Out Of The Blue Artifacts A Library of a lifetime of collecting
Signalling Knocking Wire.
A length of knocking wire, used for haulage or conveyor belt signalling.
For the haulage, lengths of this wire was strung out overhead through the haulage roads and connected at intervals to electrical signalling boxes in turn connected to the haulage engine, the Journeymen would pull on this wire to convey messages to the engine driver. Signals were as follows –
Signalling Codes for a Main and Tail Haulage.
1: To stop the engine…..
2: To pull in the main rope, make the drams move forward……
3: To slacken the tail rope, to unhitch or drop down inclines under the journey’s own weight…..
4: To slacken the main rope, to reattach ropes or get slack to remove shackles etc……
5: To pull in the tail rope, make the drams move out……
6: To tell the engine driver you have finished and are unloading the journey of drams…..
10: This means there is a problem and need the engine driver to help quickly, in cases of accidents etc…..
Signalling Codes for the Endless Haulage.
1: To pull in…..
2: To pull out…..
6: To tell the engine driver you have finished and are unloading the journey of drams…..
Conveyor Belt Use.
For the conveyor belt use, lengths of this wire was used to connect lock-out boxes that were attached to the frame-work of conveyor structure, any problems with the conveyor belts you would pull on the wire to stop the belt.