Electrically Welded Specimen, Bicycle Head
date: label: date made
content: 1886
name: label: maker
content: Thomson, Elihu
notes: label: Description
content: This bicycle’s welded steel head post was created using Elihu Thomson’s electric welding apparatus (see object number MC*181724). Welding samples demonstrated the potential industrial applications of electric welding, and illustrations of these samples were published in journals, brochures, and advertisements. Elihu Thomson’s invention of electric welding in 1885 resulted in numerous industrial applications including the manufacture of automobile parts, tools, screws, ball bearings, and wire lines. Thomson’s welding apparatus pressed two pieces of metal together while an electric current ran through the metal. Resistance to the current at the contact point between the metal pieces created heat and welded the metals together.
label: Description
content: Scientist and inventor Elihu Thomson (1853-1937) played a prominent role in the industrialization and electrification of America with over 700 patents in his name. His inventions and patents helped change the nature of industry in the United States and included the “uniflow” steam engine, automobile muffler, producing fused quartz, stereoscopic x-ray pictures, electric arc lamps, lightning arrestors, and perhaps most notably—the process of electrical welding. Thomson and partner Edwin Houston established a variety of companies to manage his industrial interests. In 1892, his Thomson-Houston Electric Company merged with the Edison Electric Company to form General Electric.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
setName: label: See more items in
content: Work and Industry: Electricity
label: See more items in
content: Energy & Power
label: See more items in
content: Industry & Manufacturing
label: See more items in
content: Thomson Welding
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: from Thomson Electrical Welding Co., thru Elihu Thomson
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: EM.181678
label: catalog number
content: 181678
label: accession number
content: 33015
objectType: label: Object Name
content: welding sample
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: steel (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 6 1/4 in x 2 3/4 in x 1 1/2 in; 15.875 cm x 6.985 cm x 3.81 cm