John Deere Type E Gasoline Engine set up to power an ice cream “freezer” or “churn”. These are a common sight at many Midwest festivals and fairs. The Type E engine was based on a model developed by the Waterloo Engine Company which was purchased by John Deere in the early 1900’s. The engines were manufactured from 1923 – 1940 and came in three different sizes. While the one-cylinder engine runs at a fairly low speed, there is still a need for significant rpm reduction between the drive shaft and the churn as can be seen in this image. The ice cream freezer looks like it will make about 4 – 5 gallons of ice cream at one time. The gas engine would save a lot of hand cranking that would be very difficult as the ice cream got closer to ready-to-eat. (St. Charles Oktoberfest 2013)
