Pepijn1d ago

Hi! Can we entertain each other with our fun stories about the oldest or weirdest tech we've come across?

Please boost for science or cows or something. TELL US YOUR COOL STORY!

edit: as suggested, adding the hashtag #WeirdOldTech to keep this stuff going a bit (hint: you can follow hashtags).

#technology #WeirdOldTech

Show threadAlex@rtnVFRmedia Suffolk UK1d ago

@Pepijn

When I worked on maintenance team for senior homes, we had this in one of the boiler rooms (I am short and the wire is exactly at neck height for me - so I always had to beware of it.

But there is good reason for it being present, there's a lead link at one end and a pulley and weight ; if a fire starts the lead would melt, and then the weight pulls down the lever and shuts off the gas supply to the building (to prevent gas feeding the blaze)

Show threadkravietz 🦇
@vfrmedia @Pepijn Simple, yet clever - and fail proof. I wonder why they hang it at neck height, because in case of fire the temperature would be the highest closer to ceiling. But maybe the purpose was a natural selection of careless maintenance operators ;)
Apr 13 at 5:58pmWeb
Show threadAlex@rtnVFRmedia Suffolk UK1d ago

@kravietz @Pepijn

maybe because you *have* to keep an eye on it, and it encourages maintenance staff to check that its usable (and not block the wire with any items).

The same area is shared with the 400V three phase incoming service cable (which isn't as common nowadays - instead the gas and electricity supplies are in different parts of the building)