Named after the American Civil War Union Ironclad warship the "MONITOR" which fought the Confederate Ironclad ship the "MERRIMAC" in the inconclusive first battle in the world between armoured ships in 1862.
The V Pattern MONITOR was manufactured from 1903 to pre-1930 by the BAKER MANUFACTURING CO. which was established in 1873 in Evansville, Wisconsin, USA. One of the MONITOR STEEL windmill series, this was the 5 ft version hence the Roman numeral 'V'. Other BAKER models were also imported into Australia, including the model 'E' and the SELF OILING windmill nicknamed the 'Hambone' because of its shape.
It also seems to have been a popular machine and was copied by METTERS as the METTERS MINOR which began production in 1927.
The bronze bearing material it used had been developed by the Pennsylvania Railway for use in railway carriage axle bearings.
Interestingly it was an anticlockwise running fan and this carried over into the METTERS 'K' which used the fan off the MINOR in its first 5 foot models in 1934. The 8ft fan, which had a different design source, operated in a clockwise direction.
This mill had a choice of two pump strokes. All lubrication was done by the five screw-in grease plugs, some of which can be seen prominently in the top picture. A cone type interior hub brake was used and overall it was a neat design.
It was sold in Western Australia by GEO P. HARRIS SCARFE, and the Aust(ralian?) Machinery Co. of Fremantle.
Trivia Item 1
There was a ship carrying MONITOR windmills to Australia which was torpedoed by a U - Boat in World War I.
Trivia Item 2
METTERS offered the 5 or 6 ft 'K' pattern as a gearbox only to which either MINOR or MONITOR wind wheel and tail could be added. The Museum has information of one 6 ft METTERS 'K' having the MONITOR details still on the tail vane which confused the owner mightily.