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Is this flat belt compressor military?


gritineye

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Acquired this compressor / vacuum pump just because I couldn't resist it's charms and the seller had no idea what it was and accepted my first silly offer!

 

It's a two lobe type and after a good clean it still works ok.

 

The paint on it looks like it could have some military history, I Googled the maker and it seems they mostly made laundry machinery and pumps back then.

 

The paint may be a red herring but it I thought it still might be interesting to some of you, so any suggestions would be welcome.

 

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Being a shaper owner I did like finding lots of shaper work in there, lots of chatter and hand feeding seems to have been acceptable when hogging the lobes out!

 

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Lovely drip oiler was just stuck in the filler hole in top the gear case, don't think it's supposed to be on it as the gear case is an oil bath.

 

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Bernard

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Edited by gritineye
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Delightful!

With those external flanges the overall shape is similar to that of a duplex or compound steam cylinder like on a traction engine, roller or portable. Could it have been designed by a steam engineer?

With those dimensions I would image its volume of air passing rather than higher pressure or vacuum.

Doug

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I think you are going to find that it is a vacuum pump , as meaty as it looks - it would have been used only with a single heavy duty steam garment press. I knew of one by Braithwaite IIRC inc. the press and boiler. A firm that only made Duffle coats , Industrial & dress (badged up for another firm). Durworth Ltd. Soho St. Shildon , in fact it could have been theirs.

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Delightful! With those dimensions I would image its volume of air passing rather than higher pressure or vacuum.

Doug

 

I had thoughts along those lines Doug, which led me to, ideas like filling airships or similar, made sense as we are near the old WW1 airship base at Willingdon.

 

http://www.eastsussexww1.org.uk/polegate-royal-naval-airship-station-at-lower-willingdon/

 

http://hmvf.co.uk/forumvb/showthread.php?11712-Bomb-damage-near-Eastbourne-E-Sussex

 

http://hmvf.co.uk/forumvb/showthread.php?31227-WW1-aircraft-wire-strainers&highlight=airship

I think you are going to find that it is a vacuum pump , as meaty as it looks - it would have been used only with a single heavy duty steam garment press. I knew of one by Braithwaite IIRC inc. the press and boiler. A firm that only made Duffle coats , Industrial & dress (badged up for another firm). Durworth Ltd. Soho St. Shildon , in fact it could have been theirs.

 

Well that's good info ruxy, if a tad disappointing :-)

 

Although the top coat of paint looks very much like WW1 kharki brown, under that is what looks like cockpit green.

Maybe someone has been messing about playing 'lets pretend' with it, or maybe we'll never know.

Shame Mr Google doesn't seem know anything about it either.

 

Bernard

Edited by gritineye
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Looking as some diagrams of British WW2 era mobile laundries, I notice on the drying trailer there is what is called a 'blower fan'. As your piece of machinery appears to be similar in design to a supercharger (from what can be seen in the photos) I wondered if it was for forcing air through the dying unit.

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Looking as some diagrams of British WW2 era mobile laundries, I notice on the drying trailer there is what is called a 'blower fan'. As your piece of machinery appears to be similar in design to a supercharger (from what can be seen in the photos) I wondered if it was for forcing air through the dying unit.

 

That might make more sense Richard, I wonder if Clive has any WW1 illustrations...hint hint :cool2:

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Hmm, I spy an interesting stationary engine, looks like there's a pump, shame the rest of the attached equipment is in shade...

 

The rear wagon looks more like a drying unit, perhaps it has it's own engine.

 

attachment.php?attachmentid=126545&stc=1

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Edited by gritineye
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That makes sense, as a blower in a laundry. In an army situation a mobile unit as a complete package provided by one supplier. No different to what would have been provided to other commercial operations.

It is this aspect of the military history that has me interested. The supply and provision of services.

Doug

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