I found this Preway yesterday, and fetched it home with me... Does anyone here have a general idea of when it might have been made? It seems to be complete, and everything moves that should. It only the second Preway I’ve ever found... Looks like it should clean up ok,,,
A Wedge. One thing that speaks well of these stoves, most of em have been well used. I'm not fond of the secondary burner control on these. No idea on dates.
What's really cool about the Preway wedge is that the secondary burner is as strong as the primary. See this thread posted earlier today for dating it: Prentiss Webers: Preway WEDGE info, 401, 4521, 4821
Great find. Non-Coleman suitcase stoves are somewhat uncommon in the USA. Mine's been dubbed the "wheel chock" by those in my group. Runs well.
I think PW had a better burner design than Coleman. The wedges are great little stoves. I believe the 45 series were started in 1945.
Thank you all for the info and the links,,, I haven’t tinkered with this stove much, but it will pump up, hold pressure, and the old fuel still in it will come through the generator. I’d guess it’ll get going fairly easy. The size is similar to my small KampKook #3, which makes the stove even more interesting.
Got into work where I keep my patent info and found these. 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. Post WWII the first two digits of the model number do seem to indicate the first year of production of a design.