Empire B-40 hot air engine

posted is an Empire Hot Air (Stirling) Engine from 1925. It is a model B-40 which was made by the Empire Metal Ware Co. of Two Rivers Wis. It's distinct purpose was for displaying the company's small steam engine series rotating on a turntable in a store window front. It became so desired that the company began marketing a similar model B-38 to sell to the public. The model B-38 has no fins and is of a less beefier construction. The model shown here, (with the fins), was specifically made to run the display. It gets it's operating heat from a heating element located internally at the end of the cylinder.
I have it spring belt connected to an Essex replica turntable that I built to demonstrate my models. On top of the Essex turntable is a Backus Water Powered Fan from 1890. The fan can then be rotated to show all of it's attributes. (I posted this water powered fan approx. 2 years ago, if you want to see more of it)