Maytag Twin Cylinder

[Oldmechthings]

Yesterday I posted a picture of Maytag's first engine that came out in about 1914. Shown below is a scale model of the last washing machine engine design that they started producing in 1935. Within about 15 years after that, electricity had reached to most of the rural America, and so the need for gas engines vanished.
It is a twin cylinder, two cycle, and throttle governed. Both cylinders fire at the same time. They were very smooth running engines. It has some unique features. The fuel charge enters the crankcase through a hollow crankshaft which also acts as a rotary valve to keep the charge from escaping. The throttle is a spring loaded weight or plug in one crank disc that obstructs the hole in the crank shaft to limit the fuel charge to control the speed.

Building of this model was similar to the 1914 model. A good friend Doctor Whiting of Heber City was collector of antique things and sort of specialized in Maytag engines. He loaned me one of his engines to measure for the model. And of course as I was pouring castings, a set was poured for him as well.
There were numerous other Maytag engine models produced between the first and last, but I have not yet modeled any of them. I do however have a little car that was built for the kids that is powered by a model #92 Maytag. Perhaps one day I'll post a picture of it.
Birk ;D

 

[1Kenny]

Another fine looking engine, Birk.

There is a guy around here that has a small shop and has restored a couple of washer engines. One he has is an apposed two cylinder that is made by Briggs and looks very close to yours. Do you know if the Maytag and the Briggs were the same?

Kenny

 

[Oldmechthings]

I'm almost sure Maytag and Briggs were not connected. I'm not familiar with an opposed Briggs, but it sounds interesting.
Incidentally, I grew up out on a farm and our family washing machine had a little 5/8hp Briggs for power. It had a rough time getting started in zero weather when the grease in the washer was so cold. About the time I was in Jr High we got electricity, so dad put an electric motor on the washer. I got the Briggs. What a wonderful thing for a boy. I did lots of things with that engine, one of which was fitting it on my bicycle. I had to figure the whole thing out by myself because dad was too busy farming to be any help. Good training!
Birk