IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR DRIVING DRIFTS OR GALLERIES THROUGH STONE OR ROCK
Year: 1864

page_text: Sealed the 20th January 1865, and dated the 30th July 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frederick Edward Blacket
Beaumont at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 30th July 1864.
I, FREDERICK EDWARD BLACKET BEAUMONT, Captain Royal Engineers, of
Dover, in the County of Kent, do hereby declare the nature of the Inven
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR DRIVING DRIFTS OR GALLERIES THROUGH
STONE OR ROCK," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in machinery for driving
drifts or galleries through stone or rock. For this purpose I employ a series
of chisels or jumpers worked so as to produce a continuous chase or groove,
not a number of holes. The chisels or jumpers act to cut the stone or rock
by striking it with blows, which are rapidly and continually repeated, and they
are made to cut a continuous chase or groove by causing them each to take
short steps forward in the intervals between the blows.
I prefer to employ a strong disc with the chisels or jumpers fixed around its
periphery at equal distances apart; this disc is mounted on a strong axis,
which is carried in bearings on a base plate or carriage in such manner as to

page_text: be able to slide longitudinally and also to rotate. The longitudinal sliding
motion is conveniently given to the axis by a cylinder and piston worked by
compressed air or by water, and in this manner the disc, with its chisels and
jumpers, is made to move to and from the face of the stone or rock in which
the chase or groove is to be cut, and the chisels or jumpers strike the stone or
rock at each stroke. It is convenient to make the cylinder itself the axis of
the disc, and to work it in conjunction with a stationary piston fixed to the
frame. The slow rotatory motion is given to the disc and cutter in any con-
venient manner; it may be by having a groove on the axis, into which there
enters a stud capable of being slowly traversed around the centre of motion.
The chisels or jumpers may be actuated in other ways so long as they are
caused to act, as above described, by percussion, and to move step by step
forward between the blows, so as to cut a continuous chase. In the centre of
the chase or groove a hole is bored by an additional chisel or cutter (worked
simultaneously with that which produces the chase or groove, to receive a
charge of powder or explosive material to break up the isolated portion of the
stone or rock.
In order to attach the chisels or jumpers to the disc so that they may be
firmly held, and yet readily changed when required, I make in the rim of the
disc dovetail grooves extending through it from front to back, but enlarged
for a short distance at about the centre of the rim. The stem of each tool is
made to fit the upper part of the dovetail groove, and has a lump upon it
corresponding with the enlargement in the said groove. In fixing the tool the
stem is introduced into its place by pushing it through at the lower part of its
groove in the disc, and then lifting it up till it fits the groove, when wedges
are introduced underneath to secure it. The lump on the stem of the tool
fitting the enlargement made for it midway in the groove secures the tool
from being pushed back when at work.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Frederick Edward Blacket Beaumont in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 30th January 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FREDERICK
EDWARD BLACKET BEAUMONT, Captain Royal Engineers, of Dover, in the
County of Kent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of July, in the year of our Lord One

page_text: thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-eighth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Frederick Edward Blacket Beaumont, Her special licence that I, the said
Frederick Edward Blacket Beaumont, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Frederick Edward Blacket 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 MACHINERY FOR DRIVING
DRIFTS OR GALLERIES THROUGH STONE OR ROCK," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Frederick Edward Blacket Beaumont, iny executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their
hands and seals, 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 Blacket 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, that is to say: -
This Invention has for its object improvements in machinery for driving
drifts or galleries through stone or rock. For this purpose I employ a series
of chisels or jumpers worked so as to produce a continuous chase or groove,
not a number of holes. The chisels or jumpers act to cut the stone or rock
by striking it with blows which are rapidly and continually repeated, and they
are made to cut a continuous chase or groove by causing them each to take
short steps forward in the intervals between the blows.
I prefer to employ a strong disc with the chisels or jumpers fixed around:
its periphery at equal distances apart; this disc is mounted on a strong axis.
which is carried in bearings on a base plate or carriage in such manner as to
be able to slide longitudinally and also to rotate. The longitudinal sliding.
motion is conveniently given to the axis by a cylinder and piston worked by
compressed air or by water, and in this manner the disc with its chisels or
jumpers is made to move to and from the face of the stone or rock in which
the chase or groove is to be cut, and the chisels or jumpers strike the stone
or rock at each stroke. It is convenient to make the cylinder itself the axis
of the disc, and to work it in conjunction with a stationary piston fixed to the.

page_text: frame. The slow rotatory motion is given to the disc and cutters in any con-
venient manner, it may be by having a groove on the axis, into which there
enters a stud capable of being slowly traversed around the centre of motion.
The chisels or jumpers may be actuated in other ways so long as they are
caused to act, as above described, by percussion, and to move step by step
forward between the blows so as to cut a continuous chase. In the centre of
the chase or groove a hole is bored by an additional chisel or cutter (worked
simultaneously with that which produces the chase or groove) to receive a
charge of powder or explosive material to break up the isolated portion of the
stone or rock.
In order to attach the chisels or jumpers to the disc so that they may be
firmly held, and yet readily changed when required, I make in the rim of the
disc dovetail grooves extending through it from front to back but enlarged
for a short distance at about the centre of the rim. The stem of each tool is
made to fit the upper part of the dovetail groove, and has a lump upon it
corresponding with the enlargement in the said groove. In fixing the tool,
the stem is introduced into its place by pushing it through at the lower part
of its groove in the disc, and then lifting it up till its fits the groove, when
wedges are introduced underneath to secure it. The lump on the stem of the
tool fitting the enlargement made for it midway in the groove secures the tool
from being pushed back when at work.
And in order that my Invention may be more fully understood and
readily carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto
annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation; Figure 2 a transverse section on the
line A, A, and Figure 3 another transverse section on the line B, B, of
machinery arranged suitably for carrying out my Invention; Figures 4 and 5
are views of some of the parts separately. a, a, are a series of chisels or
jumpers fixed at equal distances around the periphery of a disc in the
following manner;--In the rim of the disc b grooves b' are formed, as shown,
extending from front to back thereof; these grooves may, however, be of a
dovetail or other form, but the form shown in the Drawings is that which I
prefer; the stems of the chisels or jumpers a are by preference formed as
shown at Figures 5, having an enlargement a¹ thereon fitting a corresponding
enlargement 6 in each of the grooves 6'; the enlargement 62 may, however, be
placed about the centre of the rim or other convenient position. The chisels or
jumpers a are fixed in position on the disc b by first passing their stems in at

page_text: the bottoms of the grooves b¹ until the enlargement a¹ on the chisel or jumper
is opposite the enlargement 62 in the grooves b', when the chisel or jumper is
raised to the upper part of the groove band wedges &³, driven in at the back
thereof. And in order that in the return stroke of the cutters the chisels may
not be withdrawn from the disc b, by reason of their becoming jammed in the
groove formed in the rock or stone, and at the same time to prevent the
wedges flying out, keys at the back of the disc 6 are passed into
openings a² in the stems of the chisels or jumpers a, and corresponding slots
or openings in the wedges ; the keys 6* are then secured. in position by bolts
and nuts, as shown. The disc 6 is mounted on an axis c, as shown, or it may be
connected therewith in other suitable manner. The axis c is mounted with
capability of sliding in bearings d' carried by the sliding bed d, which is
capable of being set up to the work from time to time to permit of the chisels
or jumpers a taking a deeper and deeper cut as required, by means of a
screw d² taking into a nut d³ carried by the sliding bed d; this screw is turned
by means of a handle or ratchet brace placed on the end thereof, or it may in
some cases be turned by a self-acting motion applied to the machine; to-and-
fro motion is given to the axis c and cutters 6 by a piston e being formed on
or affixed thereto; this piston works in a cylinder e¹, the valve & of which is
worked by a piston f working in a cylinder f¹, the valve thereof being
worked in the following manner :-On the part c' of the axis c are fixed two
tappets c, with capability of adjustment thereon; these tappets in the to-and-
fro motion of the axis c strike against the ends g¹ of the lever g, to the axis g³
of which is fixed a lever g'; this lever is by a link connected to the bell-
crank lever g³ on one end of the axis go. To the opposite end of this axis 9°
a lever g' is fixed; the upper ends of the levers go and gare by links connected
to the cross head 98, to which the stem f³ of the valve f is fixed. The
amount of motion to the valve eis capable of being varied by shifting the
nuts on the rods e, connected to the cross bar e, to which the rod of the
valve e is affixed; by these means the ports in the cylinder e¹ may be more or
less opened, thereby varying the power exerted on the piston e in either
direction as desired. Cushions of leather or other suitable material are
placed at eto prevent violent shocks to the nuts and parts connected
therewith. Other means may, however, be employed to operate the valves;
and although I have shown the axis c to have a piston e fixed thereto, the
axis c may itself be formed into a cylinder and work upon a stationary piston
fixed to the sliding bed plate d. In order that the chisels or jumpers a may
not at each motion strike the same point, and thereby form a number of holes,
rotary motion may be given to the axis c by having a groove formed therein,

page_text: into which enters a stud capable of being slowly traversed around the centre of
motion.
The mode, however, which I prefer to employ is that shown in the Drawings,
and is as follows:-On the axis c, a feather c' is fixed, with capability of sliding
in a groove in the boss of the worm wheel d', and yet of communicating rotary
motion to the axis c by the revolution of the worm wheel d', into which takes a
worm & fixed on the axis d', to one end of which a lever d' is fixed; to this
lever d'a lever de is connected by a link do in such manner that by the to-and-
fro motion of the axis c, a pin or stud do on the lever de taking into a groove c*
communicates a to-and-fro motion to the lever d'; on this lever d' a frictional
surface d¹¹ is fixed, which taking into a friction wheel d" gives motion to the
screw do; a frictional stop d¹³ prevents back motion to the wheel d¹². When
it is desired to give rotary motion to the axis c by band, the pin do is removed
from the groove c', and a lever handle, shown by blue lines in Figures 1 and 2,
is applied to the upper end of the lever d'. Other means may, however, be
employed to rotate the screw d³. In the centre of the chase or groove formed
by the cutters a, a hole is bored by an additional chisel or cutter i fixed to the
rod i¹, passing through the centre of the axis c, but caused to turn therewith
by a key passing through corresponding holes in the axis c and rod i',
aided by a nut is at the rear end of the rod i¹; if desired, an independent
rotary motion may be given to the cutter i by means of a lever handle or
ratchet brace being fixed to the end thereof; in this case the key i would
be removed, and the thrust on the rod ¹ received in other suitable manner, as
will be readily understood.
When at work the wheels of the carriage are retained from movement by
skids or wedges at the back and front, or the carriage may be retained in
position and resist the shock of the tools in any other convenient manner.
Having thus described the nature of the Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, I would have it understood that what I claim is, the mode
herein described of combining machinery for giving motion to a series of tools.
In witness whereof, I, the said Frederick Edward Blacket Beaumont,
have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Seventh day of January, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
FRED. BEAUMONT, (L.S.)
Capt. R Engineers.