PROP SHOP

Series

Series Name

Mining Review 11th Year

Issue

Issue No.

1

Date Released

Sep 1957

Stories in this Issue:

1. 1PROP SHOP
2. 2WATER POWER
3. 3PAPER WORK
4. 4SONGS OF THE COALFIELDS: "The Row Between the cages"

Story

Story No. within this Issue

1 / 4

Summary

BFI synopsis: processes in the production of hydraulic pit props
NCB Commentary - Over the past ten years hydraulic props have been introduced into British mines in greater and greater numbers until, today, nearly half a million are standard mining equipment.
Here’s a quick view of how these props are assembled today on a continuous production line.
This is the crank-housing assembly station. From the miner’s point of view, the crank handle is the working end of the prop.
Welding and assembly go on side by side - and there’s a lot of welding to do.
Still on the move, the next step is to weld the pump cylinder on to the piston head.
Now the top tube assembly and the piston head sub assembly are welded to the inner tube simultaneously on this automatic welding machine.
By now the props are too hot to handle and the continuously moving conveyor takes them for a ride around the shop to cool off.
Soon, though, it’s time for the next operation. The conveyor line deposits the half completed props at the valve assembly department.
With valves fitted, the props are filled with oil and the inner and outer assemblies matched together.
Critical, from the miners’ viewpoint, is the testing procedure which ensures that every prop is subject to the full load before it leaves the factory.
Paint spraying comes next to give a finish which makes props easily identifiable underground.
Passing through the drier, the finished props are carried on the conveyor system straight to the loading by where they’re taped for protection and their serial numbers are stamped on.
Right thousand props a week flow out of this Cheltenham factory on whose products hundreds of thousands of British miners rely.

Researcher Comments

Commentary recorded 26th July 1957.

Keywords

Industry and manufacture; Mining; Engineering

Written sources

British Film Institute Databases   Used for synopsis
Film User   Vol.12 No.137 March 1958, p118.
The National Archives COAL 32   /12 Scripts for Mining Review, 1956-1960

Credits:

Production Co.

Documentary Technicians Alliance

Sponsor

National Coal Board