Olds Elevator wins overseas support

 "Simple but clever" is how British Engineer, writer and company owner Lyn Bates has described the Olds-designed screw elevator.
 Earlier this month Mr Bates was the keynote speaker in Wollongong for an international bulk handling conference.
 Describing himself as a "hands on engineer with a working life in the design of solids handling equipment", Mr Bates is the managing director of international firm Ajax Equipment Ltd.
 His presentation at the conference was titled 'A revolutionary, non-revolutionary screw elevator', and based around the Olds Elevator which Mr Bates genuinely believes will revolutionise the handling of bulk solids.
 "The bulk handling of product has been in human existence for a very long time," Mr Bates said this week while visiting the Olds workshop.
 "It's a mature industry, but Peter Olds has come up with new technology for overcoming old hurdles."
 What Peter has also done is significant in the development of any industry; he invented, designed and developed a machine that was needed for his own workshop but has since shown it can be adapted for other purposes."
 Mr Bates said that when he first heard about the Olds Elevator he was sceptical and foresaw a number of technical difficulties.
 "But the more I went into it, the more solutions I found to other problems. Quite simply, it will perform the duty tat other screw elevators won't.
 "It's more predictable, more reliable, more product friendly, more product tolerant and much less maintenance-prone than conventional elevators."
 Significantly, the elevator could work at any height, unlike conventional screws that whirl and clatter if over-extended.
 Mr Bates also said that because the drive could be located at any position on the casting, it was a lot easier to mount, wire or access.
 He sees the Olds Elevator as having great potential because over 50% of all human consumables are handled in bulk.
 He said he plans to help licence the elevator in the UK and assist with any licences that relate to Europe.
 While he was once sceptical, he now admires the product and its inventor because Peter Olds showed the mark of a genius "by inverting the traditional mechanism".

Frederick Barre, international sales manager from Sodimate France, inspects the Olds Elevator. Peter also heard news during the week that a Mexican firm, Rice Propellers, was using his invention successfully in their foundry.