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Post by clapham on May 3, 2012 2:01:28 GMT
please do post a picture of crane No 461 (Gardener) in fact any Photos you folks have . I am most interested to learn more about the firm my Grandfather George Albert Smith ran for 40
years. His father being Frank and Grandfather John who started the firm. My mother worked there for only a week ! The Only person I remember was a Mr E.C. Swan who gave me a tour of the works in 1978. He had worked their with my grandfather and told many stories, recalling grandfathers dog Roofus sitting for hours on the desk watching him sign letters
all very Interesting.
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Post by kempes on May 10, 2012 12:52:29 GMT
Hi,
Im new to the forum... I stumbled across the forum while trying to do some research into an old large John Smith stone saw i recently found in an old building. It took me a while to work out what it was but it was marked John Smith Keighley with a patent number and that led me here so far so i thought i would join and ask a few questions...
Just to describe it for those that may know these things, the saw has a large crank mounted on a plinth with a flywheel which is driven by a belt and motor, the crank drives a large arm (may be 2 i cant recall) which creates the "saw" action on the blade. There are various pulleys large and small again all driven/connected by wide old style drive belts but the upshot is they drive threads at each corner of the main cutting assembly which i guess lower the saw down onto the stone as it is cut. There is an old railway trolley which i guess was used to move the stone into the machine and away again The saw doesnt look like it has been used for many years (30 if i was to guess but probably longer) but is totally complete and still just about in the dry so has survived well.
So I was wondering if anyone could point me in the direction of any information or may be a possible a rough build date for this type of saw just for my own interest. I wonder how many of these things exist still?
Thanks
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Post by gardner on May 10, 2012 19:12:35 GMT
Re John Smith's Cranes we have taken the photos of the crane,but still struggling to up load them, please be patient, we are computer challenged...Regards .Gardner.  I think I have uploaded them to Albums, they have gone somewhere  regards gardner |
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Post by spiderman on May 11, 2012 15:42:05 GMT
Regarding the posting from kempes about stone saws.I joined the company in August 1964 and at that time these saws had not been manufactured for quite a few years,although a healthy trade was made in manufacturing spares for them at that time.I believe therefore that the saw mentioned could not possibly have been built after approx 1955.
Incidentally the spares manager for saw parts at the time was Brian Wilkinson ( Wilky) and the fitter who attended to all stone saw problems Ernest Emmott.
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Post by gardner on May 12, 2012 8:13:16 GMT
Ref...The posting from Kempes regarding the Stone Saw
My husband thinks it sounds like a frame Saw, however spiderman will probable know more about it.
We have a circular Stone Saw , however it was not made in Keighley
Regards gardner
PS Our Crane photos A lbumn are in the Photobox
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Post by kempes on May 12, 2012 18:33:08 GMT
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Post by gardner on May 12, 2012 19:05:15 GMT
Thanks Kempes...you are a star , techno nanna i am not...regards
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Post by spiderman on May 16, 2012 18:38:00 GMT
Regarding the postings from kempes and garner - Crane 461 was of a type which was always referred to as an A.S.H.D crane. This stood for "all steel hand derrick" and I would estimate that Smiths made their last one of these in the 1950's. A careful inspection of the machine would very probably reveal a date of manufacture. It is very likely that this type of crane had previously been made of timber.
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Post by clogger on May 17, 2012 19:49:30 GMT
Hi all, the stone saw that Kempes decribes sounds like an old frame shot saw used for slabbing blocks of different thicknesses depending on how wide you set the blades, these were usually held in place using steel vedges driven through holes in the ends of the steel blades, the blades had a slight wave to em like a corrugation and steel shot was fed to the saw above the blades and run in with water, it was the shot that did the cuttingand had to be fed evenly otherwise you had burn marks to the slabs where the blades overheated, Dennis Gillson of Haworth used these type o saws for yeers and developed a self feed system for them, the saw man there for many yeers was Alan "towser " Holmes and he use to " ride " the saw a bit like the hunchback in notre dame, they made him deaf as well wi the awfull noise they made, Dennis could read the face of the slabs like a book and would point out when Alan had had his snap ( burn mark ) or pipe o baccy ( burn mark ) For any good technichal info on smith shot saws you could get in touch with David Emmott at Ashlar stone yard, manywells estate, cullingworth. all best ---clogger---
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Post by kempes on May 18, 2012 13:57:43 GMT
Great, many thanks Clogger for the info... There were some shelves with various bars that i couldnt see how they interacted with the machine so you may well be right.
Right i will deffo get the pictures up this weekend. Sorry just been so busy.
Thanks Again
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Post by auriculaman on Jun 20, 2012 15:46:35 GMT
Hi ! Anyone remember Clifford Craven or Samuel Craven his dad ? they both worked at Smiths for donkeys years.Clifford got a gold watch for 50yrs service.Can anyone help? Cheers Auriculaman.PS who keeps their records?
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Post by spiderman on Jun 21, 2012 10:02:12 GMT
Hi ! I remember Clifford Craven.
Clifford worked in the machine shop as a Vertical Borer , I believe he lived in the Crossflatts area of Bingley.
He always used to "Sub" his wages and it was my job to make sure that we took the deductions so that he repaid the amount he had borrowed.Assoon as he had repaid one loan he invariably asked for another.
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Post by auriculaman on Jun 26, 2012 18:09:11 GMT
Thanks for the snippet about Clifford Craven,do you have anymore details about him or his Dad Samuel?Clifford did live in Crossflatts,Keighley road,but spent most of his time in the Ryshworth Club !!  . |
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Post by spiderman on Jun 28, 2012 18:56:02 GMT
Unfortunately cannot give any more information about Clifford.I did not know him well as I found him to be rather uncommunicative. From memory I think he would have retired in around 1980. That being the case Samuel would ( I assume) have retired in the late 1950's, long before I joined the company .
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tonto
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Post by tonto on May 1, 2013 9:04:10 GMT
Hi Andy and Bill, thanks for puttin pic on for me, i thought it might be of some intrest to them that was talkin about smiths cranes where me dad worked for donkeys yeers, he,s the one at bottom right wi hands folded, Teddy Moorehouse, known at smiths as freddie cropper owin to him workin in steel yard, he also used to sell cigs an spice that he took to work in a little case an he leant money as well, not a lot, but the odd pound here an there, maybe a fiver if he thought ya was a good bet, bye eh,---clogger--- |
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tonto
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Post by tonto on May 1, 2013 9:22:57 GMT
I served my time at Smiths in the late 50's. The stone saws had long gone by then but some of the fitters I worked with had also worked on the saws. We had some high carbon steel used for making cotters for the saws and some of the hand derricks which I managed to "aquire" to make pitons(I was a keen climber) but it was eventually missed and I got b*******g but kept the pegs they where brilliant.
I remenber making some bits for one of the saws at a stone yard just below the bridge on Lawcolme Lane.
Clogger
Freddie Cropper was a hell of a guy I used to get 5 Senior Service to share with Earnest Corker on pay day He has lent me few quid for my tea before night school many a time. Do you still live in Farnhill???
Tont
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Post by wakeupcall on May 3, 2013 12:20:02 GMT
My dad, Terry Wake, worked at John Smith Cranes as a welder from 1964 until its closure in 1995.
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tonto
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Post by tonto on May 3, 2013 19:13:38 GMT
Did anyone post the stone saw photo's
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angus
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Post by angus on Feb 12, 2014 0:44:27 GMT
My dad, Terry Wake, worked at John Smith Cranes as a welder from 1964 until its closure in 1995. Hi, I can rember your dad & his his brother Tommy, he was a fitter, I know sadly Tommy passed away. Terry & another one of the welders, Ian Holdsworth would weld bits & bats for you for "overtime projects", made a good bike rack for my first motorbike... Angus |
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angus
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Post by angus on Feb 12, 2014 0:47:22 GMT
Hi, just joined this site today, stumbled across it when looking up my old place of work where I did my Electricians apprenticeship.
Hi Mary & Glenn, I was in Kly town centre today & it jogged my memory that I am waiting for John Bedford, aka "Barnsley Bill" one of the many characterfull electricians we had at John Smiths Cranes to give me a ring as he has a photo of many of those who worked there, (I am not on it for some reason, perhaps I had left by then).
Anyway when I got home thought I'd browse the internet re same, see what I could find & I came across this site & joined.
Mary, you are right, I did come into your sandwich shop on Heber St, you were always pleasant to talk to & made a good sandwich!
You were always chatty with me which gave me a bit of confidence as I was quite shy in those days & being a young lad the older ones would tease myslef & the other apprentices...(probably wouldn't be allowed to nowadays, someone would sue them for harrassment!).
Now I'm older & through my job I'll talk to anyone.. my wife says I never shut up & can chat about nothing!
So thankyou.., no doubt you helped me get where I am today..
Did your husband have the garage across, I might be wrong but he seemed not the kind of man to get on the wrong side of.
Thankyou for your compliment & you were right, I did leave to join the Police where I still am today, scary really as in another 5 years I've got my 30 years in and can retire from it!
I loved it at John Smiths, there was a real character about the firm and all those who worked there.
I was one the apprentices that Glenn mentions, in fact when I left I was the embarrased victim of a Policewoman stripogram which they had all chipped in to organise for me, I'd never gone so red in my life, everyone was cheering & taking pictures, I didn't know where to look at the time.... But it was a lovely thought for such a send off as not everyone got such a treatment.
I see one or two of the ex workers around town, Andy Thompson- one of his daughters works with my wife & another for the Police so it is a small world.
One of the ex fitters Andy Gaines is our postman now... & I see John Bedford in town from time to time, he's not changed a bit, I rather looked up to John, he reminded me of Oz the big geordie brickie out of the TV series at the time Au Weidersein Pet.
Glenn, I haven't heard or seen of you since I left, how are you doing, where are you these days?
I can remeber you had that Austin Alegro or as Dennis Fletcher called it "Austin All Aggro"...and the fight we all got embroiled in, not by choice on a night out in Bradford where I got two black eyes when it was nothing to do with me.
I still have a photo of you on holiday pointing at a sign that says "Weschel" we John Bedford told us meant something else...
I know its always nostalgic to look back & with rose tinted glasses but they were really good times with some really genuine people that had quite an influence of me when I was younger, impressionable & no doubt gullible.
I can remember we'd all get a grilling about our weekends out and whether we had got girlfriends or not, Ken Weatherall would say, "remember lad, get forward as faint heart never won fair maiden", very polite..
The Italian welders were Guiseppe Volpe, he lived at Crossroads, (I lived near him for a few years before I got married), we'd travel to work together, really genuine nice man & the other singer was Vincent Cardimoni, I see Vince in Kly from time to time, & his son Salvo who started as an apprentice draughtsman there.
I can remember John Bedford would shout at Vince to shut up his opera singing, saying he couldn't understand all that Italian rubbish etc & Vince would really go off on one, shouting ack he was an uneducated Englishman etc, John would wind him further sayinggo back to selling ice cream & stealing other peoples wives.... all done in good banter but eye opening as a young lad..approx 26 yrs ago, where's time gone!
I have some old John Smiths glossy brochures I kept as souvenirs, I'll ask my son to help me upload a picture or two as they were taken on site at the Old Bradford Road depot where I first started, where B&Q etc are now....great times & sometimes genuinely missed, real down to earth people, no hierachy, (except the bosses who you got on with your work/ kept your head down when they were around- Brian Davies & John Rhodes- the Managing Director, saw in another post someone stated he worked in the drawing office or similar, must have worked his way up.
Sorry if I've rabbled on a bit, I'm not on facebook or the like so this is my opportunity to have an online natter.
Regards
Angus
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angus
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Post by angus on Feb 12, 2014 0:50:46 GMT
I can remember Eric Corker, white hared man, wore those Eric Morecambe type glasses that are back in fashion now,lived at Riddlesden, used to drive a mini metro. I can remember he would say, "My how very skilfull", when he was chatting.
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Post by barcroftlad on Feb 12, 2014 9:42:13 GMT
No need to say sorry for rambling on Angus. Even though I don't know the people involved, I could read this stuff all night. I've written similar stuff in my memoirs of growing up in wartime and post war Keighley, and my days as an apprentice at NEGB in the early 50s before I emigrated. It's memories like yours that bring the past to life and make younger readers aware of what the town used to be like in the "old days". Cheers.
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angus
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Post by angus on Feb 12, 2014 9:44:28 GMT
Many thanks for your kind comments.
Angus
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Post by mrswansdriver on Feb 12, 2014 20:25:11 GMT
just afew more names ,brian nixon (pattern shop)harry ackroyd, jack ducket (joiners) brian wikinson ,(drawing office) cyril swan(md after f johnson),arthur taylor (longknife) allan binns (elec), Ihave about 20more if anybodys interested
signed mrswansdriver
john marshall.
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Post by claretfan on Feb 17, 2014 11:28:05 GMT
 Hi John good to talk to you last Saturday. For everybody else I was in the Drawing Office from 1967 to 1973. I also worked in the Fitting Shop for 6 months to see what I was actually drawing....I was useless but Eric Corker was a lovely man and was so patient with me. I worked with Eric Corker and Harry ?. I remember all the names on this forum and quite a few more. I am still friends with some of the guys out of the Drawing Office and Estimating. In fact I play golf up at Branshaw with a couple. I have a few photographs of the Drawing Office guys playing cricket and on a night out in Leeds. Jim Langhorn was the Chief Draughtsman by the way. I worked with Brian Wilkinson, Wilky, for 6 months as well in the Spares, he was a character. He played for Bradford City reserves in goals. He took me down to Prince Smiths to play in goals for them. I retired a couple of years ago but can still name every Draughtsman and where they sat in the Drawing Office on my first day there in 1967. Some have passed away but others I see about. A few names from the Shop Floor I remember well. Eric Corker, Pete Armstrong, Roger Mitchell, Vince Card....The welder, Charlie Beadle, Arthur Taylor, also the "big guys" in the spans. They always looked huge to a young draffy. Not sure how to post photos on here. Maybe somebody will advise. Take it easy everybody and happy memories of John Smiths. |
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Post by claretfan on Feb 17, 2014 11:43:49 GMT
Taken around 1972 at Leeds Haufbrahouse, only three did not work at Smiths  |
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Post by spiderman on Feb 18, 2014 14:13:02 GMT
Hi Claretfan,
Go name 'em. I worked at Smiths for 31 years until 1995.
I think I recognise Mike Smith ( Top Right ),Ian Kay ( 2nd Right Front row )and Barry Calvert ( Far right Front row ).All worked in the Drawing Office.
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Post by claretfan on Feb 18, 2014 23:37:53 GMT
Hi Spider-Man......here goes
on the Haufbrahouse photo..........
Mick Portlock not Smiths, Arthur Preston. Mike Smith,
Phil ?, Ray Lund, Norman Bailey, Bryan Harmen.
Andy Barnes not Smiths, Ian Kaye, Paul Moffitt me, Barry Calvert.
Ray Lunds brother in law not smiths.
in the drawing offices and estimating when I started in 1967 as a 16 year old draughtsman...
Ian Kaye, Brian Carr, Maurice Feather, Fred Smith, Arthur Preston, Graham Newiss, Alan Gordon, Bryan Harmen, Bill Vickers, Peter West, Bruce Myerscough. Stuart Pearson, Ethel and Gerry were the Tracers, Eric Binder, Brian Wilson, Arthur Brown. Barry Calvert. Norman Bailey, Ray Lund, Barry Doveston, Steve Pickering, Roger Wood. Jack Domain. Bob Balderson, Dennis ?, Norman Hustler, Kenneth Newman. Jim Langhorn.
John Rhodes and Cyril Swann were top management.
take it easy..... it seems like just yesterday I was sent for a rubber hammer and a long stand. Also something from the chemist on Ainworth Rd that I can not repeat on an open forum.
i used to go for "the shop " every morning to Miers newsagents and Linyards Sandwich shop. Oh happy days.
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Post by incony on Apr 1, 2014 21:54:27 GMT
this mo, i seek a circuit diagram of a late model double girder overhead travelling crane made by smith keighley.,. its unusual because it uses timers on the contactors... and five contactors for the hoist... five for the long travel and three for the cross travel..
thats a lot of contactors per function by todays standard... and a lot of timers....
the crane uses clamp brakes, and maybe why it has timers on every contactor..?
anyone who can show me such a schematic? its still in operating condition... still in industrial use, but needs a hell of lot of ugrading now. the contactors probably date from 1995 ish.. example for the long travel = telemec lcd1 25`s with la d 22 timers on them.
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