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Author Topic: Rutex stirling engine...Swiss?  (Read 200 times)

parallelmotion

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Rutex stirling engine...Swiss?
« on: June 12, 2021, 05:49:46 pm »
Can anyone identify the company or individual who made this? I've never seen one like it. Isn't Retschwil in Switzerland? The cooling fan was added.

St Paul Steam

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Re: Rutex stirling engine...Swiss?
« Reply #1 on: June 13, 2021, 08:35:04 am »
That's a new one on me Brent , it does look factory made though.
Bruce, St. Paul Indiana, USA
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tenniV11

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Re: Rutex stirling engine...Swiss?
« Reply #2 on: June 13, 2021, 01:09:04 pm »
Can anyone identify the company or individual who made this? I've never seen one like it. Isn't Retschwil in Switzerland? The cooling fan was added.

Yes - I know the engine - it is Swiss made by Rutex Retschwil (close to Lucerne) - but this company was
in business around 1975. Typ is Rutex 76-1 - they also were Retailer of the Sun Motor. In
Switzerland they can be find for Sale not very often - price between $ 100 to 150.
Arnold

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parallelmotion

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Re: Rutex stirling engine...Swiss?
« Reply #3 on: June 13, 2021, 04:45:33 pm »
Thanks Arnold. Is there any additional information about the company/builder?

tenniV11

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Re: Rutex stirling engine...Swiss?
« Reply #4 on: June 14, 2021, 02:11:21 am »
Thanks Arnold. Is there any additional information about the company/builder?

Hi Brent - I had to search a while to find an original invoice from RUTEX -
now I remember - the company was owned by a nice Lady called Ruth Banz. She
was general importer to Switzerland for Wilesco. I did not know that she
also had some other brands in her repertoire. The hotair engine probably was
made by a small company in her town and she made wholesale to the retailers.
I think this was never a big deal. Unfortunately there are no more informations
about the RUTEX - I only remember that in the 1980 Wilesco changed to an other
company in Switzerland that was already in Business with Schuco. Therefore Ruth Banz
was out of Business and retired.
Anyway your hotair is rare - no question! It is not a famous Brand - more a "start up" of
that time. RUTEX was a Trading Company and never in Production - it could be also that
the hotair was made in England or...that belongs in the land of fantasy :D
Have a nice Day, Arnold

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parallelmotion

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Re: Rutex stirling engine...Swiss?
« Reply #5 on: June 20, 2021, 06:29:51 pm »


Here's a quick video of the Rutex (Swiss) stirling engine. The engine is very well constructed and surprisingly large and heavy, more model-like than toy-like. Note the wave-like action of the crank at the end of the video. The fan was added by a previous owner.

tenniV11

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Re: Rutex stirling engine...Swiss?
« Reply #6 on: June 21, 2021, 05:05:48 am »
You just have motivated me to run my own RUTEX. I have a
small Fan from Ha-mobil on it. Unfortunately the name-plate
is missing. It runs easy with only one flame.
Have a nice day, Arnold :D





Dampfopa

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Re: Rutex stirling engine...Swiss?
« Reply #7 on: June 21, 2021, 11:49:47 am »
A nice little video of the machine running. Thanks for showing it.
Cheers
Jürgen
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