BELT SHOP

Series

Series Name

Mining Review 7th Year

Issue

Issue No.

5

Date Released

Jan 1954

Stories in this Issue:

1. 1PITS OF THE FUTURE: 1 - Bevercotes
2. 2EFFICIENCY SHOW
3. 3BELT SHOP
4. 4NYSTAGMUS: 3. The Conquest of a disease

Story

Story No. within this Issue

3 / 4

Summary

BFI synopsis: reclamation of used conveyor belts at Brookhouse Colliery near Sheffield.
NCB Commentary - Today in Britain’s collieries there are over 35 hundred miles of conveyor belting. Much of it is rubber belting, and it carries heavy loads out from the coal faces and even up to the surface. It’s not surprising that it wears out under the strain.
But much of it comes back for more punishment. That’s what this place is for -- one of a number of belt repair stations set up throughout the coalfields. When frayed and worn belting comes in, it’s first inspected to see what can be done with it. In many cases, you can make narrower belts, still good for services, by trimming off the frayed edges. This narrow belting can then be joined edge to edge on a giant stapling machine to produce reconditioned belting of a wider size.
Lengths of treated belting can be joined togetherm of course. These men are putting in clips that’ll look like an enormous sip-fastener when the job’s done, but they’ll hold the join secure against any pull.
And even worn belting that you or I would put in the dustbin finds a use here at the Brookhouse repair station. Many of the men working here are compensation cases, men who were injured in the mines and now do useful work on the surface. He’s making up a tool case, and a strong job it’ll be when it’s finished. They say at Brookhouse that if anything can be made out of belting, they’ll make it. Here’s the evidence -- enough to stock a saffler’s or an ironmonger’s, and don’t forget -- it’s all conveyor belting. All of it’ll find a useful home at some of the 13 collieries this station serves. Waste not, want not --- that ought to be up over the door in a place like this.

Researcher Comments

According to bfi records, this story was filmed from 20th to the 23rd October 1953. Commentary recorded 7 December 1953.

Keywords

Mining; Engineering

Locations

Yorkshire; England

Written sources

British Film Institute Databases   Used for Synopsis
Film User   Vol.8 No.95 September 1954, p436.
The National Archives COAL 32   /3 Scripts for Mining Review, 1949-1956

Credits:

Production Co.

Documentary Technicians Alliance

Camera

Kenneth Reeves

Sponsor

National Coal Board

Director

Stanley Goulder

Camera

Wolfgang Suschitzky