News on Screen

Series

Series Name

Mining Review 12th Year

Issue

Issue No.

6

Date Released

Feb 1959

Stories in this Issue:

• 1. NOTTINGHAMSHIRE - MINERS OFFERING
• 2. FRESH GROUND
• 3. REG LAMB

Story

Story No. within this Issue

2 / 3

Summary

BFI synopsis: new techniques of using coal ploughs for difficult seams.
NCB Commentary - The production of large coal is today’s top priority. Much of it is being won by coal ploughs and by more complicated power loaders, such as the Huwood Slicer. The German Loebbehobel type of plough is a typically simple and robust machine.
Up until recently, the use of ploughs has been limited to certain seams which suited the machine. Hard coals were out. But today, technical research is making it possible to produce large coal from seams previously considered unploughable.
At Frances Colliery, in Fife, a 4’ 9" seam, on a 1 in 3 gradient, is being underout 6" above floor level. The simple fact of making a slice into the coal with a standard coal cutter is enough to prepare the face to a state where a coal plough can handle it easily.
Hundreds of tons of large coal are coming off this face every shift. Efficient preparation of the coal has made the plough into a potent coal loading device.
At West Cannock Colliery, Staffordshire, another new ploughing development is in production.
In the past, compressed air rams have often been used to hold conveyor and plough tight against the face. One trouble with compressed air has been that you can generally compress it a bit more. The plough fights against the rams and backs up away from the fact. But with these new hydraulic rams a far more positive control is assured. Hydraulic power pushes both conveyor and plough into the face so firmly that the plough can get on with its job of slicing into the coal.
Now that hydraulics are available to replace compressed air the industry may find that many faces can be ploughed which were previously considered impossible. Even in very hard coal indeed, ploughs now look like having a future.
At Dudley pit in Northumberland, in 2’ 8" of coal, a Loebbehobel with hydraulic rams is carving a sizeable output.
Thanks to technical and engineering research, the impossible is now becoming the common place.

Researcher Comments

Commentary recorded 5th January 1959.

Keywords

Industry and manufacture; Mining; Engineering; Energy resources

Written sources

British Film Institute Databases   Used for synopsis
The National Archives COAL 32   /12 Scripts for Mining Review, 1956-1960

Credits:

Production Co.

Documentary Technicians Alliance

Sponsor

National Coal Board