IMPROVEMENTS IN ROCK OR STONE DRILLING OR BORING MACHINERY
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frederick Edward Blackett Beaumont, of No. 2,
Westminster Chambers, Victoria Street, in the City of Westminster,
a Major in the Royal Engineers, for the Invention of “IMPROVE-
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frederick Edward'
Blackett Beaumont at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with his Petition, on the 2nd April 1874.
I, FREDERICK EDWARD BLACKETT BEAUMONT, of No. 2, Westminster
Chambers, Victoria Street, in the City of Westminster, a Major in the
Royal Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN ROCK OR STONE DRILLING OR BORING MACHINERY," to bo
as follows:-
-
This Invention has reference to that description of rock or stone
drilling or boring machinery acting by percussion, wherein the motion
of the piston of the rock drill is effected by compressed-air or other

page_text: fluid under pressure admitted to and exhausted from the drill cylinder
by means by a piston valve, the casing of which, in addition to the ports
and passages for admitting and exhausting the fluid pressure to and from
the drill cylinder, communicates with the latter by means of other ports
and passages so arranged in conjunction with a recess in the drill piston
(which is always open to the exhaust) that by the motion of the drill
piston this in its turn admits the fluid to and exhaust the same from the
valve casing, so as to effect the motion of the valve without the use of
gearing. Such an arrangement was described in the Specification to
Crease's Patent, dated 24th October, 1863, No. 2624.
According to the present improvements the valve casing is constructed
with a central closed chamber, and with two end chambers, which at
their outer ends are open to the atmosphere. The central chamber
contains a piston, and communicates at each end with the drill cylinder
by means of ports, which, as the drill piston moves to and fro are
alternately put in communication with a central cavity in the piston
(which is permanently open to the exhaust through a port in the side
of the cylinder) and with the space in the cylinder beyond the drill
piston, so that as the drill piston moves to and fro it causes the air to be
exhausted alternately from either end of the valve piston, while atmo-
spheric pressure is admitted to the other end thereof, and thus a
reciprocating motion is imparted to the valve piston.
The end chambers of the valve casing communicate at their inner
ends with the fluid pressure supply pipe, and near their open outer ends
they communicate with the ends of the drill cylinder by means of ports.
In these end chambers are piston valves, which are connected by stems
with the pistons in the central chamber, so that by the motion of the
latter they are caused to move to and fro in such a manner as to make
the end ports of the cylinder communicate alternately with the pressure
supply and with the external atmosphere, and thus the motion of the
drill piston is effected.
The partial rotation of the drill piston, and consequently of thic drill
itself after each stroke, is effected as follows:-A rod of a square or
polygonal section passes through a hole of corresponding form in the
back end of the drill piston and enters a cavity in the latter, where it is
provided with a nut or head. This rod passes with a cylindrical enlarge-
ment through the back end of the drill cylinder, outside of which it is
again of a square section, having at its end a helical twist, which passes

page_text: through a corresponding hole in the boss of a ratchet wheel carried by
the framing of the machine, and prevented from turning in one direction
by means of a pawl. Towards the end of the back stroke of the piston
it strikes against the head of the before-mentioned rod in its cavity, and
so pushes it outwards to a certain extent, and as the helical portion of
the rod is thus made to slide through the boss of the ratchet wheel
(which is held stationary by the pawl during this movement) a partial
rotation is imparted to the rod, which it imparts in its turn to the piston,
and consequently to the drill. Towards the end of the forward stroke of
the piston it pulls the rod inwards again, and as the helical part of the
rod slides through the boss of the ratchet wheel it turns the latter.
forward, the backward rotation of the rod during this motion being
prevented by means of a second ratchet wheel and pawl placed upon the
square part of the rod between the first ratchet wheel and the end of.
the cylinder, which second ratchet wheel is prevented by its pawl from.
turning while the rod is moving forwards, but turns with the rod as it
moves backwards. On the second ratchet wheel is a pinion in gear with
a second pinion on a sleeve with internal screw thread carried by a
bracket or bush on the drill cylinder, and through the screwed sleeve
passes a screw spindle carried by the fixed framing or face plate on
which the drill cylinder is mounted. Thus as the second ratchet whiccl
is partially rotated on the backward motion of the drill piston as above
described it effects the partial rotation of the screwed sleeve upon the
screw spindle, and by this means causes the drill cylinder to advance as
the work of boring proceeds.
The screw spindle is provided with a hand wheel so that it can be
rotated by hand for drawing the drill cylinder back after a hole has been
drilled; the rotation of the screw spindle while the drill cylinder is at
work being prevented by a catch or other known contrivance. Thế
forward motion of the drill cylinder may, however, also be effected
by hand if desired by turning the screw spindle while the drill is at
work.
The before described improved rock drill may be mounted on any
suitable framing, but by preference one or more such drills are mounted
oneface plates carried by the vertical standards or uprights of a framing
constructed as described in the Specifications to Beaumont and Appleby's
Patents of the 21st May, 1868, No. 1082, and of the 7th Feby., 1872,
No. 302.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Frederick Edward Blackett Beaumont in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 1st October 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FREDERICK
EDWARD BLACKETT BEAUMONT, of No. 2, Westminster Chambers,
Victoria Street, in the City of Westminster, a Major in the Royal
Engineers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her.
Letters Patent, bearing date the Second day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-..
seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Frederick Edward Blackett Beaumont, Her
special license that I, the said Frederick Edward Blackett Beaumont, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Frederick Edward Blackett Beaumont, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN ROCK OR STONE DRILLING OR
BORING MACHINERY," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Frederick Edward Blackett. Beaumont, my cxccutors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing, under my, or. their, or one of their hands
and scals, 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 Frederick Edward Blackett Beaumont,
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, reference being had to the
accompanying Sheet of Drawings, and to the figures and letters marked
thereon, that is to say:-
This Invention has reference to that description of rock or stone
drilling or boring machinery acting by percussion, wherein the motion'

page_text: of the piston of the rock drill is effected by compressed air or other
fluid under pressure admitted to and exhausted from the drill cylinder
by means of a piston valve, the casing of which, in addition to the ports
and passages for admitting and exhausting the fluid pressure to and from
the drill cylinder, communicates with the latter by means of other ports
and passages so arranged in conjunction with a recess in the drill piston
(which is always open to the exhaust) that by the motion of the drill
piston this in its turn admits the fluid to and exhausts the same from
the valve casing so as to effect the motion of the valve without the use
of gearing. Such an arrangement was described in the Specification to
Crease's Patent, dated 24th October, 1863, No. 2624.
;
According to the present improvements the valve casing is constructed
with a central closed chamber, and with two end chambers, which at
their outer ends are open to the atmosphere. The central chamber
contains a piston, and communicates at each end with the drill cylinder
by means of ports, which, as the drill piston moves to and fro, aro
alternately put in communication with a central cavity in the piston
(which is permanently open to the exhaust through a port in the side of
the cylinder) and with the space in the cylinder beyond the drill piston,
so that as the drill piston moves to and fro it causes the air to be
exhausted alternately from either end of the valve piston while air under
pressure is admitted to the other end thereof, and thus a reciprocating
motion is imparted to the valve piston.
The end chambers of the valve casing communicate at their inner ends
with the fluid pressure supply pipe, and near their open outer ends they
communicate with the ends of the drill cylinder by means of ports.
In these end chambers are piston valves, which are connected by-stems
with the piston in the central chamber, so that by the motion of the
latter they are caused to move to and fro in such a manner as to make
the end ports of the cylinder communicate alternately with the pressure
supply and with the external atmosphere, and thus the motion of the
drill piston is effected.
. The partial rotation of the drill piston, and consequently of the drill
itself after cach stroke, is effected as follows: A rod of a square or
polygonal section passes through a hole of corresponding form in the
back end of the drill piston, and enters a cavity in the latter, where it is
provided with a nut or head. This rod passes with a cylindrical enlarge

page_text: ment through the back end of the drill cylinder, outside of which it is
again of a square section, having at its end a helical twist which passes
through a corresponding hole in the boss of a ratchet wheel carried by
the framing of the machine, and prevented from turning in one direction
by means of a pawl. The piston in its back stroke pushes this rod
outwards, and as the helical portion of the rod is thus made to slide
through the boss of the ratchet wheel (which is held stationary by the
pawl during this movement) a partial rotation is imparted to the rod,
which it imparts in its turn to the piston, and consequently to the drill.
During the forward stroke of the piston the rod moves inwards, and as
the helical part of the rod slides through the boss of the ratchet wheel it
turns the latter forward, the backward rotation of the rod during this
motion being prevented by means of a second ratchet wheel and pawl
placed upon the square part of the rod between the first ratchet wheel
and the end of the cylinder, which second ratchet wheel is prevented by
its pawl from turning while the rod is moving forwards, but turns with
the rod as it moves backwards. On the second ratchet wheel is a pinion
in gear with a second pinion on a sleeve with internal screw thread
carried by a bracket or bush on the drill cylinder, and through the
screwed sleeve passes a screw spindle carried by the fixed framing or
face plate on which the drill cylinder is mounted. Thus as the second
ratchet wheel is partially rotated on the backward motion of the drill
piston as above described it effects the partial rotation of the screwed
sleeve upon the screw spindle, and by this means-causes the drill cylinder
to advance as the work of boring proceeds.
The screw spindle is provided with a hand wheel so that it can be
rotated by hand for drawing the drill cylinder back after a hole has been
drilled, the rotation of the screw spindle while the drill cylinder is at
work being prevented by a catch or other known contrivance. The
forward motion of the drill cylinder may, however, also be effected by
hand if desired, by turning the screw spindle while the drill is at
work.
The before described improved rock drill may be mounted on any
suitable framing, but by preference on one or more such drills are mounted
on face plates carried by. the vertical standards or uprights of a framing
constructed as described in the Specifications to Beaumont and Appleby's
Patents of the 25th May, 1868, No. 1682, and the 7th February, 1872,

page_text: UF TILE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 shews a side elevation of my before described improved rock
drill, Fig. 2 shews a plan, Fig. 3 shews a longitudinal section, Fig. 4.
shews a front end elevation, Fig. 5 shews a back end elevation, and
Fig. O shews a transverse section on line X, X, Fig. 2.
.
TAR
A is the drill cylinder, with piston B and piston rod C to which the
drill is attached. The valve casing D has a central closed chamber D¹
and two outer chambers D², D³, which at their outer ends are open to
I the atmosphere. The chamber D₁ contains a double piston É, and
communicates at each end through ports F, F, with the drill cylinder..
The two end chambers D2, D3, contain two piston valves G, G', which
are connected to the piston E by stems as shewn, so that the recipro-
cating motion of the piston E is imparted to the valves. The chambers
D', Ds, have ports H, H', by which they communicate with the ends of
the cylinder A, and they have other ports at their inner ends communi.
cating with the fluid pressure supply pipe I through the passage I'.
Assuming the drill piston to be at the end of its forward stroke, and
the valves G, G¹, and piston E to be in the position shewn at Fig. 3, it.
will be seen, that the valve G is in position to admit fluid pressure
through the port H to the front end of the piston B, while the valve G¹
has uncovered the port H' so as to put the back end of the piston B-in
communication with the external atmosphere. At the same time the
port F of the chamber D¹ is in communication with an annular cavity B
in the piston (which is permanently open to the exhaust through the
opening A¹ in the cylinder A) and the port F¹ is open to the back end of
the cylinder:
The drill piston B with the drill will now make its back stroke, and in
doing so will uncover the port F so as to admit the fluid pressure from
the cylinder A to the front end of the piston E, while at the same time
the port F¹ will be put in communication with the cavity B¹, thus
causing the back end of the piston E to communicate with the exhaust;
by this means (the pressures on the valves G, G', being balanced) the
piston E will be made to move to the right hand, thus causing the valve
G to open the port H to the atmosphere, and the valve G¹ to open the
port H to the fluid pressure, the piston B. will then perform its forward
stroke, and the piston E and valves G, G', will move back into the

page_text: position shown on the Drawing. Caoutchouc buffers K are provided at
the end of the chamber D' for the piston E to strike against.
The drill piston B is made with a square or polygonal cavity B², into
which fits the head L' of a cylindrical rod L, which works air-tight in'
the tube M fixed to the cylinder cover. This rod has an extension LⓇ of
square section passing through a square hole in the boss of a pinion N,
on which is fixed a ratchet wheel N'. Beyond this pinion the rod is
formed with a helical twist, and passes through a square hole at the end,
of a tubular spindle O, on which a ratchet wheel O' is fixed, and which
is carried by a bracket P from the cylinder A. The ratchet wheels. I
N¹, O¹, are prevented by pawls N, O, from rotating in one direction.
As the drill piston B performs its back stroke it pushes the rod L
outwards, and the twisted or helical end of L2 being thus caused to.
slide through the tubular spindle O, which is prevented from turning by.
the pawl O, the rod L will be turned somewhat on its axis, and this will
consequently effect a partial rotation of the drill piston and drill by
means of the head L' fitting in the recess B³. At the same time the
rod L in turning will also cause the the pinion N¹ to turn. This pinion
is in gear with a pinion Q on a screwed sleeve R held in a bracket S on
the side of the drill cylinder A, through which sleeve R passes a screw-
spindle T held in the brackets U¹ on the framing U of the rock drill.
.
Thus by the rotation of the pinion N¹ the sleeve R is turned on the
screw spindle T, whereby the drill cylinder is made to advance somewhat,
at every back stroke of the drill piston. During the forward stroke of
the drill piston the rod L being moved with it by the pressure acting on
the shoulder of L', the rod L is drawn back through the tubular spindle
O, whereby the spindle.O and ratchet wheel O' are made to turn, while
the rod L, and consequently the piston and drill are prevented from
turning back by the ratchet wheel N₁ held by its pawl N₂.
The screw spindle T is held with sufficient friction in its bearings
U₁, U₁, to prevent its turning while the sleeve R is rotated upon it, but
it can be turned by a winch handle fitted on its square end in order to
draw the drill cylinder back after a hole has been drilled..
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I
do not claim generally the use in rock drilling apparatus of piston
valyes made to act without the intervention of gearing for the admission

page_text: and exhaust of fluid pressure to and from the drill cylinder, nor do I
claim generally the use of a twisted rod connected to the drill piston
and caused to slide through a ratchet wheel for the purpose of turning
the drill, but what I claim is,―
First. The use in a rock drilling apparatus of the piston E in the
chamber D operating in combination with valves G, G', in chambers
D2, D3, and the ports F, F, H, H', for the admission and exhaust of the
fluid pressure to and from the drill cylinder, substantially as described.
Second. The use in rock drilling apparatus of the rod L, L, actuated
by the drill piston, and operating in combination with the tubular spindle
O, ratchet wheels O¹, N', pinions N, Q, screwed sleeve R, and screw
spindle T for effecting the partial rotation of the drill and the forward
motion of the drill cylinder, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Frederick Edward Blackett Beaumont,
have hereunto set my hand and scal, this Twenty-eighth day of
September in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and seventy-four.