Patent model museum

Machine for Making Toy Torpedoes

Machine for Sawing Shingles

Life-Preserving State-Room for Navigable Vessels

Lathe for Turning Shafting

Machine for Cutting Diamonds

The Rothschild Petersen Patent Model Museum, in Cazenovia, NY, houses an incredible collection of nearly 4,000 patent models. What’s a patent model? Between 1790 and 1880 inventors had to submit working models along their patent filing. Like many Makers, I’m crazy about tiny functioning models of mechanical things, and would love to go see these in person someday. Maybe I can convince the producers to shoot some video there for season two of Make: television…