Summary

Line shaft and pulley system, circa 1930-1960. It was taken from Adolph Bruhn & Son's Wood Turners Shop, 283 Coventry Street, South Melbourne. The business was established by Adolph Bruhn circa 1893 in Little Collins Street, Melbourne. Upon his death in 1919 it was then operated by Adolph's son Sophus Christopher Bruhn. Upon Sophus's death in 1959 his son Sophus Walter Bruhn took over the business. In 1970 Sophus reduced the scale of the business and relocated to South Melbourne. The business closed upon Sophus's death in January 1990.

Adolph Bruhn migrated to Australia from Germany in 1884, at the age of 29. He arrived in Adelaide where he lived for 10 months before moving to Victoria, where he settled, established his business, married and had five children.

Prior to the widespread use of electric motors small enough to be connected directly to each piece of machinery, line shafting was used to distribute power from a large central power source to machinery. Power to the shaft would have originally been from a steam engine and subsequently from an electric motor. Power was distributed from the shaft to the machinery by a system of belts, pulleys and gears known as millwork.

Physical Description

Line Shaft with seven pulleys and four belts. There are three points for fixing it to the roof.

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