Althans
  • Althans
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14 years ago
Hi,
during my internet research for water pressure engines I found this forum. I made a digital reconstruction of a water pressure engine and designed an exhibition that currently takes place in the Museum of Mining History in Herdorf, Germany. The engine was designed by the german engineer Carl Ludwig Althans in 1840 for the Guldenhardt iron ore mine in Herdorf, Siegerland mining district, Germany. There is a report from 1861 where is said that the anteantetype of that machine was a water pressure engine in the Mas-y-Logan (Maeslygan?) mine near Holywell in Flintshire, built 1826. Does anyone know something about it?
http://www.trojanworks.com/althans 
AR
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14 years ago
Hi Althans and welcome to Aditnow! Although I don't know about the Welsh water pressure engine you mention, there is a broadly contemporary one (built 1809) which was recovered from Wills Founder mine in Derbyshire and is now on display in the Peak District Mining Museum at Matlock Bath, here's picture of it:
UserPostedImage

The workings of this one are somewhat different to the one shown in your excellent reconstruction, I'm sure there was a paper on how the Wills Founder engine actually worked in the Bulletin of the Peak District Mining Historical Society but a quick search of the website didn't find it - I'll keep looking!

There is also a record of a water pressure engine in use at a Welsh mine called Fair Chance in the late 18th century, and a document giving some details of this is available online at www.mine-explorer.co.uk/mines/Cwmystwyth_677/Cwmystwyth_13849.pdf . I don't know whether this was a water pressure engine of the type developed by William Westgarth in the 1770s, but I'm sure someone on this site will be able to tell you more!
Follow the horses, Johnny my laddie, follow the horses canny lad-oh!
AdM Michael
14 years ago
Hello from the Sauerland. Strange to have two neighbouring areas of Germany communicating via the UK.

I wasn't aware of the link between the Siegerland and Wales. Christian Friedrich Brendel, the chief mining engineer of Freiberg Saxony went on a journey round Britain and had a good look at the engines in the Peak District. He designed several water pressure engines in Saxony. The engine in the Menden Schacht is even featured on an engraving by Heuchler. This engine is still in situ but it's very hard to get on a trip to see it.

http://de.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Datei:Heuchler_mordgrube.jpg&filetimestamp=20100214192008 
Althans
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14 years ago
Hi Michael,
thank you. yes I know the Brendel machine. The characteristic of the Althans water pressure engines was the pedulum regulator which I have not seen before. Here is the trailer of my exhibition where you can see it working:

You are of course invited to visit my exhibition about this machine in Herdorf. It would be a pleasure to meet you there.
Glück Auf!
rhychydwr
14 years ago
Ein herzliches Willkommen!

There is a lot of mining connections with Germany.

AD 1525 A lease confirmed by Parliament granted to Joachim Hochstetter, Quintin de Lawity, Gerard Sterk, Antony de Nikets and other Germans and Dutchmen, to all the mines of gold, silver and other metals.
Cutting coal in my spare time.
grahami
14 years ago
There are also the 3-cylinder water pressure engines which were installed in the Penrhyn Quarry - circa 1859 to Amos & Francis patent. One of which survives, again inaccessibly.
🔗Penrhyn-Slate-Mine-Archive-Album-Image-035[linkphoto]Penrhyn-Slate-Mine-Archive-Album-Image-035[/linkphoto][/link]

Cheers

Grahami
The map is the territory - especially in chain scale.
AR
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14 years ago
http://www.pdmhs.com/PDFs/ScannedBulletinArticles/Bulletin%2011-3%20-%20Further%20Observations%20on%20the%20Trevithick%20Wate.pdf 
Unfortunately, the preceding article mentioned isn't online.
Follow the horses, Johnny my laddie, follow the horses canny lad-oh!
Althans
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14 years ago
thanks.
This is the description about the water pressure engine of the Mas y Logan mine, published in Karstens Archiv, Berlin 1839. Unfortunately it is only in german. It is hard to translate because of many technical terms. You can use google translate to get a rough translation.

Diese Wassersäulenmaschine auf der Grube Mas y Logan ist übrigens von sehr einfacher Konstruktion, sie hat einen Treibzylinder, der unten geschlossen ist und über dem Boden einen Hals hat, welcher mit dem Steuerzylinder in Verbindung steht, der seinerseits wieder eine Verbindung mit dem Einfallrohr besitzt. In dem Steuerzylinder bewegen sich zwei Steuerkolben, die zusammenhängen und entweder eine Verbindung zwischen dem Einfallrohr und dem Treibzylinder, oder eine Verbindung zwischen diesem letzteren und dem unten offenen Teil des Steuerzylinders zum Abfluss der gebrauchten Aufschlagwasser herstellen. Der Kolben des Treibzylinders ist mit einem zu Tage führenden Gestänge genau auf dieselbe Weise verbunden, wie die Plungers der Cornwaller Druckpumpen mit dem Schachtgestänge verbunden sind. Über Tage ist dieses Gestänge mit einem Gegengewichts-Balancier verbunden; andererseits dient dasselbe als Schachtgestänge, indem es neben dem Treibzylinder vorbeigeht. Die Steuerkolben sind mit einer Kolbenstange an einem kleinen Balancier aufgehängt, der mit einem Gegengewicht versehen ist, so dass sich dieselben eben so leicht auf- und nieder bewegen. Über diesem Balancier liegt das Steuerungskreuz, der eine Arm desselben wird durch zwei Zapfen an dem oberen, über dem Treibkolben befindlichen Gestänge in Bewegung gesetzt, und drückt oder hebt durch Mitteilung dieser Bewegung die Steuerkolben bis zu dem mittleren Stand oder ein wenig darüber hinaus, dann erhält aber das Steuerungskreuz eine eigentümliche Bewegung, indem der mittlere lotrechtstehende Arm desselben mit einem Gewicht versehen ist, das hinreichend ist, um die einmal begonnene Bewegung der Steuerkolben zu vollenden.

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