Mechanical engineering

Mechanical engines

The collection of mechanical engines has been compiled since founding the Museum (1908). The fund is represented by a collection of original engines completed with a large group of functional models that have currently also gained their historical value. In addition, the collection contains models of steam generators, examples of engine components, crucial structural details, auxiliary mechanisms and equipment for mechanical distribution of power. According to fields, this collection fund is divided into wind engines, water engines, steam engines (piston steam engines and turbines) and combustion engines (with internal and external combustion). Altogether, the collection contains about 350 objects. Important exhibits are, for instance, collection of gas engines from the 60s and 70s of the 19th century – Lenoir's gas engine (first factory-produced combustion engine) and atmospheric gas engines of Otto and Bisschop. The collection of mechanical engines of domestic provenance is represented above all by the Kaplan testing turbine which is the first specimen of this type of engine in the world, or Parsons steam engine built in 1902 in the First Brno Engineering Works. Important domestic machines documented in the collection include also the steam engine with Zvonicek's valve gear from 1908 manufactured by the Bohemian-Moravian Machine Factory in Pilsen.

Engineering technology

The collection of engineering technology is divided into two basic parts oriented on manual working and machining. Main part of the collection is the gradually completed group of machine-tools that through its composition documents all basic types of machining. The largest part is represented by lathes. In addition to lathes, the collection contains milling cutters, grinding machines, planers, horizontal and vertical shaping machines, various types of drilling machines, machine-tools for gears and some special machines, e.g. the machine for cutting files. In addition to real machines, the collection contains also a group of demonstrating models of machine-tools. These exhibits are completed with a collection of cutting tools, various special jigs and other aids. The collection of manual technology contains hand tools and implements, such as drills, various types of files, scrapers, special tools, etc.

Chronologically, the main part of exhibits of the collection falls into the period 1890–1930 that are completed by products made in the following half-century.

The topic of the collection is somewhat associated with the fund of measurement in engineering which contains i.a. workshop gauges and testing fixtures. The collection of engineering technology contains about 300 objects. Interesting exhibits are, for instance, the group of hand tools from the collection of V. Naprstek or the collection of machine-tools with preserved transmission system that was created by taking over the preserved metal-processing workshop from the early 19th century.

Measurements in engineering

The collection contains measuring and testing instruments used in research, engineering production and in running engineering devices. This also implies basic dividing of the collection. Within these three groups, the instruments are classified according to measured quantities (measurement of temperature, pressure, velocity, geometric dimensions, physical properties of materials, and others). The largest part of the collection is devoted to workshop and testing gauges. These include slide callipers, micrometers, indicators, protractors, gauge sets, drafting devices, and various special workshop gauges. Process measuring instruments are represented mainly by various types and systems of thermometers, pressure gauges and vacuum meters, but also special instruments such as analyzer of flue gas composition. The group of instruments used in research includes, for instance, tensiometers, flow rate meters, impulse counters and other instruments. The collection contains 80 objects.

Time-measuring devices

The instruments for measuring time contained in the collection are, from technical and partially also from chronological point of view, classified into elementary time-measuring devices, cog-wheel (mechanical) clocks, electro-mechanical and electric clocks. The group of elementary time-measuring devices includes sundials (the collection, however, contains only a few of these items, other are deposited within the astronomical instruments), water-, fire- and sand-clocks. The largest part of the collection is devoted to cog-wheel clocks. The collection contains relatively large group of tower clocks of different design, age and provenance. Interior clocks of table, wall or floor type represent the time period from the late 16th century till now. This group includes also so-called mysterious clocks, clocks with musical machines and a group of clocks of Schwarzwald country clockmakers' production. Quite large collection is devoted to pocket and pendant watches. Mechanical clocks include also various profession, check and special clocks. In addition to mechanical clocks, this group also includes a set of models of clock escapements made by distinguished Czech mechanician and inventor of the 19th century Josef Bozek. A separate group is represented by clocks in the design of which some electric principles were used in combination with mechanical oscillator as they have been constructed since the end of last century. The last part of the collection is devoted to electronic clocks in which the mechanical part has been fully or partially excluded and which attain the highest precision.

The whole collection contains about 800 objects. A part of the collection is presented in the permanent exhibition of time-measuring devices. The most interesting exhibits are, for instance, table striking tower clock signed in Abbeville from 1590, pocket chronometer of English clockmaker J.Emery from the late 18th century, astronomical clock of J.Kossek, fire-place mysterious clock of French provenance from the 19th century, or tower clock of the firm Kretschmer with Manhardt escapement.

Clockmaking technology

Due to the importance of the clockmaking technology in development of engineering in the 18th and 19th centuries, the collection of clockmaking technology has been created, in addition to the collection of time-measuring devices, as an independent collection. The collection comprising about 200 items contains the whole range of table clockmaking machine-tools, for instance lathes, cutters and dividing instruments for cog-wheels, special machines, such as rollers, presses for inserting bearing stones, sticks, stamping dies for reducing holes, aids and fixtures for different clockmaking operations (upsetting and embedding holes, drilling-in and polishing journals) and various gauges. In addition to machines and tools, the collection contains also examples of technology of cutting and machining bearing stones, parts of pocket watches and production procedures of some parts, for instance, casings of pocket watches. Precious exhibits are historical clockmaking lathes and cutters from the early 19th century manually driven by means of a bow.

Non-electric illumination

The collection of non-electric illumination comprises 350 exhibits documenting different methods of illumination used before implementation of electric lamps and partially also in parallel with it.

The beginnings of illumination technique are represented by iron hang-up baskets for burning logs and holders of kindling chips. The collection follows with candlestics of various shapes and materials. Candles were also fixed in different hand portable lamps and lanterns. Another group are oil lamps. A large group is represented by illuminating oil lamps in table or hang-up versions with different mechanisms of shifting flat or column wicks. These lamps have quite often a very interesting shape design. Another part of the collection contains spirit lamps and lamps using other types of liquid hydrocarbons. The last group of lighting fittings are gas lamps represented mainly by interior lamps and chandeliers completed with several external gas lanterns. In addition to lamps the collection also contains various auxiliary objects and devices, such as snuffers, various types of igniters, wax columns, gas mantles and control fittings of gas lamps.

Injury prevention

The collection of injury prevention was created together with founding of the Technical Museum as a response to the actual endeavour after increasing labour safety both by introducing various supplementary safety devices on machines causing most injuries and through promoting safety principles and regulations. The Museum exhibition had to become the means of educating workers and public in this respect.

The collection contains mainly models of various working machines equipped with supplementary devices that should prevent injuries. These are, above all, different modifications of circular saws, wood-working machines, presses, machines with large movable components, such as flywheels and crank mechanisms, shearing machines and others. In addition to these models, the collection also contains various means of personal protection and some advertising and warning posters.

Most of the exhibits come from the first half of the 20th century. This is due to the fact that modern machines are designed with respect to strict requirements for labour safety and no additional devices of this type are necessary. The collection contains about 140 exhibits.