J Buckton & Co Ltd of Hunslet

Off-topic discussions, musings and chat
grumpytramp
Posts: 331
Joined: Mon 24 Sep, 2007 6:28 pm

Post by grumpytramp »

I was at a bit of a loose end yesterday morning, while needing to head west to attend to some messages before heading homewards to watch the Scotland v Ireland game, I had a few hours to kill. So on a whim I decided to visit the Summerlee Museum of Scottish Industrial Life in CoatbridgeCoatbridge is a large town on the eastern outskirts of Glasgow whose fortunes were centred on the coal, iron and steel industries which had all but waned by the 1930's. The last of the town's blast furnaces at Baird’s Gartsherrie Plant closed in 1967. There has been an industrial musuem at the site of the Summerlee Ironworks and Hydrocon Crane Factory for at least two decades, but in 2008 it was substantial upgraded. http://www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk/inde ... id=15877It was my first visit (but won't be my last) since its rebuild. The makeover is absolutely superb ......... recording the areas mining, iron making, steel making and engineering heritage recording the days when the nation really could make anything.Well worth a visit if if the area (may be double up and take in a game at Cliftonhill to see the not so mighty Albion Rovers)So what has this to do with Leeds?Well taking pride of place amongst all the testing equipment was the machine in the photograph, manufactured by J Buckton & Co Ltd, Leeds. It was used to test the tensile strength of steel by stretching it to the point of failure.All I know about J Buckton and Co is that they described themselves as Engineers and Tool manufacturers. The manufacturin site was the old Well House Foundry [57 Meadow Road, Hunslet] next to a reservoir to the north of Canning Street Anybody know anything else about them?    
Attachments
__TFMF_xlvjexjmsd11rk55pm4142u1_90ff1fa4-fc4f-4c53-a10c-171ff2426acb_0_main.jpg
__TFMF_xlvjexjmsd11rk55pm4142u1_90ff1fa4-fc4f-4c53-a10c-171ff2426acb_0_main.jpg (239.53 KiB) Viewed 3546 times

grumpytramp
Posts: 331
Joined: Mon 24 Sep, 2007 6:28 pm

Post by grumpytramp »

The manufactures plate is attached above too
Attachments
__TFMF_xlvjexjmsd11rk55pm4142u1_1c7596e2-df78-44dc-ace1-e8b0412160aa_0_main.jpg
__TFMF_xlvjexjmsd11rk55pm4142u1_1c7596e2-df78-44dc-ace1-e8b0412160aa_0_main.jpg (258.32 KiB) Viewed 3546 times

kango
Posts: 296
Joined: Sun 30 Aug, 2009 4:41 pm

Post by kango »

Small snippet found hereKango. http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/The_Basic_ ... Chapter_VI EDIT the link doesn't go to the page I was looking at for some reason so just type Joshua Buckton in the search bar on the page You arrive at. "Joshua Buckton and CoAt one time machine tool-making in Leeds kept seven or eight firms busily employed, but, for one reason or another, many firms have given up business altogether. Of the survivors Joshua Buckton and Co is the best known. This business was commenced by the late Joshua Buckton in 1838, and has been engaged on the construction of machine tools ever since. It occupies large, well-equipped works where the heaviest type of machine tools are made, and, with a capital of £150,000, employs over 300 men. The old order-books show many names, now only of historic interest, such as York Railway Co., Edinburgh and Northern, Leeds and Thirsk, and Brunswick Ducal Railway Companies.The late Mr. Wickstead was connected with the original firm as the inventor of the testing machines which have been long recognised as standard machines both for commercial and research testing of materials, and his name is known in every part of the world. He was the author of many technical treatises on this subject read before the British Association and other learned bodies, and he was, for a time, President of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. Nearly all universities, technical colleges and schools in this country, and very many in foreign countries and in the British Dominions, number Buckton Testing Machines among their equipment. These machines are also to be found in most Government Research Departments and in all the large iron and steel and engineering works throughout the country. "

User avatar
Leodian
Posts: 6477
Joined: Thu 10 Jun, 2010 8:03 am

Post by Leodian »

Hi Kango.If the whole of your link (including all of the non-underlined part) is copied and then pasted into a web address locator then it brings up the intersting Chapter V1 that is about 'Leeds Iron Steel Engineering'. It has links to brief information on many Leeds firms.
A rainbow is a ribbon that Nature puts on when she washes her hair.

kango
Posts: 296
Joined: Sun 30 Aug, 2009 4:41 pm

Post by kango »

Thanks for that Leodian, a very interesting site indeed.Kango    

grumpytramp
Posts: 331
Joined: Mon 24 Sep, 2007 6:28 pm

Post by grumpytramp »

Cheers, Kango and Leodian .......... the Grace Guide is an absolute gem of a link :-)

User avatar
Leodian
Posts: 6477
Joined: Thu 10 Jun, 2010 8:03 am

Post by Leodian »

grumpytramp wrote: Cheers, Kango and Leodian .......... the Grace Guide is an absolute gem of a link :-) For anyone looking at that site be sure to use the link to further information on each company that is in their short summary. That has some great adverts and images. I particularly like the images of trains built by the Hunslet Engine Company which can be seen through this link http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/File:Im190 ... nslett.jpg Edit added moments after posting. The link as it is does not work. You will have to copy and paste the full link into a web address locator to bring up the image. Sorry.     
A rainbow is a ribbon that Nature puts on when she washes her hair.

User avatar
liits
Posts: 1153
Joined: Sun 25 Mar, 2007 11:24 am
Location: North London
Contact:

Post by liits »

I remember a Buckton fulcrum machine from college and the many unhappy hours of “Material Properties Technology” with its grains structures, tensile, shear and compressive strengths. I was none the wiser at the end of it all.This from the 1905 Kelly's Directory    

200 Ton
Posts: 4
Joined: Tue 28 Aug, 2012 2:04 pm

Post by 200 Ton »

hi there. i found this while i was looking for information on J Buckton and co. I work on a 200 Ton capacity testing machine at Element (formerly Sheffield Testing Labs). The machine has been in its current location since 1962 when the company moved premises, but i was told by our general manager who has since passed away that the machine was bought second hand in 1890. i have found drawings dated 1900 and 1909 but have no information prior to that and there doesn't seem to be much record of Bucktons activities on the internet.what's sparked my interest again is that today i was looking under the platform of the machine and found 'D Wright 1862' written on the underside in chalk. i wondered if anyone knows how i can find information on when machines of this type were made and sold by Buckton and co? the machine's serial number is 9582 if that's any use to anyone.

200 Ton
Posts: 4
Joined: Tue 28 Aug, 2012 2:04 pm

Post by 200 Ton »


Post Reply