U. S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 173 PLATE 1 SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM Bulletin 173 CATALOG OF THE MECHANICAL COLLECTIONS OF THE DIVISION OF ENGINEERING UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM BY FRANK A. TAYLOR UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE WASHINGTON : 1939 For lale by the Superintendent of Documents, Washington, D. C. Price 50 cents ADVERTISEMENT Tlie scientific publications of the National Museum include two series, known, respectively, as Proceedings and Bulletin. The Proceedings series, begun in 1878, is intended primarily as a medium for the publication of original papers, based on the collec- tions of the National Museum, that set forth newly acquired facts in biology, anthropology, and geology, with descriptions of new forms and revisions of limited groups. Copies of each paper, in pamphlet form, are distributed as published to libraries and scientific organi- zations and to specialists and others interested in the different sub- jects. The dates at which these separate papers are published are recorded in the table of contents of each of the volumes. Tlie series of Bulletins, the first of which was issued in 1875, contains separate publications comprising monographs of large zoological groups and other general systematic treatises (occasionally in several volumes), faunal works, reports of expeditions, catalogs of type specimens and special collections, and other material of simi- lar nature. The majority of the volumes are octavo in size, but a quarto size has been adopted in a few instances in which large plates were regarded as indispensable. In the Bulletin series appear vol- umes under the heading Contrihutions from the United States Na- tional Eerharium, in octavo form, published by the National Museum since 1902, which contain papers relating to the botanical collections of the Museum. The present work forms No. 173 of the Bulletin series. Alexander Wetmore, Assistant Secretary, Smithsonian Institution. Washington, D. C December 12, 1938. CONTENTS Page Preface vii Introduction 1 Mechanical elements 2 Animal power 4 Power from the wind 7 Water power 14 The steam engine 24 Rotary steam engines 55 Steam-engine valves and valve gears 60 Inventions of George H. Corliss 71 Engine governors 80 Condensers 86 Engine indicators 89 Miscellaneous steam-engine accessories 95 Air and hydraulic engines 100 Mechanical transmission of power 102 Steam boilers 103 Steam-boiler accessories and burners 119 Boiler feed-water pumps and injectors 125 Steam pumps 133 Fire engines 139 Miscellaneous pumps 142 Internal-combustion engines 143 Carburetors 165 Internal-combustion engine accessories 173 Caloric, or hot-air, engines 175 Air-and-steam ("aerator") engines — 182 Refrigerating machines 183 Selected bibliography 186 Index 191 ni ILLUSTRATIONS Plates 1. Scope of the collections of the Division of Engineering Frontispiece Facing page 2. Mechanical elements 4 (1) Roller, lever, and inclined plane. (2) Chinese windlass. (3) Differential chain hoist. 3. Treadmills 5 (1) Human treadmill, c. 1588. (2) Dog-powered treadmill, 1878. 4. Windmills 8 (1) Smock windmill, e, 1826. (2) Post windmill, c. 1826. (3) Grist windmills on Long Island, c. 1874. 6. Windmills 9 (1) Monitor windmill, 1881. (2) Moses G. Farmer wind-electric generator, 1880. 6. Water wheels 16 (1) Vertical water mill, c. 1588. (2) Burden Iron Co.'s water wheel, 1851. 7. Wooden water-mill gearing, c. 1870 17 (1) Spur gears. (2) Pinwheels. 8. Pelton water-wheel buckets, 1901-1912 22 9. Conowingo hydroelectric generating station, 1928 23 10. Early steam engines 28 (1) Heron's turbine, c. 150 A. D. (2) Watt pumping engine, "Old Bess," 1777. 11. Newcomen pumping engine, c. 1717 29 12. Early steam engines in America 40 (1) Half cylinder of the first steam engine in America, 1755. (2) John Stevens steamboat engine, 1804. 13. Steam engines, 1864-1875 41 (1) Horizontal steam engine, 1864. (2) Thompson and Hunt steam engine, c. 1875. 14. Small multicylindcr steam engines 54 (1) First Stanley steam automobile engine, 1897. (2) Westinghouse Junior automatic engine, c. 1900. 15. Three-stage steam turbine, 1926-1930 55 16. Adjustable cut-off valve gears 66 (1) Sickels drop cut-off valve gear, 1841. (2) Mien adjustable cut-off valve gear, 1841. 17. Adjustable cut-off valve gears 67 (1) Francis B. Stevens cut-ofT, 1861. (2) Corliss drop cut-off valve gear, 1849. IV ILLUSTRATIONS V Facing page 18. Corliss beam engines 78 (1) Corliss compound beam pumping engine, 1870. (2) Corliss Centennial steam engine, 1876. 19. Steam-engine governors 79 (1) Porter weighted engine governor, 1858. (2) Thompson and Hunt shaft governor, 1878. 20. Engine indicators 94 (1) McNaught, c. 1835-1842. (2) Richards, c. 1867. (3) Crosby, 1879. (4) Indicator with continuous card attachment, 1930. 21. Engine accessories 95 (1) Multiple hydrostatic lubricator. (2) Hewitt piston-rod packing. 22. Early steam boilers 110 (1) Wooden steam boiler, 1801-1815. (2) Stevens water-tube boiler, 1803-1825. 23. National water-tube boiler, 1885 111 24. Sectional boilers 116 (1) Babcock and Wilcox steam generator, 1867. (2) Sinuous boiler headers, 1867-1926. 25. Double-deck inclined-tube boiler, 1929 117 26. Boiler accessories 124 (1) Stevens safety valve, 1825. (2) Mechanical oil burner, 1929. 27. Feed-water injectors 125 (1) Giffard injector, 1860. (2) Exhaust feed-water heater injector, 1925. 28. Steam pumps 134 (1) Worthington direct-acting steam pump, 1855. (2) Cameron pump valves, 1874. 29. Steam pumps 135 (1) Knowles steam pum.p, 1879. (2) Frost steam-pump valve, 1890. 30. Internal-combustion engines 148 (1) Perry gas or vapor engine, 1844. (2) Drake gas engine, 1855. 31. Internal-combustion engines 149 (1) Otto and Langen gas engine, 1867. (2) Brayton oil engine, 1874. 32. Internal-combustion engines 154 (1) Otto 4-stroke cycle engine, 1877. (2) Otto gas engine, 1882. 33. Internal-combustion engines 155 (1) Hornsby-Akroyd oil engine, 1893-1895. (2) Manly radial engine, 1901. 34. Carburetors 174 (1) Duryea carburetor, 1893. (2) Dyke float-feed carburetor, 1900. (3) Carburetor of the Manly engine, 1901. MUSEUIVI YI BULLETIN 173, U. S. NATIONAL Facing page 35. Hot-air engines 175 (1) Ericsson hot-air engine, 1855. (2) Rider hot-air engine, 1871. 36. Ericsson hot-air pumping engine, 1906 182 37. Refrigerating machines 183 (1) Audiffren refrigerating machine,1913. (2) Frost-Maker domestic refrigerating unit, c. 1914. PREFACE Objects illustrating the development of the mechanical arts and sciences have been collected and preserved by the Smithsonian Insti- tution from the earliest period of its existence. For years this activ- ity was continued incidentally to the work of the ethnological sec- tions of the Institution in the United States National Museum. In 1884, however, acquisitions from the Centennial Exposition of 1876 had increased the collections so greatly, particularly in the field of transportation, that a section of transportation was created in the Museum. This section has in time grown in scope and size into the present Department of Engineering and Industries and includes collections and exhibits in nearly every branch of engineering and industry. The Department of Engineering and Industries is now, in effect, the national museum of engineering and industry of the United States, and in size, scope, and merit of collections and in numbers of visitors to its exhibits it compares favorably with the national museums of science and industry abroad. This comparison could readily be made more favorable were it not for the fact that the collections at present are crowded in antiquated and inadequate buildings that prevent exhibition of the material in the most appealing and instructive manner. It is anticipated that in due time modern housing for these important collections will be provided. The division of engineering, one of the four divisions of the De- partment, collects, preserves, and exhibits material illustrative of the progress in all fields of engineering and the physical sciences, includ- ing such diversified subjects as transportation, aeronautics, mining, communications, tools and crafts, timekeeping, office machines, and many others. The collections described in this catalog, compiled by Frank A. Taylor, curator of engineering in the United States Na- tional Museum, are in the group roughly designated as prime movers or power-producing devices and their accessories and auxiliaries. It includes such macliines as windmills, water wheels, steam, oil, and gas engines, and steam boilers, and it will serve as a typical example of what has been done in recording, by relics, the progress made in a fundamentally important engineering field in America. It is intended that this catalog will prove a useful guide to the collections, particularly for those who cannot visit the Museum. At the same time, it will illustrate the deficiencies of the collections and, it is hoped, enlist the aid of all who can offer information, sug- vn yill PREFACE gestions, or material for expansion and improvement. It is also anticipated that individuals, trade associations, and professional groujjs who are in a position to assist will be encouraged to con- sider seriously what aid or influence they might lend to the further development of an adequate national museum of engineering and industry for the United States, under the direction of the Smithsonian Institution. C. W. MriMAN, Head Curator^ Department of Engineering and Industries. CATALOG OF THE MECHANICAL COLLECTIONS OF THE DIVISION OF ENGINEERING, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM By Frank A. Taylor INTRODUCTION Throughout history the changing pattern of society has been determined to a large degree by the progress made in exploiting the natural energy resources of the world and the manner in which the fruits of this energy have been distributed. When the only harness- able energy source was the muscular effort of men, the sole pools of power were in groups of men, and the leaders who sought to build wealth, culture, and government beyond the immediate primitive needs of the individual had to command the obedience of slaves.