Not a tractor, but definitely an antique

Bob Bancroft · Jan 23, 2014

The windmill that pumped water at the home place was gone before my time.(Probably scrapped for WWII- elec. came through 1938-39)
What did they do with it for the vast majority of time when it wasn't needed? Was there a brake on it to stop it? Doesn't seem like you would want to let it run. If you unbelted the pump, couldn't the windmill over speed and wear it self out, or worse, fly apart?
Was it common to have to climb up it in winter to free it up from snow/ice?

Royse · Jan 23, 2014

Different ones had different ways of stopping them, or at least
keeping them from over speeding.
Some folded flat with the tail for example, others had vanes that
were turned so they wouldn't spin, or at least not fast.

Anonymous-0 · Jan 23, 2014

Most windmills had a release clamp to disconnect the pump from the windmill lift rod. All windmills in our area had a type of governing system that would turn the tail and apply the brake when the wind blew hard.I still don't know how that works ,even had mine down and rebuilt a few parts a few years ago.

notjustair · Jan 23, 2014

Ours had a leaver that you pulled down to put on the brake. It was just like an old trip loader. I don't recall what happened when it was really windy. It was astern Kansas, sothere must have been some sort of mechanism.

We put the brakes on for the winter. In the fall we brought all of the cattle home to calve (in February) and shut down the two pastures. There wasn't a windmill at the home place. In the spring we had to take a pitcher of water and pour it down the jack to wet the leathers. Always amazed me how the big goldfish in the tanks froze solid all winter and were swimming again come spring.

cobroller · Jan 23, 2014

The Aermotor windmill on our home place is like that. We have had the vane turned for 50 years or so. The mill still turns slowly in the wind. It had a pin in the suckerrod that you pulled to disconnect it from the pump. We haven't used it to pump water since the early 50s.

pburg · Jan 23, 2014

The Aermotor brand windmill was the most common in our area. When the windmill was to be stopped, the control handle at ground level was pulled downward. This folded the wheel to almost parallel with the tail, as well as apply a brake to the wheel. This way there was no wear to any of the working parts.

jeffcat · Jan 23, 2014

When I was a kid one of the neighbors still had a wind mill for their house water. Circa 1958 or so. One day Betty told her husband that the water was kind of funny tasting. Allen climbed up and found a DEAD barn owl floatin around in the tank!!!! EEEWWWWWWW. Owl soup YUMMMMY. Betty got a nice new well a couple of weeks later!
Yup you turn the tail up against the fan. They point away from the wind.

VaTom · Jan 23, 2014

Antique? Oh, yeah, Aermotor told me the one I brought home from New Jersey was an obsolete model in 1937. The motor is in good shape, need a well for it- when it warms up. Aermotor still has parts.

We got a lot of attention driving down the interstate with that old machine and 40 foot tower. Seems there is something about old windmills that folks find attractive.

Its new life will supply water for a fish pond on top of my mountain. The wood tank was pretty far gone. Aermotor told me it would probably last me 100 years, well maybe not me.

TVB · Jan 23, 2014

I bought an aermotor windmill a about 7 yrs ago and put it up by my pond the pump circulates the water in my pond. The brake, governor and lube system is a very simple design and works very well. In fact after doing some research on aermotor windmills the design hasn't changed in close to a hundred years and they are still made in Texas and also in brazil under a different name, although they are identical mills. I climb mine once a year (38')to fill the oil bowl and check out the view!

John A. · Jan 23, 2014

Bob, On an Aermotor windmill There is a Brake band Oh so very similar to the design of an Farmall M or H! It clamps down on a small part of the Hub to stop the mill from turning.
The Governor is the tension generated from a out stretched spring. In wind up to a given mph the tail sticks straight out the rear, after that mph had been reached the mill will automatically try to "Fold up" and apply the brake and stop the mill,... to stop it from over speeding and Grenade the Mill!
DEPENDING on the storage tank size, Water useage/day a mill may almost never get shut down! Except during storms, sever low temps, Ice storms and the like!!
I do not know about up north,Here in south Central Texas,... My mill is just almost never shut down. I have never had to try to get ice off it!
Hope this helps!
Later,
John A.
Untitled URL Link

Case Nutty 1660 · Jan 24, 2014

we had several of them thru the years, I wonder if this scale model I have was a demo model for sales? I also have a NOS brake fro them in the shop as well as a couple other parts
cnt

Alan K · Jan 24, 2014

That is neat.

Not a tractor, but definitely an antique

Bob Bancroft

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Royse

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Anonymous-0

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notjustair

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cobroller

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pburg

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jeffcat

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VaTom

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TVB

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John A.

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Case Nutty 1660

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Alan K

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