EMPIRE Milking Machine

[Harry]

This summer opens up a new quest for an Empire Milking Machine gas engine. These came with Stover or Fairbanks Morse engines.

So, now that I have some new "hardware" to work with, I'll need to gather up the extras to make a system that looks like my DeLaval units.

http://www.old-engine.com/alpha.htm

http://www.old-engine.com/alpha-vw.htm

Has anyone else entered into this type of antique collecting?

http://www.smokstak.com/forum/search...e%20milking%22

The unit on the left in photo #2 has a cast aluminum pail and seven missing cups. The unit on the right has a tin pail and ALL of the parts are stored inside it. It has EMPIRE embossed on the lid as shown in the center close-up. These units were set up to handle two cows at the same time.

[Skip Landis]

Harry, down the road from me is a vacuum pump for milkers. it's currently run by an electric motor. i'm fairly sure i can get it for the asking. any interest? your price would be the same as mine. skip

[Harry]

Hi Skip,

Is it an Empire? Actually, I'll be looking for the milking pump engine that had the vacuum pump fastened at the rear of the crankshaft and that operates with a piston from the same crank as the engine. These were Stover or Fairbanks, around 1920 vintage, however, the Empire 1930 ad shows a pump on a cart that is most likely electric.

Attachment 40881

[Brian Lynch]

Harry, Here's what you are talking about. I have owned this since 1968. It was my Grandfather's and was used to provide vacuum for his milkers. This one runs and still makes vacuum. It is a Stover CT1 and 1930 by serial number. The serial number of the Empire "end" is 064 The vacuum pump cylinder head is off in the picture. I run it that way because the constant snork snork snork will drive you crazy. Sorta like living next to a frog pond...

[Brian Lynch]

Also- Sandwich made a milker engine. They called thiers "The Pine Tree Milker" or something like that. Another is the Taylor Vacuum Engine. (One of those is up for bid on that auction site) Empire made several different styles. DeLaval used Lauson engines. IHC made lots-O-styles. This was a market sector that sold a great many engines!

[Gary Gruel]

Harry, I have a Pine Tree Milking Engine by Sandwich that is available if you need it. Problem is it is in Ariz. but the weather is getting real good. I do not have much in it so I do not need much for it. I met you at Portland this summer and am standing next to you in the Fri. Picture. Gary

[Harry]

Tying this all together, here is a display that I saw in Canada back in 1995. It must have left an impression upon me. It's a Taylor vacuum engine and the milker is an Empire.

http://www.old-engine.com/empire.htm

[Harry]

So, as you can see by my photo in post #1, I'm missing a few parts. I've got all the mud wasps cleaned out of the pulsator portals and it's in pretty good shape for a 90 year old milker, except that there's only one spigot!

Please be on the lookout for OLD milker shells for me exactly like the one below in photo #1. This machine uses eight of them. (Not to be confused with the newer stainless steel models.) Surely, Wisconsin or New York should be a better hunting ground than Florida for these?

(The older unit's shells are shown in photo #3.)

[Harry]

Digging into the #2 unit, I find that it is apparently much older than the first one. #2 has a tin pail instead of aluminum and the patent is Patent Pending instead of Oct. 4, 1921 as on #1. Also the patent date tags were not placed on the pulsator.

The shell cups are much older in design, these having threaded top caps and different inflation liners. The method of attaching the pulsator to the lid is different too.

The old red rubber hoses had almost totally dissolved themselves, yet the black rubber inflation liners were ok. I've seen this red rubber on old stuff before, like it was a pour on, seal everything, repair method.

Keep in mind that I only tried to milk a cow once in my life and that didn't work out too well. I did grow up around other milk farmers and raw milk and real buttermilk were a way of life in my early years. Now I find these dairy antiques to be interesting and collectible.

[Harry]

After receiving email, the mystery deepens! It seems that we are dealing with machines from two different companies here.

The Empire Milking Machine Company of Rochester, NY

and

The Empire Cream Separator Company of Bloomfield, NJ

More confusion to come...

[Harry]

Here are claws and shells by DeLaval during a similar time period. (1910 to 1920)

A copy of the patent is in attachment form. The date on the patent page doesn't agree with the date embossed on the inflation liner.