Improvements in or Additions to Metallic Props or Girders used in Mining, Tunnelling, and other like Operations.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Dec., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 16th Aug., 1895-Accented, 5th Oct., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or Additions to Metallic Props or Girders used in
Mining, Tunnelling, and other like Operations.
I WILLIAM EDWARD KENWAY, of No. 66 Corporation Street, Birmingham, in
the County of Warwick, Civil Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
The steel or iron props or girders used for supporting the roof in mining and
other like operations are usually made of rolled bars of iron or steel having in cross
section a figure somewhat resembling the letters I and H. The said bars are
generally called I steel or iron and less frequently Hiron or steel.
When props of the kind described are employed to support the roof of a mine
the superincumbent weight forces the lower end of the prop into the floor of the
mine or into the wood or other packing placed between the lower end of the prop
and the floor, and a like effect is produced at the top end of the prop.
My invention consists of the addition to or combination with the lower end or
both the lower and upper ends of the prop, of a separate or detachable foot the
lower face of which having an area much greater than that of the end of the bar
constitutes so broad a bearing that the lower and upper ends of the prop cannot
sink into the floor or press into the roof of the mine and a firmness and stability in
the passages in the mine is secured which is unattainable when props of the ordinary
kind are employed.
I construct the separate or detached feet constituting my invention in various
When I make
ways. 1 prefer to make them of cast or wrought iron or steel.
them of cast iron I prefer to make them of the form of a rectangular plate on the
upper surface of which are projections of a size and shape suitable for embracing
and engaging with the middle web of the prop. When I make the said feet of
I cut from the
wrought iron or steel I prefer to employ rolled sheet iron or steel.
said rolled iron or steel a plate preferably rectangular; and on each side of a
middle line I cut tongues or semi-detached pieces which are bent out of the plane
of the plate. The middle web of the prop is engaged between the said tongues
which by their elasticity secure the foot to the end of the prop.
The size of the plate of which the foot is made may be varied to suit the
particular purpose to which the prop is to be applied. Where the ground on which
the lower end of the prop rests is soft the area of the foot may be increased to the
extent necessary to give a firm bearing for the prop.
The employment of separate or detachable feet permits of the immediate
application of feet to and their detachment from props of various lengths.
Separate or detachable ends may be applied to girders in order to enable them
the better to resist lateral pressure.
Dated this First day of December 1894.
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in or Additions to Metallic Props or Girders used in
Mining, Tunnelling, and other like Operations.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD KENWAY of No. 66 Corporation Street, Birmingham in
the County of Warwick, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
The steel or iron props or girders used for supporting the roof in mining and
other like operations are usually made of rolled bars of iron or steel having in cross
section a figure somewhat resembling the letters I and H. The said bars are
generally called I steel or iron and less frequently Hiron or steel.
When props of the kind described are employed to support the roof of a mine
the superincumbent weight forces the lower end of the prop into the floor of the
mine or into the wood or other packing placed between the lower end of the prop
and the floor, and a like effect is produced at the top end of the prop.
My invention consists of the addition to or combination with the lower end or
both the lower and upper ends of the prop, of a separate or detachable foot the
lower face of which having an area much greater than that of the end of the bar
constitutes so broad a bearing that the lower and upper ends of the prop cannot
sink into the floor or press into the roof of the mine and a firmness and stability in
the passages in the mine is secured which is unattainable when props of the
ordinary kind are employed.
I construct the separate or detached fect constituting my invention in various
ways. I prefer to make them of cast or wrought iron or steel. When I make
them of cast iron I prefer to make them of the form of a rectangular plate on the
upper surface of which are projections of a size and shape suitable for embracing
and engaging with the middle web and flanges of the prop. When I make the
said feet of wrought iron or steel I prefer to employ rolled sheet iron or steel.
I cut from the said rolled iron or steel a plate preferably rectangular; and on each
side of a middle line I cut tongues or semi-detached pieces which are hint out of
the plane of the plate. The middle web of the prop is engaged between the said
tongues which by their elasticity secure the foot to the end of the prop.
Separate or detachable ends may be applied to girders in onder to cumble th
the letter to resist lateral pressure.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents in elevation and Figure 2 in
plan an I or shaped mine or like metallic prop the lower and upper ends of
which are provided with separate or detachable feet of cast iron or cast steel
according to my invention.
Figures 3 and 4 represent sections taken in different planes, Figure 3 being
taken in a vertical plane on the line a, a Figure 2, and Figure 4 being taken
in a horizontal plane on the line b, Figure 1:
Figure 5 represents in section and Figure 6 in plan one of the feet detached
from the prop.
c is the mine prop having the sectional figure best seen in Figure 4 and d
and e are the separate or detachable cast feet, d being the foot supported on
the floor of the mine and e the foot pressed into the roof of the mine. It will
be seen that each of the feet has a greater area than the end of the prop.
Each of the feet consists of a rectangular plate on the upper surface of which are
projections or cheeks, arranged at opposite sides of the plate and having a
size and shape suitable for embracing and engaging with the middle web and
flanges of the prop (see Figure 4).
By the use of the separate or detachable fect at the lower and
mer ends of the

page_text: mine prop, a broad bearing is supplied to the ends of the prop and the lower en:1 of
the prop cannot sink into the floor of the mine or the upper end be forced into
the roof of the mine and hence greater firmness and stability in the passages of the
mine is secured.
Figure 7 represents in elevation; Figure 8 in plan of underside and Figure 9 in
cross section taken on the line g, 9 Figure 8, a mine prop furnished at top and
bottom with separate or detachable feet of wrought iron or steel according to my
invention. In this case 1 take a rectangular plate hand on each side of the middle
line of the plate I cut one or more tongues or semi-detached pieces which are bent
out of the plane of the plate. I prefer to form two tongues on one side and
a single tongue on the opposite side of the middle line of the plate as represente.l
The middle web of the
in the drawing the said tongues being marked i, i, i.
prop is engaged between the said tongues i, i, i which by their elasticity secure
the foot to the end of the prop. It will be seen by au examination of Figure 8
that the free ends of two of the tongues i, i bear against one side of the middle
web of the prop and that the end of the other tongue bears against the other side
of the said middle web. When top and bottom feet are used, I prefer to so arrange
the tongues that the two tongues on the lower foot press on one side of the midd!.
web of the prop at that end and the two tongues on the upper foot press on th
other side of the middle web of the prop at that end as seen in Figure 7. The
holding tongues of the wrought iron or steel feet may be bent at right angles t
the plate from which they are made instead of being inclined thereto.
This modification of the feet is shown in elevation in Figure 10%; plan of
underside in Figure 11 and cross section in Figure 12, where the tongues are
marked k, k. It will be seen that the whole of the inner faces of the right angle
tongues k, k bear against opposite sides of the middle web of the prop instead of
the free ends only of the tongues as in Figures 7, 8 and 9.
Or the holding tongues of the separate or detachable feet may be made in the
manner represented in side elevation in Figure 13, plan in Figure 14 and section in
Figure 15. In this modification, two parallel tongues 1, 1 are cut out and raised
from the wrought iron or steel plate of the foot, the said parallel tongues 1, 1
having a slightly bowed figure and being joined at their ends to the said plate,
one of the said tongues bearing against one side and the other tongue against the
other side of the middle web of the prop (see Figures 14 and 15) for holding the
foot to the prop.
Instead of slitting portions of the wrought iron or steel plate of the foot and
raising the bolding tongues therefrom, the parts for holding the prop may be
stamped from the plate. This modification is represented in elevation in Figure 16,
One of the feet detached
and plan, with the prop in cross section, in Figure 17.
is represented in plan in Figure 18 and sectious in Figures 19 and 20, the section
Figure 19 being taken on the line m, m Figure 18 and the section Figure 20 being
taken on the line n, n Figure 18.
In this modification four symmetrically arranged projections p, pare made by the
stamping process from the foot plate h, the said projections having a shape suitable
for embracing and engaging with the middle web and flanges of the prop (see
Figure 17). It will be seen that the raised projections p, p are highest at those
parts which are to embrace the middle web of the prop, the other parts inclining
downwards towards the edge of the plate (see the section Figure 20).
Two sizes of mine props may be conveniently used with this modified foot as
shown in Figure 17, where a small prop is represented in section and a larger one
in dotted lines.
The size of the plate of which the foot is made may be varied to suit the
particular purpose to which the prop is to be applied. Where the ground on
which the lower end of the prop is soft, the area of the foot may be increased to
the extent necessary to give a firm bearing for the prop.
The employment of separate or detachable feet permits of the immediate
application of feet to and their detachment from props of various lengths.

page_text: Separate or detachable ends similar to the feet applied to mine props
herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings may be
applied to girders to enable them the better to resist lateral pressure.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inver-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that I claim as
my invention of "Improvements in or additions to metallic props or girders used
in mining, tunnelling and other like operations”
The addition to or combination with the lower end or both the lower and upper
ends of I or H shaped metallic mine props and similar props, of separate or
detachable feet of the kinds and constructed substantially as hereinbefore described
and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, whereby a broad bearing for the
lower end or both lower and upper ends of the said props is obtained; also the
adaptation to I or H shaped metallic girders for various purposes of separate or
detachable ends similar to the feet claimed with respect to mine or like props for
the purpose of enabling the said girders the better to resist lateral pressure as
herein before described.
Dated the Fifteenth day of August 1895.
WILLIAM EDWARD KENWAY.