I've been doing a lot of research on my family, most of whom died before
I was old enough to remember them. Some recent breakthroughs revealed my
grandfather opened a machine shop in 1909 on Aliso Street just east of
Los Angeles. He invested a large sum of money along with some other
folks in a project to develop a rotary engine for cars. The project
failed and everyone lost heavily.

That's about all I know. I frankly hold little hope of learning any
details about this engine, but I'm hoping perhaps someone might know
something about this, or know of some repository of failed engine
development projects. This of course, assumes there was some published
info on this engine.

My original request pinging folks in Ridgecrest resulted ultimately in
meeting with some folks that knew my father and grandfather and is where
I got the lead on this engine. Hoping the vast r.c.m. network will come
through again!

Thanks all,

Jon Anderson

You could try a post on uk.rec.engines.stationary
They are a UK group but have interests in all sorts of engines. There are
also some US contributors.

John

"Jon Anderson" wrote in message
...
I've been doing a lot of research on my family, most of whom died before
I was old enough to remember them. Some recent breakthroughs revealed my
grandfather opened a machine shop in 1909 on Aliso Street just east of
Los Angeles. He invested a large sum of money along with some other
folks in a project to develop a rotary engine for cars. The project
failed and everyone lost heavily.

That's about all I know. I frankly hold little hope of learning any
details about this engine, but I'm hoping perhaps someone might know
something about this, or know of some repository of failed engine
development projects. This of course, assumes there was some published
info on this engine.

My original request pinging folks in Ridgecrest resulted ultimately in
meeting with some folks that knew my father and grandfather and is where
I got the lead on this engine. Hoping the vast r.c.m. network will come
through again!

Thanks all,

Jon Anderson

Jon,

Here is the URL for a museum in Vista California. It specializes in antique
gas and steam engines. The focus is farm life and technology at he turn of
the 20th century.

http://agsem.com/


I would contact them. They may have archives. I know they have
knowledgeable old coots (tm) ;)

Good luck in your search,

Erich


"Jon Anderson" wrote in message
...
I've been doing a lot of research on my family, most of whom died before
I was old enough to remember them. Some recent breakthroughs revealed my
grandfather opened a machine shop in 1909 on Aliso Street just east of
Los Angeles. He invested a large sum of money along with some other
folks in a project to develop a rotary engine for cars. The project
failed and everyone lost heavily.

That's about all I know. I frankly hold little hope of learning any
details about this engine, but I'm hoping perhaps someone might know
something about this, or know of some repository of failed engine
development projects. This of course, assumes there was some published
info on this engine.

My original request pinging folks in Ridgecrest resulted ultimately in
meeting with some folks that knew my father and grandfather and is where
I got the lead on this engine. Hoping the vast r.c.m. network will come
through again!

Thanks all,

Jon Anderson

That's about all I know. I frankly hold little hope of learning any
details about this engine, but I'm hoping perhaps someone might know
something about this, or know of some repository of failed engine
development projects.

Check the online site of the U.S. Patent office. ???USPTO.gov???
If a patent was issued for anything about this engine it would be posted there.
Dennis

Jon Anderson wrote in message ...
I've been doing a lot of research on my family, most of whom died before
I was old enough to remember them. Some recent breakthroughs revealed my
grandfather opened a machine shop in 1909 on Aliso Street just east of
Los Angeles. He invested a large sum of money along with some other
folks in a project to develop a rotary engine for cars. The project
failed and everyone lost heavily.

That's about all I know. I frankly hold little hope of learning any
details about this engine, but I'm hoping perhaps someone might know
something about this, or know of some repository of failed engine
development projects. This of course, assumes there was some published
info on this engine.

My original request pinging folks in Ridgecrest resulted ultimately in
meeting with some folks that knew my father and grandfather and is where
I got the lead on this engine. Hoping the vast r.c.m. network will come
through again!

Thanks all,

Jon Anderson

I've seen a lot of failed rotary engine designs in various books,
there's one British book in the local library on unusual engine
designs, printed in the '50s, IIRC. If you're really motivated, you
could search the city/county/state business records for the period,
usually a corporation gets formed if there's investors. Without a
name to look up, you've got nothing.
You can also search the USPO site for engine patents in whatever
period you think it occurred, that might give you some leads.

Stan

(Gunluvver2) writes:

Jon Anderson writes:

I've been doing a lot of research on my family, most of whom died before
I was old enough to remember them. Some recent breakthroughs revealed my
grandfather opened a machine shop in 1909 on Aliso Street just east of
Los Angeles. He invested a large sum of money along with some other
folks in a project to develop a rotary engine for cars. The project
failed and everyone lost heavily.

That's about all I know. I frankly hold little hope of learning any
details about this engine, but I'm hoping perhaps someone might know
something about this, or know of some repository of failed engine
development projects. This of course, assumes there was some published
info on this engine.

My original request pinging folks in Ridgecrest resulted ultimately in
meeting with some folks that knew my father and grandfather and is where
I got the lead on this engine. Hoping the vast r.c.m. network will come
through again!

Thanks all,

Jon Anderson

Check the online site of the U.S. Patent office. ???USPTO.gov???
If a patent was issued for anything about this engine it would be posted
there.
Dennis

Patents issued from 1790 through 1975 are searchable only by the 'Patent
Number' and 'Current US Classification' fields. The O.P.'s patent application
would've been filed around 1909, so he'd be restricted to searching using these
two fields, if he has them.

Scotty

*** This reply was processed using all-natural ingredients ***

Scotty wrote:

so he'd be restricted to searching using these
two fields, if he has them.

Which I don't, though I can probably determine what the classification
for rotary engines is by trial and error searches.
He was granted a patent for a spring compressor, but I learned about
that from my cousin who just found the patent in a collection of family
pictures, and was able to look it up under the patent number.

Books are a possible source of info, but the best chance I think, is
finding folks in SoCal that are into that sort of historical
info/trivia. Also trying to locate historical business records for the
period. Since he owned a machine shop, he was probably making at least
some of the parts there. Learning the name of the business might help
dig up some clues.

Thanks all,

Jon

Jon Anderson writes:

Scotty wrote:

so he'd be restricted to searching using these
two fields, if he has them.

Which I don't, though I can probably determine what the classification
for rotary engines is by trial and error searches.
He was granted a patent for a spring compressor, but I learned about
that from my cousin who just found the patent in a collection of family
pictures, and was able to look it up under the patent number.

Books are a possible source of info, but the best chance I think, is
finding folks in SoCal that are into that sort of historical
info/trivia. Also trying to locate historical business records for the
period. Since he owned a machine shop, he was probably making at least
some of the parts there. Learning the name of the business might help
dig up some clues.

Thanks all,

Jon

Wow! That's some pretty slim leads! I think I'd start with the local historical
society and the chamber of commerce for the area or suburb where his shop was
located.

Did he have a trademark? If so, the trademark database at the U.S. Patent
Office web site is a lot easier to search than the patent database, and lists
lots of stuff about the individuals who registered the trademark. Go to
http://www.uspto.gov and select "Search" under the "Trademarks." Select the
"New User Search (Basic)" option and follow the instructions. It's real easy.

Have you tried the local library? I collect old mechanics' tools and have found
tons of stuff about them and the manufacturers in the reference room of ours.

And here's a somewhat desperate shot: ignore the caveat about search
restrictions on the patent database and go ahead and try the search, anyway.
When you get to http://www.uspto.gov, select "Search" under the "Patents" (left
hand side of the page). On the Search page, select "Advanced Search." At the
bottom of the Advanced Search page are all the fields you can specify in your
search, and if you click on the field name, it'll give you a description of
what they are. Try something like "TTL/(ROTARY AND ENGINE)" or some such,
select "1790 to Present," and see what you get.

Good luck, my friend.

Scotty

*** This reply was written using 100% recycled words ***

the peterson automotive museum is on wilshire and fairfax - they would be
one place to look. also the musuem of natual history will have some
suggestions at least.
"Jon Anderson" wrote in message
...
I've been doing a lot of research on my family, most of whom died before
I was old enough to remember them. Some recent breakthroughs revealed my
grandfather opened a machine shop in 1909 on Aliso Street just east of
Los Angeles. He invested a large sum of money along with some other
folks in a project to develop a rotary engine for cars. The project
failed and everyone lost heavily.

That's about all I know. I frankly hold little hope of learning any
details about this engine, but I'm hoping perhaps someone might know
something about this, or know of some repository of failed engine
development projects. This of course, assumes there was some published
info on this engine.

My original request pinging folks in Ridgecrest resulted ultimately in
meeting with some folks that knew my father and grandfather and is where
I got the lead on this engine. Hoping the vast r.c.m. network will come
through again!

Thanks all,

Jon Anderson

Scotty wrote:

Wow! That's some pretty slim leads! I think I'd start with the
local historical society and the chamber of commerce for the area
or suburb where his shop was located.

Well things are moving pretty swiftly really. 4 months ago all I knew
about my grandfather was he owned a mine and homestead on what's now the
China Lake test range. Not even a picture.
Since then, I've learned there's a dry lake bed and a street in
Ridgecrest named for him, he's credited with saving the lives of a
couple folks over several years, he owned a machine shop (as do I!),
held a patent, have come up with some pictures, and met with the nephew
of the folks that employed him nearly 100 years ago.
I'm a pretty decent researcher, and the internet is a gold mine for
tracking things down, as are the many good people that inhabit it,
several of which have provided crucial breakthroughs.

If there's any record of the engine on the west coast, I'll bet I find
it eventually.

Thanks,

Jon