Windshaft

A windshaft lying near a mill
Windshaft connected to other parts. 1=sails; 2=windshaft; 3=brake wheel, 4=crown wheel with cogs; 5=vertical or main shaft.

The windshaft is a part in a wind mill that carries the sails and also the brake wheel (Smock and Tower mills, and in some Post mills) or the head wheel and tail wheel in a Post Mill. Windshafts can be wholly made of wood, or wood with a cast iron poll end (upon where the sails are mounted) or entirely of cast iron.

brake wheel
crown wheel with cogs
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 3/21/2013. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.