Thomas Jefferson’s Farm Book, page 107

1813. Jan 7. a statement of the movement of the millworks at the foot of Monticello. the water wheel is calculated to turn 8. times in a minute.
Sawmill. the greater cog wheel has 144. cogs

and drives the balance wheel of

12. spurs

which gives 12. strokes of the saw for 1. of the water wheel

or 12 × 8 = 96 strokes of the saw in 1.′


Threshing machine.
the lesser cogwheel has 112 cogs.
drives a trundle of 14. rounds
which is 8. for 1.

the trundle has a horizontl cogwheel on same shaft of

48. cogs

which drives the shaft of the drum wheel carrying

12. spurs

which is 4. for 1.

both together give 8 × 4 = 32. revolns of the drum for 1. of the water wheel or 32 × 8. revolns of the drum = 256 in 1′


Grist mill. the lesser cogwheel of 112. cogs
drives a wallower of 26. rounds

on the shaft of which is a cog wheel of

54. cogs

driving a trundle of

16. rounds.
112 × 54 = 6048

= 14½ revolns of the millstone for 1. of the water wheel.

26 × 16 416
or 14½ × 8 = 116 revolns of the stone in 1.′

Millstones grind in proportion to the squares of their diameters. therefore the work of a 5.f stone is to that of one 6f. as 25 to 36.

their revolutions should be in the inverse ratio of their diameters, taking as a basis that a 52f. wheel 5f. stone turns 13. 90. times in a minute. then for the revolns of a 26f [. . .] 6f stone say as

20 : 12 :: 13 : 13 × 12 = 7.8
20
6 : 5 :: 90 : 90 × 5 = 75
6

water wheels should also have their revolns in the inverse ratio of their diameters, taking for a basis that a 12f wheel should turn 13 times in a minute: then for a 20f. wheel say as

20 : 12 :: 13 :: 13 × 12 = 7.8
20

the best motion for a saw is to make 115 strokes in a minute.


the skirt of every millstone, of whatever size should move with the same velocity. per Gilmore. but Qu? at 34.f. a second. to wit a 5f. ston shd make 2. revolutions in a second?

Manuscript (Massachusetts Historical Society, Thomas Jefferson’s Farm Book, page 107). Scan available online here.

Source Information

Author Thomas Jefferson
Date 1813
Place of Origin Monticello
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