NEW OR IMPROVED DRILLING MACHINERY
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Sunter, of Derby, in the County of Derby,
Engineer, for the Invention of "NEW OR IMPROVED DRILLING MACHINERY."
Sealed the 19th December 1854, and dated the 4th July 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Sunter at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 4th
July 1854.
'
I, JOSEPH SUNTER, of Derby, in the County of Derby, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "NEW OR IMPROVED DRILLING
MACHINERY to be as follows:-
My said Invention consists of a drilling machine constructed as follows:-
I take a portable steam engine, such as is now commonly used for agricultural
purposes, and cause the same to drive a transverse horizontal axis situated
on the end of the said engine. Each end of the transverse axis carries a
bevilled toothed wheel, which engages in another similar wheel situated.
on the top of a vertical shaft. On opposite sides of the said vertical shaft,
and parallel thereto, are two axes carrying drills at the lower ends, the
said axes being driven by being geared to the vertical shaft; thus, the
motion of the first-mentioned transverse horizontal axis communicates a
simultaneous motion to two sets of drills, of four in each set. But more than
one transverse axis may be used, and the sets of drills may be composed of a
greater or less number than four. The vertical motion of the drills is thus
effected:-The axes carrying the drills are keyed to the toothed wheels by
which they are driven, by means of a sliding key, so that the said axes may
rise and fall vertically while in motion. Each of the drill axes carries at its

page_text: top a rack, which is connected therewith by a joint which does not transmit
the rotary motion of the axis to the said rack. A pinion driven by a worm
wheel engages in each of the said racks, and a winch on the axis of the worm
wheel enables the workman to communicate a rotary motion thereto, and raise
or depress the set of drills. The pinions which engage in the racks on the
drill axes may be geared together, so that one winch and worm wheel may be
sufficient for each set of drills. Although I prefer placing the sets of drills in
a portable steam engine, yet I do not confine myself thereto. My Invention
is particularly applicable to the drilling of railway bars for fish-jointing the
same, but my said Invention is also applicable to drilling purposes generally.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Joseph Sunter in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 3rd
January 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
SUNTER, of Derby, in the County of Derby, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Joseph Sunter, Her special licence that I, the said Joseph Sunter,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Joseph
Sunter, 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 "NEW OR IMPROVED DRILLING
MACHINERY," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Joseph
Sunter, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should par-
ticularly 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 Joseph Sunter, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement
thereof (that is to say) :-

page_text: My said Invention consists of drilling machinery, constructed in the manner
herein-after described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing. Figure 1
represents in side elevation, Figure 2 an end elevation, and Figure 3 a plan,
of a drilling machine constructed according to my Invention. a is a truck
or platform, mounted upon wheels b, b, so that it can readily be transported
from place to place. c is a portable steam engine and its boiler, such as is
used for agricultural purposes. I do not think it necessary to describe the
steam engine c, as the same constitutes no part of my Invention. A strap or
band d, from the fly wheel of the engine, passes over the pulley e, and gives
motion to the transverse horizontal axis f; any other suitable gearing may be
employed. The said axis f carries a series of bevilled toothed wheels I, I, I,
which engage in other similar toothed wheels situated on the top of the ver-
tical shafts h, h, h. Around each of the vertical shafts h, and parallel thereto,
are situated four or other greater number of axes i, i, i; each of the said axes
carries a drill k at its lower end. The said axes i, i. i, are driven by toothed
wheels situated thereon, engaging in a toothed wheel on the axis h; the
motion thus communicated by the strap or band d to the shaft f, gives simul-
taneous motion to each set of drills. A second transverse horizontal axis
may be driven by the engine, and, where requisite, a greater number of the
said axes may be driven by the engine. A greater number of sets of drills
than represented may be employed, and the sets of drills may be composed of
a greater number than four each. Besides the rotatory motion, it is necessary
that the drills have an advancing motion, that is to say, they must move in the
direction of the axis about which they are rotating. This motion is effected
in the following manner:-The axes i, i, i, carrying the drills, are keyed to the
toothed wheels by which they are driven by means of sliding keys, so that the
said axes may advance while revolving. Each of the drill axes carries at its
top a rack, which is connected therewith by a swivel joint, that is to say, a joint
which does not transmit the rotatory motion of the axis to the said rack. A
pinion driven by a worm wheel engages in each of the said racks, and a winch
on the axis of the worm wheel enables the workman to communicate a rotatory
motion thereto, and to advance or withdraw the drill. The pinions which
engage in the racks on the drill axes may be geared together, so that one
winch and worm wheel may be sufficient for each set of drills. As the
mechanism last described is well known and commonly used in drilling
machinery, I have not thought it necessary to represent the same. The
machine I have described is especially calculated for drilling railway bars, for
fish-jointing the same, as well as for drilling plates or bars situated horizon-
tally. When my Invention is applied to drilling holes in surfaces situated

page_text: vertically, such as stays in the fire boxes of locomotives, I adopt a different
system of. framing, the said drills being situated horizontally. Figure 4
represents in front elevation, and Figure 5 in side elevation, partly in section,
a drilling machine constructed according to my Invention, in which the drills
are situated horizontally. The several axes and wheels belonging to each set
of drills are the same, or nearly the same, as those herein-before described,
with reference to Figures 1, 2, and 3. The framing m, in which each set of
drills works, is capable of a sliding vertical motion on the framing n. Motion
is communicated to the drills through the bevil wheels o, p, q, r, s, t, and the
pullies u, u. In order to permit of the vertical motion of the frame m carrying
the drills, the bevil wheel is attached to its axis by a sliding key. My
Invention, besides being applicable to the purposes herein-before described, is
applicable to drilling purposes generally where sets or series of four or more
holes are required.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that I do not limit
myself to the precise. 'methods herein described, as the same may be varied
without departing from the nature of my said Invention; but I claim as my
Invention 'constructing drilling machinery, by combining together four or more
parallel drills geared together and actuated by one axis, as herein described
and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, 1, the said Joseph Sunter, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this First day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
Witness.
WILLIAM STEELE BROWN.
JOSEPH SUNTER. (L.s.)