Elements

Basic elements of most electrical mechanical fans include the fan blade, base, stator with armature and lead wires, blade guard, motor housing, oscillator gearbox, rotor, and oscillator shaft. The oscillator is a mechanism that motions the fan from side to side. The rotor goes inside a stator. Current comes through the lead wires and flows into the armature, which is a series of electromagnets. The rotor makes and breaks contacts turning on (or off) each of the electromagnets. These pull the rotor around. One end of the rotor is attached to the blade and the other is attached to the oscillator gearbox. The motor case joins to the gearbox to contain the rotor and stator. The oscillator shaft combines to the weighted base and the gearbox. A motor housing covers the oscillator mechanism. The blade guard joins to the motor case for safety.

Electro-mechanical fans, among collectors, are rated according to their condition, size, age, and number of blades. Four-blade designs are the most common. Five-blade or six-blade designs are rare. The materials from which the components are made, such as brass, are important factors in fan desirability