I have seen a picture of multiple winding at the Watsall Colliery on the Clee Hill, Shropshire, where one shaft was at right angles to the other. There was a large guide pulley next to the drum to direct the rope through 90 degrees. I'm not sure what footprint such a structure might leave; it would need to be well bedded but that might be done just by sinking timber baulks into the ground, the site of which may or may not be identifiable 150 years later on excavation.
The picture is reproduced in Ivor Brown's Mines of East Shropshire; if you can wait to the end of July and the NAHMO conference I'm sure Ivor or myself can show you this and Alf Jenkins may also show a slide in his talk on the Clee Hill.
David Poyner
-----Original Message-----
From: mining-history [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Robert Waterhouse
Sent: 31 March 2011 09:48
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Multiple winding from a single engine
Dear List,
I recently came across a claim that an 18hp (horizontal, I think) steam
winder on an 1840s Cornish mine was set up so that it could wind from four
shafts.
The furthest of the shafts concerned was no more than 300 yards from the
engine, but they were located in a variety of different directions and
elevations from it.
I imagine that there must have been four drums, geared and declutchable from
the main driveshaft, but the evidence on the site only supports two drums at
most.
Please can anyone supply other examples of this, and suggest how it was
managed? I'm aware of how haulage ropes could be taken to the shafts
over pulleys on stands, but am most interested in how the winding and
changes in direction were managed.
Robert Waterhouse
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