Technology
The advent of the Industrial Revolution triggered a high increase in import and export in Victorian Britain, which caused the early 19th century growth of the London Docklands.
First muscle power via treadmills and then steel provided the power to do everything from opening the lock gates to loading and unloading the warehouses flanking both sides of the Thames.
However, fire was such a great risk that insurance companies insisted on an alternative to steam. This problem was solved largely by the hydraulic inventions of Lord Armstrong of Newcastle, amongst which was the "jigger" preserved on the picture above. This one was built in 1890. Hydraulic power was the lifeblood of the docklands.
First muscle power via treadmills and then steel provided the power to do everything from opening the lock gates to loading and unloading the warehouses flanking both sides of the Thames.
However, fire was such a great risk that insurance companies insisted on an alternative to steam. This problem was solved largely by the hydraulic inventions of Lord Armstrong of Newcastle, amongst which was the "jigger" preserved on the picture above. This one was built in 1890. Hydraulic power was the lifeblood of the docklands.
Loading and Unloading
Widely distributed and easily controllable high-pressure water was fed into the large cylinder of the "jigger". This pushed the piston up, forcing the sheaves apart such that 10cm of silent piston movement gave 80cm of chain movement over the wall crane to unload lighters or barges in the river below. It is so to say a block and tackle in reverse where a large force over a short distance is multiplied to become a lesser force (still several tons of lift) over a longer distance.
For loading boats out of the warehouse, water was exhausted from the cylinder, so that the weight of the piston and load descended by gravity.
Two small "jiggers" control "slew", the horizontal semi-rotation of the crane for reaching different cargo positions and swinging the loads into the warehouse doors on each floor served by the same crane. The "jigger" and crane could be operated from any floor via a "reach rod" running up through the building.
Widely distributed and easily controllable high-pressure water was fed into the large cylinder of the "jigger". This pushed the piston up, forcing the sheaves apart such that 10cm of silent piston movement gave 80cm of chain movement over the wall crane to unload lighters or barges in the river below. It is so to say a block and tackle in reverse where a large force over a short distance is multiplied to become a lesser force (still several tons of lift) over a longer distance.
For loading boats out of the warehouse, water was exhausted from the cylinder, so that the weight of the piston and load descended by gravity.
Two small "jiggers" control "slew", the horizontal semi-rotation of the crane for reaching different cargo positions and swinging the loads into the warehouse doors on each floor served by the same crane. The "jigger" and crane could be operated from any floor via a "reach rod" running up through the building.
Locks
Many of the docks made use of locks, which separated the dock waters from the Thames. Thus the ships were less dependent on the tides (which vary the water level of the Thames by up to 9m) and the traffic of ships became more fluent, since the lock prevented the docks from being overcrowded.
The ships navigated from the Thames through a lock into a bassin and from there into the dock itself or vice versa. In the bassin, it was possible to adjust the water level by pumping water in or letting water out by opening a drain. The lock gates were operated by muscle power and later on as well with hydraulic machinery, while the water pumps often made use of steam.
Many of the docks made use of locks, which separated the dock waters from the Thames. Thus the ships were less dependent on the tides (which vary the water level of the Thames by up to 9m) and the traffic of ships became more fluent, since the lock prevented the docks from being overcrowded.
The ships navigated from the Thames through a lock into a bassin and from there into the dock itself or vice versa. In the bassin, it was possible to adjust the water level by pumping water in or letting water out by opening a drain. The lock gates were operated by muscle power and later on as well with hydraulic machinery, while the water pumps often made use of steam.
Ships
Up to the beginning of the 19th century the ships used for trade were driven by wind power, but with the industrial revolution steam took over. The biggest sailing ship reached a maximum size of over 1500 tons, but the steamship "Great Western" from 1838 reached over 2300 tons. This made more docks necessary and required the already existing docks to be extended or rebuilt.
The Royal Albert Dock, openened in 1880, was capable to hold ships up to 12000 tons.
Up to the beginning of the 19th century the ships used for trade were driven by wind power, but with the industrial revolution steam took over. The biggest sailing ship reached a maximum size of over 1500 tons, but the steamship "Great Western" from 1838 reached over 2300 tons. This made more docks necessary and required the already existing docks to be extended or rebuilt.
The Royal Albert Dock, openened in 1880, was capable to hold ships up to 12000 tons.
Containers
The invention of shipping containers in 1956 for the purpose of cargo shipping rang in hard times for the docks and dockers. They rendered the warehouses redundant, since they could be transfered easily to trucks. And since the docks weren't big enough and did not provide the facilities to handle the big containers, the cargo traffic was redirected to coastal deep-water ports. The new technology meant the end of London's docks.
The invention of shipping containers in 1956 for the purpose of cargo shipping rang in hard times for the docks and dockers. They rendered the warehouses redundant, since they could be transfered easily to trucks. And since the docks weren't big enough and did not provide the facilities to handle the big containers, the cargo traffic was redirected to coastal deep-water ports. The new technology meant the end of London's docks.