The Steam Engine Familiarly Explained and Illustrated: With an historical sketch of its invention and progressive improvement; its applications to navigation and railways; with plain axioms for railway speculators — John Shaqi
The Steam Engine Familiarly Explained and Illustrated: With an historical sketch of its invention and progressive improvement; its applications to navigation and railways; with plain axioms for railway speculatorsLardner, Dionysius
History
The Steam Engine Familiarly Explained and Illustrated: With an historical sketch of its invention and progressive improvement; its applications to navigation and railways; with plain axioms for railway speculators
Lardner, Dionysius
Steam-engines -- Early works to 1850
The former apparatus in Savery's engine consists of two strong
boilers, sections of which are represented at D and E in fig. 7.; D
the greater boiler, and E the less. The tubes T and T´ communicate
with the working apparatus which we shall presently describe. A thin
plate of metal R is applied closely to the top of the greater boiler D
turning on a centre C, so that by moving a lever applied to the axis C
on the outside of the top, the sliding plate R can be brought from the
mouth of the one tube to the mouth of the other alternately. This
sliding valve is called the _regulator_, since it is by it that the
communications between the boiler and two steam vessels (hereafter
described,) are alternately opened and closed, the lever which effects
this being constantly wrought by the hand of the attendant.
Two _gauge-pipes_ are represented at G, G´, the use of which is to
determine the depth of water in the boiler. One G has its lower
aperture a little above the proper depth, and the other G´ a little
below it. Cocks are attached to the upper ends G, G´, which can be
opened or closed at pleasure. The steam collected in the top of the
boiler pressing on the surface of the water forces it up in the tubes
G, G´, if their lower ends be immersed. Upon opening the cocks G, G´,
if water be forced from them, there is too much water in the boiler,
since the mouth of G is _below_ its level. If steam issue from both
there is too little water in the boiler, since the mouth of G´ is
_above_ its level. But if steam issue from G and water from G´ the
water in the boiler is at its proper level. This ingenious contrivance
for determining the level of the water in the boiler is the invention
of Savery, and is used in many instances at the present day.
The mouth of G should be at a level of a little less than one-third of
the whole depth, and the mouth of G´ at a level a little lower than
one-third; for it is requisite that about two-thirds of the boiler
should be kept filled with water. The tube I forms a communication
between the greater boiler D and the lesser or feeding boiler E,
descending nearly to the bottom of it. This communication can be
opened and closed at pleasure by the cock K. A gauge pipe is inserted
similar to G, G´, but extending nearly to the bottom. From this boiler
a tube F extends which is continued to a cistern C (fig. 8.) and a
cock is placed at M which, when opened, allows the water from the
cistern to flow into the feeding boiler E, and which is closed when
that boiler is filled. The manner in which this cistern is supplied
will be described hereafter.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account