Murray's Hypocycloidal Engine Explained

Murray's Hypocycloidal Engine
Type:	Hypocycloidal
Cylinders:	1
Designer:	Matthew Murray
Maker:	Fenton, Murray and Wood
Country Of Origin:	England
Collection:	Birmingham Museums Trust
Location:	Thinktank, Digbeth, Birmingham, England
Accession:	1961S01437.00001

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 Tusi couple hypocycloidal straight line mechanism.

History

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. Hingley & Sons Ltd 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.

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 and References

1. News: Full steam ahead; Some of Birmingham's most impressive artefacts are on the move. Reyburn. Ross. 2 December 2000. Birmingham Post. 7 March 2015.
2. Web site: Thinktank Birmingham Science Museum. Automuseums. 7 March 2015.
3. Web site: Matthew Murray's elegant design. Birmingham Stories. 7 March 2015.
4. Web site: Hypocycloidal Pumping Engine . Stationary Steam . 7 March 2015 . dead . 2 April 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150402115456/http://www.stationarysteam.com/hypocycloidal-pumping-engine.html .
5. [Birmingham Museums Trust]