Cotton Mill 'Sun & Planet' Engine for Hulme, Manchester Plan of
the engine taken above the cylinder and boiler tops, February
1798. This was a typical 'sun & planet' engine for a cotton
mill. It was ordered by John Pooley and his partners for their
cotton mill in Hulme, South Manchester in 1798. The engine was
of 24 horses power, with a 25¼ inch cylinder, 6 foot stroke, and
the parallel motion linking the piston rod to the beam. In 1803
to 1804 the power of the engine was increased to 30 horses, and
it was set to powering fire extinguishing apparatus made by
Boulton & Watt as well as the cotton spinning machinery. The
coloured drawings were sent to the engineer who put up the
engine, Isaac Perrins. They were later returned to Boulton &
Watt in order to avoid rival engineers getting hold of them. The
reverse drawings, made on the copying press invented by James
Watt, were kept in the Drawing Office at Soho Manufactory. This
drawing is part of the Archives of Soho, held at Birmingham City
Archives [Ref. MS3147/