He achieved distinction in the design and manufacture of the first four-cylinder gasoline engine produced in America.
He learned carpentry from his grandfather and carriage making from his father, and inherited a taste for mechanics from both.
He made a study of mechanics, learning the machinist trade thoroughly, and in 1892 invented a single cylinder engine.
The fame of the design spread and the "Rutenber" motor was used in many early automobiles and attained a worldwide reputation.
An agreement to relocate the company to Marion, Indiana and appliances including ranges, irons, grills, toasters, fans and more were manufactured there.
In the 1940s, Rutenber was associated with the Gibson Refrigerator Company in Greenville, Michigan, assigning several patents to them.