Specification of the Patent granted to MICHAEL BILLINGSLEY, of Birkenshaw, (now of Bowling Iron-Works, near Bradford, in the County of York,) Engineer; for un Instrument, Engine, or Machine, to be worked by Steam, Water, or Horses, &c. for the Purpose of boring Cylinders of Iron and Brass, for Steam-Engines, AirPumps, and other Machines, whereby such Cylinders are bored more trite, smoother and with greater Facility, than by the Methods hitherto employed for the same Purpose. Dated December 22, 1802.

With a Plate.

To all to whom these presents shall come, &c. Now KNOW YE, that I the said Michael Billingsley do hereby declare the nature of my said invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, as hereinafter particularly described, as follows; that is to say: My fustrument,' engine or machine, consists of certain VOL. II.-SECOND SERIES.

Tt ·

parts

parts or apparatus, organized and connected together, in such a manner that the cylinder intended to be bored shall preserve a vertical position as to the axis thereof, instead of the horizontal position heretofore adopted and used; by which means I permit the sand and borings from the face of the metal to fall down, instead of occupying one side of the cylinder, and wearing away the edges of the cutters, so as to require them frequently to be changed, and to cause an irregularity in the figure, and even in the diameter of the cylinder, thereby rendering the same much less effectual for steam-engines, or any other piston work, in which it is essential the fittings should be very accurate. Whereas, in my new method, the finishing part of the cutters are employed upon a clean face of metal, and not being encumbered with the cuttings, the cutters go completely through from first to last without requiring to be changed, and bore the cylinder with the utmost precision and truth.

The drawing hereunto annexed, (see Plate XIII.) represents a section of the said instrument, engine, or machine, in which A A, Fig. 1, represents a round pit, walled with stone or brick about four feet deep, with castiron pillars, firmly built and bedded in the masonry thereof, for the purpose of screwing down a cast-iron ring on a level with the mill-floor. B B is a strong iron plate fixed in the building of the pit, and serving to afford a proper support for the gudgeons of the horizontal wheels. KK represent two mitre gear wheels, communicating motion from the first mover. D is a wheel upon the same arbor as K, and serving to drive another horizontal wheel C, into which last wheel the boring rod G G is inserted, and by which the said boring rod is carried round. FF represents an horizontal, strong, metallic piece, formed of eight radii or arms, [in which are grooves, open

to

to the upper surface *,] proceeding from the centre, where the brasses or collar-work of the boring-rod are lodged. This horizontal frame is very firmly screwed to the iron bolts in the masonry. It serves to support the standards H, H, which can be slided (in grooves, represented by the dotted lines) to different distances from the centre, and there fixed, [by screws with T heads, adapted to the grooves,] so as to retain the cylinder by means of the clamps I, I. JJ, represents the cylinder fixed below by the clamps I, and above by screws q, proceeding from a strong metallic ring, represented at P P, [which ring is made to slide along the inner limb of the uprights L, L]. L, L, are two very strong uprights of cast-iron, screwed to the bottom ring F, and supporting the cross beam S, S, which affords the upper collar and brasses for the boringrod G. [The inner limbs of these uprights are perforated, for the purpose of fixing the sliding-ring PP at any elevation.] MM, is the boring head, carrying the cutters as fixed in the sliding-collar N. O, O, two racks, which carry the boring-head down the cylinder. RR, is a strap embracing the boring-rod and wheel T, which last is by that means carried round. The train of wheelwork U, V, W, X, in the usual manner of tooth and pinion work, produce a slow motion in the arbor Y, which, by means of the pinions Z, Z, cause the racks O, O, to work the boring-head downwards.

From the foregoing description of the machinery, every competent workman or engineer will easily understand the process or mode of operation; for which reason it is unnecessary to enter into any farther detail. I therefore

* The parts printed in Italics between crotchets are not inferted in the specification, but are here introduced at the request of the patentee.

shall only observe, that the communication from the first mover to the boring-rod G, may be varied as to the number and figure of the wheels [necessary to produce the va rious degrees of speed requisite to bore different sized cylinders, it being obvious such combination will in a great measure depend upon the nature and velocity of the first moving power]; and also that the slow motion of Y may be ef, fected by other trains of wheel-work, or by a screw, or by various other well known methods, which skilful workmen will find no difficulty in applying to the instrument, engine, or machine, here described. In witness where of, &c.

The following observations accompanied the preceding pecification, in a letter from the Patentee.

Bowling Iron-Works, near Bradford, March 4, 1803.

GENTLEMEN,

The steam-engine having become of the highest importance to the manufacturing interests of these kingdoms, any invention that has a tendency to the improvement and perfection of that most useful machine will, î doubt not, meet with approbation and encouragement, Hence I am in hopes it will not be unacceptable to the readers of your very valuable publication to be presented with information respecting a few of the improvements or advantages possessed by my vertical method of boring with the engine or machine of which the preceding plan and specification are descriptive, over the horizontal mode