Auger Drill, Jackhammer, and Handy Coal Car Used since the Taisho Era (1912-1926)
May 1965

Taisho yori Oga, Pikku, Keiben Sura
[Auger Drill, Jackhammer, and Handy Coal Car Used since the Taisho Era (1912-1926)]
38.0 x 53.9 cm Painting in Watercolors and Ink

Auger drills were introduced to Nittetsu Inatsuki Coal Pit around 1936 and they were changed to ones with detachable drill heads around 1937, which were worm-screw types. However, they were only used for mining coal and jackhammers were used for cutting faults and other cases.
Jackhammers were introduced at the same time and used for breaking big masses of coal at long wall coalfaces. The head was a round steel bar of 28 mm in diameter, about 30 cm long with a brim at a point 75 mm apart from the end. Its tip was squarely cut and sharpened. These machines started working with rattling sounds when they were pushed against coalfaces. They were the best tools for us to use at coalfaces where pickaxes were difficult to use. Their heads were fixed to their stems with springs.
Handy coal cars had already been used at small and middle-scale coal pits during World War II and they became popular after the war. They were originally only used at single coalfaces of small-scale coal pits and were more efficient for coal haulage than normal coal sleds. In steep slopes, carriers hooked wooden boards on axles of the rear wheels of these cars to ride on the boards and slow them down by using the friction between the boards and rails. Their wheels were 10 cm and axles were 30 mm in diameter. The gauge of their railway tracks was 20 cm and these tracks were laid toward each coalface. The boxes and trucks composing these cars were separable. A handy coal car could carry more than 200 kg of coal.

Inset at the Bottom Right
Oga Nomi: Drill Heads for Auger Drills
Pikku: Head of a Jackhammer
(Following are worm steel heads)


Translation Assisted by Mr. Nathan Johndro

<<Last pictorial record    Next pictorial record>>

<<Last 10 items  321 | 322 | 323 | 324 | 325 | 326 | 327 | 328 | 329 | 330｜  Next 10 Items>>

330／585