"On making the drawings of the engine with the winding and crushing
apparatus, when at work I find that if there is no crank, but the
sweep rod is connected to a pin in the arm of the fly-wheel; in that
case the fly-wheel will cut off the engineer from getting at the
cock; but if the sweep is connected to a crank, then there will be
sufficient room. The copy of materials taken from your books and given
to Mr. Uville does not say in which way it was intended. I send you a
sketch how it will stand worked by a pin in the fly-wheel, and also
if worked by a crank over the cylinder, with the fly-wheel outside
the wood partition of the house. If you have cast all the parts for
the winding engine, you should try to alter it, having the fly-wheel
outside the wall of the house, and a crank for the inside end of the
shaft. The fly-wheel shaft will be nearly the same length both ways,
only it must be long enough for the fly-wheel to pass between the
wood partition and the 4-feet cog-wheel. The centre of the winding
cylinder will be 17 inches from the outside of the wood end of the
house, against which the fly-wheel ought to run. I have received
your favour of the 5th instant, and have enclosed, agreeably to your
request, a draft of Mr. Uville's for 800_l._, which will be the last
from Cornwall. All I have to say is, you have taken longer time for
the completion of your work than you first proposed, which has made
Mr. Uville apprehensive that it will be the means of his losing the
Spanish ship promised him to take the engines. He desires me to inform
you that he has complied with this advance on purpose to enable you to
push your work with the utmost exertion.
[Illustration: WINDING ENGINE FOR SOUTH AMERICA.]
"Please to inform us the precise time we must quit Cornwall for
Bridgenorth; we now wait entirely on you without any other thing to
engage us. I fear Mr. Rastrick being so much from home will impede
our job. If we miss this ship it will certainly make much against us
all, losing three or four months in getting a South Sea whaler, and
having the engine in a vessel not able to defend herself against an
enemy, and having to pay 15 or 20 per cent. insurance, and prevent our
getting other orders for another set of engines, and if taken by the
enemy perhaps altogether damn the undertaking. Therefore I would have
you to well consider the great inconveniences attending delay.
"I think I need not say much more to you on this head, as you ought to
feel more for your own interest than I can scribble to you on paper.
"Yours, &c.,
"R. TREVITHICK.
"MESSRS. HAZELDINE, RASTRICK, AND CO."
This rough hand-sketch and letter fully describing his requirements,
is an illustration of the facility with which Trevithick designed his
engines and made known his wishes to others.
[Rough draft.]
"GENTLEMEN, "CAMBORNE, _October 23rd, 1813_.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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