Engineering, Building, and Architecture

• Trade catalogs from Parkson Corp.

  Date range

  1900s-2000s

  Variant company name

  Established in 1971, Parkson Corporation is a supplier of solutions for potable water, process water, and industrial and municipal wastewater problems. Its customer base includes municipalities and utility districts, as well as a diverse list of industries in agriculture, automotive, breweries, chemical processing, food and beverage, iron and steel, metal finishing, mining, oil/petroleum, power generation, and pulp and paper. (see http://www.parkson.com/content.aspx?ntopicid=1)

  Company Name

  Parkson Corp.

  Related companies

  a subsidiary of Axel Johnson, Inc.

  Record ID

  SILNMAHTL_28868

  Data source

  Smithsonian Libraries

• blocks, building

  date made

  1890s

  patent date

  1880-10-26

  maker

  F. Ad. Richter and Company

  ID Number

  DL.69.0023

  catalog number

  69.0023

  Data Source

  National Museum of American History

• 

  Ericsson Air Engine, Patent Model

  Description

  eThis model was submitted to the U.S. Patent Office with the application for Patent no. 22281, issued to John Ericsson, December 14, 1858.

  This is one of the earliest hot-air engines in which cold air is drawn into, compressed, heated, and expanded within the same cylinder. This and the Ericsson engine of 1855 were the basis of design for most of the later commercial hot-air engines introduced in the United States.

  The model is of an engine having a very large horizontal cylinder, one end of which is occupied by the grate and flue of a furnace. In the cylinder beyond the furnace are two pistons, one of which is a transfer or pump piston, the other the working piston. The two pistons complete their outward stroke (away from the furnace) at about the same time, but the transfer piston, which is nearer the furnace, moves inward faster than the work piston and draws in a supply of cold air through a self-acting valve in the working piston. Upon the outward stroke the transfer piston closes up on the work piston and compresses the charge between the two and transfers it through valves to the space around the heater. The pressure produced by the increase of temperature during this transfer propels the working piston through the outward stroke and supplies the motive force. The return stroke is affected by means of a flywheel.

  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

  Ericsson, John

  ID Number

  ER.308660

  accession number

  89797

  catalog number

  308660

  patent number

  22,281

  Data Source

  National Museum of American History

• 

  Friedman Injector, Patent Model

  Description

  This model was submitted to the U.S. Patent Office with the application for the patent issued to Alexander Friedman, of Vienna, Austria, April 6, 1869, no. 88620.

  The model represents a steam injector designed for elevating or forcing water and reducing the shock produced by the sudden condensation of steam when brought into contact with the water.

  The injector is of the usual form with the addition of a small auxiliary steam jet, or ejector, which serves to draw water into the mixing chamber before the main steam valve is opened. A safety cock is also provided, which permits a part of the water to escape as the pressure is being raised to the degree sufficient to overcome the resistance against which the injector is working.

  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

  1869-04-06

  inventor

  Friedmann, Alexander

  ID Number

  ER.308679

  accession number

  89797

  catalog number

  308679

  patent number

  88,620

  Data Source

  National Museum of American History

• 

  Corliss Vacuum Dash Pot, Patent Model

  Description

  The model was filed on October 27, 1875, to the U.S. Patent Office with the application for the patent issued to George H. Corliss, June 6, 1876, no. 178275.

  The model is a brass miniature of a vacuum dash pot designed to combine the functions of supplying the force to close the steam valve and to arrest the motion without shock after the valve is closed. The vacuum dash pot has some advantages over heavy weights and springs for closing valves.

  The dash pot consists of a casting in which is bored a cylinder having a lower section of small diameter and an upper section of larger diameter. A plunger, having corresponding sections of large and small diameters, fits the cylinder. When the steam valve to which the plunger is attached is opened the plunger rises in the cylinder forming a vacuum in the part of smaller diameter. At the same time small leather valves in the larger part of the plunger open and allow air to enter the cylinder under this part of the plunger. When the valve is released the vacuum draws down the plunger and closed the valve. The air under the upper part escapes through a port in the cylinder until the plunger covers the port. The air trapped in the cylinder at this point acts a s a cushion and brings the valve quickly but gently to rest.

  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

  1876

  patent date

  1876-06-06

  inventor

  Corliss, George H.

  ID Number

  ER.308692

  accession number

  89797

  catalog number

  308692

  patent number

  178,275

  Data Source

  National Museum of American History

• 

  Dow Direct-Acting Steam Pump, Patent Model

  Description

  This model was filed to the U.S. Patent Office with the application for the patent issued to G. E. Dow, of San Francisco, California, November 4, 1879, no. 221220.

  The model represents a form of valve gear for a direct-connected steam engine in which the main valve is partially operated by a system of cam-shaped levers actuated from the main piston rod and partially by a supplementary steam piston, the movement of which is controlled by valves connected to the same levers.

  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

  1879-11-04

  inventor

  Dow, George E.

  ID Number

  ER.308703

  accession number

  89797

  catalog number

  308703

  patent number

  221,220

  Data Source

  National Museum of American History

• 

  Loper Marine Steam Engine, Patent Model

  Description

  This model was submitted to the U.S. Patent Office with the application for the patent issued to R. F. Loper, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, August 28, 2849, no. 6673.

  This is a nicely made working model of a 2-cylinder vertical marine engine directly connected to a 2-throw propeller shaft, upon which is mounted a 4-blade propeller. The model is complete with boiler, feed-water pump, condenser, and condenser air pump. The peculiar feature of the invention is the manner of connecting the air pump to the engine and the method of quickly converting the engine from condensing to noncondensing operation.

  The engine represented consists of a heavy bed plate shaped to fit the hull of a vessel, upon which are attached the bearing of the propeller shaft and the frame that supports the cylinders. The cylinders are double-acting are “reversed from the ordinary position of engines, the piston rod running down through the lower head and connecting by the usual connecting rod with the cranks on the shaft below.” “The valves of the engine take their motion from eccentrics on the main shaft coupled with a valve lever by proper eccentric rods. The lever is affixed to its axis by its center and is made double, so that the eccentric rod can be thrown to either end to reverse the motion or may be wholly detached.” The cur-off is worked directly from the cross head. The air pump is driven by a beam and connecting rod, which is driven by a crankpin upon a gear wheel that engages a pinion on the crankshaft. The ratio of the gears is such that the air pump performs only one stroke to two of the engine. The air pump communicates with the condenser into which the exhaust pipe opens. The escape pipe is also connected with the condenser, which, when open, allows the steam to escape without condensing.

  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

  1849

  patent date

  1849-08-28

  inventor

  Loper, R. F.

  ID Number

  ER.309198

  accession number

  89797

  catalog number

  309198

  patent number

  6,673

  Data Source

  National Museum of American History

• 

  Model of a Hand Fired Water Tube Boiler – ca 1890

  Description

  This is a model of an inclined-tube, solid-header boiler of the type constructed about 1890 by the National Water Tube Boiler Company of New Brunswick, New Jersey. It incorporates many features patented by W.E. Kelly, an inventor from the same city. His patent was Number 523,793, dated July 31, 1894. A full description of the operation of the boiler 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.

  The model represents an inclined tube, three pass, solid header boiler, with longitudinal drum at the top. The model is complete with ornamental front, gauges, and blow off safety valve. It is equipped with grates for hand firing. The brick work setting is cut away to show the boiler parts and the method of suspension. The orange, serpentine arrows illustrate the path of the hot gases from the grate as they pass over the tubes three times prior to reaching the chimney.

  ID Number

  ER.309374

  catalog number

  309374

  accession number

  98634

  Data Source

  National Museum of American History

• 

  Keuffel & Esser 1740 Thacher Cylindrical Slide Rule

  Description

  In 1881, Edwin Thacher, a "computing engineer" for the Keystone Bridge Company in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, received a patent for an improvement in slide rules. Thacher was a graduate of Rennselaer Polytechnic Institute who spent much of his career designing railway bridges. To assist in his calculations, he designed a cylindrical slide rule. Thacher's rule, though it fit on a desk, was equivalent to a conventional slide rule over 59 feet long. It had scales for multiplication and division and another scale, with divisions twice as large, for use in finding squares and square roots. But it had no trigonometric scales.

  To produce his "calculating instrument," Thacher turned to the London firm of W. F. Stanley. The company even designed a special dividing engine for preparing the scales for the instrument. These were printed on paper sheets, which were pasted to the drum and the slats. In this example, the paper is also printed in italics on the right side: Patented by Edwin Thatcher [sic], C.E. Nov. 1st 1881. Divided by W. F. Stanley, London, 1882.

  The drum is rotated with wooden handles. The cylinder of slats is held in place with a brass frame, which is affixed to a wooden base. A paper of DIRECTIONS AND RULES FOR OPERATING is lacquered to the front of the base. The rear of the base bears a small silver metal label engraved: Keuffel & Esser (/) New York. F. F. NICKEL is painted underneath the base.

  Keuffel & Esser Company of New York sold versions of the Thacher cylindrical slide rule from at least 1883 until about 1950. There were two models, one with a magnifying glass (K&E model 1741, later K&E model 4013), and one without (K&E model 1740, later K&E 4012). This is a model 1740. The front right corner of the instrument's metal frame is engraved with the number 107. A paper K&E label on the inside lid of the instrument's mahogany case is marked in ink: 1740/661 (/) Thachers (/) Calculating (/)Instr. The top front of the bottom of the case is also carved with 661. In 1887, the model 1740 sold for $30.00.

  Frank Ferdinand Nickel purchased this example around 1883 and donated it to the Smithsonian in 1945, through his son, Henry W. Nickel. The elder Nickel was born in Hanau, Germany, in 1857. He came to the United States around 1883 and worked as a mechanical engineer in New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. He also taught at Columbia University in the 1910s. He wrote Direct-Acting Steam Pumps (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1915).

  See also 1987.0107.08 and 1987.0808.01.

  References: Edwin Thacher, "Slide-Rule" (U.S. Patent 249,117 issued November 1, 1881); "Thacher's Calculating Instrument or Cylindrical Slide Rule," Engineering News 16 (18 December 1886): 410; Wayne E. Feely, "Thacher Cylindrical Slide Rules," The Chronicle of the Early American Industries Association 50 (1997): 125–127; Wilfred Scott Downs, ed., "Nickel, Frank F.," Who's Who in Engineering, vol. 3 (New York, 1931), 957; Catalogue of Keuffel & Esser (New York, 1887), 128. This was the first K&E catalog to list the model 1740.

  Location

  Currently not on view

  date made

  ca 1883

  maker

  Stanley, William Ford

  Keuffel & Esser Co.

  ID Number

  MA.312866

  accession number

  169701

  catalog number

  312866

  Data Source

  National Museum of American History

• 

  Keuffel & Esser 4012 Thacher Cylindrical Slide Rule

  Description

  The brass core of this cylindrical slide rule is covered by paper marked with forty A scales. The core fits in an open rotating frame that holds twenty metal slats; each slat is lined with cloth, covered with paper, and marked with two B and two C scales. Wooden knobs on each end of the core rotate the instrument. The frame is attached to a mahogany base.

  The first A scale runs from 100 to 112 and the fortieth runs from 946 to 100 to 105. The first B scale runs from 100 to 112, the last from 946 to 100 to 105. The first C scale runs from 100 to 334, the last from 308 to 305. The paper covering the core is also printed in italics on the right side: Made by Keuffel & Esser Co., New York; Patented by Edwin Thatcher [sic], C.E. Nov. 1st., 1881.

  The paper of instructions and rules for operating THACHER'S CALCULATING INSTRUMENT, normally glued to the top front of the base, is coming loose and is torn on this example. A large chip is also missing from the left handle. The top back of the base is stamped: KEUFFEL & ESSER CO. (encircling N.Y.); 4012 (/) 4218; TRADEMARK (below the K&E logo of a lion).

  Keuffel & Esser sold versions of the Thacher cylindrical slide rule from about 1883 until about 1950. There were two models, one with a magnifying glass (K&E model 1741 before 1900, K&E model 4013 after) and one without (K&E model 1740 before 1900, K&E model 4012 after). This is a model 4012; the serial number suggests it was manufactured around 1915. The marking on the core also no longer references W. F. Stanley, the English firm that originally manufactured the instrument for sale by K&E. Stanley continued to provide the engine-divided scales after K&E began making the rest of the instrument in 1887. K&E took over printing the scales in the 1910s. Model 4012 sold for $35.00 in 1916, $60.00 in 1922, and $70.00 in 1927.

  Compare markings on the core to MA.322730. See also MA.312866 and MA.326628.

  References: Wayne E. Feely, "Thacher Cylindrical Slide Rules," The Chronicle of the Early American Industries Association 50 (1997): 125–127; Keuffel & Esser Co., Slide Rules and Calculating Instruments (New York, 1916), 22; Keuffel & Esser Co., Slide Rules and Calculating Instruments (New York, 1922), 21; Keuffel & Esser Co., Slide Rules and Calculating Instruments (New York, 1927), 20.

  Location

  Currently not on view

  date made

  ca 1915

  maker

  Keuffel & Esser Co.

  ID Number

  MA.323504

  accession number

  251559

  maker number

  4218

  catalog number

  323504

  Data Source

  National Museum of American History

• Model of G. B. Brayton Oil Engine, U.S. Patent No. 151468

  Location

  Currently not on view

  date made

  1874

  patent date

  1874-06-02

  inventor

  Brayton, George B.

  ID Number

  MC.251281

  catalog number

  251281

  accession number

  48865

  patent number

  151,468

  Data Source

  National Museum of American History

• Model of H. R. Worthington Steam Pumping Engine, U.S. Patent No. 24838

  Location

  Currently not on view

  date made

  1859

  patent date

  1859-07-19

  inventor

  Worthington, Henry R.

  ID Number

  MC.251300

  catalog number

  251300

  accession number

  48865

  patent number

  24,838

  Data Source

  National Museum of American History

• 

  Allen Cut-Off Valve, Patent Model

  Description

  This model was submitted to the U.S. Patent Office with the application for the patent issued to Horatio Allen, of New York, New York, April 30, 1842, no. 2597.

  This model represents a valve gear in which separate steam chests are employed for the head-end and crank-end main steam valves. The supply of steam to each of these steam chests is controlled by additional cut-off valves, the movement of which is adjustable. The inventor refers to this invention as an improvement in the valve gear patented by him August 21, 1841 (patent number 2227).

  The model shows a portion of the cylinder of a horizontal engine with only the piston rod and cross head represented. A steam chest in which are located the ports leading to the inner or main steam chests is shown in section, revealing the cut-off valves on their seats. These cut-off valves are plain flat plates connected to opposite ends of a beam, which receives a vibratory motion from the cross head of the engine. The beam and its rock shaft are picoted in a lever by which the pivot can be moved and the time of cut-of varied. This the inventor calls “cut-off with movable rock shaft.” He suggests that a similar result can be obtained by constructing the cut-off ports in a movable plate which he calls “cut-off with single adjustable seat.”

  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

  1842-04-30

  inventor

  Allen, Horatio

  ID Number

  MC.308640

  catalog number

  308640

  accession number

  89797

  patent number

  2,597

  Data Source

  National Museum of American History

• 

  Steven’s Patent Model of a Steam Engine Cut-off Valve – ca 1861

  Description

  This model was filed with the application to the U.S. Patent Office for Patent Number 33,855 issued to Francis B. Stevens of Weehawken, New Jersey on December 3, 1861. The patent was for an improved design for the mechanism controlling the inlet valve of a steam engine. It was based on the previous Patent Number 1,950 of January 25, 1841 by himself and Robert L. Stevens.

  Both patents provided a means of adjusting the point in the power stroke of the engine’s piston at which high pressure steam being fed to the cylinder was cut off. This was desirable as power was extracted from the expansive force of the steam after the valve closed. This saved fuel by avoiding continuous use of high pressure steam.

  The images of the model show it to be a frame holding the four vertical lift rods for the valves of a steam engine. A hand crank at the left of the model operates an eccentric wheel which is connected by rods to a rock shaft at the other end of the frame. Four tappets are mounted on the rockshaft, each operating a valve. The exhaust valves are operated directly by the tappets on the shaft. A hollow rock shaft sliding on the first is operated by a second eccentric and is used to vary the cut-off of the inlet valves. The tappets for the inlet valves have hinged faces which can be adjusted up or down by a small lever. The amount of this movement adjusts the point at which steam is cut off.

  Stevens’ valve gear designs were widely used in steamships driven by beam engines. The first use was on the steamship Albany which served on the Hudson River. The vessel was owned by Robert L. Stevens, the uncle of Francis.

  The patent model is constructed of brass and steel. The top of the frame holding the tappets is engraved “F. B. Stevens.” All of the key elements of the patent are illustrated by the model. The image of the tappet end of the model shows the four tappets and lift rods. The steam inlet valve rods are the first and third from the left. The hinged face of the steam inlet tappet can be seen in the image of the side of the model. A full description of the operation of the valve gear 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

  ca 1861

  patent date

  1861-12-03

  inventor

  Stevens, Francis B.

  ID Number

  MC.308644

  catalog number

  308644

  accession number

  89797

  patent number

  33,855

  Data Source

  National Museum of American History

• 

  Krausch Engine Indicator Patent Model

  Description

  This model was submitted to the U.S. Patent Office with the application for the patent issued to C. W. T. Krausch, of Chicago, Illinois, September 9, 1862, no. 36411.

  The model represents an instrument designed to indicate and record speeds, draw-bar loads, boiler water levels, boiler pressures, steam-chest pressures, cylinder pressures, and conditions of the track connected with the operation of a locomotive engine and to plot these on a paper belt driven from a truck axle with a motion corresponding to the progress of the engine.

  A series of levers and markers corresponding to the number of the above operations to be recorded works transversely on the paper record as the paper is advanced by the progress of the engine. The marker indicating speed is actuated by a spring-balanced bellows, the motion of which is determined by the volume of air delivered to it by small air-pump cylinders actuated by any convenient part of the engine. The other markers are actuated mechanically by a series of levers to various indicating instruments on the engine, not described.*

  An engine indicator is an instrument for graphically recording the pressure versus piston displacement through an engine stroke cycle. Engineers use the resulting diagram to check the design and performance of the engine.

  A mechanical indicator consists of a piston, spring, stylus, and recording system. The gas pressure of the cylinder deflects the piston and pushes against the spring, creating a linear relationship between the gas pressure and the deflection of the piston against the spring. The deflection is recorded by the stylus on a rotating drum that is connected to the piston. Most indicators incorporate a mechanical linkage to amplify the movement of the piston to increase the scale of the record.

  When the ratio of the frequency of the pressure variation to the natural frequency of the system is small, then the dynamic deflection is equal to the static deflection. To design a system with a high natural frequency, the mass of the piston, spring, stylus, and mechanical linkage must be small, but the stiffness of the spring must be high. The indicator is subjected to high temperatures and pressures and rapid oscillations, imposing a limitation on the reduction in mass. Too stiff a spring will result in a small displacement of the indicator piston and a record too small to measure with accuracy. Multiplication of the displacement will introduce mechanical ad dynamic errors.

  The parameters of the problem for designing an accurate and trouble free recorder are such that there is no easy or simple solution. Studying the variety of indicators in the collection shows how different inventors made different compromises in their designs.

  *Reference:

  This description comes from the 1939 Catalog of the Mechanical Collections of the Division of Engineering United States Museum Bulletin 173 by Frank A. Taylor.

  Location

  Currently not on view

  date made

  1862

  patent date

  1862-09-09

  inventor

  Krausch, C. W. T.

  ID Number

  MC.308664

  catalog number

  308664

  patent number

  36,411

  accession number

  89797

  Data Source

  National Museum of American History

• 

  Kelly and Lamb’s Patent Model of a Steam Engine Governor – ca 1865

  Description

  This model was filed with the application to the U.S. Patent Office for Patent Number 46,111 issued to Oliver A. Kelly and Estus Lamb of Slatersville, Rhode Island on January 31, 1865. The patent was for an improvement in controlling the speed of a steam engine by use of a fly ball governor.

  Kelly and Lamb claimed their design reduced violent fluctuations in the amount of steam admitted to the cylinder due to sudden, large increases or decreases in the load on the engine. The design was based on a standard fly-ball governor which was used to sense if the engine's speed deviated from its desired speed. However, instead of using the motion of the fly-balls themselves to adjust the steam valve, they used an escapement that rotated a screw-thread which was linked to the steam valve. The escapement was rotated by a rocker arm attached to a crank operated from the main shaft of the governor. When the escapement was activated, each rotation of the governor shaft would cause a small increase or decrease in the travel of the screw-thread and thus a small adjustment to the steam valve. The escapement would continue to adjust the engine's speed until the fly-balls once again attained their preset speed at which time the escapement would be neutralized. A search of available literature did not reveal any practical use of the Kelly Lamb governor.

  The patent model is constructed of cast iron and steel. All of the key elements of the patent are illustrated by the model to include the escarpment mechanism. 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

  1865

  patent date

  1865-01-31

  inventor

  Kelly, Oliver A.

  Lamb, Estus

  ID Number

  MC.308667

  catalog number

  308667

  accession number

  89797

  patent number

  46,111

  Data Source

  National Museum of American History

• 

  Sewell and Cameron Steam Pump, Patent Model

  Description

  This model was submitted to the U.S. Patent Office with the application for the patent issued to William Sewell and Adam S. Cameron, of New York, New York, May 10, 1864, no. 42694.

  The model represents a direct-connected steam pump in which the water piston rod is keyed in a socket in the end of the steam piston rod, so that the two may be disconnected when it is desired to operate the pump by hand. The socket is sufficiently long to serve as a guide for the water piston rod, and a suitable rock shaft and capstan head is provided for working the pump by hand.

  The purpose of the combination is to provide a hand pump for the various purposes for which a pump might be required aboard a vessel when steam is down and the steam pump cannot be used, while eliminating some of the piping that would be necessary if separate pumps were provided.

  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

  1864

  patent date

  1864-05-10

  inventor

  Sewell, William

  Cameron, Adam S.

  ID Number

  MC.308669

  catalog number

  308669

  accession number

  89797

  patent number

  42,694

  Data Source

  National Museum of American History

• 

  Daimler Gas Engine, Patent Model

  Description

  This model was submitted to the U.S. Patent Office with the application for Patent no. 168623, issued to Gottlieb Daimler, of Muelheim-on-the-Rhine, Prussia, October 11, 1875.

  Daimler, who was managing director of Otto’s Gas Moteren Fabric, 1872-1882, introduced this engine as an improvement over the Langen and Otto engine of 1866. The engine is of the double-acting, free-piston, atmospheric type.

  A water-jacket cylinder open to the atmosphere at both ends contains a working piston and two other pistons, one on each side of the working piston, which are loose or unconnected and operate in conjunction with the working piston in the following manner: With the working piston at the end of its back stroke, a charge of gas and air is drawn into the space between it and the front loose piston and is exploded. The said loose piston is thrown to the front end of the cylinder (without doing work) where it is held by a wedge device, whereupon a partial vacuum being formed in the cylinder by the expansion and cooling of the gaseous products of combustion, the working piston will by atmospheric pressure be caused to perform its forward stroke, the back loose piston traveling with it. On approaching the front loose piston the back loose piston is arrested in its motion while the working piston completes its stroke, moving close up to the front loose piston and expelling the products of combustion from between them, while at the same time a charge of gas and air is drawn into the space formed between the working piston and the back loose piston. On the charge being exploded, the back loose piston is thrown to the back end of the cylinder and the working piston performs its back stroke, together with the front loose piston, and the operation is repeated as above described.

  Reference:

  This description comes from the 1939 Catalog of the Mechanical Collections of the Division of Engineering United States Museum Bulletin 173 by Frank A. Taylor.

  Location

  Currently not on view

  date made

  1875

  patent date

  1875-10-11

  inventor

  Daimler, Gottlieb W.

  ID Number

  MC.308689

  catalog number

  308689

  accession number

  89797

  patent number

  168,623

  Data Source

  National Museum of American History

• 

  Smith’s Patent Model of a Windmill - 1878

  Description

  This model was filed with the application to the U.S. Patent Office for Patent Number 208,208 issued to Elijah H. Smith on September 17, 1878. His invention was an improved design for a windmill with folding sails. The concept of the folding sail windmill was not new. In fact Mr. Smith had received an earlier patent for such a windmill. Folding sails allowed the windmill to automatically regulate its speed in varying wind strengths. As the wind increased the individual arms and sails would progressively fold up to present less area to the wind, thus acting as a governor. Once completely folded the windmill had little more cross section to the wind than would a windmill with a single arm and two sails. In Smith’s first folding sail design the maximum angle between its eight sails was limited by leather straps interconnecting each sail arm. Speed was then controlled by an auxiliary sail attached to the sails on the inner most sail arm. This auxiliary sail was loosely held down onto its host sail by a spring. As the wheel speed became greater the spring was overcome and the auxiliary sail would open to an angle of 90 degrees to the plane of the primary sail. This caused the inner arm and sails to slow until it was behind the next outer arm and sails, and this was repeated for the rest of the arms and sails until the wheel was folded. At that point little more than two sails face the wind and the speed of the wheel would be at a minimum. Smith included a braking wheel on the hub of the inner most arm and sail set. A wooden lever was pivoted at the front of the cross-head and could be pulled down by a rope led to the base of the windmill, thus making the lever contact the brake wheel and stop the windmill. There were two new elements in Smith’s 1878 patent. The first was to replace the function of the leather straps that controlled arm and sail spacing with a new design for the hubs at the center of each arm. Each hub had metal projections on its circumference that limited the motion of the next arm to an angle of 30 degrees to it. The outer-most arm was secured in place with a set screw on the shaft. This allowed the six arms to be evenly spaced around the wheel when fully extended. Folding of the wheel in heavy wind was controlled as in the earlier patent. The second new element was a modification of the braking mechanism. The tail-board beam was pivoted at the rear of the cross-head. This allowed the front of the beam to move upward to contact the brake wheel, and the weight of the tail-board was sufficient to apply friction and stop the windmill. A rod attached to the front of the brake lever was led to the base of the windmill and could be drawn down and pinned to disable the brake for normal operation.

  The patent model is constructed of wood and metal and is mounted on a wooden base. The model illustrates the main elements of the patent including the hubs controlling the spacing of the arms when extended and the braking mechanism. The model also includes a thread representing the rope extending to the base of the windmill tower used to engage the braking mechanism. Not represented on the model is the auxiliary sail used to fold the windmill to govern speed in high winds.

  date made

  1878

  patent date

  1878-09-17

  inventor

  Smith, Elijah S.

  ID Number

  MC.309137

  catalog number

  309137

  accession number

  89797

  patent number

  208,208

  Data Source

  National Museum of American History

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  Allen Automatic Injector, Patent Model

  Description

  This model was submitted to the U.S. Patent Office with the application for the patent issued to Charles B. Allen, of Wadsworth, Ohio, April 15, 1902, no. 697770.

  This injector is designed to start itself automatically when supplied with steam and connected to the water supply and to restart automatically if for any reason the jet should be temporarily interrupted. The peculiar feature of the injector is the forcing tube, which is provided with two successive overflows formed in it by a series of laterally opening holes which have a definite areal relation to the smallest cross-sectional area of the combining tube and which are in addition to the usual large overflow between the combining tube and the forcing tube.

  Reference:

  This description comes from the 1939 Catalog of the Mechanical Collections of the Division of Engineering United States Museum Bulletin 173 by Frank A. Taylor.

  Location

  Currently not on view

  date made

  1902

  patent date

  1902-04-15

  inventor

  Allen, Charles B.

  ID Number

  MC.309176

  catalog number

  309176

  accession number

  89797

  patent number

  697,770

  Data Source

  National Museum of American History

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