Corkhill Ellipsograph Patent Model
From the collection of National Museum of American History. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
This device is a patent model by H. R. Corkhill Jr. for an ellipsograph. Patent 492,142 was granted on February 21, 1893. “Be it known that I, HENRY CORKHILL, Jr., of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented a new and useful improvement in Ellipsographs […] The object of my invention is to produce a device for conveniently and accurately tracing ellipses, which possesses certain advantages over similar devices heretofore used” (U.S. Patent application, March 26, 1892). Corkhill, of Rochester NY, appears to hold several other U.S. patents for various devices such as cigarette boxes, machines for making labels, and machines for folding paper tubes. His father, Henry R. Corkhill Sr., also holds several U.S. patents. Henry Jr. was born in approximately 1840 and lists his profession as machinist in census records.
National Museum of American History’s own description
