Pickering Ball Governor
date: label: date made
content: 1931
notes: label: Description
content: This is the modern form of the Pickering governor and has the same spring mechanism carrying the governor balls. It is provided with a speed ranger for obtaining different engine speeds up to a 50 percent increase over the minimum speed, and includes also an enclosure over the ball and gear mechanism.
label: Description
content: The principle of the Pickering governor was widely adopted during the early 20th century to governing the speed of practically every type of machine and mechanism. It does not depend upon gravity for its proper operation and can, therefore, be used in any position, while the simplicity of its construction permits it to be made in every size. The principle is employed in the governors of telephone dials, talking machines, internal combustion engines, air compressors, steam engines, and steam turbines.
label: Description
content: Reference:
label: Description
content: 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.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: Connecticut
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
publisher: label: Related Publication
content: Frank A. Taylor. Catalog of the Mechanical Collections of the Division of Engineering United States National Museum, Bulletin 173
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of The Pickering Governor Company, Portland, Connecticut
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: MC.310290
label: catalog number
content: 310290
label: accession number
content: 115810
label: serial number
content: 535755-B
objectType: label: Object Name
content: governor, steam engine
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: metal (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall-from catalog card: 30 in x 10 in; 76.2 cm x 25.4 cm
label: Measurements
content: overall: 27 3/4 in x 13 in x 6 1/4 in; 70.485 cm x 33.02 cm x 15.875 cm