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209:. The engines continued to evolve until 1910 when the family again abandoned the idea because of the collapse of the Aerocar Company. Through this period Reeves had continued to make cars with the Model S and N being two of the types. The variable speed transmission continued to be made by the Reeves Pulley Company up until 1955 when it was acquired by the
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In 1888 Reeves and his brothers, Marshal and Girney purchased the
Edinburg Pulley Company and renamed it the Reeves Pulley Company. Marshal was the driving force behind this venture having first invented a tongueless corn plow in 1869 and in 1875 he formed the Hoosier Boy Cultivator Company with his
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Reeves created a bus in 1896/97 with his second motocycle called "The Big Seven" for carrying seven adults. He followed this in 1898 with a 20 passenger vehicle, which he sold to a South Dakota businessman. Unfortunately its wheels were too far apart for the wagon wheel-ruts and it was returned to
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Reeves continued to work on developing a car and by 1904 had convinced his brothers to back another attempt. He made four Model D and six Model E cars by 1905. The D had a 12 hp engine and the E an 18-20 hp engine. In 1905 he produced an air cooled, valve in head motor with individually
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and attained a top speed of 15 mph. It was reported as the first auto in the city. In a later test the vehicle attained 30 mph. By 1898, Reeves had lost momentum and was discouraged, probably by the almost complete lack of sales. Only five are thought to have been sold. By 1899 Reeves'
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chassis and was no more successful than the first attempt. It was a luxury car, had variable speed transmission and reportedly made several cross-country jaunts. With a price of $ 4,500 (over $ 100,000 in 2014 terms) it too never caught on with the
American public.
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The Octo-Auto failed to sell and in 1912 Reeves created the Sexto-Auto, a six-wheel version. The first version was a modification of the Octo-Auto. The second attempt was built on a modified
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for its comfort and durability. It had a 40-horsepower engine, was over 20 feet long, sat 4 passengers, and retailed for $ 3200.00. The Octo-Auto was notable or notorious enough for
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and in so doing adapted his variable speed transmission. The transmission became a product line in its own right for the Reeves Pulley
Company because of its multiple applications.
121:, on August 25, 1864, to William Franklin Reeves and Hannah M. Gilson and educated in Knightstown. He married Amanda Melvina Kirkpatrick in 1882. Reeves died on June 4, 1925, in
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and by 1906 was making 15 engines a week. 1906 saw the introduction of a water cooled model and the Model J engined car the Reeves Go-Buggy. The Model P engine was used in the
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183:, an industry first. Reeves and his brother lodged the muffler patent in 1897. That same year he introduced a new improved version of the motocycle. The car was driven to
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engine. The coach was made by the
Fehring Carriage Company. The Sintz engine proved unreliable and Reeves created his own air cooled model, probably in 1897/1898.
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His first recorded test of his motocycle's transmission took place on
September 26, 1896. To overcome noise and fumes of the engine, Reeves created a double
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used to power the saws. This caused the wood to split and a large amount of wastage. After some months of study and experimentation, Reeves invented a
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has named this car as one of the ugliest ever produced. At the time, however, the Octo-Auto was hailed by writer and editor
109:(August 25, 1864 – June 4, 1925) was an early pioneer of the American automobile industry. He held more than 100 patents.
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brothers were no longer supporting the motocycle's development mainly because of the lack of reliable engines.
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with only one speed. The motocycle was four-wheeled and powered by a two-cylinder, two cycle, six horsepower
445:"World celebrates the centennial of the Octo-Auto at Hemmings Blog – Classic and collectible cars and parts"
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In 1879 Reeves worked in a sawmill in
Columbus. He noticed that workers could not control the speed of the
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Reeves is credited as building either the fourth or fifth
American automobile, called at the time a
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His vehicles were not very successful but his variable speed transmission and muffler were.
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the company. It was then used on the Big Four
Railroad from Columbus to Hope, Indiana.
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Minnesota Valley
Antique Farm Power and Machinery Association newsletter, October 2011
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Other auto companies using Reeves engines at various time during the period were
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In 1911, Reeves founded the Reeves Sexto-Octo
Company. He modified a 1910 model
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Reeves Pulley Company, Historic Engineering Record In-15, National Park Service
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In 1914 the Reeves Pulley Company decided to sell its engine business. The
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Oddballs & Oddities: And now for something completely different...
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The Complete Encyclcopaedia of the Motor Car - 1885 to the Present
148:. Reeves, with his interest in motor vehicles, began to develop a
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by adding four extra wheels and calling it the Reeves Octo-Auto.
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Jay O'Dell: "Milton Reeves was late 1800s car design pioneer",
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father and uncle. In 1879 the company name was changed to
352:, Huntington, West Virginia, December 11, 2009 @ 12:00 AM
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Defunct motor vehicle manufacturers of the United States
125:, aged 60. He was buried in Columbus City Cemetery in
399:"Sears Motorbuggy Homepage - Searsheet Winter 2001"
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Columbus Business site featuring items about Reeves
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266:World celebrates the centennial of the Octo-Auto
539:Motor vehicle manufacturers based in Indiana
275:Milton Reeves driving his SextoAuto in 1912
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16:Pioneer of the American automobile industry
364:, Columbus, Indiana, June 5, 1925, page 1.
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240:Octo-Auto, Milton Othello Reeves 1911
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264:article on its website titled
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519:American automotive engineers
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514:American automotive pioneers
260:to feature it in 2011 as an
140:to control the saws' speed.
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138:variable-speed transmission
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90:Amanda Melvina Kirkpatrick
414:, Jim Hinkley, April 2005
213:Company, now part of the
117:He was born on a farm in
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374:"A Tale of Two Brothers"
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297:Cummings Machine Company
232:Octo-Auto and Sexto-Auto
174:Sintz Gas Engine Company
98:William Franklin Reeves
82:Octo-Auto and Sexto-Auto
554:Cars introduced in 1905
427:, Third Edition, 1982,
215:Baldor Electric Company
475:. 2008. Archived from
362:The Evening Republican
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283:Reeves SextoAuto 1912
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156:Motocycle and muffler
107:Milton Othello Reeves
25:Milton Othello Reeves
119:Rush County, Indiana
54:Rush County, Indiana
479:on October 14, 2007
378:Gas Engine Magazine
350:The Herald-Dispatch
289:Stutz Motor Company
549:Brass Era vehicles
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199:splash lubrication
455:on April 4, 2011.
449:blog.hemmings.com
211:Reliance Electric
207:Sears Motor Buggy
192:Reeves automobile
127:Columbus, Indiana
123:Columbus, Indiana
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72:Columbus, Indiana
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544:Veteran vehicles
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262:April Fools' Day
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100:Hannah M. Gilson
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481:. Retrieved
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66:(1925-06-04)
64:June 4, 1925
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529:1925 deaths
524:1864 births
483:December 8,
170:Quadricycle
508:Categories
467:"Octoauto"
336:References
166:Henry Ford
46:1864-08-25
162:motocycle
150:motocycle
113:Biography
95:Parent(s)
319:See also
258:Hemmings
246:Overland
181:muffler
134:pulleys
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222:Auburn
87:Spouse
307:Buses
485:2008
429:ISBN
226:Moon
61:Died
40:Born
299:of
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