Engineering, Building, and Architecture

Engine Room From Coast Guard Buoy Tender Oak

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.

Place: Pennsylvania

Model of an Oscillating Steam Engine – ca 1889

This is a demonstration model of an oscillating cylinder steam engine. It was designed by William Graham of Carlisle, Pennsylvania about 1889.
Description
This is a demonstration model of an oscillating cylinder steam engine. It was designed by William Graham of Carlisle, Pennsylvania about 1889. Graham was awarded United States Patent Number 413,506 on October 22, 1889 for the design of this type engine, and the patent drawings match this model very closely.
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 is connected to a crosshead which moves fore and aft within a set of guides. The crosshead in turn is coupled via a pin to the connecting rod which allows it to pivot independently as the crankshaft revolves.
One advantage of an oscillating cylinder design is the engine is relatively compact and occupies less space than a standard engine. Graham made such a claim as a benefit of his patent. He also claimed his design used few parts, was simple in construction and low in construction cost. His patent also included new features for reducing and compensating for wear of the engine steam valve as well as a method for assuring steam-tight attachments where the steam enters and exits through the cylinder’s pivot points. Engines based on this design were built in sizes from 5 to 10 horsepower and were popular in central Pennsylvania for small shop power.
In the image of the model the steam cylinder is seen at the left with its cylinder rod attached directly to the crank arm of the flywheel. The steam valve is the horizontal cylinder on top of and at 90 degrees to the steam cylinder. As the steam cylinder oscillated up and down about its central pivot, the valve was operated by the lever shown extending from its front to a sliding pivot in the slotted vertical frame at the front of the engine. The timing of the valve could be adjusted by the small wheel at the top which moved the pivot point up and down in the slot. The patent drawings show the pivot point was intended to be adjusted by a fly-ball governor.
date made
ca 1880
ID Number
MC.310898
catalog number
310898
accession number
132,179
patent number
413,506

Sciple's Patent Model of a Portable Steam Engine –1879

This model was filed with the application to the U.S. Patent Office for Patent Number 224,482 issued to Harry M Sciple of Selin's Grove, Pennsylvania on February 10, 1880. The patent was for a new and improved portable steam engine. Mr.
Description
This model was filed with the application to the U.S. Patent Office for Patent Number 224,482 issued to Harry M Sciple of Selin's Grove, Pennsylvania on February 10, 1880. The patent was for a new and improved portable steam engine. Mr. Sciple's goals for his design were lightness, durability and low cost. He claimed his innovation was making the majority of the engine from only two castings. The first and largest was the base, steam cylinder, and steam valve. The second was the cylinder head combined with the crosshead guides. In the image of the model the steam valve is the horizontal cylinder on the side of the steam cylinder; and the crosshead and guides casting is the arch shape at the top. The piston rod is attached to the crosshead which can be seen across the arch. Another new design feature claimed by Mr. Sciple was the use of vee- shaped crosshead guides. Instead of the typical metal sliding on metal crosshead and guide design, he used rubber coated rollers attached to each end of the crosshead. The connecting rod is the inverted u-shaped hoop seen connected to a bar across the crosshead and descending on each side of the cylinder to the crankshaft. The eccentric gear is shown on the shaft just outside the base. The rod connected to it operates the steam valve via the crank arm shown.
Before the widespread use of electric motors, small high-speed steam engines such as the Sciple design were common for general light duty. Simple and dependable, such engines were cheap to build and easy to operate and maintain. They could be connected directly to pumps, generators, blowers and other machinery.
All of the key elements of the patent are illustrated in detail by the model. The patent model parts representing the large castings are made of lead. Other metal is used for the moving parts. 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
1880
patent date
1880-02-10
inventor
Sciple, Harry M.
ID Number
MC.308710
catalog number
308710
accession number
89,797
patent number
224,481

Giffard’s Patent Model of a Steam Boiler Injector – ca 1860

This model was filed with the application to the U.S. Patent Office for Patent Number 27,979 issued to Henri Giffard of Paris, France on April 24, 1860.
Description
This model was filed with the application to the U.S. Patent Office for Patent Number 27,979 issued to Henri Giffard of Paris, France on April 24, 1860. The patent was for an improved method of supplying water to a steam boiler.
Early boilers operated at such low steam pressures that introducing feed water into the boiler could be done by simple pumps that filled elevated reservoirs. The water flowed into the boiler by its own weight. However, as pressures increased it became necessary to force water into the boiler by increasingly powerful pumps. Giffard’s invention was for a means of injecting the water into the boiler by the force of the steam itself. Unlike pumps, the Giffard injector had no moving parts.
Giffard’s concept was to push a high velocity jet of steam through a small nozzle which was surrounded by an annular space connected to the feed water reservoir. The jet created a partial vacuum which drew water from the reservoir. The mixture of condensed steam and water was then pushed at high speed into a gradually diverging pipe which slowed the flow while maintaining a pressure slightly above the pressure of the steam in the boiler.
In the image of the model steam is supplied to the injector via the pipe and valve at the upper left. The lever at the far left controlled the flow of steam to the nozzle. The larger pipe at the bottom center connected to the reservoir, and the smaller pipe to its right was for unneeded water to return to the reservoir. Glass sight ports between these pipes allowed visual inspection of the flow. The gradually diverging pipe section is between these ports and the exit valve at the upper right.
The patent model is constructed of brass and steel. This model is actually a standard commercial model that was being manufactured in France prior to the patent application. A full description of the operation of the injector 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
1860
patent date
1860-04-24
inventor
Giffard, Henry
ID Number
MC.309368
catalog number
309368
accession number
89797
patent number
27,979

Loper's Patent Model of a Steam Engine– ca 1845

This model was filed with the application to the U.S. Patent Office for Patent Number 4,289 issued to R.F. Loper of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on November 26, 1845. The patent was for a new method for allowing a single steam engine to operate two parallel crankshafts.
Description
This model was filed with the application to the U.S. Patent Office for Patent Number 4,289 issued to R.F. Loper of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on November 26, 1845. The patent was for a new method for allowing a single steam engine to operate two parallel crankshafts. One shaft would turn clockwise and the other would turn counterclockwise.
This was an important feature for marine engines powering a ship with twin propellers. Having twin propellers turning in the same direction would increase the tendency for the boat to veer off course due to the torque effect of the propellers. This would require the ship's rudder to compensate, thereby reducing efficiency. With counter revolving propellers, one with right-hand pitch and the other with left-hand pitch, this adverse effect is eliminated.
The patent model is constructed of brass, steel and wood. All of the key elements of the patent are illustrated by the model, and it was built such that the motion of the engine could be demonstrated. A full description of the operation of the engine 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
1845
patent date
1845-11-26
inventor
Loper, R. F.
ID Number
MC.251297
catalog number
251297
patent number
4,289
accession number
48865

Giffard-Sellers Injector, Patent Model

This model was submitted to the U.S. Patent Office with the application for the patent issued to William Sellers, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, July 21, 1863, no.
Description
This model was submitted to the U.S. Patent Office with the application for the patent issued to William Sellers, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, July 21, 1863, no. 39313.
William Sellers, who introduced the Giffard injector into the United States in 1860, immediately invented useful improvements in its construction. This model incorporates an improvement in the packing between the steam and water chambers and effects a material reduction in the length of the whole 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
1860
patent date
1863-07-21
inventor
Sellers, William
ID Number
MC.309367
catalog number
309367
accession number
89797
patent number
39,313

Ship Launching Bottle

In celebration of Memorial Day on May 30, 1919, the Hog Island Shipyard in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, launched five freighters in 48 minutes.
Description
In celebration of Memorial Day on May 30, 1919, the Hog Island Shipyard in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, launched five freighters in 48 minutes. This bottle was smashed against the bow of the Luxpalile by Laura Andrew, wife of the ship-construction manager at Hog Island, as she christened the last ship. Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels spoke to 50,000 spectators before the launchings, and declared that Hog Island would become the center of American shipbuilding. “Never again will the United States be guilty of the folly of trusting its foreign commerce to foreign bottoms,” he said, referring to the country’s reliance on Allies’ vessels during World War I because its merchant fleet was so small. “We will not quit the shipbuilding industry. We will put it on a solid and firm and sound basis. We will build big ships and bigger ships . . . . The genius, statesmanship, and skill of America must be united in the development of a merchant marine,” Daniels concluded as the first ship was launched.
The shipyard at Hog Island was part of a model project during World War I to produce prefabricated ships. Before then, builders touted their abilities to construct a variety of customized vessels within a single shipyard. But the growing demand for a larger merchant fleet convinced some that yards should specialize in a few standard types. Inspired by automaker Henry Ford’s production of Eagle-class submarine chasers, a template system was developed for the construction of identical parts that would be assembled elsewhere, such as at shipyards like Hog Island.
Subcontractors prefabricated 95 percent of each “Hog Islander,” the nickname for vessels built at the shipyard, and shipped the materials to one of Hog Island’s storage sites located along 80 miles of Pennsylvania Railroad tracks. From there, the parts would be assembled by some of Hog Island’s 30,000 workers and placed on one of 50 slipways, the ramps used to construct and later launch a ship. This theoretical procedure, however, never matched the realities of the operation. Hog Island’s sheer size and dependence on numerous subcontractors likely contributed to its failure to complete even one of the 122 vessels in time to be used during the war. A postwar recession forced Hog Island to close in 1921, but builders learned from the experiment. New shipyards were only a quarter of the size of Hog Island, and many avoided substantial use of subcontractors. But the greatest consequence was the proven success of prefabricating ships. The Liberty and Victory ships, critical for Allied victories in World War II, were inspired by the standardization of Hog Island.
date made
ca. 1919
Hog Island Shipyard Freighter launching
1919-05-30
Hog Island Shipyard closed
1921
christened ship
Andrew, Laura
Secretary of the Navy
Daniels, Josephus
ID Number
TR.335562
catalog number
335562
accession number
1977.0003

Plate 35. Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

Text and photograph from Gardner's Photographic Sketchbook of the War, Vol. II. Negative by Timothy H.
Description
Text and photograph from Gardner's Photographic Sketchbook of the War, Vol. II. Negative by Timothy H. O'Sullivan, text and positive by Alexander Gardner.
Gettysburg, the scene of Lee's defeat in 1863, is a post borough and capital of Adams county, Pennsylvania, on the turnpike from Philadelphia to Pittsburg, one hundred and fourteen miles west of the former city. It stands on elevated ground, in the midst of a fertile farming country. The Court-House and public offices are handsome and commodious; and the private residences are all built in a neat and substantial manner. The town has a flourishing Lutheran Theological Seminary, with a library of about ten thousand volumes; and is also the seat of Pennsylvania College. The manufacture of carriages is carried on to a greater extent than any other business. A number of copper mines have been opened in the neighborhood, and worked with considerable success. The town numbers about four thousand inhabitants.
It was back of this place that the Federal cavalry first met the Confederate infantry, on the 1st of July, 1863, and on the left of the picture can be seen Seminary Ridge, where General Reynolds was killed. This view is taken from Cemetery Ridge, where our artillery was massed, and against which the Confederates directed their most terrible assaults in the last day's fight. The town suffered considerably from the fire of our artillery, and the houses in some parts of the place were covered with indentations of musket balls. Very few of the inhabitants were injured, however, most of them taking refuge in their cellars and other sheltered places.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1863-07
maker
Gardner, Alexander
ID Number
1986.0711.0334.35
accession number
1986.0711
catalog number
1986.0711.0334.35

Richards Steam Engine Indicator - ca 1863

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. This indicator was designed and patented by C.B.
Description
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. This indicator was designed and patented by C.B. Richards of Hartford, CT in 1863. Units of this design were manufactured by the American Steam Gauge Co. of Boston, MA and the Elliott Brothers of London, England.
Made of brass, it consists of a cylinder and piston and a separate drum mounted on a parallel axis holding the recording paper. The piston causes the stylus to rise and fall with pressure changes in the engine under measurement thereby directly recording the indicator’s output on the paper. Around the drum’s base is wound a cord that is attached to the connecting rod of the piston on the steam engine being measured. This causes the drum to rotate as the engine’s piston moves. An internal coil spring causes the cord to retract and the drum to counterrotate back to its original position as the connecting rod returns. The result is a steam pressure-volume diagram which is used to measure the efficiency and other attributes of the steam engine.
The Richards Indicator was a significant improvement over the then standard McNaught Indicator which was not fully satisfactory for measurements of high-speed steam engines. Richards' patent for his indicator makes note of the lightness and short stroke of the indicator's piston. This reduced the inertia of the moving parts of the unit and enabled its use on high speed engines. Richards’ patent also added the system of levers to the recording stylus in order to multiply the piston range by a factor of four while still producing a straight vertical motion proportional to the piston extension. This enabled a large and legible diagram to be traced on the drum even with the reduced piston range. The levers and pencil are made from lightweight materials to again reduce inertia.
The introduction of the steam indicator in the late 1790s and early 1800s by James Watt and others had a great impact on the understanding of how the steam behaved inside the engine's cylinder and thereby enabled much more exacting and sophisticated designs. The devices also changed how the economics and efficiency of steam engines were portrayed and marketed. They helped the prospective owner of a machine better understand how much his fuel costs would be for a given amount of work performed.
Measurement of fuel consumed and work delivered by the engine was begun by Watt, who in part justified the selling price of his engines on the amount of fuel cost the purchaser might save compared to an alternate engine. In the early days of steam power, the method to compare engine performance was based on a concept termed the engine’s “duty”. It originally was calculated as the number of pounds of water raised one foot high per one bushel of coal consumed. The duty method was open to criticism due to its inability to take into consideration finer points of efficiency in real world applications of engines. Accurate determination of fuel used in relation to work performed has been fundamental to the design and improvement of all steam-driven prime movers ever since Watt’s time. And, the steam indicators’ key contribution was the accurate measurements of performance while the engine was actually doing the work it was designed to do. This Richards steam indicator represented over one hundred years of evolution and improvement of the devices. Its ability to make recordings on high speed steam engines was a significant improvement for many applications.
date made
ca 1863
ID Number
MC.307515
catalog number
307515
accession number
68187

Wiegand Steam Boiler, Patent Model

This model was submitted to the U.S. Patent Office with application for the patent issued to S. Lloyd Wiegand, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, August 6, 1867, no.
Description
This model was submitted to the U.S. Patent Office with application for the patent issued to S. Lloyd Wiegand, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, August 6, 1867, no. 67621.
This model is of a boiler having water tubes made up of large tubes closed at the ends with smaller tubes suspended within the large tubes to provide a circulation of steam and water upward in the smaller tubes and of the cooler water down ward in the annular spaces between the larger and smaller tubes. The inventor suggests the use of tubes of different metals to produce a galvanic action for the purpose of preventing deposits of scale within the tubes.
The boiler represented by the model consists of a series of vertical tubes suspended into the furnace from a horizontal header across the top of the boiler setting. The tubes closed at their lower ends, and within each tube is one of smaller diameter. The smaller tubes are suspended from a plate within the header. The headers connecting each row of tubes across the boiler are, in turn, connected by a longitudinal drum above them.
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
1867
patent date
1867-08-06
inventor
Wiegand, S. Lloyd
ID Number
MC.309209
catalog number
309209
accession number
89797
patent number
67,621

Colwell Disulphide of Carbon Generator and Engine, Patent Model

The model was submitted to the U.S. Patent Office with the application for the patent issued to William S. Colwell, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, September 16, 1879, no.
Description
The model was submitted to the U.S. Patent Office with the application for the patent issued to William S. Colwell, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, September 16, 1879, no. 219622.
The model represents a reciprocating engine of more or less conventional steam engine design in which the operating fluid is vaporized carbon disulphide supplied by a boiler or generator and condensed in an air-cooled condenser. The transfer of heat from the fire in the boiler to the carbon disulphide and from the exhaust vapor to the cooling air of the condenser is effected through water. Plumbago, or black lead, is used to protect the walls of the generator and the engine from the action of the carbon-disulphide vapor. Steam and hot water from the water jacket of the generator are led into passages surrounding the engine cylinder and connecting pipes to prevent the loss of heat form the vapor.
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
1879
patent date
1879-09-16
inventor
Colwell, William S.
ID Number
MC.308766
catalog number
308766
accession number
89797
patent number
219,622

McNaught Steam Engine Indicator - ca 1842

An engine indicator is an instrument for graphically recording the cylinder pressure versus piston displacement through an engine stroke cycle. Engineers use the resulting diagram to check the design and performance of the engine.
Description
An engine indicator is an instrument for graphically recording the cylinder pressure versus piston displacement through an engine stroke cycle. Engineers use the resulting diagram to check the design and performance of the engine. This type of indicator was invented by John McNaught of Glasgow, Scotland ca 1825. This particular unit was manufactured by Novelty Iron Works of New York around 1842.
The McNaught indicator was a significant improvement over the original Watt indicator which made steam-pressure diagrams on a flat piece of recording paper. The piston of the engine under test moved the paper horizontally, and the indicator’s piston moved the paper vertically in proportion to the pressure in the cylinder. McNaught’s improvement was the introduction of an oscillating drum which held the recording paper. The indicator is made of brass and consists of a cylinder and piston with internal spring and the separate recording drum. The piston causes the stylus to rise and fall with pressure changes in the engine under measurement thereby directly recording the indicator’s output on the paper. Around the drum’s base is wound a cord that is attached to the connecting rod of the piston on the steam engine being measured. This causes the drum to rotate as the engine’s piston moves. An internal coil spring causes the cord to retract and the drum to counterrotate back to its original position as the connecting rod returns. The result is a steam pressure-volume diagram which is used to measure the efficiency and other attributes of the steam engine.
The introduction of the steam indicator in the late 1790s and early 1800s by James Watt and others had a great impact on the understanding of how the steam behaved inside the engine's cylinder and thereby enabled much more exacting and sophisticated designs. The devices also changed how the economics and efficiency of steam engines were portrayed and marketed. They helped the prospective owner of a machine better understand how much his fuel costs would be for a given amount of work performed.
Measurement of fuel consumed and work delivered by the engine was begun by Watt, who in part justified the selling price of his engines on the amount of fuel cost the purchaser might save compared to an alternate engine. In the early days of steam power, the method to compare engine performance was based on a concept termed the engine’s “duty”. It originally was calculated as the number of pounds of water raised one foot high per one bushel of coal consumed. The duty method was open to criticism due to its inability to take into consideration finer points of efficiency in real world applications of engines. Accurate determination of fuel used in relation to work performed has been fundamental to the design and improvement of all steam-driven prime movers ever since Watt’s time. And, the steam indicators’ key contribution was the accurate measurements of performance while the engine was actually doing the work it was designed to do.
date made
ca 1825 - 1830
ID Number
MC.307516
accession number
68187
catalog number
307516

Luders Steam Boiler, Patent Model

This model was submitted to the U.S. Patent Office with the application for the patent issued to Herman W. Luders, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, August 31, 1869, no.
Description
This model was submitted to the U.S. Patent Office with the application for the patent issued to Herman W. Luders, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, August 31, 1869, no. 94226.
The model represents a boiler having inclined water tubes projecting through forward and back brick walls, which form the furnace and boiler setting. The ends of the tubes projecting from the setting front and back are joined in sets of three by short horizontal cross tubes to large, vertical, upright pillar tubes on either side of the top of the setting. A third longitudinal drum is placed between the other two drums, and all three are joined by one cross drum above them. The short horizontal tubes at the back are cast in longitudinal sections and connected by ball-and-socket joints designed to permit the free expansion and contraction of the tubes.
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
1869
patent date
1869-08-31
inventor
Luders, Herman W.
ID Number
MC.309211
catalog number
309211
accession number
89797
patent number
94,226

Fickardt’s Patent Model of a Furnace – ca 1836

This model was filed with the application to the U.S. Patent Office for Patent Number 23 issued to Frederick A. Fickardt of Easton, Pennsylvania on September 8, 1836. His patent was for an improvement in furnaces for heating the upper rooms of a building.
Description
This model was filed with the application to the U.S. Patent Office for Patent Number 23 issued to Frederick A. Fickardt of Easton, Pennsylvania on September 8, 1836. His patent was for an improvement in furnaces for heating the upper rooms of a building. He claimed as new the use of an inner and outer chamber with insulating material on the outer chamber to reduce loss of heat into the furnace room. A gap of three to four inches was provided between the inner and outer chambers to further reduce loss of heat into the furnace room. The stove, or combustion chamber, was located within the inner chamber. Access to it for fueling and cleaning was via doors in both the inner and outer chambers. The inner chamber was open at the bottom allowing fresh air entry. The flue of the stove exited through this chamber via a sealed pipe. Heated air in the inner chamber was supplied to rooms above the furnace via a larger pipe, or duct, surrounding the flue of the stove. A sliding lid for the hot air duct was provided to stop cold or foul air entering the heated rooms from the cellar when the furnace was not in use. One of Fickardt’s claims was “Immediate heat, great heat, and economy of heat, and consequently economy of fuel, money, time, patience, and domestic comfort are the advantages which the subscriber hopes he is but reasonably led to anticipate by these improvements.” Research of available trade literature and other sources has not revealed any commercial use that may have made use of Mr. Fickardt’s invention.
The patent model is constructed of painted tinplate. The central stove can be seen through access doors in the inner and outer chambers. The stove flue and hot air ductwork are shown at the top of the model. The sliding lid for the hot air duct is also shown. Diagrams showing the complete design can be found in the patent document online (www.USPTO.gov/patents/process/search/index.jsp). The diagram submitted with the patent shows the shape of the furnace to be rectangular with a sloping top while the patent model submitted is cylindrical with a conical top.
Location
Currently not on view
patent date
1836-09-08
inventor
Fickardt, Frederick A.
ID Number
MC.251441
catalog number
251441
accession number
48890
patent number
23

Model, Liberty Ship

This model represents one of the 2,710 Liberty ships built during World War II. The designation EC2-S-C1 was the standard designation of the dry cargo Liberty ships that were used by the United States Merchant Marine to transport nearly anything needed by the Allies.
Description
This model represents one of the 2,710 Liberty ships built during World War II. The designation EC2-S-C1 was the standard designation of the dry cargo Liberty ships that were used by the United States Merchant Marine to transport nearly anything needed by the Allies. Whether in Europe, Africa, or the Pacific, most of the essential supplies arrived on ships, including tanks, ammunition, fuel, food, toilet paper, cigarettes, and even the troops themselves. Manning these vessels was a dangerous task, as the merchant vessels faced tremendous losses from submarines, mines, destroyers, aircraft, kamikaze fighters, and the unpredictable elements of the various destinations. One in 26 merchant mariners died during the war, a higher fatality rate than that of any branch of the armed forces.
Even before the United States was officially involved in World War II, shipyards on the Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf coasts were building Liberty ships. Drawing from lessons learned at Hog Island in the First World War, Liberty ships were standardized and designed to be built quickly and efficiently. Using new welding technology, workers pieced together prefabricated sections in assembly-line fashion. This largely replaced the labor-intensive method of riveting, while lowering the cost and speeding up production. While it took about 230 days to build one Liberty ship in the first year, the average construction time eventually dropped to 42 days, with three new ships being launched each day in 1943.
President Franklin Delano Roosevelt attended the launching of the first Liberty ship on September 27, 1941, at the Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyard in Baltimore, Maryland. The ship was the SS Patrick Henry, named after the Revolutionary War hero whose famous “Give me Liberty or give me Death!” speech inspired the ships’ nickname. At the launching of the first “ugly duckling,” the President’s name for the stout and functional Liberty ships, he praised the shipyard workers: “With every new ship, they are striking a telling blow at the menace to our nation and the liberty of the free peoples of the world.” President Roosevelt proclaimed that these ships would help to bring a new kind of liberty to people around the world.
date made
early 1940s
launching of first Liberty Ship, SS Patrick Henry
1941-09-27
attended first launching
Roosevelt, Franklin Delano
ID Number
TR.313022
accession number
170015
catalog number
313022

Crawford’s Patent Model of Steam Boiler Furnace– ca 1849

This model was filed with the application to the U.S. Patent Office for Patent Number 7,051 issued to Benjamin Crawford of Allegheny, Pennsylvania on January 29, 1850. The patent was for improvements in air heaters and steam blowers for a steam boiler furnace.
Description
This model was filed with the application to the U.S. Patent Office for Patent Number 7,051 issued to Benjamin Crawford of Allegheny, Pennsylvania on January 29, 1850. The patent was for improvements in air heaters and steam blowers for a steam boiler furnace. Boilers of this type were commonly used on river steamboats. The model represents a pair of boilers located side by side and seen as the two parallel, horizontal cylinders on the same level. The ash pit doors, firebox doors, flues and chimneys are shown at the end. One of the key elements of Crawford's patent was a combustion air heater in the form of a heat exchanger that passed incoming air through pipes surrounded by hot steam from the exhaust of the engine. This is seen as the smaller horizontal cylinder located between and above the boilers. The heated air was channeled through pipes leading down to the ash pits. The routing of these pipes was through the flues of the boilers, and this added considerably to the temperature of the air. To increase the velocity of this air, Crawford's design fed steam under pressure into the ends of these pipes. The design additionally improved efficiency of combustion by introducing jets of pressurized steam into the fire boxes and chimneys. The steam was conducted via another set of pipes. At the ends of these pipes were fixed nozzles that rotated as a result of the steam pressure. Crawford claimed these increased the mixing of combustion gases in the firebox and increased ability of the gases passing up the chimney to provide a strong draft through the boiler furnace.
The patent model is constructed of sheet metal. The key elements of the patent are illustrated in the model to include the various pipes conducting air and steam into the ash pit, combustion chamber, and flues. Doors give access to the ash pits and combustion chambers. 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
1850
patent date
1850-01-29
inventor
Crawford, Benjamin
ID Number
MC.309208
catalog number
309208
accession number
89797
patent number
7,051

Bacharach Steam Engine Indicator

Bacharach Industrial Instrument Co. manufactured this steam engine indicator.
Description
Bacharach Industrial Instrument Co. manufactured this steam engine indicator. It consists of a large steel piston with three grooves; a vented brass cylinder; an external, double wound spring, which can be changed; an aluminum drum with a small spiral spring and single record; and a small brass stylus. Accompanying the indicator is a box with three springs and some small tools. The pulley and bracket are missing.
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.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
early 20th century
maker
Bacharach Industrial Instrument Co.
ID Number
MC.325992
catalog number
325992
accession number
308486
serial number
50597

Roebling Safety Steam Gauge, Patent Model

This model was submitted to the U.S. Patent Office with the application for the patent issued to John A. Roebling, of Saxonburg, Pennsylvania, July 16, 1842, no. 2728.The model represents a section of a steam-boiler flue and head to which is attached the safety gauge.
Description
This model was submitted to the U.S. Patent Office with the application for the patent issued to John A. Roebling, of Saxonburg, Pennsylvania, July 16, 1842, no. 2728.
The model represents a section of a steam-boiler flue and head to which is attached the safety gauge. The gauge consists of a box fastened to the top of the flue and containing a fusible metal upon which rests a weight connected through a lever to a valve in the boiler head. Should the level of water within the boiler fall below the top of the flue, the fusible metal would melt and allow the weight to fall and open the valve, attracting the attention of the engineer. A rod is provided by which the lever and weight are raised by the engineer before admitting more water, so that the fused metal will solidify below the weight and the gauge will be in a position to function again.
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
1842
patent date
1842-07-16
inventor
Roebling, John A.
ID Number
ER.308651
accession number
89797
catalog number
308651
patent number
2,728

Sellers Self-Acting Injector

This is a self-adjusting and restarting injector similar to the Schutte Injector, but it does not have the steam jet for lifting water to the injector.
Description
This is a self-adjusting and restarting injector similar to the Schutte Injector, but it does not have the steam jet for lifting water to the injector. It has the floating combining tube of the earlier injectors and the combination of two tubes in the same axial line with apertures between them, as with the Schutte Injector, which develop a vacuum in the feed pipe and make the injector automatically restarting.
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
1900-1927
ID Number
MC.309560
catalog number
309560
accession number
104292

Diesel Engine Indicator, De Juhasz Design – ca 1938

This diesel engine indicator was based on U.S. Patent Number 2,040,082 issued to Kalman John De Juhasz of State College, Pennsylvania on May 12, 1936.
Description
This diesel engine indicator was based on U.S. Patent Number 2,040,082 issued to Kalman John De Juhasz of State College, Pennsylvania on May 12, 1936. 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. Engine indicators were originally developed for use on steam engines, and Mr. De Juhasz's design is one of many adaptations of steam engine indicator designs for use on diesel engines.
The device consists of a piston within a cylinder as shown on the right in the image. This cylinder is connected to a port in a cylinder of the engine under test, and the indicator's piston rises and falls as the pressure within the engine changes. A spring at the top of the cylinder provides a return force when the pressure in the engine decreases. A stylus is connected via a linkage to the moving piston so that it also rises and falls with pressure changes and records the pressure on a revolving drum with a paper card wrapped around it. This drum is seen to the left of the image. A cord is wrapped around the base of the drum and led via the pulley on the left to be attached to the engine under test so that it causes the drum to turn one revolution each stroke of the engine. A spring on the inside of the drum returns the recording paper to its starting point as the cord is relaxed. The result is a pressure-volume diagram of the engine while in operation, and engineers can measure and adjust the engine's properties under real time varying load conditions.
De Juhasz claimed his design improved over others due to his addition of cooling fins to the piston cylinder, reduction of mass of the piston and stylus, the use of light weight materials such as Bakelite, and a built in lubricator. He was an Assistant Professor of Engineering at Pennsylvania State College and Chief Engineer of a company manufacturing engine indicators.
The indicator is constructed of steel and Bakelite. Diagrams showing the complete design of the patent that it is based upon can be found in the patent document online at the United States Patent and Trademark Office website, www.uspto.gov.
date made
ca 1938
ID Number
MC.311621
catalog number
311621
accession number
151188
patent number
2040082

Model of Oliver Evans Flue Steam Boiler

This is a model of an early (ca 1802) boiler designed with an internal flue. The concept for the flue boiler was originally devised by John Smeaton of England ca 1770. But it is Oliver Evans who is credited with the practical development of an internal flue boiler.
Description
This is a model of an early (ca 1802) boiler designed with an internal flue. The concept for the flue boiler was originally devised by John Smeaton of England ca 1770. But it is Oliver Evans who is credited with the practical development of an internal flue boiler. In the “flue boiler” type design an outer cylinder contains the water and steam, and a smaller inner cylinder contains the heat source and conducts the hot gases to the chimney. Prior to this development boilers were normally spherical with heat being applied externally.
Evans in the United States and Richard Trevithick in England were pioneers in developing high-pressure steam engines based on boilers of this type. They reached pressures of 120 pounds per square inch. However, high pressure steam was not widely adopted for many years, and flue boilers were initially developed with the goal of obtaining the largest heating surface possible without regard to increasing strength.
The model was made by the Smithsonian in 1955.
date made
1804
1955
ID Number
MC.314650
catalog number
314650
accession number
208322

Merritt Beam Scale Slide Rule

This paper linear slide rule was designed to assist architects and construction workers with computing the strength of steel beams.
Description
This paper linear slide rule was designed to assist architects and construction workers with computing the strength of steel beams. There are seven scales: A, safe load in pounds per square foot; B, section of beams; C, spacing of beams in feet; D, span in feet; E, total safe load in net tons; F, manner of loading; G, span in feet. Scales A-B-C-D are meant to be used together, as are scales E-B-F-G. The back of the instrument gives instructions. The instrument fits in an orange paper envelope.
The front of the instrument and the envelope are marked: The Merritt Beam Scale (/) FOR COMPUTING THE STRENGTH OF STEEL BEAMS. They also are both marked: THE JOHN HOWARD HERRICK CO. (/) BALTIMORE, MD., U.S.A. and PRICE ONE DOLLAR. The front of the instrument also is marked: Copyright (/) 1899 (/) by (/) James S. Merritt (/) M.E. and PAT. JULY 1ST, 1902. This last mark refers to a patent for a "slide-scale" taken out on that date by the mechanical engineer James S. Merritt of Philadelphia. The Merritt Beam Scale was mentioned in a textbook as late as 1921.
Although the instrument is named for Merritt, its invention is credited to Edward Wager-Smith (1872–1920), who worked for Merritt & Co. of Philadelphia from 1893 to 1910. See also his Wager Timber Scale (1987.0108.01).
References: James S. Merritt, "Slide Scale" (U.S. Patent 703,437 issued July 1, 1902); "Wager-Smith, E.," National Cyclopaedia of American Biography (New York: James T. White, 1926), xix:136–137; Ernst McCullough, Practical Structural Design (New York: U.P.C. Co., 1921), 81.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1902-1921
maker
Wager-Smith, Edward
ID Number
1987.0108.02
accession number
1987.0108
catalog number
1987.0108.02

Schutte Injector, Patent Model

This injector was submitted to the U.S. Patent Office with the application for the patent issued to Louis Schutte, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, February 9, 1892, no.
Description
This injector was submitted to the U.S. Patent Office with the application for the patent issued to Louis Schutte, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, February 9, 1892, no. 468698.
This is a double-tube injector in which water is delivered by one set of tubes, or nozzles, generally known as the lifting tubes into another set generally known as forcing tubes through which the water is forced into the boiler. The peculiar feature of this injector is a means of increasing or reducing the area of the opening of the steam nozzle of the lifting tubes, by which the quantity of water discharged by the injector is controlled without in any way interfering with the operating mechanism for starting and stopping 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
1892
patent date
1892-02-09
inventor
Schutte, Louis
ID Number
MC.309010
catalog number
309010
accession number
89797
patent number
468,698

Wiegand’s Patent Model of a Gas Engine – ca 1864

This model was filed with the application to the U.S. Patent Office for Patent Number 44,572 issued to S. Lloyd Wiegand of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on October 4, 1864. Mr. Wiegand’s patent was for improvements in gas engines.
Description
This model was filed with the application to the U.S. Patent Office for Patent Number 44,572 issued to S. Lloyd Wiegand of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on October 4, 1864. Mr. Wiegand’s patent was for improvements in gas engines. Claimed improvements included: protection against the buildup of carbon deposits on the piston and cylinder; more accurate and fuel-efficient speed control; and a lower cost and higher durability construction.
Mr. Wiegand’s engine was designed to use “illuminating gas” which was a coal based product used for gas lighting. Due to inefficiency in combining the gas and air, carbon deposits were left on the surfaces of the combustion chambers. This damaged the seals between the cylinders and pistons resulting in leakage and reduced power. The patent called for a fluid to be injected into the cylinders via channels near the seals. The fluid would loosen and eject the carbon through the exhaust.
To improve the speed regulation and fuel-efficiency of the engine, Mr. Wiegand varied the timing of the intake valves. A shaft governor was included in one of the engine’s two flywheels, and this was coupled to a mechanism that adjusted the angle of the cam which opened and closed the valve. If the engine exceeded its desired speed, the cam adjustment would shorten the time the intake valve was open. The reduction in the amount of fuel entering the engine soon slowed it.
A search of available literature did not reveal any practical use of the patent. Shortly after Mr. Wiegand’s patent, N. A. Otto and others patented advances in gas engine such as compressing the fuel-air mixture prior to combustion and the introduction of the four stroke engine design.
The model as shown in the image illustrates all of the key elements of the patent except for the internal details of the valves and cylinders. It is constructed of metal. Diagrams showing the complete design can be found in the patent document online (www.USPTO.gov).
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1864
patent date
1864-10-04
inventor
Weigand, S. Lloyd
maker
Wiegand, S. Lloyd
ID Number
ER.325619
accession number
249602
catalog number
325619
patent number
44,572

Frick Feed-Water Apparatus, Patent Model

This model was submitted to the U.S. Patent Office with the application for the patent issued to Jacob Frick, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, December 14, 1858, no. 22284. It is an improvement on the patent issued to Frick, March 18, 1856, no.
Description
This model was submitted to the U.S. Patent Office with the application for the patent issued to Jacob Frick, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, December 14, 1858, no. 22284. It is an improvement on the patent issued to Frick, March 18, 1856, no. 14449.
The model represents a combination of an air chamber, a safety valve, feed-water and blow-off cocks, a feed-water failure alarm, and a water jet just for extinguishing fires, all arranged in one instrument so that all can be secured to the boiler by one attachment only, thereby avoiding the necessity of piercing and “wounding” the boiler in several places.
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
1858
patent date
1858-12-14
inventor
Frick, Jacob
ID Number
ER.308661
accession number
89797
catalog number
308661
patent number
22,284

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