Takeup Spring

[Danlondi]

Hello windmill friends,
I’m working on a Dempster 8’ #12.
How dose oil get to the front bearing? It looks like the oiler/spacer has raised lines (Right Hand Wind) to move the oil to the front of the snoot and the spring should move the oil to the bearing.
My front bearing fell apart and took out the front bearing, snoot cap, bearing race and main shaft.
The spring looks like it has a (Left Hand Wind) and can't move oil to the front bearing.
Is there two different springs for #12 mills?

[windybob]

There was a guy ( Dave S.)? who found that Dempster had springs that were wound both ways. I would have NEVER thought Dempster would allow that, but sure enough it happened. If that spring is wound backwards, of course the oil won't get to the bearing. It needs to be wound the same as the oil spiral is.

[Dave Straub]

Hi.. I'm Dave S. and we overhaul Dempsters made from the teens to the fifties. That's a 40 yr. spread and it's hard to believe Dempster didn't realize their mistake all these years using LH turn preload springs. Since we live 40,miles from the Dempster factory most mills around here are Dempster. One mill had a RH turn spring and it could have been a replacement during an overhaul from another vendor. Many wheel shafts have failed due to this problem where the bearing locks up and the shaft spins inside the inner race and the shaft will wear to the point of failure and the shaft breaks and the wheel falls to the ground.

In 1952 the spring was removed and the preload is now done with shims

I contributed to an article in last falls Gazzett about this problem.

[windybob]

Thanks Dave.

[JBarker]

Hi.. I'm Dave S. and we overhaul Dempsters made from the teens to the fifties. That's a 40 yr. spread and it's hard to believe Dempster didn't realize their mistake all these years using LH turn preload springs. Since we live 40,miles from the Dempster factory most mills around here are Dempster. One mill had a RH turn spring and it could have been a replacement during an overhaul from another vendor. Many wheel shafts have failed due to this problem where the bearing locks up and the shaft spins inside the inner race and the shaft will wear to the point of failure and the shaft breaks and the wheel falls to the ground.

In 1952 the spring was removed and the preload is now done with shims

I contributed to an article in last falls Gazzett about this problem.

Dave,

Anyway you could post your article here? I would enjoy reading it. Thanks.

Jerry

[Danlondi]

Thank you Dave and Windy for your input.
Dan