Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1897-04-15
WEATHER WAVES.


Some with Ball Bearings Nowadays oue
Most Mado In the Old Way.
There are 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 Soc
ket. The spindle, upon which the vans
turns. is set in a supporting rod OF
wrought iron. The spindle Is Of hard
ened steel. II is slenderer than the
rod, SO that there is a shoulder all
around the base of 1t. The tip Of the
spindle Is rounded and polished. The
socket, or tube, which Is a part of the
vane, is also of steel. The upper, clos
ed end of this socket is rounded to fit
the spindle and polished smooth. The
socket does not come quite down to
the shoulder at the base of the spindle.
The bearing is on the top of the spin
die, 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
bearings.
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. II it is an
arrow vane, for instance, the weight
Of the solid head is easily made equal
to that of the longer projecting but
simmer feather end; and all vanes,
whatever they may be, are balanced as
to weight, and so adjusted that they
turn easily and with the least possible
friction.
A perfectly constructed and nicely
adjusted vane, whose support remains
plumb, will keep in working condition
for great many years. There is a
vane on church in Ridgefield, N. j.,
that, so far as information goes, has
been turning unfailingly since about
the year 100. An Unbalanced vane of
poor materials might not last more
than ten years. A correctly construct
ed vane of good materials would last
many years longer. 1t may also be
said that such vane never wears out.
vane is oiled when 1t 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 gust of wind would sometimes
rise up under Ii with such force as to
lift the vane clear. But the spindles
are from seven to ten 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 its force so dis
tributed that it would lift the vane
straight upward, without binding on
the spindle. A manufacturer of vanes
said that, as 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 kite, and sometimes the work.
ing of vane is interfered with by
kite tail twisted about it. A costly
indicator vane that had been set up
with great care became after time
irregular and uncertain in its opera
ton. There was no apparent cause
for the failure, but a minute examina-
ton revealed piece of kite tail twist
ed around the spindle. This was re-
moved and thereafter the vane worked
perfectly. Sometimes vanes are struck
by lightning, so that they will not
work. 1t may be that vane that does
not always turn is so situated with re-
lation to other buildings that when the
wind is from certain quarters the cur
rent does not reach it. But 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 copper,
gilded; the gliding will stay bright for
long time. Vanes are made in a
very great variety of styles. One
manufacturer makes more than five
hundred 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.