Linear Dividing Engine, Société Genevoise
date: label: date made
content: 1865-1912
name: label: maker
content: Societe Genevoise d’Instruments de Physique
label: maker
content: Societe Genevoise d’Instruments de Physique
notes: label: Description
content: According to existing museum records (the object has not been physically examined), this instrument has a lathe bed 32 1/2 inches (82.5 cm.) long on which is mounted a platform (steel with wood) that is 16 inches (40.6 cm.) long and 5 inches (13 cm.) deep. A mark reads: Société Genevoise Pour La construction D’Instruments De Physique, Geneve.” Three small parts are stored separately.
label: Description
content: According to an undated memo in the accession file, the dividing engine was received from the Weather Bureau of the U.S. Department of Commerce, without accompanying papers or records. In 1962, Smithsonian staff wrote to the Société Genevoise in Geneva, enclosing Polaroid images of the object. Staff of the Socété referred the matter to their American distributor, J. H. Elliott Company of New York. A correspondent for that company reported that authorities in Geneva believed the machine to be their Model 0001 dividing machine for straight lines. They reported that this device sold from 1865 until 1912. Pages from the 1912 price list were sent to provide further information.
label: Description
content: According to the price list, the dividing machine for straight lines, Model 0001 had a screw with a one millimeter thread and could make divisions directly using a rachet wheel to 1/200 of a millimeter.
label: Description
content: Compare 1987.0692.01.
label: Description
content: References:
label: Description
content: Accession file 245901.
label: Description
content: <i>1912 Illustrated Price List of Physical and Mechanical Instruments made by the Société Genevoise pour la Construction d’Instruments de Physique et de Mécanique</I>, esp. pp. 7-10.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: Switzerland: Genève, Geneva
topic: label: Subject
content: Ruling and Dividing Engines
label: Subject
content: Mathematics
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Mathematics
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Transfer from U. S. Department of Commerce, Weather Bureau
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: MA.321597
label: catalog number
content: 321597
label: accession number
content: 245901
objectType: label: Object Name
content: dividing engine
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: metal (mechanism material)
label: Physical Description
content: wood (base material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 16 in x 44 in x 17 in; 40.64 cm x 111.76 cm x 43.18 cm