FLIGHT LOADING

Series

Series Name: Mining Review 9th Year

Issue

Issue No.

Date Released

Mar 1956

Stories in this Issue:

Story

Story No. within this Issue

3 / 4

Summary

BFI synopsis: flights attached to an ordinary coal-cutter turn it into a power-loader (shot at Polkemmet Colliery)
NCB Commentary - In 80% of British Coalfaces cutting machines bring down the coal, to be hand loaded onto the belt. And having made the cut, the machine spends the greater part of its time - idle.
But down here, in the Jewel seam at Polkemmet Colliery, is a cutter really earning its keep. On do-it-yourself lines, it has been converted into a cutter-loader machine - something that’s happening at an increasing number of British Pits.
Here an ABIS coal cutter is making its cutting run in the 3’6" seam. The only extra attachment is a gum-flinger to load off small coal from the cut onto a bottom loading belt.
At the end of the face the cutter breaks through into a stable 10 yards long, partly hand, partly machine cut.
Holes are drilled in the top coal right the way down the 150 yard face. At Polkemmet the coal does not part readily and has to be shot down.
Meanwhile the cutter is converted into a loader. Just three paddles - flights, as they’re called - do the trick, fitted onto the cutter chain.
As the machine works back down the face, the rotating paddles sweep coal away onto the belt.
Behind the cutter-loader - as it is now - temporary supports are set. As the machine works on down the face, these temporaries are replaced with standard steel props.
7 tons a manshift come out at Plkemmet - one of the first pits to introduce flight loading. A testimony to mining ingenuity in making a good machine even better.

Researcher Comments

Commentary recorded 6th February 1956.

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