Shlarbaum’s Patent Model of an Oscillating Steam Engine– ca 1863
date: label: date made
content: ca 1863
label: patent date
content: 1863-09-01
name: label: inventor
content: Shlarbaum, Herrmann
notes: label: Description
content: This model was filed with the application to the U.S. Patent Office for Patent Number 39,756 issued to Hermann Shlarbaum of New York, New York on September 1, 1863. The patent was for an improvement in oscillating steam engines. An oscillating steam engine differs from a standard engine in that the steam cylinder is pivoted on the engine frame and oscillates back and forth about the pivot as its connecting rod operates the crankshaft of the engine. In a standard engine, the cylinder is fixed in orientation, and the piston rod moves fore and aft within a crosshead which allows the connecting rod to pivot independently as the crankshaft revolves.
label: Description
content: Mr. Shlarbaum did not claim his overall design as new. Others had patented very similar designs. His claim was for the unique design of the steam and exhaust valves for the engine. The claimed benefits of this design included simplicity and economy of manufacture, operation and maintenance. The inventor also claimed that his design avoided having lubricating oil in the pivot being overheated by high pressure steam.
label: Description
content: The patent model is constructed of cast iron and brass. All of the key elements of the patent are illustrated by the model to include the valve mechanism. A full description of the workings of the engine and diagrams showing the complete design of the patent can be found in the patent document online at the United States Patent and Trademark Office website, www.uspto.gov.
place: label: place made
content: United States: New York, New York City
label: associated place
content: United States: New York, New York City
topic: label: Subject
content: Patent Models
label: Subject
content: Steam Engines
setName: label: See more items in
content: Work and Industry: Mechanical and Civil Engineering
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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
label: Exhibition
content: Power Machinery
label: Exhibition Location
content: National Museum of American History
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: MC.251293
label: catalog number
content: 251293
label: patent number
content: 39,756
label: accession number
content: 48865
objectType: label: Object Name
content: engine, steam, patent model
label: Object Name
content: patent model, engine, steam
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: cast-iron (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: wheel: 9 1/2 in; x 24.13 cm
label: Measurements
content: model: 11 1/2 in; 29.21 cm