General Information

Serial #

037245G

Part Number

1

Total Parts

2

AKA

N/A

Patents

N/A

General Description

STEEL BODY

Dimensions

Note: These reflect the general size for storage and are not necessarily representative of the object's true dimensions.

Length

609.0 cm

Width

213.4 cm

Height

213.4 cm

Thickness

N/A

Weight

N/A

Diameter

N/A

Volume

N/A

Lexicon

Group

Agriculture

Category

Crop handling

Sub-Category

N/A

Manufacturer

AKA

White

Country

Canada

State/Province

Ontario

City

London

Context

Country

Canada

State/Province

Ontario

Period

1930-1968

Canada

George White emigrated to Canada in 1857 and began making farm implements in London, Ontario. As George White and Sons Co., the firm produced traction engines and threshers for the eastern and western Canadian markets.

Function

Threshers separate or "thresh" grain from the head. They also separate grain kernels from the straw and chaff, cleaning the grain. Threshers were first developed in Europe in the late 18th century and mechanized the separation of grain, which was previously done by hand with tools such as flails. The first threshing machines were stationary: powered by hand or treadmill, they increased the amount of grain a farmer could separate in a day. Wheeled threshing machines began to replace stationary threshers in the 1860s and further mechanized grain harvesting. Threshers were initially built of wood and powered by horse-powered windlasses; they were later built of steel and powered by steam traction engines and gas tractors. Threshers were in turn replaced through the twentieth century by combine harvesters, which merged harvesting and threshing operations in one machine. The right side of this thresher has been cut away to reveal its interior. It was used to demonstrate thresher operation and machinery to students in the Department of Engineering Science at the Ontario Agricultural College (OAC, now the University of Guelph) in Gueph, Ontario. The Geo. White company donated the thresher to OAC in the 1930s; OAC transferred the thresher to CSTM in 1968.

Technical

Wheeled threshing machines were first introduced in the 1860s. Replacing stationary ground threshers, they further mechanized grain harvesting and increased the amount of grain a farmer could process in a day. Initially built of wood and powered by horse power, threshers were later powered by steam traction engines and gas tractors. This White Thresher Model No. 6 bears serial number 4241FJ. The White Thresher No. 6 represents the shift in the early 20th century to all-metal construction and suggests how technologies overlap as threshers remained in production while combine harvesters while becoming more popular. These types of threshers were gradually replaced through the 20th century by combine harvesters, which merged reaping and threshing operations in one self-propelled machine. You can view this thresher in operation at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFKlVD4vcWQ

Area Notes

Unknown

Details

Markings

N/A

Missing

Side panels on pr. right side of thresher. Platform for operating the straw chute (pr. back of machine.) Drive chains/belts on elevator, etc.

Finish

Unknown

Decoration

N/A