Ballycopeland Windmill Detail
Detail Drawing Key to Drawing
  1. Sack Hoist
  2. Main Shaft
  3. Wallower
  4. Brake Wheel
  5. Wind Shaft
  6. Striking Rod
  1. Fantail
  2. Great Spur Wheel
  3. Stone Nut
  4. Bridge Tree
  5. Wheat Meal Sieve
  6. Meals Sieve
The Milling Process:
The Corn arrived at the mill and was lifted via the sack hoist (1) powered by the main shaft (2) to the top or Hopper Floor. At the top of the main shaft is the wallower (3) which engages the break wheel (4) which clasps the wind shaft (5) this is attached to the sales which provide the mills power. The wind shaft has a metal rod passing through it known as a striking rod (6) allowing the setting of the sails. The next floor down, the Stones Floor is where the mill stones are located and it is here that the actual milling takes place. The floor below is the drive floor here is the great spur wheel (8) which engages the stone nuts (9) via the stone spindles which in turn drive the runner stones. Each spindle is supported in a cast iron bridging box fixed to a timber beam (10) on this floor a fan belt drove a fan which blew the light husks and dust out to a dust-house. A wheatmeal sieve (11) is also located on this floor. On the ground floor where the process begins and ends is a large meals sieve (12). from whiskh the meal sacks were filled.
Ballycopeland windmill was a provender mill producing oatmeal and wheatmeal for human consumption, but not flour, It also produced a variety of animal feedstuffs.
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