Heres one for you lovers of odd engines. My latest addition, an Edwards Motor Company 1.5 / 6hp 2 cycle 2 cyl. engine. Not pretty but very unusual. Built I believe around 1920. It runs on one cyl. on light load with the 2nd cutting in when more power is needed. I have posted pics on my website, if anyone has any more info I would love to hear.
That's a wonderful new toy and will certainly have me reaching for Wendel when I get home! Please illuminate us on how the governing/power control system works.
What an excellent quirky device! Where did it spring from? I've never heard tell of one o' they.
I take it that it goes, it looks like it does. Where can we see it running?
Regards,
Kim Siddorn
Bacon is a friend in the salad bowl of life
The engine has come from a friend in Pensylvania , tried ebay but attracted little interest did not meet reserve, my good fortune. Hopefully will be taking to Dee Valley Show nr Corwen on 12/13th Sept. details on my Club website.
A nice, unusual engine. I have pics of an ignitor fired on about half way down the page at:
-- Patrick M Livingstone Leichhardt NSW
The govenor/ power control is regulated by the brass knob on the end of the crank. This moves the govenor ring you can see in the photos, this is attached to the throttle rods for each cyl. the second one only open when the govenor ring engages. the reed valve stays open on the 2nd cyl so it freewheels until needed. It sounds real strange running like this. The govenor also will bring in the 2nd cyl when engine gets loaded and rpm drops. To display it properly I need to find something for it to drive which will give varying load. Still very much in the learning phase as off course there is no litrature.
I thought the two-cycle bit was a slip of the pen until you mentioned reed valves, still can't quite work it out.
Any well geared down pump jack will give a nice cyclically varying load. Should sound quite - er - interesting with No. 2 chiming in on the lifting stroke. Probably have people crowding round with advice on how to cure the terrible misfire!
Well, the Big Yellow Book doesn't have much to say on the subject save that the engine was only in production for a few years, possibly a victim of its unique design. Am I really going to have to go all the way to Wales to hear it run - how about a sound file on your web site?
Nick Highfield wrote (snip):-
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