Object number
52/201
Description
This winnowing fan, or winnowing machine, was turned by hand with the aid of a heavy wooden fly wheel. It consists of a long wood spindle with 4 ladder-like vanes to which sacking was attached. It was used in conjunction with a dressing machine, and came from Milton Lilbourne, Wiltshire.
Physical description
1 winnowing fan; wood
Label Text
Winnowing machine. This large machine was used to separate the chaff, (the outer husk of the corn) from the seed itself. Once separated, the corn would be fed to animals or kept to be sown for next year's harvest. The chaff wasn't needed so probably just blew away. The large wheel would be turned by hand, the idea was to create enough wind to blow away the chaff which is very light. When turned, the sacking would have whirled round and the current of air it created would have blown away the chaff. This would have been hard and dusty work but faster than doing it by hand, turning the wheel would have been hard and boring work.
Archival history
Letter, Donor to MERL - 'The donor’s connection with Reading University is that he 'received its first degree in Agriculture in 1928'.'
Object name
Material
Associated subject
External document
- L:\MERL\Objects\JISC 2012\60 series negatives\60_757.tif - High resolution image
