IMPROVEMENTS IN COAL GETTING OR CUTTING, AND IN MACHINERY OR MECHANISM EMPLOYED THEREFOR.
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Galloway, Coalmaster, and Gilbert McPherson,
Colliery Manager, both of Hurlford, in the County of Ayr, North Britain, for
the Invention of 'IMPROVEMENTS IN COAL GETTING OR CUTTING, AND IN
MACHINERY OR MECHANISM EMPLOYED THEREFOR.'
"
"
Sealed the 19th July 1878, and dated the 23rd January 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Galloway and Gilbert
McPherson at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 23rd January
1878.
JOHN GALLOWAY, Coalmaster, and GILBERT MCPHERSON, Colliery Manager,
both of Hurlford, in the County of Ayr, North Britain. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
COAL GETTING OR CUTTING, AND IN MACHINERY OR MECHANISM EMPLOYED
THEREFOR."
This Invention has reference to improvements in many of the parts and in the
general construction of a portable coal getting or cutting engine of the horizontal,
oscillating, or radiating arm class, carrying the cutting wheel on its outer end, for
being worked by compressed air (or other pressure fluid) along the face of the coal
to under cut it, all of a more compact and simple construction, with fewer working
parts, which will work more steadily and regularly with less wear and tear of the
machine and less waste of coal than by hand cutting at the end walls, as the new
cutting wheel and its carrying arm are entered and withdrawn close up thereto and
cut on both the forward and backward traverse, thus effecting great economy of
time and labour.
And the nature of the Invention consists in a compact arrangement of the small
carriage or portable double-cylinder engine carried on a low frame with four wheels
on rails to run along the front or face of the coal to be cut, and drawn on these from
one end of the cutting to the other by a chain or rope, and winding or crane gear,
either at the ends of the cutting or by an automatic winding or drawing barrel and
gearing actuated on the carriage itself by the engine carried thereon, all so far much
the same as in some other coal getting or cutting machines of this portable class
heretofore in use.

page_text: And the novelty of the Invention relates, first, to the general arrangement of the
engine and driving gear for actuating the whole cutting mechanism, and consists of
two cylinders lying at a considerable angle to the crank shaft erected and working
transversely in bush bearings across the centre of the machine, with the crank and
connecting rods working and coupled close up near the outer bearing of the frame
furthest from the face of the cutting.
The pistons and cylinders are fitted with trunks working out through stuffing
boxes in the front or adjacent end covers to give long connecting rods with the
shortest possible length of frame or carriage, to which they are bolted down by
angled flanges as low as possible at the ends, the crank shaft actuating the slide
valves direct or through a guide bar by a pair of eccentrics near its other end or
bearing, a small bevel pinion near the centre of the crank shaft actuating a bevel
wheel below it, secured on the top of the short central solid driving shaft of a new
construction and arrangement of cutting wheel and its cutters, and actuating gearing
below on its carrying oscillating arm, which will herein-after be more particularly
described. This short vertical solid shaft is carried on the hollow central shaft or
boss of the oscillating carrying arm of the cutter wheel; both carried in a strong
journal bearing or seating in the lower central part of the carriage, close to the side
next the face of the coal to be cut, so that the oscillating arm and cutter wheel could
swing round equally towards both ends, and enter and cut out under the coal to the
full length of the arm and diameter of the cutter wheel beyond this side of the car-
riage, the carrying wheels of which. being inside the frame, those at the other side
being outside the frame to give a broad basement. and stability to the carriage on
its wheels and rails.
·
The oscillating arm of the cutting wheel is actuated to cut in and cut out of the
coal at the beginning and end of its traverse respectively, as described, by a screw
wheel fixed on or formed in one, with its hollow boss above the bearing, and below
the bevel driving wheel of the central shaft, so as to be actuated by a longitudinal
or transverse screw shaft at the ends or outer side of the machine by a winch handle
or hand wheel, this shaft being carried in a suitable frame or journal bearings pro-
jecting up from the carriage frame.
These driving, bevel, and screw wheels and screw are all preferably made of cast
steel or malleable iron out of the solid, as well as the oscillating arm and its boss,
carrying the new or improved construction of cutting wheel and cutters at its outer
end on a ring eye bolted to it from the under side and through the eye of the wheel,
much in the same manner as other cutter wheels are.
The improvements in this wheel consist in having two sets of reversible cutters
sunk into recesses on opposite sides of its outer broad rim, and bolted by counter-
sunk-headed bolts and nuts, passing through these and the rim from side to side, the
ends of the cutters being broadened out and sharpened pick-wise, and projected
forwards and laterally at their cutting edges so as to make a cut considerably wider
than the wheel for the clearance of the arm and securing nuts of the cutters, the
cutters being made with the broad cutting edges at their opposite sides and ends, so
as to be easily reversed at the ends of the cutting and traverse of the cutting
machine, to cut backwards again along the face of a fresh cutting of the coal. This
cutter wheel is made with deep teeth and recesses all round the rim, at the part
where the cutters and bolts are secured, and of a pitch corresponding to the distance
between the cutters, the recesses being formed in the spaces between the cutters so
as to be actuated as a spur wheel by a corresponding spur pinion working into these
between the cutters and secured on the lower end of the vertical driving central
shaft before mentioned, actuated by the bevel wheels above direct from the crank
shaft of the engine.
The diameter of the cutting wheel and its driving pinion would be made large
enough to cut in under the coal to the distance or depth from the face and side of
the machine desired, and although the crank shaft is described as set horizontally
with the cylinders at an angle in a vertical plane, it will be evident that these might
be reversed, the cylinders being set horizontally at an angle close down on the top

page_text: of the carriage frame, with the crank shaft ranged vertically at the opposite side of
the machine to the driving shaft of the cutter wheel, so as to drive it by spur
gearing at the top instead of the bevel gearing before described, the other improve-
ments being all the same as to the mode of actuating the cutter wheel, and the con-
struction and arrangement of the cutters and mode of swivelling the carrying arm
past or outside both ends of the carriage so that it can be made to cut in both
directions of its forward and backward traverse along the face of the coal, all sub-
stantially as herein-before described.
.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Galloway and Gilbert McPherson in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 22nd July 1878.
JOHN GALLOWAY, Coalmaster, and GILBERT MCPHERSON, Colliery Manager,
both of Hurlford, in the County of Ayr, North Britain. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
COAL GETTING OR CUTTING, AND IN MACHINERY OR MECHANISM EMPLOYED
THEREFOR."
Our said Invention has reference to improvements in many of the parts, and in
the general construction of a portable coal getting or cutting engine of the
horizontal oscillating or radiating arm class, carrying the cutting wheel on its outer
end, for being worked by compressed air (or other pressure fluid) along the face of
the coal to undercut it, all of a more compact and simple construction with fewer
working parts, which will work more steadily and regularly with less wear and tear
of the machine and less waste of coal, than by the hand cutting or by former
machines, especially at the end walls, as the new cutting wheel and its carrying
arın are entered and withdrawn close up thereto and cut in both the forward and
backward traverse, thus effecting great economy of time and labour, as compared
with the machines heretofore in use.
The general character of our improved machine consists in a compact arrange-
ment of iron-framed carriage or portable double cylinder engine A, B, C, carried on
a low malleable iron frame C, C¹, with four wheels D traversed on rails z laid on
the floor near and along the front or face of the coal Z to be cut, and it is drawn
on these rails, alternately from one end of the cutting to the other by a chain or
rope, and winding winch or crane gear, either at the ends of the cutting, or by an
automatic winding or drawing barrel and gearing actuated on the carriage itself by
the engine A, B, C, carried thereon, all as so far described much the same as in
some other coal getting or cutting machines of this portable class heretofore in use..
And in order that the full nature, novelty, and mode of performing or working
out our said Invention may be properly understood, we shall now describe the
several Figures on the Sheet of Drawings which we have hereunto appended for
that purpose, the same reference letters and numerals indicating the same or
equivalent parts in all the Figures where seen.

page_text: Figure is a vertical side elevation, partly in irregular section, through the
centre of one cylinder A, and the cutting wheel J, j, and its carrying arm I, I', and
Figure 2 is a corresponding plan of a portable travelling coal getting or cutting
machine, constructed in accordance with, and illustrative of our said Invention, and
showing a modification or arrangement of the improvements thereof and mode of
putting the same into effect or practice.
---
Figures 3 and 4, are respectively a transverse section and horizontal section
taken on the lines 3 3 and 4 4, each on the other through the axis and
eye of the vertical shaft H of the transmitting gearing for driving the cutter
wheel J, j, in order to show these more clearly.
Referring to these Figures 1 to 4, the improved general arrangement of the
motive engine and the whole driving gear for actuating the cutting mechanism
consist first, of two-cylinders A, A, lying at a considerable angle from each other,
and the crank shaft B (as from 45° to 25° to the horizontal plane of the frame)
erected and working transversely across the centre of the machine in bush bearing
blocks b, b', secured to the side frames C of the carriage. The crank B¹ of the crank
shaft B is placed and connected to its rods A¹, so as to be worked by the trunk
pistons a of its cylinders A, A, close up near the outer bearing of the framing
furthest from the face of the cutting Z.
The pistons and cylinders are fitted with trunks a working out through stuffing
boxes a¹ in the front ends or covers of the cylinder next the crank shaft B to give
long connecting rods A¹ with the shortest possible length of engine frame B¹¹ and
carriage C, to the former of which they are bolted down by angled flanges at B¹¹,
as low as possible (at or below the 90° to each other) that they will work well.
The slide valve casings E project outwards, so that the double eccentrics F on the
overhung end of the crank shaft B may actuate the slide valves F1 by their
rods F, F, direct or through a guide bar, all working close up to or near its outer
end or bearing b of the crank shaft B. The bevel pinion G fixed near the centre
of the crank shaft B actuates the bevel wheel G¹ below, secured on the top of the
short solid central intermediate driving shaft H, of a new construction and arrange-
ment of cutting wheel J and its cutters j through the actuating pinion and gearing
below working on its carrying oscillating arm I, I, which will be herein-after more
particularly described. This short vertical solid shaft H is carried on the hollow
central shaft or boss I of the oscillating carrying arm 11 of the cutter wheel J, I,
both carried in a strong journal bearing or seating B2 of the engine frame B,
secured between the side frames of the lower central part of the carriage C, C¹, close
to the side next the face of the coal Z to be cut, so that the oscillating arm I, I',
and cutter wheel J, j, could swing round equally towards both ends, and enter and
cut out under the coal Z to the full length of the arm and radius of the cutter wheel
beyond the side C¹, C', of the carriage, the running wheels D on this side of the
frame being carried within the frame, those on the other side being outside of the
frame to give a broad basement and stability to the carriage on its wheels and rails z,
the cylinders and engine outside of the frame counterbalancing the weight of the
arm I, 1, and cutting wheel J. j, on the other.
.
The oscillating arm I, 11, of the cutter wheel J is oscillated on its large central
eye or boss I, so as to cause the revolving wheel J with its cutters ; to cut into and
cut out of the coal Z from the face at the beginning and end of its traverse
respectively, as described, by the screw wheel i fixed on the top of its hollow boss I,
or it might be formed in one with this, preferably above its bearing B2 in the frame B",
and below the bevel driving wheel G₁ on the top of the central shaft H, the screw
wheel i being actuated by the screw on the centre of the longitudinal screw shaft i¹¹
carried in bearing brackets 2 secured to the side frames C of the carriage, or it might
be a transverse shaft, this shaft 11 being turned by a winch handle or hand wheel
shipped on to its square ends 111 when required.
These driving bevel and screw wheels and screw G, G¹, and i, i¹, are all preferably
made of cast steel or maileable cast iron out of the solid, as well as the oscillating
arm and its boss 1', I, carrying the new or improved construction of cutting wheel J

page_text: and cutters at its outer end on a ring eye J¹ bolted to the arm fromthe under side
and through the eye of the wheel, much in the same manner that other cutter wheels
are as seen particularly in Figures 1 and 4.
The improvements in this wheel J. consist in having two sets of reversible cutters j,
one of which is shown in detached side and edge views in Figure 5 sunk into recesses
on opposite sides of its outer broad rim, and bolted by countersunk headed bolts
and nuts j passing through these and the rim from side to side, but these cutters
might be dovetailed on the edges, and inserted endways and secured by countersunk
screw pins inserted through the one cutter and screwed into the other on the
opposite side, and in either case the ends of the cutters jare broadened out, and
shapened pickwise, and project forward and laterally at their cutting edges, so as to
make a cut Z in the coal considerably wider than the wheel J for the clearance of
the arm I' and securing nuts j' of the cutters j when nuts are used, as seen particu-.
larly in Figures 2 and 3, the cutters being made with the broad cutting edges at
their opposite sides and ends, so, as to be easily reversed in their recesses in the
wheel at the ends of the cutting and traverse of the cutting machine, to cut back-
wards again along the face of a fresh cutting of the coal Z. The cutter wheel J, j,
is made with deep teeth L and recesses L', all round the rim at the part where the
cutters j and bolts j' are secured, and of pitch corresponding to the distance between
the cutters, the recesses L' being formed in the spaces between the cutters j, so as
to be actuatued as a spur wheel by. a corresponding spur pinion i, l', secured on the
lower end of the vertical drawing central shaft H; so as to work into the teeth and
spaces L, L', in the wheel J between the cutters j, all so as to be actuated by the
bevel wheels G, G', above direct from the crank shaft B, B¹, of the engine as herein-
before described.
The diameter of the cutter wheel J and its driving pinion 1, 1, would be made
large enough to cut in under the coal Z to the distance or depth from the face and.
side of the machine desired. The large boss or flanged centre J' is bolted up through
the eye J of the cutting wheel J, j, to a bearing part of the under outer end of the
arm I', so as to carry the wheel thereon by the said turned flanges and bearings,
which are preferably formed with shallow grooves filled with leather or other flexible
packing at J, Fig. 1, for retaining oil and maintaining a clean bearing surface,
while the centre of this eye J' is formed.hollow to contain a considerable quantity
of oil to lubricate the bearing surface for a long time, or a whole traverse from end
to end of the cutting, and screws h, h¹, are provided over these parts for putting in
the oil at intervals and preventing the coal dust from entering, while an outer rim J
on the eye J of the wheel J below prevents dust from entering the bearing surface
of the eye.
The arm I, I, of the cutter wheel is fixed in the central right-angled cutting
position for the long traverse by the dovetailed-headed screw bolts I2, working in a
corresponding annular dovetailed groove I111 in the upper face of the lower heavy
flange I of the arm I, I, all screwed up tight by their screw nuts L³ round the
bearing B2 in the frame B₁, in addition to the holding action of the screw and
screw. wheel i, ', which might allow some little shake or motion of the parts.
The carriage frame C, C¹, is preferably made of malleable iron in a plain rect-
angular form, bolted at the corners, and with the cast-iron frame B carrying the
motive engine and gearing bolted between its side frames are all carried on the low,
preferably double-flanged wheels D, having their carrying studs D₁ secured by
slide blocks D and adjustable screws d to dovetail guides at D" near the corners
of the outside and inside of the side frames C, C¹, respectively, for ease of adjust-
ment of the carriage to the proper height to enter the cutting wheel J, j, close down
to the bottom of the seam of coal Z to make as little waste as possible, and for the
easy removal of the wheels D with their carrying studs D' when in the way of the
cutting wheels J entering the cutting at the commencement of each traverse, all as
indicated in Figure 2, with the cutting wheel entering the right-hand end Z" of
the cutting face Z- Z, with the inner end wheel D removed, and only indicated
in dotted lines. over the wheels J, j, shown as in the act of being fed in by the

page_text: swivelling of its carrying arm I, I, through the screw shaft i, i", and screw
wheel i¹ to right angles from the centre and side of the carriage frame, the carriage
for the time being carried on three wheels or supported from the roof at the
entering end, until the cutting wheel has entered the cutting clear of the end
carrying wheels D, which may then be shipped on to the carriage, so that it may
be slowly traversed or fed forward by a wire rope or chain attached to the eye C²
at its left-hand end.
This portable cutting engine A, B, is driven by compressed air, conveyed down to
it from the air vessel and stationary air pumping and compressing engines at the
pit head, by. strong flexible india-rubber or other suitable pipes attached by couplings
to. one or other of the inlet branches A", fitted with stop-cocks A¹¹¹, both entering
the duct A2, cast in the sole plate. B¹¹, leading to the entering ports As of the valve
casing E of the two cylinders A, A, the other branch A¹ being closed by its stop-
cock A or a blind screw cap at all, each cylinder exhausting the waste air
through the outlet discharge branches E' after driving the engine, gearing, and
cutting wheel, all in the direction indicated by the arrows in Figure 2, when
cutting from right to left along the face Z--- Z, of the coal being cut; and, of course,
in the reverse direction when cutting from the left-hand end, where the cutting
wheel in finishing is swung out under the left-hand end of the carriage, the wheels
D, D, at that end being first removed for that purpose, all so as to cut the coal right
to the end, and so make no waste there, and leave the cutter wheel J, j, in position
ready for a fresh traverse and cut from that end, after reversing the cutters j,
which, from their construction and mode of attachment, is quickly and easily done,
as also the connecting of the air hose by its coupling to the front branch A" and
reversing the engines by turning round their double eccentrics F, F, on the end
of their crank shaft B by the hand lever f, fitted on them for the purpose, and re-
inserting their fixing pin f¹, fitted with holding spring or lever f¹1, all so as to
reverse the working of the slide valves and engine, and cause the cutter wheel, from
whatever. end of the cutting it is traversed, to discharge the waste coal cuttings
which it makes quite behind it, and greatly out of the recess Z³, clear of the
cutters; but lest any little particles should be left between the cutters j, and be
forced into the recesses L¹, between the teeth L, by those of the driving pinion 1, 1,
these would force the small coal through the holes L", formed in the sides of the
wheel and recesses L³, and which are countersunk towards the outside for the sure
egress of any such small coal which may occasionally enter. This portable coal
cutting carriage is designed in this case for cutting in shallow or low seams to clear
the low roof of the workings, as seen in Figure 3, and the whole working parts are
covered in by a portable sheet metal case resting on the sides of the carriage C, C¹,
not shown in the Drawings, for the protection of the working parts from dust, and
the safety of the attendants who control the working of the machine by the inlet
cocks A¹¹
Although the carriage C, C', has been described, as drawn by a chain or wire
rope rigidly attached to the eyes C2, it will be understood that this might be done
through or by the use of an intermediate strong spring draw link, which would
yield and prevent the breaking of the drawing rope, or the cutters or gearing when
irregular feeding or an obstruction occurred; and although described as actuated by
stationary traction gear at the ends of the cutting, it will be understood that this
might be effected by a chain or wire rope led below the carriages, fixed at the end of
the cutting, and caught or wound so as to draw the carriage by a drawing chain,
barrel, or groove pulley winch arrangement of hauling gear carried on the carriage
frame, and driven by friction or tooth wheels from the crank shaft of the engine.
Instead of having only a single cranked shaft, with the cylinders lying at an angle,
as described, it will be understood that the cylinders may be laid horizontally and
connected to two cranks set at an angle to each other on the crank shaft. And
although the crank shaft B, B1, has been described and shown as set horizontally,
with the cylinders A, A, at an angle in a vertical longitudinal plane, it will be
evident that these. might be reversed, the cylinders being set horizontally at an

page_text: angle close down on the top of the carriage frame, with the crank shaft ranged
vertically at the opposite side of the machine to the driving shaft H of the cutter
wheel, so as to drive it by the spur gearing at the top instead of the bevel gearing
before described, or the crank might be formed on the top of the shaft H, which
would then be driven direct from the engine without requiring the said upper bevel
or spur gearing. The other improvements would still be all the same as to the mode
of actuating the cutter wheel, and the construction and arrangement of the cutters
and mode of swivelling the carrying arms past or outside the ends of the carriage, so
that it can be made to cut into the directions of its forward and backward traverse
along the face of the coal, all substantially as herein-before described.
Having now described the nature of our said Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the saine, we have to state that we do not confine ourselves to the precise
details herein described or delineated, neither do we desire to claim the mere use of
a portable carriage coal getting or cutting motive engine, with radial arms and
horizontal cutting wheel, as this in some forms has been tried or used heretofore,
but what we consider novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention
secured to us by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is;—
First. The general construction or arrangement of the parts of a portable carriage
coal cutting motive engine, with new or improved construction of cutting wheel
carried on its arm so as to radiate right round, or from one end of the machine to
the other, all substantially as herein described in reference to and shown in the
accompanying Drawings, or any mere modification thereof.
Second. The making or constructing of the cutting wheels of coal getting motive
engines, with double sets of cutting tools, with the driving spur wheel or teeth
formed between them so as to be actuated by a pinion working between the cutters
on the central shaft, all substantially as herein described in reference to and shown
in the accompanying Drawings, or any mere modification thereof..
Third. The driving of the cutting wheels of portable coal getting machines by a
pinion direct on the lower end of a central shaft passing down through the axis of
its radial carrying arm, so as to actuate the cutting wheel, while it and the radial
arm can be turned to any position round the axis of both, all substantially as herein
described in reference to and shown in the accompanying Drawings, or any mere
modification thereof.
Fourth. The swivelling of the arm of the cutting wheels of coal getting machines
round and round or from end to end of their carriage by a worm and worm wheel,
or other equivalent, for the purpose of cutting in or cutting out of the coal, all sub-
stantially as herein described in reference to and shown in the accompanying
Drawings, or any mere modification thereof.
In witness whereof, we, the said John Galloway and Gilbert McPherson, have
hereunto set our hands and seals, this Nineteenth day of July, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
JOHN GALLOWAY.
(L.S.)
GILBERT MCPHERSON. (L.s.)