The Babcock & Wilcox Company Brass Boiler Plaque

The Babcock & Wilcox Company Brass Boiler Plaque

Approximately 6" wide

Picked up this cool old B&W plaque. It was pretty dirty, but I didn't want to loose all of the patina. So I just lightly cleaned and polished it. I'm sure you could make is super shiny, but I prefer this look. There's an A on the back, that I assume indicates the foundry were this was made.

Funny coincidence..the company headquarters is now based in Akron, Ohio just like the Olson Electronics box I just posted.

***UPDATE - With help of our CW friend, Keramikos, we can say this design was used starting in 1941. In 1957, they renewed the patent..but did use it for much longer. In the 80s, the patent had expired and was dead. Several other design patents were also revealed.***

THE BABCOCK AND WILCOX COMPANY
Partners Stephen Wilcox and George Babcock founded the company in 1867 in Providence, Rhode Island. Their intentions were to build safer steam boilers. Stephen Wilcox stated, “there must be a better way” to safely generate power, and he and George Babcock proceded to design the first inherently safe water-tube boiler.

DONT BLOW IT!
The patented Babcock & Wilcox Non-Explosive Boiler used water filled tubes and de-nucleate boiling to generate steam more safely than either under-fire or fire-tube boilers. The boilers more safely generated higher pressure steam and was more efficient (as an energy to steam converter) than existing designs.

TOM BOUGHT ONE
Thomas Edison purchased B&W boiler No. 92 in 1878 for his Menlo Park laboratory.

NY SUBWAY FIRST
In 1902, B&W boilers powered New York City's first subway.

TEDDY SAILS WITH B&W
Im 1907 and 1909 Theodore Roosevelt's Great White Fleet was powered by B&W Boilers.

THE LOGO
The old B&W company logo, shows the world as an Aeolipile. An aeolipile(ancient Greek) is also known as a Hero's engine, is a simple, bladeless radial steam turbine which spins when the central water container is heated. Torque is produced by steam jets exiting the turbine.

FIRST, FIRST AND FIRST
"B&W's list of innovations and firsts include the world's first installed utility boiler (1881); manufacture of boilers to power New York City's first subway (1902); first pulverized coal power plant (1918); design and manufacture of components for USS Nautilus, the world's first nuclear-powered submarine (1953–55); the first supercritical pressure coal-fired boiler (1957); design and supply of reactors for the first U.S. built nuclear-powered surface ship, NS Savannah (1961)."

WWII AND NUCLEAR
" B&W was the main builder of naval boilers for American forces during World War II, and were a supplier to the Manhattan Project. After the war they entered the nuclear reactor business, and became a major supplier for commercial nuclear power plants. They also built naval nuclear reactors, including for the first commercial nuclear ship."

BAD NEWS
"In 2000 the company filed for bankruptcy due to lawsuits from employees over asbestos exposure; they emerged from bankruptcy in 2006."

***The history of this company is both extensive and impressive so as always, link to more history in comments***