Larsen 1110 No. 3rdAve. Kelso, Washington 98626.
I enjoy the G. E. M. and especially your column the Smoke
Rings.
I am a collector of small power producers that should be divided
three ways:
First–60 old toy steam engines and hot air engines. Included in
this group are stationary engines, traction engines, road rollers
and hot air engines, also a 16 inch hot air fan.
Second–16 old toy electric motors, all direct current and from
one volt to 6 volts, battery operated.
Third–11 small gas engines rated from one-half horse power to
one horse power. I have the five main models of the Maytag engines
from the first single vertical thru to the latest twin cylinder. I
also have an old Monitor Rotary lawn mower that came out with a
twin cylinder Maytag engine. Then I have an Elgin ‘Hafa
Hors’ No. 15220. This is an upside down engine. The crank case
is above the cylinder. I also have a Johnson Utilimoter No. 12869,
a Briggs Stratton model F. H. No. 19000, a Jacobsen No. Z-l-325-16,
another small air-cooled engine that came out on the Standard cream
separator and also on milking machines of another make. I do not
know who made this engine but I would sure like to know. Can anyone
tell me for sure?
I live on a small lot 40 by 100 feet so you can see that you can
have a large collection of engines on a small space if they are
dwarf size. But with that many engines, large or small, you are
sure to come up with some problems, and here is my BIG problem. It
is an old toy engine, all cast iron, weight about 6 pounds, one
inch bore and two inch stroke, flywheel five and five eighths
inches diameter and nine sixteenths of an inch rim. I think it is a
natural gas engine, not gasoline. The cycle is very odd, two cycle
and non compression. I am inclosing two pictures of the engine, one
of each side. Also a sketch of the cycle as I see it. I will try to
describe this engine and apparent cycle. I say apparent because I
have not been able to make this engine run yet. There is ONE
automatic valve for intake and exhaust, a two-step cam operates the
exhaust, also to open gas valve, open flame for ignition on the
admission part of the cycle by the passing of the piston of a small
opening in the cylinder wall at about half of the stroke leaving
the last half of the stroke for power, the return stroke for
exhaust. I would like to hear from anyone that has ever seen or
knows anything about this type of engine. I have been told that
it’s cycle was devised in 1860 by Etienne Lenoir. It was two
cycle and not very efficient.
I will close now hoping that some of the Gas Gang can come up
with the answers on the engine on the cream separators and milking
machines, also the little natural gas engine.
Toy engine–I need information–Help!
Sketch of parts of the toy engine that I’m hoping I’ll
get information on to help me understand it better.
