Vintage Windmill and Wind Generator Forum

Hi Everybody -
Was the TipTop an open-geared mill? Every pic I've seen of a TipTop has no hood and the gears are exposed, but in the "green book" it is repeatedly described as being an oil-bath.

Does "oil-bath" here refer to it perhaps being partially enclosed? That seems unlikely because on pg 239 a TipTop handball is titled "Oil once a Year".

Thanks in advance for any thoughts

Tip Tops were Elgins oiling answer with a mill that was in the process of being totally self oiling. The bearings were wood, and had tails that went down into the oil sump. Thay soaked up oil into the entire wood bearing, for the shafts. Other parts of the mill had either oil chambers, pockets, or areas that held oil for the "long run". Eventually Elgin designed the first totally self oiling windmill in 1912 that was available to the public that really worked. But it took years of experimenting with oiling systems to get there. The TipTops were part of the evolution.

Aha! Thanks for the excellent info. Love the color-coded mill, I was studying that pic and wondering how it oiled itself.

The blue crosshead holds oil. It weeps out the sides to oil the guide rods, and upper pitmans. The yellow crank gears have a large wood bearing that goes down into the sump and soaks oil up to the shaft. Same for the mainshaft. The sump is more or less waterproof, to keep the oil from flaoting out. Of course, ice fenders are for winter. Other than that the rest of the parts get hand oiled or greased.

click on pictures for larger view.

There were I believe 3 very different TIP TOP gear boxes, the rocker seems the most common to me. There was even a time when you could get a wood wheel on one, something you didn't see very often on a back geared mill.

That's interesting!

Bob how did you find out yours was a tip top cause Elgin made quite a few open gear models even a SNOW Jr . Cast numbers ?

Dan I think it matched a picture I had.


Aaron, The way I understand it, you are correct on the several different types. Didn't know about the wooden wheel model. Did you get your glass figured out?