The RIX Engine

Has anyone heard of a RIX, stationary steam engine? The tag reads: THE RIX ENGINE, San Fransisco, Seattle, Los Angeles. I'm trying to find some info for another collector. THANKS!

[Greg Offenback]

I own a Rix engine. It is a single vertical cylinder with a rod behind it that travels up and down as the crankshaft turns. Some of the parts are missing around this rod. I don't know if it was a water pump, air compressor, or just what it was. I will try to get a picture of it and post the picture. That is about all I can tell you. I too would like to know more about this unusual engine. I have not had it running yet, it has just been sitting. The original carburetor is gone, but someone has installed an up draft carb from a tractor, so I have no idea if it even works.

Greg

[Ed Malcom]

I have an original glossy ad book from about 1930 for Le Roi Rix air compressors. The Rix co was from san francisco and according to this they had been working with compressed air since 1878. They were made as big as 600 cfm. The Rix co approached Le Roi in 1926 with the idea of building everything at one location.. There are two pagesabout the companies and the air compressors and the whole thing is 32 pages. This is the ONLY reference i have ever seen or even heard about on these companies. This is a heavy high gloss publication that a friend of mine in the printing business said cost a bunch to produce. Ed the Le Roi man

[Greg Offenback]

Thanks Ed for the reply. The engine I have is probably before the merger with LeRoy. It resembles a one cylinder marine engine. It is a 4 cycle. I will take some pics when I get a chance and post them. The engine is sitting behind some other stuff. You confirm what I was thinking, that it may have been an air compressor, which is missing from the engine.

[Bud Tierney]

Googling Rix Industries San Francisco brings up various hits including one labeled "k.draat.nl etc (Netherlands?). The teaser says "Rix Industries has been manufacturing compressors in the San Francisco Bay area since 1878 when Mr. E A Rix began replacing steam equipment with Rix"...(pdf)
The first time I clicked on it, page one of the pdf file came on, and stuck there. The second time, it not only stuck on page one, but I had to shut off to get out.
I'm not going back in, so I'll never know if that mentioned whether the steam eqpmt included Rix steam engines...