Coal Weighing Machines Bridgend
Mining has been done for thousands of years. In the UK, mining is a very important part of it’s history as it provided work and fuel for industry. Mines have always been associated with hard work and danger. And for good reason. The work is indeed hard, and workers of the past were often in the dark for long periods of time (an oil lamp may have burned in roman mines for 8-10 hours, providing only a little late and a dangerous hazard with flammable gases around) causing many cases of severe depression, suicidal thoughts, vitamin deficiencies and the like. Due to the presence of toxic gases, explosions, cave ins and deep chasms mines have claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands.
One of the biggest forms of mining was coal mining, a fossil fuel used in much of industry. Miners would work long hours with hard and intense labour. Not only was the work hard, but the atmosphere amongst the men as well as the physical atmosphere was at times toxic. With the ever looming prospect of black lung, mines became fearful places to be. Black lung is an occupational disease caused by inhaling coal dust. This scars the lung and makes it difficult to breathe.
In the coal mines, at the end of a shift miners would bring their load of coal mined to the checkweigher – usually an elected person by the miners – and he would weigh the coal. The men were paid for coal, not dirt. Over time checkweighers were not trusted, men were suspicious and accused them of underestimating the weight. Eventually, John Nixon invented the “billy-fairplay” - coal weighing machines which had to be operated by a man, but the accurate weighing was done by the machine. At first men did not trust the machine, but in the end, they realised it’s usefulness.
These days Coal Weighing Machines are much more advanced, but their import is much the same. Without accurate weights, profits may decrease or increase, and customer interest may wane or spike. So, there is a great importance to Coal weighing Machines.
Bridgend in Wales is known for its nearby mining equipment engineers. One such is E Thomas & Williams who build vintage mining lamps. E Thomas was one of the first to build a mining lamp that kept the flame isolated from the air, keeping miners safe from explosions. His design was also one of the most suited to the mining environment, others being too fragile or heavy.
Mines may have had multiple coal weighing machines. Bridgends own Parc Slip Colliery was a coal mine near Aberkenfig. In 1892 there was a maning accident on a beautiful summers day, the day of the Saint Mary Hill Fair. An explosion caused by a hole in one of the Miner’s Davy Lamps. 42 were brought out alive, some died from their injuries. 112 in total died, men and boys.
From all of this we see the importance of Safe Mining Lamps and accurate Coal Weighing Machines. Bridgend is just one example of many.
