Dake Square Piston Steam Engine
invented by William F. Dake of Grand Haven in 1887
This engine is a double reciprocating square piston steam engine that was patented in 1888 and manufactured by the Dake Corporation from 1887 until about 1950. It is a compact engine as you can see from the photos and drawings below. All LST ships built during WW II had one of these for lifting the anchor we are told.
This Dake engine was built in 1917 in Grand Haven, Michigan and installed in the Ford Motor Company Saw Mill in Pequaming Michigan. It is a model 3 1/2 which makes it a 7 horsepower engine. It remained there until it was removed in about 1970 and taken to Chicago. At that time it was dismantled and the owner made drawings of the engine to share with others.
It was never run again and was left dismantled. After 30 years the parts were still very clean, they must have been well oiled, as they never rusted. In late 2009 it was donated to the Muskegon Heritage Museum by Thomas Chmura. Allan Dake our Director, then cleaned the engine, removed all the old paint, repainted and then made all new gaskets. The flywheel came out of an old building in Muskegon and fits perfectly. We do not know what the engine was connected to at the saw mill. It does have a long shaft with a keyway that is about 10 inches long. So it may have had a pulley or flywheel or it may have been direct connected to some machine as most Dakes were.
The Dake engine was run again for the first time since about 1934, on December 1, 2009 at the Muskegon Heritage Museum . All parts are original except the handle lock knob, two studs and one nut. |
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The Dake engine is seen here running at the Muskegon Heritage Museum. We were using 20 psi air from a large compressor. We no longer use the large compressor, we now use a Regenerative blower at about 2 psi to run both our steam engines. As you can see this engine runs very smoothly and reverses easily at any speed. It seams to run better in a counter clockwise direction rather than a clockwise direction. This is probably due to the porting set up inside the engine.
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| The Dake Engine is a square piston engine. There are basically only 3 moving parts, the square outer piston, the somewhat round inner piston and the crank shaft. The internal piston parts are about 1 inch thick. Watch this video to see the internal parts moving. The engine is very well balanced and therefore takes little effort to drive it. |
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William F. Dake had over 100 inventions and held two patents on this famous Dake engine.
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A parts list of the inside of the Dake Engine from an old catalog
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Dake with a flywheel and governor to regulate steam to the engine
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Detailed drawing from the patent by William F. Dake in 1888
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Page 2 of the same Patent, we have a copy of all the text of the Patent.
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| Note the engine directly connected to the hoist, this is how most equipment were connected to Dake engines |
Advertisement from the Blue Book of American Shipping
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Advertisement from Audel book
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Ford Motor Company Saw Mill in Pequaming , Mi.
The Dake we have at the Museum came from this saw mill
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A Dake engine hooked to steam in the Netherlands
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This picture was taken by Stephen Cobb, who says:
"I thought that you might be interested that we have restored and reinstalled an 1898 Dake/Box anchor windless on the 126' steam yacht Cangarda. Attached is a photo of the square piston as mounted on the Box windless.
At ABS/USCG trials, the engine and windless successfully handled a 350# anchor and 150' of chain in a bottomless lift. It works beautifully and has plenty of power and speed. This engine and windless have been operational since the yacht was built by Pusey & Jones in 1901. Cangarda is still a steamer and has 6 other steam engines built by Sullivan or Davidson.
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The following information came from the Dake Corp web site as they are still in business today although they do not build these engines any longer.
The Dake engine quickly gained worldwide acceptance and by 1893 was awarded a medal at the Worlds Colombian Exposition in Chicago. Because the engines were powered by steam and there was no danger of sparks, Dake engines were used in coal mines and for the extensive subway and railroad tunnel construction that was transforming the country at the beginning of the 20th century.
In 1904 the Dake engine was installed in the "Maid of the Mist" at Niagara falls as a steering mechanism and was used for over 40 years.
In 1913, 16 Dake Engines were shipped to Russia, these engines were shipped around the world.
In 1914 the Panama Canal was completed and Dake engines and hoists were used during its construction.
During the 1920's the hoists were used to back up San Francisco's electric transportation system and for pouring molten vats in steel mills.
Dake engines were used to weave the cables for the Oakland Bay bridge in the 1930's.
During World War II Dake manufactured more than 10,00 steam engines for windlasses, capstans and steering gears for Liberty Ships and LST's.
October 1892 from the Grand Haven Tribune
A telegram was received here this morning announcing the death of Wm. F. Dake in Chicago. Mr. Dake had been sick for the past four years. With his brother he went to Chicago some two weeks ago for treatment and to undergo an operation. He had gradually grown worse, his wife and father, Mr. H. F. Dake, being called to his bedside some days ago. Nothing is known as yet as to the arrangements for the funeral, but it will undoubtedly be here.
Deceased was born in Jamaica, West Indies, some 42 years ago. His parents came to this country while he was yet a baby. He has lived here for the past 20 years and leaves a wife and four children, the oldest being 19 years of age. Mr. Dake has been connected with the Dake Engine Co., from its organization and was one of the directors. The community sympathize deeply with the sorrowing family.
William F. Dake was the brother of E. B. Dake who is the great grandfather of the Muskegon Heritage Museums Director, E. Allan Dake.
