This is a c1916 Bowser & Co gasoline pump operated by a wooden hand crank. It was invented bySylvanus Freelove Bowser who is widely recognised as the inventor of the automobile fuel pump.Bowser sold his first pump to the owner of a grocery store in Fort Wayne, Indiana, on September 5, 1885.Less than two decades later, the first purposely built drive-in gasoline service station opened in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
This is very similar to a pump held in the Smithsonian Collection.
I do not know the exact date of manufacture, but similar ones I\'ve found online suggest it could be from c1916.
It was originally installed in the garage of a large old house in New Rochelle, Westchester, NY.
It was used in conjunction with an underground gas storage tank, before gas stations were widely available.Details:
Manufacturer:S. F. Bowser and CompanyFort Wayne, Indiana
Operated by a wooden hand crank using a rack and pinion system.\"Clock face\" shaped dial with numbers let consumer know how much gas had been pumped.
There is a metal band that says:
Underwriters Laboratories Inc.Discharge for hazardous fluidsInstall and maintain this device in accordance with underwriters rulesAvoid spilling or exposure of fluidsNo fire or flame in vicinityNo. 446619
Condition:
The item is in good condition. It was partly restored about 15 years ago. I do not know which parts were restored, but the paint job appears to be fairly new. The plaques detailing the name of the manufacturer and the \"clockface\" dial have faded significantly and are very difficult to read. This will in no doubt be because of the corrosive nature of gasoline that will have splashed onto the pump over the years. However, the main body of the pump is in very good condition. It is obviously a robust piece of engineering.History:
Sylvanus Freelove Bowser (8 August 1854 – 3 October 1938) was an American inventor who is widely credited with inventing the automobile fuel pump. Bowser Avenue in his hometown of Fort Wayne, Indiana is named after him.
Bowser, marketed his patented kerosene pump starting in 1885. The introduction of automobiles, mainly powered by gasoline, led him to develop it into the \"Self-Measuring Gasoline Storage Pump\", launched in 1905.
Bowser\'s invention operated with a manual suction pump, which dispensed the gasoline into the car through a flexible hose. The 50-gallon metal storage tank, housed in a wooden cabinet, could be set up at the curbside in front of a store.
Under the banner of his company, S. F. Bowser & Company, this activity expanded to the measurement and handling of many commercial liquids. Bowser opened branches around the world, and bowser became a generic term for fuel dispensers, then fuel tankers (especially on airfields), then finally for any kind of self-propelled liquid tanker with the ability to dispense direct to consumers.
On Apr-27-15 at 07:33:53 PDT, seller added the following information:
The two Bowser articles in the image gallery are for illustration purposes only. You can easily find them online.
