Gas, Gasoline & Oil-Engines

by Gardner D Hiscox
reprinted by Lindsay Publications

"A complete and practical work treating on gas, gasoline, kerosene, and crude petroleum oil-engines including producer-gas plants for gas-engine owners, gas engineers, and intending purchasers of gas-engines, fully describing and illustrating the theory, design, construction and management of the explosive motor for stationary, marine and vehicle motor power." (After writing just the title, the author must have been exhausted!)

Today, we don't think much about engines, but in 1910, internal combustion engines were starting to rapidly replace steam engines. The cast iron monsters described were high tech and prospective users needed education. This 18th edition revealed the secrets.

There's not a lot I can say about this book other than it's a classic. It's loaded with photo's, drawings, and engravings of engines, and all the components that go into their construction from ignition systems to valve mechanisms, from clutches to lubrication pumps. You even get off-the-wall info on propellers for marine engines and use of steam engine indicators on IC engines.

You also get a great illustrated chapter on converting coal into producer gas. These are big stationary plants to turn coal into gases that can be burned by an engine.

This is great info for the guy who wants to perfect a small bumper mounted unit for his car so that he can burn wood instead of gasoline. These units may also be adaptable to the production of coke. Don't know. You figure it out.

The last chapter is a great research tool. You get the dates, numbers and inventor names of several thousand engine patents granted between 1875 and 1910. You get NO details however. This can be useful if you're researching the output of a particular inventor, say, Diesel for instance. But beyond that, many of the patents are of little interest. I know having referred to the list to produce the patent books listed elsewhere in this catalog that the list is not complete &endash; close, but not quite complete.And later patents are generally for early automobiles rather than stationary engines. But it's a great list, nonetheless. Great book. A must have for the engine nut. Classic text. Loaded with rare information of all types. Get a copy. 5 1/2 x 8 1/2 softcover 476 pages

No. 22032 ... $19.95