In discussion a few weeks ago on 'crazing mills' Mike Gill referred to the
'introduction of roller crushers to replace hand wielded sledge/cobbing
hammers', commenting that it 'was a very significant saving in the costs of
employing adult males'.
That may have been the result of their introduction but was it the reason? I
would suggest that mechanised crushing of ore was preferred because it
produced a uniform sized feed for the next stage in processing - gravity
separation. Add to this the advantage of the rolls over earlier mechanised
methods, edge rollers and stamps, it that they allowed for an easy variation
in the size of the product by adjustment of the pressure on the rolls either
by lever or later, by springs.
Apologies for the delay in returning to the subject, but my PC has just been
returned after re-education - it thought it was a snail.
Peter
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Dr Peter Claughton,
Blaenpant Morfil, nr. Rosebush, Clynderwen, Pembrokeshire, Wales SA66 7RE.
Tel. 01437 532578; Fax. 01437 532921; Mobile 07831 427599
University of Exeter - School of Historical, Political and Sociological Studies
(Centre for South Western Historical Studies)
E-mail: [log in to unmask]
Co-owner - mining-history e-mail discussion list.
See http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/files/mining-history/ for details.
Mining History Pages - http://www.exeter.ac.uk/~pfclaugh/mhinf/
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