Ericsson Steam Engine, Patent Model
date: label: date made
content: 1864
label: patent date
content: 1864-02-16
name: label: inventor
content: Ericsson, John
notes: label: Description
content: This model was filed with the application to the U.S. Patent Office for Patent Number 41,612 issued to John Ericsson of New York, New York on February 16, 1864. The patent was for an improvement in reciprocating steam engines that would reduce the destructive vibration effects of then current designs.
label: Description
content: Many marine steam engines were mounted transversely in the vessel in order to facilitate operating crank arms to turn the propeller. With each successive cycle of the engine the oscillating masses of the engine’s pistons produced high concussive forces on the engine mounts and hull of the vessel. This was more serious for engines directly driving the ship’s propeller without gearing; the engine needed to run at higher speeds thereby making the vibrations more damaging.
label: Description
content: Mr. Ericsson’s patent design provided a rolling counter balance weight that moved in the opposite direction as the motion of the of the engine’s piston. The weight would be matched to the combined weight of the piston and its pushrods and other oscillating masses. He provided for a crank lever mechanism that would translate the motion of the piston to that of the counter balance weight.
label: Description
content: Mr. Ericsson was a prolific inventor; his inventions included many types of steam engines and associated apparatus as well as hot air engines. He was the designer of the USS Monitor for the North during the Civil War. The Monitor engine was based on his Patent Number 20,782 of July 6, 1858 . In that patent he began to address design issues that would reduce stresses on the engine’s components and its bed. In this patent, Number 41,612, he addressed the issue of concussive force effect of that engine and showed how his counterbalancing weight concept could be applied.
label: Description
content: The patent model is shown in the image. It is constructed of wood and brass and illustrates the major elements of the patent. A brass plate on the model is engraved “J. Ericsson, Inventor, 1863.” A spring motor causes the model to simulate actual operation with the piston moving and the counterbalancing weight moving within a hollow space in the wooden base of the model. Diagrams showing the complete design of the engine can be found in the patent document online (www.USPTO.gov).
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: New York
label: associated place
content: United States: New York, New York City
topic: label: Subject
content: Patent Models
setName: label: See more items in
content: Work and Industry: Mechanical and Civil Engineering
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content: Bulletin 173
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content: Engineering, Building, and Architecture
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content: Work
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content: Industry & Manufacturing
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content: Patent Models
publisher: label: Related Publication
content: Frank A. Taylor. Catalog of the Mechanical Collections of the Division of Engineering United States National Museum, Bulletin 173
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: ER.308672
label: accession number
content: 89797
label: catalog number
content: 308672
label: patent number
content: 41,612
objectType: label: Object Name
content: steam engine, patent model
label: Object Name
content: patent model, engine, steam
label: Object Type
content: Patent Model
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: brass (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: base - from catalog card: 6 1/2 in x 5 1/2 in x 13 1/4 in; 16.51 cm x 13.97 cm x 33.655 cm
label: Measurements
content: overall: 6 3/4 in x 5 5/8 in x 13 1/4 in; 17.145 cm x 14.2875 cm x 33.655 cm