Vesuvius No. 400 discovered!

Discussion in 'Other Brands' started by Stovost, Mar 11, 2017.

  1. Stovost United States

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    Greetings,

    I'm pleased to share with you a recent discovery I've made! Manufactured by the "Quick Meal Stove Co. Div. of American Stove Co. St. Louis, MO", "The Vesuvius No. 400 Stove". A gigantic 4 Burner! Found in an Antique Shop, in Charlton, MA, U.S.A.

    Not knowing any better, it appears functional, minus the unfortunate replacement of one of the Burner Jets, with a common machine screw, by a P.O. and the 4 Burners missing their Flame Spreaders. Hopefully, replacements can be obtained?

    A preliminary inspection and evaluation has found the Pump Leather, although showing it's age, after an oil treatment, is capable of pumping pressure. At which point, it's been found, that the Check Valve is frozen and is currently in a Penetrating Oil bath, within the Pump.

    Any information on this to my knowledge, yet to be documented GPA here at CCS, will be greatly appreciated. Most notably, if and where the mentioned missing Jet and Flame Spreaders can be found, is of most importance!

    Lastly, can someone tell me age and what the devices purpose was/is? Stove? Heater? Burner?

    Please enjoy the Pics!

    Vesuvius Stove.jpg Vesuvius Stove and Lighter.jpg Vesuvius 400 Plate.jpg Vesuvius Nameplate and Pump Handle View.jpg Vesuvius Pump Handle Quick Meal Stove.jpg Vesuvius Burners.jpg Vesuvius Fount Cap View.jpg
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 12, 2017
  2. Ed Winskill

    Ed Winskill United States Subscriber

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    I think that's the one that went off at Pompeii. I'd stand back when you light it.....
     
  3. mr optimus

    mr optimus United Kingdom Subscriber

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    Hi stovost very nice score, its not often we see a rocket stove with lipstick burner.
    This is a heavy duty stove/furnace used for many purposes in all types of industry
     
  4. OMC

    OMC United States Subscriber

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    Congrats Stovost awesome stove,
    Re your: "Lastly, can someone tell me age..."
    The answer is part magic, seriously, the answer is part of "Magic Chef" [stove] company history, AND I'll leave you to it.

    I will share some things, as I've made an attempt at this in the past. A year range for the "Vesuvius":
    (not earlier than) NET 1917 - NLT 1950 (not later than).

    Where to begin...
    1850? No. Yours does says "Quick Meal... St. Louis" there should be such c1850 stoves out there, as they were made c1850-1880, woohoo! ...BUT not like yours, not at all.
    1881? No. However four men, as they continued their ongoing manufacturing success, in 1881 organized 2 companies: Quick Meal Stove and Ringen Stove... your stove is not that old.
    1901? No, BUT yours is made by Quick Meal a Division of American Stove Co. In 1901, lead by the success of the 2 companies above, 8 stove companies merged under the new parent company American Stove Co..
    1917? maybe. Credit flivver "U.S. patent office states that the American Stove Company started using the name Vesuvius in 1917 for stoves, irons, blow torches etc. I am still looking, but this is all I have found thus far. Mike..." source.
    1919? anomaly. Doug's 1919 ad "Vesuvius ... made by Ringen Stove Co. (a Div. of American Stove Co.)
    1917 & 1919 the anomaly is that, although associated, "Quick Meal Stove Co." is not (yet) specifically mentioned / included. Ringen Stove is mentioned (you might help to better explain the earliest Quick Meal ~ Vesuvius connection for us?).
    1917-1950? YES, In addition I'm comfortable suggesting the Vesuvius Stove production run was likely much closer to 1919 than to 1950 BUT as far as I know we have yet to narrow that range.
    I think this is where you come in :content: . There you go. Better details are bound to arise.
    Last I knew in 1951 American Stove Co. "... changed the entire company name to Magic Chef ( so technically "Amer Stove Co" products could have been made til 1950)." source.
    thx omc
    tag @Stovost @flivver @Doug L @cottage hill bill <-- ...familiar with US camp stove patents.
     
    Last edited: Mar 12, 2017
  5. z1ulike

    z1ulike United States SotM Winner SotY Winner Subscriber

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    I'm so green with envy. I've got incomplete one and two burners around here somewhere but that is truly a thing of beauty.

    Ben
     
  6. janders

    janders Subscriber

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    @OMC
    Does it seem likely that a 1917 design would still be produced in 1950?
    I would guess this is a pre-WWII production, no hard evidence, but the use of copper in the tank is not something I would think survived past WWII.

    Edit: I also have the feel that this design with its big, soft copper tank did not survive for many years - but I'm not familiar with American stoves and the evolution of designs.

    Edit2: I also looked at the other Vesuvius stoves on this site, and the design featured in the 1919 advertisment looks much more modern, although most parts are the same. The tank is brass though - an improvement...

    I might be very, very wrong here though....
     
    Last edited: Mar 12, 2017
  7. Stovost United States

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    Ben,
    Thanks for your appreciation of the find! I'm wondering if you wouldn't be interested in possibly parting with some needed parts from your cache, for the restoration of mine? Burners? Jets? Let me know, please!

    Thanks,
    Steve
     
    Last edited: Mar 12, 2017
  8. presscall

    presscall United Kingdom SotM Winner SotY Winner Subscriber

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    A fine thing indeed.

    When you can @Stovost some burner detail/disassembly photos would be appreciated.

    I see from a single burner example of Doug's (it's his photo I've borrowed) that the jet nipple is of a square section. Is the burner bell a push/taper fit on the burner vapourising tube as with a Primus 96?

    IMG_4440.JPG

    John
     
  9. z1ulike

    z1ulike United States SotM Winner SotY Winner Subscriber

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    I'd rather fix my stoves up then part them out. Sorry.

    Ben
     
  10. Stovost United States

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    I understand, Ben!
     
  11. Stovost United States

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    John,

    I've yet to start the Fettle of this item, short of trying to free up the Check Valve/NRV. From what I can see, the pic you've sent is the exact type pf Jet, that mine has. Also, the Burner Cones, do not appear to be of a "lipstick" type of slip on Vaporizer style. They are quite dirty at this point, but seem to be welded(?) to a length of Iron Pipe, which threads into a length of Brass/Bronze which threads into a Brass Fitting, threaded in the Fount.

    When the Fettle is underway (so many projects ahead of it), I'll be sure to take numerous disassembly pics, for sure! Would a pic of the above description of the Burner and related, be of help now?

    John, can you tell me what the function of this item was/is? Stove? Heater? Burner? Also, there's some confusion to it's age. Can you shed any light on that? One more thing, can you lead me to where I might be able to obtain needed parts, i.e. Jet, Burner, NRV(?), Seals and such?

    Thanks!
    Steve
    "Stovost"
     
  12. presscall

    presscall United Kingdom SotM Winner SotY Winner Subscriber

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    @Stovost
    Thanks for getting backmto me Steve, much appreciated.

    As to the age of this classic, OMC has made a thorough probe into that - he's right to draw a wide berth of the 1950's though. It's surely early 20th Century.

    The purpose of the stove? To heat a large volume of water - in a domestic setting for baths, on a farm for boiling animal feed - that sort of thing.

    @janders) saw this post and my enquiry about the burners and kindly got in touch with some photos of a burner from a project Vesuvius he has. I hope he won't mind me reproducing those pics here to provide a reference in this thread - thanks Janders!

    IMG_4514.JPG

    IMG_4515.JPG

    IMG_4516.JPG


    In respect of spares, there are unlikely to be any available and everything will have to be scratch-built. Constructing a jet, for example, depends firstly on finding a match for the jet threads. I've no idea what they may be - USA/English Whitworth/Swedish? - although an American stove there's been a lot of cross-fertilisation of thread patterns.

    For burner flame plates I'd start by seeing how close a match one from a Primus 100 is. Those are available as reproductions. Failing a match, we've had CCS members who've cast flame plates from an original as a pattern or a wooden pattern could be made up for preparing a mold for sand casting. Others (Doug) have made them up out of brass.

    I don't know what the NRV type is on these. Something for you to explore.

    John
     
  13. janders

    janders Subscriber

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    @Stovost
    The burnerplates from Primus #100 fits very well according to @Doc Mark . I have yet to light my Vesuvius, so I can't tell from my own experience.
     
  14. z1ulike

    z1ulike United States SotM Winner SotY Winner Subscriber

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    @presscall @Stovost

    I took the jet out of my Vesuvius 100 using one of Stu's most excellent NRV removal tools which fit nicely.

    01 taking out.JPG 02 Stu fit.JPG 03 hole.JPG

    The thread count is 32 per inch.

    04 threads per in.JPG

    The thread diameter measured 0.190

    05 diameter.JPG

    Looking it up in my Machinists Handbook the threads appear to be No. 10 UNF. Straight, not tapered.

    06 book.JPG

    Ben
     
  15. Stovost United States

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    Amazing research and information! Thanks so much!!!!

    It being a #10 Thread will help, when I extricate the darn screw from the one missing a jet and subsequently plugged with a screw Burner, that the 400 has! Darn P.O.'s! Wonder why they did that? At least I'm hoping they used a #10 Screw to do it and didn't "F" up the threads?

    Thanks again!
     
  16. Stovost United States

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    Thanks for your reply, as well! The pictured Burner Ass'y, is the exact duplicate to the ones on my 400! Unfortunate to hear of the scarceness of parts though! Looks like this isn't gonna be a quick and easy re-fire!

    Thanks for the explanation of the usage of the 400. It would surely heat up large quantities of liquid and in a hurry I'd venture to guess, as well. What a heat source it must be, INDEED!

    The part search will begin, as soon as this piece of GPA history's turn comes up on my rather large "upcoming projects" list! To be continued.....

    Thanks again, John! You're always such a great help!
     
  17. Stovost United States

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    Thanks, Janders! So very helpful!
     
  18. Stovost United States

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    Janders,

    Can you post a couple pics of yours, so that I might compare it's parts to mine and see what I'm missing and will know what to look for? Have you any experience with what size, thus what type Jet the Vesuvius Burners require, or may be substituted with? Also, what the Flame Spreaders can be substituted with?

    Thanks,
    Steve
     
  19. kerophile

    kerophile United Kingdom SotM Winner Subscriber

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    Hi @Stovost, I am not familiar with the Vesuvius stove but note the comment from @janders that the flame plate intended for a No.100 stove will fit.

    Here is an extract on the dimensions of the flame plate for a Primus No.100 stove, from an earlier post. It should allow you to check against the burner bells on your Vesuvius:

    "If you want to handcraft a flame plate for a No.100 style stove, the dimensions are as follows:

    The overall diameter of the plate (measured tip-to tip of the side supports) is approximately 64mm or 2.5inches.

    The Centre plate has a diameter of 44mm or approx. 1.75inches.

    The thickness is probably not critical, if you are using stainless steel. 0.6mm (or 24 thousands of an inch) is adequate. For brass sheet I would probably double that thickness.

    Before using the above dimensions to fashion a plate, I recommend checking the dimensions of your burner bell. The one I measured had a diameter of 59.3mm or approx 2.36in at the base of the cutouts, where the flame plate supports perch."

    Best Regards,
    Kerophile.
     
  20. Doug L

    Doug L Subscriber

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    In case anyone is interested this photo from 2013 on ebay I believe is the only photo I have seen of the original "131" burner plates.This a two burner, not sure I have seen a four burner before.In my research of early magazines ads I found ads from 1919 and 1920 for this stove.The name Vesuvius seems to have been used in other ways related to the company but not to this stove.

    V 131 plates.JPG

    Home made from cast iron or bronze
    home made flame plate 3 (2).jpg