The "BALL" Oilfield Engine

The "BALL" Oilfield Engine. . , The engine displayed here was donated to the MARS HISTORICAL SOCIETY by well known disc jockey, MR. JAN SMITH, of Butler, Pa. It was partially restored by society members, but does not currently operate due to a cracked cylinder head., This engine was built in Butler, Pa. in early 1900, by the Butler Engine and Foundry Company, which moved from Bradford, Pa. in 1888. The purpose of the company was to manufacture "BALL" oilfield engines, as well as boilers and general foundry work. The company did an extensive business in repairs, supplies, and the manufacture of steam and gas engines strictly for the oil business. They also operated an iron and brass foundry., The "Ball" gas engine is of the two cycle type....that is, a power stroke occurs on every revolution of the crank shaft, which makes this type of gas engine more regular in speed and much more powerful than the four cycle type. Experience in the early oilfields, showed that the two cycle engine design was better than any other type of gas engine for oil country requirements and similar work. It also required less experienced and skilled operators, which were in short supply in the "boom" times of the oil industry in the early 1900s., The "Ball" gas engines were manufactured in power ranges from 12 to 35 horsepower. This particular engine is a 12 HP model. There were thousands of "Ball" engines operating in the oil fields throughout the United States, and in other countries., Shown here is a typical application for a "Ball" engine, where it would be powering an oil well Pumping Jack (to your left), via a flat belt.