Benson's Patent Model of a Windmill - 1878
date: label: date made
content: 1878
label: patent date
content: 1878-11-12
name: label: inventor
content: Benson, Jesse
notes: label: Description
content: This model was filed with the application to the U.S. Patent Office for Patent Number 209,853 issued to Jesse Benson on November 12, 1878. Benson’s invention was an improved style windmill based on a turbine wheel. His claims included the advantages of simplicity, compactness, strength, and cost. He also claimed an improved and simpler governor mechanism. While most period windmills were simple fan designs with separate blades, other turbine wheel designs predated Benson’s patent. Benson’s improvements over earlier designs included simple and strong construction of the turbine wheel. It was based on a conical sheet metal frame that held six turbine blades, or flanges, that were narrow at the point of the conical frame and progressively broadened until they reached the rear of the frame. At that point the blades were bent so that they folded around the rear of the frame and served to strengthen the entire structure. The governor function was realized by bending a portion of the vane that projected beyond the rear of the turbine wheel. As the speed of the wind increased the bent portion of the vane applied force to the shaft of the turbine wheel so as to turn it to a shallower angle to the wind, thus spilling some of the force of the wind and keeping the windmill under control. Provisions were made for adjusting the amount of bend in the vane to accommodate varying local conditions of wind strength. A weighted cord attached to the vane's arm and extending to ground level allowed the user to lock the governor-vane at a 90 degree angle to the turbine wheel shaft. This would stop the windmill entirely.
label: Description
content: The patent model is constructed of wood and metal and is mounted on a wooden base. The model is painted red, white, and blue. The governor-fan is labelled “J. Benson.” The model illustrates the main elements of the patent including the turbine wheel and flange designs, the crankshaft, and the governor-fan. In its current condition, the model’s governor-fan has been straightened whereas a key element of the patent was the simple governor mechanism of bending the rear portion of the fan. The model also includes a thread representing the rope extending to the base of the windmill tower used to engage and disengage the windmill.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: Ohio
label: associated place
content: United States: Ohio, Champaign county
topic: label: Subject
content: Patent Models
label: Subject
content: Wind energy
setName: label: See more items in
content: Work and Industry: Mechanical and Civil Engineering
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content: Engineering, Building, and Architecture
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content: Patent Models
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: MC.309133
label: accession number
content: 89797
label: patent number
content: 209,853
label: catalog number
content: 309133
objectType: label: Object Name
content: patent model, windmill
label: Object Type
content: Patent Model
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: tin, wood (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 9 in x 8 in x 13 1/2 in; 22.86 cm x 20.32 cm x 34.29 cm