MECHANICAL PRESS, Parker Bros., Meriden Conn, c. 1870 This is one of our most commented-on machines.  It looks so good!  Our documents don’t tell how it came to have such […]

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.

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Twelve of our favorite machines profiled here.

 In Robert V. Jacobs’ biography, Lewis R. Heim, Mechanical Genius of Modern Industry,  Jacobs describes Heim as “a mechanical genius and industrial entrepreneur whose many inventions helped usher in the […]

A gallery of the historic toolboxes from our collection.

For Halloween, what could be better than touring an old basement? We discuss what was there – how the flood affected the building – and more.

18 inches in diameter, and it stores 500 KB.

Blickensderfer Manufacturing Company, Stamford, CT 1893 Blickensderfer typewriters have an unusual claim to fame: they’re extremely portable. Advertisements for the Blick in the late 1800s featured a series of characters:   […]

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 […]

What are some techniques for mass production? This summer camp theme explores REPEATABILITY! And if you’ve never heard the word, it’s one we use here at the museum quite a […]

Why does friction matter when using machines? This summer camp theme explores friction and smoothness. Project: Description: Related concepts and machines: Bearings From Try Engineering from IEEE. Bearings are found […]

How do we make machines move? This summer camp theme explores MOTION!  See part one for sensors and more. Project: Description: Related concepts and machines: Machine Dissection From APM. Discuss […]