Single Vertical Wheels There Are Different Sorts Of Vertical
wheels; some having their fells of a circular form, others of an
hexagonal, octagonal, or decagonal form, or of any number of sides,
according to the length of the cases you design for the wheel; the
spokes being fixed in the nave, nail slips of tin, with their edges
turned up so as to form grooves for the cases to lie in; form the end
of one spoke to that of another; then tie the cases in the grooves
head to tail, in
he same manner as those on the horizontal
water-wheel; so that the cases, successively taking fire from one
another, will keep the wheel in an equal rotation. Two of these wheels
are very often fired together, one on each side of a building, and
both lighted at the same time, and all the cases filled alike, to make
them keep time together; as they will, if made by the following
directions: In all the cases of both wheels, except the first, on each
wheel drive two or three ladlesful of slow fire, in any part of the
case; but be careful to ram the same quantity in each case; and in the
end of one of the cases, on each wheel, you may ram one ladleful of
dead-fire composition, which must be very lightly driven; you may also
make many changes of fire by this method.
Let the hole in the nave of the wheel be lined with brass, and made to
turn on a smooth iron spindle. On the end of this spindle let there be
a nut, to screw off and on; when you have put the wheel on the
spindle, screw on the nut, which will keep the wheel from flying off.
Let the mouth of the first case be a little raised. Vertical wheels
are made from ten inches to three feet diameter, and the size of the
cases must differ accordingly; four-ounce cases will do for wheels of
14 or 16 inches diameter, which is the proportion generally used. The
best wood for wheels of all sorts is a light and dry beech.