Hog oiler
A hog oiler was a mechanical device employed on farms to be used by
History
In the late 1800s and early 1900s hog lice and
Prices for hog oilers would range anywhere from four dollars for a small model to twelve dollars and even higher for larger ones with more features. The same companies that manufactured the oilers would often sell special medicated oil to be used with the device, offering further protection. Many farmers however simply chose to use recycled oil or made their own cheaper versions. The U.S. government, while being willing to issue patents, suggested that the oilers might be less than effective, according to collector Bob Coates in Farm Collector magazine. "They (the government) recommended mopping or dipping (the hogs) instead," said Coats.[1]
Companies throughout the Midwestern U.S., such as Lisle Manufacturing of Clarinda, Iowa, offered farmers and hog producers a variety of styles and sizes including fence-mounted, stand-alone, walk-through and ratchet-governed. However, the most common were double-wheel models known as Colubians and Sipes. Often made of cast iron, the early hog oilers could be quite heavy, with some models weighing as much as 150 pounds. Later models from the 1920s onward would mostly be constructed of cheaper, lighter steel and sheet metal. Other known manufacturers of hog oilers included the National Oiler Company of Richmond, Indiana, Rowe Manufacturing, Galesburg, Illinois, and Starbuck Manufacturing, Illinois Implement Company, and O.H.C. Manufacturing, all of Peoria, Illinois.[3]
Collectibles
World War II led to a small but growing collectors' market for hog oilers today. The cast iron models are considered the most desirable
References
- ^ a b c "Hog Oilers were cheap insurance". Farm Collector magazine. June 2009. Retrieved 2011-08-08.
- ^ a b "Hog Oiler Heaven". Farm Collector magazine. November 2001. Retrieved 2011-08-08.
- ISBN 978-1-4402-2533-8.[page needed]
- ^ "Young collector amasses impressive hog oiler collection". Farm Collector magazine. June 1998. Retrieved 2011-08-08.
External links
- U.S. patent 1,057,588 Patent issued to E.J. Smith in 1913 for a twin wheel hog oiler.
- U.S. patent 1,173,201 Patent issued to F.R. McDermond in 1916 for a "watermelon type" hog oiler.
- U.S. patent 1,256,357 Patent issued to Albert A. Nasser in 1918 for an overhead tank reservoir hog oiler.\
- U.S. patent 1,289,852 Patent issued to William J. Marsh of Dexter, Iowa in 1918 for a Dexter Hog Oiler.