This patent (number 612,675) was awarded to my grandfather. My daughter discovered it while researching our family tree. I am wondering if any were ever built. How would one go about researching this?

Bill Brown, 911 9th North St., New Ulm, MN 56073; (507) 354-6164

We’ve ruled out parlor games and exercise machines but are otherwise stumped by this contraption. Note the foot rests, newly planted trees and clear suggestion that whatever it is, it’s easily operated by ladies. Send answers and theories to the address below.

Farm Collector Editorial,
1503 S.W. 42^nd Street
Topeka, KS 66609
Fax: (785) 274-4385
Email: editor@farmcollector.com 

I’m looking for information on an old groundhog thresher I am restoring. It has been in my family, I think, since the early- to mid-1800s. I am wondering who made it and whether anyone has any information about it. I would greatly appreciate any information about the piece.

Clark O. Smith, 150 S. Main St., Newark Valley, NY 13811; (607) 642-8007

I have been collecting and restoring antique engines since the early ‘70s. Recently at an estate auction I purchased the very small 2-cycle hit-and-miss engine pictured here. I’ve restored it, and it runs very well. The information plate shown has no information on it, but shows a place for TYPE, RPM, HP and MFG BY with the name ground off. Does anyone out there in engine land have one like it, or can anyone give me the manufacturer name and associated information related to the engine? I will greatly appreciate it. Harry Thurston, 7056 Akron Rd., Lockport, NY 14094; (716) 433-5263 

Do any readers recognize this mystery engine? It appears to have been made in the early 1920s, the specifications and features are as follows: It has a bore of 3-3/8 inches and a stroke of 4 inches. It has a cast iron piston with two compression rings. It is air-cooled using a flat belt-driven two-bladed fan mounted to the side of the cylinder (not shown in the photographs). The bracket is visible.

The magneto is an American Swiss. It is lubricated by an external plunger type oil pump that feeds an oil dripper trough (below the connecting rod), and it also feeds the timing cover. It has a spark plug with 7/8 regular reach. The fuel mixer uses a rotating drum instead of a butterfly and incorporates a valve-on-seat setup similar to Lunkenhiemer. It has no identifying marks, except "V2," which is cast into the crankcase mounting foot. Responses can be sent to Gas Engine Magazine or mailed to me. John A. Burgoyne, 106 Stoney Ridge, Azle, TX 76020

These photos show a piece of equipment that I got from a 100-year-old building that my father and grandfather (both dairy farmers) owned before me. I believe that it was used to grind corn into cattle feed and possibly into corn meal. It has no markings, other than “oil weekly” ports. The barrel is 4 feet in diameter and measures 5 feet 3 inches long (total length including gears is approximately 9 feet). It has a door (not shown) that fits into the opening and there are two glass peepholes on one end. It looks like not only the barrel turned, but the mashers inside turned at the same time. It took a large engine to turn it. I am looking for any information on this piece.

Mike Hamner, (901) 483-0961; email: mthamner@gmail.com  

These are photos of two of my favorite collector items. The O-4 McCormick orchard tractor was purchased new by my grandfather Roy Tuttle in 1944. We spent about three years completely restoring it. We had to find most of the sheet metal as Grandpa had taken it all off and I remember taking it to the scrap yard as a kid. We have it well-documented with all the manuals and paperwork.

The sprayer is a Bean “John Bean” Magic No. 10 from what we can tell from the unit itself. The engine is a Witte constant speed. A neighbor bought it at an auction only a few miles from here and brought it to me. I paid him $300, which is what he bought it for. It was in very good condition for the age and the fact it is a fruit tree sprayer. This one was in perfect shape, considering the engine and pump were loose, and only needed cleaning and painting.

The spray tank is made of cypress and had some damage (although it wasn’t rot), so I replaced the bad boards. It leaked pretty bad when I first filled it but then it swelled up and didn’t leak as much. I suspect it dates to the late 1920s or ’30s, but I really don’t know. The pressure gauge had an internal stamped date of 1926. I would be interested in any information anyone has on the sprayer or operator manuals.

Thomas E. Roney, 5717 N – 300W, Greenfield, IN 46140; (317) 326-2278