, and the
segmental rack connected to the lever near its outer end passes between an
antifriction pulley and the driving pinion at the front end. The pinion is on
a short vertical shaft having a bevil wheel on its upper end, with which there
gears one or other of two bevil wheels, on a tubular shaft carried on a

page_text: horizontal shaft above. This last-mentioned shaft has fast on it a spur
motion shaft driven by a pair
The tubular bevil wheel shaft is
wheel in gear with a pinion on a first
of cylinders, either oscillating or fixed.
actuated by means of a key and groove from the shaft carrying it, and either
bevil wheel is put into gear by means of a clutch and lever. Stops are fixed
on the segmental rack, and by acting on the reversing lever cause the motion
to be reversed when the rack approaches each end of its stroke. The
reversing lever, which is vertical in its middle position, is weighted to fall
over as soon as it is shifted beyond its middle position, so as to insure that
the bevil wheels get and continue properly in gear. The appliance preferred
for moving the machine along the platform is a worm carried by the machine,
and which acts on a rack upon the platform below. When starting the
machine at a horizontal cut in a coal face, for example, a short cut is first
formed by hand of the full depth that the machine will take; the tool is then
set to cut, commencing at the corner and cutting outwards towards the
machine; after each cut the lever moves back into the groove, and the
machine is then shifted forward a distance equal to the cut that the tool can
take; this is repeated until the machine reaches the end of the platform,
which is then moved forward by a windlass or otherwise, and the machine
them makes a fresh advance. The platform may be kept steady by bars
forced by means of screws against or into the floor, or roof, or both.
The following modifications may be made in the apparatus. The tool may
cut when moving inwards, a single cylinder may be used instead of two, when
a fly wheel should be put on the first motion shaft. The pinion for acting on
the segmental rack may be on the first motion shaft, which will in that case
require to be vertical. Finally, the machine may be mounted on wheels to
run on rails instead of being arranged to slide on a platform, as herein-before
described
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Nisbet in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 31st
October 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN NISBET,
of Coatbridge, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Engineer, send
greeting.

page_text: thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
John Nisbet, Her special licence that I, the said John Nisbet, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Nisbet, 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 APPARATUS FOR GETTING
OR CUTTING MINERALS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
John Nisbet, 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 immediately after
the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Nisbet, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, 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 comprises improvements in apparatus for getting or
cutting minerals, which can be practically carried out with various modifications
of the accessory details. An important feature of my Invention is the
actuating of a lever having a cutting tool on the end of it by means of a
segmental rack acted upon by a revolving pinion, whereby the cutting tool is
pulled steadily round through a circular aro.
And in order that my said Invention, and the manner of performing the
same may be properly understood, I have hereunto appended a Sheet of
explanatory Drawings to be herein-after referred to, and representing a con-
venient modification of my improved arrangements.
In the modification of the apparatus, shown in plan in Figure 1, and in
side elevation in Figure 2, there is a bottom platform 1, of cast iron,. upon
which the machine is arranged to move or slide either by hand, as shown,.or
by automatic gear. The various parts of the machine are carried by a
massive cast-iron sole plate 2, which is prevented from moving laterally by
raised flanges formed along the sides of the platform 1, whilst antifriction
wheels 8 are fitted to it to facilitate its movements along the platform. The
tool lever 4 is centred on a vertical stud 5, near what may be termed the

page_text: back end of the machine, and at one side thereof, and the segmental rack 6
connected to the lever near its outer end passes between an antifriction pulley 7
and the driving pinion 8 (directly below the bevil wheel 9, in Figure 1) at
the front end of the machine. The pinion 8 is on a short vertical shaft
having a bevil wheel 9 on its upper end, with which there gears one or other
of two bevil wheels 10, 11, on a tubular shaft 12, carried on a horizontal
shaft 13 above. This last-mentioned shaft 13 has fast on it a spur wheel 14
in gear with a pinion 15 on a first motion shaft 16, driven by means of a
pair of cylinders 17, which in this example are arranged to oscillate, but which
might be fixed if preferred. The tubular bevil wheel shaft 12 is actuated by
means of a key and groove from the shaft 13, carrying it, and either bevil
wheel 10, 11, is put into gear with the bevil wheel 9 by means of a clutch
and lever 18. The clutch lever 18 is on a longitudinal shaft 19 with a
handle 20 at one end, which can be actuated by the attendant worker; and
on this shaft 19 there is a lever 21, having its lower end forked to embrace
and be actuated by an arm 22 projecting up from a horizontal bar 28,
arranged to slide transversely in guides. Stops 24, 25, are fixed or formed
on the segmental rack 6, and by acting on projections on the sliding bar 23,
and through it on the reversing shaft 19 and lever 18, cause the motion to be
reversed when the rack 6 approaches each end of its stroke. In connection with
the reversing slide 28 there is a weighted tumbling lever 26, which is vertical
in its middle position, and which falls over as soon as it is shifted beyond its
middle position, and by carrying the slide 23 to the end of its traverse insures
that the bevil wheels get and continue properly in gear. In order to prevent
the engine from acquiring too great a speed when carrying back the tool lever
4, a lever 27 on the reversing shaft 19 is connected to the lever 28 of a
throttle valve, which is thereby set so as to reduce the supply of compressed
air or other fluid by which the engine is worked. The appliance I prefer for
moying the machine along the platform 21 is a worm 29 carried by the
machine actuated by means of a handle 30, and pinion and wheel 31, and
acting on a worm wheel 32 which last acts on rack teeth 33 formed in the
platform 1. When starting the machine at a horizontal cut, in a coal face
for example, a short cut is first formed by hand of the full depth that the
machine will take; the tool is then set to cut commencing at the corner and
cutting outwards towards the machine. After each cut the lever 4 moves
back into the "groove, and the machine is then shifted forward a distance
equal to the cut that the tool can take. This is repeated until the machine.
reaches the end of the platform 1, which is then moved forward by a windlass
or otherwise, and the machine then makes a fresh advance. To facilitate.

page_text: the shifting of the platform 1, a roller 34 is provided at the front end, this
roller being carried by levers 35, jointed to the end of the platform, so that
it can be turned up to let the platform rest directly on the floor, or be turned
down, as shown, to raise the front end of the platform off the floor. The plat-
form 1 may be kept steady by bars forced by means of screws against or into
the floor, or roof, or both.
instead of two,
The pinion for
The following modifications may be made in the apparatus. The tool may
cut when moving inwards. A single cylinder may be used
when a fly wheel should be put on the first motion shaft.
acting on the segmental rack may be on the first motion shaft, which will in
that case require to be vertical. Finally, the machine may be mounted on
wheels to run on rails instead of being arranged on a platform, as herein-
before described.
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,―
1st, the constructing and arranging or combining together of the parts of
apparatus for getting or cutting minerals substantially in the improved
manner herein-before described; and more particularly,
2nd, the actuating of a lever having a cutting tool on the end of it by a
rack and pinion movement arranged to force the outting tool steadily round
through a circular arc substantially as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Nisbet, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.