Some kind of stove door ?

[tamrock]

I found this by an old RR grade that served a coal mine that shut down in the 1930s. It's some kind of hatch made of cast iron. I can make out FRANKLIN No. 3 on the front plus PAT'D (can't read month & date) and maybe the year 1897 and it looks like it has some dimensions on the reverse side. I see there are old stoves made by company named Franklin, but I'm not finding any that look like they had a door like this. It measure around 8" x 9". Could it be part of an old locomotive or a stove from the caboose. Hope someone knows this one. I've lived 26 years now by this site and have found bits and pieces of old iron over the years and one good old castor oil bottle and a porcelain bottle cap for a Manitou Springs table water bottle. Thanks!

 

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[1shotwade]

It reminds me of the door off and old Franklin "parlor stove" They were small one room type wood/coal stoves and as of 20 years ago or so they still made them.Just a guess so don't get excited!

Wade

 

[shawninNY]

Not off regular franklin heater wood or coal ,your door opens up , they don't have such a heavy hinge as yours , yours may be off a wood/coal cooking range top load door! Shawn

 

[bigfoot1]

rather reminds me of an outside ash cleanout door.as the franklin #3 was a fireplace of sorts more than a common stove...it may have been an option.(a guess)

cheers

 

[unclemac]

chimney door?

 

[tamrock]

chimney door?

Sure a brick chimney clean out door. I think I could picture that in my mind. It may have had a brick in jam that went with it. I believe I've seen something like it in old picture of an assayers furnace. Could be a heavy duty brick built blacksmith furnace clean out door also. I just can't say.

 

[QUICKSILVER (appletree)]

i would say a coal burning house furnace, possibly the clean out door

 

[Bramblefind]

It might be worth investigating if it is railroad locomotive related. I haven't been able to locate a match but Franklin Railway Supply company did manufacture a number of parts. They were most well known for their pneumatic fire door. I think the "butterfly" door was used the most. I did find this photo with a more square looking door combo.... Or it could be another part.

I don't know if this is the right area to be searching - just wanted to throw it out there given the activity at the site where you found it.

The science of railways - Marshall Monroe Kirkman - Google Books

 

[tamrock]

Indeed, It is heavy duty looking. What about a steam tractor or stationary boiler ? Be nice if I could find an old Franklin catalog.

 

[QUICKSILVER (appletree)]

to me it seems a bit small for a feeding door, either logs or coal? still seems to be a fire box clean out, clean out shovels usually were smaller than feed shovels! look at the back of the door, it covers an opening about 6 inches by 6 inches!

 

[shawninNY]

Indeed, It is heavy duty looking. What about a steam tractor or stationary boiler ? Be nice if I could find an old Franklin catalog.

I agree not a typical door especially that it opens up, I like both suggestions ,( unless this was a smaller view door , inside a much larger door ) that would make sense for the hinge configuration!

 

[tamrock]

It never really occurred to me this swing up hinge position would be all that odd. Thanks for your opinions guys. I can walk to this old coal mine site from the house and I've been going out there for years now. The mine-site was known as Mitchell and from what I've read in local reference and it ran from around the 1890's to the 1930's. In the 1980's it was part of the supper-fund projects and from what I can tell and they just bulldozed the grounds and dumped most of what was on the surface down the mine-shaft and covered the hole. Still there are some old relics here and there around the site to pickup and ponder over. This fall when the grass is all dead I'll go out and photo some of whats left of this old mine-site and more of the relics I've found. The old hoist head-frame foundation made of Lyons Colorado red-stone blocks is still there and I've cashed in around $90 bucks in old copper phone wire over the time as the wire insulation breaks off like peanut brittle. The bottles that had been dumped have all been crushed and busted. Still I found only one complete. Be safe & you all have a good 4th!

 

[gazmuth]

Railroad.... The old railcars had "grease buckets" on the wheels. When they would go dry, the wheels would send sparks shooting and set the grass along the railroad on fire. To me it looks like one of the grease bin doors off a set of wheels, this was before they put bearings on the wheels, and they used bushings, thus had to keep grease to keep the axle from wallowing out the bushing. Just my $.02 worth.

 

[bigfoot1]

I now suspect it is boiler related and made by franklin iron works of troy ny.they were boiler makers who actually made general grants coffin.......the question is do small and large boilers ever use a top hinge design...yes.........the challenge is to find that particular door...an avenue for research anyways

cheers

 

[tamrock]

Railroad.... The old railcars had "grease buckets" on the wheels. When they would go dry, the wheels would send sparks shooting and set the grass along the railroad on fire. To me it looks like one of the grease bin doors off a set of wheels, this was before they put bearings on the wheels, and they used bushings, thus had to keep grease to keep the axle from wallowing out the bushing. Just my $.02 worth.

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Boy! that does look a good candidate of this thing and if it can be found out that Franklin did offer such a product that would be more evidence on your idea. On the back are some dimensions of this cast iron door. I need to clean it more to see what it says.

 

[shawninNY]

That has the super heavy barrel hinge , not seen on the other applications

 

[tamrock]

Wow! Bigfoot, I lived as a youth (1960's) in Kewanee, IIL. The Kewanee boiler plant was a major employer in those days. We took a tour in school there once. It was a big plant. The other major factory in town was the Hyster Forklift plant. One of the ways I can think this door could be positioned is on a top like a wood/coal cook range where it would be lifted up as a lid I'm thinking .