The Edwards Motor Co. Of Springfield, Ohio

It is always a delight to spend time looking through issues of
old magazines, particularly those from early in the twentieth
century. One day, while in the ‘library’ at Stemgas (well,
it’s actually a few book shelves in an old warehouse), I came
across this ad for the Edwards Motor Co. of Springfield, Ohio. As
this was an altogether unfamiliar name to me, I went immediately to
Wendel’s American Gas Engines Since 1872, to see what
I could learn.

No wonder I’d not heard the name. Only one model was
produced (with an HP range of 1? to 6), and production continued
for only a few years. The next step was an inquiry addressed to The
Clark County Historical Society in Springfield. Here is what they
were able to add:

‘The Edwards Motor Company was incorporated in 1920 with a
beginning capital stock of $60,000, although the first listing for
the company actually occurred in the 1919 Springfield City
Directory. They listed for the last time in the 1926 city
directory.

‘The factory moved three times, from 330 Bushnell Building
to 504 Mitchell Blvd., to 1076 Kenton Street.

‘The beginning officers were Charles L. Bauer, President, A.
Y. Edwards, Vice President and General Manager, and Clarence M.
Hollenbeck, Secretary-Treasurer.

‘The company was always listed as manufacturing gasoline
engines. It is not clear from the directories if the company closed
or was bought out by The Bauer Brothers Company, which was owned
and operated by Charles L. Bauer and his brothers.’

The Society had one photograph of an Edwards engine from a gas
engines show, but it wasn’t one that would easily reproduce.
They had no other literature, advertisements, or information.

However, the Society did tell me to contact someone from the
Miami Valley Steam Threshers Association, so I went to our
Directory file and looked up Mark Schleppi, Vice President of that
organization. Mark remembers that there was a time when a man in
southern Ohio had a restored Edwards, but he was unable to recall
the name. He was going to search the current engine registration
list of the club, as well, to see whether any Edwards owners might
be on it. Perhaps something will turn up there.

Also, in our files, we had a copy of an Edwards Motor Co. parts
list sent to us by Jake Zilverberg of Atkins, Minnesota, which
provides some explanation of the engine’s unique feature of
operating on one or two cylinders:

‘The Edwards Motor is ‘Several Engines in One.’ If
you had several engines you would learn each one. Two mixture
settings take care of full range. Read carefully and learn how.

‘When stating motor for the first time, set speed changer so
that about 3 or 4 threads are exposed on inside of hand wheel.

‘Before starting, open BOTH needle valves to a few notches
beyond the short mark. Push both air throttles in TIGHT. Pulling
out air throttles gives engine more air. Start the motor. If motor
smokes turn the needle valves to the right one notch at a time
until smoking stops. Smoky exhaust means too much fuel. Popping
back or missing means not enough fuel. If one cylinder is slow in
picking up kerosene, squirt in some priming gasoline.

‘When the air throttles are pushed in, the short mark on
needle valve head (see illustration, but it is not very clear in
the copy) is about the right place to set the needle valves. When
the engine is cold, open needle valve a few notches wider than when
it is hot. Adjust needle valve to the correct position with load on
the engine.

‘For 1? HP Load: Shut off one needle valve
and operate on one cylinder only. Turn speed changer to the left
slowly until the desired speed is reached. If engine misses, turn
on more fuel. Always push in air throttle as far as it will go for
slow speed.

‘For 6 HP Load: Turn speed changer to the
right until only about two threads are exposed on inside of hand
wheel. Start motor with air throttle pushed in tight and with
needle valves opened well beyond both notches. Pull out one air
throttle at a time as far as it will go. If cylinder stops firing,
open needle valve wider. Repeat the same process with the other
cylinder. Put the load on and the motor will steady down to regular
operation. If, after operating a short time, the motor stops, it is
possible that you have the mixture set too lean.

‘You can operate at any speed within the range of the speed
changer. Never turn the speed changer to the right beyond the point
where the parts are flush and no threads are exposed. Always run
with the air throttles pushed in, except when the higher speeds are
used and more power is required.’

We have had a couple of queries on the Edwards Motor Co.,
notably one from Armand DeYoung who wrote in 1993 that he was
compiling a list of owners of the Edwards igniter engines. We tried
to find out how that list had progressed, but hadn’t heard back
at press time.

We hope this article will encourage any owners of Edwards
engines to come forward–send us a picture or two so we can show
our readers who just may not have seen one of these!

We thought it would also be interesting to reprint a copy of the
parts list and its illustration, which comes from the eight page
document sent by Jake Zilverburg:

PARTS LIST

In ordering repair parts, refer carefully to symbols of parts
and give engine number.

Number is stamped on end of crank shaft and on finished surface
under crank case cover.

In these days of varying costs we do not issue a list of prices
for repair parts, and we thus give our customers the benefit of any
reductions. Parcel Post, C. O. D. is common practice and an
economical method. Note if the part desired is contained in an
assembly. If it is, you should return the assembly to us so we can
properly replace the part, unless you are sure you can do this work
satisfactorily yourself. If parts are right and left hand, state
whether for cylinder on governor side (No. 1) or pulley side (No.
2).

Part No. Name of Part