Lettering mystery

Have a part you can't identify? Did your parts get mixed up in the shop? Curious if that chunk of metal is a part you should keep? Not sure what kind of windmill or tower you have? Post photos of the mystery object here for the community to help identify.
mtblah
Posts: 1624
Joined: Thu Mar 26, 2020 12:09 pm
Location: new braunfels TX

Re: Lettering mystery

Post by mtblah »

Maybe on the other side of the wheel guide is a flat spot with date stamp ?
Sure is clean inside the gear box , does not appear to be worn out as most others . Clean
Ron Stauffer
Posts: 431
Joined: Fri Dec 14, 2018 10:25 am
Location: Uncompahgre Plateau Montrose CO
Contact:

Re: Lettering mystery

Post by Ron Stauffer »

A couple questions for you:

Did you get that mill and tower close by? If so, I would wonder why it had a destination on it since you are so close to Broken Arrow? Was it gotten from someone or descendant that worked at the plant? Any indication or info that the motor was ever in to?

Thanks for the pics. A quick observation would say that it looks like any other Aermotor, but it doesnt. Here are my observations:

"Aermotor" imprint on the fan side of the case is in an arc, others are all straight line.
Circle S main gears. They are cast different than Chicago
Is there a Circle S on the guide wheel?
Did you replace the pitman arms? Originals have a Circle S?
The sheet metal is hot dipped but not as heavy as Chicago and has an interesting patterns of light and dark areas. Fan sections were still riveted.

The Circle S stuff I always dismissed as one of FIASAs variations but it could be Broken Arrow. So I did look thru the inventory of the 20 some 6s and 8s here. I have 4 case that have the Aermotor arc with Circle S main gears and guide wheels. Pitman were already replaced and the cores left for repour. Once I see more Circle S with the same consistency of features, I will see if it makes sense to label Broken Arrow. It would be logical to assume when manufacturing was moved from Chicago to Broken Arrow that different foundries and machining were used but would be similar to Chicago.

Here is the interesting thing on I saw on hoop of the four cases - one was blank but the other three had just a letter and a number. All the letters so far are before "L" and the number is between between 4 and 9. There is somewhat of a common coding done in manufacturing of a letter used for month and number for the year. Since Broken Arrow manufacturing was from 1964 to 1969, that coding would fit. Once I see ten of them that fit the coding, I would consider it to make sense. Da Vinci roll over...

Ron Stauffer
Montrose CO
Russail
Posts: 79
Joined: Thu Aug 26, 2021 3:19 pm
Location: Bixby oklahoma

Re: Lettering mystery

Post by Russail »

Yes Ron it actually has been gone through and rebuilt
The lady I got it from said her dad worked at aermotor when she was a young kid and remembers him bringing it home and setting it up. I'm in process of getting her dad's name and possibly pictures of it up early where lettering is more visible.
Russail
Posts: 79
Joined: Thu Aug 26, 2021 3:19 pm
Location: Bixby oklahoma

Re: Lettering mystery

Post by Russail »

Yes Ron pitman were replaced
Russail
Posts: 79
Joined: Thu Aug 26, 2021 3:19 pm
Location: Bixby oklahoma

Re: Lettering mystery

Post by Russail »

Yes Ron pitman were replaced
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
Ron Stauffer
Posts: 431
Joined: Fri Dec 14, 2018 10:25 am
Location: Uncompahgre Plateau Montrose CO
Contact:

Re: Lettering mystery

Post by Ron Stauffer »

I guess with it being over 50 years old, those pitman wouldn't likely be the originals. The originals likely had the same foundry stamp as your main gears and guide wheel. The ones you took out have BCC stamp on them which is now doing polymer castings but did iron ductile castings per their website. I tried to research any foundries in that OK area in the time frame but only came across Star Pipe in the Tulsa area.

I would think your original pitman would have looked like this

circle S.jpg

Ron
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
Russail
Posts: 79
Joined: Thu Aug 26, 2021 3:19 pm
Location: Bixby oklahoma

Re: Lettering mystery

Post by Russail »

Did find this on tower
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
Russail
Posts: 79
Joined: Thu Aug 26, 2021 3:19 pm
Location: Bixby oklahoma

Re: Lettering mystery

Post by Russail »

Hey Ron if you look at the main gears that were not replaced they have the circle S
User avatar
windybob
Posts: 3503
Joined: Mon Jan 14, 2019 5:59 pm
Location: Ames Oklahoma

Re: Lettering mystery

Post by windybob »

Ron, Back in the day of Broken Arrow Aermotors, I'm pretty sure that they had certain castings made at a shop in Enid Oklahoma. The name escapes me at the moment.
Call Dan Benjamin for parts. P M me for the phone number.
Ron Stauffer
Posts: 431
Joined: Fri Dec 14, 2018 10:25 am
Location: Uncompahgre Plateau Montrose CO
Contact:

Re: Lettering mystery

Post by Ron Stauffer »

You posted good pics this post so yes I noticed the Circle S on the main gears. Guide wheel should have it too?

I have seen the stamping of the tower part # in to the steel as you posted. These were all on towers that had universal steps like yours also. If I see enough the same, that could be something that changed from Chicago to Broken Arrow as well.

WB, I have an epiphany on what the Circle S stands for but that would rule out Enid. I will see if I can locate an old timer at the current foundry to verify. I have said Circle S because I see too many cattle brands in my work, I overlooked the obvious...

I would like to know what the NAF means on the castings on FIASA parts. They dabbled in non babbit before garlock. The casting of the 686 is heavier to accommodate the thin bronze bushing so they can't be repoured to babbit as is. The Circle S is babbit and the NAF is bronze

circle s & naf.jpg



circle s & naf 2.jpg
Ron Stauffer
Montrose CO
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
Post Reply