carnkie
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17 years ago
Visited Tolgus Tin this PM and like Philedelphia it was closed.
These were standing outside. Any suggestions gratefully received.

đŸ”—Personal-Album-272-Image-104[linkphoto]Personal-Album-272-Image-104[/linkphoto][/link]

đŸ”—Personal-Album-272-Image-103[linkphoto]Personal-Album-272-Image-103[/linkphoto][/link]


The past is a foreign country: they do things differently there.
Clunk
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17 years ago
Top one looks like a steam engine but without the boiler. Just the piston converting the energy to rotary. Could even be air powered.

Bottom one looks like an automated valve gear. I have seen something similar but much smaller on a press I worked on.
jagman
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17 years ago
The top one would e a compressor I would think. Especially with a makers plate from Homan Bros who manufacured air drills and compresssors
Clunk
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17 years ago
"jagman" wrote:

The top one would e a compressor I would think. Especially with a makers plate from Homan Bros who manufacured air drills and compresssors

Lol. I forget those things work both ways. It's the speed control that made me think it was steam/air powered.
GolowDydh
17 years ago
the first is a horizontal steam engine, the econd looks like the barrell from water driven Cornish stamps
The past actually happened but history is only what someone wrote down
jagman
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17 years ago
"Clunk" wrote:

"jagman" wrote:

The top one would e a compressor I would think. Especially with a makers plate from Homan Bros who manufacured air drills and compresssors

Lol. I forget those things work both ways. It's the speed control that made me think it was steam/air powered.



Holmans early compressors were adapted steam engine designs. Not much adapting involved I wouldn't think.
They eventually merged with Broom Wade to form CompAir who, as far as I know(?), still manufacture compressors and air owred equipment.
As far as I know Holman Bros never made steam engines but the definatly used the designs to manufacture compressors.
carnkie
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17 years ago
Received from Paul Richards:

Top picture small steam engine
Bottom axle of a water wheel driven stamps. The holes are for the cams which lifted the lifters


The past is a foreign country: they do things differently there.
markc
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17 years ago
Yes top picture is a steam engine. The device at the very top, with 2 balls is a govenor. It controls the amount of steam fed to the engine to keep the speed more or less constant. As the engine speed increases the balls move out through centrfugal force and close the steam valve. As it slows down the reverse happens & it opens the steam valve. It looks as though there are a few bits missing though, as there should be a drive to the govener from somewhere, possibly a pulley on the main shaft. It is sitting on the main steam valve which is on the valve chest next to the cylinder. The other object on the cylinder (to the left) is a lubricator for lubricating the cylinder & valve chest. :smartass:
Trebs
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17 years ago
I clearly remember seeing one of these Holman engines underground in one of the very first cornish mines i was lowered in to on the north side of caradon hill, it had apparantly been run on compressed air during the second world war to haul from a lower level when they were reworking for wolfram.It was still connected to the air main and the flywheel could still be rocked.
This was in the 1970's,perhaps its time to revisit.This time with a camera.
Peter Burgess
17 years ago
"carnkie" wrote:

Received from Paul Richards:

Top picture small steam engine
Bottom axle of a water wheel driven stamps. The holes are for the cams which lifted the lifters



Re the bottom pic: Beat me to it!
Manicminer
17 years ago
Here's a photo of a stamp mill running in S. America at this moment
UserPostedImage

Close-up of the lifters
UserPostedImage

Gold is where you find it
carnkie
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17 years ago
I could be wrong ( it's been known) but I believe Blue Hills has an active water wheel stamps operation.
The past is a foreign country: they do things differently there.
Roy Morton
17 years ago
The gear wheels on each end of the axle suggest it was also running other equipment either at the same time or when there was no ore throughput. The polgooth set had a shaft from the main axle to drive a round buddle a few yards away. This was connected through a claw clutch so it could be stopped at any time. I wonder where these bits of kit originated?
"You Chinese think of everything!"
"But I''m not Chinese!"
"Then you must have forgotten something!"
carnkie
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17 years ago
Well I tell you one thing Roy there is no point in asking the bloke who runs it. Absolute waste of time. Need to dig back a bit I think.
The past is a foreign country: they do things differently there.
JR
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17 years ago
"carnkie" wrote:

I could be wrong ( it's been known) but I believe Blue Hills has an active water wheel stamps operation.



I think this is the place you mean http://www.bluehillstin.com/frameset.php?sessionid=c53c3aa9a9371e1b01fdd04aa1cd2fa0 
sleep is a caffeine deficiency.
carnkie
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17 years ago
Correct, that's the place.
The past is a foreign country: they do things differently there.
carnkie
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