Invention & Technology Magazine - The popular magazine of the history of technology and innovation.

Powered by two Rolls-Royce MK 202 Spey Turbofan engines which produced over 44,000 lbs (196kN) of thrust, the Thrust SSC Supersonic car is recognized as the world land speed record holder. In achieving an average speed of over 760 mph in 1997 at Black Rock Dry Lake, Nevada, it became the first land vehicle to officially break the sound barrier.

The Thrust SSC was conceived by entrepreneur Richard Noble and designed by Ron Ayers, former chief aerodynamicist at British Aerospace and a team of engineers. The strategic mounting and positioning of the engines, placement of the tires, management of safety and control of lift force were just some of the team's mechanical and aerodynamic solutions to problems that would have prevented Royal Air Force pilot Andy Green from achieving his record-setting run.

Image Credit

Courtesy Flickr/Ben Sutherland (CC BY 2.0)

Image Caption

The Thrust SSC at Coventry Motor Museum

Stereolithography

Stuart Grosvenor — Mon, 05 Feb 2018 19:03:39 +0000

Stereolithography

Mon, 02/05/2018 - 14:03

Society

Main Category

Era

Date Created

Address1

3D Systems, Inc.

Address2

333 Three D Systems Circle

City

Rock Hill

State

Country

USA

Zip

29730

Website

https://www.asme.org/about-asme/engineering-history/landmarks/261-stereolithogr…

Creator

Kodama, Dr. Hideo

Although the origins of three-dimensional printing date back to the mid 19th century, and the first patent application for rapid prototyping technology was filed by Dr. Hideo Kodama of the Nagoya Municipal Industrial Research Institute in Japan and Alan Hebert of 3M, it wasn’t until Charles Hull developed the process called Stereolithography, and produced the SLA-1 in 1987, that the 3D printer became available for commercial sale and use.

Hull co-founded 3D Systems, Inc. to market the 3D printer, which used a process called Stereolithography, a method of curing layers of photopolymers with ultraviolet rays to form solid objects.

Today, rapid prototyping has become a leading technology for the manufacture of new products and parts, influencing the medical, automotive, and aircraft industries among others.

Image Credit

Scopigno R., Cignoni P., Pietroni N., Callieri M., Dellepiane M. (2017). "Digital Fabrication Techniques for Cultural Heritage: A Survey". Computer Graphics Forum 36 (1): 6–21. DOI:10.1111/cgf.12781.

Image Caption

Schematic representation of Stereolithography. A light-emitting device a) (a laser or DLP) selectively illuminates the transparent bottom c) of a tank b) filled with a liquid photo-polymerizing resin. The solidified resin d) is progressively dragged up by a lifting platform e)

Pratt & Whitney R-1340 Wasp Radial Engine

Stuart Grosvenor — Mon, 05 Feb 2018 18:56:41 +0000

Pratt & Whitney R-1340 Wasp Radial Engine

Mon, 02/05/2018 - 13:56

Society

Main Category

Era

Date Created

Address1

New England Air Museum

Address2

36 Perimeter Road

City

Windsor Locks

State

Country

USA

Zip

06096

Website

https://www.asme.org/about-asme/engineering-history/landmarks/260-pratt-whitney…

Creator

Rentschler, Fredrick

Aircraft engines, considered unreliable during the first 20 years of aviation due to their need for liquid-cooling, heavy weight and other inconsistencies, were given a revolutionary boost with the development of Pratt & Whitney’s R-1340 Wasp Radial Engine in 1925.

Engineers led by Chief Executive Officer Fredrick Rentschler, Vice President of Engineering George Mead, and Chief Engineer Andy Willgoos implemented a number of improvements: a single piece master rod allowed the engine to operate at a higher number of revolutions per minute, producing more horsepower; a two-piece crankshaft able to maintain required tolerances – making the single piece master rod possible; and a split crankcase with two identical halves. This improve the engine’s manufacturability, reducing assembly time and complexity.

These innovations set a new standard for aircraft engine reliability, impacting commercial aviation and transcontinental mail service, and leading to more advanced aircraft in the late 1920s and early 1930s – such as the Boeing 247. Over 90 versions of the R-1340 engine are in operation today.

Image Credit

Courtesy Flickr/nostri-imago (CC BY 2.0)

Image Caption

Pratt & Whitney Wasp A, R-1300 (R-1340)

Northern Pacific Rotary Snow Plow #2

Stuart Grosvenor — Mon, 05 Feb 2018 18:31:03 +0000

Northern Pacific Rotary Snow Plow #2

Mon, 02/05/2018 - 13:31

Society

Main Category

Era

Date Created

Address1

Lake Superior Railroad Museum

Address2

506 W Michigan St

City

Duluth

State

Country

USA

Zip

55802

Website

https://www.asme.org/about-asme/engineering-history/landmarks/257-northern-paci…

The oldest surviving rotary snowplow in the world

Manufactured by Cooke Locomotive & Machine Works of Paterson in 1887, the Northern Pacific Rotary Snow Plow #2 is the oldest surviving rotary snowplow in the world. Rotary snow plows provided a more effective and reliable means of removing snow from rail lines.

Before its invention, railways were forced to rely on snow sheds and fixed plows which tended to be inefficient and sometimes dangerous. The rotary snow plows were safer because they moved at slow, consistent speeds to remove the snow with a large cutting wheel that would cut the snow and pass it to a throwing wheel behind it. In one hour, a rotary plow could do the same amount of work as a regular plow could in one day.

Though the patent was first issued to Orange Jull in 1884, it was John and Edward Leslie of Orangeville, Ontario who built and perfected Jull's design.

Liverpool Manchester Railway & Site of Rainhill Trials

Stuart Grosvenor — Mon, 05 Feb 2018 17:16:47 +0000

Liverpool Manchester Railway & Site of Rainhill Trials

Mon, 02/05/2018 - 12:16

Society

Main Category

Era

Date Created

Address1

Rainhill

Address2

Prescot L35 0LL

City

Merseyside

Country

Website

https://www.asme.org/about-asme/engineering-history/landmarks/263-liverpool-man…

Creator

Stephenson, Robert

The Rainhill Trials were an important competition in the early days of steam locomotive railways. The Liverpool Manchester Railway was the first railway to rely exclusively on steam power.

One of the earliest known examples of a program engineered to evaluate competing machines, the Rainhill Trials were a competition between five engineers to run a steam locomotive up and down a one-mile track. Cycloped, Novelty, Perseverance, Rocket, and Sans Pareil raced from Oct. 6-13, 1829. Designed by Robert Stephenson, the Rocket outlasted the others, and introduced a design that became the prototype for subsequent steam locomotives.

William James designed a plan for a line of engine railroad from Liverpool to Manchester after having seen a Newcastle locomotive, and experiencing high tariffs on shipped goods and materials on Manchester & Liverpool canals in 1821. George Stephenson was responsible for constructing the line while Robert Stephenson and Henry Booth developed locomotives. Railway construction began in 1826 and was completed in 1830. The railway gave Manchester mills direct access to Liverpool docks and broke a canal monopoly.

Opened on September 15th, 1830, the Liverpool and Manchester Railway (L&MR) was the first of its kind: it relied exclusively on steam power, was powered entirely by its own motor, had a signaling system, was entirely double track, and carried mail.

Still operating on its original alignment with many original structures, this railway established the basic format for almost all subsequent railways and rolling stock world-wide.

The Railway, and site of the Rainhill Trials site was jointed recognized by ASME, the American Society of Civil Engineers, the Institute of Civil Engineers, and Institution of Mechanical Engineers..

Image Credit

Public Domain

Image Caption

Rolling stock on the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, 1831

LeTourneau "Mountain Mover" Scraper

Stuart Grosvenor — Fri, 02 Feb 2018 18:21:20 +0000

LeTourneau "Mountain Mover" Scraper

Fri, 02/02/2018 - 13:21

Society

Main Category

Era

Date Created

Address1

LeTourneau University

Address2

2100 S Mobberly Ave

City

Longview

State

Country

USA

Zip

75602

Website

https://www.asme.org/about-asme/who-we-are/engineering-history/landmarks/231-le…

https://www.asme.org/getmedia/9a19caec-9336-4263-9b34-6d13ae6b7153/231-LeTourne…

Creator

LeTourneau, Robert G.

When Robert G. LeTourneau started moving earth in 1919, he thought that land leveling should require only one man. In 1920, by installing a generator and electric motors, R.G. was able to control the scraper blade from the tractor seat while driving the tractor.

In June 1922, LeTourneau developed his “Mountain Mover” with a telescoping bowl. He incorporated a floor behind the cutting edge taken from his previous designs, and employed welding instead of riveting to save weight.

Although only one “Mountain Mover” ever existed, all later LeTourneau scraper designs drew upon its innovative concepts. The original Mountain Mover, modified over the years, is an example of the innovative and pioneering mechanical engineering concepts developed by R.G. LeTourneau. This predecessor to modern equipment played a large role in opening up lands to farming and helped lead to the rapid and cost-effective construction of roads, highways and airports for decades after its introduction.

First efficient one person operated earthmoving scraper utilizing a generator and electric motors to control the scraper blades from the tractor seat. Specific feature is a telescoping bowl system which moved more dirt with the same tractive effort.

Hughes Glomar Explorer

Stuart Grosvenor — Fri, 02 Feb 2018 18:10:24 +0000

Hughes Glomar Explorer

Fri, 02/02/2018 - 13:10

Society

Main Category

Era

Date Created

Address1

Vessel no longer exists in original form

City

Country

USA

Website

https://www.asme.org/about-asme/who-we-are/engineering-history/landmarks/239-hu…

A number of major engineering feats required to complete the tasks for the mission at hand, which were later used in further projects

The Hughes Glomar Explorer was designed to complete the mission of lifting a 2,000-ton Soviet submarine 17,000 feet from the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. The Soviet Golf-II class submarine K-129 sank in the Pacific Ocean near Hawaii in April 1968 and the recovery mission, “Project Azorian”, as it was termed, took place in July 1974. In the short years of its design and construction the modern limits of “state of the art” were extended from the impossible to the possible.

Some of the major innovations and advances in mechanical engineering included: a large center well opening in the hull and a means of sealing it off so that the object could be examined in dry conditions, a hydraulic lift system capable of hoisting a large, heavy load, a tapered heavy lift pipe string, including tool joints, designed, constructed and proof tested to exceptionally demanding standards, a “claw” with mechanically articulated fingers which used surface supplied sea water as a hydraulic fluid, a motion compensated and gimbaled work platform system that effectively isolated the suspended load from the roll, pitch and heave motions of the ship, and a “docking leg” system which supported the weight and controlled the motion of the “claw” and load during the transition from dynamic open water conditions to the shelter of the ship’s center well.

George Eastman House: Technology Collection

Stuart Grosvenor — Fri, 02 Feb 2018 18:05:01 +0000

George Eastman House: Technology Collection

Fri, 02/02/2018 - 13:05

Society

Main Category

Era

Date Created

Address1

George Eastman House

Address2

900 East Ave

City

Rochester

State

Country

USA

Zip

14607

Website

https://www.asme.org/about-asme/engineering-history/landmarks/258-george-eastma…

Creator

Eastman, George

The oldest and most comprehensive collection of photographic and cinematic technology

In 1888, George Eastman created the Kodak camera, the first camera designed to use roll film. The camera's simplicity and user friendly mechanism revolutionized amateur snapshot photography and in 1892, he founded the Eastman Kodak Company, in Rochester, New York.

The George Eastman House is the oldest and most comprehensive collection of photographic and cinematic technology consisting of more than 16,000 artifacts. The collection also includes all the necessary equipment for photographic image printing, as well as documents related to the business, manufacturing, and marketing of the photography and film industries.

From the earliest prototypes in 1839 to the latest handheld digital devise, the collection offers an unparalleled examination of the technological achievements and historical advancement of filmography and photography.

Image Credit

public domain

Funicular Giessbach

Stuart Grosvenor — Fri, 02 Feb 2018 17:44:28 +0000

Funicular Giessbach

Fri, 02/02/2018 - 12:44

Society

Main Category

Era

Date Created

Address1

Grandhotel Giessbach

Address2

3855 Brienz

City

Giessbach

Country

Switzerland

Website

https://www.asme.org/about-asme/engineering-history/landmarks/259-funicular-gie…

https://www.giessbach.ch/en/historical-funicular-railway.html

Creator

Abt, Carl Roman

The first funicular to employ a single, two-rail track along its entire length, with a short passing track.

During the period of prosperity throughout Europe known as the Belle Epoque, railway systems saw tremendous growth, and more and more tourists visited the Alps. One of those major attractions was the Grandhotel Giessbach, a 150-room hotel, situated approximately 100 meters above the waters of Lake Brienz. Seeking a more efficient process for moving passengers from the Giessbach’s boat pier to the hotel one car of passengers at a time, Designer and Engineer Carl Roman Abt, developed the Abt Rack System for the Funicular Giessbach, an automatic turnout solution – employing a single track with a half-way turnout.

Abt’s initial design had some flaws. Cars passing over the switches encountered numerous bumps, resulting in loose bolts at the rail connections. Despite its “expensive and frequent maintenance,” the Funicular was profitable due to its high demand.

Abt’s solution to these technical challenges placed two wheel flanges on the outer wheels on the outboard side of each passenger car, as it crossed the turnout – allowing for an uninterrupted guidance rail on the outside of the turnout and larger passages from the cable and the cog rail crossing the inner rails. The “Abt Switch” allowed the passenger car to pass smoothly over the turnout, since the wheels were cylindrical, and without flanges.

Still in service, the Funicular Giessbach measures 1,191 feet long (323 meters), rises to 322 feet (98 meters) and has been the model for many others. Since 1879, there have been more than a thousand installations of the Funicular, with most using the Abt Turnout.

Invention & Technology Magazine - The popular magazine of the history of technology and innovation.

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Thrust SSC Supersonic Car

First Land Vehicle to Exceed the Speed of Sound; averaged 763.04 mph (1227.99 km/h), Mach 1.02

Stereolithography

Pratt & Whitney R-1340 Wasp Radial Engine

Northern Pacific Rotary Snow Plow #2

The oldest surviving rotary snowplow in the world

Liverpool Manchester Railway & Site of Rainhill Trials

The Rainhill Trials were an important competition in the early days of steam locomotive railways. The Liverpool Manchester Railway was the first railway to rely exclusively on steam power.

LeTourneau "Mountain Mover" Scraper

Hughes Glomar Explorer

A number of major engineering feats required to complete the tasks for the mission at hand, which were later used in further projects

George Eastman House: Technology Collection

The oldest and most comprehensive collection of photographic and cinematic technology

Funicular Giessbach

The first funicular to employ a single, two-rail track along its entire length, with a short passing track.

First Land Vehicle to Exceed the Speed of Sound; averaged 763.04 mph
(1227.99 km/h), Mach 1.02