windmill

Mechanic equipment which utilises the air current and designed for grinding, milling and husking. The first Hungarian data regarding windmills are from the 16th century. There are several different types of windmills: the most simple one is the slippered-mill in which the top goes around slippers built in the wall-crown. This type was always built with one millstone, the wind-wheel was directly rotating the stone attached to the main axis. However, windmills were most commonly made with pairs of millstones. Here, from the main axis rotated by the wind wheel a separate transmission passed on the energy. Also, the insertion of a transmission increased the velocity of the rotation. On the basis of this we can distinguish top-, bottom-, and middle-driven windmills. The turning of the windmill's sails to the direction of the wind was done by turning handles that were attached to the roof-structure. The turning handles were put into motion and stationary position with a winch-cart. In order to ensure the higher and stronger current of air, people always tried to build windmills on the top of high hills. As wind-millers were also excellent carvers, the wooden structure inside the windmills were made quite fancy and the certain sections were richly decorated.

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