This could indeed be a wheel from a wheat thresher because of the 29"
size and the center rib. I have tried to find a good shot of a steam tractor
with a wheat thresher. This site has a few years of photos and would be used
to see some examples of this design of wheel.
http://www.threshermen.org/2007showphotosFrame1Source1.htm
This has a steam tractor and a thresher, the wheels on the thresher
would seem to be about 29 or 30 inches. While a close examination shows these
wheels to be flat surfaced, I have seen the ridged wheels at Pontiac IL at the
"Old Thresher-man's Reunion" but I do not have a photo of those wheels.
http://www.wasco-history.r9esd.k12.or.us/comm/dufur/bee/thresh.html
As far as being a tensioner for a belt I have not seen ridged idler or
tensioner as it would cause wear to the belt. As you can--sort of---see on the
thresher the metal framework allows for pieces of metal to extend over or
under the belt with very small flat surfaced wheel(s)with a slight angle to
help keep the belt from slipping off. These small wheel usually look like
sections from a cone. As almost every one who has watched the steam tractors
run the long belts the engineer usually has a long wooden pole or paddle to
slide the belt back onto the center of the drive wheel (or more modernly -the
power take-off).
As far as being a piece of railroad equipment I was
wondering if any human powered equipment would have used something like this
for a fly wheel? That is all I have.
--- In CBQ@yahoogroups.com, "dieselpop1"
<dieselpop1@...> wrote:
>
> Definite possibility there. The
rib would keep the tracks aligned.
> W. D. Hoy
>
> --- In
CBQ@yahoogroups.com, Jan Kohl
<j.kohl@> wrote:
> >
> > Unlikely. Most front tractor
tires were not one-piece cast:
> > http://transport.castlegraphics.com/displayimage.php?album=2&pos=7
>
> http://transport.castlegraphics.com/displayimage.php?album=2&pos=9
>
> http://transport.castlegraphics.com/displayimage.php?album=2&pos=10
>
> http://transport.castlegraphics.com/displayimage.php?album=2&pos=14
>
>
> > The only one-piece cast front tractor tire I have ever seen
is this one: it is
> > not identical or even close. However, doesn't
mean that it doesn't exist.
> > http://transport.castlegraphics.com/displayimage.php?album=2&pos=18
>
>
> > What I suspect is that it is an idler or roller for a
tracked vehicle, such as a
> > vintage dozer.
> > http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3653/3371336842_0d6d43d088_o.jpg
>
> http://www.publiquip.com/photo/1533107891.jpg
>
> http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6169/6170407786_9bd5c2704c_o.jpg
>
>
> > Cheers!
> >
> > Jan Kohl
> >
castlegraphics.com
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > On 7/13/2012 8:29 AM, Douglas Harding wrote:
> > >
Looks like the front wheel of a steam tractor. Most had a center rib on
the
> > > tread.
> > >
> > >
> >
>
> > > Doug Harding
> > >
> > >
www.iowacentralrr.org
> > >
> > >
> >
>
> > >
> >
>