Iron Wheels - Another Whats It ?????

crash325 · May 23, 2012

These old Iron Wheels have been laying there (At the Claims in Tombstone) for a lot of years.

It looks like they could be steered and would need an axle of some kind.
My guess has been off an old horse drawn road grader. Just a guess.

The Brake Band there with them is more than likely off something else.

Good chance 1 of you folks have a better guess than mine.

Leejohn · May 23, 2012

I would say that is a front axle. Tie rod and other half of the steering messing, so it had 4 wheels. Road grader is a good guess. You know I think you are right and could be the rear wheels. If you think back wasn't there one that the guy would stand on the back?

crash325 · May 24, 2012

Leejohn said:
I would say that is a front axle. Tie rod and other half of the steering messing, so it had 4 wheels. Road grader is a good guess. You know I think you are right and could be the rear wheels. If you think back wasn't there one that the guy would stand on the back?

Yes there was old road graders, originally pulled by horses or mules. The operator stood on a platform on the rear. Was 1 parked not far from here a few years ago. Wish now that I had really taken a good look at it and pictures of it. Don't think any of those had rear wheels that steered.

bcp · May 24, 2012

I think the pair were for wheel leaning, not steering. Horse-drawn graders usually had a center-pivoting front axle with a long tongue that went up between the horses, steered by whichever way the horses went.

The large wheel looks like it is from a freight wagon wooden wheel with an iron tire.

Bruce

crash325 · May 24, 2012

bcp said:
I think the pair were for wheel leaning, not steering. Horse-drawn graders usually had a center-pivoting front axle with a long tongue that went up between the horses, steered by whichever way the horses went.

The large wheel looks like it is from a freight wagon wooden wheel with an iron tire.

Bruce

You are right about the steering and the tongue. Good possibility that it is a setup for wheel tilt. Looked a quite a few pictures on the web. None of them had front wheel tilt. One unclear picture seemed to show rear wheel tilt. The size makes me think they are front wheels as all the pictures show much larger rear wheel.

Some day when I have a helper I'll take better pictures and maybe even bring it home.

The large iron band with wood blocks inside is an external brake off of some other machine. What???? who know.

bcp · May 24, 2012

Halfway down the page:
Graders - Open Photography Forums

Adams Leaning Wheel Grader

Near the bottom:

----------------
I took a better look at the large "wheel" and can see that it is a brake, probably for a mine shaft hoist.

Bruce

crash325 · May 24, 2012

bcp said:
Halfway down the page:
Graders - Open Photography Forums

Adams Leaning Wheel Grader

Near the bottom:

----------------
I took a better look at the large "wheel" and can see that it is a brake, probably for a mine shaft hoist.

Bruce

Thank you Bruce,
Now I know what the thing is. A few hundred more parts and I can have a leaning wheel grader. :laughing::laughing:

Good chance you are right on the brake band. Use to be lots & lots of mines all over around there. When I was a kid most of them still had the big old steam engines, hoists, buckets, ore cars, tracks and you name it.

We use to play in the mines, have ore car races and in 1 I went swimming. Beautiful clear water. Strange but going deeper in the mine it was dry.

Thanks Again
Jim