Engineering, Building, and Architecture

Not many museums collect houses. The National Museum of American History has four, as well as two outbuildings, 11 rooms, an elevator, many building components, and some architectural elements from the White House. Drafting manuals are supplemented by many prints of buildings and other architectural subjects. The breadth of the museum's collections adds some surprising objects to these holdings, such as fans, purses, handkerchiefs, T-shirts, and other objects bearing images of buildings.

The engineering artifacts document the history of civil and mechanical engineering in the United States. So far, the Museum has declined to collect dams, skyscrapers, and bridges, but these and other important engineering achievements are preserved through blueprints, drawings, models, photographs, sketches, paintings, technical reports, and field notes.

Color print depicting one large and three small town views. The main view is a panorama of a city beside a river with two covered bridges connecting it to a grassy area in the foreground. Sailing vessels and a steamboat are on the river to the left.
Description (Brief)
Color print depicting one large and three small town views. The main view is a panorama of a city beside a river with two covered bridges connecting it to a grassy area in the foreground. Sailing vessels and a steamboat are on the river to the left. The tree smaller views along the bottom of the print depict a factory beside a falls (Norwich Falls), a rural town (Norwich Town) and a factory complex on a river (Greenville, Norwich).
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
n.d.
artist; lithographer
Knecht, H.
printer
Rau, Jacob
ID Number
DL.60.3742
catalog number
60.3742
This model was filed with the application to the U.S. Patent Office for Patent Number 184,029 issued to John M. Ayer on November 7, 1876.
Description
This model was filed with the application to the U.S. Patent Office for Patent Number 184,029 issued to John M. Ayer on November 7, 1876. Ayer’s invention was a design for a railroad refrigerator car that would have improved insulation properties while also being lighter than other cars of the time. The ultimate goal of the improved design was to allow longer shipments of perishable goods without the cost and delay of ice replenishment. Ayer claimed that these goals were achieved without sacrifice in the strength or durability of the car. The basic idea of the patent was to create a double-walled car in which the inner and outer walls of the car were separated by air chambers. The roof of the car also had an air chamber between it and the inner ceiling. The air chambers were interconnected and vented to the outside air so as to permit circulation. This reduced the heating of the insulating air by prolonged contact with the exterior walls and roof when exposed to direct sun. The outer wall and roof were constructed of wood. The inner walls and ceiling were made from a layer of pasteboard (or similar paper product) and a layer of rubber . Both of these materials provided additional insulation, and the inner walls and ceiling were intended to be nearly air tight. The patent provided for double entry doors, and these were constructed of an outer layer of wood with an inner layer of the same pasteboard and rubber. The doors had beveled edges with the inner surfaces being smaller than the outer. The inner rubber surfaces were shaped to form a seal when the doors were secured thus adding to the airtightness of the car. Cars of Ayer’s design were constructed and used on railroads and were documented as still being used in 1903.
The patent model is constructed of wood. There are two cut away sections, one on the side of the car and one on the roof. These show the essential elements of the patent - the air chambers and the inner wall and ceiling of the car. Double doors mounted in the side of the car are shown open to illustrate the seals and beveled edges.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1876
patent date
1876-11-07
inventor
Ayer, John M.
ID Number
ER.325597
accession number
249602
catalog number
325597
patent number
184,029

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