IMPROVEMENTS IN RATCHET DRILLING OR BORING MACHINES to be as follows:
Year: 1884

page_text: I, LEONARD SHORT, of Backworth in the County of Northumberland, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN RATCHET
DRILLING OR BORING MACHINES to be as follows:-
"
My invention relates to apparatus by means of which manual or other power
applied to revolving cranks, will effect continuous drilling or boring by the
alternate intermittent action of two or more ratchet braces on the drill or boring
bar or by which continuous revolving motion may be made to operate a single
ratchet instead of the reciprocating action usual in applying the power direct. It
is specially applicable for drilling or boring holes in coal or other mineral for
the insertion of mechanical or other appliances for breaking down such mineral,
but it is applicable also to all drilling or boring for which ratchet braces are
now used.
"
An
The apparatus, as arranged for continuous action, consists of a standard in one
end of which is a bearing, supporting the drilling or boring bar which has upon it
the ratchet wheel or wheels embraced by the straps of (as I prefer) two ratchet
levers, each carrying a pawl," the upper ends of which levers form each a long
"slot." In the opposite end of the standard another bearing carries a short shaft
with a pair of cranks, formed on or keyed to it, opposite each other, the outer
ends of which are filled with pins which work in the long slots of the ratchet
levers and may be fitted with friction rollers or sliding blocks if necessary.
extension of one or of both the cranks forms a handle or handles for working by
manual power and this handle or handles being turned causes the ratchet levers
each to travel reciprocally in the radius of a circle in opposite directions, the effect
being that the "pawl" in one is always in gear with the teeth of the ratchet
wheel to rotate the drill while the pawl in the other lever is moving over the teeth
ready to engage when the radial motion is changed by the crank and vice versa, the
rotation of the drill being thus continuous.
When other than manual power is to be used the shaft carrying the two cranks
may be revolved by a belt, chain or other gearing or connection from the prime-
mover but usually manual power will be sufficient and most convenient. The
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page_text: standard which carries the end of drill or boring bar and the cranks I propose to
fit in the case of mines with means of fixing and adjusting it to the "floor" and
"roof" so that the drilling may be performed at any angle. When the apparatus
is to be used for ordinary drilling, in the portable form of a ratchet brace, I propose
to form one end as a handle by which the workman holds it with one hand whilst
operating it with the other, or it may be fixed on the work like an ordinary ratchet
brace. The usual modes of connecting the drill and operating the feed may be
applied when required.

page_text: I, LEONARD SHORT of Backworth in the County of Northumberland, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN RATCHET
DRILLING OR BORING MACHINES," and in what manner the same is to be performed
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My invention relates to apparatus by means of which manual or other power
applied to revolving cranks, will effect continuous drilling or boring by the
alternate intermittent action of two or more ratchet braces on the drill or boring
bar or by which continuous revolving motion may be made to operate a single
ratchet instead of the reciprocating action usual in applying the power direct. It
is specially applicable for drilling or boring holes in coal or other mineral for the
insertion of mechanical or other appliances for breaking down such mineral,
but it is applicable also to all drilling or boring for which ratchet braces are
now used.
The apparatus, as arranged for continuous action, consists of a standard in one
end of which is a bearing, supporting the drilling or boring bar which has upon it
the ratchet wheel or wheels embraced by the straps of (as I prefer) two ratchet
levers, each carrying a "pawl," the upper ends of which levers form each a long
"slot." In the opposite end of the standard another bearing carries a short shaft
with a pair of cranks, formed on or keyed to it, opposite each other, the outer ends
of which are fitted with pins which work in the long slots of the ratchet levers
and may be fitted with friction rollers or sliding blocks if necessary. An extension
of one or of both the cranks forms a handle or handles for working by manual
power and this handle or handles being turned causes the ratchet levers each to
travel reciprocally in the radius of a circle in opposite directions, the effect being
that the "pawl" in one is always in gear with the teeth of the ratchet wheel to
rotate the drill while the pawl in the other lever is moving over the teeth ready to
engage when the radial motion is changed by the crank and vice versa, the rotation
of the drill being thus continuous.
When other than manual power is to be used the shaft carrying the two cranks
may be revolved by a belt, chain or other gearing or connection from the prime
mover but usually manual power will be sufficient and most convenient. The
standard which carries the end of drill or boring bar and the cranks I propose to
fit in the case of mines with means of fixing and adjusting it to the "floor" and
"roof" so that the drilling may be performed at any angle. When the apparatus
is to be used for ordinary drilling, in the portable form of a ratchet brace, I propose
to form one end as a handle by which the workman holds it with one hand whilst
operating it with the other, or it may be fixed on the work like an ordinary ratchet
brace. The usual modes of connecting the drill and operating the feed may be
applied when required.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Figures 1 and 2 shew a side view partly in section, and end view of a double
crank ratchet as I propose to construct it for general drilling purposes such as
ordinary ratchet braces or portable drills are now applied to. The details of the
mechanism here shewn illustrate the principle of construction and operation for

page_text: A is the central standard, B the bearing supporting the drill spindle, C which is
embraced by the strap of the ratchet. Stocks D and D₁ the upper end of which
form long slots in which work friction rollers.
E and E¹ on pins F and F fixed on the outer ends of cranks G and G¹ the
centres of which are carried in the boss H of standard A which is extended beyond
to form a handle J, by which the apparatus can be steadied when required. One
of the cranks G₁ is extended to form a handle K (or both cranks may form
handles) by turning which the ratchets are operated in either direction according
as one or the other of the ends of the pawls L L are in gear with the ratchet
wheels M: M' keyed on the drill spindle C. These pawls are kept in gear by
studs N. N¹ pressed upon them by springs O. O¹ and are so geared with the ratchet
wheels M M as to give continuous rotation to the drill spindle in either direction
when the handle is rotated. P is the socket piece of spindle to receive the
drill and the feed nut. The feed may be made self acting by simple mechanism
which it is not necessary to describe.
Figures 3 and 4 shew to a reduced scale an end view and side elevation of the
apparatus and the mode of application to drilling in mines, applied at varying
angles, and working positions indicated by broken lines-In all such work it is
fixed to a pillar R of adjustable length which is secured in position between the
floor and roof upon which pillar it can be raised or lowered or set to any angle by
a swivel strap connection S carrying a case or tube T containing a hollow feed
screw U which works in the nut V and is rotated by a spindle W carrying the
ratchets and in the outer end of which is fixed. the drill X when a distance equal
to the length of travel of the feed screw U has been drilled it is detached from the
drill and with the feed nut V turned end for end in a few minutes when it is again
attached to drill and set to work.
Having now fully described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is
The apparatus for ratchet drilling or boring whereby the rotatory motion of
cranks is made to operate ratchet braces so as to give continuous effective action
to a drill spindle or intermittent action by a single ratchet. brace so operated
consisting of the various parts combined as described and shewn or modified to
adapt the apparatus to special requirements.
.Dated the 24th day of January 1885,