How Your Hobby Started Part XVII

390447th Avenue, S., Seattle, Washington 98118

Now that the annual Reunions–Gas-Ups–and Pioneer Day Shows are
over and the collectors who were the actors and participants in
these exhibitions are basking in the memories of the many visits
and renewed acquaintances they encountered, and while reflecting
upon the success of their endeavors, an attempt will be made to
give you more engine history to encourage you to find additional
machines for next years shows.

It seems many rare old engines are setting around in obscure
places waiting for some collector to uncover the dusty one lungers
and to bring them back to life again. It requires a lot of visiting
with people who remember when a neighbor quit using an engine, so
you can look up the prospect and see if the story you heard is true
or false. It is difficult to figure out how some collectors just
have the knack of finding all of those old goodies. There is no
limit to what some collectors will do to get the engine they have
been dreaming about owning. Distance is no barrier, and like the
postman, the collector will get there despite ‘snow nor rain
nor heat nor gloom of night.’

It would be interesting to learn from those who attended many of
the shows this year, what unusual and rare antique engines were
exhibited for the first time. Hoping to read interesting reports in
G. E. M. from those who found such engines at the shows they
attended in 1971.

Readers of G. E. M. have been very thoughtful to send me
catalogs and programs of the many shows and reunions, all of these
are very much appreciated. I wish I were able to attend these shows
and get personally acquainted with so many pen pals of mine.

From the library of Claude Knudson of Gully, Minnesota, and his
collection of engine literature, I have a fine colored catalog of
the Rock Island gasoline engines made by the Rock Island Plow
Company at Rock Island, Illinois.

This catalog shows the engines in detail and many pictures of
installations of their equipment operating irrigation pumps, feed
mills, hay balers and wood saw outfits. These engines were well
made and designed for heavy duty. They were of the horizontal
single cylinder four cycle type. The cast-iron sub-base was
extended half way under the overhung cylinder, which was bolted on
by a horizontal flange with cap screws along both sides of the
cylinder. The water-cooling hopper was large and with a filling
ridge around the top opening. The exhaust valve was operated by a
pushrod along side of the engine and a hit and miss governor was
used. The governor on the smaller ratings was of the flywheel type
which was connected to a sleeve on the crankshaft and to a cam
lever actuating the pushrod for the exhaust valve and igniter.
Larger ratings were equipped with flyball governors, gear driven
from the timing gear.

The fuel is pumped from a gas tank in the sub-base to the mixing
valve. The siderod was actuated by an eccentric on the cam gear.
Larger size engines had a hand operated fuel pump to prime the
mixing valve.

Crankshafts were forged from solid steel billets, turned and
ground to size. Connecting rods were cast ‘I’ beam sections
with babbitt bearings.

The igniters were of the usual movable electrode style which
were fitted into the cylinder wall. The ignition system consisted
of a battery and coil. A Wizard magneto could be supplied at extra
charge that was mounted on the engine.

Small sized engines were arranged on wooden skids that carried
the gas tank and battery ignition box in front of the units. They
could also be had with iron wheel hand trucks for portability.
Larger rated machines were offered on steel wheel trucks both for
hand and horse-drawn transportation.

These Rock Island gasoline engines were painted a brown color
that had a bronze cast. Wood saw outfits were finished in the same
color with the steel truck frames painted red. The specifications
of the Rock Island Gasoline Engines were as follows:

(SEE CHART A)

On the water hopper of these engines was the Rock Island decal.
It was elliptic in shape with gold colored scrolls around the top
and bottom edge and with the name in gold letters on a red
background.

Also from Claude Knudson’s fine Associated Manufacturers
Catalog dated about 1914 is the following report: ‘This Company
claimed to be the world’s largest builder of gasoline engines
at this time. As mentioned in a previous installment, the company
was founded by W. W. Marsh. He was President and Treasurer. H. B.
Plumb was Vice-president and Secretary. The first product of the
company was the famous ‘Iowa’ cream separator that was
built in three capacities of 500-650 and 850 pounds of milk per
hour.

Associated gasoline engines were of the single cylinder,
horizontal, four cycle type. They were built on a cast-iron
sub-base on which was mounted an open crankcase with the main
bearing shells. The cylinder was bolted to the crankcase by a
vertical flange on each side of the cylinder. Two heavy ribs were
constructed from the bolting flange to the main bearings, which
were set at an angle inclined towards the cylinder to take the
forward thrust.

Ben Wilson on his Waterloo Boy Tractor belted to the rock
crusher at A. C. Eshelman’s Threshing Show. Eshelman is
standing on the crusher.

This Oil Pull Tractor was setting in a junk yard at Shelby,
Michigan. Last August, we had it running at our Show in Buckley,
Michigan.

The cylinder and water jacket were cast in one piece with a
flange for mounting to the crankcase. After bolting together the
mains and cylinder were machined at one time to have perfect
alignment. The igniter was located in the side of the cylinder. The
cylinder head was water-cooled and the automatic intake and
mechanical exhaust valve were located in the head.

Pistons were long and fitted with three rings. Crankshafts were
drop forged, turned and ground. The connecting rods were
‘I’ beam design with bronze wrist pin bearing. A steel
pinion on the crankshaft drove the cast-iron cam gear. The governor
was hit and miss type with flywheel weights operating on a sleeve
to actuate the hook-up of the exhaust valve allowing fresh air to
be drawn into the combustion chamber on the idle stroke. The rpm.
could be changed by adjusting the governor spring when the engine
was shut down.

Standard ignition furnished with these engines was of the
battery and coil style with an igniter. Magneto could be furnished
and mounted on the engine at extra price.

A simple mixing valve with an air intake around the bottom and a
needle valve to adjust the amount of fuel required was standard
equipment.

On the larger engines there was a support built under the large
overhung cylinder.

Associated Gasoline Engines were backed by a factory guarantee
of five years. The engines were given names in their catalog and
the air-cooled small 1? hp. was labeled ‘Busy Boy’ and it
sold for $28.00. The air-cooled 1? hp. was called the ‘Chore
Boy’ and sold for $40.00 and when mounted on a two wheel truck,
sold for $43.50. The water-cooled 1? HP. Chore Boy sold for $40.00
and when mounted on a wheel barrow style truck sold for $46.00. The
‘Hired Man’ was a water-cooled 2? hp. on skids and sold for
$52.00 and mounted on a wheel barrow truck sold for $55.00.

The 4 hp. Farm Hand on skids was priced at $105.00. They built a
6 hp. but no name was available for this size. The 8 hp. Foreman on
a wagon truck was sold at $250.00. 12 hp. Twelve Mule Team on skids
was $340.00 while the same engine on wagon truck was $395.00.

There were various equipment combinations available such as
three sizes of cord wood saw outfits, concrete mixer, power fruit
sprayer with a piston type pump, potato sorter, silo filler, pump
jacks, washing machines and electric light plants.’

The Associated Engine specifications in the 1914 catalog were as
follows:

(SEE CHART B)

From Eldon Bryant of the Broken Kettle Book Service a very nice
catalog of the Rawliegh Manufacturing Co. at Freeport, Illinois
supplies the information for a report on this make of gasoline
engine.

About 1910 W. F. Rawliegh started to build gasoline engines. At
the beginning of his business he established jobbers to distribute
his products, however the volume did not meet with his
expectations, so he changed the policy of the company and arranged
a big advertising program to sell the user direct from the factory.
He cut his prices to meet the competition of the other direct sale
companies like Sears, Montgomery-Ward, Ottawa and Dan Patch.

Freeport, Illinois was a manufacturing city. Such companies as
Stover Mfg. Co. and other companies building windmills, buggies,
carriages, agricultural machinery, livestock remedies and poultry
supplies, put Rawliegh right in the middle of a lot of competition
in his own vicinity. This advertising campaign of selling direct to
the consumer placed him in close contact with the engine users and
with good repair service the company prospered and enjoyed a good
volume of business.

Rawliegh gasoline engines were of the horizontal single
cylinder, four cycle water hopper-cooled machines. These engines
like many others were of the accepted style and were arranged with
a cast-iron sub-base which they called a ‘saddle type
construction.’ This term was coined for the method used to
mount the crankcase, which carried the main bearings on the
sub-base. The cylinder was bolted to the crankcase flange along
each side. On the larger rated units the base was of sufficient
height to allow the flywheels to clear the floor.

The cylinder heads were water-cooled with the exception of the
two small sizes, the 154 and 254 hp. Valves were located in the
cylinder head and the intake was automatic while the exhaust valve
was operated by the side pushrod.

The crankshafts were forged from a solid billet of steel, turned
and ground and the connecting rod was made of malleable iron.

Governors of the flywheel style with weights that spread as the
centrifugal force caused them to move outward, actuated the arm on
the sleeve around the crankshaft to function, by holding up the
detent spring which in turn would cause the exhaust valve to be
held open. This relieved the compression in the combustion chamber
and the loss of power strokes reduced the rpm. No fuel was admitted
at this point and the spark was also cut off. This hit and miss
governor could also be controlled by a speed change lever.

The side pushrod operating from the cam on the timing gear
operated the exhaust valve and igniter. The intake valve was
automatic. Mixing valve of the simplest type made up of a
‘V’ shaped fitting with a needle valve controlled the
amount of fuel required. Fuel tank was located in the sub-base of
the engine.

Rawliegh engines were painted a dark chocolate brown with a wide
deep blue stripe around the side of the water hopper and a decal
with the word ‘The Rawliegh’ on the side of the engine.
There were red stripes on the flywheel spokes about one half inch
wide and also around the side of the flywheel rim. Crankshaft and
pushrod were painted blue. This same deep blue was used on the
engines of the horsedrawn portable rigs, while the steel trucks
were painted orange red with black wheels. Specifications of
Rawliegh engines are as follows:

(SEE CHART C)

These engines could be adapted to operate on kerosene and there
was an additional charge for the special mixing valve.

Cord wood saw rigs were built in sizes ranging from the 4? hp.
to 9 hp. Washing machines and pump jacks were made up in package
units.

On approved credit, the Rawliegh engines and equipment could be
purchased with one third down payment and the balance in one year
on contract.

Also from the Broken Kettle Book Service, a nice catalog on the
Gilson Manufacturing Company of Port Washington, Wisconsin gives
the details of their gasoline engines. This company was founded in
1850 with their main factory in Wisconsin and later another plant
in Ontario, Canada. The early products of the company was
agricultural tools which were changed and modernized and
development of a gasoline engine was put on the market. Various
styles of engines were built in a large number of ratings. Both
gasoline and alcohol could be used as fuel in certain models.

This engine was built by the Weber Gas and Gasoline Engine
Company, Kansas City. Patented 1891, No. 6903. It is a cross over
cam type. I have not had it running yet. It needs a gas tank and a
cooling tank. I need to make a coil for the make-and break ignition
system. I would appreciate someone giving me information about how
this coil is made.

Vertical and horizontal modifications were built in the four
cycle design with either air or water-cooled. Gilson engines were
known in the catalog by styles A-E-D-F-G and K. They advertised a
slogan–‘Goes Like Sixty.’

Air-cooled machines were sold under the style ‘E’. These
were rated J hp. 1? hp. and 2? hp. while a larger 5 hp. air-cooled
machine carried the style of ‘F’. These open crankcase
horizontal engines were single cylinder which was bolted to the
crank end by a flange along each side of the cylinder. The
air-cooling radiating fins were arranged a-round the cylinder and
on the larger size units a belt driven fan was mounted on the side
of the cylinder to force air through and around the cylinder
cooling fins. No fan was furnished on the one horse power
engine.

Bearings were babbitt and the main bearing shells were tilted at
45° towards the cylinder to take the thrust load. Crankshafts were
forged from an open hearth steel, turned and ground to size.
Connecting rods were of the ‘I’ section

style on the smaller rated machines and were forged steel with
separate connecting rod and wrist pin box bearings.

Governors were of the hit and miss type with flywheel weights
connected to a sleeve on the crankshaft to operate the siderod that
held open the exhaust valve to control the rpm. of the engine. The
suction valve was automatic.

Mixing valve was under the cylinder head and was a simple
fitting with a needle valve to control the amount of fuel. Ignition
of the spark plug or high tension type was used with a battery and
coil. The battery box and the gasoline tank were placed on an
extended engine skids ahead of the engine.

A horsedrawn portable 5 hp. air-cooled unit was assembled for
application in cold climates, where freezing was a problem. There
were 1 hp. and 1? hp. air-cooled portable units mounted on iron
wheel hand trucks. Other auxiliary equipment combinations such as
pump jacks, cream separator drives, electric light plants and
engine driven pressure pumps outfits.

(SEE CHART D)

Style ‘F’ Air-Cooled specifications were 5 hp., 300
rpm., 36 in. flywheel diameter, 2 1/8′ dia. crankshaft and
weighted 1300 pounds.

Style ‘D’ horizontal hopper water-cooled model has the
same general design as the Style ‘F’ but is water-cooled.
These engines can be fitted to burn gas. They were skid-mounted and
the specifications were as follows:

(SEE CHART E)

The Gilson Style ‘A’ is a vertical single cylinder with
open crankcase. The cylinder is cast separately and bolted to the
flange at the top of the crankcase. The cylinder and head are cast
in one piece. The crankshaft and main bearings are assembled
through the side opening of the crankcase. Double flywheels were
mounted on extended crankshaft. The timing gear and cam shaft were
assembled to operate from the pinion on the crankshaft and to
operate the exhaust pushrod which was controlled by the hit and
miss governor and was assembled inside the flywheel.

Valves were arranged in the valve cages. The automatic intake
was located in the cylinder head and the mechanical exhaust valve
was in a valve port on the side of the cylinder. Style ‘A’
ratings operated at a normal speed of 425 rpm and delivered 4? hp.
The flywheels were 24′ in diameter and the crank shaft was 1
5/8′, the weight was 850 pounds.

The larger style ‘K’ was a horizontal four cycle, closed
single cylinder, water-cooled machine. The cast-iron sub-base
housed the main fuel tank. The crankcase was open with a cover over
the crank for safety protection. The cylinder was bolted to the
crank-case by a horizontal flange along the side. The cylinder head
was water-cooled, with the automatic intake valve and mechanical
exhaust valve assembled in the head. Double flywheels were used
with the governor weights on the flywheel and which operated the
side rod on the hit and miss system. The rod also operated the
igniter of these larger ratings. A magneto could be supplied at
extra cost. Specifications of the Gilson Style ‘K’ gasoline
engines were as follows:

(SEE CHART F)

The catalog did not list the bore and stroke of the Gilson
engines.

Style ‘G’ is a duplicate of the ‘K’ only with
water hopper cooling, which was made in ratings of 7 and 9 hp.

Combination equipment units were offered in complete saw rigs,
portable pump outfits and other accessories such as magnetos,
friction clutch pullies and trucks.

As 1 write this November-December installment in the middle of
August there is little to inspire the holiday season spirit-except
maybe the old saying–‘Do your Christmas shopping early.’
It would be wise to take heed to this saying at this time as the
stores are not crowded or even busy.

To further take heed of this saying, 1 will apply it in sending
my best wishes for the Holidays and the Happy New Year to all our
readers, and to close this chapter with a thought for next year by
a quotation–‘There is no way to Peace–Peace is the
way’

I have what I believe to be a Gilson engine, one
cylinder, double flywheel pulley drive that is over sixty years old
to my knowledge and still in good running condition. In those
years, if I remember right, Gilson had a motto that went: ‘Goes
like Sixty.’ I think it is either a half or one horsepower.

Back in those days we had a summer home on one
of the nearby lakes and this engine was used to pump lake water up
to a tank on a hill in back of our house. It was used until
electric current became available. It was also loaned to the
Milwaukee Post Office to run their canceling machine during the
Electric Power Company strike. Anyone interested in this same type
of engine, I would be glad to hear from them.