Mill Music > the water power train > the weir > the leat > waterwheel > spur gear > overhead line shafts > machines
music & machines workshop
spur gear
- Water is diverted from the river Culm by a weir.
- The water travels along a purpose-built leat (a small canal) to the mill.
- The water falls onto the waterwheel, driving it round and round.
- A giant cog attached to the waterwheel connects to another in the spur gear pit. The spur gear is connected to the overhead line shafts by a massive leather belt.
- The overhead line shafts run the length of the factory floor.
- From the overhead line shafts, smaller leather belts drive the individual machines.
broken spur gear
previously in the spur gear pit, now on the wall opposite the shop
The spur gear pit is a little cubbyhole just inside the mill. When you look in there you see a couple of massive cogs.
One of the cogs is on the end of a shaft which is turned by the waterwheel and the other cog joins up, via a leather belt, to the overhead line shafts inside the factory
spur gear