Each one of these devices uses mechanical principles to achieve a function. Some objects are “consumer end products,” and others are “behind the scenes” mechanisms necessary to create the wonderful […]

The Photostat brand machine, differing in operation from its competitor, Rectigraph but with the same purpose of the photographic copying of documents, was invented in Kansas City by Oscar T. […]

This is believed to be the original machine made by Brown & Sharpe to use in their plant to measure the high precision products they made, such as gage blocks.

Manufactured by FP Lovejoy, Springfield, VT, Pat’d Nov 22, 1904.   Do you know what this object is?     Some of the guesses we’ve heard at the front desk […]

A pattern is the master copy of a design. Wooden patterns like these could have been used hundreds of times before losing their shape. Flat back patterns, like these wrenches, […]

BALLISTIC CHRONOGRAPH
James Pitkin & Co, London, C 1915, Le Boulenge type.

This clever device measures the speed of bullets.

18 inches in diameter, and it stores 500 KB.

Let’s assume that you haven’t ever considered how to make a slide rule.  We have a machine at the Museum that did make them. It worked for the Keuffel & […]

What forces and materials help airplanes fly? This summer camp theme explores Simple Aerospace. Project: Description: Related concepts and machines: Principles of Flight: Forces and Axes From NASA: Principles of […]

The Machine of the Month for June 2021 is the Bentley engine, c. 1930.