An Improved Testing Staff for Miners' Use.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Oct., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Jan, 1856-Accepted, 8th Feb, 1896
An Improved Testing Staff for Miners' Use.
I, RHYS LLFWILLYN of 1 Chive Terrace, Ynysybwl, near Pontypridd, in
the County of Glamorgan Teacher of Mining and Geology do hereby declare the
matue of this invention to be as follows.-
My invention relates to an improved staff for use by miners in testing for the
presence of fie damp or combustable gases in coal and other mines, and has for its
obje tn method of construction by which the fireman or other person in charge of
the testing operations may quickly and easily fix the lamp in position upon, and
elongate the said staff so as to reach the highest or any part of the usual excavations
in the roof of the mine (provided as collecting chambers for the lighter and impune
gases or fire damp) without experiencing the usual inconveniences which obtains in
the methods and means hitherto employed.
My invention consists of a preferably metallic tube, which may be of any desued
length but for general use about that of an ordinary walking stick, blocked or
plugged at its lower end, and in the said tube is placed a preferably wooden rod, of
the same length as the tube or thereabouts, and of such diameter as to be capable
of sliding freely therein, the lower end of said od being provided with a metallic
cap o lentule, while its upper end is provided with a recess into which is fitted and
fixed a flanged plug having a central threaded bore, the said flange resting upon the
upper end of the tube when the said 1od is telescoped therein. Upon the outer face
of the rod a spal groove is formed with which engages a pin on screw in a fixed or
Swivelled collar upon the upper end of the said tube, the object of the sand groove
being that when the rod is withdrawn from the tube, and both placed in a vertical
position, the former may not slide back spontaneously into the latter, by its own.
weight. The said collai also carries a thumb screw the tightening or screwing
home of which causes a bite to be imparted to the extended rod for holding this in
the position desned. To the said flange of the plug in the upper end of the 10d is
screwed or otherwise fixed a cup or holder for an ordinary Davy or miners safety
lamp, which, when placed therein is retained by any number of suitable spings
formed in or connected to the said cup or holder, which engage with the oil pot oi
Leser von of the lamp
A suitable knob o handle similar to that of an ordmary walking stick is aanged
to screw into the theaded bore of the flanged plug at the top of the 1od before
mentioned, which, when the lamp is removed from the said cup of holder enables-
the operator to use the apparatus as a walking stick when proceeding from one
testing spot in the mine to another, carrying the lamp in the disengaged hand, on
when the apparatus is of greater length than an ordinny walking stick, a suitable
ball or other shape hand hold may be provided upon the outside of the said tube so
that the apparatus may be called m a horizontal position.
In practice, the operator upon reaching a testing point in the mine, would
unscrew the handle from the flanged plug (if such be in use) and place the lamp in
the cup or holder, when by loosening the thumb screw before mentioned the rod
may be withdrawn from the tube the distance requned and be thereat fixed if
desired by again tightening the thumb screw, the operator would then raise the said
stall so that the lamp entered the said testing chamber, thus ase ei taming the
|presence or absence of fire damp, after which the rod may be agatu released auch

page_text: returned to its noimal position within the tube, the lamp be removed, and the
operator proceed to the next chamber to be tested.
Dated this 21st day of October 1895.
GEO. THOS HYDE,
1 Broad Street Buildings, London, E.C, Agent for the Applicant.
4333
1, RHYS LLEWELLYN of 1 Clive Tenace Ynysybwl, near Pontypridd in the
County of Glamorgan Teacher of Mining and Geology do hereby declare the
nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement
-
My mvention clates to an improved staff for the use of miners in testing for the
presence of fire damp or combustible gases in coal and other mines, and has for its
object, to provide a means whereby the fireman or other person in charge of the
testing operations, may quickly and easily place and fix the lamp in position upon
his staff, and elongate the latter to the required extent to enable him to reach the
highest or any pait of the usual testing chambers provided in such mines and as
quickly remove the lamp and return the staff to its normal length so as to be more
readily and easily conveyed hence to the next testing chamber, as compared with
the means hitherto employed for this purpose
In order that my invention and the manner of its operation may be fully and
clearly understood, I have hereunto appended a sheet of drawings of which.
Fig is an elevation of my said improved testing staff as it would appear when
bot in use for testing purposes.
Fig 2 is an elevation of same, (partly in section) as it would appear when
in use.
Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the cup or holder for the mineis safety
o1 Davy lamp, Fig 4 being a plan view of the same.
Fig 5 is a sertional elevation of the said cup or holder, illustrating the manner
in which the lamp is automatically retained therein by suitable spings,, as herein-
after explained.
Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view of the upper end and collar of the tubular
portion of my improved staff, illustrating the functions of the set screws in the said
collar, Fig. 7 being a plan or top view of same
Fig 8 is an enlarged perspective view of the flanged plate to be fixed upon the
upper end of the sliding iod."
Fig. 9s an enlarged view of the handle on hand hold arranged to screw into
Fig. 8 when the lamp is removed and the staff collapsed as at Fig. 1.
Figs. 10 and 11 are enlarged details of the springs in the said cup or holder
hereinafter explained.
For the purposes of my myention I provide of metal or other suitable material o
combination of materials, a hollow tube A, of any desired length, but for general
use, preferably, that of an ordmary walking stick or thereabouts, blocked or plugged
at its lower end, and provided with a cushion of some resilient material a, as at
Fig 2, and if desued a ferrule b as at Fig 1. Within the said tube I place a rod B
made of any suitable light material preferably wood, of the same length or there-
abouts as A, and capable of sliding freely therein, having at its lower end a cap or
ferrule a which rests upon the plug a when B 1 telescoped within A as at Fig. 1
The upper end of B has hxed tierconto a encular plate C (shewn enlarged at
Fig. 8) having a central threaded boie D and any desired number of screw holes c
countersunk upon the under surface.
Upon the upper end of the tube A is swivelled or fixed by any suitable means,

page_text: on if desired formed integially therewith (as at Fig. 6) a collar C, provided with a
thumb screw such as Fand a set screw such as G, the latter of which is adjusted
to-fieely engage with a spial grooved formed in the outer sui face of the rod B, so
that one of more turns is imparted to B as this is withdrawn from or telescoped into
the tube A, the object of such groove being to prevent the spontaneous return of
the rod by its own weight when this is withdrawn as at Fig 2, should the operator
omit to use the thumbscrew F, the purpose of which is, that this may bite the rod B.
and retain it in the extended position desired.
Upon the plate Cat the upper end of the rod B is fixed (preferably by screws
engaging with the holes e a inetallic or other cup or chamber H, of such dimensions
as to permit the lower end of an ordinary Davy or miners' safety lamp J, to be-
easily placed therein, and having in its bottom a hole c (Fig. 4), and in order that
the said lamp may be steadily retained in the said cup of chamber, whatever may
be the position of the staff, and easily removed therefrom when desued, I provide
around the chamber I any number of suitable springs such as 9 50 formed as to
grasp the oil pot or reservou of the lamp as at Fig 5. I may when convement
provide the said spings by punching these from the substance of the material of
which His made, as suggested by Figs. 3, 5 and 10, or where this may not be
convenient I may form similar recesses in the chamber H and rivet or otherwise
connect the said springs to II as suggested by Fig 11
A suitable wood, bone or other handle or knob such as K (Fig. 9) similar to that
of an ordinary walking stich, is arranged to screw into the threaded bore D of the
plate C, so that the staff when collapsed may be used by the operator as a walking
stick as at Fig 1, for which pun pose a threaded projection is either formed upon
the lower end of K, or connected thereto as may be desued.
In practice, the operator upon reaching a testing chamber in the mine, would'
first unscrew the knob or handle K (it such had been used) and place in the cup or
holder H the lamp J, when this would be unmediately grasped by the sping;
the operator would then release the thumbscrew F from contact with the 1od B,
when the sond Lod would be withdrawn the required distance from A, (which may
be for the whole of its length as at Fig 2) when the thumb-crew F would be again
tightened and the whole be raised by the operator holding the lower end or other
part of A, sufficient to place the lamp well up into the testing chamber, when, if
there is no evidence of fe damp bemg present, he would again release the thumb-
sciew F, telescope B within A, agam tighten F, remove the lamp Jom II and
screw the knob K into the hole D in the plate C, and the whole would then again
appear as at Fig. 1, and may be used by the operator as a walking stick until he
reaches the next testing chamber when the same operation would be again
repeated.
I may find it desuable, in some cases, to construct A and B of greater or much
greater length than that of an ordinary walking stick, in which case the knob K
and the hole D in the plate C therefor, may be dispensed with, and in order that
the staff may be caused houzontally in the right hand while the lamp is carried in
the left, 1 may provide a ball like or other suitable handle adjustable or otherwise
upon the tube A as suggested by M m dotted outline in Fig. 1.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said mven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
clann Is
1. In an improved testing staff for the use of coal and other mines, the combina-
tion of a spirally grooved rod arranged to telescope within, and be with lawn from,
a tubular iod with means to adjusting and fixing the extent of such withdrawal,
the said rod, carrying a sping operated cup or chamber for retaining and holding
an ordinary miners or Davy lamp, substantially as and for the purposes herein
described and shewn.
2nd. In an improved testing staff for the use of coal and other mines, the
combination of a tubula od such as A, constructed to telescopically receive a

page_text: rod B, the latter having upon its outer surface a spiral groove d, with which engages
a screw or stud G, of a collar such as E, swivelled or fixed upon the tube B, and
provided with a thumb sciow such as F. The plate C with threaded aperture D,
and fixed upon A, to which is screwed or otherwise connected a cup or chamber H,
having any number of suitable springs such as g, for automatically receiving and
holding an ordinary miners or Davy lamp J, the whole connected combined and
operating substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth and shewn by the
appended drawings.
3rd. The method of using the improved testing staff set forth in the preceding
claim as an ordinary walking stick, when not in use for testing purposes, by
inserting in the threaded aperture D a knob or handle such as K substantially as
herem described and shewn by the accompanying drawings.
Datad
1000
GEO. THOS. IIYDE,
1 Broad Street Buildings, Liverpool Street, London, E.C.,
Agent for the Applicant.