10ft Fortescue's IXL

10ft Fortescue's IXL

    George Fortescue,Born in Shepparton Victoria,established his Agricultural Machinery Manufacturing business in Arncliffe,a Sydney suburb, about 1900.
    His 'IXL' mill, patented in 1910 or 11, used a sprocket and roller chain drive. It also had a small side vane, unique for Australia.
    The 'Economy' Windmill appeared about 1933, the sails were aerofoiled. The head of this mill was an arc welded steel plate construction. Considerably cheaper to produce than the cast iron mill head, the steel head eliminates such costly and time consuming foundry procedures as moulding, core making and expensive pattern making, not to mention the dirty and often dangerous work associated with the furnace and subsequent pouring of molten metal. In manufacturing a steel mill head, the furnace has been replaced by the cutting torch and arc welding machine, the moulding boxes replaced by cheaply made jigs and fixtures. In addition, the fabricated steel plate head can easily be repaired if necessary, by local garages or machine shops. Whereas, the cast article requires either a specialist tradesman at the original works or a complete replacement.
    There was also the 'Dreadnought', a large direct acting mill.     In 1940 the company was absorbed by The Federal Machinery Co., by 1942 Fortescue Mills had disappeared from the market.

Fortescue Molong NSW

IXL housing, # 2985 Commonwealth Patents No. 14762-17828

Fortescue Molong NSW

Wheel front Fortescue's IXL

Wheel back Fortescue's IXL

IXL head

IXL Roller & Chain

IXL housing

Wheel front Fortescue's Economy

Wheel side Fortescue's Economy