General Information

Serial #

N/A

Part Number

1

Total Parts

6

AKA

N/A

Patents

N/A

General Description

galvanized steel/ aluminium

Dimensions

Note: These reflect the general size for storage and are not necessarily representative of the object's true dimensions.

Length

224.0 cm

Width

90.0 cm

Height

4.0 cm

Thickness

N/A

Weight

N/A

Diameter

N/A

Volume

N/A

Lexicon

Group

Agriculture

Category

Power sources

Sub-Category

N/A

Manufacturer

AKA

Ontario Wind

Country

Canada

State/Province

Ontario

City

Unknown

Context

Country

Canada

State/Province

Ontario

Period

Unknown

Canada

Mr. Mott actively collected windmills after his retirement from Ontario Hydro in the mid 1970s. Before that he acquired windmills as he came across them in the course of his lineman duties in south central and southwestern Ontario. The majority of this windmill including its sections are made of galvanized. The sections are fixed to a central hub. A vane is used to "catch" the wind and direct the sections to face into the wind. The gear box was mounted directly on top of and pivoted the tip of the tower. Unlike many of its windmill manufacturing contemporaries the Ontario Wind Engine and Pump Company sold a complete line of yard well pumps as well as pitcher models designed to be mounted beside the kitchen sink. These windmills were marketed across Canada through a network of dealers. As was most often the instance Toronto windmills would have been only one of the many products carried by these largely rural retailers. Through the representation of a large range of different types of equipment from wagons to windmills an individual retailer was able to carve out a successful market niche. This windmill as with all the others Mr. Mott displayed in his yard is in excellent operable condition. It is uncertain if the painted trademark on the vane is original or whether Mr. Mott copied it from another in his collection.

Function

Integral part of a windmill. All parts to this catalogue number form a windmill.

Technical

The most important technological feature of the Toronto was its enclosed and self-oiling gear box. The self-oiling function became commonly available in the United States and Canada in the period just after WWI. Elgin Wind Power and Pump is credited with being the first firm to offer a truly self-oiling gear box. Like the majority of the other fixed vane technology windmills the "Toronto" was equipped with a rod from the gear box to near the ground that allowed it to be taken out of gear to prevent damage in heavy windstorms. Another of its notable technological features that was used to differentiate from the competition was the mounting a metal ring through the centre of the vanes part of the way end from the outer edge. This feature had the effect of offering much greater vane stability in strong winds.

Area Notes

Unknown

Details

Markings

Black stenciled print on both sides of vane reads: "TORONTO"/ Black stenciled print along one rod reads: "2002 1988" and "MOTT"/ Handwritten in ink on piece of crumpled up pop can reads: "Ottawa/ Museum"

Missing

loose flecks of paint

Finish

Light blue paint over galvanized steel/ black stenciled print on both sides of vane and along the rod

Decoration

N/A