inertia device ?
Date1890-1930
Inventory Number1996-1-0327
ClassificationInertia Wheel
Cultural Region
Dimensions23 × 43.1 × 21.5 cm (9 1/16 × 16 15/16 × 8 7/16 in.)
Material
DescriptionA rectangular wooden slab serves as the base. A number of components are mounted on the slab with small slotted screws.
The first, affixed near a corner along one of the long edges, is a brass rod, now discolored. The rod has a two small holes running through it near the top: one circular, and one rectangular. The rod emerges straight up out of a metal disc that serves as its base on top of the wooden slab. Next to this disc, a tiny cylinder is embedded in the wood. A very thin wire runs out of the cylinder and through the rectangular hole in the rod. After emerging from the hole, the wire is weighed down by the weight of its terminus, a metal cylinder, partially hollow, with an additional metal cylinder coming out of one side.
The second major component is more elaborate than the first. In the opposite corner of the wooden slab is a relatively large diagonal buttress with a thick base. This buttress supports a thick vertically-mounted rectangular component. Out of this component are slotted, like shelves, four arms shaped like diamonds with concave sides. The top and bottom arms project further than the middle two arms. The top pair of arms is reinforced with a thick cylinder in between them; the bottom pair is similarly reinforced. The buttress, rectangular component, arms and cylinders all sport a black crackle finish. Hanging from the top arm in both pairs, are brass discs connected with slotted bolts with or without nuts; the top arm in the bottom pair has two unequally sized discs, and the top arm in the top pair has one, with the other presumably missing.
The first, affixed near a corner along one of the long edges, is a brass rod, now discolored. The rod has a two small holes running through it near the top: one circular, and one rectangular. The rod emerges straight up out of a metal disc that serves as its base on top of the wooden slab. Next to this disc, a tiny cylinder is embedded in the wood. A very thin wire runs out of the cylinder and through the rectangular hole in the rod. After emerging from the hole, the wire is weighed down by the weight of its terminus, a metal cylinder, partially hollow, with an additional metal cylinder coming out of one side.
The second major component is more elaborate than the first. In the opposite corner of the wooden slab is a relatively large diagonal buttress with a thick base. This buttress supports a thick vertically-mounted rectangular component. Out of this component are slotted, like shelves, four arms shaped like diamonds with concave sides. The top and bottom arms project further than the middle two arms. The top pair of arms is reinforced with a thick cylinder in between them; the bottom pair is similarly reinforced. The buttress, rectangular component, arms and cylinders all sport a black crackle finish. Hanging from the top arm in both pairs, are brass discs connected with slotted bolts with or without nuts; the top arm in the bottom pair has two unequally sized discs, and the top arm in the top pair has one, with the other presumably missing.
Signedunsigned
FunctionThe function of this device is unknown.
Bodine Electric Company
Date: circa 1950
Accessories: four coils of thin wire of varying lengths (1996-1-0326b)
Object number: 1996-1-0326a
Charles Bruning Company
Date: 1942
Accessories: plywood case; 3/4 inch wrench; black metal end pieces
Object number: 2003-1-0127
Carl Zeiss Jena
Date: circa 1920
Accessories: objective pairs on slides (3): F 55, a0, a2; oculars (3): 3, 3, 4; case
Object number: 1364
Gebrüder Haff
Date: circa 1940
Accessories: card with instrument info and conversion table; photocopy of letter from Dr. Joachim Fischer to William J.H. Andrewes, dated 12 May 1997; photocopy of extract from Dr. Joachim Fischer's inventory of integrating instruments included with the letter
Object number: 1997-1-0444
Gebrüder Haff
Date: circa 1940
Accessories: card with instrument information and conversion table
Object number: 1997-1-0445
Gebrüder Haff
Date: circa 1940
Accessories: case
Object number: 1997-1-0446