The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1897-06-26
WEATHER WAVES.
Some With Ball Bearings Nowadays, but
Most of Them Made In the Old Way.


There T made nowadays some
weather vanes with ball bearings,
but they are comparatively few in
number. The very great majority
of vanes are made with the simple
spindle and socket. The spindle,
upon which the vane turns, is set
in supporting rod of wrought iron.
The spindle is of hardened steel. 1t
is slenderer than the rod, so that
there is a shoulder all around the
base of it. The tip of the spindle is
rounded and polished. The socket
or tube, which is part of the vane,
is also of steel. The upper, closed
end of this socket is rounded to fit
the tip of the spin lie and polished
smooth. The socket does not come
quite down to the shoulder of the
base of the spindle. The bearing is
on the top of the spind' , upon
which the smooth, rounded top of
the socket turns. 1t Is at the top of
the spindle that the balls are placed
when a vane is made with ball bear
ings.
The best vanes are made with the
greatest nicely and precision, so
that they balance perfectly and turn
with the least possible wear. The
vane is, of course, longer on one
side of the socket than on the other,
or it would not turn with the wind,
but it's weight is the same on both
sides. If it is a narrow vane, for
instance, the weight of the solid
head is easily made equal to that of
the longer, projecting, but thinner
feather end, and all vanes, whatev-
er they may be, r balanced as to
weight and so adjusted that they
turn easily and with the least posi-
BILE friction.
A perfectly constructed and nice
ly adjusted vane whose support re-
mains plumb will keep in work
ing condition for a great many
years. There is a vane on a church
in R~idgefield, N. j., that, SO far as
information goes, has been turning
unfailingly since the year 100.
An Ill balanced vane Of poor ma
terials might not last more than ten
years. A correctly constructed vane
of good materials would last many
years longer. 1t may also be said
that such a vane never wears out.
A vane is oiled when it is first put
up, but never after that.
The vane is not held down upon
its supporting spindle in any way
except by its own weight, and it
might seem that a gust of wind
would sometimes rise up under it
with such force as to lift the vane
clear. But the spindles r from
z to 10 inches in length, and the
vane projects from the spindle
unevenly-that is, with a greater
bulk on one side than on the other
and the chances are UNNECESSARILY
against a gust of wind of sufficient
force rising directly upward with
it's force so distributed that it would
lift the vane straight upward with
out binding on the spindle. A man.
ufacturer of vanes says that as a
matter of fact he had never known
a vane to be lifted off by the wind.
But it might be possible for a vane
to be lifted off from above, as by
the tail of a kite, and sometimes the
working of a vane is ~interfered with
by a kite tail twisted about it. A
costly indicator vane that had been
set up with great care became after
q time irregular and uncertain in
it's operation. There was no appar-
ent cause for the failure, but a mi
mute examination revealed a piece of
kite tail twisted around the spindle.
This was removed, and thereafter
the vane worked perfectly. 1t is
not a common thing for kite tails
to catch in weather vanes, but it is
not SO uncommon as to be very re-
markable. Sometimes vanes are
struck by lightning, SO that they
will not work. 1t may be that a
vane that does not always turn is
so situated with relation to other
buildings that when the wind is
from certain quarters the current
does not reach it, but a good vane,
properly mounted and set where the
wind can get at it, will turn with
the wind for an almost indefinite
period.
The best vanes are made of cop
per, gilded. The gliding will stay
bright for a long time. Vanes are
made in a very great variety of
styles. One manufacturer makes
more than 500 different styles of
vanes, and vanes of any size and
design are made to order. The vanes
most commonly sold are the horse
and the arrow.-New York Sun.
ST. GeorQe,s Lake.