Melbourne International Exhibition.

Western Star, Issue 430, 26 March 1881, Page 1 (Supplement)

Melbourne International Exhibition.

HEAVY SHEFFIELD GOODS (KAW and MANUFACTURED). AND SPECIAL AND GENERAL RAIL- • . WAY APPLIANCES. Tho Exhibit of. Xbbotson Bros. & Do. ■ ■ ‘ . . (Limited). . ' j, The.flrm of Ibbotson Brothers .and C 0.,, of the Globe Steel and Iron Works, Sheffield, is one that has long! enjoyed a world-wide celebrity, not only for the superior quality of its varied manufactures, but also for the extensive character of its business operations. Their stand at oar Exhibition is unquestionably one of the most'interesting displays to be found in the building, s and comprises, besides many new inventions, a large assortment of Steel Files, Springs,’ Saws, Tools, Side Buffers, Centre Buffers, Automatic Couplings, Spring Protecting Cradles/ Patent Steel Rail Joints,- Patent Steel Die Locknuts, Bails, ' Rollers, Wheels - and Axles, Models, &c., the whole of which have been arranged with a degree of taste and skill that reflects the highest credit upon the director in charge of the exhibit." .The location of the Ibbotson Company’s Stand is the principal side avenue of the British Machinery Hall, immediately facing the large exhibit of Messrs. Tangye Brothers. The visitor to the Ibbotson Company’s Stand should first examine the large diagram showing the comparative profiles of the railways of the world.-.' This is surmounted by a portrait of the late “ Railway King” and celebrated gigantic contractor, Mr. Henry Meiggs, the constructor of the - famous Oroya railway, which traverses the Peruvian Andes, and. reaches a height of 15,672 feet above the sea level. This is universally acknowledged to be one of.the greatest triumphs yet recorded in-the history of railway construction and in honor of the man who so successfully completed it; the portrait is crowned by:a trophy of American and Peruvian' flags,-; Mr. Meiggs being an .American by'birth/'.'-■•.i' l : Go v- ■- The next thing-to be noticed-is a large pictorial illustration of the principal articles manufactered by the firm, to which is added ■a brief but concise history of its rise and progress.- From; this we gather that the. works were ’ established by William Ibbotson, the elder, so long ago - as the year 1779, and that they are now, carried; on. by a limited liability company, I with a capital of half-a-million sterling, of which one-half is paid up. The names of the directors and principal officials of the company are also recorded, and there is an excellent portrait of the courteous direc-. tor and agent of the firm in Australia., ’ From the' pictures find’plans above men-, tinned, a ' good side-view of the exhibit isObtained, bitt'visitorawho are practically in- j teresfßd‘ j %ill find it advantageous to step j fouhd to r the front of the stand, and place : themselves under the guidance of the attendant, who’ thoroughly and efficiently points, out the merits of the various-appliances •shown. And we nluSt here-complimentthe : : director for ■ the ingenious- method he has: adopted of attracting attention to the exhibit/ 'by laying down on the floor of the Court a; ■large piece of matting,' bearing the device in conspicuous black letters,' “ Welcome to; Sheffield’’-—and which it would be next to impossible fOr any visitor to walk over with-; out noticing. We should also mention that the area occupied by this stand is marked off at its four corners by large ensigns, and that suspended horizontally from the centre is a banner 25 feet long,- bearing the device in white letters ona scarlet ground, “Welcome. 1779-1830,” (the -respective years of the firm’s foundation, and the opening of our International.) Beneath this device are festooned the trade mark of the company (a Globe) ’and a number of small silk ensigns (British, Colonial and American), which form a centrepiece for the boldly relieved designation of the firm—“ Globe Iron and Steel Works,! Ibbotson Brothers and Co. (Limited), Sheffield,’England’—handsomely mounted in a broad gold frame. On each side of the festoon “flags of -all nations” are tastefully displayed, the positions of honor being assigned to Germany/Russia,'America, France, Austria, and''ltaly, whilst many of' the banners are actual'Curiosities to most-people, especially those of Siam, Brazil, Mexico, - : Chili, Peru, Uruguay, and the Argentine Confede-i ; ration. The dealings of the firm extending,! as’they do, to almost every part of the habitable globe, this grouping of the “-flags of all nations ” strikes us as being a; particularly happy idea; and 1 its effect is certainly most pleasing. - ; , ' Suspended from the solid wall, which has “been specially erected at the rear, of the ex-r hibit, hang a great many articles, some of which are beautifully burnished, others machine ground; - some gilt; others _ silvered, some polished and others black, giving a very rich and handsome appearance to the upper part of the scarlet background, on which the words “Patent Bolt and Lock Nut” have been formed but of the mild steel bolts and hard steel die lock nuts which are a speciality with this Company. We next notice two long, narrow, rosewood cases, lined with indigo' velvet, one of which contains a very large set of bright stocks and dies, and the other a good assortment of bright, solid cast-steel engineers’ hammers, ratchet braces, and spanners. In a square rosewood cabinet, covered with plate-glass, are shown a, multiplicity of edge tools, numbering 148 different all bearing what is called a “razor, or “ American ” polish. Tiiese include samples of very highly-finished axes, hatchets, augers. “firmer” and “paring” chisels and gouges, draw-knives, plane-irons, trowels, mincing knives, brad-awls, turnscrews, adzes, bevils, gimlets, spokeshaves, rules, levels, &c. The ■ companion cabinet to the above contains ten fine specimens of saws, from the large machine-ground “ Globe ” circular saw to the fine hand-saw, and ten segments of saws, all of which display that uniform excellence which alone we might expect from a firm of such high standing and repute. On each side of these cabinets is a large, well-finished sectional drawing of a wroughtirou buffer, steel-cased, which is another of the Company’s specialities; and close by we notice two trophies of shovels for railway construction —black and bright. On scarletcovered terraces, at each side of the stand, are displayed several full-sized specimens of buffers of the various kinds used for locomotives, carriage and waggon stock, - &c. These are all constructed on the principle of buffing on the frame against steel springs or indiarubber cylinders placed within the case or socket, and having plungers with a solid collar, held in position by a bush' and ring, and by contraction of the steel case, which is put on hot and allowed to cool. No less i than half a million of these buffers have r.l----1 ready been made by the Company, and there lis a constantly increasing demand. It is a

noticeable fact that- these buffers were selected by Sharp, Stewart, and Co., of die Atlas Works, Manchester, for use in the construction of the locomotives with which they took the Grand Prize at the Pans Exhibition. We are informed that they have since been imitated by colonial manufacturers, at an advance of 574 P er cent ; , on original cost, as supplied' by the Ibbotson Company. The same terrace also contains springs (some of which - are bright, to show soundness), a spring-protecting cradle, two large pyramids of steel bolts, with steel dielock nuts, black and bright alternating ; and a number of silver models of central automatic coupling buffers and couplers. Some of the bearing and locomotive springs exhibited have been machined to show their soundness, and these alternate with volutes and cbnicals. from 2ft. 2in; in height; Each speciality is labelled with its own description, aUd a number of small Union Jacks are judiciously Arranged with the view of affording additional distinguishing marks. In the middle of a second, terrace, immediately below that above described, we find models of ’a pair of broad-gauge under-frames for passenger stock, and of a pair of ■ narrowgauge frames for waggons, all made to scale, one-eighth size, and on a three-chain curve. One of these models is fitted with automatic couplings with side buffers, a simple device for uncoupling from the side, and a tighten-ing-up apparatus ; whilst the other is furnished with automatic central coupling buffers, to use without side buffers, but to uncouple from the side. These are among the very latest and newest improvements introduced, and are essentially specialities of the Ibbotson Company. On each side of these models is a -large cast steel roller, machine ground and burnished; some_ wellfinished pinions and spur wheels, screw jacks, jinicrows, rail drills, and machine tools; bright bolts and nuts, sheep shears, axes and hatchets, adzes, mattocks, picks, and other heavy edge tools,'all of solid cast steel, with the usual English finish;' Tn front of this terrace is kept suspended a long length of Bessemer steel rail,' twisted cold for about half its length, to show its extra quality, and on another terrace below are placed a. large steel anvil, and a fullsized pair of Mr. Alfred Ibbotson’s patent automatic couplers to use with side buffers; tiers of ; ' antifriction metal several kinds of steel: dredging pins and bushes; screw couplmjgsj bottle jacks, masons’ lewislies, steel',spanners, and some specimens of Mr. Alfred'.lbbbts'oh’s patent steel sheath joints. This terrace terminates at each end with a large pyramid of Ibbotson’s cast steel files, in original packages, labelled in almost innumerable languages. The centre of the stand floor is occupied by a full-sized waggon frame, showing a spring-protecting cradle with stop cylinders, and a pair of automatic central buffers with wedge locking pin, all of full size, and made from patterns of Ibbotson and Talbot’s patent. On each side of the waggon frame is a different form of Mr. Alfred Ibbotson’s patent automatic central buffers, one pattern being with fixed couplinglinks,' which allow for extraordinary differ.ences in Height, while the other allows for a ’ curve of one chain radius. Both are fitted With locking pins' hung'in sockets, and are capable of being uncoupled from the side without requiring a man to go in between the vehicles. , :

On the main floor, specimens of permanent way have been laid down on full-size sleepers, with Mr. Alfred Ibbotson’s patent steel sheath joint, and Ibbotson and Talbot’s mild steel bolt and hard steel die-lock nut, which cannot shake loose by vibration. At the entrance to the stand, on each side of the passage, we find a pair of beautifully-finished wrought iron railway wheels, with steel axles and tyres, extra. machined to show their soundness. One of these pairs of wheels stands' on a length of rail fastened with Ibbotson’s patent steel sheath joint, whilst the other pair stands on the Company’s steel sleepers. • 1 ; • TWO large steel forgings, a piston rod, and a crank axle, also find a place on'the main floor, besides a quantity of plate-layers’ tools, sorevvjacks, navvy shovels, sledge hammers, steel bolts and die-lock nuts, Arranged in various shapes, and forming cabalistic figures, to attract'the eye. Between the flag poles that mark off the space alloted to this exhibit, two large U-shaped counters are fixed, and on one of them a length of rail has been laid on- sleepers, fastened with the patent sheath joint and steel bolts and lock nuts above- described,' and flanked' with several tons of bar steel. The latter is all stamped with the purpose for which the temper of each bar is suitable, and the same information has also, been distinctly labelled thereon. The second counter contains a length of ’tram-rail and a multiplicity of catalogues, price lists, plans, tracings, drawings, comparative statements, estimates, &c.

The principal of these catalogues is unusually large, measuring 15 inches in length, by 12 inches in width, and 3 inches ifl thickness. It is veiy elegantly bound in red morocco (*gilt edged and lettered), and has evidently been got up with a total disregard of expense. | A photo-lithographed edition of this catalogue, about a quarter the size of the original, has also been prepared, and this is bound in Russian leather.

To the front of the stand, judiciously fixed at an angle of 45 degrees, so as not to obstruct the general view of the exhibit, is a large rosewood cabinet containing over a hundred kinds of rare files, and surmounted by a smaller case containing valve and cylinder files. These are all labelled with their technical or generic names, and exhibit all the standard Sheffield cuts. At the opnosite end of the stand is placed another polished cabinet, in which IS4 distinct specimens of steel are shown—all differently carbonized. These specimens have been most skilfully arranged, so as to form the radii of a circle, the white grain of eachdar showing very handsomely against the indigo velvet with which the case is lined, and the centre being e formed by a piece of octagon steel, 9 inches in diameter, so highly burnished as to present the appearance of a Venetian mirror. In the same case wo also find some excellent specimens of welding, besides bar-ends, ingot metal, several samples of soft centre steel, and a few others made hard at special points. The uniform excellence of the Company’s varied manufactures is highly attested by the numerous eulogistic opinions recorded.in the “Visitors’ Book” by our leading engineers and other practical authorities who have inspected the exhibits. —Exhibition Daily Programme.