What are these?

[MikeA57]

I spent this past weekend up at the North end of the White River in Arkansas at Gaston's Resort on a very nice trout fishing trip sponsored by my company. While eating in their restaurant, I noticed a machine bolted to one of the wood columns. (The whole place is a veritable museum of lots and lots of very cool stuff) But these machines had me stumped. No one in our group could tell me what they were so I asked one of the wait staff about them. He said they were old gas powered washing machines. I found that hard to believe because I couldn't figure out how they possibly worked. Then I noticed that one of them had "Maytag" stamped on the side. So maybe they are? There are several of them hanging there so I took some pictures of them. Here's a link to the folder that they are stored in:
WHAT IS THIS pictures by MikeA57 - Photobucket

So, are they really old washing machines? How did they work? The long tube on photos 1A and 1B is flexible, but then there is a picture of one that has a very short flexible shaft. And what is the foot pedal for???

Thanks!

Mike

 

[Artisan]

Look up "hit and Miss" Maytag motors.

I think I would describe them as a 19th century Briggs and Stratton .

Connect a V belt or a flat belt to it, then run it to maybe a grinder, or a drill etc.

 

[Egon]

The flexible exhaust hose is used for a motor run inside with the exhaust routed outside.

The pedal may have been to start them. The lever may have been to engage the cluch.

In my early youth our family used one for washing clothes.

 

[Pete Judd]

Yup, washing machine motor's. Very popular here before elect. was brought to the farms here in the early 1900's. 2 stroke, mix oil with the gas. Yes that is a kick starter like motorcycles had.

Every year at the county fair here, there will be some in the antique farm section, running, as well other old motors.

 

[TripleR]

We used a gas powered washing machine when I was growing up. We carried water from a hand pump and ran it in a shed outside the house. Before that, mom used a big kettle we heated with wood.

The washer used a kick starter, but I was too small to turn it over fast enough to start it.

 

[Bigfoot62]

Yep, Maytag engines. Not only did they power washing machines, but other small equipment as well. Here's a video of one running an ice cream churn: [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-zKkdnzk6g]Maytag engine running a ice cream churn. - YouTube[/ame]

 

[studor]

Other companies made them as well -- at an auction last year I saw a bunch of them -- some hooked up to small pumps, push type lawnmowers etc. Still work well!

 

[MikeA57]

Very cool! Whoda thunk?!?

Thanks guys!

 

[turnkey4099]

I spent this past weekend up at the North end of the White River in Arkansas at Gaston's Resort on a very nice trout fishing trip sponsored by my company. While eating in their restaurant, I noticed a machine bolted to one of the wood columns. (The whole place is a veritable museum of lots and lots of very cool stuff) But these machines had me stumped. No one in our group could tell me what they were so I asked one of the wait staff about them. He said they were old gas powered washing machines. I found that hard to believe because I couldn't figure out how they possibly worked. Then I noticed that one of them had "Maytag" stamped on the side. So maybe they are? There are several of them hanging there so I took some pictures of them. Here's a link to the folder that they are stored in:
WHAT IS THIS pictures by MikeA57 - Photobucket

So, are they really old washing machines? How did they work? The long tube on photos 1A and 1B is flexible, but then there is a picture of one that has a very short flexible shaft. And what is the foot pedal for???

Thanks!

Mike

The flexible tubes with a ball end are the exhasut pipe, the foot pedal is sthe starter. we had those motors on a washing machine before the REA came through.

A picture of theworking end would be a help on figuring out how that machine worked.

Harry K