The Beardmore Crane had two opposite cantilevered jibs, both equipped with moving winches, for a total length of Шаблон:Convert.[1] From the jib to the ground extended a tapering lattice, which was enclosed by a lattice tower. The jib was slewed by a mechanism on the ground, and bearings at the top of the tower and where the extension met the ground allowed it to turn.[1][2] The winch on each arm was powered by two Шаблон:Convert electric motors for hoisting and two Шаблон:Convert motors for slewing, and a Шаблон:Convert motor for slewing.[1] The tower took eight minutes to make a full revolution.[1]
Railway tracks running beneath the crane allowed material to be moved from the workshops.[3]
It was used for fitting out ships, installing very heavy items such as boilers, armour and guns.[1] The basin it served was the largest in the world at the time of its completion.[4]
History
The crane was built by Benrather Maschinenfabrik near Düsseldorf, now Demag, and is similar to a crane built for Vickers in Barrow-in-Furness.[5] The two cranes were the first modern high capacity cranes in Britain.[5] Other shipbuilders installed massive cranes soon after, such as the Titan Clydebank in 1907, although these were typically British-built and of a different design.[6]
The crane was erected in 1903 at a cost of £3,352 by German firm Kohncke.[5] The yard was short-lived, lasting from 1899-1930, but saw significant use during the First World War when it built a number of ships for the Royal Navy.[7]
