Windmills, Picturesque and Historic: The Motors of the Past — John Stuart Mill — John Shaqi
Windmills, Picturesque and Historic: The Motors of the Past
John Stuart Mill · en
The first arrangement was that of a long beam or pole projecting from
the rear of the old-time post mill, used precisely like a rudder. When
the direction of the wind changed this would be pushed from one side to
the other, to steer the post mill structure, pivoted on the post, again
into the wind. And in the succeeding tower mills, where only the top or
head would be turned, the tail beam principle was continued--as best
developed in Holland, where a somewhat elaborately braced and
several-membered framework was carried down to a point where it could be
reached and moved as the wind shifted. But in Holland the mills became
of large size and the weight to be moved was great, so that the old
Dutch miller would blow a whistle to summon his hands for help. In later
years they made use of a further rig of chains and tackle and a wheel
like a pilot’s, which enabled the snubbing around of the vanes and cap
to be done far more easily than by pushing by hand alone. This old tail
beam is, however, characteristic of the old-time small mill, and many
are the tracks, well worn and circular, around the mill that betoken
the years of labor of the miller, even if eased by an old cartwheel to
carry the end of the beam, as instanced in the well-known old mill at
Nantucket and elsewhere.
[Illustration: Usual tail beam on post mills and hybrid mills.
Tail beam. France, tower mill.
Tiller on Holland mill.
Chain-wheel on tower mill.
Cubit’s automatic tail wheel, England.
Turntable mill, rollers and snubbing posts.
WINDMILL TAIL BEAMS OR TURNING GEAR.
For keeping mill-head on the wind.]
Probably the next device for turning to the wind was the use of a chain
pull, connected to overhead gear wheels and a cogged track; for not
only is this found in some early mills of Holland, and in the mills at
Newport, R. I., but also in the rare old Peyto mill at Leamington,
England, of 1632, of which I shall speak further. These chain pulls were
either inside or out; the former being more protected from the weather.
[Illustration: Thatched tower pumping mill. Holland.]