Pemberton Colliery
For detailed information, see here[1]
1879 Description of the colliery in Engineering 1879/10/03. Owned by J. Blundell and Sons. 'There are two pairs of winding engines in one building, which is an exceedingly handsome structure;
both engines are horizontal with cranks at right angles
and have cylinders 36 in. in diameter by 6ft. stroke.
Double-beat Cornish equilibrium valves are used for
the steam distribution, these valves being driven by
link motion worked off small shafts driven by return
cranks. These engines make about 22 revolutions
per lift, which is accomplished in about 33 seconds;
on taking the depth at 624 yards, the average speed
of the cages is about 38 miles per hour, a speed which
is of course greatly exceeded when the cage is in the
middle of the lift. One pair of these engines is by
Messrs. R. Daglish and Co., of St. Helens, and the
other pair by the Haigh Foundry Company, of Wigan.
Part of the underground hauling is done by two
pairs of horizontal air engines, the first having two
cylinders 16 in. in diameter, by 3 ft. stroke, the
other having also two cylinders 14 in. in diameter,
by 2 ft. stroke. Compressed air at a pressure of
40 lb. to 45 lb. per square inch is supplied for
driving these engines by a very fine pair of horizontal high-pressure engines also built by the Haigh
Foundry Company, and having steam cylinders and
air cylinders 30 in. in diameter, the stroke of both
being 4ft. These engines make 30 to 33 revolutions
per minute, and have expansion valves on the back
of the main slide valves regulated by hand, and
generally cutting off steam at 31 per cent. of the
stroke. The rest of the underground hauling is
done by a small pair of horizontal geared winding
engines working on the surface and having the ropes
led underground by suitable pulleys.
The small shaft next to the King and Queen pits
is provided with a single cylinder engine, 21in. in
diameter by 3ft. 6 in. stroke; this engine is fitted
with Walker's patent equilibriated slide valve, the
pressure on the back of the valve being partially
removed by connecting the valve by a link to a
circular steel disc, acted on by steam pressure on
one side; this disc is capable of partial adjustment
by means of a horizontal spring placed above it,
and to which it is attached by a screw. The slide
valve seemed to work very easily, and the engine was
handled with the greatest readiness. The depth
from which it was winding was 140 yards, and as
we have before remarked, it was raising 300 to
400 tons of coal per day. The ventilation is provided for by a Guibal fan, 46 ft. in diameter by
15 ft. wide, making 36 to 37 revolutions per minute,
and delivering 240,000 to 250,000 cubic feet of air
at a water column of 2 1/2in. This fan is driven by a
horizontal engine built by Messrs. Baker and Valliant ... '