Fanhouse And Upcast Shaft |
| Hob Uid: 545280 | |
Location :
Redcar and Cleveland
Skelton and Brotton
|
| Grid Ref : NZ6440518058 |
| Summary : The upcast shaft at Skelton Park Ironstone Mine was sunk in 1872 to a depth of 378ft and was referred to as the fan pit, although initially ventilation was by a furnace at its base. After 1862, legislation demanded that each mine have more than one method of entry so one mine shaft became the working shaft (downcast), while the other (the upcast) was used to pull in large quantities of air to be pumped through the workings for the men, animals and to clear away the smoke from the explosives. In 1882 the upcast shaft was heightened some 30ft above the surface to form a chimney and a fanhouse was erected to house a Schiele ventilating fan. The fanhouse itself is a large concrete structure with an attached engine house for the steam engine which drove the fan. The shaft top was heightened by 8ft to contain cross girders to support a pulley wheel for winding in the shaft and a concrete single-storey airlock was constructed around the chimney base where openings were made through for access to the cage. A second means of access to a mine was, and still is, required by law hence the installation of the winding facility but it saw regular use for taking timber and horse feed into the mine. The roof of the airlock, and that of the fan house, has now collapsed. Once installed, the fan drew up to 200,000 cubic feet of air per minute with the spent air blasted out of the fan into the evasee (a square low chimney) which still remains. After electrification the fan was belt-driven by a 60 horse power A.C. motor made by the British Westinghouse Co. Ltd. |
| More information : The upcast shaft at Skelton Park Ironstone Mine was sunk in 1872 to a depth of 378ft and was referred to as the fan pit, although initially ventilation was by a furnace at its base. After 1862, legislation demanded that each mine have more than one method of entry so one mine shaft became the working shaft (downcast), while the other (the upcast) was used to pull in large quantities of air to be pumped through the workings for the men, animals and to clear away the smoke from the explosives. In 1882 the upcast shaft was heightened some 30ft above the surface to form a chimney and a fanhouse was erected to house a Schiele ventilating fan. The fanhouse itself is a large concrete structure with an attached engine house for the steam engine which drove the fan. The shaft top was heightened by 8ft to contain cross girders to support a pulley wheel for winding in the shaft and a concrete single-storey airlock was constructed around the chimney base where openings were made through for access to the cage. A second means of access to a mine was, and still is, required by law hence the installation of the winding facility but it saw regular use for taking timber and horse feed into the mine. The roof of the airlock, and that of the fan house, has now collapsed. Once installed, the fan drew up to 200,000 cubic feet of air per minute with the spent air blasted out of the fan into the evasee (a square low chimney) which still remains. After electrification the fan was belt-driven by a 60 horse power A.C. motor made by the British Westinghouse Co. Ltd. (1-4) |