History of the Universal Motor Company
Part 1 - The Early Years
In 1895 E. Homer Fahrney, a Chicago industrialist who owned a summer home in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, built and patented a 2 stroke single cylinder inboard marine engine that he used to power the boat he kept on Lake Winnebago near Oshkosh. Soon he built similar engines for several of his friends. The original engine was displayed during the Chicago World's Fair at the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry, formerly called the Julius Rosenwald Museum, 57 Street and Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL.
In 1898 Fahrney joined with two Oshkosh men, Louis J. Monahan and John Termatt, who owned the Termatt & Monahan Company (a partnership they had formed in1892), to manufacture Fahrney’s engine (henceforth referred to as the Model A). Monahan was the president, Termatt the vice-president, and Fahrney the chief stockholder. In 1902 the Termatt & Monahan Company was sold to West Malleable & Grey Iron Company of Milwaukee, Wisconsin (later the Simplicity Engine Company of Port Washington, Wisconsin). In 1903 Termatt and Monahan formed the T & M Company and continued to build Fahrney's engine, as well as larger multi-cylinder two-cycle marine engines ranging in size from 1 to 10 hp. The 2 cylinder models produced 8 hp at 600 rpm.
Fahrney 2 cylinder, 2
stroke engine
thanks to Bob Bisanti & Joe Joyce of Westerbeke
Corporation
Fahrney 2 cylinder, 2
stroke engine nameplate
thanks to Bob Bisanti & Joe Joyce of
Westerbeke Corporation
The engines up to 4 hp were fitted with jump-spark ignition, and the engines larger than that were fitted with make-and-break ignition fitted with the company's own igniter, however jump-spark ignition was also available as an option. The T & M Company is listed as a charter member of the National Association of Engine and Boat Builders, which organized the first New York Boat Show (and the first boat show in the United States) in 1904. Traditionally held in January of each year, T & M / Universal has had an exhibit every year the show has been held. In 1906 T & M began to build engine driven farm lighting plants and pumps, as well as marine engines, which won them (and therefore later the Universal Motor Company) the distinction of producing the first production gasoline engine powered generating sets in the world.
Termatt & Monahan 1 1/2 hp (thanks to www.oldmarineengine.com )
In 1906 Fahrney donated the "Fahrney Trophy" to the Oshkosh Power Boat Club for their annual race, and in 1908 the 40 hp Termatt & Monahan powered Pioneer won the race... the only finisher after 10 hours and 100 miles of racing.
By 1911 T&M were building engines from 2 to 120 hp. The smaller engines were fitted with copper water jackets around the cast iron cylinders, and crankshaft housings made of aluminum. The 1911 4 cylinder model had 36 hp and weighed 550 lb.
Universal (Termatt & Monahan) Model A
Fahrney, Monahan, and Termatt sold the T & M Company in 1910, however in 1912 the same 3 men started the Badger Motor Company and began to manufacture a 4 stroke, 4 cylinder air cooled L head (side valve) engine with a displacement of 1132 cc (65.3 mm bore X 88.9 mm stroke) producing 5.25 kW (7 hp) at 1,000 rpm, and fitted with a magneto ignition (henceforth referred to as the Model B). This engine was originally air cooled, but was converted to water cooling (hopper type) in 1914. Sales of the engine increased rapidly, and in 1913 the company was reorganized and the marine engine division was incorporated as the Universal Motor Company Inc., with a factory located on Ceape St. in Oshkosh.
The T & M Company continued to manufacture stationery engines for farm use, but declared bankruptcy in 1917. The complicated relationship between the T & M Company, the Badger Motor Company, and the Universal Motor Company is unclear. There is a reference to the Universal Manufacturing Company of Oshkosh taking over the Badger Manufacturing Company of Oshkosh in early 1915. In any event, the basic design of the Termatt & Monahan Company / T & M Company / Badger Motor Company / Universal Motor Company Model B motor was passed on to the engines later built by the Universal Motor Company (including the Atomic Four engine released over 30 years later).
Badger Motor Company (later the Universal Motor Company) Model B water cooled version
In 1914 the new Universal Motor Company received a substantial order for the Model B engine from the Wood (or Woods) Company of Chicago, Illinois, for use in the Mobilette automobile which they planned to build in their factory at Harvey, Illinois. (The design and / or production of the Wood's Mobilette were also connected to England and France in some way.). The Mobilette was probably the first cycle car built in the United States. A cycle car is a light, 2-seat automobile with motorcycle wood or wire wheels. Its simple design allowed it to also be sold as a kit, sometimes by mail order, because it could be assembled in any garage or farm workshop. The Mobilette was also being manufactured in England (and France??) by 1913, although before then similar vehicles were already being built in Europe by European automobile manufacturers such as Peugeot and Bugatti. The early European models used a chain, belt, or friction disk drive, however the later American version used a more sophisticated 2-speed sliding gear transmission and a shaft and bevel drive. The suspension design incorporated half-elliptic springs on the front and full-elliptic springs on the rear. The first Model B engines delivered to the Wood factory were air cooled, but late in 1914 Universal began delivering the water-cooled version. The Model B engine was priced at $US150. Production of the Mobilette stopped in 1915 (or possibly 1916 or 1917), although the Wood Company was still in business until 1919. The company was formed in 1899, and built electric cars and power plants as well as automobiles.
1914 Wood's Mobilette cycle car
In 1915 the water cooled Model B engine used in the Wood's Mobilette was redesigned for marine service and designated the Universal Model C.
Universal
Model C marine engine
(from the collection of Alan & Catherine
Merkel - other Model C owners please contact them at
catalan@rivnet.net)
Universal
Model C marine engine
[note that the intake manifold is mounted
upside down to accommodate the non-original down-draft carb)
(from
the collection of Rien de Bruin – Netherlands)
Universal Model C1 marine engine nameplate
In 1916 the Model C was modified to run with a radiator for industrial service, and designated the Universal Model D. It was commonly used to power cement mixers. The Model D engine was also available with a 3 kW or 5 kW DC (direct current) generator. The Model D with 3 kW generator was priced at $US298. In 1917 the United States entered World War I, and over the next 2 years the American government purchased approximately 2,000 Universal generator sets for use by the United States army.
Universal Model D (??) DC generator
In 1919 the Universal Products Company of Sandusky, Ohio advertised a home light plant outfit featuring a water cooled engine and direct connected generator. The controls were semi-automatic, and although the machine had to be started manually it shut down automatically once the batteries were charged.
Around the same time the Universal Machine Company of Toledo, Ohio was manufacturing 4 cycle marine engines under the trade name "Toledo".
In 1920 the Universal Products Company of 428 Nebraska St., Oshkosh, Wisconsin was manufacturing 4 cycle marine engines and generators, including a 1 kW home lighting plant with a single cylinder 2.8 hp engine for $US495 under the trade name "Doman". It featured a direct connected generator, semi-automatic starting, and a centrifugal governor. In 1924 the same company was advertising the "Upco Light", which was powered by a small vertical air-cooled engine and sold for $US249. In September 1927 the United States Motor Corporation of Oshkosh took over the company and began selling engines under the trade name "US Falcon".
The Universal Products Company of Sandusky, Ohio, and the Universal Products Company of Oshkosh, Wisconsin may have been the same company, and one or both may have had some connection to the Universal Motor Company.
UPCO
Light generator
photograph courtesy of Ralph McRae Jr., Leesville,
LA
UPCO Light brochure drawing
By 1923 the Universal Motor Company was manufacturing marine motors, industrial engines, engine driven lighting plants (generators), engine driven pumps, and engine driven electric welders. Universal engines were even being used to open the locks of the Panama Canal.
In 1923 Universal standardized on right hand propeller rotation for their marine engines, except for engines built to use a left hand propeller and designated as such with special model numbers.
The 4 cylinder Model C marine engine first introduced in 1915 was still being produced in 1923... by then designated the model C3. It had a brass water pump running off the back of the camshaft, a brass carburetor, a Dixie magneto with brass covers, Rentz brass top plugs, and was fitted with an "in and out" gearbox.
first Universal Motor Company logo
In 1924 Mr. Termatt became president of the Universal Motor Company and the Universal Model K series of 4 cylinder industrial engines was developed for use in powering generators and pumps.
Universal Model K
(??) 4 KW DC generator
(thanks to Rick Strobel & Corky Harris
- Helena, MT, USA - you can contact Rick at
Richard_Strobel7@msn.com
/ He has more pictures on his "Webshots album
http://community.webshots.com/album/291395326wWDmvi
)
The DC (direct current) generators fitted to the generator sets were changed to AC (alternating current) types, and a new 4 cylinder marine engine designated the Model N was developed to replace the Model C.
Universal used the trade names "Bull Dog" and "Universal" on their engines. There is little information on the Bull Dog models.
