Robinson Patent Hot Air Engine

This is an original Robinson Patent hot air engine. It was designed by Horace Robinson. It was patented in Great Britain on January 8, 1880 and in the US as #445,904 on February 3, 1891. Arnold Edmond Robinson and Horace Robinson were brothers that patented other hot air engines and even internal combustion engines. I have another one of their patents, a "Victor" vertical hot air engine.
This engine was called a type #4 and has a 4.5" bore, 2.75" stroke, 13" flywheel diameter, and an overall height to the top of flywheel is 20.75". It is tagged as being sold from the W.H. Old and Son, Rumford, St. Issey. This store and engine repair shop is still operating in the town of Rumford, UK.

[@howardosborne8647]

That is a lovely example. Full of old school charm. Are these small scale engines the sort that were used to drive dentist drills in days gone by?

[@HeavyMetalEngines]

I guess this could have been used for that. I have seen advertisements for this style to run ceiling fans, rotating store window displays where the engine sat under the display table, and also a sewing machine.

[@gastractor]

Very Nice!

[@skankingiant]

Love this, just realised St Issy is in Cornwall, my home county! Would love to own from that was from Cornwall, tbf id love to own a bigger hot air engine than my replica jost fan.

[@HeavyMetalEngines]

I looked up the repair shop that this is tagged to and I was surprised to find it is still in operation. I have no idea how it ended up in the USA but I would be open to getting it back to Cornwall.

[@skankingiant]

@@HeavyMetalEngines Having just looked at getting a model Rider to the UK, VAT and Import tax is a killer. I'd be interested to hear what sort of price it would be though...

[@timeflysintheshop]

Where do you find all these gems? How many engines do you have in your collection?

[@HeavyMetalEngines]

I buy from fellow hobbyists and auctions. I'm limited on space in my shop so I only have about 25 engines. Some of them are pretty big and take up as much room as a car. I prefer the more complex and less common stuff. If there is something you are interested in adding to your collection just go to my main channel page and click the "about" where you'll find my email address.

[@mattsalter8902]

Would you have a copy or a link to the January 8, 1880 Patent? I would love to have a read.

[@HeavyMetalEngines]

I do not have a copy of the UK patent but here is a link to the US patent. patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/24/ec/c3/a54f2c3843a87b/US445904.pdf

[@julienmarcinkowski1546]

It looks like a Stirling engine. Is there any difference?

[@HeavyMetalEngines]

Robinson was the first to patent the heat exchanger as part of the displacer. Robinson used steel wool as the heat exchanger material. In Sterling's patents, even the Sterling Dundee patent, he used cast iron plates between the hot and cold chambers as a heat exchanger. Rider also used cast iron plates between chambers.

[@HeavyMetalEngines]

Here is a link to a good cut away of a Robinson Patent engine. You can see the steel wool used as the heat exchanger. collection.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/objects/co61992/robinson-air-engine-1914-hot-air-engines

[@julienmarcinkowski1546]

@@HeavyMetalEngines Thank you very much for the explanations and the link with the cut away to see what's in it. I understand the difference 🙂

[@HeavyMetalEngines]

If you are interested in hot air engines, check out the Hyliion KARNO. It is a modern 3D metal printed linear heat engine with integrated generator. kzbin.info/www/bejne/fZiQg4GGobScaMU@@julienmarcinkowski1546

[@skankingiant]

Found some history on W.H Old & Son. Still think it's mad an engine this old from a tiny hamlet in Cornwall has made it all the way out there. Several generations of the Old family have worked as blacksmiths at Rumford. (William) Henry Old was active from the 1880s and was succeeded by his son, (Ernest) George Old. The family's entry in Kelly's 'Directory' for 1939 reads 'WH Old & Son (EG Old, proprietor), agricultural implement agents, blacksmiths, cycle agents and cattle medicines, Trelawny, Rumford and Treburrick.' The current proprietors [2006] are William Henry (known as Larry) and W Richard Old.

[@HeavyMetalEngines]

Thank you for sharing that great info you’ve researched!

[@skankingiant]

@@HeavyMetalEngines no worries, I'm a fan of engines and my home country. Makes research that bit more enjoyable. Luckily the details were in the national archives.

[@howardosborne8647]

@@skankingiant interesting history👍

[@skankingiant]

@@HeavyMetalEngines does yours have a serial number of the crank disk?

[@HeavyMetalEngines]

@@skankingiant I looked all over and I can not find a serial number.

[@clemtiti1238]

👍