The apparatus being thus arranged, let us suppose the steam-piston at the top of the cylinder commencing its descent. As it descends, the pencil attached to the indicator piston-rod varies its height according to the varying pressure of the steam in the cylinder. At the same time the paper is moved uniformly under the pencil, and a curved line is traced upon it from right to left. When the piston has reached the bottom of the cylinder, the upper exhausting-valve is opened, and the steam drawn off to the condenser. The indicator-piston being immediately relieved from a part of the pressure acting upon it descends, and with it the pencil also descends; but at the same time the steam-piston has begun to ascend, and the paper to return from left to right under the pencil. While the steam-piston continues to ascend, the condensation becomes more and more perfect, and the vacuum in the cylinder, and therefore also in the indicator, being gradually increased in power, the atmospheric pressure above the indicator-piston presses it downwards and stretches the spring. The pencil meanwhile, with the paper moving under it from right to left, traces a second curve. As the former curve showed the actual pressure of the steam impelling the piston in its descent, this latter will show the pressure of the uncondensed steam raising the piston in its ascent, and a comparison of the two will exhibit the effective force on the piston. _Fig._ 81. represents such a diagram as would be [Pg277] produced by this instrument. A B C is the curve traced by the pencil during the descent of the piston, and C D E that during its ascent. A is the position of the pencil at the moment the piston commences its descent, B is its position at the middle of the stroke, and C at the termination of the stroke. On closing the upper steam-valve and closing the exhausting-valve, the indicator-piston being gradually relieved from the pressure of the steam the pencil descends, and at the same time the paper moving from left to right, the pencil traces the curve C D E, the gradual descent of this curve showing the progressive increase of the vacuum. As the atmospheric pressure constantly acts above the piston of the indicator, its position will be determined by the difference between the atmospheric pressure and the pressure of the steam below it; and therefore the difference between the heights of the pencil at corresponding points in the ascending and descending stroke, will express the difference between the pressure of the steam impelling the piston in the ascent and resisting it in the descent at these points. Thus at the middle of the stroke, the line B D will express the extent to which the spring governing the indicator-piston would be stretched by the difference between the force of steam impelling the piston at the middle of the descending stroke, and the force of steam resisting it at the middle of the ascending stroke. The force therefore measured by the line B