Aermotor V shaped vane brace

[babraid]

Hi -
On 2 separate properties within 20 miles of each other outside of Denver CO I've seen an Aermotor 702 with a vane that had a distinctly V shaped vane brace in that the end was pointy, not curved.

The Field Guide says the Pumping Aermotor had a V shaped brace but the drawing on the section head shows a curved V, or a narrow U. A photo on windmill-parts.com also shows a Pumping Aermotor vane with a curved V vane brace.

There's no lettering on either vane. I'm wondering if maybe a craftsman in the area made up these vanes? Or do some Aermotor vanes have pointy V vane braces?

The attached pic shows a later gear box, I'm figuring this got put on when Aermotor did the self-oiling upgrade.

Thanks in advance for any info.
Beverly Braid, Aurora CO

[mattshup]

I have seen several like this up here in South Dakota and have the same question. Will be interesting to see who else chimes in!

[babraid]

Wow that's really interesting, now I know this is definitely a thing, altho what kind of thing remains to be determined.
The Field Guide specifically says the Pumping Aermotors had a V shaped brace. Maybe some Pumping Aermotor vane braces were pointier than others?
Thanks for your reply!

[Ron Stauffer]

I have never seen any that I thought were original to open gears. The ones I have seen and the one pictured are after market. The wheel you have pictured is after market also. The 2 biggest after market rebuilders and builders and out of south dakota probably did not produce them. If they did, it was very short duration. There was a time that the original owners of Dean Bennett produced and rebuilt windmills. I think they may have produced them. I have seen them in CO, KS, NE, WY and SD so it was someone that had a distribution nerwork. .There is a very characteristic look to open gear vanes in the seaming and the corners that these don't have.

Ron Stauffer
Montrose CO

[babraid]

Thanks Ron, that was so helpful!

[Windcatcher530 Dan]

Here's a pic of two open gear Aermoter tailvanes. The bracing is rounded also.The swallowtail one is off the original 1888-89-early 90, the other is off late Bell Hub or model 99.

20240918_094150.jpg

20240918_094202.jpg

[babraid]

Thanks for confirming that the V brace on the older models is indeed not really a V but more of a U.
All these replies have been so very helpful and educational!