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Whiting Aerosteam Engine, Patent Model

National Museum of American History

Object Details

inventor
Whiting, James M.
Description
This model was submitted to the U.S. Patent Office with its application for Patent no. 217758, issued to James M. Whiting, of Providence, Rhode Island, July 22, 1879.
This is an example of combined air and steam engines, many designs of which have been proposed and built. In this engine the use of steam is intended to reduce the bulk of the heated air required to operate an engine of a given capacity and consequently reduce the size of the engine.
The model shows a vertical fire-tube steam boiler of ordinary construction above the tubes of which is placed a hollow drum that is heated by the hot gases from the boiler. There is also a small steam pump and a vertical high-speed steam engine of the slide-valve type. Steam from the boiler is mixed with the heated air in the upper drum, and the mixture of heated air and steam is led directly to the engine and expanded. The air pump supplies air to the heated drum.
Reference:
This description comes from the 1939 Catalog of the Mechanical Collections of the Division of Engineering United States Museum Bulletin 173 by Frank A. Taylor.
Location
Currently not on view
1879
patent date
1879-07-22
ID Number
ER.251285
accession number
48865
catalog number
251285
patent number
217,758
Object Name
air & steam engine, model
patent model, engine, steam & air
Object Type
Patent Model
Physical Description
sheet iron (overall material)
Measurements
overall: 12 in x 10 1/4 in x 10 1/4 in; 30.48 cm x 26.035 cm x 26.035 cm
iron base - from catalog card: 10 in x 10 in; 25.4 cm x 25.4 cm
place made
United States: Rhode Island
associated place
United States: Rhode Island, Providence
Related Publication
Frank A. Taylor. Catalog of the Mechanical Collections of the Division of Engineering United States National Museum, Bulletin 173
See more items in
Work and Industry: Mechanical and Civil Engineering
Bulletin 173
Engineering, Building, and Architecture
Work
Industry & Manufacturing
National Museum of American History
Record ID
nmah_1063719
Metadata Usage (text)
CC0
GUID (Link to Original Record)
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746a9-15b8-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa

Related Content

  • Explore America: Rhode Island

Whiting Air and Steam Engine patented by James M. Whiting of Rhode Island
This image is in the public domain (free of copyright restrictions). You can copy, modify, and distribute this work without contacting the Smithsonian. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Open Access page.
International media Interoperability Framework
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.
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