Thread: Coal Pits
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Old 05-10-2017, 06:18 PM
jumpy shore jumpy shore is offline
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Join Date: May 2015
Location: London & Durham
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Default Coal Cutters

Switching the cutter on was an art in itself, a bit like opening a safe! The '15' related to its height off the ground (15 inches) obviously designed for use in low seams.

I don't recognise the picks in this one either but the cutting jib looks standard. The top jib model may well have had a bottom jib too, these were employed at Whittle for short time (on the top side, Y23) to try to control the roof. With a top cut a 'steel strap' (or wooden plank and prop) was immediately slid into the cut and a dowty (hydraulic jack type of roof support pumped up by hand and a lever which was known as a dowty key) put in against the coal and then another dowty on the back end next to the face conveyor belt to try to stabilise the roof before the coal was taken out. This effectively doubled the number of roof supports on a face as control measure.

With a double cut (over and under) there was less requirement for shot firing (blasting) which also disturbed the strata, the distinctive smell of shot firing will never leave me!

The 1858 version looks easier to maintain but I can't fathom the mechanics. Looks like you have to pull the handles to spin the cutting disc, hard work in a 30 inch seam or any seam for that matter!
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