London and Its Environs Described, vol. 4 (of 6): Containing an Account of Whatever is Most Remarkable for Grandeur, Elegance, Curiosity or Use, in the City and in the Country Twenty Miles Round ItAnonymous
History
London and Its Environs Described, vol. 4 (of 6): Containing an Account of Whatever is Most Remarkable for Grandeur, Elegance, Curiosity or Use, in the City and in the Country Twenty Miles Round It
Anonymous
London (England) -- Description and travel -- Early works to 1800; London (England) -- Gazetteers -- Early works to 1800
By means of this machine, the strength of an ordinary man will raise
about fifty tons weight. But, besides these levers and wheels, there is
a cog-wheel eight feet diameter, fixed near the end of the great axis,
and working into a trundle of four feet and a half diameter, and twenty
rounds; whose axis or spindle is of cast iron, four inches diameter, and
lying in brass at each end: a quadruple crank of cast iron, six inches
square, each of the necks being turned one foot from the center, which
is fixed in brass at each end, in two head-stocks fastened down by caps.
The end of one of these cranks is placed close abutting to the end of
the axle-tree last mentioned, and fixed thereunto by an iron wedge drove
through a slit in them both for that purpose. The four necks of the
crank have each an iron spear or rod fixed at their upper ends to the
respective lever, within three feet of the end; which levers are
twenty-four feet long, moving on centers in a frame, at the end of which
are jointed four rods, with their forcing-plugs, working into four iron
cylinders, cast four feet three quarters long, seven inches bore above,
and nine below, where the valves lie, fastened by screwed flanches over
the four holes of a hollow trunk of cast iron, having four valves in it,
just at the joining-on at the bottom of the barrels or cylinders, and at
one end a sucking pipe or grate, going into the water, which supplies
all the four cylinders alternately.
From the lower part of these cylinders come out necks, turning upwards
archwise, whose upper parts are cast with flanches to screw up to a
trunk; which necks have bores of seven inches diameter, and holes in the
trunk above, communicating with each of them; at which joining are
placed four valves. This trunk is cast with four bosses, or
protuberances, standing out against the valves, to give room for their
opening and shutting; and on the upper side are four holes stopped with
plugs, which take out, on occasion, to cleanse the valves. One end of
the trunk is stopped by a plug; and iron pipes are joined by flanches to
the other end, thro’ which the water is forced up to any height or place
required.
Besides these four forcers, there are four more placed at the other ends
of the levers, which work in the same manner, with rods and cylinders,
as above. And the same works are repeated at the other end of the
water-wheel, viz. a cog-wheel, a trundle, a spindle, a crank,
sucking-pipes, four levers, eight forcing-rods, eight cylinders, &c.
four trunks, and two forcing-pipes: so that one single wheel works
sixteen pumps.
In the first arch next the city, is one wheel with double work of
sixteen forcers. In the third arch, where the first wheel has double
work at the one end, and single at the other, there are twelve forcers:
the second wheel, placed in the middle, has eight forcers; and the third
wheel sixteen forcers. In all fifty-two forcers.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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