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Original Text (Annotation: EPW019255 / 2031885)
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Assembly Sheds.
The factory has 14 assembly sheds which are set out in two groups. The first group consists of 8 sheds that are separated by a 51.8-metre break from the remaining 6. The spacing between individual sheds is 8.5-metres. The approximate dimensions of each assembly shed are 39.3m x 11.0m, height 4.88m. Each shed has a concrete floor with walls of brick construction. The roof is of the Belfast truss type which has a continuous glazed top monitor with ventilation louvres along its side. The side walls have 20 doors, 10 per side. Between the doors are windows. The end walls of the shed have twin material handling doors with a total useable width of 3.05m, shells enter and exit the assembly shed through these. It is likely that each assembly shed had 10 head filling work units or stations. The arrangement of these units are uncertain, to carry out the operation of head filling a bench of some description is required. Alternatively, a free running roller conveyor system which gives shells adequate support during the filling operation would be acceptable. Shells were brought into the assembly shed by trolly and delivered to the various filling units/stations. At the filling unit, the head filling operation began with the weighing of the fumyl bursting charge. The next step was the insertion of the fumyl bursting charge into the charge pocket, an undertaking achieved by pouring the fumyl charge through the nose of the shell. This operation was known as stemming. The fumyl charge now required some form of compression, normally done by tamping the charge down using a wooden stemming drift and mallet. However, this method was time-consuming, a trial using a press was conducted at Woolwich this proved encouraging, and this method of production may have found favour at Chittening. '