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.

This is a pressure lubricator designed to force lubricating oil into the steam being supplied to a steam engine for the lubrication of the piston and valves. It forces the oil into the steam main against the pressure of the steam.
Description
This is a pressure lubricator designed to force lubricating oil into the steam being supplied to a steam engine for the lubrication of the piston and valves. It forces the oil into the steam main against the pressure of the steam. It consists of a large glass reservoir into which is built a small simple hand pump. By working the handle of the pump the oil is drawn into the pump cylinder and discharged through the screw fitting at the bottom of the lubricator into the steam main or valve chest to which the lubricator is attached. The efficiency of lubricators of this kind depends entirely upon the judgment of the engineer or oiler. They are generally wasteful of oil.
The lubricator is marked “Buckeye Engine Company.”
Reference:
This description comes from the 1939 Catalog of the Mechanical Collections of the Division of Engineering United States Museum Bulletin 173 by Frank A. Taylor.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1885
ID Number
MC.311185
catalog number
311185
accession number
89797
This model was submitted to the U.S. Patent Office with the application for the patent issued to Reinhard Scheidler and John H. McNamar, of Newark, Ohio, June 8, 1875, no.
Description
This model was submitted to the U.S. Patent Office with the application for the patent issued to Reinhard Scheidler and John H. McNamar, of Newark, Ohio, June 8, 1875, no. 164219.
The model represents a piston shaped regulating valve operated by a lever, sector, and rack on the valve stem. It is designed for use as an auxiliary valve in connection with a throttle valve of ordinary form. The inventors describe the valve as being particularly well fitted for the control of sawmill engines.
Reference:
This description comes from the 1939 Catalog of the Mechanical Collections of the Division of Engineering United States Museum Bulletin 173 by Frank A. Taylor.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1875
patent date
1875-06-08
inventor
Scheidler, Reinhard
McNamar, John H.
ID Number
ER.308687
accession number
89797
catalog number
308687
patent number
164,219
This model was submitted to the U.S. Patent Office with the application for the patent issued to Charles B. Allen, of Wadsworth, Ohio, April 15, 1902, no.
Description
This model was submitted to the U.S. Patent Office with the application for the patent issued to Charles B. Allen, of Wadsworth, Ohio, April 15, 1902, no. 697770.
This injector is designed to start itself automatically when supplied with steam and connected to the water supply and to restart automatically if for any reason the jet should be temporarily interrupted. The peculiar feature of the injector is the forcing tube, which is provided with two successive overflows formed in it by a series of laterally opening holes which have a definite areal relation to the smallest cross-sectional area of the combining tube and which are in addition to the usual large overflow between the combining tube and the forcing tube.
Reference:
This description comes from the 1939 Catalog of the Mechanical Collections of the Division of Engineering United States Museum Bulletin 173 by Frank A. Taylor.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1902
patent date
1902-04-15
inventor
Allen, Charles B.
ID Number
MC.309176
catalog number
309176
accession number
89797
patent number
697,770
This model was submitted to the U.S. Patent Office with the application for the patent issued to John Desmond, of Cincinnati, Ohio, October 8, 1901, no.
Description
This model was submitted to the U.S. Patent Office with the application for the patent issued to John Desmond, of Cincinnati, Ohio, October 8, 1901, no. 683914; assigned to the Lunkenheimer Co.
Features of this injector are the construction of the starting lever, which with one motion operates both the steam and overflow valves and also permits the overflow valve to close independently of the lever; a removable ring of resistant metal inserted in the combining tube at its smallest diameter to receive the corroding action of the jet at that point; and an arrangement of steam and water passages designed to prevent the raising of the temperature of the feed water to such a temperature as to deposit scale within the tubes of the injector.
Reference:
This description comes from the 1939 Catalog of the Mechanical Collections of the Division of Engineering United States Museum Bulletin 173 by Frank A. Taylor.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1901
patent date
1901-10-08
inventor
Desmond, John
ID Number
MC.309190
catalog number
309190
accession number
89797
patent number
683,914
This model was submitted to the U.S. Patent Office with the application for the patents issued to Joseph W. Thompson, of Salem, Ohio, April 27, 2875, nos. 162714 and 162715.
Description
This model was submitted to the U.S. Patent Office with the application for the patents issued to Joseph W. Thompson, of Salem, Ohio, April 27, 2875, nos. 162714 and 162715. These were assigned to the Buckeye Engine Co., of the same place.
The model represents the first form of J. W. Thompson’s balanced and cut-off valve gear, which was one of the earliest of the “automatic” valve gears. It was introduced in the very successful Buckeye engine.
The model represents a horizontal steam engine with one fixed eccentric and one shifting eccentric driving the main slide valve and the riding cut-off valve, respectively. The valve of the engine is in the shape of a hollow rectangular box the top of which works in close proximity to the valve chest cover and has a steam-tight, ring-packed opening through which steam is admitted to the inside chamber of the valve. The bottom of the hollow box forms the main valve taking steam through the chamber and into the valve chest at the ends of the valve. The opening through which steam is admitted is made enough larger than the steam pipe opening to cause the steam pressure within the chamber to exert some force to keep the main valve on its seat; otherwise the valve is perfectly balanced. A riding cut-off valve operates on the inside face of the bottom of the hollow main valve.
The main valve is operated from a rock shaft directly connected to the rod of the fixed eccentric. The riding cut-off valve is operated from a double-arm rock shaft, which is carried in the main valve rock shaft, one arm being connected to the valve rod, the other to a shifting eccentric on the engine shaft. The position of this eccentric will determine the position of the double-arm rock shaft relative to the main valve rock shaft and will in this way control the point of cut-off.
A shaft governor of the Thompson and Hunt design carries the shifting eccentric and varies its position relative to the crank with changes in speed of the shaft. The governor is mounted in a disk on the shaft and not in the flywheel as has since become practice.
Reference:
This description comes from the 1939 Catalog of the Mechanical Collections of the Division of Engineering United States Museum Bulletin 173 by Frank A. Taylor.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1875
patent date
1875-04-27
inventor
Thompson, Joseph W.
ID Number
MC.308688
catalog number
308688
accession number
89797
patent number
162,715
162,714
This indicator was made by the American Steam Gauge Co., of Boston. It is marked “J. W. Thompson Pat. August 31, ’75 Pat. June 26, 1883, N. 4302.”In this indicator the piston rod is hollow and serves only as a guide for the piston.
Description
This indicator was made by the American Steam Gauge Co., of Boston. It is marked “J. W. Thompson Pat. August 31, ’75 Pat. June 26, 1883, N. 4302.”
In this indicator the piston rod is hollow and serves only as a guide for the piston. The pencil mechanism is connected to the piston by a very light rod that passes through the piston rod and is attached to the piston with a swivel joint. This permits the use of a very simple and light parallel motion.
The piston is a light cylindrical shell provided with three grooves that collect moisture and steam to lubricate and seal the piston. The inner wall of the cylinder is a liner separate from and secured to the inclosing cylinder only at one end so that it is free to expand and contract with temperature changes, thus avoiding distortion.*
An engine indicator is an instrument for graphically recording the pressure versus piston displacement through an engine stroke cycle. Engineers use the resulting diagram to check the design and performance of the engine.
A mechanical indicator consists of a piston, spring, stylus, and recording system. The gas pressure of the cylinder deflects the piston and pushes against the spring, creating a linear relationship between the gas pressure and the deflection of the piston against the spring. The deflection is recorded by the stylus on a rotating drum that is connected to the piston. Most indicators incorporate a mechanical linkage to amplify the movement of the piston to increase the scale of the record.
When the ratio of the frequency of the pressure variation to the natural frequency of the system is small, then the dynamic deflection is equal to the static deflection. To design a system with a high natural frequency, the mass of the piston, spring, stylus, and mechanical linkage must be small, but the stiffness of the spring must be high. The indicator is subjected to high temperatures and pressures and rapid oscillations, imposing a limitation on the reduction in mass. Too stiff a spring will result in a small displacement of the indicator piston and a record too small to measure with accuracy. Multiplication of the displacement will introduce mechanical ad dynamic errors.
The parameters of the problem for designing an accurate and trouble free recorder are such that there is no easy or simple solution. Studying the variety of indicators in the collection shows how different inventors made different compromises in their designs.
*Reference:
This description comes from the 1939 Catalog of the Mechanical Collections of the Division of Engineering United States Museum Bulletin 173 by Frank A. Taylor.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1883
ID Number
MC.309644
catalog number
309644
accession number
106567
patent number
4,302
This model was filed with the application to the U.S. Patent Office for Patent Number 7,871 issued to Samuel H. Gilman of Cincinnati, Ohio on January 1, 1851. Mr. Gilman’s patent was for an improvement in the design of valve gear for an oscillating steam engine.
Description
This model was filed with the application to the U.S. Patent Office for Patent Number 7,871 issued to Samuel H. Gilman of Cincinnati, Ohio on January 1, 1851. Mr. Gilman’s patent was for an improvement in the design of valve gear for an oscillating steam engine. An oscillating steam engine differs from a standard engine in that the steam cylinder is pivoted on the engine frame and oscillates up and down about the pivot as its connecting rod operates the crankshaft of the engine. In a standard engine, the cylinder is fixed in orientation, and the piston rod moves fore and aft within a crosshead which allows the connecting rod to pivot independently as the crankshaft revolves.
Mr. Gilman did not claim as new an entire design of such an engine. He limited his claim to a modification of the tube that guides the pushrod which controls the steam valve. He included threads at the bottom of the rod and shaped that portion so that it could clamp and secure the ball at the end of the pushrod. When threaded into the collar on the valve housing it allowed the pushrod to move slightly to conform to the motion of the valve house. He referred to his improvement as a “tubular nut.” The patent did not elaborate on exactly what Mr. Gilman claimed for improved function.
The model as shown in the image illustrates all of the key elements of the patent. It is constructed of metal and mounted on a wooden base. Diagrams showing the complete design can be found in the patent document online (www.USPTO.gov).
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1851
patent date
1851-01-01
inventor
Gilman, Samuel H.
ID Number
ER.325617
accession number
249602
catalog number
325617
patent number
7,871
This model was filed with the application to the U.S. Patent Office for Patent Number 204,924 issued to Joseph W. Thompson and Nathan Hunt of Salem, Ohio on June 18 1878. The patent was for an improved design for a steam engine governor.
Description
This model was filed with the application to the U.S. Patent Office for Patent Number 204,924 issued to Joseph W. Thompson and Nathan Hunt of Salem, Ohio on June 18 1878. The patent was for an improved design for a steam engine governor. This patent was based on a previous design by Thompson (Patent Number 162,715 of April 27, 1875).
This type of governor is intended to be mounted on the shaft of the engine and to vary the cut-off of the steam valves in order to control speed. The image of the governor shows two weights, each on a pivoting arm and secured by springs. As the governor case rotates the weights are extended outwards by centrifugal force against the tension of the springs. Pushrods attached from the pivot arms to a collar on the shaft move the relative position of the eccentric around the shaft. The eccentric is the offset circular plate shown at the end of the central shaft. The eccentric provides lateral motion to control the steam valves, and its relative position on the shaft thereby controls the timing of when the valves are closed.
Thompson’s earlier patent (Number 162,715 of April 27, 1875) had most of these key elements. The improvements made in this patent consisted of using ball and socket joints to connect the rods to the eccentric and adding stop pins mounted in cushioned slots to prevent damage caused by sudden speed changes.
Shaft governors of this design were used in the successful high speed Buckeye Engine. Both this and the earlier Thompson patent were assigned by the inventors to the Buckeye Engine Company of Salem, Ohio.
The patent model is constructed of brass and steel. All of the key elements of the patent are illustrated by the model. A full description of the operation of the governor along with complete diagrams of the patent can be found in the patent document online at the United States Patent and Trademark Office website, www.uspto.gov.
date made
1879
patent date
1878-06-18
inventor
Thompson, Joseph W.
ID Number
MC.308700
catalog number
308700
accession number
89797
patent number
204,924
This is a model of the widely used and very successful "Buckeye" engine developed by J. W. Thompson and Nathan Hunt about 1875. It was one of the first of the high-speed, variable cut-off ("auto-matic") engines.
Description
This is a model of the widely used and very successful "Buckeye" engine developed by J. W. Thompson and Nathan Hunt about 1875. It was one of the first of the high-speed, variable cut-off ("auto-matic") engines. The model has cut away sections to show the inner details of the steam cylinder and valve mechanism. The valve is a hollow-piston slide valve, taking steam at the center and passing it through the hollow center of the valve to ports through the walls of the valve. A sleeve like cut-off valve operates within the main valve to close the ports. The main valve is operated by a fixed eccentric on the crankshaft and the cut-off valve by a shifting eccentric, the position of which is varied by a centrifugal governor of the Thompson and Hunt type. In the image this governor is seen within the flywheel on the right. It is based on Thompson’s Patent Number 162,715 of April 27, 1875. The fixed eccentric drives the valve via the upper pushrod, and the variable, or shifting, eccentric operates the lower pushrod to control the cut off valve.
date made
ca 1875
ID Number
MC.309645
catalog number
309645
accession number
106,567
This model was submitted to the U.S. Patent Office with the application for the patent issued to Sebastian Ritty, of Dayton, Ohio, July 22, 1873, no.
Description
This model was submitted to the U.S. Patent Office with the application for the patent issued to Sebastian Ritty, of Dayton, Ohio, July 22, 1873, no. 141172.
The model represents a horizontal cylindrical flue boiler from the center of which is suspended a rectangular water chamber or header. From the header a series of horizontal closed-end water tubes extend forward and back within the furnace below the drum. The outside ends of the tubes are closed and are supported in sheets, which form the front and back walls of the furnace. The forward lower tubes support the grates, and the products of combustion pass through an opening in the central header around the back tubes up and then forward through the flues of the drum.
Reference:
This description comes from the 1939 Catalog of the Mechanical Collections of the Division of Engineering United States Museum Bulletin 173 by Frank A. Taylor.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1873
patent date
1873-07-22
inventor
Ritty, Sebastian
ID Number
ER.309215
accession number
89797
catalog number
309215
patent number
141,172
This model was filed with the application to the U.S. Patent Office for Patent Number 209,853 issued to Jesse Benson on November 12, 1878. Benson’s invention was an improved style windmill based on a turbine wheel.
Description
This model was filed with the application to the U.S. Patent Office for Patent Number 209,853 issued to Jesse Benson on November 12, 1878. Benson’s invention was an improved style windmill based on a turbine wheel. His claims included the advantages of simplicity, compactness, strength, and cost. He also claimed an improved and simpler governor mechanism. While most period windmills were simple fan designs with separate blades, other turbine wheel designs predated Benson’s patent. Benson’s improvements over earlier designs included simple and strong construction of the turbine wheel. It was based on a conical sheet metal frame that held six turbine blades, or flanges, that were narrow at the point of the conical frame and progressively broadened until they reached the rear of the frame. At that point the blades were bent so that they folded around the rear of the frame and served to strengthen the entire structure. The governor function was realized by bending a portion of the vane that projected beyond the rear of the turbine wheel. As the speed of the wind increased the bent portion of the vane applied force to the shaft of the turbine wheel so as to turn it to a shallower angle to the wind, thus spilling some of the force of the wind and keeping the windmill under control. Provisions were made for adjusting the amount of bend in the vane to accommodate varying local conditions of wind strength. A weighted cord attached to the vane's arm and extending to ground level allowed the user to lock the governor-vane at a 90 degree angle to the turbine wheel shaft. This would stop the windmill entirely.
The patent model is constructed of wood and metal and is mounted on a wooden base. The model is painted red, white, and blue. The governor-fan is labelled “J. Benson.” The model illustrates the main elements of the patent including the turbine wheel and flange designs, the crankshaft, and the governor-fan. In its current condition, the model’s governor-fan has been straightened whereas a key element of the patent was the simple governor mechanism of bending the rear portion of the fan. The model also includes a thread representing the rope extending to the base of the windmill tower used to engage and disengage the windmill.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1878
patent date
1878-11-12
inventor
Benson, Jesse
ID Number
MC.309133
accession number
89797
patent number
209,853
catalog number
309133
George S. Stearns and William Hodgson of Cincinnati, Ohio, submitted a patent application for an improvement in governors for steam engines to the United States Patent Office. They received patent 9,236 on August 31, 1852. A governor regulates the speed of an engine.
Description
George S. Stearns and William Hodgson of Cincinnati, Ohio, submitted a patent application for an improvement in governors for steam engines to the United States Patent Office. They received patent 9,236 on August 31, 1852. A governor regulates the speed of an engine. Their governor was of normal design, but Stearns and Hodgson claimed as new their use of quadrants with teeth at the end of each arm supporting a fly ball. The inventors claimed the advantages of such a design were simplicity of operation and low cost of construction.
The patent model as shown in the image is constructed of cast iron and steel. All of the key elements of the patent are illustrated by the model. It includes a hand crank to permit demonstration of actual operation. A full description of the workings of the governor and diagrams showing the complete design of the patent can be found in the patent document online at the United States Patent and Trademark Office website, www.uspto.gov.
date made
1852
patent date
1852-08-31
inventor
Stearns, George R.
Hodgson, Will
ID Number
MC.251287
catalog number
251287
accession number
48865
patent number
9,236
In 1856 Stephen Wilcox introduced the first boiler with inclined tubes connecting water spaces at the front and rear with steam and water space above. Such a design was a forerunner of Babcock & Wilcox boilers that continued to serve well into the 20th century.
Description
In 1856 Stephen Wilcox introduced the first boiler with inclined tubes connecting water spaces at the front and rear with steam and water space above. Such a design was a forerunner of Babcock & Wilcox boilers that continued to serve well into the 20th century.
date made
1856
ID Number
MC.323492
catalog number
323492
accession number
251001
This model was filed with the application to the U.S. Patent Office for Patent Number 85,196 issued to John Adams of Findlay, Ohio on December 22, 1868. His patent was for a new and improved design for a Stove-Drum .
Description
This model was filed with the application to the U.S. Patent Office for Patent Number 85,196 issued to John Adams of Findlay, Ohio on December 22, 1868. His patent was for a new and improved design for a Stove-Drum . A stove drum was the element of a heater or furnace which heated air via contact with a large, hot metal surface. It would be located between the combustion chamber of the stove and the chimney. Mr. Adam’s design consisted of two truncated cones interconnected by flues. The lower cone was the entry point for the hot combustion gases and had an inner truncated cone which included a damper at its bottom. With the damper open the hot gases would travel directly upwards through a pipe that ran through the middle of the lower and upper cones and thence to the chimney. This resulted in the minimal amount of metal surfaces being exposed to the gases and thus the least heat being provided to the room. It also allowed a more direct draft for lighting the fire. With the damper closed the hot gases flowed in the volume between the inside and outside lower cones. A plate at the top of these cones allowed the gases to flow into the five flues that interconnected the upper and lower cones. A key element of Adam’s patent was the division of each flue into two halves via vertical partitions. After coming up through the lower cones, the gases entered the outer compartment of the flues where it then entered the upper cone and heated its outside surface. The gases would then flow back downwards through the inner compartment of the flues and into the inner lower cone which communicated with the chimney via the vertical pipe previously mentioned. With the damper closed the entirety of the surface of the stove-drum would be heated by the combustion gases, and this provided the maximum heating for the room. Research of available trade literature and other sources has not revealed any commercial product that may have made use of this invention by Mr. Adams. He did have one additional patent for a furnace which appears to be based in part on the principles of this stove-drum patent.
The model is constructed of unpainted tinplate and represented the key elements of Adam’s patent. The upper and lower truncated cones are shown as are the interconnecting flues, the inner lower cone, and the damper. Diagrams showing the complete design can be found in the patent document online (www.USPTO.gov/patents/process/search/index.jsp).
Location
Currently not on view
patent date
1868-12-22
inventor
Adams, John
ID Number
MC.251502
accession number
48890
catalog number
251502
patent number
85,196
This model was filed with the application to the U.S. Patent Office for Patent Number 24,897 issued to Charles A. Wilson of Cincinnati, Ohio on July 26, 1859. His patent was for a new and improved concept of stacking long, narrow boxes as elements for a steam radiator .
Description
This model was filed with the application to the U.S. Patent Office for Patent Number 24,897 issued to Charles A. Wilson of Cincinnati, Ohio on July 26, 1859. His patent was for a new and improved concept of stacking long, narrow boxes as elements for a steam radiator . The claimed benefit of this modular design was the ability to tailor the amount of radiator surface area in accordance with the amount of heating needed for a given room. And, this was made possible without changing the amount of floor space required for the radiator. His design called for the boxes, or modules, to be constructed of cast iron with corrugations at the top and bottom that allowed them to nest together tightly while still allowing for expansion and contraction with varying temperature. Each box had holes on the bottom at each end of the box. On the top of each box, nozzles projected upward and aligned with these holes allowing steam to pass from one section to the next. Two vertical screw bolts passed through the holes and nozzles to secure the stack of boxes together. Raised circular bumps surrounded each nozzle and provided a surface for a red lead or other gasket material to seal the joints. Steam entered and exited the radiator via two additional holes on the bottom of the lowest module. Research of available trade literature and other sources has not revealed any commercial product that may have made use of Mr. Wilson’s invention.
The model is constructed of painted tinplate and consists of four modules, or boxes. Steam inlet/outlet holes are modeled at the bottom. The bosses between sections are also shown. The sections are held together with two screw bolts with nuts at the bottom. There is a small, rectangular access plate on the rear of the top section. The patent drawing shows this access; however, its purpose is not described.
Location
Currently not on view
patent date
1859-07-26
inventor
Wilson, Charles A.
ID Number
MC.251778
accession number
48890
catalog number
251778
patent number
24,897

Our collection database is a work in progress. We may update this record based on further research and review. Learn more about our approach to sharing our collection online.

If you would like to know how you can use content on this page, see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use. If you need to request an image for publication or other use, please visit Rights and Reproductions.