Plate-Bending Rolls, 1913
One of the largest machine tools ever used in Chatham Dockyard, this set of 42 ft (12.8m) plate-bending rolls weighs 200 tons. They were installed in the yard's No. 5 Machine Shop in 1913 and were used to bend metal plates up to 1½ inches (37.5mm) thick.
The rolls were built by Hugh Smith & Co. at their Possil Works in Glasgow. The rolls were rescued by Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust in 1986, shortly before the machine shop was demolished. They were re-erected as seen above in 2010 as part of the No. 1 Smithery project.
Details from the noticeboard in front of the rolls. The tables and chairs belong to a cafe behind me.
Plate-Bending Rolls, 1913
One of the largest machine tools ever used in Chatham Dockyard, this set of 42 ft (12.8m) plate-bending rolls weighs 200 tons. They were installed in the yard's No. 5 Machine Shop in 1913 and were used to bend metal plates up to 1½ inches (37.5mm) thick.
The rolls were built by Hugh Smith & Co. at their Possil Works in Glasgow. The rolls were rescued by Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust in 1986, shortly before the machine shop was demolished. They were re-erected as seen above in 2010 as part of the No. 1 Smithery project.
Details from the noticeboard in front of the rolls. The tables and chairs belong to a cafe behind me.