‘How Your Hobby Started’

3904-47th Avenue, S., Seattle, Washington 98118

Another inventor and famous American businessman whose name is
presently before us everywhere, was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Pliny
F. Olds of Geneva, Ohio. Ransom Eli Olds, 1964-1950, was among the
men who pioneered the gasoline engine, which when applied to the
horseless carriage, changed the environment of the entire
world.

Ransom’s father, Pliny F. Olds, was a blacksmith. In his
shop, he learned the details of the new harvesting implements as he
repaired them. Ransom’s boyhood experiences focused on the
activities of his father’s trade, and it was evident when he
was only a boy that he had an aptitude for mechanical equipment.
When Ransom was 16, the family moved to Lansing, Michigan, where
his father had a small blacksmith and machine shop. Ransom went to
school and also helped his father repair all kinds of farm
machinery, steam and gasoline engines, as well as marine type
engines on the river.

By the time Ransom was 18 years old, he built his first steam
engine. He had an idea that a vehicle could be powered with a steam
engine and he experimented with this project and by 1891 he
completed and tested one and put it on the market. It was well
accepted and given much publicity in mechanical journals. Steam
power had been more refined at that time, so it was used in his
first horseless carriage, he felt that steam was complicated and he
continued to experiment with an internal combustion engine. When he
was 20 years old, he was successful in building a gasoline engine
and sold his first engine in 1885. Gas and gasoline engines were
still in the experimental stages in their shop and the development
went through different styles and modifications. Several types were
built, both in vertical and horizontal models. After a number of
years of manufacturing of their engines and with experience gained
in building the different versions of the original models, it was
decided to standardize on a horizontal design.

The Swap Meet held July 18 and 19, 1970, at the home of L. B.
Herron, Newell, Iowa, was a lot of fun and many engines and quite a
few seats changed hands. I got six seats I did not have and also
four engines.

We had collectors from South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin,
Nebraska, and of course, Iowa. I am going to have a Swap Meet in
the Spring.

Some of the engines that changed hands were Lindsay Alamo,
Fairbanks Morse Eclipse, Fairbanks Morse, Fuller Johnson, Monitor,
? hp. Associated, Galloway, New Idea, Cushman 4 hp., Fairbanks
Morse Upright, Stickney and a New Holland; plus a great many parts
and magnetos.

I think this was the first Gas Engine and Cast Iron Seat Swap
Meet.

During this period P. F. Olds and Son was in need of additional
finances to carry on their manufacturing. They were successful in
organizing the Olds Motors Works of Lansing, Michigan. Edward W.
Sparrow, Samuel Smith and his son, Angus, formed this company with
Pliny F. Olds as President. Ransom Olds was Secretary and
Treasurer. They had outgrown the factory and Samuel Smith
influenced them to move to Detroit. It was 1899 and it was in the
new factory that they produced the first gasoline engine powered
horseless carriage.

As this business grew, Ransom Olds employed many young men in
the corporation who gained much experience in the factory and went
on to make their mark in the auto industry in later years. Some of
these were H. E. Coffin, engineer, who in later years was one of
the founders of the Hudson Motor Car Company. Ray S. Chapman, also
interested in the Hudson Company, first drove and demonstrated the
curved dash Oldsmobile from Detroit to New York City in nine days
to show that it was a practical means of transportation.

Some of the other young men who helped in the Olds plant were
Walter Morley, who later headed the Aero Car, and Alex Malcomson
who was one of the first Ford Motor Company stockholders. Chas.
Hastings became president of Hupp Motor Car Company. Pat
O’Conner went with Packard and R. B. Jackson joined with E. R.
Thomas Car Company.

When the Olds Motor Works had completed the first car and it was
successfully tested, his board of directors sanctioned a program in
1897 to build a ‘perfect carriage.’ They had the new
factory in Detroit, when in 1901 a fire destroyed many of the
company’s records, plans and the shop. They rebuilt, and when
in production several thousand curved dash Oldsmobiles were made
each year.

During these years and after the disastrous fire in Detroit, the
people of Lansing tried to get the Olds Company to move back, by
offering them land for a new plant, near where the Olds gasoline
engines were being manufactured.

The success of the Oldsmobile had gained an enviable position in
the automobile industry and the attention of the General Motors
Company, who purchased the Olds Company in 1908.

This event precluded any possible relocation of Olds Motor Works
back at Lansing, where the Olds stationary gasoline engines were
being built by Seager Engine Works as the successors of the Olds
Gas Power Company.

This company with several of the Olds engine designs and a much
refined horizontal type of construction established a good
reputation with the performance of the Olds engines. Seager
continued to build Olds engines until about 1908 when the Reliance
Engineering Company headed by C. P. Downey, President, J. W.
Wilford was Treasurer and Manager, and E. C. Shields, Secretary,
took over the manufacture of Olds engines. This organization
continued until 1920 when Rumely bought out the Reliance
Company.

As an inventor, Ransom Olds had several patents recorded in his
name. In 1896 he received patent No. 565,786 together with his
partner, M. F. Bates. This patent covered an improvement for a
valve mechanism to control the supply of vapor and a carbureting
device. This patent was assigned to P. F. Olds and his son, Ransom.
This valve assembly was a fitting that could be attached to a part
on the cylinder of the engine and actuated from a push rod and
eccentric on the crankshaft. The exhaust valve was located in one
end of this fitting and was mechanically operated, while the intake
valve was automatic. The fuel was admitted from a small reservoir
by gravity into the intake valve chamber of this fitting. Located
on top of the valve assembly and about in the middle lengthwise, is
a combustion tube. This incandescent tube fills with fuel vapor by
the compression from the piston and is ignited.

William C. Martin, Hazelwood, Missouri, is adjusting the oiler
on his engine. The engine is a 1922 Witte 3 hp. The engine was at
the American Thresherman Reunion at Pinckneyville this August.

My 18 hp. Fuller Johnson side shaft. Weight 5600 lbs. on the
original cart. I only know of two of these engines.

An unusual governor has a pendulum device located under the
valve push rod mechanism. From a spring arrangement this pendulum
holds open the exhaust valve causing the loss of a power stroke, as
in a hit and miss governor.

Another patent No. 570,263 was granted to him in 1896 covering a
device that was intended to make a ‘combined gas and steam
engine.’ It was a small attachment to permit water to be
admitted with gasoline or vapor into the combustion chamber of the
cylinder of an engine. The heat of the combustion created steam in
the cylinder. Olds claimed this would ‘economize in the use of
gasoline or vapor by absorbing some of the heat to prevent
overheating and at the same time form an excellent lubricating
device for the piston.’ This idea had some merit and was used
by a few manufacturers. After the engines had operated for some
length of time the effect of the water in the combustion space was
learned.

Instead of being an ‘excellent lubricant,’ it was just
the opposite. When steam was created it formed an acid condition in
the cylinder which resulted in very rapid wear of the walls of the
cylinder and the piston, requiring expensive repairs.

According to the detailed drawing of the valve and governor
arrangement covered by patent No. 565,786 it is apparent that all
of the engineers, who designed Olds Model ‘A’ and later
engines, considered the idea of both exhaust and intake valves
located in a unit to be an outstanding feature. They changed the
late model engine valve arrangement from the horizontal fitting to
a vertical position, one above the other, but otherwise about the
same idea. The entire design of the Olds and Rumely-Olds engines
were different in construction than their competitors. The assembly
of the crankbed with the sub-base, and then with separate cylinder
liner, water jacket or hopper, valve cages and mixing valve made a
rather extensive job of assembling. Many gaskets were required,
which also created an alignment problem, that might have been off
set by the possibility of replaceable main wearing parts of the
engine.

If a cylinder or piston wore out, they could be replaced. An
engine then would be like a new machine when it had been
overhauled. The only exception was the small size 1? hp. Type A
which was a unit casting all in one piece. In later years Reliance
Engineering Company changed the cylinder design incorporating the
cylinder liner with a cast-on water jacket, thus eliminating two of
the water gaskets in the engine assembly.

Many engine builders endeavored to overcome the possibility of
damage from freezing, in the design of these stationary type
gasoline engines. Olds had a rather unique design by employing what
they called ‘break plates.’ A plate was placed on an
opening in the bottom of the cylinder that was a thin casting that
would break first if water was left in the engine in freezing
weather. There was also another ‘break plate’ on top of the
water jacket on an enclosed cylinder type of engine. Then Olds also
offered an air-cooled 3 hp. Type ‘AA’ unit when these
engines were being built by Seager Engine Works.

Pictured is Charles Conklin, Canal Winchester, Ohio, and his
very unusual 1 hp. Mogul, Jr. There were several Moguls at the
Tri-State meet at Portland, Indiana, but none of them had a water
hopper like this one.

A number of engine combinations were offered for specialized
applications, such as a hand truck mounted type A hopper-cooled
unit. There was a Venturi carburetor to adapt the engines to burn
gas for fuel. A concrete mixer of somewhat unusual design mounted
on a long hand truck, and truck mounted orchard sprayer with the
Type A engines were available. A gear driven hoist with a 6A engine
all mounted on a cast iron sub-base made a compact unit for
contractors, as well as a high pressure piston pump and various
models of portable units on horsedrawn trucks. For the grain grower
there was a Champion Harvester with a Type A engine.

When the horseless carriage was being developed a horizontal
single cylinder lightweight engine was designed that developed 5
hp. at 500 R.P.M. that would propel the curved dash car at 20
m.p.h. These were built in large quantities for the Oldsmobile by
Henry M. Leland. Drodge Bros, built the transmissions. The
Oldsmobile was the first car built in this country to be driven
across the United States.

Ransom Olds had many ‘irons in the fire.’ In 1905
another patent No. 792,158 was issued to him which covered ‘a
vaporizing device for explosive engines.’ This was another
method or model of a carburetor. It was assigned to the Olds Motor
Works.

One of the most unusual engines at the Tri-State meet at
Portland, Indiana, was this 5 hp. Richmond Standard serial number
1667. I would hate to guess the weight of this engine.

Standing by his 1924 Ottawa 4 hp. log saw is Zane Prifogle,
Cannersville, Indiana. This is one of several engines that he
brought with him to Portland in August.

Here is a 6 hp. IHC Famous engine. It was laying on its side in
a pasture and is a little rough but all there. The man I bought it
from bought it second hand in 1921. The five muscle men who helped
me load it from left to right are: Jim Renander, Clarinda, Iowa;
Norman Mier, R. R., Clarinda, Iowa; Scotty Kurtz, Oregon, Missouri;
Mike Kurtz, Industrial Arts Teacher at Clarinda, Iowa, and Emmett
Kurtz, Oregon, Missouri.

Here is a picture of my six horse Novo which I have just
purchased and is yet to be restored. I am a junior collector and so
far I have seven engines. I enjoy your GEM very much. Keep up the
good work.

In the stationary engine catalogs collected by Roger Kriebler of
Mainland, Pennsylvania, and Tom Graves of Tigard, Oregon, much
helpful historical information on the Olds engines has been
obtained. Charles Bibler of Findlay, Ohio, has also contributed
much information in the preparation of this Olds story. From these
catalogs the following engine specifications of the Olds Motor
Works Type A are available:

In addition to these units, they built a large engine for power
plant installatior with a rating of 300 hp.

The Seager Engine Works offered the following units of Olds Type
A engines in their catalog about 1908:

The Reliance Engineering Company Catalog of 1916 offered
additions to the range of sizes and mechanical changes in the
construction of the Olds engines. Instead of a separate cylinder
liner with the water jacket bolted on, they cast the cylinder with
the water jacket as one part. The valve cages were opposed top and
bottom with valve lock rod on the intake valve that ‘presses up
against the spring stiffening it so it cannot teeter and allow
gasoline to be wasted.’ The cylinder head is not removable as
the cylinder and head are in one piece. The cast iron sub-base was
the main fuel tank. Ignition was a battery system, and a magneto
could be had for an additional price. The following sizes were
offered in the Type A modifications.

Olds Type ‘B’ engines were built in larger sizes with
throttling governor, with closed water jacket. They were available
in the following sizes:

The 65 hp. is a 4 cylinder horizontal unit. They also offered a
Type ‘G’ engine which is similar to the above engines, with
the exception of the modification of the valve arrangement which
was assembled on the side of the cylinder near the head and
operated direct from a push rod off of an eccentric on the
crankshaft. They were as follows:

There was no mention in any of the Olds catalogs and Repair
Parts Books of the bore and stroke of their engines. No dates
appeared on their literature, so the dates given are as near
correct as could be ascertained.

As previously stated the Rumely Company purchased the Reliance
Engineering Company in 1921 and continued to manufacture the Olds
gasoline engines. They made no major changes in design and offered
the same size of engines as the previous builders of Olds
engines.

Mr. Charles E. Bibler of Findlay, Ohio, has given the G.E.M.
readers the specifications of the Rumely-Olds engines in the
Jan.-Feb. 1970 issue, which well covers these units and rounds out
the history of these famous old gasoline engines.

Crescent Iron Works located at Front and Franklin Streets in
Elizabethport, New York, manufactured the Crescent Oil Engines in
1905. Samuel L. Moore and Sons Corporation at 26 Cortland St., New
York City, were the representatives, with Carl D. Bradely,
President, and Joseph H. Blanchard, Secretary and Treasurer.

According to the Crescent Oil Engine Catalog No. 1, published in
1906, offered a two cycle vertical oil engine in single and two
cylinder machines. Their advertising stressed the economy by their
slogan — ‘We burn our oil — not waste it.’ They claimed
to get from 8? to 9 horsepower hours from a gallon of fuel
burned.

These vertical engines had a heavy cast iron base, which was
utilized for a fuel tank. The engines would burn either kerosene or
distillate, which in those days cost about 4? cents per gallon. An
injection pump was located on the governor side of the crankshaft,
and a spring loaded centrifugal governor controlled the speed and
the fuel injector pump. A drip oiler was located on the side of the
cylinder for lubricating the cylinder and bearings. These engines
were a type of semi-diesels, as they were started by heating an
ignition tube in the head with a blow torch and then they would
continue to run from the heat of combustion. Even back in those
days the matter of economy was foremost in the engine builders
policy and it was this type of engine that started the trend to
high compression engines.

Crescent offered one and two cylinder stationary power units.
Being of the vertical type they were equipped with a flywheel on
each end of the crankshaft. The air intake was through the
crankcase of this two part type of two cycle engine.

Various models of combination units were built and the directly
connected centrifugal pump outfit made a nice compact machine. Also
directly connected engine and electric generators were built from 5
to 25 hp. which in those days were rated in the number of 55 watt
15 candle power lamps the outfit would supply. They guaranteed
these plants would furnish electric lights that would not flicker.
This required good constant speed.

Originally these engines were manufactured by Universal Kerosene
Engine Company of New York. Samuel Moore Corporation were
engineers, machinists and founders at No. 10 First Street in New
York City. The specifications of the power and generating sizes
that were available are as follows:

Standard equipment furnished with the engines included a
muffler, pulley, wrenches and starting blow torch, with complete
operating instructions.

A marine adaptation of these engines were built in a low
crankcase type with a built-in rotary water pump for cooling, a
sight feed oiler to all bearings, injection pump mounted on the
front main bearing and with a marine type flywheel. Marine thrust
bearing and reverse clutch were also available on special equipment
orders. The specifications were as follows:

Regular standard accessories were supplied and the propeller,
shafting and fittings could be supplied on special order.

In Evansville, Wisconsin, the Baker Manufacturing Company built
a line of gasoline engines as early as 1900 that were known as the
Monitor Gasoline Engines.

Through the courtesy of Tom Graves from his Monitor Catalog No.
51E, he supplies the details of these engines. These were of the
vertical single cylinder four cycle type and also built in a
horizontal unit of approximately the same size. A complete
selection of auxiliary equipment was offered including a small 2
hp. pump jack, wood saws, concrete mixer and a diaphragm pump.

The small 2 hp. vertical engine was built with the cylinder and
top part of the crankcase cast in one piece with a hand hole to get
at the hinged type connecting rod bearings. The cylinder water
cooling jacket was of a special design to allow for freezing
without breaking the casting. The shape allowed for the expansion
in freezing weather. The valves were fitted in cages and bolted to
the cylinder head to make an ‘L’ head engine and operated
from the camshaft. A splash lubricating system oiled the crank and
wrist pin as well as the cylinder and piston. The ignitiom system
consisted of a battery and coil. The governor was a hit and miss
unit. A Dixie Magneto could be supplied at extra cost.

The horizontal version of this make of engines were built in 3-5
and 8 hp. sizes. One engine feature of the design was the location
of the crankshaft which was set lower than the center line of the
wrist pin of the piston. They claimed the angle of the relationship
between these two points of the power transmission reduced the the
wear on the cylinder and piston.

The valves were assembled in separate removable cages, with an
automatic intake and mechanically operated exhaust valve. The
governor was of the hit and miss type. The specifications of these
Monitor Engines were as follows:

Fuel tanks supplied with engines had the following capacities:
1? hp.-1? Gals.; 2 hp.-l 3/4 Gals.; 3 hp.-2 Gals.; 4 hp.-3? Gals.;
5 hp.-5 Gals.; 7 hp.-5 Gals.; 8 hp.-6? Gals. Complete wood saw
outfits were offered in the catalog with horizontal 5, 7 and 8 hp.
engines on steel horsedrawn trucks. Monitor feed grinders and wagon
elevators or loaders were available. Pulleys were listed for all
engines.

Lansing, Michigan, not only witnessed the development of the
Olds gasoline engines, but it was also the home of the Novo Engine
Company.

In the 1916 Novo Catalog No. 816, a complete description of the
line of engines manufactured, were shown together with the company
policy, under the direction of Clarence E. Bement, Secretary and
General Manager, who stressed their slogan as ‘Our desire is to
sell our product by rendering service.’

The Novo management catered to and specialized in general
contractors requirements for engine driven hoists, air compressors,
diaphragm, triplex and centrifugal pumps, as well as deep well
heads and pump jacks.

The engines were all vertical single and two cylinder units.
Their selling pitch was a description of a vertical cylinder and
piston which have longer life than a horizontal piston dragging on
the cylinder wall. Commenting on this theory of a vertical engine,
it is somewhat evident that good long service was available from a
horizontal engine because of the greater number of this style in
the small and medium size units that were sold as compared with the
vertical type.

The Novo was an ‘L’ head engine with the top of the head
of the cylinder up in the water jacket hopper. A plug was screwed
into the only opening in the head of the cylinder. The lower
crank-case and base had the babbitted lower half main bearings and
replaceable top half and caps. The upper casting was the cylinder
and the water jacket. A splash lubricating oil system supplied the
cylinder, piston and main bearings. The timing gears ran in the
open, and a fuel pump supplied the bowl type carburetor which was
mounted on the intake suction opening on the side of the cylinder
opposite the exhaust outlet, which was fitted with a round exhaust
silencer.

The valves were fitted in valve cages. The exhaust valve was
mechanical and operated from a push rod, while the intake valve was
automatic spring loaded. A hit and miss governor was used with a
battery and coil ignition as standard equipment. A magneto could be
fitted at an added price.

The water jacket hopper was so designed that it was guaranteed
by the company not to break or damage the engine in case of
freezing. The specifications offered by Novo in the 1916 Catalog
were as follows:

The 12 and 15 hp. engines were two cylinder units. The vertical
engines took up less floor space than the horizontal machines and
for that reason many were used on portable equipment. The wide
range of sizes made them easily adaptable to all kinds of
equipment.

It was a popular engine, that was sold by dealers in many
states, so they are quite readily found today discarded and in a
condition which makes it possible for many collectors to include
this make of engine in their collections of restored and operating
displays.