Accession No

1367

Brief Description

Richard's patent steam engine indicator, by Elliott Brothers, English, 3/4 19th Century

Origin

England; London; 449 Strand

Maker

Elliott Brothers

Class

engineering

Earliest Date

1850

Latest Date

1875

Inscription Date

Material

metal (brass, white metal (at least three types), steel); wood (mahogany, boxwood, two others); cloth (velvet); paper; rope (string); inorganic (graphite)

Dimensions

height 200mm; breadth 205mm; depth 85mm box length 255mm; breadth 235mm; height 87mm

Special Collection

Cavendish collection

Provenance

Transferred from the Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge. It is recorded in the Cavendish Laboratory's 1894 alphabetical catalogue of apparatus on p.93.

Inscription

‘ELLIOTT. BROS.
LONDON’
‘C.L.C.’
‘RICHARDS’ PATENT STEAM-ENGINE INDICATOR....
MANUFACTURED BY
ELLIOTT BROTHERS, OPTICIANS, 449, STRAND, LONDON.’ (paper label in lid of box)
‘ELLIOTT BROS LONDON’ (boxwood rule)

Description Notes

Engine indicator. Cylindrical brass valve which can be attached to engine being analysed via a brass joint with ebony and brass tap. Piston on top of valve is attached to a white metal arm (supported by shaped brass arm) with a pencil on one end which records the pressure on a paper fixed around a brass drum. This drum is rotated by means of a waxed stringwhich unwinds from the base of the drum. White metal scale on drum divided [-15] - 0 - [35], numbered by 10, subdivided to 1.
Fitted mahogany box with brass hinges, hook fasteners and press-button lock. Bras carrrying handle. Lined with blue velvet.
Box contains three spare springs (with space for three more), pencil lead made by Faber, several brass rings and hooks, white metal square and small white metal spanner. Also a boxwood rule, marked ‘16 to the inch’ and divided on each side with the same scale that appears on the drum of the indicator.

Condition good; complete.

References

Events