High-quality black-and-white photographs of large old machines and tools

**Jon** · Jun 2, 2019, 11:22 AM

Flexible wall nozzle in the Lewis Unitary Plan Lupa wind tunnel. 1955.

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**Jon** · Jun 19, 2019, 10:14 AM

A Lynch bottle machine at work. In the center, a blob of molten glass is ready to drop into a mould, March 1937.

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**Ralphxyz** · Jun 19, 2019, 11:14 AM

The white blob already looks like a solid bottle.

Ralph

**bruce.desertrat** · Jun 19, 2019, 12:35 PM

I dimly recall watching a 'How it's made' episode on making glass bottles; IIRC it's a two-mold process: a first mold to shape the blob to as shown here, then a second one where the blob is blown to final dimensions.

**Jon** · Jul 20, 2019, 10:46 AM

Steam roller being operated by Pvt. McCarthy of Co. C, 23rd Engrs, Pond d'Esse, France Jul 3, 1918.

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**Ralphxyz** · Jul 20, 2019, 02:34 PM

I do not know if I have ever seen a real Steam Roller, thanks. Steam Roller was always a genetic term. Is the chain on the front wheel how it was steered?
Ralph

**skibo** · Jul 20, 2019, 02:59 PM

The way they steered the engine was with the chains, it composed of a right and left screw in front of the fire box,as one side drew the chain in, the other side automatically let the chain out! The steering was handled as a normal steering wheel as you see in the picture above the rear wheel, it turned a 90 degree gear that turned the two direction screw, one side fed in or out on the top of the screw and the other fed in or out on the bottom! Both the road roller and regular wheeled traction engines were steered this way. Some manufactures even offered as an option steam powered steering with their engines, like the Avery steam engine, I'll bet they were a hand full on hilly and uneven conditions!

**tonyfoale** · Jul 20, 2019, 03:04 PM

Originally Posted by Ralphxyz

I do not know if I have ever seen a real Steam Roller, thanks. Steam Roller was always a genetic term. Is the chain on the front wheel how it was steered?
Ralph

Yes the chain was how it was steered. it took many turns of the geared down steering wheel (with a handle like a lathe wheel) to produce significant deviation of path. When I was a kid the road outside of our house was repaired and so I got to see real steam rollers up close and I pestered the driver of the biggest until he let me have a ride and try to steer. Over the coming years I saw several more and always paid close attention to design features. I do not recall when I saw the last one. Diesel versions held no interest.

**Toolmaker51** · Jul 21, 2019, 08:41 AM

Rollers; diesel or steam, were a favorite machine to watch as kid. As ralphxyz said, 'steam' roller is generic, but seems reasonable some holdovers remained in operation 6+ decades ago. Seems, they were far larger, doing freeway work. than what is common today.
Then I fell into machine work and hadn't thought of them for a long time.
Until David Letterman started having late night fun with them. How we howled over those antics, especially bowling trophies!