General Information

Serial #

H345627

Part Number

1

Total Parts

1

AKA

N/A

Patents

N/A

General Description

ZINC ALLOY CASING & PARTS/ METAL PARTS/ SYNTHETIC CASING PARTS, DISTRIBUTOR, PARTS

Dimensions

Note: These reflect the general size for storage and are not necessarily representative of the object's true dimensions.

Length

17.0 cm

Width

9.5 cm

Height

12.2 cm

Thickness

N/A

Weight

N/A

Diameter

N/A

Volume

N/A

Lexicon

Group

Motorized Ground Transportation

Category

Automotive engineering

Sub-Category

N/A

Manufacturer

AKA

WICO

Country

United States of America

State/Province

Massachusetts

City

Springfield

Context

Country

Canada

State/Province

Ontario

Period

C. 1945

Canada

FROM COLLECTION OF AUTOMOBILE PTS & SERVICING EQACQUIRED BY MR. T.H. OLIVER, FATHER OF DONOR, DURING CAREER IN AUTOMOTIVE SERVICING. AFTER WORKING AT WILLYS-OVERLAND & FAIRBANKS-MORSE IN TORONTO, & IN AUTO GARAGE IN AURORA, IN 1931 HE BEGAN HIS OWN BUSINESS, ONE PART OF WHICH INVOLVED AUTOMOTIVE ELECTRICAL SERVICING.

Function

PART OF IGNITION SYSTEM OF INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE. IT USES MAGNETIC FIELD TO PRODUCE ELECTRIC SPARK WHICH EXPLODES GASOLINE VAPOUR IN CYLINDER OF ENGINE, ENABLING IT TO FUNCTION.

Technical

TWO-CYLINDER VERSIONS OF WICO MAGNETO BECAME INCREASINGLY POPULAR IN POST-WAR YEARS. BROKEN HOUSING FLANGE DEMONSTRATES ON-GOING CARE IN HANDLING THESE DEVICES, STILL DELICATE IN SPITE OF VASTLY IMPROVED MATERIALS OF 1940S. WICO WAS NOTED FOR EARLY DEVELOPEMENT & SURVIVAL OVER MANY DECADES OF CHANGING TECHNOLOGY (REF. 1).

Area Notes

Unknown

Details

Markings

MOULDED LETTERING ON TOP READS "SERIES C MAGNETO/ TRADE MARK WICO REGISTERED/ WICO ELECTRICAL COMPANY/ MADE IN SPRINGFIELD MASS. U.S.A./ PATENTS PENDING"/ PLATES ON EACH SIDE OF CASING READING "WICO TYPE/ C 1042/ SERIAL NO./ H345627"/ MOULDED "WICO" ON END PIECE/ TAG READS "Cards Garage/ New Magneto/ Wico XH1042/ Take to replace"?

Missing

APPEARS COMPLETE

Finish

BLACK CASING WITH REMNANTS OF GREEN PAINT AT ONE END/ BLACK SYNTHETIC/ METALLIC PARTS

Decoration

N/A