Free summaries
Engineering & Technology — page 6
409 public-domain engineering & technology books, summarised. Page 6 of 9.
A Treatise on Staff Making and Pivoting: Containing Complete Directions for Making and Fitting New Staffs from the Raw Material
Eugene Edward Hall
Mastering the balance staff is a test of patience, where a single miscalculation can render hours of meticulous lathe work entirely worthless. This guide offers the precise technical discipline required to transform raw steel into the beating heart of a timepiece.
The hand-book of artillery
Joseph Roberts
HOOK This technical manual serves as a definitive repository of mid-nineteenth-century artillery practice, detailing the mechanical intricacies and mathematical rigors required to field and maintain heavy ordnance.
Scientific American Supplement, No. 492, June 6, 1885
Various
This collection captures the frantic, boundless industrial optimism of the late nineteenth century. It serves as a tangible archive of an era when engineering, chemistry, and physics promised to solve every human problem through sheer mechanical ingenuity.
Shipbuilding from its beginnings. Vol. 1 (of 3)
E. van (Emile) Konijnenburg
This technical historical survey examines the evolution of maritime architecture from ancient river craft to the sophisticated industrial vessels of the late nineteenth century. It serves as a rigorous, cross-disciplinary study of how geography, technology, and economic necessity have dictated the shape of the…
The Popular Science Monthly, October, 1900: Vol. 57, May, 1900 to October, 1900
Various
These collected essays capture the intellectual pulse of the year 1900, mapping a world on the precipice of modern biology, industrial mechanics, and global transition. It serves as a fascinating, grounded snapshot of scientific inquiry at the turn of the twentieth century.
Glass Manufacture
Walter Rosenhain
Glass is as much a product of precise chemical manipulation as it is of fire and artistic craft. This study demystifies the transformation of humble raw materials into the transparent, durable, and highly specialized substances defining modern life.
The Romance of War Inventions: A Description of Warships, Guns, Tanks, Rifles, Bombs, and Other Instruments and Munitions of Warfare, How They Were Invented & How They Are Employed
Thomas W. Corbin
This survey of early twentieth-century military technology transforms the cold mechanics of destruction into a narrative of human ingenuity, exploring the scientific principles behind the tools that reshaped modern warfare.
Electric Gas Lighting: How to Install Electric Gas Ignition Apparatus
H. S. Norrie
Electric gas lighting offers a cleaner, safer alternative to the match, using simple electrical circuits to ignite household jets. This guide provides the practical knowledge to install and maintain these systems with ordinary mechanical skill.
Practical Methods of Sewage Disposal for Residences, Hotels and Institutions
Henry N. (Henry Neely) Ogden
This technical manual provides a methodical, engineering-based approach to managing household and institutional waste by leveraging the natural purification processes of soil and bacteria.
Pressure, Resistance, and Stability of Earth: American Society of Civil Engineers: Transactions, Paper No. 1174, Volume LXX, December 1910
J. C. Meem
This technical inquiry challenges established civil engineering norms by arguing that earth and water exert independent pressures on underground structures, suggesting that traditional safety calculations are often overly conservative.
Scientific American Supplement, No. 497, July 11, 1885
Various
This collection of technical reports captures a pivotal moment in the late nineteenth century, documenting the rapid industrialization, engineering ambition, and scientific curiosity of 1885. It serves as a fascinating, diverse archive of Victorian-era innovation.
Self-Help Mechanical Drawing: An Educational Treatise
N. (Nehemiah) Hawkins
A patient, methodical guide transforms the ambitious novice into a skilled draftsman through the disciplined practice of line, angle, and gear.
Collotype and Photo-lithography
Julius Schnauss
A meticulous late nineteenth-century manual demystifies the chemical and mechanical arts of printing photographic images through gelatine and stone.
Scamping Tricks and Odd Knowledge Occasionally Practised upon Public Works
John Newman
This work serves as a candid, practical guide to the pervasive shortcuts, deceptions, and "extra" profit schemes occasionally employed by unscrupulous laborers and sub-contractors on 19th-century public infrastructure projects.
![Cover of Scientific American, Vol. XLIII.—No. 1. [New Series.], July 3, 1880: A Weekly Journal of Practical Information, Art, Science, Mechanics, Chemistry, and Manufactures](https://cdn.myebooksbuy.com/c/scientific-american-vol-xliii-no-1-new-series-july-3-1880-a-weekly.webp)
Scientific American, Vol. XLIII.—No. 1. [New Series.], July 3, 1880: A Weekly Journal of Practical Information, Art, Science, Mechanics, Chemistry, and Manufactures
Various
A single weekly issue captures an era when steam efficiency, rapid industrial expansion, and small-town workshops shaped the American landscape.
The Sperry Gyro-Compass
Sperry Gyroscope Company
Driven by the momentum of the planet itself, a spinning wheel turns toward the geographic pole, unlocking true orientation for modern steel ships.
Transactions of the American Society of Civil Engineers, vol. LXVIII, Sept. 1910: The New York Tunnel Extension of the Pennsylvania Railroad
James H. Brace
Four cast-iron tubes cut through riverbed silt and solid rock, tying Manhattan to Long Island beneath the treacherous East River.
Flat Machine Knitting and Fabrics
H. D. (Horace Davis) Buck
The intricate mechanics of the flat knitting machine reveal a precise, automated world where thousands of loops form the foundation of global textile production. This technical guide illuminates the complex relationship between needles, cams, and yarn.
Scientific American Supplement, No. 275, April 9, 1881
Various
This snapshot of Victorian inquiry captures the era’s restless hunger to measure, categorize, and master the physical world, from the composition of a grain of wheat to the theoretical transmission of images through wires. It serves as a fascinating window into the late 19th-century mind, revealing a time when…
Instructions on Modern American Bridge Building
G. B. N. (George Bates Nichols) Tower
This technical manual provides a methodical, nuts-and-bolts examination of 19th-century timber engineering, distilling complex structural mechanics into actionable directives for the construction of wooden bridges.
Model aeroplanes: The building of model monoplanes, biplanes, etc., together with a chapter on building a model airship
F. J. (Frederick James) Camm
The force of gravity remains the primary adversary of flight, yet through careful design and the precise application of physics, it is a conquerable foe. This practical handbook serves as a foundational guide to the art and science of constructing model aircraft, offering detailed instructions for enthusiasts who…
Scientific American Supplement, No. 286, June 25, 1881
Various
This late nineteenth-century technical periodical serves as a vital bridge between the era of raw industrial invention and the formalization of modern engineering. It captures a moment of intense, pragmatic curiosity where scientific discovery and mechanical application were indistinguishable, reflecting the global…
A Treatise on Hat-Making and Felting: Including a Full Exposition of the Singular Properties of Fur, Wool, and Hair
Thomson, John, hatter
HOOK Discover the hidden mechanical wonders of the common hat, where microscopic scales and ancient chemistry transform animal fur into a durable, weather-resistant garment.
Scientific American Supplement, No. 717, September 28, 1889
Various
Scientific American Supplement, No. 717, serves as a remarkable time capsule of late nineteenth-century industrial optimism and technical curiosity. It offers a wide-ranging survey of the engineering, physical sciences, and manufacturing practices that defined the era.
Scientific American Supplement, No. 324, March 18, 1882
Various
This collection of technical reports captures the ingenuity and industrial optimism of the late nineteenth century. It documents a pivotal era when mechanical engineering, chemistry, and electrical theory began to reshape the modern world.
Scientific American Supplement, No. 303, October 22, 1881
Various
This expansive periodical acts as a crystalline lens, focusing the relentless industrial and intellectual energy of the nineteenth century into a single, comprehensive snapshot of human progress. It serves as both a ledger of engineering marvels and a chronicle of the Victorian quest to master the physical world.
A Story of the Telegraph
John Murray
This chronicle traces the rapid evolution of the telegraph from a precarious laboratory experiment into a global network that fundamentally reshaped human communication.
Coal, and What We Get from It
Raphael Meldola
Coal holds within its dark, earthy heart a hidden world of vibrant dyes, potent medicines, and industrial marvels. This exploration reveals how the waste of gas-works became the foundation for a scientific revolution.
Non-technical chats on iron and steel, and their application to modern industry
La Verne W. (La Verne Ward) Spring
The iron and steel industry is the backbone of modern civilization, yet most of us remain oblivious to the immense, fiery processes that transform raw ore into the very structures supporting our daily lives. This book serves as a clear, authoritative guide to the metallurgical wonders hidden within the smoke and…
Home-made Toy Motors: A practical handbook giving detailed instructions for building simple but operative electric motors
Alfred Powell Morgan
Simple materials and a basic grasp of magnetic attraction are all a home craftsperson needs to turn scrap sheet metal into a functional, working electric motor.
The Sewerage of Sea Coast Towns
Henry Charles Adams
The sea is vast, but the waste of a growing town is concentrated; this manual provides the precise engineering bridge between the two.
The telephone
Alexander Graham Bell
This lecture provides a foundational look at the birth of telephonic technology, tracing the evolution from crude musical telegraphy to the transmission of the human voice. It serves as both a historical record and a technical roadmap of an invention that forever altered human communication.
Transactions of the American Society of Civil Engineers, vol. LXVIII, Sept. 1910: The Site of the Terminal Station. Paper No. 1157
George C. Clarke
This technical account documents the massive civil engineering feat required to clear the site for Manhattan’s Pennsylvania Terminal in the early 20th century. It is a precise, unsentimental record of industrial transformation.
Practical House, Wagon and Automobile Painter: including sign painting, and valuable hints and recipes
W. F. White
A practical artisan demystifies the trade, offering precise recipes and direct guidance to help painters master everything from house trim to sign lettering and motorcar finishes.
History of the Transformer
Friedrich Uppenborn
Before electric illumination could power entire cities, inventors had to solve a fundamental puzzle: how to transmit energy across vast distances without losing power or burning out individual lamps.
The evolution of the oil industry
Victor Ross
A sweeping study of petroleum's rise reveals how a crude subterranean liquid reshaped international trade, global warfare, and daily human life.
The Industrial Canal and Inner Harbor of New Orleans: History, Description and Economic Aspects of Giant Facility Created to Encourage Industrial Expansion and Develop Commerce
Thomas Ewing Dabney
A high-stakes engineering feat transforms a city's swampy backyards into a deep-water arterial link, proving that human determination can conquer ancient subsoil and economic stagnation.
India and Indian Engineering.: Three lectures delivered at the Royal Engineer Institute, Chatham, in July 1872
J. G. (Julius George) Medley
Deploying European engineering logic within an ancient, unfamiliar environment demands practical ingenuity, constant adaptation, and absolute personal integrity.
From Paper-mill to Pressroom
William Bond Wheelwright
Bridging the historical gap between raw forest timber and the fast-moving printing press, this classic manual demystifies the practical physics, chemistry, and trade realities of modern industrial paper production.
The Microscope
Andrew Ross
A precise lens allows the human eye to transcend its biological limits, converting subtle shifts in distance and light into clear visual revelations.
Satellite Communications Physics
Unknown
A handful of basic high school physics principles, when applied by persistent laboratory scientists, can reach into the darkness of space to orbit a working global communications network.
Electricity in Locomotion: An Account of Its Mechanism, Its Achievements, and Its Prospects
Adam Gowens Whyte
The promise of a future where electricity powers every wheel, rail, and propeller remains as compelling today as it was at the dawn of the twentieth century. This narrative captures the precise moment when the steam engine’s dominance began to falter against the flexibility and efficiency of the electric motor.
How to become an engineer : containing full instructions how to proceed in order to become a locomotive engineer : also directions for building a model locomotive
Frank W. Doughty
This handbook serves as a gritty, practical guide for aspiring locomotive engineers at the dawn of the twentieth century, blending historical context with rigorous technical instruction. It outlines the exacting standards of the rail industry, emphasizing that success in this demanding profession is built through…
The Details of the Rocket System
Congreve, William, Sir
A specialized guide to the deployment of Congreve rockets, this technical manual serves as an early nineteenth-century blueprint for mobile, high-intensity artillery. It reveals the mechanical ingenuity and logistical ambition behind a weapon that once promised to revolutionize warfare.
Scientific American Supplement, No. 315, January 14, 1882
Various
This collection of technical dispatches from 1882 serves as a sprawling, fascinating index of late-Victorian industrial ambition and daily domestic life. It captures a moment when the mechanical and the magical—in the form of early electricity—began to reshape the world.
Home-made Electrical Apparatus
Alfred Powell Morgan
Building your own electrical tools requires nothing more than household materials, a steady hand, and a genuine desire to understand how the world works.
Scientific American Supplement, No. 470, January 3, 1885
Various
This archival window into the Gilded Age offers a panoramic view of Victorian ingenuity, capturing the precise moment when empirical curiosity met the dawn of modern industrial and biological discovery.
Scientific American Supplement, No. 613, October 1, 1887
Various
The pursuit of empirical truth defines this collection, where the Victorian era’s boundless faith in observation meets the nascent complexities of modern industrial and medical science. It serves as a meticulously detailed record of a world transitioning into the twentieth century.