Have you ever heard the name “DeLaVergne” before? Hmmm, probably didn’t think so. No, I’m not confusing that name with Delaval, whose equipment is probably used by many of our readers. They built centrifuges for cream separating, as well as other dairy products. They could make a great topic for an article. But this month we will take a peek into the heavy industry that DeLaVergne built.
DeLaVergne
By 1890, DeLaVergne was a huge firm, located in New York City, manufacturing steam-driven ammonia compressors for refrigeration. They proudly stated their location was at the foot of East 138 St. These engines were used in breweries, ice plants, cold storage facilities and multiple other locations where refrigeration was needed. This all worked very well, but soon there was a cheaper way. Yes, the internal combustion engine was more economical than the steam engine and changes soon happened. Then, these great engines were sadly, soon replaced by the electric motor.
Of this evolution, our article will focus on the internal combustion engine and the model DH DeLaVergne. So lets see one of these engines.
DH DeLaVergne
The DH and its beauty have always stolen my heart. The DH has gracious horizontal lines nicely leading to the upright governor. It was built in the 40- and 60-HP lines. The 60 was later rerated at 65 HP. They were heavy engines with a bore of 12 inches and a stroke of 24 inches. The DH was built for the worst the oil field could give to it. And it did it very well!
Amazingly, some of DeLaVergne’s dynamos are still running in the powerhouse of Hoover Dam!
History
So how did all of this happen? In 1893, John DeLaVergne made a trip to England to explore other power sources. He returned with the license to build the Hornsby-Ackroyd oil engine. Although very fuel-inefficient, this engine started a new era of oil-burning engines. Heavy oils were much safer than gasoline.
The DH was made from about 1917 through 1924. It was an intermediate compression pressure engine of about 280 psi. Frequently, it required heating the plate under the head to start. Three different plates were available to adjust the compression.
Wondering what the designation of DH means? Yep, the designer was Louis Karl Doelling. He eventually became the firm’s president. The designation meant Doelling Horizontal.
Sadly, John DeLaVergne passed away in 1896, and did not witness his developments.
Acquiring a DH engine. After Dr. John Wilcox passed, I acquired his model DH engine to display at Coolspring Power Museum. In the photo I included, the DH engine had just been loaded onto my faithful Fleetstar International for its journey to CPM. Today, it runs happily for all to appreciate.
