is it a air compressor?

my freind bought out a garage full of stuff .........this was in it whats throwing me off is the gauge..............anyhow its old and cool............any ideas compressor yes/no?

 

Sure looks like one; it looks to be cobbled together from old welding gear.

 

1920s acetylene jet-engine.

 

Was it in H.G. Wells' yard sale? That think looks like it should power a death ray or something.

 

It's not what the pictures are named?

 

looks like a deathtrap !

Replace the air can, and run it i say!

 

Compressed air / acetylene torch?

 

LOL,, makes ya wonder what the other pictures downloaded were when he named the file

 

looks like it makes a mean cup of coffee

 

seems apropos.

 

Mmmm beavr liquer! My first compressor didnt look to much better than that...

 

Ratrod.

 

yard art

 

That devise was to be the leak detector for the Hindenberg. They were going to pick it up on their NEXT trip...

 

I wonder if it is a vacuum pump?

 

By the looks of the motor and other parts of
the 'apparatus', it appears to date from the
'teens or '20's or possibly maybe the 1930's
at the latest. Back then, acetylene gas for
cutting and welding was made 'on-site' by
combining powdered calcium carbide and
water and then collecting the gas and
compressing it. I'll bet that's what this 'thing'
is. Whatever it is, it's both really old and
extremely unique and should probably be
restored and displayed.

Mart3406
=============================

 

Homeland Security see's that and 'yer in a heap of trouble"

 

That things need candy paint, some chrome and pin striping. Would look great next to Moriarity's lawn mower..

 

Interesting. I'd put it in the living room with the rest of my junk.

 

does it have a timer on it?

 

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

 

Wait a minute! It's suddenly come to me!
I checked my older Henway company
archives and I now know *exactly* what it
is. It's a super-ultra-rare 'onboard acetylene
compressor' from a '48 Henway 'Colossus'!
(see attached pics below to view an extremely
rare Henway 'Colossus ad and an excerpt from
an original 1948 Henway parts catalog showing
the actual compressor!) For the 1948 model year
only, Henway offered an optional, patented,
"acetylene-bag" suspension system on their
'top of the line', 6-wheel 'Colossus' models .
This was actually the forerunner and precursor
of the more common "air-bag" suspension
systems adopted by Cadillac and other luxury
auto manufacturers in the late 1950's. The
difference though,was that the Henway system
used toxic and explosive and slightly lighter
than air, acetylene gas, as the working
fluid in the system - instead of plain, boring,
non-explosive, regular air, used later by the
other, albeit, much more humane and safety
conscious, but also, much less adventurous
manufacturers. Unfortunately using toxic and
explosive acetylene gas instead of plain air in
the suspension system, had its drawbacks.
While it was a truly innovative and exciting
idea and years ahead of it's time, it also
proved to be fatally and tragically flawed.
Besides the risk of the toxic acetylene gas
escaping and asphyxiating the driver and
passengers, it made the cars extremely fire
and explosion prone too. So much so in
fact, that the system - and the cars using it
were declared to be 'Class A' explosive
devices by the federal government and banned
after only a handful of cars - out of thousands
actually produced with the option - had been
sold to the general public. After production was
halted, the main Henway Motors plant in Detroit,
as well as all Henway dealers nationwide, were
raided by a joint FBI, BATF and Dept. of
Homeland Security task force - and all cars in
stock found with 'acetylene-bag' suspensions
- as well as all existing parts and components
for the system too, were confiscated and
destroyed. Considering it's extreme rarity
- (your onboard compressor unit may be the
only one to have escaped this vulgar, wanton,
'nandy-pandy -protect us from ourselves'
government orgy of mass destruction and thus,
may be absolutely the very last one in
existence!) - not to mention the added allure
of both its historical notoriety and also its
still current illegality, I think it's probably
worth quite a bit. As to exactly how much you'd
get for it - if you were to, say, put it up on
ebay, I can only speculate, but depending on
the abilities of your legal team, I'll bet you
could easily get at least 5 years and maybe
even more for it!!!!

Mart3406 (Official Henway Motors
Corporate Historian and Archivist)
===========================

 

wow you got talent,,too much time, but talent...that came out pretty good..hey how much does a henway?...........any how did not notice the title so here is the other pic

 

Yes ,it's a compressor, almost looks like a gear drive or a really short belt.Have fun with it.

Jack

 

If it's possible it would be nice to use it as a normal compressor!

 

----------------------------
Yeah......it would be nice and it sure would
come in handy at times, if it could be done.
But unfortunately, I don't think "normal" is
even compressible.

Mart3406
========================
==============================

 

new kinda shovel....

 

My guess is a air compressor . The way the base is cast and how the motor and air pump all mount up it may have been a factory built unit. It is cool. What else is in the garage ?

 

Looks like a speedy four inline compressor rig

 

Sure looks like an acetylene generator to me, as stated above!
Probably pretty rare, museum piece.