Murray's Hypocycloidal Engine
| Murray's Hypocycloidal Engine | |||
|---|---|---|---|
|
The engine at Thinktank | |||
| Origins | |||
| Type | Hypocycloidal | ||
| Designer | Matthew Murray | ||
| Maker | Fenton, Murray and Wood | ||
| Date | 1805 | ||
| Country of origin | England | ||
| Former operator |
| ||
| Measurements | |||
| Cylinders | 1 | ||
| Preservation | |||
| Collection | Birmingham Museums Trust | ||
| Location | Thinktank, Digbeth, Birmingham, England | ||
| Accession no. | 1961S01437.00001 | ||
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Murray's Hypocycloidal Engine, now in Thinktank, Birmingham Science Museum, England, was made around 1805[1] and is the world's third-oldest working steam engine[2] and the oldest working engine with a hypocycloidal gear.[lower-alpha 1]
History
The engine in motion
Designed by Matthew Murray, and made by Fenton, Murray and Wood of Holbeck, Leeds, it is one of only two of the type to survive;[3] the other is located at The Henry Ford, Michigan, United States.[4]
The single-cylinder engine was used by John Bradley & Co of Stourbridge from 1805 until 1931, and by N Hingkey & Sons of Netherton from 1931 until 1961, when it was acquired by Birmingham City Council for their science museum.[5]
Murray patented the hypocycloidal arrangement in 1802.[3]
See also
- Birmingham Museums Trust
- Rotative beam engine
- Smethwick Engine – the oldest working engine in the world, also at Thinktank
- Sun and planet gear
- Whitbread Engine – the second-oldest working engine; one of the first rotative steam engines
Notes
- ↑ The oldest working engine, the Smethwick Engine, and the second oldest, the Whitbread Engine, are beam engines, and neither uses a hypocycloidal gear.
References
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Murray engine (Thinktank). |
- ↑ Reyburn, Ross (2 December 2000). "Full steam ahead; Some of Birmingham's most impressive artefacts are on the move". Birmingham Post. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
- ↑ "Thinktank Birmingham Science Museum". Automuseums. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
- 1 2 "Matthew Murray's elegant design". Birmingham Stories. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
- ↑ "Hypocycloidal Pumping Engine". Stationary Steam. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
- ↑ Birmingham Museums Trust catalogue, accession number: 1961S01437.00001
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