Wilson’s Patent Model of a Steam Radiator - ca 1859
date: label: date made
content: 1859
label: patent date
content: 1859-07-26
name: label: inventor
content: Wilson, Charles A.
notes: label: Description
content: This model was filed with the application to the U.S. Patent Office for Patent Number 24,897 issued to Charles A. Wilson of Cincinnati, Ohio on July 26, 1859. His patent was for a new and improved concept of stacking long, narrow boxes as elements for a steam radiator . The claimed benefit of this modular design was the ability to tailor the amount of radiator surface area in accordance with the amount of heating needed for a given room. And, this was made possible without changing the amount of floor space required for the radiator. His design called for the boxes, or modules, to be constructed of cast iron with corrugations at the top and bottom that allowed them to nest together tightly while still allowing for expansion and contraction with varying temperature. Each box had holes on the bottom at each end of the box. On the top of each box, nozzles projected upward and aligned with these holes allowing steam to pass from one section to the next. Two vertical screw bolts passed through the holes and nozzles to secure the stack of boxes together. Raised circular bumps surrounded each nozzle and provided a surface for a red lead or other gasket material to seal the joints. Steam entered and exited the radiator via two additional holes on the bottom of the lowest module. Research of available trade literature and other sources has not revealed any commercial product that may have made use of Mr. Wilson’s invention.
label: Description
content: The model is constructed of painted tinplate and consists of four modules, or boxes. Steam inlet/outlet holes are modeled at the bottom. The bosses between sections are also shown. The sections are held together with two screw bolts with nuts at the bottom. There is a small, rectangular access plate on the rear of the top section. The patent drawing shows this access; however, its purpose is not described.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: associated place
content: United States: Ohio, Cincinnati
topic: label: Subject
content: Patent Models
label: Subject
content: Heating
setName: label: See more items in
content: Work and Industry: Mechanical and Civil Engineering
label: See more items in
content: Engineering, Building, and Architecture
label: See more items in
content: Patent Models
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: MC.251778
label: accession number
content: 48890
label: catalog number
content: 251778
label: patent number
content: 24,897
objectType: label: Object Name
content: patent model, radiator, steam
label: Object Type
content: Patent Model
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: tin (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 9 3/8 in x 9 1/4 in x 4 1/2 in; 23.8125 cm x 23.495 cm x 11.43 cm