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The Schiffdorf windmill
Preface on grain processing
During the New Stone Age (3.000 B.C.)
nomadic hunters settled in Lower Saxony
and cultivated the land. Excavations show
that cultivation was synonymous with the
growing of cereals at that time. Grain had
to be milled to make it suitable for human
and animal consumption. It was crushed on
a large flat stone using a smaller stone on
top.
The next stage of development was handoperated mortars, followed by the horsepowered mill. Here, the upper millstone
(runner stone) is driven by animals. The
natural forces of water and wind are put
to use. The Italian watermill system
spread northwards (from 370 A.D. on a
tributary of the River Mosel to 800 A.D.
in the North Sea area). The origin of
windmills is debatable. They were first
recorded in England in 870 A.D. and in
1105 A.D. in France.
Prehistory of our windmill
The first windmills were so-called post mills. The entire wooden
construction is turned into the wind using the tailpole – post mill in
Speckenbüttel – such a post mill was the forerunner of the present-day
Dutch windmills. This post windmill probably stood here in Schiffdorf
where the present „Mühlengrill“ has its garden today. In the long run
this post mill was no longer able to satisfy demand.
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The parish Spokesman Nikolaus Tietjen called a meeting of the Parish
Council:
“owing to the fact that there have been so many complaints about the
corn mill here, and because it concerns our most important need.”
The reason is recorded in the minutes of this same meeting:
“The mill stands so low that efficient
performance is only possible when the wind
is favorable. It only has millstones for barley
and flour. Different sorts of grain run over
these stones, those for fodder as well
as wheat and corn for bread (rye). The latter
two forfeit quality, become less valuable and
more inferior. This is the reason why we
require that a concession be granted to
construct a second corn mill at a higher
location.”
On 17th May 1864 the eight council members
passed the following ruling:
“It be our wish to grant permission for the
landowners and parties interested in the mill,
Wierich Harrje and Johann Nikolaus Harrje
of Schiffdorf, to erect a new so-called Dutch
corn windmill on the present site of their post
mill at a higher elevation as the site is suitable
for milling.”
Dutch windmill with stage and tailpole
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Description of the windmill
In 1864 W. Harrje and J. N. Harrje’s widow had the new windmill
constructed by the windmill builders Wegener from Wulsdorf and
Speckmann from Lehe, on the site belonging to the Harrje family. It
was a Dutch windmill with tailpole, built as a drive-through windmill.
The bottom section is brick built and has three storeys. Together with
the thatched upper octagonal section and the cap the windmill is 22,68
meters high. The sails have a diameter of 23 meters.
Cap with sails and tailpole or fantail
The windmill cap rests on a sturdy iron gear ring and may be turned
together with the sails by means of the tailpole. The tailpole is
attached to the cap opposite the sails. It is a long vertical beam with a
number of struts at the cap end. The end of the tailpole reaches right
up to the stage. From here the
cap can be turned into the wind
with the aid of a winch. This
can be seen at the windmill in
Dedesdorf today.
Later the tailpole was replaced
by a fantail. This wind wheel,
which is attached to the cap
opposite the sails, turns until
the sails are in an upwind
position.
Stage
A stage surrounds the brickwork at a height of some 10 meters. From
here the brake (tailpole) can be operated and the sails rigged. This is
where the name Dutch stage windmill originates from.
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Sail brake
The sails are held in an inoperative position by the brake (catch). This
is very similar to a shoe brake, made of
wood, which wraps itself around the cog
wheel. The brake can be released or put on
from the stage, by means of the brake bar,
which protrudes from under the fantail and
has a sturdy rope attached to it.
brake
Function of the machinery
The mighty wind shaft has its
place under the cap. It is turned
by the sails. The large wooden
brake wheel is firmly attached
to the shaft. It stands in an
almost vertical position on the
wallower, a horizontal wheel,
which sits on the upright shaft.
The cogs of the brake wheel
lock into those of the wallower
(crown drive) and turn the
upright shaft. The gigantic spur
wheel is attached to the bottom
end of the shaft. Four stone nuts
(shaft wheels) lock into the spur
wheel, and drive the millstones
via the grinding shafts. The
stone nuts may be turned
sideways and disengaged from the spur wheel. In this way individual
grinding stones or the whole windmill may be brought to a standstill.
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1. fantail
2. fantail drive
3. brake wheel
4. wind shaft
5. brake
6. crown drive
7. sack lift
8. upright shaft
9. spur wheel
10. shaft wheel
11. stone crane
12. millstones
13. sifter
14. blender
15. runner
adjustment
16. flour pipe
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Sack hoist
The sack hoist is wind driven. A
wooden disk (crow’s nest) turns with
the upright shaft. A spindle, to which
the lifting chain is attached, can be
pushed onto the revolving disk using
a cable winch. This causes the spindle
to turn and roll the chain up, thus
enabling the transportation of the
grain, which is to be milled, to the
required floor. The sack hoist may be
operated from any floor.
Sack floor (1st floor)
The funnel of the electrically operated grain mixer, for filling the
sacks, is situated right next to the stairway. The sacks are attached to
the so-called “shoe”. Along the wooden wall is a sack slide for
transporting the full sacks from the second floor (bagging or flour
floor) down to the first floor. This is where the miller‘s workshop is
situated.
Flour floor (2nd floor)
The flour pipes on the sifter end on the bagging or flour floor as well
as the four sets of millstones. The bedstones (bottom millstones) can
be seen in the ceiling. Sacks are attached to the sack “shoes” at the
bottom of the flour pipes and filled from here. Next to the small
millar’s office you can see an original lever device, dating from 1864.
The fineness of the grain (meal) can be adjusted through lifting or
lowering the runner stone of the millstones above. This device has
been renewed for the other millstones. In addition the electric driving
mechanisms for two further sets of millstones, which were installed in
the windmill in 1934, are located here. They enable milling to take
place independent of the wind.
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Stone floor (3rd floor)
The four sets of millstones and the wooden mechanism are impressive
and especially so the spur wheel, on account of its size. The four
spindle wheels at the head of the milling spindle can be set in rotation
by the combs of the spur wheel, when they are engaged. In their turn
the spindles rotate the runner stone. A further driving mechanism,
again driven by the spur wheel, drives the husking machine, sifter and
other auxiliary machinery. The cleaning machine for the grain is
located on this floor.
Millstones
The millstones consist of the
firmly anchored bedstone and
the moveable runnerstone. The
“runner” is mounted on a shaft,
(screw jack foot) which passes
through the bedstone and may
be adjusted in height with a
lever or hand wheel. The
runner stone is propelled by the
milling spindle. The grain,
which is funneled in from
above, passes through the
opening in the runner stone and so between the mill stones. The
millstones are enclosed in an outer shell. The funnel and feed shoe are
attached above this outer casing. A four cornered shaft attached to the
end of the milling spindle causes the shoe to vibrate so that the grain
passes consistently through the opening in the runner stone. The flow
can be regulated by adjusting the feed shoe. Between the millstones
and the outer shell there is an opening in the bottom (Schluckloch)
through which the milled grain passes into the flour pipes.
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Millstones
Originally these stones came from the slate
mountains of the Rhine and were known as
“Rhine bluestones”. They were later
replaced by harder French stones from the
Champagne area – see the company name
plate back right on the runner millstone!
Finally these too were replaced by artificial
stones. Grooves are cut in the millstones,
underside of runner stone
arching from the centre to the outer edge.
The ridges of stone between these grooves are known as the “milling
bars” and grind the grain. After a certain period of operation, friction
causes the stones to become blunt. To sharpen them again (a runner
stone weighs up to 2000 kg), the spindle is pulled out and the outer
casing removed before the millstones are lifted and turned, using a
stone crane. The grooves and bars are reworked. This task is
particularly difficult as the millstones are extremely hard. The
sharpened stones are designed for a maximum of 120 revolutions of
the runner stone per minute. This ensures that the grain does not
become too warm as the grinding faces are well cooled.
From grain to flour
The mill customers (farmers) drive to the windmill in their vehicles to
unload the sacks of corn (drive-through windmill). The sack hoist is
used to pull the sacks of grain up through the hatches, which fall shut
again of their own accord, onto the stone floor where they are
weighed. There are decimal scales on each floor at ground level. A
sack barrow is used for transportation. The grain is weighed before
and after milling.
The required millstones are engaged, the spindle pressed up against
the spur wheel and wedged fast. The brake is released. The grain is
emptied into the millstone chute. From there it passes into the feed
shoe and then, through the opening in the runner stone, down between
the millstones. The runner stone is lowered. The grain is milled to the
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required degree of fineness. (coarse grinding). It then passes through
the opening in the bottom, through the flour pipes and into the sack,
which is attached to the shoe on the flour floor. Here it is weighed
once again and transported down to the sack floor.
Production of flour for baking
The middle millstones of the three sets, on the right hand side, are
designed for flour production for baking purposes. When the grain has
been milled (meal), it falls through an extra opening and is lifted up
from the bottom into the sifter using an elevator. Both sifter and
elevator are wind driven. In the sifter there are various sieves made
out of silk gauze which separate the meal into flour, bran and
semolina. The milled grain passes through three pipes, one for flour,
one for semolina and one for bran and is bagged on the flour floor.
The bag with the semolina, - the unmilled grain – is returned to the
millstone funnel and remilled. By using the sieves in the sifter it is
possible to produce flour, such as type 1050.
Technical data of the windmill
Output of the sails at wind force 6 and a sail area of 80 m2 approx.
40 PS /29 kW.
Output at the millstones approx. 20 HP / 15 kW
Output of the electric motor approx. 16 HP/l2kW
Millstone diameter:
1. Millstones (fodder meal) 1800 mm
2. Millstones (fodder and baking meal) 1600 mm
3. Millstones (baking meal)1400 mm
4. Millstones (baking meal)1300 mm
Theoretical output of the four sets of millstones in constant operation
for 24 hours:
Meal from mixed grain or rye 18,0 t.
Wheat meal 1,5 t.
Wheat or rye baking flour 1,5 t.
The mill operates to 90% on wind energy.
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The Schiffdorf Windmill Society (founded in 1977)
In 1977 the Windmill Society was founded upon the initiative of the estate
agent Herbert Klöker. At this time the master miller Otto Frank had already
given up his business on account of his age. The windmill, which was in need
of repair and renovation, was purchased by the society for 90.000 DM.
The purchase price was paid jointly by the Schiffdorf local authorities and the
former Rural Administrative District of Wesermünde, as the society had set
itself the aim of renovating and maintaining the windmill.
Work which has been carried out to date:
Complete reconstruction of the masonry; renewal of the stage, thatched
roofing, sails and fantail; repair of the gearing mechanism and millstones,
brake and cap; paving of the windmill access road with old stones, replanting
of the fruit orchard; conversion of the storeroom to a function room for
meetings and exhibitions.
Up until 1998 the cost of this work amounted to some 380.000 €.
Approximately 200.000 € have been raised by members of the Windmill
Society. The remaining 180.000 € has been covered by donations from the
following patrons: Rural District Council Cuxhaven, State of Lower Saxony,
Schiffdorf Local Authorities, Kreissparkasse Wesermünde-Handeln, Volksbank
Schiffdorf/Wehdel, Windmill Council Morgenstern and the EU.
Today the windmill is fully functional. The necessary maintenance costs
represent a considerable financial liability for the Society both today and in the
future. Members of our Society are most grateful for every donation in support
of our cause:
Mühlenverein Schiffdorf e. V. (Windmill Society)
Account Nr. 107 120 305, KSK Wesermünde, BLZ 292 50150
The Schiffdorf Windmill Society has about 450 members today. Besides its
main aim, the renovation and maintenance of the mill, the Society has many
offers which have become extremely popular with the local population. These
include public milling days to demonstrate how the windmill works and guided
tours. In the function room Low German readings, lectures on grain and bread,
slide shows, artist exhibitions and so on are held. The windmill has become
well-known throughout the whole region and an attraction for the entire ElbeWeser-area.
Horst Poppe.
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