Popular content
Navigation
Syndicate
Scientific American
Conger's Air Powered Flex Tube Motor 1881
A NOVEL MOTOR.
The engraving shows a means of imparting motion to vehicles and machinery by.the employment of soft tubing beneath a flexible bearing surface for traction wheels. The tubing and flexible bearing, under the influence of steam, water, air, or other expansible or compressible fluid forced into it, will form a wedge-shaped or inclined wall or abutment in the rear of the tangential bearing of the wheel, and propel it with greater or less speed according to the pressure of the propelling medium.
TELEPHONE TRANSMITTER 1881
Telephone 1881NEW TELEPHONE TRANSMITTER.
BY GEO. M. HOPKINS.
The microphone, with pendants, figured and described by the writer in the SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN of Nov. 16, 1878, was among the earliest of telephone transmitters, and although the device was crude in appearance and exceedingly simple in its construction, it contained the germ of a successful instrument, and was favorably noticed in the scientific papers of Europe.
Self-Winding Watch 1881
SELF-WINDING WATCH.
The annexed engraving represents a device for winding a watch by means of the motion of the wearer's body in walking, which has been patented by A. R. Von Loehr, of Vienna, and described in the Horological Journal.
It will be observed that the mechanism is in principle the same as that which constitutes the pedometer. The inventor is aware that the motion of a weighted lever has been used before for winding a watch, but he claims to have overcome the objections existing in former arrangements.
Scratch Brushes
Scientific American February 26, 1881SCRATCH BRUSHING.
The scratch brush is often used to remove the dead luster on, or to impart a smooth surface to an object. They are usually made of brass or steel wire and of a variety of shapes to suit the object. Some of the forms are shown in the figure.
The wheel brushes are used on the lathe, the objects being manipulated in contact with the rapidly revolving brush. The brush is usually kept moistened by a small stream of water while in use.
Air Refrigerating Machine 1881
IMPROVED AIR REFRIGERATING MACHINE.
Scientific American February 19, 1881
We illustrate a machine constructed by Messrs. Hall (John Hall and Edward Hall or J & E Hall), of Dartford, (England) for use in the Australian meat trade. The engraving is very nearly self-explanatory.
Victoria Steamer by The Duquesne Engine Works 1881
AMERICAN BUILT STEEL STEAMER FOR THE RIVER
MAGDALENA.
BY H. L. BEIDWELL.
1881 Scientific American
Herreshoff Manufacturing Company in the 1800s
Herreshoff Company Steam Engines and Steam Boats 1864-1881
Also See [[http://www.machine-history.com/Herreshoff%20Ship%20List%201800s|Herreshoff Ship List, Launched in the 1800's]]
Boudet's Microphone
February 5, 1881 Scientific American
NEW MICROPHONE.
BY M. BOUDET, OF PARIS.
This microphone, with multiple contacts, as shown in the accompanying figure, is composed of a mouthpiece, E, affixed to the end of a glass tube, T, one centimeter in diameter, itself fixed on a jointed stand, thus enabling the whole apparatus to be moved at any inclination.
Agricultural Machinery in the 1800's
AGRICULTURAL MACHINERY.
Scientific American July 25, 1896
Before the building of the reaper it could be truly said that those who earned their bread by the labor of the harvest did so by the sweat of their brows. In the heat of midsummer, without protection from the beating sun, in a stooping position, the toilers of the world gathered the harvests. So excessive and trying was the labor that the wages at harvest time were double those of other seasons of the year, and the farmer engaged his help months in advance for this rushing period.