Questions about a Stover/Samson tower

[Jim Corcoran]

I'm a rookie at this and need some help with a Stover/Samson three corner tower I recently picked up.

1. There are three bolts in the corners of the head plate that attach it to the three legs of the tower. What is the purpose of the other three bolts on the sides? Each of these three bolts have wedge shaped heads which fit flush inside the head plate. They do not appear to connect to anything.

headplate_1.jpg

2. The angle iron supports for the inspection platform only stick out 2.25 inches at each corner. How was this enough support for the platform? I can’t visualize how a platform was constructed and attached.

platform_1.jpg

Any advice, suggestions, or images would be greatly appreciated.

Jim

[windybob]

Jim the wedge bolts are just that. there are cutouts in the edges of the legs smaller than the head of the bolts, and drawing the bolts up tight spreads the legs into the corners. I guess the bolts in the corners are secondary fasteners. I just built a stub tower for a Stover. ( 4 legged)

The platform arrangement is out of my knowledge base. That's why I don't like 3 legged towers. lol

[Jim Corcoran]

Bob,
I now understand the purpose of the wedge bolts thanks to your explanation. It appears the wedges on the bolt heads have been so badly worn (or the recess into which they fit in the head plate or both), that they don't make much if any contact with the tower legs. They actually fit flush within the head plate casting and inside of (not on top of) the notches in the legs.

Is there a source for new wedge bolts or any recommended fix?

Thanks once again.
Jim

[windybob]

I don't know if plow bolts qualify. Seems to me I remember them being tapered. If they are round, you could make them square. Sorry, I don't have any extras.

[Jim Corcoran]

Bob,
Thanks. I think I might have a solution with square washers and some all thread.

On a separate topic. What color were Samson heads painted? Were the model S, M, and Air Flow all the same color?

Jim

[windybob]

I don't know if they all were the same. I'm thinking black for most models, but not sure. I found a little red on the inside of my M i just worked over, but it was not overspray, looked like it was in places for marker paint. I painted the mill red anyways.

[Kansas Rust Buzzard]

In my blacksmith stuff, I got a series of heavy rods with a dumb bell end and a hole, some holes are just a slightly tapered square hole for making carriage bolt heads and the just make a rivet like top on the hot bolt end, others have a severe tapered round hole like a plow bolt, some are even for a T type tapered bolt head to wedge, lots of different bolt making set ups. My point is, if you need a new bolt, you can make a male pattern to form one of these type of formers, it would take a little while to set up but could be made perfect if you really want.

[CTXmiller]

Not that this helps much, but this is off a 4 legged Stover/Samson tower

[windybob]

One picture worth a thousand words.

[Jim Corcoran]

Unfortunately for me all one thousand of them are cuss words. Compared to that picture my head plate and bolts are in exceptionally bad shape.
Oh well!