Note
Has Wico type EK magneto attached.
2 Horse Power.
Mfg. for Bean Spray Pump Co., Lansing MI .
Attached to wheeled cart.
Artifact label reads:
Hit and Miss Engine
Witte Engine Works, Kansas City, MO
1925
The hit and miss style of combustion engine was invented in the late 1800's and became a workhorse for everything from washing machines to industrial factories. They get their name from how the speed is controlled. The engine only fires (the HIT ) when the speed drops below a set point, and then engine coasts (the MISS ) from centrifugal force when it is above that set speed. For most engines this means it fires every other rotation of the heavy flywheel.