Improvements in Boring Apparatus for Mines, also applicable for Holing into Old Workings or similar purposes.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application 9th Feb., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 5th Nov., 1891-Accepted, 19th Dec., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Boring Apparatus for Mines, also applicable for
Holing into Old Workings or similar purposes.
GEORGE BURNSIDE New Herrington Fence Houses County of Durham Miner
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
A hole is drilled in the coal in the most suitable place and a tube six feet in
length is inserted half its full length also two wedges and two supporting plates.
are inserted in the hole alongside the tube all made of steel or iron the two wedges
been inserted with the larger ends inwards thus when drawn outwards between the
two supporting plates is locked by the supporting plates, supported against the
side of the drill hole on the tube outside the drill hole there is a crosshead flange
to attach two bolts onto the other ends of bolts to be attached to the outer ends of
each wedge thus the two bolts been screwed up, and the two wedges been so locked
in the drill hole the tube having a india rubber washer on the inner end is pressed
firmly against the back of the drill hole and made gas and water tight. On the tube
a downward branch is provided which is closed by a tap when open allows the
debris to fall from the boring tool. A pressure gauge is also provided to indicate
the presence and pressure of gas or water when the boring tool holes into old
workings, or spaces in which gas or water is confined the boring tool and required
lengths of boring rods are inserted inside the tube to reach to the inner end of the
tube, the boring rods been attached onto a piston rod, the piston rod been worked
through a stuffing box, connected onto the outer end of the tube thus at the outer
end of the tube is made gas and water tight. A feed screw is attached onto the
outer end of the piston rod and been operated by manual or other power through
a tapped feed nut secured to a stand fixed against the roof and pavement of the
seam. After the full length of piston rod is propelled through the stuffing box by
the feed screw the stuffing box is disconnected from the tube and another length of
boring rod is attached onto the piston rod then the stuffing box is again replaced,
thus the boring is continued until either extent of the boring is reached or until
the boring tool holes into old workings or spaces in which gas or water is confined,
when the stuffing box is disconnected from the tube and a outrush of gas or
water comes from the bore hole a tap is provided on the tube to turn it off also
when the stuffing box is disconnected and the boring rods are in the box hole and
cannot be withdrawn a clamp is provided inside the tube fitted with india rubber,
the clamp been drawn together by a screw when the india rubber is pressed firmly
onto the boring rods to make it gas and water tight.
Dated this 8th day of February 1891.
GEORGE BURNSIDE,
New Herrington, Fence Houses, Durham.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Boring Apparatus for Mines, also applicable for
Holing into Old Workings or similar purposes.
I GEORGE BURNSIDE of New Herrington Fence Houses, in the County of
Durham, Miner, 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 :-
The object of my compound safety boring apparatus is to enable holes to be
bored in coal or other minerals without danger to life by the issue of gas or
water from places such as old mine workings in which they have accumulated and
are confined.
Accidents of this kind sometimes ending fatally are of frequent occurrence in
coal mines by the boring tool suddenly holeing into a place in which deadly gas or
water is confined which lives by my method of boring and apparatus would have
been saved. In ordinary emergencies caused by the sudden outrush of gas (or
water or both) the only resource is to withdraw the boring tool and plug the hole
but this is at best only a precarious operation attended with great danger and in
many instances is unpracticable.
I am aware that boring apparatus having a gas tight joint with the face has
previously been proposed and in particular I am aware of John Cowey's Patent
No. 311 of 1891, and I make no claim to anything described or claimed
therein.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
The construction and mode of application of the apparatus as shewn on the
drawing to which the following description refers.
Fig. 1 showing the complete apparatus.
A hole as shown on the drawing is drilled into the coal or other mineral in the
required place and the tube A. also the wedges B. and the two supporting plates C.
are inserted into the said drill hole as shown in Fig. 1. The two wedges B. been
inserted with the larger ends inwards and the outer ends attached onto the cross-
head flange D. as shown in Fig. 2 with the two bolts E. thus when the two nuts F.
is screwed up the two wedges B. are drawn outwards between the two supporting
plates C. when the supporting plates are locked by been supported by the sides,
top, or bottom of the drill hole, by continueing screwing the nuts F. пр the tube A.
and having the india rubber washer G. on is pressed firmly against the canch at
the inner end of the drill hole, as shown, so as to secure and make the tube gas
and water tight in the said drill hole. The downward branch H. is provided which
is closed with the gun-metal cock I. when opened allows the debris from the boring
tool to fall downwards to the floor of the seam. The boring rods J. are inserted
inside the tube to reach to the inner end of the bore hole and been attached onto
the piston rod K. the piston rod been worked through the stuffing box L. which is
screwed onto the outer end of the tube. The feed screw M. been attached onto
the outer end of the piston rod with the coupling N. the feed screw M. been
worked through the feed nut O. which is secured to the upright stand P. the stand
been secured to the roof and floor of the seam with the tightening screw Q. The
handle B. been operated by manual or other power, thus the boring tool J³ and
boring rods J and piston rod K. is propelled by the feed screw M. to bore the
hole. The lengths of the boring rods been screwed acts as creepers to bring the
debris out to the downward branch H. where it will fall down through the cock I.
to be discharged. Should the bore hole be holed, while the apparatus is in motion

page_text: to bore the length of the piston rod up through the stuffing box the gas or water
is shut off and all is safe, after the piston rod is propelled its full length through
the stuffing box, the stuffing box is then disconnected from the tube and another
length of bore rod inserted when the stuffing-box is again replaced thus the boring
proceeds and so continues until either the total desired extent of the bore hole is
reached or until the boring tool holes into old workings or spaces in which gas or
water is confined, the pressure of which is first indicated on the gauge which is
provided. Should a outrush of gas or water come from the bore hole while the
stuffing box is disconnected from the tube for the purpose of attaching the required
length of boring rods onto the piston rod the gun-mettle cock S. is provided to
turn it off immediately, also should an outrush of gas or water come off and the
stuffing-box disconnected from the tube and the boring rods are in the bore-hole
and cannot be withdrawn in case of a flank hole when there is not sufficient room
to withdraw the bore rods until they are unscrewed into their lengths. The clamp T.
is provided and fitted with the india rubber washer U. the clamp been firmly
pressed onto the bore rods with the screw X. by turning the handle V. so as to
secure and make the bore rods gas and water tight, the packing W. is also provided
and it been also pressed firmly onto the bore rods with the screw X2 also to make
the bore rods gas or water tight. After the apparatus is fixed it is then tested with
the feed screw M. The socket Y. Fig. 3. been screwed onto the outer end of the
tube in place of the stuffing box for feed screw M. to work through. The leather
washer Z. been provided thus when the socket Y. is screwed onto the tube the
leather washer Z. is pressed onto the screw threads so as to make the feed screw
water tight when been worked through the socket, the socket having been attached
onto the tube the tube is then filled with water, then by the feed screw been
propelled through the socket into the inside of the tube, thus a pressure con-
siderable above what would be due to any possible head of water likely to be met
with is giving. When the bore hole is holed and water is found it is then lead or
piped away from the cock I. to a convenient place and there to be discharged, if
gas is found it will also be taken away by pipes to a safe exit and there.
discharged.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1st. In boring coal or other minerals the use of an apparatus having a tube
inserted and made gas and water tight in a hole previously bored to receive it and
encasing the boring rods the said tube been secured with the two wedges and two
supporting plates substantially as described and shown.
2nd. In combination with such a gas and water tight tube encasing the bore rods
a stuffing box or equivalent fittings readily attached to or disattached from the
outer end of the said tube in which works a piston rod to which the lengths of
boring rods are connected, piston been propelled by a feed screw through a tapped
nut secured to a upright stand as described and shown.
3rd. In combination with such a gas and water tight tube, the clamp and fitted
with india rubber also packing for securing boring rods and making same gas and
water tight when required substantially as described and shown.
4th. In combination with such a gas and water tight tube the gun-mettle
cock S. which is provided to shut gas or water off when required as described and
shown.
5th. In combination with such gas and water tight tube the socket Y. and fitted
with leather washers or similar packing the socket been readily attached to or
disattached from the outer end of the said tube in which works a feed screw into
the inside of the tube for the purpose of testing the apparatus before boring is
commenced as described and shown.
6th. The apparatus for boring coal or other minerals comprising the various

page_text: parts in combination constructed and operating substantially as described and
illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
November 4th 1891.
GEORGE BURNSIDE,
New Herrington, Fence Houses, County of Durham.