Well-Boring. OSBORNE'S BORING AND WELL-SINKING PLANT.

Progress, Volume I, Issue 8, 1 June 1906, Page 203

Well-Boring. OSBORNE'S BORING AND WELL-SINKING PLANT.

The boring operations, which have been carried on with such perseverance in Taranaki, having appaiently resulted in success, it is certain that a large number of exploratory bores will be put down m various parts of the colony where surface indications point to the presence of deposits of petroleum. In this connection many of our leaders will be interested in the description of a bormg and well-sinking plant which has been working in various parts of New Zealand for several years past with very great success. The plant shown m our illustration is one of seveial owned by Mr. Job Osborne of Doyleston who was the original inventor and patentee. We understand that considerably over a quarter of a million feet of bormg has been accomplished by Mr, Osborne's apparatus at a comparatively small expenditure of time and labour. Our first illustration is from a photograph taken last month in Chnstchurch, where a deep well is being sunk, and shows clearly those parts of the apparatus which are the subject matter of Osborne's patent, and which differ from others in ordinary use. The machine is double acting, insomuch that it can be used to drive the well pipes and at the same time to work a drill mside of the well pipes, so that the drill proceeds and makes a way for the pipe through the ground. Referring to figure 2, the spindle, 1, has the discs 2 and fi^ed upon it one at each end outside of the~ necessary bearing. These discs have pro lections from their faces, one of which, 5, can be seen m the illustration. The projection fr-m one of the discs is placed at an angle of 90 degrees, or exactly opposite to the projection on the other disc. 'I he spindle, 1, projects through the discs, and upon each end are mounted the levers, 6 and 7, respectively, which are free upon the spindle but are prevented from coming off by collars, 17. As the discs are revolved by a tooth wheel, 8, upon the spindle which is driven from the pinion, 9, upon the counter shaft, 10, which m its turn is revolved by an oil engine or other power through the medium of a pulley, 11, and belt, 12, the pro iections engage in the levers and carry them round for half a revolution when each lever leaves its projection, one under weight of the monkey, and the other under the weight of the boring rods which are connected to the levers through the medium of the ropes, 13, and connecting rods, 14. A pump, 15, is worked by the sprocket chain, 10, from the counter shaft, and is used to force water down through the hollow boring rods to which the drill is attached to soften the ground and enable the pipes to be more easily driven, the return flow from the top of the pipes bringing the loose material from the bore to the surface. The projections from the discs being opposite to each other, the actions of bormg and driving are performed one after the other. The advantage derived from this dual action of drilling and pipe-driving is that considerable saving of time is effected, as it is not necessary, as is the case with ordinary boring machines, to stop the machine and to disconnect the pipe-driving apparatus, to substitute the drilling gear, or to raise the boring rods when it is desired to drive pipes. Another advantage is that the bottom of the pipe being kept closed to drill, there is no liability of the ground caving in and filling the hole. By an ingenious arrangement of rope drums and sheaves, the action of which will be leadily gathered from the illustrations, the length of the boring and driving ropes can be adjusted in a few moments as the drilling and pipe driving proceed. This arrangement is in itself a great saving of time. The first term of Mr. Osborne's patent expired a short time ago, but upon his

petition it was considered by the Supreme Court that his invention merited an extension of the term of protection, so that there are yet several years to run before the patent rights expire.

The directors of the London General Omnibus Company, Limited, nill shortly make a further capital issue in the form of 5 per cent, cumulative preference shares, in order to increase their stock of motor omnibuses. The London Road Car Company, Limited took this step early in January of last year, which places it so much ahead.