A review of the WEDGEs I have adds "nothing new". I try to keep up. Credit is due the many members who have already contributed on topic (Sam, Brad, Arch & Steve-baja to name but a few ), thank you. Some observations re all WEDGE models: > PW burner asm made with form-fit sheet metal pieces assembled together and1 piece of cast iron (the elbow). Both burners are 2 7/8" wide, set 9" apart center to center. > 11 1/4 x 3" steel tank > grate is 16 x 10 1/2" (of 3/16 rod) > weight: 10 1/2 lbs / 4.75 kilo (they're heavy) > closed case is 18 x 11 1/8 x *4 5/8" hinge side (*wedge front is 2”) -------------------- I post this collaborative effort with fellow stovies attempting a better understanding or clarification re the timeline for PW's Preway WEDGE models. I encourage any contributions, corrections or comments. Today or years from now, please do. 401, seems to me an early / earliest WEDGE and we know PW's patent for wedge was filed / granted 1941/42. Also, not sure who to credit but the comments, paraphrasing: P4521 came out in 1945 and P4821 came out in 1948, this does have merit from what we see. all are welcome to participate, I suggest, and will start with, a list of WEDGE models. I "think" list is complete and in sequence but i've not confirmed it: 401 gold tank c1941/42 -to- ? (btw the case is lighter green than later WEDGE models) P 4521 gold tank c1945/47 (45/47 per Trevor comment , and others re "1945") P 4521 brown tank … c1946/47? P 4521A brown tank … c194x ?? P 4821 brown tank (1948-on to????, wtspe suggests 4821 came out in '48 source ) -------------------- @Haggis it was your recent 4521 inquiry Q. "Does anyone here have a general idea of when it might have been made?" is what prompted this thread. @Majicwrench A. I'm here : ) , from what we see (& barring mistakes) your P4521 gold tank was made c1945/46. I welcome corrections. ---------------- fwiw print code on 4821 Instructions: … 20M-10-48-?? here thx omc tags @shagratork @BradB @ArchMc @wtspe
at the time I posted above: "401, seems to me an early / earliest WEDGE and we know PW's patent for wedge was filed / granted 1941/42" I could have credited sam idahostoveguy link for getting the ball rolling in 2013 re wedge US patent 2,302,880. Credit to @cottage hill bill for most recent comment providing details that there are 3 related patents: "Patent 2,302,880 filed 1/13/1941 issued 11/24/1942 - earliest wedge patent I've found. Likely the 401? Patent 2,373,492 filed 1/13/1942 issued 4/10/1945 - in the text of this patent is "This application is a division of applicant's copending applications 374,214 and 2,302,880. 374,214 is apparently the application serial number. A third patent 2,403,823 filed 1/13/1941 issued 7/9/1946 refers to all three of the patents above." and Having reviewed those patent details (thank you) there is yet another patent question I ponder, in plain sight , on "all of the above" models: the > 401 label ... … through to the 4821 label it says on right on many PW labels " PAT. NO. 123,421. " I very much appreciate and agree with all that chb posted on topic. I defer to him and others re patent research. My own limited ability has come up empty re 123,421 Above is said: ...374,214 is apparently the application serial number … does that maybe give a hint re 123, 421 also? Myself, re 123,421 I'm stumped. thx omc
D123421 is a design patent filed by PW September 1940. It appears to be the application to patent the wedge shape. Patent 123421 is a patent for bungs issued in 1872.
Will you look at that.. absolutely excellent! Stating the obvious we see 4 related patents all 4 to your credit chb... that's quite a skill you have. Your input fills in the blanks time and time again, thank you. It also back dates WEDGE details to September 1940, my something new learned today. Good stuff! I gotta run, thx again omc tag @cottage hill bill
I am adding information on the 8 models/variations of the Preway Wedge stove. There could be more, but this is what I have discovered. I have these stoves in my possession. Basically, this is a bunch of photos and some descriptions of changes. I was planning to create a new post, but since this one is already on the same subject, I'll just add to it, even though the previous post was in 2019. I would add P4521-A and P4821R to the title, if I could. I have no dates of manufacture for any of these, but I do have a guess for the 401. Note that the order is my opinion based on my observations which will be shown below. The first stove shown here is the 401. I believe that this is the first stove of the Wedge series. In fact, I think it's possible that this model was produced right at the beginning of WWII. If you compare the case latch, windscreen tabs and fuel tank cap, to the early 1940s patents, this is the most similar stove. The stove is light green of the same shade as pre-war Preway lanterns (I have two of these for comparison). Other notes, the EMD locomotive image on the label, no model number stamped in the grate support, no prefix letter in the model number and the sheet metal is much lighter than all other models/versions. Prior to the arrival of post war stoves Preway did not use a letter prefix in the model numbers. Second is the P4521. This model is light green, of the same shade as the 401. The model number now has a prefix letter 'P', in the label and the grate support. It seems like this might have been a model introduced in 1945. This view shows the left side of the tank and its fuel cap. A lead gasket is used. The 401 and light green P4521 have 'CLOSE' and an arrow stamped into the valve wheel. Note that only the model number is stamped into the grate support. Here is the right view of the 401 and P4521 tank. Note that the pump is clipped into place and the check valve is installed into the end of the pump tube. Third, is this next P4521 is similar in design to the light previous 4521, except the paint is now dark green. Also note that the word 'CLOSE' and the arrow stamped into the valve wheel have been removed. Note that the dark green P4521 has much more text stamped into the grate support, including Model number, Prentiss Wabers Co, City and State. I grabbed the early P4521 tank for this photo by accident. The pump grip for the stove is actually concave. Fourth, is the P4521-A. This stove is medium green. I realize that light, medium and dark is subjective, but my point is just to show the different paint colors. New for the P4521-A is the tank and the pump. This pump is combined with the fuel cap and the tank color is a burgundy/brown color. Fifth, is the P4821. This model seems identical in every way to the P4521-A, except that the label is completely changed to a red background with white letters. The locomotive is gone, the text is stylized, etc., and the model number on the grate support is changed. Note the text size on this first P4821 grate support. Sixth is another P4821. I believe this is the second of the P4821 versions because it appears to be the same as the first model in every way, except . . . Except, the font for the text on the grate support is larger than all of the previous wedge variations. It's also possible that the machine shop that made the stamp for the grate support simply made two different stamps and these P4821 models were produced alongside each other. I'm just noting variations. Seventh is this third of the P4821 versions has a red fuel tank. I've seen multiple P4821 stoves with this red tank, so it's not just a repaint by people, in my opinion. Here is the right view of the P4821 with the red tank. Note that the pump grip is concave. It's been this shape since the P4521 dark green version. All of these P4821 medium green stoves use this red label. Note that the company name is 'PRENTISS WABERS PRODUCTS CO.'. Eighth and finally is the P4821R model. I only discovered this recently. This model has several changes from the other P4821 models. One change is the grate support. The text is totally different. The company name has changed from Prentiss Wabers to Preway. The sheet metal appears to be clear-coated instead of being painted like all previous versions. It is stamped with the suffix 'R', though I have no idea, why. It looks like an afterthought. Was there a non-R model like this? The pump grip is domed instead of concave. The P4821R label is different from the previous P4821 labels in that it has replaced the words 'PRENTISS WABERS PRODUCTS CO.' with 'PREWAY INC.'. Otherwise, it looks the same. All tanks of previous models had tank caps which slipped over the outside of the tank cylinder. This new tank has end caps which sit inside the tank and have this crimped pattern visible externally. Also note, that the word 'CLOSE' and the arrow have been added back to the valve wheel. The valve body and fittings appear to be nickel plated unlike all other models/variations. I have pieces of the original shipping carton for the P4821R stove but am unable to find any dates on it. Well, that's all I've got for now. Thanks for looking.
Well, it's less than a day and another member already mentioned the ninth model that I hinted at in my previous post. So, here is the model which looks like the P4821R model, except there is no 'R'.
I've always enjoyed using my P4521. It's interesting seeing all of the models together in a single post, and the changes through time. Thanks! This post could probably be reformatted a bit and put in the SRL. ....Arch
