IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY POR CUTTING OR WORKING COAL OR OTHER MINERALS
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frederic William Armitage, of Barnsley, in the
County of York, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY POR CUTTING OR WORKING COAL OR OTHER MINERALS."
Sealed the 24th February 1865, and dated the 29th August 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frederic William Armitage®
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
29th August 1864.
L
I, FREDERIC WILLIAM ARMITAGE, of Barnsley, in the County of York,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING OR WORKING COAL OR OTHER MINERALS," to be
as follows:"
This Invention relates principally to improvements in that class of machinery
which is used in mines for getting coal or other minerals, by under-cutting_by_
means of reciprocating picks, actuated by a horizontal engine carried on a
moveable frame.
The improvements are designed with a view to enable the picks of such
machines to make a complete revolution, so as to work much more effectively
and quicker than heretofore, and at the same time to render the machine
capable of easy transportation from one part of the mine to the other.

page_text: The foundation plate of the machine I construct in two parts, which are
provided with strong flanges or otherwise so formed that they can be firmly
bolted or united together (end to end) so as to form one solid plate when the
machine is in working order, and be readily taken asunder when it is required
to transport the machine from place to place, so that being in two parts (each
only about four feet long or of any other convenient length) the machine is
much more manageable and capable of being turned in a much smaller space
than it would otherwise be. When the machine is in working order the
foundation plate is supported by four wheels running on the ordinary tram
rails of the mine, one wheel being placed at or near each corner, and the picks
revolve horizontally in the space below the plate and between the wheels, but
when the plate is taken asunder each part thereof is carried by four wheels,
the wheels being mounted in brackets or carriers, which are readily detached
from or fixed to the plates in the positions required. The whole of the
machinery is attached to one of the plates, across which it is mounted
diagonally so as to bring the crank shaft which works the picks to the front
inner corner of this plate, in order that when in working position the centre
of revolution of the picks shall be in front, and as near as possible to the face
of the coal, and about midway between the extremities of the foundation
plate.
The driving machinery consists of a horizontal steam cylinder, piston, and
valve; a connecting rod attached to the cross head of the piston rod drives a
vertical crank shaft, the upper end of which is carried by a bracket bolted to
the plate, and the lower end immediately below the plate is provided with a
cross piece or strong boss having sockets in which the arms of the picks are
securely fixed. The slide valve is worked by a tappet on the cross head of
the piston rod. As before mentioned, this one half of the foundation plate
carries the whole of the working machinery, the other half (which is bolted to
it when in working position) being for the purpose of getting a second
fulcrum or support outside the circle in which the picks revolve. It will be
evident that this same arrangement would be equally applicable to the
mounting and driving of any other form of revolving cutter for such purposes,
and is not necessarily.confined to the use of picks, as above described, and
also that the foundation plate may be composed of more than two parts if
found necessary.

page_text: "
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Frederic William Armitage in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 28th February 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FREDERIC
WILLIAM ARMITAGE, of Barnsley, in the County of York, Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-eighth year of Her
reign, did; for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Frederic William Armitage, Her special licence that I, the said Frederic
William Armitage, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said Frederic William Armitage, 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 "Im;
PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING OR WORKING COAL OR OTHER MINERALS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Frederic William
Armitage, 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 Frederic William Armitage, do hereby
declare 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 in writing, and on reference being had to the accompanying Sheet
of Drawings, that is to say:-
This Invention relates principally-to-improvements in that class of machinery.
which is used in mines for getting. coal or other minerals by under-cutting by
means of reciprocating picks actuated by a horizontal engine carried on a
moveable frame.
The improvements are designed with a view to enable the picks of such
machines to make a complete revolution instead of reciprocating merely, so as
to work much more effectively and quicker than heretofore, and at the same
F

page_text: time to render the machine capable of easy transportation from one part of
the mine to the other.
The foundation plate of the machine I construct in two parts, which are
provided with strongo flanges, or otherwise so formed that they can be firmly
bolted or united together (end to end) so as to form one solid plate when the
machine is in working order, and be readily taken asunder when it is required
to transport the machine from place to place, so that being in two parts (each
only about four feet long, or of any other convenient length) the machine is
much more manageable and capable of being turned in a much smaller space
than it would otherwise be. When the machine is in working order the
foundation plate is supported by four wheels running on the ordinary tram
rails of the mine, one wheel being placed at or near each corner, and the picks
revolve horizontally in the space below the plate and between the wheels, but
when the plate is taken asunder each part thereof is carried by four wheels,
the wheels being mounted in brackets or carriers, which are readily detached
from or fixed to the plates in the positions required. The whole of the
machinery is attached to one of the plates, across which it is mounted
diagonally, so as to bring the crank shaft which works the picks to the front
inner corner of this plate, in order that when in working position, the centre of
revolution of the picks shall be in front, and as near as possible to the face
of the coal and about midway between the extremities of the foundation
plate.
The driving machinery consists of a horizontal steam cylinder, piston, and
valve; a connecting rod attached to the cross head of the piston rod drives a
vertical crank shaft, the upper end of which is carried by a bracket bolted to
the plate, and the lower end immediately below the plate is provided with a
cross piece or strong boss having sockets in which the arms of the picks are
securely fixed. The slide valve is worked by a tappet on the cross head of
the piston rod. As before mentioned, this one half of the foundation plate
carries the whole of the working machinery, the other half (which is bolted to
it when in working position) being for the purpose of getting a second
fulcrum or support outside the circle in which the picks revolve. It will be
evident that this same arrangement would be equally applicable to the
mounting and driving of any other form of revolving cutter for such purposes,
and is not necessarily confined to the use of picks as above described, and also
that the foundation plate may be composed of more than two parts if found
necessary.
Such being the nature and object of my said Invention for "Improvements
in Machinery for Cutting or Working Coal or other Minerals," I will now

page_text: proceed to describe more in detail the manner in which the same is to be:or
may be performed, or.carried into practical effect; and in order that' the same
may be distinctly understood I have annexed hereunto a Sheet of Dräwings
illustrative thereof, and have marked the same with figures and letters of
reference corresponding with those in the following explanation, thereof,
that is to say:-
Figure 1 in the annexed Drawing is a front elevation of my improved
machine when put together and mounted in working order; and Figure 2 is
a plan or horizontal view-of the same; Figures 3,-4, 5, and 6 show respectively
elevations and plan views of the same when taken asunder and mounted in
travelling order.
The foundation plate is constructed in two parts a, a, and b, b, provided
with strong flanges at c, c, by means of which they can be firmly bolted
together, as at Figures 1 and 2, so as to form one solid plate. It will be
seen that each plate is provided with four vertical holes or openings d, d, and
also two horizontal openings e; e, at one end. When the machine is in
travelling order, each plate is carried upon four wheels mounted in brackets f,f,
placed in the holes d, d, and held by set screws 9, 9, as shown in Figures 3
and 4, but when the machine is bolted together in working order it is carried
by four wheels mounted in curved brackets h, h, fixed by means of keys or
cotters in the holes e, e, as shown in Figures 1 and 2.
The plate b, b, carries the whole of the working machinery, i, i, being the
steam cylinder; k, k, the piston rod; 1, 7, the connecting rod; and m, m, the
crank shaft. The lower end of this crank shaft below the plate b, b, has
keyed or otherwise fixed to it a cross piece or strong boss n, n, provided with
sockets into which the picks o, o, are fixed by keys or otherwise. The picks
may be made in any of the ordinary forms, but I prefer that they should be
formed in such a manner that neither of them takes the whole width of the
cut, one pick cutting, for example, the upper part of the groove in the form of
a V, similar to a wood saw tooth, whilst the other follows and cuts the lower
part of the groove in like manner. It will be evident that any other form of
revolving cutter may be substituted for the picks o, o, as above mentioned.
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention for
"Improvements in Machinery for Cutting or Working Coal or other Minerals,"
5 together with the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or
carried into practical effect, I would remark in conclusion, that I claim as my
Invention, constructing the foundation plates of such machinery in two parts,
so as to facilitate the transport thereof, such parts being capable of being
readily bolted together and mounted in such a manner as to give a fulcrum or

page_text: support at each end outside the circle in which the picks or cutters revolve,
the whole being arranged and constructed substantially as herein-before
described and exhibited in the Drawings annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Frederic William Armitage, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of February, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.