A MACHINE FOR MINING CLAY
Year: 1884

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1
I JOSEPH HENRY KEY of Greenbank Newton Abbot in the County of Devon
Clay Merchant do hereby declare the nature of my invention for A MACHINE FOR
MINING CLAY to be as follows:-
The machine consists of the following parts, namely 1st a knife, fixed on a long
bandle or lever, the edges being at the end and sides 2nd a connecting piece
attached to the knife by a bolt or pin passing through it, in the head of which is
a socket in which the rod after mentioned works 3rd a Rod, one end of which is,
fitted to revolve in the socket, so that when revolving it will push forward the
socket with the knife attached-and at the other end of which, and extending a
sufficient distance along it, is a screw or worm, working in a nut or female screw
4th a moveable perpendicular frame in which the nut or female screw is fixed by a,
universal joint, so that the ends of the rod may have freedom of motion horizontally.
and laterally to the required extent.
The mode of working is as follows. The frame carrying the Rod with the knife
attached, is placed in front of a face, or level end, of clay in the mine, and is kept,
in position while being worked by means of struts, anchors, or other fastenings-
The knife is then directed by hand to the position required-and the screw rod
being turned round (by a handle or wheel) in the right direction, forces the knife,
into the clay, making cuts in it horizontally and perpendicularly to the required,
depth, across the face of the clay-And the knife being made to oscillate at the
same time by the lever, by manual or other power, is more easily forced into,
the clay.
When the face of the clay has been cut through in the required directions and
to the required depth, it is cut or dug out transversely by a suitable instrument in
blocks and taken away, leaving a fresh face exposed, where the cutting may
commence again-The frame is moved forward from time to time as required by
the progress of the work.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I, JOSEPH HENRY KEY of Greenbank, Newton Abbott Devonshire do hereby
declare the nature of my invention for "A MACHINE FOR MINING CLAY" and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My Invention has for its object to provide a machine whereby clay may be cut
or mined in blocks or cubes very expeditiously and readily. I will describe a
machine constructed according to my Invention with reference to the accompanying
Drawing Figure 1 being a side view and figure 2 a rear view with the hand wheel
removed.
A knife A is fixed to a handle or lover B which is attached to one end of a rod D
by a pin or fulcrum at C upon which the lever and knife can be caused to oscillate
when required by moving the lever by hand or other power d is a guide and
support for the lever-At the end of the rod D is a screw or worm E working in
a nut or female screw F fixed to the outer end of a tube G forming the outer end of
the rod D. The screw E passes through and can turn in but is longitudinally
confined by a piece H capable of turning upon trunnions H in a piece H³ which
in its turn turns upon trunnions H³ which are mounted in the frame I so that the
rod D may be moved at a considerable angle either laterally or perpendicularly the
double trunnions constituting a universal joint. A tongue picce M on a collar L
engages in a longitudinal slot in a guide J, J, to keep the knife in position which
position can be adjusted and refixed as required by means of the set scrow / on the
collar L the tube G rotating in the said collar for this purpose.
The guide J passes through the piece H³ so that it may move conformably with
the screw E.
The apparatus is placed in front of the face or level end of clay in the mine and
is kept in position while being worked by means by means of struts fastened to
the bolts N, N and by anchors O or by other suitable fastenings. The knife A is
directed by hand to the position required and upon the screw E being turned in
the proper direction by means of the handle or wheel P the knife is forced into the
clay, making cuts in it as deep as are required horizontally and perpendicularly or
in any required direction across the face of the clay and if the knife be made to
oscillate at the same time by the lever by manual or other power it is the more easily
forced into the clay. The knife A may be plain or serrated or instead of a knife a
circular saw may be used which being rotated on the pin C by any suitable means
and moved backwards and forwards or up and down on the face of the clay, cuts
into it as deeply as may be required.
This saw may be moved forwards or backwards by hand, or by ropes or chains
fastened to the end of the rod D and passing over pulleys at each end of a strut or
guide of the height of the level and from thence to 2 small Windlasses fixed in the
frame I at W These windlasses being turned alternately will move the saw
backwards or forwards over the face of the clay, cutting it as deeply as may be
required, to the depth regulated by the screw E.
To facilitate the operation of clay cutting with the knife or saw, the end of the
level should be slightly concave.

page_text: When the face of the clay has been cut perpendicularly and horizontally or in
other required direction to the required depth it is cut out by a suitable instrument
in blocks or cubes and removed leaving a fresh face exposed when the cutting may
commence again.
The frame is moved forward and refixed in position from time to time as
required by the progress of the work R represents a crane jib over which passes a
cord or chain carrying a counterbalance weight S and attached to the guide J but
this crane jib cord and weight can be dispensed with if desired.
Its office is to support the weight of the parts.
It can move horizontally on the Pivot H³ in correspondence with the movement
of the rod or knife.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
The arrangement and combination of parts constituting the machine for mining
clay substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.