Any info on old compressor

[spaffmonkey]

Evening all

I have got my hands on a rather big old compressor i brought it after seeing a picture and didnt realise the size untill i went to collect it in a car
Well it didnt fit so the chap kindly delivered it today.
Details for it are
Bristol compressor air
TYPE L Mark 2A
store ref 4f/1783 contract no DO/6/stores21857/CB.21(B)
serial no L53
G&E Engineering ltd

With a Villiers petrol engine mark 25
store ref no 42l/397
No 347A24307A

Ive had a little look online and found some details saying it this type of compressor was for use on air fields during the war for pumping aircraft tyres and tanks can go upto 900psi? walls on tank are a good 1cm thick
And questions or details i would be greatfull.

 

[octo0072000]

that seems to be a tyre inflater
high pressure type compressors used for diving are 3 stage pumps that looks like a single stage pump by the look of it is there a picture of the plate on the air tanks saying 900 psi

 

[MattF]

I have got my hands on a rather big old compressor i brought it after seeing a picture and didnt realise the size untill i went to collect it in a car

Ain't it a bu**er when that happens. If it makes you feel any better, you ain't the first, and won't be the last, to do that trick. Did the same myself a couple of years ago. Ended up dismantling the unit, at night, and had to load it into the rear of the vehicle on a hill which practically bordered on being a cliff due to being so steep.

 

[normspanners]

I think I may have one of those pumps will have a look I didnt think they went to 900 psi.

 

[normspanners]

How does it unload?!!!
Looks like now i've enlarged the photo that it has a -- ?valve block? -- on the far side of the pump where the cooler pipe joins from the cyl head ? to the copper pipe to the resevoir.

 

[normspanners]

I wonder how many Spitfire and Lank tyres thats--- blown up,---inflated I mean!!
Its probably saved Britain from the luftwafer and saved thousands of British lives !! or cost loads of German ones, by gettin the boys up there (saluting).

 

[spaffmonkey]

Ain't it a bu**er when that happens. If it makes you feel any better, you ain't the first, and won't be the last, to do that trick. Did the same myself a couple of years ago. Ended up dismantling the unit, at night, and had to load it into the rear of the vehicle on a hill which practically bordered on being a cliff due to being so steep.

I keep forgetting how small the corsa is before i had a picasso which was like a
tardise once seat were out.

I have a few pictures but was getting dark so they are not the best.

The compressor came from a farm a stones throw away from the turweston airfield near silverstone so it could well have been used there during the war years. would be nice if it had been used for that purpose as its like a lump of history

 

[rtbcomp]

Top right picture, does "AM" mean "Air Ministry?"

Bottom left there's a bench mark on the label, this signifies government property.

 

[rtbcomp]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Villiers-MK-25-Petrol-Engine-Compressor-RAF-MOD-WWII-/190684153209?nma=true&si=AvPazQiieEm19aUTxDawchT1FbU%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

No pictures, but the description fits. Says 500 psi.

 

[spaffmonkey]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Villiers-MK-25-Petrol-Engine-Compressor-RAF-MOD-WWII-/190684153209?nma=true&si=AvPazQiieEm19aUTxDawchT1FbU%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

No pictures, but the description fits. Says 500 psi.

This is the only details i found regarding this type of compressor.

The lady i brought it from says she remembers he dad using it for many years
but has not use for possibly 20 years.

Yes on one of the pictures there is a small crown embossed in to the metal label so it might mean somthing. all i no is rust metal oil'y machine im happy what age were the villiers mk25 introduced?

 

[rtbcomp]

The crown above AM must mean "government".

 

[MattF]

what age were the villiers mk25 introduced?

No idea on their earliest date, but they were definitely around in the 40's.

 

[spaffmonkey]

The crown above AM must mean "government".

Exciting

My dad was saying after the war alot of surplus was sold off after the war and as that airfield was shutting it seem possible. i was unsure because of the color as i thought all army was items were green but this one is blueish in color

 

[spaffmonkey]

No idea on their earliest date, but they were definitely around in the 40's.

ive been trying to find some detail regarding the mk 25 but i am struggeling

 

[rtbcomp]

http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-USfficial&biw=1061&bih=864&tbm=isch&tbnid=Aqu5dgxd_jNIsM:&imgrefurl=http://www.ww2incolor.com/britain/large_009.html&docid=YYglKka7xGLHeM&imgurl=http://www.ww2incolor.com/d/705836-2/large_009&w=277&h=400&ei=QeFAUd3xFcqx0QWV_4DQCw&zoom=1&ved=1t:3588,r:34,s:0,i:187&iact=rc&dur=1605&page=2&tbnh=209&tbnw=149&start=19&ndsp=25&tx=46&ty=78


http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=SGE&sa=X&rls=org.mozilla:en-USfficial&biw=1061&bih=864&tbm=isch&tbnid=_-FAgsGsZsUZCM:&imgrefurl=http://www.militarytrader.co.uk/forums/showthread.php%3Ft%3D6007&docid=T9ys6UWSZ3bA0M&imgurl=http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk292/rayban88/1%252520Sept%25252010/Helmet%252520Collection/c0208414.jpg&w=1023&h=649&ei=FeBAUcCkOtKV0QW5vIDgDQ&zoom=1&ved=1t:3588,r:74,s:0,i:311&iact=rc&dur=3&page=4&tbnh=179&tbnw=259&start=65&ndsp=21&tx=48&ty=60

 

[rtbcomp]

Exciting

My dad was saying after the war alot of surplus was sold off after the war and as that airfield was shutting it seem possible. i was unsure because of the color as i thought all army was items were green but this one is blueish in color

If it belonged to the RAF it would likely have been blue, like my first Land Rover

 

[MattF]

ive been trying to find some detail regarding the mk 25 but i am struggeling

Some vintage engine sites should have some info. Technically they're not classed as real stationary engines in the sense that the clubs tend to refer to it these days, due to the fact that no moving parts, barring the flywheel, are visible during running, so stationary engines sites may have less info on them. Mower sites should be another area of reference, as they were quite common in that type of application too. Villier engines have been used on no end of things over the years. Google should lead you to some sites which will have more info:

http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en-GB&source=hp&q=villiers+mk25+engine&btnG=Google+Search&gbv=1

 

[spaffmonkey]

http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-USfficial&biw=1061&bih=864&tbm=isch&tbnid=Aqu5dgxd_jNIsM:&imgrefurl=http://www.ww2incolor.com/britain/large_009.html&docid=YYglKka7xGLHeM&imgurl=http://www.ww2incolor.com/d/705836-2/large_009&w=277&h=400&ei=QeFAUd3xFcqx0QWV_4DQCw&zoom=1&ved=1t:3588,r:34,s:0,i:187&iact=rc&dur=1605&page=2&tbnh=209&tbnw=149&start=19&ndsp=25&tx=46&ty=78


http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=SGE&sa=X&rls=org.mozilla:en-USfficial&biw=1061&bih=864&tbm=isch&tbnid=_-FAgsGsZsUZCM:&imgrefurl=http://www.militarytrader.co.uk/forums/showthread.php%3Ft%3D6007&docid=T9ys6UWSZ3bA0M&imgurl=http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk292/rayban88/1%252520Sept%25252010/Helmet%252520Collection/c0208414.jpg&w=1023&h=649&ei=FeBAUcCkOtKV0QW5vIDgDQ&zoom=1&ved=1t:3588,r:74,s:0,i:311&iact=rc&dur=3&page=4&tbnh=179&tbnw=259&start=65&ndsp=21&tx=48&ty=60

WOW those links are awsome thanks the logo of the glasses case look very similar with same sort of numbering.

 

[spaffmonkey]

Found this picture and it looks very similar but its on some1s flickr account so cannot see details

 

[normspanners]

If it belonged to the RAF it would likely have been blue, like my first Land Rover

Agreed I used to live next to RAF sealand, WW2 airfield and most of the raf gear was blue
that was lying around.
Have you worked out how it unloads?