Vintage work crew photos

**Toolmaker51** · Sep 1, 2019, 06:15 AM

Different setting photographically, indoors among other issues, but I'm still impressed regarding striking quality, the detail of boilermakers photo in #954.

First thing I noticed here, why on earth the trucks for moving bags are built so low [or at least higher handle] allowing a man to work upright? The dispensing chutes must have been designed/ built first, trucks and tracks a mere afterthought.

**12bolts** · Sep 1, 2019, 02:38 PM

What looks to be a bag stitching machine, (far left) is set fairly low. Perhaps to fit under that?

**Frank S** · Sep 1, 2019, 03:10 PM

Probably has little to do with anything we think.
by building the trolleys as low as possible the CG of the sacks are lower for transporting.
also having them so low that the bags have to drop from the fill chute this utilizes gravity to settle the grain or product inside insuring there would be enough head space to lace up the sacks.
the old bulk feed store in a town near to where I grew up would fill the gunny sacks then a guy would lift them and bounce them hard against the floor before sewing them up. Other wise if he didn't there would not be enough head space in the 100 lb sacks of grain to sew them.
The peanut thrashing machine we used to use from the coop had a sacking feature on it the plate the sacks rested on while being filled had a rotating cam under it to cause the plate to slap the bottom of the sacks this knocked dust out of them as well as settling the peanuts. The newer thrasher the peanut dryer coop provided just used a chute to blow them in bulk to a container then we would shovel a few sacks full to keep. Pretty sure we made less money selling bulk than by the sack but a lot less work.

**Jon** · Sep 1, 2019, 09:05 PM

Aluminum (or "aluminium", I am happy to concede, since this is a UK photo) casting furnace work crew. 1937.

Fullsize image: https://diqn32j8nouaz.cloudfront.net...w_fullsize.jpg

**Toolmaker51** · Sep 1, 2019, 10:14 PM

re fertilizer bags. Closing them hadn't occurred to me until mentioned by 12bolts and Frank S. That case is likely. The frame has semicircular hoops to hold them upright and open, product fill bottom well enough, and top folds over for stitching. The frames open to remove the bag without lifting so high.
But ergonomics wasn't a thing yet, especially in factories.