Armington & Sims Engine Company
Encyclopedia
Armington & Sims Engine Company was a manufacturer of steam engine
s located in Providence, Rhode Island
. It was established in 1883 by Pardon Armington and Gardner C. Sims. The factory was located at the corner of High Street near Knight in Providence.
The company produced an innovative line of high-speed stationary steam engine
s designed to be more compact, simpler and less expensive than other engines of its day. This included a single-disk engine ranging from seventy to seven hundred horsepower
and a double-disk engine ranging from ten to one hundred and fifty horsepower. By 1886, the Edison Illuminating Company
had purchased about three hundred Armington & Sims engines, including the ones at Pearl Street Station
in New York City
.
The company received numerous awards for its engine designs throughout the 1880s, including the Cincinnati Exposition in 1883, and International Inventions Exposition in London in 1885.
Armington & Sims produced one of three high speed steam engines of standard design which were used for stationary service at the outset of the last decade of the 19th century. The other two were the Corliss
and Greene engines. All were made and developed in Providence.
The Adirondack, a Hudson River Steamer (or side-wheel paddle steamer
), in 1896 had an electric light plant. It consisted of three Armington & Simms engines, which together had a capacity of 2,400 lights. The engines were of the direct connected type. They powered a search light which enabled objects to be distinguished at a distance of two miles (3 km).
The business was capitalized $388,500 at the time of its failure in 1896. The bankruptcy was blamed on the insolvency of the estate of H.C. Cranton. and may have also been an outgrowth of the Panic of 1893
. The factory and equipment were purchased by the Eastern Engine Company which went bankrupt in 1903.
In 1929, the Armington & Sims Machine Shop & Foundry was constructed at Greenfield Village, at The Henry Ford
(museum complex) in Dearborn, Michigan
, as a replica of a typical all-purpose job shop as it would have been around 1900.
Steam engine
A steam engine is a heat engine that performs mechanical work using steam as its working fluid.Steam engines are external combustion engines, where the working fluid is separate from the combustion products. Non-combustion heat sources such as solar power, nuclear power or geothermal energy may be...
s located in Providence, Rhode Island
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
. It was established in 1883 by Pardon Armington and Gardner C. Sims. The factory was located at the corner of High Street near Knight in Providence.
The company produced an innovative line of high-speed stationary steam engine
Stationary steam engine
Stationary steam engines are fixed steam engines used for pumping or driving mills and factories, and for power generation. They are distinct from locomotive engines used on railways, traction engines for heavy steam haulage on roads, steam cars , agricultural engines used for ploughing or...
s designed to be more compact, simpler and less expensive than other engines of its day. This included a single-disk engine ranging from seventy to seven hundred horsepower
Horsepower
Horsepower is the name of several units of measurement of power. The most common definitions equal between 735.5 and 750 watts.Horsepower was originally defined to compare the output of steam engines with the power of draft horses in continuous operation. The unit was widely adopted to measure the...
and a double-disk engine ranging from ten to one hundred and fifty horsepower. By 1886, the Edison Illuminating Company
Edison Illuminating Company
The Edison Illuminating Company was established by Thomas Edison on December 17, 1880, to construct electrical generating stations, initially in New York City...
had purchased about three hundred Armington & Sims engines, including the ones at Pearl Street Station
Pearl Street Station
Pearl Street Station was the first central power plant in the United States. It was located at 255-257 Pearl Street in Manhattan on a site measuring 50 by 100 feet, just south of Fulton Street. It began with one direct current generator, and it started generating electricity on September 4, 1882,...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
The company received numerous awards for its engine designs throughout the 1880s, including the Cincinnati Exposition in 1883, and International Inventions Exposition in London in 1885.
Armington & Sims produced one of three high speed steam engines of standard design which were used for stationary service at the outset of the last decade of the 19th century. The other two were the Corliss
Corliss Steam Engine
A Corliss steam engine is a steam engine, fitted with rotary valves and with variable valve timing patented in 1849, invented by and named after the American engineer George Henry Corliss in Providence, Rhode Island....
and Greene engines. All were made and developed in Providence.
The Adirondack, a Hudson River Steamer (or side-wheel paddle steamer
Paddle steamer
A paddle steamer is a steamship or riverboat, powered by a steam engine, using paddle wheels to propel it through the water. In antiquity, Paddle wheelers followed the development of poles, oars and sails, where the first uses were wheelers driven by animals or humans...
), in 1896 had an electric light plant. It consisted of three Armington & Simms engines, which together had a capacity of 2,400 lights. The engines were of the direct connected type. They powered a search light which enabled objects to be distinguished at a distance of two miles (3 km).
The business was capitalized $388,500 at the time of its failure in 1896. The bankruptcy was blamed on the insolvency of the estate of H.C. Cranton. and may have also been an outgrowth of the Panic of 1893
Panic of 1893
The Panic of 1893 was a serious economic depression in the United States that began in 1893. Similar to the Panic of 1873, this panic was marked by the collapse of railroad overbuilding and shaky railroad financing which set off a series of bank failures...
. The factory and equipment were purchased by the Eastern Engine Company which went bankrupt in 1903.
In 1929, the Armington & Sims Machine Shop & Foundry was constructed at Greenfield Village, at The Henry Ford
The Henry Ford
The Henry Ford, a National Historic Landmark, , in the Metro Detroit suburb of Dearborn, Michigan, USA, is a large indoor and outdoor history museum complex...
(museum complex) in Dearborn, Michigan
Dearborn, Michigan
-Economy:Ford Motor Company has its world headquarters in Dearborn. In addition its Dearborn campus contains many research, testing, finance and some production facilities. Ford Land controls the numerous properties owned by Ford including sales and leasing to unrelated businesses such as the...
, as a replica of a typical all-purpose job shop as it would have been around 1900.