Hello,

A while ago I have been in touch with the grand-grand-daughter of
Mr. Koepe, and the spelling was (as already written) "Koepe".
I would pronounce the name like written with a German o-Umlaut,
i.e. like Köpe.

In some cases Germans replace Umlauts by two letters, i.e.
ä with ae, ü with ue and ö with oe, but you can't rely that
this two-letter combination is always a replacement for an Umlaut.
For example: today I visited the sad remains of the Carl-Alexander
colliery at Baesweiler, which is (unexpectedly) not pronounced
Bäsweiler but more like Baasweiler (like "Bath").

Yes, I can confirm, that Clipstone had two impressive Koepe winders.
(In fact, I sold the photograph of this pair of winders to Mrs. Koepe.)
http://industrial-history.de/StahlArt2/archive-Nottinghamshire-BW-7241-0-06.10.2003-en.html


In Germany and Belgium (at least) Koepe winders were quite often
installed in ground level engine houses.
Permit me to give a few examples:

All of the (four) winders at Beringen (Belgium) colliery:
http://industrial-history.de/StahlArt2/archive-Beringen-BW-1130-2-03.04.2004-en.html
http://industrial-history.de/StahlArt2/archive-Beringen-BW-7220-2-12.12.2002-en.html

Most probably the Houthalen (Belgium) colliery
http://industrial-history.de/StahlArt2/archive-Campine-BW-80-19-21.07.1991-en.html
I am not sure in this case, but the arrangement of the
headframes and the ropes seems to indicate that this has
been a Koepe system.

Fürst Leopold (Dorsten, Germany) no1 with electric winder
(4 ropes):
http://industrial-history.de/StahlArt2/archive-Fuerst_Leopold-BW-160-1-18.01.2008-en.html

the same pit no 2 shaft with two steam winders:
http://industrial-history.de/StahlArt2/archive-Fuerst_Leopold-BW-180-1-18.01.2008-en.html
http://industrial-history.de/StahlArt2/archive-Fuerst_Leopold-BW-7700-3-10.12.2004-en.html

Lohberg (Dinslaken, Germany) no 1 shaft with two electric winders:
http://industrial-history.de/StahlArt2/archive-RuhrMines-BW-7500-3-05.07.2006-en.html

And I am almost sure, that no 2 shaft with an A-frame headframe
also had two electric Koepe winders.

Emil-Mayrisch (Aachen caolfield, Siersdorf, Germany)
http://industrial-history.de/StahlArt2/archive-Aachen-C-4390-1-18.12.1992-en.html

"Anna Hauptschacht" at Alsdorf near Aachen:
http://industrial-history.de/StahlArt2/archive-Anna_Colliery-BW-1210-12-17.03.2003-en.html

All three steam driven winders of the Adolf colliery
in Merkstein (Aachen coalfield):
http://industrial-history.de/StahlArt2/archive-Adolf-BW-5830-1-11.09.1990-en.html
only this one is preserved:
http://industrial-history.de/StahlArt2/archive-Adolf-BW-8100-1-12.12.2004-en.html


A quite unusual example with the winder below the diagonal
brace of the headframe is still preserved at Hückelhoven
(Aachen coalfield):
http://industrial-history.de/StahlArt2/archive-Aachen-BW-4200-1-24.05.2005-en.html

Most A-frame type headframes in Germany, like Zollverein
(Essen) , Gneisenau (Dortmund) and Ewald (Herten) were
equipped with Koepe winders.

A smaller example is the Siciliaschacht of the pyrite
mine in Meggen (Germany):
http://industrial-history.de/StahlArt2/archive-Meggen-BW-93-3-17.08.1991-en.html


I can confirm, that most winding towers were equipped with
Koepe winders, for example Heinrich-Robert (Hamm, Germany)
http://industrial-history.de/StahlArt2/archive-HeinrichRobert-BW-7830-4-19.11.2004-en.html

A quite unusual "Koepe like" winder still exists at the Eduardschacht
at the "Anna 2" colliery at Alsdorf:
http://industrial-history.de/StahlArt2/archive-Anna_Colliery-BW-5660-1-20.08.1990-en.html
They had a drum with a wooden surface. The rope was wound
around the drum 4 1/2 times and driven by friction (Koepe like).
The engine is preserved as part of the museum but the headframe is gone.

Examples of the use of the Koepe system in France are Ledoux 1/2:
http://industrial-history.de/StahlArt2/archive-FranceNorth-BW-6260-7-23.12.1990-en.html
and some of the potassium mines in the Alsace region:
"Marie Louise" Staffelfelden
http://industrial-history.de/StahlArt2/archive-Alsace-BW-4830-4-13.04.1990-en.html

Hope, this answers the question and that the additional info
is not too boring.

Kind regards

Harald

On 02/13/2011 01:23 PM, Mike Gill wrote:
> Can anyone on the list help with a conundrum?
> 
> Which is correct Koepe or Keope (being German, I assume some umlauts on
> the o)?  The interweb gives both in equal measure and the one that I
> found referring to the inventor - Carl Friedrich /Keope/ goes on to talk
> about Koepe winders.
> 
> Regards,
> 
> Mike
> 

-- 
Dr.-Ing. Harald Finster / Aachen Germany
http://www.finster-stahlart.de industrial history and architecture
http://www.astrid-aix.de       gallery: watercolours and oil paintings