A Dictionary of Occupational Terms Based on the Classification of Occupations used in the Census of Population, 1921.
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ORDER XXX.—STATIONARY ENGINE DRIVERS, DYNAMO AND MOTOR ATTENDANTS

950.—Stationary Engine and Crane Drivers



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aerial ropeway controller
controls aerial ropeway, used for conveying stone, ore, etc., about a mine or quarry, by moving lever connecting mechanism with steam engine; sometimes also stokes boilers and controls steam pressure valves; moves clutches connected to winding shafts to control winding operations; cf. electric conveyor driver (954).
air compressor or compression attendant, air compressor or compression man
an engine attendant q.v. in charge of power-driven air compression plant, used for power transmission, for driving machinery or working pneumatic tools; controls machinery, by regulating supply of petrol, electric current, etc.; reads compression gauge; regulates speed of running machinery to maintain pressure evenly at required level; cleans, lubricates and regulates oil feed, renews piston rings and does other minor repairs; sometimes also does other incidental work, e.g. for road drill compression plant, has charge of drills and hose; on very large plant, may be a charge hand, with several assistants or attendants working under him.
air pump attendant (sugar refining)
a pump attendant q.v. in charge of vacuum pump, used for drawing away steam from sugar boiling pans, to reduce boiling point of sugar; reads vacuum gauges and regulates speed of pumps; work sometimes done by engine attendant q.v. in charge of other machinery besides air pump.
alternator attendant
attends a number of alternators, i.e. mar chines generating an alternating current of electricity of high voltage; cf. engine attendant (electric generating room).
apparatus man, apparatus engineman ; screen engineman, screen motor man
an engine driver q.v. in charge of engine which works machinery used to raise coal from one level to another for screening purposes.
assistant blast engineman, assistant driver (iron and steel)
assists blowing engine man q.v.; feeds engine, fills lubricating cups, sees to working of oil feeds and does other similar work under direction of blowing engine man.
assistant turbine driver ; junior turbine driver, turbine driver's assistant
a learner employed in works engine room or electrical generating station, where turbines are installed, training to become a turbine driver q.v.; cleans machinery and other simple work, gradually advancing to greater responsibility; takes place of turbine driver at intervals; learns to take charge of plant connected with turbines, e.g. blowers, fans, switchboard, feeders.
auxiliary plant attendant
has control of auxiliary plant, e.g. pumps, in a power house, factory, etc.; cleans, oils and greases plant; examines working parts from time to time and does minor repairs.
ball engine man
in charge of an engine and winch used for raising a ball to be released at a certain height for the purpose of breaking up scrap iron by impact; applies power drive (electric or steam) and operates clutch lever which engages ball, raises to desired height and releases it; sometimes also stokes boiler fire, reads steam gauges and regulates head of steam.
blast engine man
see blowing engine man.
blower (stone quarries), blow engine man (coal mines)
an engine attendant q.v. in charge of engine which works ventilating plant supplying air to mines and quarries.
blower man, blower house man (gas works)
(i) an engine attendant q.v. in charge of blowing plant (usually electrical) which causes gas to be forced at any required pressure into any or all gas mains running from gas works; observes pressure meter readings and adjusts valves accordingly;
(ii) see oil gas engine room attendant.
blowing engine man, blowing engine driver, blowing engine tenter ; blast engine man
an engine driver q.v. who attends to blast engine and plant, for blowing air into blast furnaces and converters in steel works, or for driving blowers and fans.
brakesman, engine
see winder.
capstan attendant
an engine attendant q.v. operating a power-driven capstan.
coal breaker engine man ; crusher engine man
an engine attendant q.v. who drives engine used for crushing coal, at coal mine, coking plant, or gas works.
coal conveyor attendant (gas works)
attends to plant (usually electrically-driven) inside retort house, conveying coal from outside conveyors, to hoppers of gas retorts; switches on power-drive setting in motion conveyor; pulls open slide over each hopper to allow coal to fall through, pushes slide back, when hopper is full; moves friction switch in and out causing conveyor to move backwards and forwards as desired, coal falling into hoppers automatically.
coal plant attendant
(i) attends to electrical band conveyor outside retort house, where coal is dumped by derrickman q.v.; switches on or off power-drive, and greases wheels of conveyor, when necessary; attends to coal crushing drum, switching off power to stop conveyor when teeth of crusher become choked with coal;
(ii) on steam-driven plant, starts and stops conveyor by means of levers connected with steam engine; sometimes also fires, cleans and generally attends to boiler of engine; cf. coal conveyor attendant.
cold storage engineer
see engine attendant (cold storage).
compressor, compressor attendant, compressor driver, compressor man
as for air compressor attendant, but the compression may be applied to gas, etc., instead of air.
conveyor driver, conveyor attendant ; traverser driver
an engine attendant q.v. who attends to engine or motor which drives conveying plant, i.e. an endless belt, chain of buckets, for conveying minerals from quarry, fuel to furnaces, etc.
crabber
see winch attendant.
crane cleaner
cleans, oils, and greases cranes, tightening rivets, etc.
crane driver, crane man, crane engine man, crane tenter, crane hoister, crane attendant
operates overhead travelling, or other cranes for hoisting, loading, unloading, or moving material in workshops, mines, quarries, wharves, etc., or on construction work; controls levers which bring into action gears for winding and unwinding crane-cable round drum, for raising and lowering crane arm, for turning crane, and in some cases, for propelling crane along crane platform; stokes steam boiler and maintains steam pressure by aid of gauge, or controls fuel or power supply, according as the crane is driven by steam, petrol, electric, or other power; often specifically designated according to type of crane or purpose for which used, e.g. electric crane driver, hydraulic crane driver, steam crane driver, tip crane driver.
crane driver, loco.
a crane driver q.v. who operates a combination locomotive crane for shunting wagons and lifting materials.
crane man, centre
a crane driver q.v. who operates crane carrying ladle into which metal is run from Bessemer converter in steel works.
craneman, heating pit ; soaking pit craneman, winder-out
a crane driver q.v. who operates power crane for lowering steel billets or blooms into heating or "soaking" pits and raising them therefrom when they have been heated to temperature required for rolling.
craneman, pig
a crane driver q.v. who operates crane for conveying pig iron from pig bed to pig breaker or to store.
craneman, pitside
a crane driver q.v. who operates crane for all lifting work in connection with casting pits (in steel manufacture); places ladles in position to receive molten steel when converter or furnace is tapped, and moves them from mould to mould in pit as directed by pourer (183) q.v.
craneman, soaking pit
see craneman, heating pit.
crusher engine man
see coal breaker engine man.
cyclone extractor
see tar extractor.
derrickman
a crane driver q.v. operating a derrick, i.e. a crane with an arm which can be moved in any direction, often also fitted with self-acting grab, steam or electrically- driven, used for picking up coal, etc.; controls power-drive of derrick (see crane driver) and directs movement of arm by means of levers; greases and cleans derrick.
dip engine man ; dook engine man
an engine attendant q.v. who drives engine operating a cable ropeway or other apparatus for drawing mineral out of a dip road (or "dook") in a mine; cf. incline engine man.
donkey engine man, donkey engine driver, donkey man
an engine attendant q.v. in charge of a donkey engine, i.e. a small auxiliary engine, not supplying main motive power but generally fed by steam from main boilers; by moving levers, clutches, etc., connects donkey engine with capstans, hoists, aerial ropeways, etc.; sometimes also has charge of other machinery.
donkey, man, shore
a donkey engine man q.v. employed at a dock, wharf, etc.; cf. donkey man (736).
donkey pumpman ; feedsman
an engine attendant q.v. who attends small auxiliary engine which drives boiler feed pump.
dook engine man
see dip engine man.
driver (engine)
see engine attendant.
endless rope engine driver
a haulage driver q.v. who attends to engine working drums of endless rope haulage system in coal mine.
engine attendant, engine driver, engine man, engine minder, engine tender, engine tenter, power engine man, stationary engine man, stationary engine driver ; driver (engine), engineer
controls stationary engine by moving lever which switches on power-drive, by turning tap or valve which controls gas or oil supply or supply of hydraulic power or other means; watches gauges, indicating steam pressure or other power-units generated, regulates engine's speed of running; cleans and oils engine by hand, or fills lubricating cups, seeing that oil feed apparatus is working correctly; sometimes also cleans, oils, and generally attends to plant running in connection with stationary engine, e.g. fans, pumps, compressors, etc.; usually does minor repairs, e.g. fitting new piston rings or gauge glasses; sometimes capable of overhauling and doing heavy repairs; sometimes specifically designated, e.g., electric engine attendant, elevator engine man, gas engine attendant, hoist engine man, hydraulic engine man, lift engine man, rolling mill engine driver, stamping engine attendant, stamping engine driver (pulverising ores), ventilating engine man.
engine attendant (cold storage) ; cold storage engineer
(i) (electrical plant) starts machine by putting in main switch and working handle of rheostat; opens valves; reads gauges, stops and starts sections of plant to maintain even running; oils and cleans plant; controls flow of ammonia to maintain temperature in storage chamber; remedies minor irregularities or repairs minor breakdowns;
(ii) (steam plant) attends to steam engines and compressors, and directs stokers (951) q.v.; opens valves to start engine; starts condenser and vacuum pump by operating various inlets and exhaust valves; regulates compressor by adjusting ammonia valve and opening steam valve; oils, etc., as above.
engine attendant (electric generating room)
an engine attendant q.v. in charge of stationary engines or turbines generating electrical power for lighting works and driving machinery, also of switchboard controlling distribution of power; manipulates switches to equalise load between dynamos; attends to feeders supplying current to different parts of the works and other units; cleans and lubricates machinery under his charge.
engine cleaner ; engine worker
cleans, oils, and greases stationary engines.
engine driver's assistant
assists engine driver q.v. and takes charge of engine in his absence; under engine driver's direction, controls supply of fuel or feeds it to engine, scrutinises gauges, fills lubricating cups, etc., and stands by to assist driver by handing tools, etc., in case of breakdowns; is responsible for cleaning parts of stationary engine.
engineer (engine attendant)
see engine attendant ; sometimes specifically designated, e.g. hosiery engineer, steam engineer, woollen engineer.
engineer (acetylene gas plant)
controls and operates gas engine, or electric motor, used for driving compression pumps; oils, cleans, and, if necessary, docs minor repairs to compression pumps and to gas engine or electric motor used for driving pumps; regulates power to maintain even pressure in charging pipes.
engine worker
see engine cleaner.
exhauster driver, exhauster engine driver, exhauster man (gas works)
an engine attendant q.v. in charge of engine driving exhausters or gas pumps, used to draw gaseous products from retorts and through condensers, and to drive it through rest of cleaning apparatus, i.e. washers, scrubbers, purifiers and naphthalene extractor, to gas holder; starts and stops engine; reads gauges and regulates valves; oils and cleans plant.
fan engine driver, fan engineman, fan attendant, fan driver, fan man
an engine attendant q.v. in charge of engine-driven fans used for ventilation in mines, etc., for supplying forced draught to boilers or other purposes; oils and cleans engine and mechanism; sometimes also stokes boiler fires and sometimes has charge of other plant; cf. electric fan attendant (954).
feedsman
see donkey pumpman.
gantry drop man, gantry engine man, gantry lift man, gantry man, gauntry man
controls and operates engine (electric or steam) supplying motive power to gantry crane or transporter, an overhead moving framework, principally used at steel works for loading furnaces with coke, lime, metal, etc., or in shipyards, docks, railway sidings, for lifting trucks or other heavy articles; is usually an experienced crane driver q.v.
gear drawer-out (iron, steel works)
a winch attendant q.v. in charge of winch or gear for drawing out blooms from reheating furnace.
grab driver
a crane driver q.v. who operates and controls a crane (electric, steam or hydraulic) equipped with a grab for lifting coal, ore, etc.
grain elevator attendant
an engine attendant q.v. who attends to grain elevator; oils, cleans and greases it, when necessary.
haulage driver, hauling engine driver, hauling engine attendant, hauling engine conductor, hauling engine man, hauling engine tenter ; taker-up
an engine driver q.v. who attends hauling engine which draws minerals, in mines and quarries, along engine planes from workings to bottom of shaft, or by drift to surface.
hoist brakesman
a hoist driver q.v. who operates hoist at blast furnace used for conveying loaded barrows of coal, coke or iron ore from bottom to top of furnace and for bringing back empty barrows.
hoist driver, hoist man
operates a hoist used for raising and lowering luggage, merchandise; materials, or other goods, as distinguished from passengers; oils, cleans and greases hoist when necessary, but usually does not repair breakdowns; cf. hoist man (757).
hot bank craneman
a craneman q.v. who stacks finished product of iron and steel rolling mill, while still hot, on hanks or stages, using power crane.
incline engine man
in charge of engine supplying power for hauling minerals, rubbish, etc., up, or lowering them down, an incline (inclined shaft) at a mine, quarry, brickworks, etc., usually by means of an endless rope.
junior turbine driver
see assistant turbine driver.
kiln engine driver
drives, oils and attends to engine driving revolving gear of kiln in which charcoal is revivified or re-charred for further use; sometimes done by leading hand (char house) (448) q.v.
laundry engineer ; stoker-engineer (laundry)
operates and controls engine supplying power to machinery in laundry; reads pressure gauges, keeps steam pressure evenly at required level; cleans and oils machinery; changes driving belts and does other minor repairs; in smaller laundries, also acts as boiler man (951) q.v.; cf. laundry engineer (244).
loopman (aerial ropeway)
is stationed at loop or bend of an aerial ropeway and assists aerial ropeway controller q.v. by pushing, etc., carriers containing stone, ore, etc., round loop at end of aerial ropeway, if they stick.
marine leg attendant
an engine attendant q.v. who drives engine operating suction pump and auxiliary machinery working suction pipe or grain elevator, i.e. marine leg for unloading grain from a vessel.
mill engine man
(i) an engine man q.v. in charge of power engine of a mill;
(ii) drives and attends to engine which supplies motive power to "cogging" mills, "finishing" mills, or other machinery of iron and steel rolling mills.
navvy driver, steam navvy driver ; steam excavator driver
an engine man q.v. working a "steam navvy," "steam digger" or "steam shovel," which digs out clay, sand, gravel, chalk, etc., and loads it into wagons.
oil gas engine room attendant ; blower man, blower house man (gas works)
an engine attendant q.v. in charge of turbines driving fans which blow air into furnaces used in the manufacture of water gas or oil gas; sometimes also attends to subsidiary plant, e.g. pumps; cf. pump attendant; starts, stops, cleans, regulates and oils plant; sometimes also does minor repairs.
pump attendant, pump driver, pumper, pump house attendant, pump man, pumpsman, pump minder, pump tenter, pump engine man, pumping engine driver, pumping engine man
an engine driver q.v. in charge of power-driven pump; controls power drive (petrol, electric or driving belt) and renews piston rings and does other minor repairs; examines reading of vacuum gauge, regulating speed of pump to maintain vacuum at required depth; sometimes further designated, e.g. electric pump attendant, electric pump man, sewage pump attendant, vacuum pump driver.
pump driver (vacuum cleaning)
a pump attendant q.v. who stands by electrically-, petrol- or steam-driven vacuum pump used in vacuum cleaning; sets in motion or stops action by means of a lever; watches pressure gauge to maintain correct pressure to ensure vacuum.
screen engine man, screen motor man
see apparatus man.
skip engineman
an engine attendant q.v. in charge of power-driven machinery used for propelling skips containing pig iron, scrap or other materials to and from furnaces in iron and steel works.
slag ladle engine man, slag loco, driver, slag loco, man
an engine man q.v. in charge of engine which supplies power for moving ladle containing slag (in iron or steel works).
steam excavator driver
see navvy driver.
stoker-engineer (laundry)
see laundry engineer.
taker-up
see haulage driver.
tar extractor, tar spray pumper (gas works) ; cyclone extractor
an exhauster driver q.v. operating and controlling a pump for driving gases generated in coke ovens through iron pipes to cooling and condensing chambers, where first stage in process results in condensation of tar.
traverser driver
see conveyor driver.
turbine driver, turbine engine man
opens steam or water valves to start turbines, adjusting steam, water and oil regulators until turbines work smoothly; watches vacuum and water pressure gauges and other automatic devices; sees that bearings are not overheated; sometimes does minor repairs, etc.; sometimes also attends to plant, e.g. blowers, fans, switchboard and feeders running in connection with turbines; cf. blowing engine man, fan engine driver and engine attendant (electric generating room).
turbine driver's assistant
see assistant turbine driver.
tuyere man, tuyere pump attendant
a pump attendant q.v. who starts, stops, cleans, greases, and generally supervises pumps which force cold water rapidly and continuously through water jackets of tuyeres in a blast furnace and drive hot water into condensers, cooling towers, and spraying tanks, and so maintain circulation of water through system.
washer engine man
an engine attendant q.v. in charge of engine used to drive machines for washing coal; controls engine by levers; oils and cleans it; clears coal jams and does other incidental work in connection with plant.
water wheel driver, water wheel attendant
opens and closes, by means of governor, inlet valve which controls flow of water through wheel; or opens and closes sluices by means of wheel or lever; cleans and greases gear and shafting of water wheel; often also operates and controls plant, e.g. circular saw, driven from water wheel.
winch attendant, winch driver, wincer, winchman (steam), wincher ; crabber
an engine man q.v. who operates and controls engines driving power winches or derricks used for hauling or lifting heavy weights in mines, steel works, shipyards, docks, factories, etc.; cf. wincer, winchman (399), winchman (736).
winder, engine winder, winding engine driver, winding engine attendant, winding engine man, winding brakesman ; engine brakesman
an engine driver q.v. in charge of winding engine at surface of mine or quarry, used for raising or lowering workmen, minerals, timber, etc.; when "all clear" is given, pulls lever, causing cage to move up or down; watches gauge showing position of cage, and regulates speed of ascent or descent; applies brake gradually, preventing excessive strain on winding cable as cage stops; is responsible for safety of workers in cage during winding.
winder-out
see craneman, heating pit.

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From: A Dictionary of Occupational Terms Based on the Classification of Occupations used in the Census of Population, 1921,
Ministry of Labour, 1927. Digitised by Peter Christian, August, 2016.   This text is in the Public Domain.