Science & Mathematics

Chemical Balance

The Museum's collections hold thousands of objects related to chemistry, biology, physics, astronomy, and other sciences. Instruments range from early American telescopes to lasers. Rare glassware and other artifacts from the laboratory of Joseph Priestley, the discoverer of oxygen, are among the scientific treasures here. A Gilbert chemistry set of about 1937 and other objects testify to the pleasures of amateur science. Artifacts also help illuminate the social and political history of biology and the roles of women and minorities in science.

The mathematics collection holds artifacts from slide rules and flash cards to code-breaking equipment. More than 1,000 models demonstrate some of the problems and principles of mathematics, and 80 abstract paintings by illustrator and cartoonist Crockett Johnson show his visual interpretations of mathematical theorems.

Place: New Jersey

Calcumeter

This eight-wheeled stylus operated non-printing adding machine has wheels of brass and copper and a steel frame. Two metal supports on the back can be lowered so that the machine is at an angle rather than lying flat. The machine is marked on the front: THE CALCUMETER.
Description
This eight-wheeled stylus operated non-printing adding machine has wheels of brass and copper and a steel frame. Two metal supports on the back can be lowered so that the machine is at an angle rather than lying flat. The machine is marked on the front: THE CALCUMETER. It is marked on the right side: H.N.MORSE (/) TRENTON,N.J. It is marked on the left: 18143 (/) PAT’D DEC 17 ‘01. This is number 38 in the Felt & Tarrant collection.
The Calcumeter was invented by James J. Walsh of Elizabeth, N.J. who applied for a patent January 16, 1901, and was granted it December 17, 1901 (U.S. Patent 689,225). Walsh went on to patent a resetting device for the machine on September 1, 1908 (U.S. Patent #897,688). This example of the machine does not have that mechanism. The instrument was first manufactured by Morse & Walsh Company in 1903 and 1904, but by 1906 was produced by Herbert North Morse of Trenton. Morse was a native of New Jersey who attended the South Jersey Institute in Bridgeton, N.J. and then spent a year at Harvard College. By 1916, he not only owned the Calcumeter adding machine business, but was assistant commissioner of education for the state of New Jersey.
Compare MA.335352.
Reference:
Harvard College Class of 1896, "Report V," June, 1916, Norwood, Massachusetts: Plimpton Press, p. 192.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1901
maker
Morse, H. N.
ID Number
MA.323622
accession number
250163
catalog number
323622

Baldwin Calculator

In 1875 Frank S. Baldwin of St. Louis patented a pinwheel calculating machine. He manufactured a few of these machines, but they did not sell well. Baldwin went on to take out a number of other patents.
Description
In 1875 Frank S. Baldwin of St. Louis patented a pinwheel calculating machine. He manufactured a few of these machines, but they did not sell well. Baldwin went on to take out a number of other patents. By 1901 he had moved to Newark, New Jersey, where he designed an improved pinwheel machine. He obtained a patent the following year. This is an early example of that machine.
The lever-set, non-printing machine has eight rings at the front that rotate forward to release pins and enter numbers. A zeroing bar for the rings is at the front, and an operating crank to the right. The crank turns clockwise for addition and multiplication and counterclockwise for subtraction and division. Behind the rings is a movable carriage with a row of 16 result windows and, behind this, a second row of nine windows for the revolution register. Both these registers have zeroing cranks. Both also have a thin metal rod below them that moves to serve as a decimal marker.
Pulling forward a lever on the left allows one to shift the carriage. A bell rings when the result changes sign (negative to positive or positive to negative). The entire machine sits in a wooden case with a missing lid.
Compare MA.311954.
A mark stamped on the front reads: No 50.
The donor dated this machine to 1902.
References:
Accession file.
Frank S. Baldwin, “Calculating-Machine,” U.S. Patent 706375, August 5, 1902.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1902
maker
Baldwin, Frank S.
ID Number
MA.307384
catalog number
307384
accession number
67982
maker number
50

Monroe Model CSAE-10 Calculating Machine

This full-keyboard, electric non-printing modified stepped drum calculating machine has a dark gray steel frame, a light gray keyboard and carriage, and ten columns of oblong plastic keys in two shades of gray. At the bottom of each column is a key for clearing it.
Description
This full-keyboard, electric non-printing modified stepped drum calculating machine has a dark gray steel frame, a light gray keyboard and carriage, and ten columns of oblong plastic keys in two shades of gray. At the bottom of each column is a key for clearing it. Between the columns of keys and under the keyboard are metal rods, painted red on one side and the same gray as the keyboard on the other. They turn to serve as decimal markers.
To the right of the number keys are subtraction and addition bars, two carriage shift keys, and a multiplier key. Below these are two buttons, one of which is depressed when entries are repeated and the other depressed for non-repeating entries. This section also has a multiply/divide lever. Below these are three other function keys and a gray clear-keyboard key. Beneath the number keys are five additional function keys.
In back of the keyboard is a carriage with ten dials to show a number set up for multiplication, 20 dials to show the result, and a row of ten dials that serves as a revolution counter. Sliding decimal markers are provided. A two-pronged gray electrical cord attaches to the back.
An incomplete mark on the left side reads: omatic. A mark on the front reads: Classmate. Another mark there reads: li. A paper sticker glued to the bottom of the machine reads: MONROE INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION [/] A DIVISION OF LITTON INDUSTRIES [/] ORANGE, NEW JERSEY. A list of 28 patents on this sticker ranges from number 2,473,422 (1949) to D-192,457 (1962). A metal tag attached to the bottom of the machine reads: MODEL CSAE-10 [/] SERIAL B066597. Scratched on the frame at the back are the initials: EHS.
This is a relatively late mechanical calculating machine, produced by Monroe after it became a division of Litton Industries in 1958. The rough date is based on the patent date.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1966
maker
Monroe International Corporation, a Division of Litton Business Systems
ID Number
1987.0182.01
maker number
MODEL CSAE-10 B066597
accession number
1987.0182
catalog number
1987.0182.01

Monroe Model 213-11-011 Adding Machine

This machine incorporates ideas of Purdue University graduate Clyde Gardner (1881-1923) who had a long career in the adding machine industry. He began as a draftsman at the Pike Adding Machine Company in 1903.
Description
This machine incorporates ideas of Purdue University graduate Clyde Gardner (1881-1923) who had a long career in the adding machine industry. He began as a draftsman at the Pike Adding Machine Company in 1903. By 1909, when Pike was acquired by the Burroughs Adding Machine Company, Gardner was chief engineer. He moved with the Pike plant to Detroit, where he worked as an engineer and patent expert at Burroughs.
In 1919 Gardner left Burroughs to work on his own design for an adding machine. On April 19, 1923, the Gardner Calculator Company was established in Ebensburg, Pennsylvania. Gardner died only two days later. His patents eventurally were acquired by the Monroe Calculating Machine Company, which manufactured this printing adding machine to complement its line of calculating machines.
The object has a green-black steel frame, a green keyboard, and 13 columns of black and white color-coded plastic number keys. To the right of the keyboard are total, error, and subtotal keys, and subtraction and addition bars. A non-add key is to the left of the keyboard. In back of the keyboard is a printing mechanism and a fixed carriage for the three-inch paper tape. The machine prints results of up to 14 digits. An asterisk printed next to a number indicates that it is a total. There is a black rubber-covered cord that plugs into the back.
The machine is marked on the front: MONROE (/) REGISTERED TRADE MARK. It is marked on a white sticker on the bottom of the machine: DATE (/) INSTALLED 10/Apr/57. It is marked on a gold sticker on the bottom of the machine: Licensed under Gubelman Patents. It is also marked there: 213-11-011-D (/) # 15128. According to the National Office Machine Blue Book, the serial number dates a Monroe machine to about 1932.
References:
American Office Machines Service vol. 3, 1937, 3.21. According to this source, the machine was introduced as the Gardner adding machine in 1924.
National Office Machine Blue Book, May, 1975, as compiled by Office Machine Americana, January 2002.
John E. Gable, History of Cambria County, Pennsylvania, Topeka, Kansas: Historical Publishing Company, 1926, pp. 781-782.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1937
maker
Monroe Calculating Machine Company
ID Number
1987.0403.01
catalog number
1987.0403.01
accession number
1987.0403

Monroe Model K-16 Calculating Machine

The manual, full-keyboard non-printing modified stepped drum calculating machine has a metal frame painted black and a steel keyboard painted green. Eight columns of uniformly shaped black and white color-coded keys serve for data entry.
Description
The manual, full-keyboard non-printing modified stepped drum calculating machine has a metal frame painted black and a steel keyboard painted green. Eight columns of uniformly shaped black and white color-coded keys serve for data entry. At the bottom of each column is a red clearance key. Metal rods between the rows of keys are decimal markers. Three key stems are in a column to the right of the number keys. One clears the entire keyboard. The other two are set to determine whether or not the keyboard clears after each calculation (at least one of these keys looks like a replacement). A metal lever is right of the keyboard and a metal knob to the left. The operating crank on the right side rotates clockwise for addition and counterclockwise for subtraction.
The carriage behind the keyboard has a row of 16 black numeral dials for recording results, and a row of eight white numeral dials which serve as a revolution register. The revolution register, which has no carry, has black digits for addition and red ones for subtraction. Two thin metal rods between the windows for these registers carry decimal markers. The carriage shift crank is at the front of the machine. A knob for lifting the carriage is right of the result register, and a crank for zeroing dials on the carriage is on its right side. There are four rubber feet. A bell rings when the result passes through zero (as in over-division).
A mark on the front of the machine reads: MONROE. A mark on the back reads: MONROE (/) Calculating Machine Company (/) New York, U.S.A. The serial number, recorded on the bottom edge of the left side of the carriage, is 91928
Reference:
J. H. McCarthy, The Business Machines and Equipment Digest, 1928, pp. 9-29 to 9-33.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1927
maker
Monroe Calculating Machine Company
ID Number
1984.0682.05
catalog number
1984.0682.05
maker number
91928
accession number
1984.0682

Keuffel & Esser 4071-3 Polyphase Decitrig Duplex Slide Rule

This ten-inch mahogany duplex linear slide rule is almost completely coated with white celluloid. The frameless glass indicator has plastic edges. On one side, the base has K and A scales at the top and D and DI scales at the bottom. The slide has B, T, SRT, and S scales.
Description
This ten-inch mahogany duplex linear slide rule is almost completely coated with white celluloid. The frameless glass indicator has plastic edges. On one side, the base has K and A scales at the top and D and DI scales at the bottom. The slide has B, T, SRT, and S scales. Divisions of angles are indicated in decimal fractions. The left side of the slide is marked with the serial number 330508, with the number 508 printed on the left side of both parts of the base.
The other side of the rule has a DF scale on the top of the base and D and L scales on the bottom of the base. The slide has CF, CIF, CI, and C scales. The top of the base is marked in red: KEUFFEL & ESSER CO.; PATS. 2,500,460 2,168,056 2,170,144 PAT PEND.; MADE IN U.S.A. The right side of the slide is marked with the K&E logo, a copyright sign, and the model number, 4071-3. The instrument fits in an orange leather case with the K&E logo on the flap. Inside the flap is written in ink: H. R. L. (/) JULY '62.
Keuffel & Esser Company of New York sold this model from 1939 to 1967. The combination of scales on this example was sold beginning in 1955, and the model was renumbered in 1962 to 68-1502. Thus, the rule was probably manufactured between 1955 and 1962. The serial number is consistent with this dating.
The donor, Alfred E. Brown, was a research chemist for Celanese Corporation, which partnered with K&E in the 1960s to produce a special version of the 68-1555 slide rule (see 1993.0357.01). However, it is not known how this rule came into Brown's possession.
References: Clark McCoy, "Collection of Pages from K&E Catalogs for the 4071-3 Family of Slide Rules," http://www.mccoys-kecatalogs.com/KEModels/ke4071family.htm; Carl M. Bernegau, "Slide Rule" (U.S. Patent 2,168,056 issued August 1, 1939); Lyman M. Kells, Willis F. Kern, and James R. Bland, "Slide Rule" (U.S. Patent 2,170,144 issued August 22, 1939); Herschel Hunt, "Slide Rule" (U.S. Patent 2,500,460 issued March 14, 1950); Walter Shawlee II, Ted Hume, and Paul Ross, "Keuffel & Esser Co. Slide Rules," Sphere Research Corporation, http://www.sphere.bc.ca/test/ke-sliderule.html; "Alfred E. Brown Chemist," The Washington Post, March 19, 2004, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A9676-2004Mar19_2.html.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1955-1962
date received
1993
maker
Keuffel & Esser Co.
ID Number
1993.0482.01
accession number
1993.0482
catalog number
1993.0482.01

Gunter's Scales, Group of 2

These two 2' boxwood rules are identical to each other and to MA.319077 and MA.318174. The top of one side has a scale of inches, divided to tenths of an inch and numbered by ones from 23 to 1.
Description
These two 2' boxwood rules are identical to each other and to MA.319077 and MA.318174. The top of one side has a scale of inches, divided to tenths of an inch and numbered by ones from 23 to 1. On the left are 10" and 9" (divided to 1/2") plotting scales with diagonal scales at each end. In the middle are scales for rhumbs, chords, sines, tangents, and semi-tangents. On the right are scales for leagues, rhumbs, miles of longitude, and chords. Brass pins at the zero and 60° marks reduce wear from the points of dividers, which were used to transfer measurements between the scale and the user's drawing.
The other side has logarithmic scales: sines of rhumbs, tangents of rhumbs, line of numbers, sines of degrees, versines of degrees, and tangent of degrees. At the bottom edge are a meridional line and a scale of equal parts that divides 23" into 17 sections. The sections are numbered by tens from 60 to 10 and from 100 to 0.
The first rule is marked on the first side in the lower right corner: BELCHER BROS. & Co. NEW – YORK. Thomas Belcher began making rules in New York in 1821 and was joined by his brother, William, in 1825. Around 1831 another brother, Charles, joined the firm, and the company's name was changed from T. & W. Belcher to Belcher Brothers. Around 1843 manufacturing of rules moved to New Jersey and the firm went by the name Belcher & Bros. Around 1853 some of the men's sons joined the firm, and the name was changed to Belcher Bros. & Co. The first rule dates to this period. The company had become the largest American manufacturer of rules, but it was surpassed by Stanley in the second half of the 19th century. Belcher stopped manufacturing rules around 1877.
The second rule is unmarked. Key points around the scales are marked with suns, unlike the asterisks on the first rule; the abbreviations for the scale labels are different; and the bottom edge is beveled at a sharper angle than the bottom edge of the first rule. These differences indicate that the second rule was manufactured by a different firm. This rule also has pencil marks on the top and bottom edges.
References: Otto van Poelje, "Gunter Rules in Navigation," Journal of the Oughtred Society 13, no. 1 (2004): 11–22; Belcher Bros. & Co.'s Price List of Boxwood & Ivory Rules (New York, 1860; reprint, Fitzwilliam, N.H.: Ken Roberts Publishing Co., 1982); Philip A. Cannon II, "The Makers and Markers of Gauges, Rules, Squares, and Tapes," http://www.pactu.com/makers.htm.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1853–1877
maker
Belcher Brothers
ID Number
MA.333945
accession number
296611
catalog number
333945

Bird's Bull's Eye Belting Computer Slide Rule by Whitehead & Hoag

This linear slide rule reflects changes that occurred in the materials of American manufacturing in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The instrument itself has a pyroxylin (celluloid) envelope with a paper slide. There is no indicator.
Description
This linear slide rule reflects changes that occurred in the materials of American manufacturing in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The instrument itself has a pyroxylin (celluloid) envelope with a paper slide. There is no indicator. It was designed for use in computing the properties of belting used in industrial processes. At that time, such belting was typically made from one of three materials: canvas saturated with a liquid, leather, or rubber. The Boston chemical firm of J. A. and W. Bird and Company developed a new material that they called "Bird's Bull's Eye Belting," which consisted of canvas plies stitched together, with a gum base pressed around each cotton fiber. The maker claimed that this belting did not dry out (as the usual form of canvas belting did), resisted damage from fumes or humidity, and maintained its tension.
This instrument has two sides. The front, or "Computer for Belting," allows the user to find the revolutions per minute of a pulley, the speed of the belt in feet per minute, and the proper belt width for the horsepower, given the diameter of the matched pulley and its revolutions per minute. The back, or "Computer for Shafting" side, allows calculation of the horsepower a shaft can communicate, given the shaft's diameter and revolutions per minute. The calculation is made using Thurston's formula, which states that the horsepower equals the cube of the shaft diameter times the number of times it revolves per minute divided by a constant dependent on the nature of the shaft.
The instrument is marked on the front: COPYRIGHTED 1908 (/) BY J.A. & W. BIRD & CO. (/) ALL RIGHTS RESERVED BOSTON, MASS. On the back, it is marked near the left center in very small letters: PAT. JUNE 6, 1905. (/) THE WHITEHEAD & HOAG CO. NEWARK, N.J. Whitehead & Hoag manufactured a variety of plastic products including slide rules; see 1984.1080.01, 1987.0221.02, and 1988.0350.01 (which is also a belting computer).
References: Richard E. Roehm, "Process of Printing upon Pyroxylin Materials" (U.S. Patent 791,503 issued June 6, 1905); J. A. & W. Bird & Co., Belt Talks (Boston, 1909), 18. According to this publication, customers could receive one rule by sending 10 cents in stamps. A second rule cost 25 cents.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
after 1908
maker
Whitehead & Hoag Company
ID Number
1988.0323.02
accession number
1988.0323
catalog number
1988.0323.02

Whitehead & Hoag Ruler Advertising E. Machlett & Son

This white plastic advertising rule has a scale of inches along the top edge, divided to 1/16" and numbered by ones from 1 to 6, and a scale of centimeters along the bottom edge, divided to millimeters and numbered by ones from 1 to 15.
Description
This white plastic advertising rule has a scale of inches along the top edge, divided to 1/16" and numbered by ones from 1 to 6, and a scale of centimeters along the bottom edge, divided to millimeters and numbered by ones from 1 to 15. A list of equivalent measures is at the right end. The center of the rule is marked: E. MACHLETT & SON (/) 22 E. 23rd Street NEW YORK 10, N.Y. (/) Laboratory APPARATUS & CHEMICALS (/) ESTABLISHED 1897. The left end is marked: PHONE (/) LEXINGTON 2-1313 (/) BELL TELETYPE (/) N. Y. 1-2444.
The back of the rule has scales for converting between Fahrenheit and Celsius temperatures and for measuring the size of a cork. A table of diameters and weights of rubber stoppers is in the lower right corner. The center of the rule is marked: MACHLETT. The right end is marked in very small type: WHITEHEAD-HOAG NEWARK N J.
Founded in 1892 and in business until 1959, Whitehead & Hoag was a major producer of paper and plastic advertising novelties. It was headquartered in Newark but had branch offices in about thirty cities around the world. For other mathematical objects made by this company, see 1984.1080.01, 1987.0221.02, 1988.0323.01, 1988.0350.01, and 2004.010.0170. Items made by Whitehead & Hoag are also found in several other Museum collections, including numismatics, political history, and medicine.
E. Machlett & Son began making glass laboratory apparatus in New York City in 1897. Fisher Scientific acquired the firm in 1957. The U.S. Post Office Department began using two-digit postal codes in 1943, so that must be the earliest date for the instrument.
References: "Whitehead and Hoag Collection," Nehushtan Antiques, http://www.nehushtanantiques.com/whitehead_and_hoag.html; Laine Farley, "Whitehead & Hoag Celluloid Bookmarks," http://www.bibliobuffet.com/on-marking-books-columns-195/archive-index-on-marking-books/1039-whitehead-a-hoag-celluloid-bookmarks-053109; Machlett advertisement, Analytical Chemistry 25, no. 4 (1953): 15A.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1943–1957
maker
Whitehead & Hoag Company
ID Number
MA.335274
accession number
314637
catalog number
335274

Peerless Calculating Machine

This manually operated, non-printing stepped drum calculating machine has a brass mechanism on an iron support, both painted black. The machine is mounted on a slab of wood and has a rough wooden cover.Eight levers are used to set stepped drums.
Description
This manually operated, non-printing stepped drum calculating machine has a brass mechanism on an iron support, both painted black. The machine is mounted on a slab of wood and has a rough wooden cover.
Eight levers are used to set stepped drums. A row of windows below the levers reveals the number entered. A lever on the left is set for addition and multiplication or subtraction and division. A crank on the right is turned repeatedly to calculate.
A movable carriage has a row of nine small windows at the front that reveal discs below that register the number of revolutions. A row of 16 discs behind this records the result. Zeroing levers for both of these registers are on the right side of the carriage, and a handle for lifting the carriage is on the left. A zeroing handle for the stepped drums is on the left side of the front of the machine. A bell rings when the result passes through zero.
A mark on the cover reads: Peerless. A mark on the front of the machine reads: KEUFFEL & ESSER Co (/) NEW YORK. Another mark there reads: GERMANY. The serial number, marked on the back rim of the carriage at the left, is 3563.
Compare MA.325564, MA.326642, and MA.323628.
This machine was donated by Robert E. Devine of Rockville, Maryland, in 1964.Web sources suggest the was Robert E. Devine (1927-2016), a native of Washington, DC,who had degrees in library science and worked at the Library of Congress and as Chief Information Officer at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Devine died at his retirement home in Port Orange, Florida.
In about 1904, the German firm of Mathias Bäuerle, a manufacturer of clocks, began making a stepped drum calculating machine on the design of Tobias Bäuerle, a son of the founder of the company. It was dubbed the Peerless. Keuffel & Esser Company, an American manufacturer of drawing instruments, soon offered the Peerless in its catalogs.
The 1913 Keuffel & Esser catalog (p. 292–293), 1915 catalog (pp. 292–293), and 1921 catalog (pp. 290–291) show a machine like this one, although it is marked “PEERLESS” on the side. The placement of the Keuffel & Esser mark is different, and one of the zeroing levers apparently is on the left, not the right, side of the carriage. In 1913, the machine was offered in 3 capacities, 6x7x12, 8x9x16, and 10x11x20. These versions sold for $250.00, $300.00, and $375.00. K & E no longer offered a reckoning machine in its 1927 catalog, and Peerless was not making a machine of this capacity by 1928.
References:
Keuffel & Esser, Catalog.
E. Martin, The Calculating Machines (die Rechenmaschinen), trans. P. A. Kidwell and M. R. Williams, Cambridge: MIT Press, 1992, pp. 149–151.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1915
distributor
Keuffel & Esser Co.
retailer
Keuffel & Esser Co.
ID Number
MA.325564
catalog number
325564
accession number
255933

Intron A; Interferon Alfa-2B Recombinant, 10 million IU

Intron A is an injectible recombinant pharmaceutical used to treat hairy cell leukemia.Recombinant pharmaceuticals are created by inserting genes from one species into a host species, often yeast or bacteria, where they do not naturally occur.
Description (Brief)
Intron A is an injectible recombinant pharmaceutical used to treat hairy cell leukemia.
Recombinant pharmaceuticals are created by inserting genes from one species into a host species, often yeast or bacteria, where they do not naturally occur. The genes code for a desired product, and therefore the genetically modified host organisms can be grown and used as a kind of living factory to produce the product. In this case, genes coding for human white blood cell interferons are inserted into bacteria. Interferon is a substance that is naturally made by the body to fight infections and tumors. Bacteria produce the interferons, which are harvested and used as the active ingredient in Intron A.
Object consists of cardboard box containing a second box, two glass bottles (one of the active pharmaceutical and one of the dilutent), and two product inserts.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1988
product expiration date
1988-03
maker
Schering Corporation
ID Number
1987.0781.04
accession number
1987.0781
catalog number
1987.0781.04

Fuel-Steam Calculator Circular Slide Rule for Norfolk & Western Railway, invented by Fred Q. Saunders

This two-sided white plastic circular slide rule helped railroad procurement officers determine the amount and cost of coal or oil needed to efficiently operate the boiler of a train engine.
Description
This two-sided white plastic circular slide rule helped railroad procurement officers determine the amount and cost of coal or oil needed to efficiently operate the boiler of a train engine. It consists of three concentric discs, with the two smaller discs on the front and back and one large disc in the middle. The metal fastener holding the discs together is tarnished. On the front, the outer edge of the large disc bears an evenly-divided scale for "Fuel Cost per Million Btu's and Steam Cost per 1000 lbs." The smaller disc has scales for coal cost per ton/oil cost per gallon, BTUs per pound, and evaporation for a high viscosity of fuel. A bell-shaped indicator has a scale for the weight of oil in pounds per gallon.
On the back of the instrument, from the outside in, there are scales and windows for reading the feed water temperature (in degrees Fahrenheit), difference in height (in BTUs per pound), steam pressure (in pounds per square inch), boiler efficiency, the heat value of fuel (in BTUs per pound), a boiler at high pressure, the factor of evaporation and equivalent evaporation, saturated steam pressure (in degrees Fahrenheit), and steam pressure (in pounds per square inch). There is a hairline indicator. The instrument fits into a black leather case.
The front of the device is marked: FRED Q. SAUNDERS (/) RICHMOND, VIRGINIA; FUEL-STEAM CALCULATOR; PAT. 2,328,881. The indicator on the front is marked: N & W (/) Ry. (/) CARRIER OF (/) FUEL SATISFACTION. This is the logo for the Norfolk & Western Railway, which transported coal east from the Pocahontas Coal and Coke Company in the Appalachian mountains. N&W was a relatively small railroad with a significant role in American transportation in the 19th and 20th centuries. It expanded into other activities in 1964 by merging with several other railroads; around this time, it also completed the transition from steam-powered to diesel locomotives. In 1998, the company was merged into Norfolk Southern Corporation.
Inside one of the windows on the back of the instrument is marked: 459; WHITEHEAD-HOAG, NEWARK, N.J. Founded in 1892 and in business until 1959, Whitehead and Hoag was a major producer of paper and plastic advertising novelties. Headquartered in Newark, it had branch offices in about thirty cities around the world. For other slide rules made by this company, see 1987.0221.02 and those described by the MIT Museum and Dick Rose's Catalog for Vintage Instruments (October 2000) at their web sites.
Besides his patent on this device, Fred Q. Saunders of Richmond, Va., copyrighted a "Fuel Steam Calculator Manual" on July 2, 1945 (cit. no. 21463). In 1952, he received patent no. 2,763,873 for a portable, collapsible bath tub to be used on hospital beds.
References: Fred Q. Saunders, "Fuel Engineer's Calculator" (U.S. Patent 2,328,881 issued September 7, 1943); Library of Congress Copyright Office, Catalog of Copyright Entries: Part 1, Books, Group 2, Pamphlets, Etc., new ser. 42 (1945): 397; Mason Y. Cooper, "An Introduction to the Norfolk & Western Railway," Norfolk & Western Historical Society, http://www.nwhs.org/about_nw.html; Thomas W. Dixon, Jr., Appalachian Coal Mines & Railroads (Lynchburg, Va.: TLC Publishing, Inc., 1994); Joseph T. Lambie, From Mine to Market: The History of Coal Transportation on the Norfolk and Western Railway (New York: New York University Press, 1954); "Whitehead and Hoag Collection," Nehushtan Antiques, http://www.nehushtanantiques.com/whitehead_and_hoag.html.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1943-1959
maker
Whitehead & Hoag Company
ID Number
1984.1080.01
accession number
1984.1080
catalog number
1984.1080.01

Leaflet, The Answer. . . Says Business

This illustrated leaflet advertises the MA-7-W calculating machine.Currently not on view
Description
This illustrated leaflet advertises the MA-7-W calculating machine.
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
1979.3074.24
catalog number
1979.3074.24
nonaccession number
1979.3074

Intron A; Interferon Alfa-2B Recombinant, 10 million IU

Intron A is an injectible recombinant pharmaceutical used to treat hairy cell leukemia.Recombinant pharmaceuticals are created by inserting genes from one species into a host species, often yeast or bacteria, where they do not naturally occur.
Description (Brief)
Intron A is an injectible recombinant pharmaceutical used to treat hairy cell leukemia.
Recombinant pharmaceuticals are created by inserting genes from one species into a host species, often yeast or bacteria, where they do not naturally occur. The genes code for a desired product, and therefore the genetically modified host organisms can be grown and used as a kind of living factory to produce the product. In this case, genes coding for human white blood cell interferons are inserted into bacteria. Interferon is a substance that is naturally made by the body to fight infections and tumors. Bacteria produce the interferons, which are harvested and used as the active ingredient in Intron A.
Object consists of a cardboard box containing a second box, two glass bottles (one of the active pharmaceutical and one of the dilutent), and two product inserts.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1988
product expiration date
1988-03
maker
Schering Corporation
ID Number
1987.0781.03
accession number
1987.0781
catalog number
1987.0781.03

Dod Protractor and Parallel Rule

This brass semicircular protractor is divided by single degrees and marked by tens from 10° to 90° to 10°. It is attached with metal screws to a set of brass parallel rules. Brass S-shaped hinges connect the rules to each other.
Description
This brass semicircular protractor is divided by single degrees and marked by tens from 10° to 90° to 10°. It is attached with metal screws to a set of brass parallel rules. Brass S-shaped hinges connect the rules to each other. The bottom left screw on the parallel rules does not attach to the bottom piece. A rectangular brass arm is screwed to the center of the protractor. A thin brass piece screwed to the arm is marked with a small arrow for pointing to the angle markings. The protractor is stored in a wooden case, which also contains a pair of metal dividers (5-1/4" long).
The base of the protractor is signed: L. Dod, Newark. Lebbeus Dod (1739–1816) manufactured mathematical instruments in New Jersey and is credited with inventing the parallel rule protractor. He served as a captain of artillery during the Revolutionary War and made muskets. His three sons, Stephen (1770–1855), Abner (1772–1847), and Daniel (1778–1823), were also noted instrument and clock makers. The family was most associated with Mendham, N.J. (where a historic marker on N.J. Route 24 indicates Dod's house), but Dod is known to have also lived at various times in Newark.
ID number MA.310890 is a similar protractor and parallel rule. Compare also to a Dod instrument owned by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, http://www.metmuseum.org/Collections/search-the-collections/5535.
References: Bethuel Lewis Dodd and John Robertson Burnet, "Biographical Sketch of Lebbeus Dod," in Genealogies of the Male Descendants of Daniel Dod . . . 1646–1863 (Newark, N.J., 1864), 144–147; Alexander Farnham, "More Information About New Jersey Toolmakers," The Tool Shed, no. 120 (February 2002), http://www.craftsofnj.org/Newjerseytools/Alex%20Farnham%20more%20Jeraey%20Tools/Alex%20Farnham.htm; Deborah J. Warner, “Surveyor's Compass,” National Museum of American History Physical Sciences Collection: Surveying and Geodesy, http://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/surveying/object.cfm?recordnumber=747113; Peggy A. Kidwell, "American Parallel Rules: Invention on the Fringes of Industry," Rittenhouse 10, no. 39 (1996): 90–96.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
late 1700s
maker
Dod, Lebbeus
ID Number
1978.2110.06
accession number
1978.2110
catalog number
336732

Keuffel & Esser 4097C Ever-There Simplex Slide Rule

This five-inch solid Xylonite (celluloid) slide rule is one of several "Ever-There" pocket slide rules made by Keuffel & Esser. This line was noted for its light weight and small size.
Description
This five-inch solid Xylonite (celluloid) slide rule is one of several "Ever-There" pocket slide rules made by Keuffel & Esser. This line was noted for its light weight and small size. There are A, D, and K scales on the base, with B, CI, and C scales on one side of the slide and S, L, and T scales on the other side of the slide. The glass indicator has a metal frame, plastic edges, and metal screws. The top of the base is marked: KEUFFEL & ESSER CO. N.Y.; PAT. 1,875,927; MADE IN U.S.A. The right end of the slide is marked: < 4097C >.
The back of the slide rule has a scale of 5 inches divided to sixteenths of an inch and a scale of 13 centimeters divided to millimeters. The left ends of the back of the rule and of the back of the slide are marked with a serial number: 38642. The rule fits in a leather sheath marked: K&ECO.
After Adolf Keuffel applied for a patent on what became the Ever-There product line on October 29, 1930, K&E introduced this version of slide rule as model 4098 in 1931. It was renamed model 4097C in 1936 and was discontinued around 1951. With a case, it cost $4.15 in 1936 and $5.75 in 1949. By 1959, it was replaced by model 4153-1. Compare to 1981.0933.05 and 1981.0922.08. An instruction booklet, received separately, is 1981.0933.09.
This example was given to the museum by Myron R. Smith (1911–2007), an electronics engineer who used it in a long career at Collins Radio in Cedar Rapids, Ia., then at Honeywell in Minneapolis, and then at Honeywell in Seattle. Smith used the rule to solve problems relating to the testing of broadcast equipment, the design of electronic temperature controls, the design of power transformers, and corporate management.
References: Adolf W. Keuffel, "Slide Rule" (U.S. Patent 1,875,927 issued September 6, 1932); Bob Otnes, "Adolf Keuffel and the Later K&E Slide Rules," Journal of the Oughtred Society 8, no. 1 (1999): 37–38; K&E Slide Rules and Calculating Instruments (New York, 1931), 17; Catalogue of Keuffel & Esser Co., 38th ed. (New York, 1936), 324; K&E Price List Applying to the 41st Edition Catalog (New York, 1949), 32; K&E Price List Applying to the 41st Edition Catalog (New York, 1951), 35; K&E Price List Applying to the 42nd Edition Catalog (New York, 1959), 73; accession file.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1936-1949
maker
Keuffel & Esser Co.
ID Number
1989.0325.06
accession number
1989.0325
catalog number
1989.0325.06

Monroe Model K-121 Calculating Machine

This manual, full-keyboard non-printing modified stepped drum calculating machine has a metal frame painted black and a steel keyboard painted green.
Description
This manual, full-keyboard non-printing modified stepped drum calculating machine has a metal frame painted black and a steel keyboard painted green. In the six columns of black and white color-coded keys, keys for odd digits are concave and those for even digits are relatively flat. At the bottom of each column is a red clearance key. Metal rods between the rows of keys serve as decimal markers.
Three key stems are in a column to the right of the number keys. One clears the entire keyboard. The other two are set to determine whether or not the keyboard clears after each calculation. The keys for these key stems are missing. A metal lever is to the right of the keyboard and a metal knob to the left. The operating crank on the right side rotates clockwise for addition and counterclockwise for subtraction.
The carriage in back of the keyboard has a row of 12 white numeral dials for recording results and a row of six numeral dials behind these in the revolution register. The revolution register has black digits for addition and red ones for subtraction. There is no carry in the revolution register. Two thin metal rods between the windows of these registers carry decimal markers. The carriage shift lever is at the front of the machine. To the right of the result register is a knob for lifting the carriage. A zeroing crank for dials on the carriage is on its right side. A bell rings when the result passes through zero (as in over-division). The machine has four rubber feet.
A mark on the front reads: MONROE. A mark on the back reads: MONROE (/) Calculating Machine Company (/) New York, U.S.A.. Stamped on the edge of the carriage on the back left is the serial number: 77811.
Reference:
J. H. McCarthy, The Business Machines and Equipment Digest, 1928, pp. 9-29 to 9-33.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1926
maker
Monroe Calculating Machine Company
ID Number
1984.0682.04
catalog number
1984.0682.04
maker number
77811
accession number
1984.0682

Monroe Calculating Machine, Braille (Model K-160?)

This full-keyboard manually operated non-printing modified stepped drum calculating machine is a Monroe Model K, especially altered for use by the blind. It was owned by Russell Kletzing of Sacramento, Calif., a lawyer blinded as a child.
Description
This full-keyboard manually operated non-printing modified stepped drum calculating machine is a Monroe Model K, especially altered for use by the blind. It was owned by Russell Kletzing of Sacramento, Calif., a lawyer blinded as a child. Kletzing was active in the National Federation of the Blind, and challenged the view that the U.S. Civil Service register should exclude blind lawyers because they could not read conventionally printed text.
The machine has a metal frame painted black, with rounded corners. The steel plate under the keyboard is painted green. The eight columnsof plastic keys are colored black or white accoding to the place value of the digit represented. The “5” digit keys have a raised metal dot on them. Key stems for clearance keys are at the bottom of each column, but have no key tops. Rods between the rows of keys to serve as decimal markers are lacking. Three keys in a column to the right of the number keys include one that clears the entire keyboard, with the other two set to determine whether or not the keyboard clears after each calculation. A metal lever is to the right of the keyboard and a metal knob to the left. The operating crank on the right side rotates clockwise for addition and counterclockwise for subtraction.
Behind the keyboard is a carriage that has a row of 16 numeral dials for recording results and a row of eight numeral dials behind for the revolution register. The revolution register dials are each numbered from 0 to 9 in black and from 1 to 9 in red. Fixed indentations between the revolution dials serve as decimal markers. Both of these sets of dials have digits in Braille as well as typeface. The carriage has no sliding decimal markers. Small paper stickers have been glued below the usual position of the decimal point and the thousands marker in the result register. The carriage shift lever is at the front of the machine. The carriage has a knob for lifting it to the right of the result register, and a crank for zeroing dials on its right side. The machine has four rubber feet.
A mark scratched on the back of the machine reads: Z265520. A mark on the right side of the mechanism, under the carriage, reads: Z97700. A mark on the bottom edge of the carriage at the left reads: 97700. A mark on the back of the machine, which has been painted over, reads: MONROE.
Compare to MA.334711 and MA.307386.
References:
J. H. McCarthy, American Digest of Business Machines, 1924, pp. 80–82, 551.
National Federation of the Blind, "NFB Awards 2000," Braille Monitor, August / September 2000.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1928
maker
Monroe Calculating Machine Company
ID Number
1983.0831.01
maker number
Z97700
accession number
1983.0831
catalog number
1983.0831.01

Scintillation counter for uranium prospecting by Chatham Electronics

Background on Scintillation counter for uranium prospecting, Object ID 1994.0125.37A scintillation counter is an instrument for detecting and measuring ionizing radiation by using the excitation effect of incident radiation on a scintillator material, and detecting the resultant
Description
Background on Scintillation counter for uranium prospecting, Object ID 1994.0125.37
A scintillation counter is an instrument for detecting and measuring ionizing radiation by using the excitation effect of incident radiation on a scintillator material, and detecting the resultant light pulses. It consists of a scintillator which generates photons of light in response to incident radiation, a sensitive photomultiplier tube which converts the light to an electrical signal and electronics to process this signal. Scintillation counters are widely used in radiation protection, assay of radioactive materials and physics research because they can be made inexpensively yet with good quantum efficiency, and can measure both the intensity and the energy of incident radiation.
For technical details on scintillation counting, see the following reference:
http://www.hamamatsu.com/resources/pdf/etd/PMT_handbook_v3aE-Chapter7.pdf
Detailed description of Object. ID 1994.0125.37
(Some of the accompanying] photographs provided by donor, Prof. Herbert Clark, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.)
The object is a scintillation counter by Chatham Electronics, Model SC-102. According to the accompanying Manual of Operation, the SC-102 incorporates a thallium-activated sodium iodide crystal for converting radiation into scintillations of visible light. This crystal is optically coupled to a photomultiplier tube. Specially designed circuits discriminate against spurious noise signals and count the scintillations due to radioactivity so that minute variations in radiation level can be detected by reading the output pointer needle on the instrument. The design of the SC-102 increases its versatility so that it can be used for uranium prospecting, assaying of ore samples in the field, well logging, and oil prospecting.
A gray leatherette-covered case (ca 10 in high x 14 in long x 7 in wide) includes the scintillation counter and probe, a calibration source, an extension cord for the probe, and waist and shoulder carrying straps. The counter is in a kidney-shaped, red plastic housing covered by horizontal cast aluminum face-plate, into which is stuck, vertically, a pistol-handled probe containing a sodium iodide crystal and photomultiplier tube.
Also included is "Manual of Operation" and an Oct. 1951 edition of USAEC & USGS publication "Prospecting for Uranium".
For additional details on the Chatham Electronics Model SC-102 scintillation counter, see Rick Maurer's comprehensive web-based National Radiation Instrument Catalog at:
http://national-radiation-instrument-catalog.com/new_page_94.htm
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1950s
maker
Chatham Electronics
ID Number
1994.0125.37
accession number
1994.0125
catalog number
1994.0125.37

Leaflet, Portable . . . The Small Electric Monroe

This illustrated leaflet describes the 14 1/2 pound portable Model LA and Model LA-5 calculating machines.Currently not on view
Description
This illustrated leaflet describes the 14 1/2 pound portable Model LA and Model LA-5 calculating machines.
Location
Currently not on view
maker
Monroe Calculating Machine Company
ID Number
1979.3074.23
catalog number
1979.3074.23
nonaccession number
1979.3074

Pair of Keuffel & Esser 1375P-20 Chain Scales with Drafting Machine Mounts

These beveled boxwood rules are faced with white celluloid on the sloping edges. On both rules, one edge is divided to 1/32" and numbered by ones twice. The 18-3/4" rule is numbered from 0 to 36 and from 0 to 18, and the 12-3/4" rule is numbered from 0 to 24 and from 0 to 12.
Description
These beveled boxwood rules are faced with white celluloid on the sloping edges. On both rules, one edge is divided to 1/32" and numbered by ones twice. The 18-3/4" rule is numbered from 0 to 36 and from 0 to 18, and the 12-3/4" rule is numbered from 0 to 24 and from 0 to 12. The other edge is divided to 1/32" and numbered by ones. The longer rule is numbered from 0 to 72, and the shorter rule is numbered from 0 to 48. As marks on the rules indicate, the first scale is "half size" and "full size," for making drawings at proportions of 1/2" and 1" to the foot. The other scale is "quarter size," for making drawings at proportions of 1/4" to the foot.
The rules are marked: PARAGON 1375P-20 K+E KEUFFEL & ESSER CO. Both ends of both rules have irregularly-shaped aluminum mounts that may be screwed to a drafting machine. A green cardboard box for the shorter rule is marked at one end: K+E PARAGON (/) DRAFT. MACH. SCALE (/) 1375P-20 12 IN. (/) MADE IN U.S.A. TRADE MARKS ®.
Keuffel & Esser was selling drafting machine scales in various configurations by 1936. The firm introduced model 1375P-20 sometime between 1943 and 1954. According to the donor, the instrument was used by her husband, the electrical engineer Robert H. Wieler (1923–1993).
References: Catalogue and Price List of Keuffel & Esser Co., 38th ed. (New York, 1936), 206–207; Catalogue and Price List of Keuffel & Esser Co., 42nd ed. (New York, 1954), 176.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1950
maker
Keuffel & Esser Co.
ID Number
1998.0032.14
catalog number
1998.0032.14
accession number
1998.0032

Pamphlet, From Abacus to Monroe

This illustrated pamphlet describes the development of computing devices from the abacus (attibuted to the Babyloniand and Egyptians) to the calculating machines of Baldwin and Monroe.Currently not on view
Description
This illustrated pamphlet describes the development of computing devices from the abacus (attibuted to the Babyloniand and Egyptians) to the calculating machines of Baldwin and Monroe.
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
1979.3074.20
catalog number
1979.3074.20
nonaccession number
1979.3074

Keuffel & Esser Co. Hard Rubber Irregular Curve or French Curve

This black hard rubber curve has one opening and numerous scallops on the edges. A mark near the bottom reads: KEUFFEL & ESSER (/) N.Y. This curve is similar to number 19 in catalog entry 1820 in the K & E Catalogue.
Description
This black hard rubber curve has one opening and numerous scallops on the edges. A mark near the bottom reads: KEUFFEL & ESSER (/) N.Y. This curve is similar to number 19 in catalog entry 1820 in the K & E Catalogue. However, it has an additional notch on the upper left side.
The curve came to the Smithsonian from the Department of Mathematics of Brown University.
Reference:
Keuffel & Esser Company, Catalogue, 1890, p. 140, 1909, p. 206-207. Hard rubber irregular curves are not listed in the 1921 or 1936 catalogs.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca
ca 1900
Associated Name
Keuffel & Esser Co.
maker
Keuffel & Esser Co.
ID Number
MA.304722.11
accession number
1973304722
catalog number
304722.11

Keuffel & Esser N4053-5 Polyphase Mannheim Simplex Slide Rule

This 20-inch mahogany one-sided slide rule is coated with white celluloid. The top edge is beveled and has a simply divided scale 20 inches long that is divided to sixteenths of an inch. The base has A, D, and K scales.
Description
This 20-inch mahogany one-sided slide rule is coated with white celluloid. The top edge is beveled and has a simply divided scale 20 inches long that is divided to sixteenths of an inch. The base has A, D, and K scales. One side of the slide has B, CI, and C scales; S, L, and T scales are on the other side. The A and B scales are divided logarithmically from 1 to 10 twice in the usual manner. The C and D scales are divided logarithmically once from 1 to 10 in the length of the scales in the usual manner. The CI scale is divided logarithmically from 1 to 10 the length of the scale, going in the opposite direction from the other scales. The K scale is divided logarithmically three times in the length of the scale, for use in finding cubes and cube roots. The S scale gives the sines of angles from less than 40 minutes to 90 degrees. The L scale is a scale of equal parts running from 0 to 10. The T scale gives tangents of angles from somewhat less than 6 degrees to 45 degrees.
The front edge has a simply divided scale 50 centimeters long that is divided to millimeters. The indicator is of the "frameless" glass style with plastic edge pieces and metal screws. A paper table of equivalents and slide rule settings, based on U. S. Bureau of Standards Circular No. 47, is pasted to the back of the rule. See also 1981.0933.05 and 1999.0254.01. The instrument fits in a cardboard case covered with black leather that fastens with a snap.
The top of the base is marked in red: PAT. JUNE 5, 1900; KEUFFEL & ESSER CO. N.Y.; MADE IN U.S.A. The right end of the slide has the model number in red: < N4053-5 >. The left end of the other side of the slide and the scale in centimeters are marked with a serial number: 295836. The bottom edge of the indicator is marked: K&E.CO.N.Y. (/) PAT.8.17.15. The flap of the case is marked: K & E (/) POLYPHASE (/) SLIDE RULE (/) 4053–5. The snap on the case is marked: KEUFFEL & ESSER CO. (/) NEW YORK.
Keuffel & Esser sold an earlier form of this slide rule, with no beveled edge at the top, from 1913 through 1922. The new form of the instrument—with the beveled edge, the K scale on the base instead of on the bottom edge, and the centimeter scale on the bottom edge—sold from 1923 to 1953. The style of the indicator on this slide rule was in use from 1915 through 1934. Illustrations of the 4053 line of slide rules in K&E catalogs depict the patent date of June 5, 1900, from 1925 through 1934. Thus, this example likely dates to 1925–1934; the serial number suggests a date around 1930. Compare also to 1981.0922.05. For documentation, see MA.304213.05. The Interstate Commerce Commission discarded this rule as surplus material in 1963.
References: Willie L. E. Keuffel, "Slide-Rule" (U.S. Patent 651,142 issued June 5, 1900); Willie L. E. Keuffel, "Slide-Rule Runner" (U.S. Patent 1,150,771 issued August 17, 1915); Catalogue of Keuffel & Esser Co., 34th ed. (New York, 1913), 300; Catalogue of Keuffel & Esser Co., 35th ed. (New York, 1915), 300; Keuffel & Esser Co., Slide Rules & Calculating Instruments (New York, 1925), 6; Keuffel & Esser Co., Slide Rules & Calculating Instruments (New York, 1934), 6; Catalogue of Keuffel & Esser Co., 38th ed. (New York, 1936), 312; Ed Chamberlain, "Estimating K&E Slide Rule Dates," 27 December 2000, http://www.sphere.bc.ca/test/ke/320-k+e_date2.jpg.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1925-1934
maker
Keuffel & Esser Co.
ID Number
MA.321780
catalog number
321780
accession number
246883

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