IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY, OR APPARATUS FOR DRILLING OR BORING HOLES IN ROCK
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Lloyd Wise of 46 Lincoln's Inn Fields in the
County of Middlesex for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY, OR
APPARATUS FOR DRILLING OR BORING HOLES IN ROCK, a communication from
Charles William Burton, a person resident at 62 Ruo Charlot, Paris, France
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Lloyd Wise at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 26th Juno 1883.
:
WILLIAM LLOYD WISE of 46 Lincoln's Inn Fields in the County of Middlesex
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR DRILLING OR BORING HOLES
IN ROCK (a communication from Charles William Burton a person resident at
62 Ruo Charlot, Paris, France)
"
This invention relates to rock drilling or boring machines that can be worked
by hand or by an electric motor of any suitable construction mounted on a special
carriage as hereinafter described whereby such motor is made available for
transmitting motion to the boring or drilling tool whilst the latter is in either of
the several positions it is arranged to be capable of occupying.
In a machine according to this invention the drilling or boring tool has a
percussive action and also receives rotary motion and a forward feed movement.
The percussive action is produced in the following manner;—A piston carrying
the drilling or boring tool at one of its ends moves in a cylinder and is counceled
by a steel rod to a sliding cross-head upon which act two cams that may be double
or single according as the machine is operated by hand or by a motor. The sliding
cross-head is guided between the guides of a frame formed by two V bars fixed
at their one ends to the cylinder, and connected together at their other ends by a
suitable cross-piece. The shaft carrying the cams is supported in suitable bearings
fixed to the frame. The cams as they rotate move back the sliding cross-head
and piston which are thus caused to travel a distance depending on the throw of
the cams.
During such backward travel of the piston the air enclosed within the cylinder
below the piston and that end of the cylinder towards which the piston is travelling
becomes compressed, and when the cams release the sliding cross-head this air.
expands and acting on the piston causes its more or less rapid return and
consequently that of the drilling or boring tool.
The recoil due to the impact of this tool on the rock is necessarily communi-
cated from the piston to the sliding cross head, but the latter being free to travel
ED

page_text: along its guides offers no resistance; furthermore the cams are symmetrically
arranged so as to act on the sliding cross-head equally at two opposite sides of the
rod that connects it to the piston, thus there is no tendency to straining or twisting,
such as would be likely to occur with a single cam acting on the sliding cross-head
to one side of the connecting rod and and therefore nearer one end than the other
of the said cross-head.
The drilling or boring tool is actuated in a rotary sense as follows:-
The piston is at its rearward end bored out to receive a gun metal nut in which
works a hollow rod having external helically arranged parts or threads that fit
those of the said nut. This hollow rod is provided with a ratchet wheel, during
the inward stroke of the piston the ratchet wheel and hollow rod are prevented
from rotating by two pawls acting on the said wheel; it results that as the nut
travels-along the hollow rod the nut and piston, and consequently also the drilling
or boring tool, are caused to turn in a rotary sense to an extent determined by the
pitch of the helical grooves of the hollow rod.
During the forward stroke of the piston its velocity produces an effect superior
to the resistance of the springs that act on the pawls, consequently the hollow rod
'is caused to rotate whilst the piston travels without turning as is well understood
in machines of this kind.
A peculiarity of the above described arrangement: is the use of the hollow rod
bored through its whole length for the passage of the rod that connects the piston
to the sliding cross-head; further whore the said rod passes through the cover
of the cylinder an air tight joint is provided in order to prevent escape of
compressed air.
The advance of the drilling or boring tool may be produced either automatically
or by hand. It is effected automatically by means of a screw supported in the
framo; a combined ratchet wheel and nut-is provided in connection with this screw
in such manner that on a movement of rotation being communicated to the
ratchet wheel forward movement of the screw takes place which is transmitted to
the frame. A cam or incline mounted in the cylinder at its front end is acted on
by the piston at the end of its forward stroke, the movement thus communicated
to the cam or incline is communicated to the axis on which it is mounted and is
transmitted to the ratchet wheel, which thus receives the rotary movement
necessary for the advance of the screw.
The said screw causes the apparatus to advance on its slide support.
It will be evident that to obtain this movement by hand it is only necessary to
put the ratchet wheel out of gear with the parts that operate it, and to turn the
screw by means of a crank or hand wheel.
The automatic advance movement is more especially employed where the
machine is worked by hand, and the advance by hand where the machine is worked
by motor.
When the machine is to be driven by an electric motor such motor is mounted
on a truck provided with mechanism whereby three distinct movements may be
communicated to the plate that carries the motor, that is to say:-(1) Circular
movement of the plate so as to allow the pulley or pullies of the motor to be placed
in the same direction as those of the drilling or boring machine. (2) Movement
in a direction transverse to the truck which is effected by means of a screw and
(3) movement in the longitudinal direction of the truck by means of another screw.
The combination of these three movements enables the motor carried by the
truck to be used for driving the drilling or boring machine in each of the several
positions it is desired to be capable of assuming.
In order to give the truck the necessary firmness it is provided with a brake to
lock the four wheels simultaneously, but any other suitablo means may be employed
to the same end.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Lloyd Wise in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
26th December 1883.
WILLIAM LLOYD WISE of 46 Lincolns Inn Fields in the County of Middlesex
IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR DRILLING OR BORING HOLES
IN ROCK (A communication from Charles William Burton a person resident at
62 Rue Charlot, Paris, France)
This invention relates to rock drilling or boring machines that can bo worked by
hand or by an electric motor of any suitable construction mounted on a special
carriage as hereinafter described, whereby such motor is made available for
transmitting motion to the boring or drilling tool whilst the latter is in eithor
of the several positions it is arranged to be capable of occupying.
In a machine according to this invention, the drilling or boring tool has
a percussive action, and also receives rotary motion and a forward feed
movement.
The percussive action is produced in the following manner;-A piston carrying
the drilling or boring tool at one of its ends moves in a cylinder and is connected
by a steel rod to a sliding cross-head upon which act two cams that may be
double or single, according as the machine is operated by hand or by a motor.
The sliding cross-head is guided between the guides of a frame formed by two
bars fixed at their one ends to the cylinder, and connected together at their other
ends by a suitable cross-piece. The shaft carrying the cams is supported in
suitable bearings fixed to the frame. The cams as they rotato move back the
sliding cross-head and piston, which are thus caused to travel a distance depending
on the throw of the cams.
During such backward travel of the piston the air enclosed within the cylinder
behind the piston and that end of the cylinder towards which the piston is
travelling becomes compressed, and when the cams release the sliding cross-head
this air expands and acting on the piston causes its more or less rapid return, and
consequently that of the drilling or boring tool.
The recoil due to the impact of this tool on the rock is necessarily communicated
from the piston to the sliding cross-head, but the latter being free to travel along
its guides offer no resistance, furthermore the cams are symmetrically arranged so
as to act on the sliding cross-head equally at two opposite sides of the rod that
connects it to the piston, thus there is no tendency to straining or twisting, such
as would be likely to occur with a single cam acting on the sliding cross-head, to
one side of the connecting rod, and therefore nearer one side than the other of the
said cross-head. The drilling or boring tool is actuated in a rotary sense as
follows:-
The piston is at its rearward end bored out to receive a gun metal nut in which
works a hollow rod having external helically arranged parts or threads that fit
those of the said nut. This hollow rod is provided with a ratchet wheel; during
the inword stroke of the piston the ratchet wheel and hollow rod are prevented
from rotating by two pawls acting on the said wheel; it results that as the nut
travels along the hollow rod the nut and piston, and consequently also the drilling
or boring tool, are caused to turn in a rotary sense to an extent determined by the
pitch of the helical grooves of the hollow rod.
During the forward stroke of the piston its velocity produces an effect superior
to the resistance of the springs that act on the pawls, consequently the hollow rod

page_text: is caused to rotate whilst the piston travels without turning as is well understood
in machines of this kind.
A peculiarity of the above described arrangement is the use of the hollow rod
bored through its whole length for the passage of the rod that connects the piston
to the sliding cross-head; further, where the said rod passes through the cover of
the cylinder an air tight joint is provided in order to prevent escape of compressed
air.
The advance of the drilling or boring tool may be produced either automatically
or by hand. It is effected automatically by means of a screw supported in the
frame; a combined ratchet wheel and nut is provided in connection with this
screw in such manner that on a movement of rotation being communicated to the
_ratchet wheel, forward movement of the screw takes place which is transmitted to
the frame.
-
A cam or incline mounted in the cylinder at its front end is acted on by the
piston at the end of its forward stroke,, the movement thus communicated to the
cam or incline is communicated to the axis on which it is mounted and is
transmitted to the ratchet wheel, which thus receives the rotary movement
necessary for the advance of the screw. The said screw causes the apparatus to
advance on its slide support. It will be evident that to obtain this movement by
hand it is only necessary to put the ratchet wheel out of gear with the parts that
operate it, and to turn the screw by means of a crank or hand wheel.
The automatic advance movement is more especially employed where the
machine is worked by hand, and the advance by hand where the machine is worked
by motor.
When the machine is to be driven by an electric motor such motor is mounted
on a truck provided with mechanism whereby three distinct movements may be
communicated to the plate that carries the motor, that is to say;-(1)-Circular --
movement of the plates so as to allow the pulley or pullies of the motor to be
placed in the same direction as those of the drilling or boring machine.
(2) Movement in a direction transverse to the truck which is effected by means of
a screw, and (3) movement in the longitudinal direction of the truck by means of
another screw.
The combination of these three movements enables the motor carried by the
truck to be used for driving the drilling or boring machine in each of the several
positions it is desired to be capable of assuming.
In order to give the truck the necessary firmness it is provided with a brake to
lock the four wheels simultaneously, but any other suitable means may be
employed to the same end.
Sheet 1 of the drawings contains views of the drilling or boring machine
complete and of details of the acting parts of the same.
Sheet 2 contains views representing the drilling or boring machine mounted in
position in a mine gallery so as to be worked by an electric motor mounted upon a
carriage capable of many movements.
Referring to sheet 1, Figs 1 and 2 are longitudinal sections at right angles to
one another of a hand rock drilling or boring machine constructed according to
this invention.
Figs 3 and 4 shew different parts of the automatic motion.
Fig 5 shews the ratchet wheel and spring pawls forming parts of the automatic
motion,
Fig 6 shews part of the crank shaft, its bearings, and two double cams that
actuate the piston.
Fig 7 shows the sliding cross-head or piece actuated by the cams to give the
backward stroke to the piston.
Figs 8 and 9 shew an arrangement of alarm whistle and the manner of
setting it.
A is a cast iron-cylinder within which works a steel piston carrying at its one
end the boring bit that acts upon the rock; to the cylinder A are attached two
.

page_text: from bars-C, C, connected together at their ends by a cast-iron cross-piece D; a
steel rod E fixed at one end within the piston by means of the socket or brush F
and nut G, is connected at its other end to the iron cross-head H that works
between the two bars C which serve as guides.
The crosshead H is actuated by double cams I mounted upon the shaft J which
also carries fly wheels and handles by which the shaft is rotated. The shaft J
rotates within the bearings K attached to the framing or bars C. The cams I
acting upon the cross-head H communicate to the piston B its required backward
motion. It will be evident that with the described arrangement the rod E through
which the piston is actuated is perfectly guided in its motion thus obviating the
risks of breakage and the excessive friction that obtain with machines as heretofore
constructed with cams for operating the pistons.
'
In order to give the necessary rotatory motion to the boring tool a modification
of an arrangement of mechanism such as is sometimes applied in percussive rock
boring machines operated by compressed air or other fluid, is adapted to the
improved machine, as follows:-
A hollow rod M through which the rod E passes and which is provided with
helical grooves and with a ratchet wheel, is retained in place by means of the
washer Z and the back cylinder cover O, so as to be capable of a rotary motion.
Two pawls N and N¹ (Fig 5) fixed to the cover O engage with the teeth of tho
ratchet wheel and prevent the rotation of M in one direction only.
The nut G attached to the piston B slides upon M.
It will be seen that in the improved boring machine, the piston B carrying the
borer is quite independent of the other parts of the machine so that the shock of
the borer is not in any way felt by them.
The automatic forward feed motion which is similar to that used in some other
forms of machines is as follows:-A steel axis P carries on one end a cam Q
passing inside the cylinder A and at its other end another cam R connected to a
pawl Swhich is caused by the pressure of the spring Y to operate the ratchet
wheel T The ratchet wheel T is provided with a long socket forming a nut upon
the screw U.
The cylinder A and the parts attached thereto are mounted so as to slide upon
the frame V which is attached by means of the conical socket X to a suitable
support.
The operation of the machine is as follows.-
The piston B being placed at the forward end of its stroke, the end of the drill
or boring tool bears against the rock to be perforated. The shaft J carrying the
double cams I is rotated by means of its bandles and the cams I acting upon the
cross-head H draw back, by means of the rod E, the piston B, and the volume of
air contained in the back part of the cylinder E is compressed. The crosshead H
by the continued rotation of the shaft J is released from the action of the cams I,
and the compressed air in the back part of the cylinder forces the piston to make
its forward or operative stroke. The crosshead is again acted on by the cams I,
and the motion repeated. The rotation of the drill is effected at each backward
stroke of the piston B in the following manner;-As the nut G slides upon the
helically grooved rod M, and as that rod is prevented by the pawls N N' from
rotating it follows that the piston B is caused to turn in a rotary sense to an
extent depending upon the pitch of the grooves. During the forward stroke of the
piston the tendency of the hollow rod M is to rotate in the opposite direction to
that in which it tends to rotate during the back stroke and not being prevented in
this direction by the pawls N N' it rotates and the piston B makes a straight
stroke, or, in other words, does not return.
The feed motion of the drill is effected as follows:-
When the end of the drill or boring tool strikes the rock and perforates it
to a certain extent the part B¹ of the piston moves forward to the same extent
and strikes on the inclined part of the cam Q which thus communicates motion
in a rotary sense to the axis P, which motion is transmitted to the cam Rand

page_text: pawl S upon which acts the spring Y attached to frame A, and lastly to the
ratchet wheel T.
A counter pawl provided with a spring acts upon the teeth of the ratchet
wheel T in order to prevent any back motion.
It will be understood from what lias been stated that the forward motion of the
drill or boring tool is produced automatically, and that the said forward motion is
regulated automatically according to the nature of the rock.
The forward motion of the drill or tool may also be effected by hand as herein-.
before described.
To guard against the workman in charge of the machine actuating the screw V
too slowly, and thereby causing the piston B to go too far into the cylinder A
which might give rise to accidents, a whistle Z' (shewn in Figs 1, 8, and 9) is,
provided which is mounted so that when the stroke of the piston becomes too great,
a projection on the cross-head H strikes the upper end of the rod of the whistlo
compressing the air contained in it and causing it to be sounded. The workman.
is thus informed in time that the feed motion of the apparatus must bo operated.
The number of the strokes of the piston is double the number of revolutions of
the cam shaft, the cams being double when the working of the boring machine is
effected by hand. The arrangement shewn in the drawing and in which the cross-
head His connected to the piston B by the steel rod E may be modified by setting
up a parallelogram formed of rods outside the cylinder and connecting the cross-
head H to a cross piece secured to the bottom of the piston. The rear end of the
cylinder is supplied with air in the ordinary manner.
Referring now to sheet 2 of the drawings, Fig 10 shews in elevation one of the
improved rock drilling or boring machines mounted upon its carrying pillar.
Fig 11 is an elevation partly in section in the line c d of the carriage carrying
the electric motor for operating the rock boring machine. Fig 12 is a plan of the
boring machine mounted upon its carrying pillar. Figs 13 and 14 are plan and
ond views of the carriage carrying the electric motor.
In the boring machine as here illustrated the cams are shewn as single acting, as
the required speed can be imparted to the shaft upon which they are fixed. The
boring machine A as shewn has its drill or boring tool c arranged for boring holes
parallel to the axis and to the sides of the gallery. The machine is operated by a
cord or rope a passing over the grooved pulley b of the electric motor and over one
of the two grooved pulleys d of the boring machine. The socket support e secured
upon the carrying pillar B receives the boring machine which is capable of being
rotated about the axis elf so that it can be caused to assume various directions
such as those indicated by lines g, h, and i j. The pillar B¹ may easily be removed
and placed in any position in the gallery; the socket support e sliding on the said
pillar may be fixed to it at any height.
The carriage carrying the electric motor R comprises a truck M supported by
four wheels running on rails or otherwise; when the truck M is to remain
stationary, the motion of the wheels is arrested by means of a powerful brake,
whereof the brake block N acts simultaneously on two wheels at the same side.
The brake is worked by means of a hand wheel O¹, a screw rod P, a bell crank
lever Q, and rod R¹ carrying the brake block. Upon the truck M is secured a
frame O provided with two slides m m, which serve as guides for the slides m¹ m¹
of a carriage moving longitudinally upon the frame o by means of a scrow p.
The carriage is provided with top slides serving to guide a second carriage k
which can be traversed across the carriage by means of the screw n. The
carriage & supports a plate 9 to which the electric motor R is fixed, and which
can be rotated about an axis on the carriage k being fixed by two bolts r and l
passing through are shaped grooves or slots S and S¹ formed in the plate q. The
motor can thus be adjusted to work the drilling or boring machine in each of the
several positions which it is capable of assuming, whether boring parallel or
obliquely to the axis of the gallery or otherwise, and by the longitudinal

page_text: adjustment the tension of the cord or rope can be regulated as the machine iś
advanced by the feed motion.
It will be understood, that before effecting any such movements, the boring
machine and the truck should be placed in the positions they are to occupy, and
that the brake acting upon the four wheels of the truck should be screwed up
tightly so as to give to the latter the required rigidity.
Instead of using the brake, any kind of grippers or clamps may be used to
fix the carriage in position on the rails, or such means may be employed conjointly
with brakes.
The boring machine is represented as mounted upon its carrying pillar, but it
is obvious that it may be placed on a carriage if found advantageous, or upon a
tripod carrier to work in the open air.
Having now described the nature of the said invention and the manner of
carrying it into practical effect, as communicated to me as aforesaid, I would have
it understo d that what is considered to be novel and original and therefore
is claimed as secured to me by the hereinbefore in part recited Letters Patent is ;-
In a rock drilling or boring machine,
1. Providing rigid guides to that part of the machine through which the piston
carrying the drill or boring tool is operated by the cams to effect the backward or
air compressing stroke substantially as hereinabove described for the purposes
set forth.
2 The application and use as hereinabovo described of the arrangement of
parts whereby the drill or boring tool is caused to move in a rotary sense during
the backward or air compressing stroke of the piston B connected to the guided
cross-head H operated by cams as above set forth.
3. The arrangement described whereby the piston is rendered so far independent
of other parts of the machine as not to communicate thereto shocks imparted to
the drill or boring tool when in action as above set forth.
4. The use in conjunction with a rock drilling or boring machine as above
referred to of a vehicle such as represented in and described with reference to
Figs 11; 13, and 14, carrying an electric motor R designed to operate the said
machine, and which comprises two carriers and capable of moving perpendicularly
or at right angles one to the other, in combination with a plate q capable of
motion about its axis and carrying the electric motor, the arrangement being such
as to enable the position of the motor to be adapted to that of the boring
machine as above set forth.
5 I also claim the combination of parts constituting the improved machine for
drilling or boring holes in rock, constructed, arranged and operating as horeinabove
described with reference to and shewn in the drawings.
In Witness whoreof I the said William Lloyd Wiso have hereunto set my hand
and seal this twenty fourth day of December in the year of Our Lord one
thousand eight hundred and eighty three.