How Henry Maudslay's self-contained table engine reduced costs

Best known as a founding father of machine-tool technology, Henry Maudslay (1771-1831) patented his compact, self-contained steam table engine in 1807.

Being self-contained, table engines removed the requirement to be custom-designed and built on site, instead allowing for engines to be ordered from stock. Additionally, table engines had a smaller footprint than custom-designed engines, and the ability to stand on a table allowed the engine to be independent of the structure on which it was standing. These factors not only made the engines cheaper, but also quicker to erect on site.

These engines were used throughout the first half of the 19th century in low-speed, low-power applications. They were made in a range of sizes, with outputs between 1.5hp and 40hp.

This model is electrically driven and was acquired by the institution in 1927. For a 360° image, see the artefacts section of the IMechE's virtual archive: archives.imeche.org/