Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1879-04-25
Wind as q Motive Power


In most localities in this section OF
Maine there is no lack Of this kind OF
power throughout large part of the
year when such power is needed, az for
threshing grain, saving wood, pumping
water, and running machinery for vari.
GUS mechanical purposes, as making
butter-tubs, cheese-boxes, rakes, and
the repairing of carriages and nipple
ments. TO those not accustomed to see.
ing machinery run by wind, it would
be matter of surprise to see how much
power may be obtained even from light
wind.
While journeying from Ardover.
lately. and passing through Rumford,
on the east side of Ellis River, 1 called
ct the house of Turner Silver, one of
those geniuses we sometimes meet who
is perfectly at home in the manipula.
ton OF the soil to the raising of good
crops of corn, good stock, and when
winter lays its embargo on outdoor en-
pigments, as readily turns his hand to
mechanical ways, and the shop finds
him equally at home in the use OF tools.
And what is quite curiosity, and withal
amazingly handy, is his manner of har.
Messing the wind and thus utilizing q
power by no means scarce in his locality
from September to May.
Mr.. Silver's buildings are connected
by cosy shed extending from house to
barn. The width of the shed may be
sixteen feet. In the upper story on the
end adjoining the barn he has divided
off space of twelve feet, provided with
doors front and rear, thus allowing the
wind to pass through. In this space
the wind-wheel, twelve feet in diane
ter, is placed. The spaces in the cor
ners are tightly boarded up, 80 as to
conduct all the wind through the wheel,
which is constructed on somewhat the
principle of turbine water-wheel.
Four arms pass through the centre shaft,
the ends OF which support rim around
the circumference. The floats or sails
are placed at an angle, of course, and
are slightly curved. thus adding to the
power in retaining the force of the wind.
Half-inch boards are used for these
floats. A beveled gear communicates
the power to machinery in an adjoining
apartment where small planer and
joiner are run for the manufacture of
butter-tubs also, circular and jig saws,
a boring-machine, and then by betting
to the ground roof circular and drag
saw are set in motion for working up the
winters fuel. How about the power ?
Is twelve-foot wheel sufficient to do
much business? Mr.. Silver assured
US, when we rather specifically put the
same question, that with the wind at
medium pitch itrequired two and some
times three men to handle wood while
running a circular saw. How about
wind as constant power? Of course,
for mechanical works that need machin-
cry in motion more or less every day,
there are times when there would be a
lack, but for purposes we have men
toned and many others, the work might
be SO planned and laid out that but lit
tie inconvenience would be experienced
from the intermittent motion of the
power. For pumping from a well for
stock, Windmill might be so adjusted
as to be self-regulatiDg and work with
the wind blowing from every point ;
then by adjusting waste pipe to con-
duct the overflow of water to the we'll
again, considerable laborious work
might be saved in the course of the
time which stock is usually kept at the
barn.
Last winter we saw q man saving
wood in the forest with horsepower,
using one of Gray's powers and drag
saw attached. We gazed and wondered
while he ran off eight cuts from vel
low birch tree two feet in diameter, in
twelve minutes. Where is the man that
can swing an ak aud accomplish feat
like that? It is simply impossible.
Just harness the wind that costs no hay
and oats to repair the waste, but comes
to your domicile "just as free as air,
no costly machinery with which to gen
crate steam and be at equal cost to har-
ness it to the work, but Just construct O
wind-wheel twelve to twenty feet in di-
ameter, with eight sails Of two and a.
half yards canvas each, adjusted so as
to remove any or all of the sails at
pleasure, with o full canvas, and an
ordinary nor'-wester would supply at
least four-horse-power. With this at
tached to framework so made as to be
moved from place to place, with ar
rangements similar to those for horse
power, a circular saw attached, the
years supply of wood could be fitted
up at a great economy of elbow grease,
and then the threshing done, etc., etc. ;
then the machine could be taken to
pieces and packed away for future SER
vice.-Correspondent Of the Le,Siston
(Me. Journal.