Blondins get their name from Charles Blondin, the French man who was first
to cross Niagara Falls on a Tightrope. He did this in 1879.
A Blondin has a suspension rope that is near to Horizontal. On this runs a
pulley block (the 'cycle'), below which is a hook, or chains that are used
to pick up the load. Two winches are used, one to move the pulley block out
and back and the other to lift and lower the hook. These are usually driven
by a single electric motor or a steam engine.
A Blondin can move a load from any point under the support wire to any other
point (rather like a tower crane that does not slew). The far end of the
support wire could be moved (a big job), this made them quite versatile, but
they were slow at the side of things like inclines.
I always associate Blondins with the Welsh slate industry as this is where
most seems to be written on them, but they have been used in the
construction of bridges and dams, as well in other types of stone quarry.
The biggest one I have seen is at the Hoover Dam - it uses 6 ropes to
support the pulley block.
The Nantlle Valley in Snowdonia is the best place I know for them.
Dinorwig Quarry (Llanberis) had ropeways called Blondins by the men there,
but these worked on a different principle.
Hendersons (of Scotland) were a major manufacturer.
Regards
Andrew Hurrell
|