Handbook of the Corliss steam engines ..

REESE LIBRARY

OF THK

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA.

Deceived ,190 .

-Accession No. 8 301 7. Class No.

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HANB B©©K

CORLISS STEAM ENGINES.

DESCRIBING IN A COMPREHENSIVE MANNER
THE ERECTION OF ENGINES, THE ADJUST-
MENT OF THE CORLISS VALVE GEAR,
AND THE CARE AND MANAGEMENT
OF CORLISS STEAM ENGINES.

, Jl*

SECOND EDITION.

THE AMERICAN INDUSTRIAL PUBLISHING Co.

PUBLISHERS.

BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, U.S.A.
1899.

COPYRIGHT 1898.

F. W. SHILLITTO, JR.

PREFACE.

THE demand for an elementary treatise
on the Corliss Engine has induced me
to undertake the preparation of this volume.
It is presented with no journalistic preten-
sions and with no ambition save the ad-
vancement and welfare of the younger mem-
bers of our chosen calling. It has been the
aim of the author to set forth the principles
governing the subject matter in language
free from unnecessary technicalities and as
concisely as possible.

While a few indicator diagrams have
been introduced from the author's practice
for the purpose of illustrating certain points,
no attempt has been made to treat at length
on this subject, as the fraternity is well sup-
plied with most admirable works on this line.

Should this volume be the means of im-
parting the desired knowledge to its readers
the author will, indeed, be amply repaid for
the effort.

THE AUTHOR.
JUNE, 1898.

83017

TABLE OF COXTEtfTS.

PART I.
Erecting Corliss Steam Engines.

CHAPTER I. PREPARING FOUNDATIONS.

II. REFERENCE LINES FOR LOCATING.

III. TEMPLATES.

IV. FOUNDATIONS.

V. PLACING MAIN PARTS IN POSITION.

VI. LINING AND LEVELING.

VII. ASSEMBLING THE MOVING PARTS.

PART II.
Adjusting Corliss Valves.

CHAPTER I. THE VALVES.

II. VALVE GEARS.

III. SQUARING THE VALVES.

IV. DASH POT RODS.

V. ECCENTRIC ROD, ROCKER ARM AND

REACH ROD.

VI. CENTERING THE ENGINE.

VII. SETTING THE ECCENTRIC.

VIII. ADJUSTING THE GOVERNOR.

IX. INDICATOR DIAGRAMS.

X. A FEW POINTERS.

XI. DOUBLE PORTED VALVE AND LONG

RANGE CUT-OFF.

XII. TABLES AND MEMORANDA.

XIII. THE REYNOLDS-CORLISS ENGINE.

XIV. " HARRIS-CORLISS

XV. " PHILADELPHIA- CORLISS "
XVI. '• ECLIPSE-CORLISS "

XVII. " COLUMBIAN-CORLISS •'
XVIII. " FILER &STOWELL-CORLISS"
XIX. " GEO H. CORLISS
XX. " SIOUX.CORLISS

XXI. " VlLTER-CORLISS

XXII. " BATES-CORLISS

XXIII. " WATTS-CAMPBELL CORLISS ENGINE

XXIV. " FlSHKILL-CORLISS

ERECTING CORLISS ENGINES.

PART I.

CHAPTER I. PREPARING FOUNDATIONS.

When a new engine is to be installed
it is to be expected that the engineer
in charge should be qualified to offer
valuable suggestions regarding loca-
tion, etc., also to perform the actual
work of erection if called upon to do
so.

The following explanation of the
method of procedure, aside from a
few suggestions regarding location,
preparing the ground, etc., will apply
as well to the erection of the motive
power for an entirely new manufac-
turing plant as to an addition to a
plant already in use.

We will assume that it has been
decided to install a new engine to re-
place one which can no longer drive
the manufacturing plant at its full
capacity. The first thing to consider
is the location. Generally speaking
the engine should be located as cen-
trally as possible as regards the dis-
tribution of power, that is, in case a
long line of shafting is to be driven,
it will be much better to locate about

10 HAND BOOK OF

the middle of the line, if possible, than
drive it from one end, as for a given
amount of power to be transmitted a
lighter shaft can be used in the former
position than is possible in the latter.
Of course it is not advisable to separate
the engine and boiler rooms by any
great distance if it can be avoided, but
the inevitable loss of time due to shut-
ting down the plant long enough to re-
move the old engine and foundation,
build new foundations and erect the
new engine upon the site of the old one,
will usually far more than offset any
gain by having a compact plant. At
the present day, with our admirable
non-heat-conducting coverings, return
traps, steam loops, etc., it is possible
to conduct steam to considerable dis-
tances with but very trifling losses
from radiation and condensation.

There are many other points than
those enumerated which must be con-
sidered in deciding upon the location,
for every particular case has special
peculiarities.

In a new manufacturing plant there
should be very little difficulty in decid-
ing upon the location of the motive
power, and yet it is regrettable that
there exists to-day so many examples
of short-sightedness in this respect,

CORLISS STEAM ENGINES. 11

such as engine rooms without cellars,
with steam and water pipes running
under the floor where there is
barely room enough to crawl, to say
nothing of doing effective work, when
repairs have to be made, in such
cramped quarters, and engines located
right out in the main shop \vithout any
protection against dust and dirt.

Having decided upon the location
for our new engine, the ground must
be staked out for the foundation exca-
vation— the drawings furnished by
the engine builders giving all the re-
quired dimensions — the principal re-
quirement being that it be dug with
its longest side perpendicular to the
line shaft in the factory.

The nature of the soil met with wrill
have its effect upon the method of pre-
paring for the foundation proper,
therefore it is impossible to state a
general rule governing all cases. A
practical mason, experienced in this
line of work, would be the most likely
person to decide upon what is to be
done in unusual cases, but the follow-
ing has been found to meet ordinary
requirements.

Carry the excavation down about
twenty inches below where the bottom
of whore the brick-work is to begin,

12 HAND BOOK OF

have its surface levelled and thor-
oughly tamped, keeping it quite
damp while the tamping is be-
ing done. After it has been given a
good, honest ramming fill in this extra
depth, — a thin layer at a time — with
a concrete composed of five parts of
broken stone, two parts of clean, sharp
sand and one part of Portland cement.
As each layer is put in, tamp it down
well before putting in the next lay-
er until the required thickness is
reached.

This will take time but it will be
time wrell spent, as it must be remem-
bered that even a poorly built engine
may run well upon a good foundation,
while the best engine built will not
give satisfaction if set upon a poor
foundation. Pay no attention to those
who advocate economizing in material
and use only the best.

The concrete bed should be given
time to harden thoroughly before
starting upon the foundation proper.

CORLISS STEAM ENGINES. 13

CHAPTER II. REFERENCE LINES.

When the engine is set up its crank
shaft must lie parallel with the line
shaft — or jack shaft if there is one—
in the factory, consequently the cen-
ter line through the engine must stand
at a right angle or perpendicular to
this line shaft, therefore it will be nec-
essary to bring a line into the new en-
gine room to set the template to.
Targets may be then set up in the en-
gine room and this reference line pre-
served, for we shall have a use for it
later.

Select two points on the line shaft
as far apart as possible, and clear a
space under the shaft between these
two points, then caliper the shaft and
see that the spots selected are of the
same diameter, and if so we can go
ahead, but if they are of different
diameters, allowance must be made
for the difference, and the points
which we are to locate upon the floor,
corrected accordingly, for it must be
understood that it is the line through
the center of the line shaft that we de-
sire to locate. Under the points se-
lected tack down squares of hard

14 HAND BOOK OF

wood, or better yet new sheets of tin
to carry the points.

You will now require a reliable
plumb bob. The affair usually sold
in the hardware stores, made of brass
are usually cast hollow and filled with
lead, and I have never seen one which
could be relied upon to locate a point.
Let one of these get to spinning, and
ninety-nine times in a hundred its
point will describe a circle, thus prov-
ing its center of gravity to be any-
where but directly over its point
where it should be. There are to be
found upon the . market cylindri-
cal plumb bobs, bored and turn-
ed from the solid bar, and filled
with mercury (quick silver); they are
reliable and are made by a firm with
a reputation for producing accurate
tools.

The writer some years ago, having
the difficulty mentioned above, made
an experimental plumb bob of cast
iron and tool steel (gleanings from the
scrap pile) weighing two and one half
pounds, which has given excellent re-
sults. It is illustrated in Fig. 1,
which gives the dimensions. It will
be seen that it may be used either end
up, by reversing the weight upon the

CORLISS STEAM ENGINES. 15

steel spindle, but it is much steadier
when used as shown.

Eeturning to our shaft we now
plumb down and locate points upon
the spots prepared to receive them,
as shown at a and b in Fig. 2. Now

Fig. 1.

drive a fine nail half the diameter of
the line to one side of point a and
attach a fine braided line to it, and
stretch the line through point b and
fasten it to another wire nail a- few
feet beyond, as at c., then by tapping

16

HAND BOOK OF

Fig. 2.

COBLISS STEAM ENGINES. 17

the nails, which support the line, side-
ways, the line may be made to exactly
cut through points a and b which it
is rquired to do. It will be a good
idea to plumb down from the shaft
again from points a foot or two inside
the original points, thus proving the
setting of the line. You cannot be
too particular in laying out this line,
because if it is out ever so little, all
lines taken from it will be out accord-
ingly.

Kow select a point upon the line op-
posite the door opening into the en-
gine room — as at x in the figure — lay
off on the line at each side of x and,
say six feet from it, points dd. For
these measurements use only a light
baton ten feet or more long, laying
the required distance off upon it, then
transfer it to the line. Long measure-
ments made with a two foot rule or
ordinary tape measure are apt to be
-unreliable. Drive sharp pointed wire
nails, one through each end of the ba-
ton with their points projecting from
the same side; this we will use as a
tram and lay off from points dd, the
intersecting arcs yy. These latter had
better be scribed upon sheets of tin as
before.

18 HAND BOOK OF

Stretch another line through points
jj (where the arcs intersect) down the
engine room and fasten it temporarily
in this position. This line is shown at
AB. The next thing to do is to set
up the "targets" C D, which are to re-
main as permanent reference points
until the work is completed and the
engine running.

Get two pieces of clear pine four
inches wide and two feet long, about
one inch thick, also four pieces of

y u

Pig. 3.

about the same width and thickness,
but about a foot long, and nail them to
the wall about four feet above the
floor, with the middle of the length of
the long piece, opposite wThere the cen-
ter line of the engine will come, by
measuring roughly from line A B.,
and be sure to have the top edge of the
target level. The target will then ap-
pear like Fig. 3.

If the belt holes have already been
located in the wall take this for a

CORLISS STEAM ENGINES. 19

starting point; if not find where it is
intended to locate the receiving pul-
ley on the line shaft and measure back
from this point to the line A B, and
transfer this distance to a point upon
the wall inside the engine room. The
distance between the center line of the
engine and the center of the band
wheel having been located upon the
template it is obvious that these
points upon the template and
the wall must be opposite each other,
therefore measure back from the lo-
cation of the belt wheel center, a dis-
tance equal to the distance between
the engine line and belt wheel center,
and locate point h upon the target D.
Measure the distance from line A B,
to point h on target D (using a baton
for this purpose) and going to the oth-
er end of the line A B locate point i,
the same distance from A B, upon tar-
get C. The points h and i can be made
permanent by making a deep knife
cut or scratch upon the top edges of
the targets, using a small try square
to guide the blade. It will be well
to put up another set of targets high
enough above the first ones to be out
of reach of accident or persons bent
on mischief. This is easily accom-
plished by plumming up from the

20 HAND BOOK OF

lower ones. The lines may be taken
up now.

If it is possible to obtain the use of
a surveyor's transit for a little while
the reference line through the engine
room may be quickly and accurately
located, the method being about as
follows: Select a point opposite the
engine room door and at this point
plumb down from the shaft to a sheet
of tin upon the floor thus locating a
point to start from, and set up the
transit with its plumb bob exactly
on this point, and level the instrument
in each direction by the aid of the ad-
justing screws under the frame. Se-
lect a point upon the shaft, (being
careful about the shaft diameter as
before) as far away from the transit
as possible, and suspend a plumb line
over the same side of the shaft as was
used to plumb from before, letting the
bob hang in a pail of water to bring it
to rest quickly. Now train the tele-
scope upon this plumb line, bringing
the cross hairs to bear upon it. Take
the reading of the horizontal vernier
and then swing the scope around ex-
actly 90 degrees, (as indicated upon the
vernier) training it through the en-
gine room door. Set up a target at B,
(fig. 2.) and the cross hairs will exactly

COKLISS STEAM ENGINES. 21

locate one end of line A B upon it.
This being marked and a target being
temporarily erected across the door-
way, the other end of the line may be
as readily established. This line may
now be transferred to targets C D as
before.

22 HAND BOOK OF

CHAPTER III. THE TEMPLATE.

In building the foundation proper
it will be necessary to have a tem-
plate, or pattern of the engine base,
with all anchor bolts accurately lo-
cated thereon, to be used as a guide
for the mason to work to, so while
waiting for the completion of the pre-
liminary work it will be advisable to
get one out, if one has not been fur-
nished by the engine builders.

The drawing referred to in Chapter
I should give the exact location of
each bolt hole, as compared with the
center line of the engine, and the cen-
ter line of the crank shaft, so we will
transfer these points on to the tem-
plate, which wTill of course be the full
size of the engine base.

One inch boards eight inches wide
will answer for the main parts of the
template, and one inch by six inches
will be all right for cross pieces rep-
resenting the engine feet, also the di-
agonal brace. The drawing will also
give the distance from the center line
of the engine to the center of the fly
wheel, which should also be laid off
upon the template. The template
when completed will appear like Fig. 4.

CORLISS STEAM ENGINES.

flj.l

I

BEAR.IH<.

rFJSTEK. Ofi^fi^clB^^iJAFO:

Fig. 4.

HAND BOOK OF

The bolt holes should be bored in
the template, of such size as will fit
the bolts snugly.

The anchor bolts should not be
"built in" under any circumstances,
owing to the difficulty in getting their
length above the cap stones, or sole
plates, just right, also of replacing
one should it at any time be necessary
to do so.

As casings for the anchor bolts,

Fig. 5..

tapering square wooden spouts of
about five eighth inch stuff should be
built, long enough to reach from the
top of the "bottom stones" or anchor
plates, to the bottom of the cap stones,
and having their inside measure at the
top, one and one half inches larger than
the diameter of the bolt, while their
bottom end may be just large enough
to allow the bolt to enter freely. Their
appearance will be like Fig. 5.

UNIVERSITY

CORLISS STEAM EN

CHAPTER IV. FOUNDATIONS.

Undoubtedly the best material for
an engine foundation is a good qual-
ity of hard brick, laid in a mortar
composed of equal parts of sand and
Portland cement, using a liberal sup-
ply of water upon the brick. A good
plan is to lay up a course or two
around the outer edge of the founda-
tion, dividing up the enclosed space
thus formed, by laying partitions across
it, for convenience in working, and,
being sure the outside courses are
tight, pour in a supply of mortar al-
most as thin as is used for grouting,
and lay the brick right in it bedding
them well down and together. Then
wash all the chinks full of mortar, be-
fore starting another thickness. This
method has been used several times
by the author and has given excellent
satisfaction.

The concrete sub-foundation having
become thoroughly seasoned we will
proceed to set up the template. This
may be supported by a frame work
built up from the floor or it may be
suspended from the ceiling above, the
latter being preferable, when it can be
conveniently done, owing to the extra
facilities thus afforded for getting
around under the template.

HAND BOOK OP

Stretch a line between the targets—
C D, fig. 2 — through points h and i,
and draw it very tightly and which-
ever method of supporting the tem-
plate is used, place it under the line
at a height above the concrete equal
to the depth of the foundation, and
approximately center it by plumming
down from the line onto the center
line on the template. If it is suspend-
ed, after getting the perpendiculars
up, it may be drawn either one way or
the other as is required to accurately
center it, by diagonal braces. After
it has been securely fastened any tem-
porary support may be removed.

Suspend plumb lines through the
centers of the bolt holes in the tem-
plate, which will give the proper loca-
tion for the holes in the anchor plates,
or bottom stones, — which are heavy
iron plates or square cut stones with
holes drilled so that the bolts may
pass through them, — which are to be
set in after say four courses of brick-
work have been laid, leaving "pock-
ets" directly underneath the anchor
plates, for putting the washer and nut
on the bottom ends of the bolts. Af-
ter the anchor plates have been set in,
the wooden casings may be placed in po-
sition and the bolts with their top nuts

COKLISS STEAM ENGINES. 27

on dropped through their respective
holes in the template, cases, and an-
chor plates, and their weight support-
ed by blocking under their ends in the
pockets. The cases should then be
adjusted so as to leave an equal space
all around the bolts at their top and
then nailed in this position to the tem-
plate. The brickwork will now be
plain sailing until the time has arrived
to set the cap stones, when it will be
necessary to remove the template.
The tops of these cap stones on the
main portion of foundation should all
lie level and in the same plane, as
nearly as possible; the stone under the
outboard bearing is usually eighteen
or twenty inches higher than the oth-
ers, the drawing giving this required
data.

Figure 6 illustrates a brick founda-
tion with iron anchor plates, extend-
ing through from side to side, and
granite cap stones, which will be
found to give satisfaction. We consid-
er that heavy cast iron plates, well
ribbed on their backs (top sides), with
bolt holes cored, are just as reliable
as, and less expensive than, cut bot-
tom stones.

After the bond between the cap
stones and the brick has thoroughly

28

HAND BOOK OF

CORLISS STEAM ENGINES. 29

set, the tops of the stones under the
cylinder, frame, and main bearing
should be dressed so that they are
level and their top surfaces all lie in
the same plane. They should not re-
quire much dressing, for a good ma-
son can make them lie very nearly as
required without much trouble. A
long straight edge, a reliable level
and a good bush hammer are all the
tools required for this work.

30 HAND BOOK OF

CHAPTER V. PLACING THE MAIN
PARTS.

When the time comes to get in the
main parts of the engine arrange it so
they will come in proper order, that
is the parts belonging farthest from
the entrance, should come in first so
as to avoid moving heavy parts around
as much as possible.

You will need, for levelling the en-
gine about twenty-four iron wedges
about two inches wide, six inches long,
and seven eighths of an inch thick at
the large end, tapering down quite
sharp at the other. These will be
used between the cap stones and the
engine feet.

Take the top nuts off the anchor
bolts and let the bolts drop down into
the pockets out of the way, then get
in the half of the fly wheel that is
without the key way, lower it down
into the wheel pit, and chock it.

Now get in the main bearing, frame
and cylinder and place them in posi-
tion with wedges well entered under
their feet, in the positions indicated
at x in Fig. 7, and bolt these parts to-
gether, being careful to remove all for-

CORLIS.-S STEAM ENGINES.

81

. 7.

HAND BOOK OF

eign matter from the surfaces of the
permanent joints between the cylin-
der and frame, and between the frame
and main bearing. The cylinder and
guide section have been together once
in the shop and put in perfect allign-
ment, consequently they ought to go
together again without trouble. In
bolting them together set the nuts up
evenly, and not very tightly, all round
then finish by tightening opposite
bolts so as not to throw these parts
out of line.

Fig. 8.

Raise the anchor bolts up through
the engine feet and put the top nuts
on loosely, leaving ample room for lev-
elling. If any of the bolts are liable
to bind when moving the engine side-
ways relieve them now.

Get in the outboard bearing and set
it in position, placing wedges as
shown at x in Fig. 8, then with a.
straight edge placed through both
shaft bearings level across to see if the

COKLISS STEAM ENGINES. 33

outboard bearing cap stone is low
enough, and leave about five eighths
of an inch between the foot of the
bearing and the cap stone for cement
filling, or if soft metal or sulphur is to
be used a smaller space may be left.

Put the boxes in the shaft bearings
and place the shaft in position, and
put the washers and nuts on the bot-
tom ends of all the anchor bolts.

Set up the targets E F, as in fig. 2,
on a level with the engine shaft, after
which we- are ready to begin lining
and levelling the engine.

34 HAND BOOK OF

CHAPTER VI. LINING AND LEVELLING.

The principal requirements of lining
an engine are, that the center line
through the cylinder shall be perpen-
dicular to the center line of the crank
shaft, and both centers must lie in the
same plane; the wearing surf aces of the
guides must be parallel to the center
line of the cylinder, and, with bored
cylindrical guides, any plane cutting
through the center line of the cylin-
der longitudinally, must also cut the
center line of the guides. With V
guides it often happens that the wear-
ing surfaces are not at equal distances
from the center line of the engine and
we could never quite understand why
they were so constructed, yet this fact
has no practical bearing upon the sub-
ject as far as this style of guide is con-
cerned.

A method of supporting the line
which has been used almost universal-
ly for years consisted of attaching it
to an upright located on the floor at
the crank end, the other end being held
by a "spider" or cross-bar in the head
end of the cylinder. It is easily seen
that, with this arrangment, every time

CORLISS STEAM ENGINES. 35

i

the cylinder end of the engine was
moved the line was carried with it
which was very troublesome to the be-
ginner. A later and much simpler
way is to set up the line entirely free
from the engine, and bring the engine
up to the line. This is the method we
shall use.

The crank shaft must be brought
parallel with the line shaft in the
mill, so we must establish a line in the
engine room representing the axis of
the line shaft. This line will be es-
tablished on the targets E F in fig. 2.
If there is no way of taking direct
measurements for this line as by go-
ing through the doorway at one end
and through the belt hole near the
other end, we must apply the same
method as was used to bring the line
A B into the engine room and then
plumb up to the targets, locating
points j j, through which stretch the
line.

Crowd the shaft back in its bearings
— toward the cylinder — by drawing
up the wedges or setting up the screws
for adjusting the quarter boxes, as the
case may be, wedging the shaft quite
tightly.

With a light stick caliper from each
end of the shaft to the line as at 1 and

36 HAND BOOK OF

2, (fig. 2). Place one end of the stick
against the shaft near one end, bring
the other end of the stick up under
the line and make a fine knife cut on
the stick where the line crosses it.
Make the other end of the shaft come
up to the same relative position by
swinging the outward bearing as re-
quired. After this is done get the
shaft level. The levelling can best be
done with a plumb line, as follows:
Place the crank on the top quarter
(the crank standing up vertically) and
suspend a plumb line from above so
that it hangs opposite the center of
the crank-shaft and an inch or two
away from the crank-pin. Measure
from the end of the crank-pin to the
line, then roll the crank over to the
bottom quarter and measure again.
These measurements must be made
equal by raising or lowering the out-
board bearing the desired amount.

Always watch your previous work
when making a new adjustment, be-
cause in levelling a part you will most
likely throw it out of line, and vice
versa, therefore throughout the entire
work bring up the lining and levelling
together.

When you have got the shaft level
and in line, tighten up the anchor bolts

UNIVERSITY

CORLISS STEAM ENGINES.

holding the bearings, taking care that
the level or alignment is not impaired
by doing so.

Make two upright frames of inch
stuff, six inches wide and long enough
to come a few inches higher above the
floor, than the center line of the engine,
and put a two inch hole in each up-
right about on a line with the center

9.

line of the cylinder, as illustrated in
Fig. 9. Set up the frames one at each
end of the engine with working room
between the engine and the uprights,
and the holes in line writh the center
line of the engine, fastening them to
the floor by one end so that they may
be swung to either side for squaring

JLANJ) BOOK OF

the line with the crank shaft. A piece
of three-eights inch round iron bent as
shown in Figure 9, the long arm seven
inches long with a sixteenth inch hole
drilled through it three inches from
the end, as shown, will be found very
convenient for tightening the line and
anchoring one end of it. The other
end may be fastened to a short piece
of heavy wire or light rod.

For a "line'1 we should recommend
very fine piano Avire as it is much
stronger than any equally fine fibrous
line, and has a much nicer surface to
caliper to. Run the wire through the
cylinder and both uprights, fastening
the cylinder end of it to a short piece
of rod placed crosswise of the hole in
the upright at this end, then pass the
other end of the wire through the
small hole in the bent iron crank,
take up the slack by hand, take a few
turns around the iron crank and cut
off any surplus wire. By letting the
small crank shaft rest against the
back of the upright, and turning the
crank, the line may be drawn up very
tightly after which the crank may be
pushed around and held fast at the
back of the upright thus securely an-
choring the line.

COKLISS STEAM ENGINES. 30

The engine line must be got square
with the crank shaft, passing opposite
the shaft's center, and exactly over the
middle of the crank pin's length. The
line may be squared by the same pro-
cess as was used for levelling the
shaft. Inferring to Figure 7 it will
be seen that the line is over the center
of the crank-pin's length when the
spaces a and b are equal; and it is
square with the shaft when the mea-
surements b and c are equal, (c being
measured with the crank near the
other center as shown dotted in).
While taking these measurements be
sure that all end play in the shaft is
taken up by crowding it back toward
the outboard bearing. This is very
important and if not seen to will cause
trouble.

When the line has been set as re-
quired, fasten the line supports se-
curely and see that the line has not
been moved in doing so.

Now measure up roughly to find
how much the cylinder end is out hori-
zontally and move it accordingly,
when it will be found to be very nearly
in its proper position, and is ready for
the first levelling.

Having provided yourself with a
good machinist's level about two feet

40

HAND BOOK OF

long, apply it to the bottom of the cy-
linder bore, and along the top of the
steam valve chambers, and get the cy-
linder level both ways; at the same
time bring the guide section level, by
levelling along the bottom guide; also
plumb across the finished edges of
both guides as illustrated in Figure 10.
Get these spots right, being sure that
all the wedges under the feet have
good bearings.

Our next move is to set the line

Fig. 1O.

level, or parallel to the bottom guide
which we have just levelled, at the
same time keeping it in its previous
position horizontally. For this pur-
pose make a caliper of a piece of pine,
the long arm being about as big as a
lead pencil, and with a thin semicircu-
lar base, set on edge, as shown at A
in Figure 11, the total length of the
caliper being about one-half inch

CORLISS STEAM ENGINES.

41

f

. 11.

4*3 HAND BOOK OF

shorter than the distance from the line
to the bottom guide. Drive a pin
straight into the end of the long arm
to adjust the caliper by. Caliper from
the lower guide to the line at points
a and f, Figure 11, as far apart as pos-
sible, and make these measurements
equal, at the same time keeping the
line cutting the center line of the
crank shaft. For example, should the
line be higher at a than at f you must
lowrer the cylinder end and raise the
crank end so as to keep the line oppo-
site the crank shaft center, manipulat-
ing it so as to get the measurements
a and f equal.

It is obvious that if the guide sec-
tion is level, and the line is made
parallel with it on the same plane as
the center of the crank shaft, the line
should be almost in the exact center of
the stuffing-box vertically. After lev-
elling the line test it once more for
squareness with the shaft, and correct
any error here.

We now have the line level, square
with the shaft, and on the same plane
as the center of the .crank shaft, and
the engine is level. What remains to
be done is to set the engine so that the
line shall be exactly centered in the
cylinder, in the center of the stuffing-

CORLISS STEAM ENGINES.

43

box, parallel to the guides and over
the center of the guides, also level in
both directions.

Make a light wooden caliper, one
half inch shorter than the radius of
the cylinder and stick a pin straight
into the end; also make a much shorter
one for the stuffing-box.

Fig. 12.

You will now perhaps find that the
engine is out more horizontally than
vertically, so try to correct this first.
With the long caliper measure in the
head end of the cylinder from points d
and b, Figure 12, to the line, and move
the cylinder, to the right or left, as the
case may be, so as to make these meas-

44

HAND BOOK OF

urements equal. Bring the stuffing-
box end up at the same time by simil-
arly calipering with the small caliper.
Now try the level again, and don't
try to get the last hair's breadth on the
line w^hen the level is out, which it un-
doubtedly will be if the cylinder has
been moved much. If the level is out
drive up the wedges at the required
points and caliper to tUe line again
both vertically and horizontally.

Fig. 13.

We wrill now see how the guides
stand horizontally as compared with
the line. For this purpose make a
wooden straight edge long enough to
more than span across the edges of
both guides, drive a stout wire into
the middle of its length, and use it as
illustrated in Figure 13. The object
is to get the edges of the guides paral-

COBLISS STEAM ENGINES. 45

lei with the line. Guage from each
end of the guides, and bring the frame
up as required.

Sometimes if the cylinder joint is
not carefully cleaned, a small particle
of solid matter being left adhering to
one of the surfaces, it will throw the
guides around out of line, or the same
thing may result in the bolting, or it
still may have the appearance of be-
ing out of line if one side of the frame
is a trifle lower than the other, thus
rocking it to one side. Try all these
points, and if the guides are plumb
and the frame seems to be out side-
ways, slack up on the apparently tight
side of the cylinder joint, tighten up
on the opposite side, then tighten up
the other side again, and most likely it
will be all right.

Having got the cylinder and guides
in line horizontally and plumb and
level, bring them up to the line verti-
cally following the same principles as
before. When you are satisfied that
the engine as a whole is level and in
line as it stands, see that the wedges
all have an equal bearing and set up
on the anchor bolts quite snugly all
around. Try the line and level again
in all directions, because it is possible
to spring the engine down or to rock

46 HAND BOOK OF

it to one side iii tightening the bolts;
this must be remedied by the wedges
and another trial made. When tight-
ening up the bolts quite strongly does
not disturb the level nor allignment,
you can consider the job done.

Patience, close observation, and ac-
curacy are the principle requirements
in lining an engine; without exercising
these virtues you cannot hope for suc-
cess. '

The joint between the cap-stones
and the engine feet had better be made
now. First stuff some waste around
the anchor bolts, poking it down into
the boxes an inch or two after which
poke sand in on top of it; this wrill keep
the filling from running into the boxes
and grouting the bolts.

If the space between the cap stone
and castings is three-eights of an inch
or less, a filling composed of seven
parts lead and one part antimony will
make a very satisfactory joint. If
there are very thin spaces to be filled,
spray kerosene into the opening and
pour the hot metal quickly and the
space may be very easily filled.

Should the opening be half inch or
larger used best quality Portland ce-
ment, mixed clear and quite thin.

COKLISS STEAM ENGINES. 47

Of course provision must be made
for running the filling just where it is
wanted, by making a dam of sand all
round each foot, with space sufficient-
ly wide to pour the filling.

After the joints have been given
sufficient time to set thoroughly — at
least twenty-four hours if cement is
used — tighten all the anchor bolts per-
manently. Two men with a six foot
wrench is about right for a two-inch
bolt.

OF TH

48 HAND BOOK OF

CHAPTER VII. ASSEMBLING THE MOV-
ING PARTS.

Before placing the fly-wheel in posi-
tion, the shaft boxes should be scraped
to a good bearing. Hoist up the shaft
and slip on the eccentric, then lightly
coat the surface of the journals with
red lead, replace the shaft and roll it
in its bearings a few times to mark
the babbitt where it bears too hard.
Scrape down these "high spots" and
try it again, continuing to mark and
scrape until the journals bear evenly
in their boxes. When this is satis-
factorily accomplished give the jour-
nals a coat of clean oil, put the shaft
in place, adjust the bearings properly
and put on the caps, taking care to
plug the oil holes to keep out dirt.

Now turn the shaft so as to bring
the key seat uppermost, and try the
key both in the shaft and in the wheel
to see that it is a proper fit, and find-
ing it to be satisfactory, seat it well
in its place in the shaft. This may
seem to some to be a radical departure
from the usual practice, as engine
builders have been in the habit of driv-
ing the keys, which is all right with

COELISS STEAM ENGINES. 49

solid wheels for obvious reasons. As
regards a sectional or "split" wheel, a
few moments study of the situation
will convince the most skeptical that
it is easier, takes less time, is safer, in
fact, is better every way to clamp the
wheel on to a properly fitted key than
it is to drive the key, especially if the
key be a large one.

We have seen keys as small as one
inch square that fitted the key seats in
both shaft and pulley beautifully and
could be seated in either with a few very
light taps with a stick of wood, and,
although the key seats were accurate-
ly in line (as they always should be),
the key could not be driven without
upsetting and throwing the wheel out
of true.

Now carefully clean the wheel fit
and the bore and facings of the wheel,
and jack the lower half of the wheel —
which is in the wheel pit — up to its
place against the shaft. Sling the
other half, hoist it into position and
lower it into place. Put in two hub
bolts diagonally opposite and draw
them down solidly, then examine the
holes for the rim bolts to see that they
come fair when the edges of the fly
wheel are true. Any holes which do

50 HAND BOOK OF

not come exactly fair should be ream-
ed true and new bolts fitted.

It is by far the best plan to shrink
the hub bolts in. Take the other two
hub bolts and heat them evenly, in a
wood fire, to a very low heat; a red
heat barely perceptable in broad day-
light, or "black-hot," is hot enough, be-
cause if you have them red hot they
will only stretch when you put the
wrench on, thus weakening them.
Having got them to the proper heat,
put them in their holes and draw the
nuts up solid with a good stout
wrench, and the shrinkage will do the
rest. Remove the bolts previously
put in to hold the wheel and treat
them the same way. Now bolt the
rim and you will have a job to be de-
pended upon.

It will be advisable to set the steam-
fitters at work on the steam and ex-
haust piping just as soon as possible
after the engine is set, as we shall
have a use for them before the piston
and valves are in. In the meantime
get the eccentric strap on, the rocker
arm and wrist plate stud set up, the
wrist plate on, and the eccentric and
reach rods connected, and the gover-
nor set up.

COKLISS STEAM ENGINES. 51

If the engine is to be run condensing
do not connect the exhaust pipe to the
condenser yet, but blank oft this con-
nection and first use the outboard or
"free" exhaust. Bolt pieces of plank
over the front ends of the valve cham-
bers and put the bonnets on the back
ends. Put the cylinder head on, and
clamp a piece of board over the stuf-
fing-box, using the gland for a strap.

Now if the piping is finished and has
been tested with steam on, caution the
fireman to look out for the water in the
boiler, and give the pipes and cylinder
a good blast of steam. Do not keep
the throttle open more than a second
or two, as the excessive draught of
steam may cause the boilers to prime,
and thus draw the water down dan-
gerously low in the boilers. It is sim-
ply astonishing the amount of grit
which may be removed from the steam
pipe and engine in this manner. This
pipe scale and core sand if left to itself
is very apt to seriously injure the
valves, piston rings, and cylinder.

The writer once took charge of a
new 18 & 42x36 inch cross-compound
condensing engine, which had been set
up the year previous to his engage-
ment, and had been run five days on
trial. When wre opened the high pres-

52 HAND BOOK OF

sure cylinder, we found conclusive
proof that this piping and engine had
not been blown out with steam before
using. There were three very bad
grooves about one-quarter inch wide
extending the entire length of the bot-
tom of the cylinder bore, and upon
looking further, loose scale and core
sand was found in the exhaust chest
and receiver. Thus it will be under-
stood that this steam scouring pro-
cess is well worth the trouble.

Having repeated the blowing a few
times, at intervals, the cylinder may
be opened and wiped clean. Then
get in the piston and piston rod,
(which in sizes up to 22 inches are
usually shipped in one piece, boxed).
Take the piston all apart, clean it
thoroughly, and examine it carefully
to see that all the parts are there and
that they fit properly, then get the pis-
ton into the cylinder.

Put in the chunk ring, packing-
rings, springs, and centering screws,
and accurately center the piston in the
cylinder bore, by calipering from the
turned boss on the piston, to the coun-
ter-bore, and adjusting the screws be-
tween the spider and the chunk ring.

Put on the follower and see that
there is a good bearing or counter sink

CORLISS STEAM ENGINES. 88

for the heads of the bolts to seat
against, also that the bolts do not bot-
tom in the holes before they are screw-
ed up, and set them all up hard. Re-
member that it is possible to put such
a strain on these bolts as to cause
them to break, still the one which
should happen to work out, through
not being screwed home, may break
the cylinder head or the piston, or
both.'

If the piston rod is held in the piston
with a nut, screw this up as solidly as
possible and put, say, three good deep
center punch marks between the nut
and the rod, right on the thread.
These will prevent the nut working
off, and should it be necessary to re-
move it at any time, the center punch
marks may be easily drilled out with
a breast drill.

The piston is usually marked O or
T, for the top, but if it is not, mark it
so for future reference, and put the
same mark on the other end of the pis-
ton rod, near the thread, so that in
screwing the rod into the cross head,
you may keep the piston right side up.

Get the cross-head in place and
screw the piston rod into it, and set
up the piston rod nut. Before we go
any further with this portion we had

S HAND BOOK OF

better adjust the cross-head in the
guides, the idea being to center the
rod with the center line of the engine,
and as we have already centered one
end of it when we centered the piston,
all that is necessary now is to get the
rod parallel to the lower guide by cal-
ipering from the guide to the rod, — as
in Figure 11, at a and f, — and raising
or lowering the cross-head through
the medium of its adjusting screws or
wedges. When you have adjusted the
bottom shoe satisfactorily, adjust the
top shoe so that there is a very slight
amount of room between it and the
top guide. Now push the cross-head
to the other end of its travel and see
that the top shoe is as free there as at
the other end, as it should be if the
guides have been properly machined.
The next thing is to locate -the
"striking points" of the piston upon
the lower guide. These striking
points are lines, one near each end of
and permanently marked upon the
lower guide and denote the position of
a similar line upon some fixed point
on the cross-head when the piston is
in contact with either cylinder head.
In an engine whose piston rod is keyed
into the cross-head they are very read-
ily located; but when the piston rod is

COBLISS STEAM ENGINES. 55

screwed iiito the cross-head, unless the
exact position or depth has been mark-
ed upon the rod when they were put
together in the shop, it wili take a lit-
tle manoeuvering to properly locate its
exact position. It is evident that the
connecting rod with its connections
may be considered as having a fixed
length, (a properly fitted rod requires
no "shimming" behind the brasses),
therefore we will start with the rod
and locate the travel of the cross-head,
by making faint "clearance" lines up-
on the guide, and work back from
them, to locate the "striking points."

In putting on the connecting rod,
key it up tightly onto either pin and
see that it points fairly to the other
one, thus ascertaining if the brasses
have been properly fitted. Try this
from both pins, and if much of an er-
ror is found here the brasses should be
re-fitted.

Having the connecting rod on, place
the engine on the crank end center
and scribe a faint line on the cross-
head and extend it across the edge of
the lower guide; place the engine on
the other center and scribe another
line, — co-incident with that one al-
ready upon the cross-head, — upon the
other end of the guide. These lines

56 HAND BOOK OP

represent the travel of the cross-head,
consequently the stroke of the engine.
Next measure the "inset" of the cy-
linder head (i. e., the depth of that part
which extends into the cylinder, meas-
ured from the face of the joint), and
transfer this depth to the counter-bore
and mark it. Now disconnect the
crank end of the connecting rod, and
let it rest on blocking, or hang sus-
pended by the tackle used to put it in
place, and draw the piston up against
the frame head. Cut a straight stick
— a piece of seven-eights stuff two or
three inches wide is just the thing —
accurately to the length of the stroke
of the engine, with the ends square,
verify it by comparing it with the
marks laid off on the guide, and, find-
ing it correct lay it on its edge in the
cylinder with one end up against the
piston. The distance between the
end of the stick and the position of the
cylinder head inset as marked in the
counter-bore will be the sum of the
clearance for both ends. Suppose
this measures five-eights of an inch,
it is evident that the clearance will be
five-sixteenths of an inch in each end,
that is the piston should be made to
travel to within five-sixteenths of an
inch of each head.

CORLISS STEAM ENGINES. 57

Now push the cross head to the
head end of its stroke as will be
indicated by the marks on it and the
guide being in line, and turn the piston
rod into or out of the cross head as re-
quired to bring the piston five six-
teenths of an inch further in the cy-
linder than the mark in the counter
bore, and secure the rod in this posi-
tion, previously seeing that the O on
the rod is on top. Now draw the pis-
ton up against the frame head, when
the mark on the cross-head will be
found to have travelled by the one on
the guides just five-sixteenths of an
inch. You may now make a perman-
ent line on the guide in line with that
on the cross head; then push the pis-
ton up to the mark in the counterbore
in the head end and the lines on the
cross head and guide at this end of the
stroke will be five-sixteenths apart
also. Make a permanent line at this
end, same as at the other. The marks
nearest to the ends of the guide are
the "striking points1' and should be
marked O as should the line on the
cross head. You can now verify the
work.

It is a good plan to put a prick-
punch mark in the center of the O on
the piston rod and another one upon

68 HAND BOOK OI1

the cross head some even number of
inches from the one on the rod. Lay
off the distance upon some finished
part of the frame for future reference
as a tram gauge, and when every-
thing is finally adjusted locate these
tram marks, one each side of the
screwed connections of the eccentric
and carrier rods. Should it be neces-
sary at anytime to separate any of
these connections they may be very
easily and accurately re-adjusted by
taking up the distance laid off, upon a
pair of dividers and bringing the
marks up to this gauge.

The striking points for an engine
whose piston rod is keyed into the
cross-head are located by keying in the
rod and simply pulling the piston up
against either head (or up to the dis-
tance that the inset of the head enters
the cylinder if that head is off) and lo-
cating the marks upon the guide and
cross-head after which the connecting
rod may be put on and the amount of
clearance ascertained and the rod
lengths verified.

Give the bore of the cylinder a good
coating of cylinder oil and put on the
cylinder head to keep out the dirt.

The valves are usually shipped
each pinned to its own stem; this is

OORLISS STEAM ENGINES.

Fig. 14.

80 HAND BOOK Off

due to the fact that when a valve is
being fitted to the bore of its chamber,
it is turned on its own stem. Before
putting them in, take out the pins and
clean the valves and stems thoroughly,
and examine them carefully noting
the difference in shape between the
steam and exhaust valves. Their gen-
eral appearance is very similar, the
distinguishing feature being the great-
er breath of the face — about one-third
of its circumference — on the exhaust
valve. This is required on account of
the larger size of the exhaust port,
also its position. In Fig. 14, A gives
an idea of the general appearance of a
Corliss valve in outline; B a cross sec-
tion— through point x — of a steam
valve, and C a cross section of an ex-
haust valve, through the same point.
D illustrates the valve stem, usually
made of phosphor-bronze, the flatten-
ed portion or "blade" being an easy fit
in the slot f of the valve. Turning up
the bottom edge of the blade you will
find four holes about one-half inch in
diameter in its edge. These holes are
seatings for the short, stout spiral
springs which come in the box with
the valves, and when the valve and
stem is put together ready for placing
in its proper chamber, these springs

COBIiISS STEAM ENGINES. 61

tend to thrust the valve away from
the stem, thus keeping it normally to
its seat — the steam pressure acts in
the same direction — and at the same
time allowing it comparative freedom.
The pins which held the valves and
stems together must, of course, be
taken out and kept out, their mission
being ended practically after the valve
has been turned up to fit.

You will find the valves and stems
each marked consecutively from 1 to
4 corresponding to a like number
stamped on the back ends of the valve
chambers; these denote the chamber
that each individual valve was fitted
to.

Now put the valves in their proper
places and put on the front bonnets —
those on the valve-motion side — and
bolt them fast. Push each valve
snugly up against the front bonnets
and try the back bonnets to see that
they do not bind the valves end-ways.
These points are supposed to be all
right when the parts left the shop, still
it is well to look into such matters and
be satisfied yourself. Should you find
any valve or stem that is a trifle long
it, or they, must be removed and a chip
turned off the back end as required to
free it.

62 HAND BOOK OF

Get the valve motion and dash pots
set up? during which operation no dif-
ficulty should be met with as they
all have been together in the shop and
properly marked. Be sure that there
is no cramp or bind in any of the valve
or governor rod connections, for if
they are not perfectly free, they will
cause trouble. Also see that the wrist
plate can be moved through its ex-
treme travel without any of the con-
nections interfering or bringing up
solidly, and the engine is all ready for
valve adjustment.

PART II.

ADJUSTING CORLISS VALVES.

I

GEORGE H. CORLISS,

INVENTOK OF THE CORLISS STEAM ENGINE.

CORLISS STEAM ENG

CHAPTER I.— THE VALVE.

Before going into the details of ad-
justing the valves of a Corliss engine,
it will be advisable to consider the
construction and different functions of
the common slide-valve.

Fig. 1.

Referring to figure 1, P P are the
cylinder steam ports. E is the cylinder
oxhaust port, and X is the exhaust cav-
il y of the valve. The edges A. A. are
the steam edges, or the edges which
control the admission of steam to the
cylinder and the point at which the
steam is cut-off. B B are the exhaust

66 'HAND BOOK OF

edges, and control the opening for ex
haust and the closing for compression.
In this type of valve these points are
determined in the design of the engine,
and are therefore unadju stable. Any
change in the steam distribution would
necessitate the designing of an entirely
new valve, unless the desired change be
very slight, when the valve may possibly
be altered to meet the requirements.
With the Corliss valve this would be
unnecessary as will be explained at
another time.

.It will be seen by referring to the
figure that the steam edges of the valve
overlap the ports, as shown by the
dotted lines a, b, and a' b' . This over-
lapping is technically called "lap," and
when given to a valve, as in the figure,
it is for the purpose of cutting off the
steam before the completion of the pis-
ton stroke. The exhaust edges of the
valve are ' ' line and line ' ' which is usual
practice, yet conditions may sometimes
require a small amount of inside lap
to prevent a too early release.

The greatest disadvantage attending
the use of the slide valve, lies in its
limited ability to handle steam expan-

CORLISS STEAM ENGINES.

67

sively, the earliest point at which it can
be made to cut-off the steam with econ-
omy being about three-quarter stroke ;
an earlier cut-off produces a correspond-
ingly early exhaust opening for release
and an equally early exhaust closure for
compression. To put it more plainly :—
If the valve had no lap, neither steam
nor exhaust, and stood " line and line "

Fig. 2.

the eccentric would stand at a position
90 degrees in advance of the crank, and
the valve would then admit steam full
stroke. As lap is added for the pur-
pose of producing an earlier cut-off the
eccentric would have to be advanced
to a greater angle, or sufficient to "take
up the lap," and have the valve in a

68 HAND BOOK OF

position to open for admission at the
proper moment. It is this advancement
of the eccentric which brings about the
objections previously spoken of pertain-
ing to release and compression. A too
early release prevents the full realiza-
tion of expansion, and over compression
lessens the available net power of the
engine.

In the Corliss valve gear these objec-
tions are practically eliminated.

Comparing fig. 1, with the sectional
view of the Corliss cylinder and valves,
fig 2, it will be seen that the four func-
tions of admission, cut-off, release and
compression, are obtained by two sets of
valves in the latter, each set — one steam
valve and one exhaust valve — control-
ling the four points for their own end of
the cylinder. They may therefore be
considered as the two working edges of
one end of the slide valve, separated
and arranged to give the greatest flexi-
bility of adjustment, that is the Corliss
steam valve, A. fig. 2, may be taken as
representing the edge A. fig. 1, of the
slide-valve, and the exhaust valve B,
fig. 2, considered as the edge B of the
slide valve. The four valves will con-

CORLISS STEAM ENGINES. 69

sequently perform the same duties as
the four edges of the- slide-valve while
possessing the extra advantages of being
placed nearer the work, thus reducing
clearance, and being adjustably con-
nected to a common center of motion.
This center of motion is called the ' ' wrist
plate, " and its use presents the advant
ages of a peculiarly accelerated and re-
tarded motion of the valves at a time to
give the most beneficial results, i. e., the
ports are opened and closed very rapid-
ly, and held open in such a manner as to
give the least loss of pressure in admis-
sion, and the lowest back-pressure dur-
ing exhaust.

70

HAND BOOK OF

CHAPTER II.— VALVE GEARS.

There is a great variety of releasing
gears as applied to the Corliss engine,
yet they differ only in detail and not in
principle, and may, for convenience, be
divided into two classes.

Fig. 3.

Those engines, whose valves rotate
toward the center of the cylinder in ad-
mitting steam, may be considered as the
first class, and include the " crab-claw

CORLISS STEAM ENGINES.

71

gear," Fig. 3, as originally applied by
George H. Corliss and William A.
Harris, and still used either in the
original or a modified form by several
later builders. The Reynolds-Corliss,
Philadelphia-Corliss engines, and sev-
eral other makes, belong to this class

Fig. 4.

also, but are equipped with a device
known as the "half -moon gear," Fig. 4.
The second class is made up of those
engines in which the steam valves ro-
tate toward the ends of the cylinder, or
outward, when opening for admission,
generally using a form of gear styled

72

HAND BOOK OF

the "oval arm gear," Fig. 5. To this
class belong the Allis- Corliss and Hewes
and Phillips-Corliss engines. There
are a few builders who use the oval arm
gear to rotate the steam valves toward
the center of the cylinder in opening —
therefore, their engines may be consid-

Fig. 5.

ered as being in the first class — but the
gear is necessarily reversed — that is,
the valve lever, or " Jim crank," hangs
downward instead of standing up from
the valve stem. The Hamilton-Corliss
engine is a familiar illustration of this
style.

CORLISS STEAM ENGINES.

CHAPTER III.— SQUARING THE VALVES.

Let us now imagine before us a new
20-inch Corliss engine, set up, lined, and
levelled, all parts assembled and ready
for the adjustment of the valves.

The first step to be taken is technically

ENGINE. I UNHOOKED

Fig. 6.

called "squaring the valves." On re-
moving the back bonnets of the valve
chambers you will find marks on the
end of each valve and on the end of
each valve chamber, each of which
should exactly coincide with the

OF THE

UNIVERSI

74

HAND BOOK OF

ing edge of its own valve, or port, as
the case may be. It will be advisable
to inspect these points and become
thoroughly familiar with them. See
Fig. 6.
On the wrist-plate stud will be found

^ —

c.

1 '

1

WRIST PLATE

Fig. 7.

a center line, which coincides with a
similar line on the back of the hub, and
at points equi-distant on each side of
the center line of the stud there will be
found other lines, which represent the
extreme travel or oscillation of the wrist

CORLISS STEAM ENGINES. 75

plate in either direction when in proper
adjustment. See Fig. 7, which is atop
view of a wrist plate when on its center
of travel, A B being the centre lines,
C and D representing the extreme throw
marks.

Set the wrist plate on the center and
slack off the nut which holds the wrist
plate on the stud, then, after interpos-
ing a piece of card board between the
washer and wrist plate hub, screw up
the nut hard enough to prevent the
wrist plate from being accidentally
moved off its center while working on
the radial rods— as the connections be-
tween the valve cranks and the wrist
plate are sometimes called.

Referring to the ' ' Table of Laps and
Lead," we find that a 20-inch engine
requires a steam lap — i. e., the distance
the steam valve overlaps the port in
excess of complete closure — of J inch
and an exhaust lap of /6 inch when the
wrist plate is on the center of travel,
also a steam lead of ^ inch, which, for
the time being, we will not consider.

The adjustments for each end of the
cylinder are obtained by lengthening
or shortening the radial rods, as the

76 HAND BOOK OF

Conditions may require, until the lines
on the steam valve — for the crab claw
or half -moon gear, or any gear which
opens the steam valves toward the cen-
ter of the cylinder — are i inch nearer
the ends of the cylinder than those on
the end faces of the steam valve cham-
bers.

In any of the gears which open their
steam valves outward, as the oval -arm
gear, these lines should be separated
the same distance in the other direction
— that is, the line on the steam valve
should be J inch nearer the center of
the cylinder than that on the chamber
for the same size of cylinder.

Having made the required adjust-
ments on the steam valves, treat the ex-
liaust valves the same way, with the
exception, of course, of the amount of
lap, remembering that the working ex-
haust port is the opening between the
exhaust valve chamber and the exhaust
chest (see Fig. 2) and not on the port
opening directly from the cylinder;
therefore, the lapping of the exhaust
valves will be indicated by the distance
that the line on the valve is away from
the line on the chamber in a direction

CORLISS STEAM ENGINES. 77

toward the top of the cylinder or ver-
tically. (See Fig. 6.)

There is considerable difference of
opinion upon this point of exhaust lap ;
it formally was, and is still with some
builders, the custom to give exhaust
opening with the wrist plate central ;
still others place the exhaust valves
u line and line," but the best practice
seems to require a slight lapping of the
exhaust valves when in this position.

The measurements for valve setting
as given in the table are all right for
ordinary practice, but in some instance
they will, perhaps, require modifica-
tion to fit the conditions under which
the engine is to run, and considerable
deviation may be made from them with-
out seriously impairing the steam dis-
tribution. By lapping the exhaust
valves more, an earlier exhaust closure
will be realized, giving more compres-
sion, and at the same time a later re-
lease. It will be seen that it is not de-
sirable to go to extremes.

The only true way after getting a new
installation to work is to apply the in-
dicator and from its readings correct
any slight misadjustment that may ex-

78

HAND BOOK OF

1st, but this will be explained in an-
other chapter.

Having carefully adjusted and fasten-
ed all connections, the valves are now
"squared" and the temporary card
board fastening may be removed from
wrist plate and the nut tightened up.

TABLE SHOWING LAP AND LEAD OF VALVES
OF CORLISS ENGINE :

Wrist Plate on its

Center.

Cylinder Diameter in
Inches.

Steam Lead
Engine on
Center.

Steam

Exhaust

Lap.

Lap.

8, 10&12.

3-16"

1-32"

1-32"

14, 16, 18 &20.

X'

1-16"

1-32"

22, 24, 26, 28 & 30.

5-16"

3-32"

3-64"

32, H4 & 36,

3/8"

NT

1-16"

CORLISS STEAM ENGINES.

CHAPTER IV.— THE DASH-POT RODS.

The dash-pot rods must be adjusted
to the proper length ; and at this point
we must speak a word or two of cau-
tion, for should these adjustments be
incorrectly made, either the valves will

not hook up or something will be bent
or broken at the first revolution of the
engine. That is, if the rods are left too
long the closing shoulder on the re-
leasing gear will bring up against the

80 HAND BOOK OF

hook- block before the wrist-plate ha&
reached its extreme point of travel and
either buckle the rod or break off the
valve crank. Therefore, great care
must be exercised at this point.

Unhook the steam valves, allowing
the dash-pot plungers to drop home,
being sure that they are home, driving
them down with a block of wood to
make sure ; then carefully throw the
wrist-plate over to its extreme travel
and adjust the length of the dash-pot
rod, H, Pig 8, so that there will be an
equal space between the hook block F,
and the latch steel on one side, (see G),
and the hook- block and the closing
shoulder on the other (as at E.)

Serve the other end of the valve gear
in the same manner, and then verify
these adjustments by hooking up both
valves and releasing them again once
or twice, and if everything is clear we
are through with the valve gear for a
time.

It will sometimes happen that after
a new engine has been run a day or two
the valves will not hook up, or may
"miss" occasionally. This is due to

CORLISS STEAM ENGINES. 81

the leathers on the dash-pot plungers
becoming pliable and probably com-
pressed a trifle, thus allowing them to
drop lower and with greater freedom.
When this occurs it is only necessary
to carefully lengthen the dash-pot rod
so that the valves will hook on, bearing
in mind the point relating to clearance
previously mentioned.

Too much air cushion in the dash-pot
may cause the plunger to drop only
partially home, thus requiring it to be
pushed down by the closing shoulder
on the end of the radial rod. This
shoulder, by the way, is located as
mentioned, in the crab -claw gear only,
while in the oval arm gear, or half moon
gear, it is the squared projection at the
bottom of the jaw of the latch. The
remedy in this case is to so regulate the
amount of cushion that the plunger
will drop home rapidly, yet without
pound or jar.

Insufficient cylinder lubrication will
at times have the effect of making the
steam valves close slowly and also re-
quiring them to be pushed shut, and
the uninitiated may often attribute this
to some derangement of the dash-pot.

82 HAND BOOK OF

CHAPTER V.— ECCENTRIC ROD, ROCKER
ARM AND REACH ROD.

In determining the proper length for
the eccentric rod, the proper position
of the eccentric, laterally, must be
found, and care taken to prevent its
being moved along the shaft afterward,
so as to bring it out of line either to-
ward the main bearing or toward the
fly-wheel, either of which will cause
the strap to bend sidewise and give
trouble by heating. To determine
this position, take oif the front
half of the eccentric strap, an'd,
having previously keyed up the other
end of the rod tightly in position, push
the back half of strap far enough back
to admit of the rod being swung a trifle
sidewise, as shown in Fig. 9. A little
lateral movement may always be found
at the strap end of the rod, enabling it
to be swung sidewise probably an
eighth of an inch. Take up whatever
free play there is and note how far the

CORLISS STEAM ENGINES.

83

strap clears the eccentric on each side,
see a and b in the figure, place the
eccentric so that these measurements
will be equal, and mark the shaft with a

FIG. 9.

scriber at one side of the eccentric so
that this position may always be found.
The strap may be put together again
and attention given to the rocker-arm.

84

HAND BOOK OF

It is essential that the rocker-arm
should oscillate eq ually to each side of a
vertical line dropped through its cen-

. 10.

ter of support as illustrated in Fig.
10, in which R represents the rocker-

CORLISS STEAM ENGINES. 85

arm, or carrier-arm, as it is often called,
P-L being a plumb line suspended from
above in such, position as to cut through
the center of the reach rod stud D and
then center of rock shaft 0. The points
A and B are its extreme travel in either
direction. Rotate the eccentric around
the shaft, leaving the reach rod un-
hooked from the wrist-plate. Should
it be found that the rocker travels far-
ther toward the cylinder than toward
the crank- shaft, when the eccentric is
thus rotated, it is evident that the ec-
centric rod is too long and it must be
shortened by adjusting at E (see Fig.
10), or at the eccentric strap to an
amount equal to one half the error.

Should the rocker-arm travel farther
toward the crank shaft than toward the
cylinder, the rod is of course too short,
and the foregoing adjustments must be
reversed. When the rocker-arm has
been made to travel equal distances to
each side of P-L, the eccentric may be
partially rotated around the shaft un-
til the rocker-arm stands exactly plumb
once more, the reach-rod hooked on to
the wrist plate, and the length of this
reach-rod adjusted so that the center

86 HAND BOOK OF

lines on the wrist plate hub and stud
exactly coincide (see Fig. 7), care be-
ing taken that the rocker-arm is not
moved off the perpendicular.

After proving these adjustments as a
whole by rolling the eccentric around
the shaft with everything hooked on,
we are ready to center the engine and
set the eccentric.

COBLISS STEAM ENGINES. 87

CHA.PTER VI.— CENTERING THE ENGINE.

There are numerous methods of plac-
ing an engine on the dead center, a few
of which will be described.

If the strap end of the connecting
rod is a true surface and you have a
good level, the engine may be conven-
iently centered by placing the level on
the crank-pin strap and turning the en-
gine so as to bring the connecting rod
to a dead level at whichever end of the
stroke it is desired to find the dead
point.

Another method is to stretch a line
parallel to the center line of the engine,
. running it exactly opposite the centers
of the crank- shaft and the wrist-pin,
or crosshead-pin, as it is frequently
called, then by bringing the crank- pin
center to the line the engine is on a
dead center.

Still another exceedingly simple yet
most accurrate way to accomplish the
desired result, when the engine is con-
structed with an ordinary bed-plate, or

HAND BOOK OF

sole plate, which has been planed, is
by the use of a surface-gauge. Set up
the surface-gauge opposite the crank
and adjust the pointer to enter the cen-
ter of the crank-shaft, when, by slid-
ing the surface-gauge toward whichever
dead center it is desired to find, and
then bringing the crank-pin center into
such a position that the pointer may
fairly enter it, the job is done.

The best method for general applica-
tion is by " tramming" the fly-wheel,
or the disc crank, if the engine is built
with one. This method is illustrated
in Fig. 11, in which the line A-B is the
center line of the engine, and the space
between the points a and b on this
line represent the stroke of the cross-
head. Turn the engine toward the cen-
ter on which you desire to place it, un-
til the cross-head has reached a point
within an inch or two of the end of its
stroke, and then stop. Now scribe a
line across the lower portion of the
cross-head and the lower guide, this
line is represented in the figure by the
vertical line through the point c. Next
make a mark on the rim of the fly-
wheel at some exact distance from a

CORLISS STEAM ENGINES.

Fig. 11

90 HAND BOOK OP

fixed point on the Hour, as standing a
two foot rule on end on the floor, as
shown at 1 f in the figure, and marking
over the other end of the rule where it
comes in contact with the wheel rim ;
this point is shown at 1 in the figure,
also mark the exact point on the
floor measured from. Now turn the
engine over past the center until the
lines on the cross-head and the guide
again make one continuous line (point
c in the figure), when the crank-pin
will be in a position about like e in
the figure, and make a second mark on
the fly-wheel rim, represented by point
2 in the figure. Now with a pair of
dividers, or in any other convenient
way, locate a point on the wheel rim
exactly central between points 1 and 2
and make a prick-punch mark, this
point we will call 3, see figure. By
bringing point 3 squarely to the end of
our two foot rule when the latter is
stood on end as before, the engine will
be most accurately centered. The op-
posite center is located by going
through the same operation with the
engine at the other end of the stroke.
If the fly-wheel runs conveniently

w

"•" THK

'FERSITV

COBLISS STEAM

Q

near to ihe bed plate or any permanent
part of the engine frame, a reference
point may be permanently located
thereon, and used whenever desirable by
making a permanent tram of a piece of
stiff steel wire, thus making it the work
of but a moment or two to locate the
exact dead centers, after once locating
and marking them.

92 HAND BOOK OP

CHAPTER VII.— SETTING THE ECCENTRIC.

A study of a few of the movements
of the slide-valve as compared with the
piston movement will clear up whatever
apparent mystery there may be about
the position of the eccentric.

In Chapter I. it was stated that if a
slide-valve has neither steam-lap nor
lead, the eccentric must be set at an
angle 90 degrees in advance of the crank.

The travel of a slide-valve without lap
or lead is equal to twice the width of
the steam port ; if the valve lias steam
lap, its travel must then equal twice
the width of the steam port plus twice
the steam lap on one end. Knowing
these facts it is easily apparent that
when the piston is at one end of its
stroke the valve must — in the case of
no lap nor lead — be at mid^ travel, or
more plainly, it must have been carried
forward just half way in the direction
of the next piston movement, so that it
may be ready to admit steam to the
cylinder at the proper time, therefore

CORLISS STEAM ENGINES.

93

it is obvious that the eccentric must
also be at about half of its stroke, or

. 12.

one- quarter of a revolution in advance
of the crank-pin.

Referring to Fig. 12, which shows the
relative positions of the crank-pin and

94 HAND BOOK OF

the eccentric, it will be seen that when
the crank-pin is moving from C toward
E, the eccentric is moving from e toward
f, and when the crank-pin has arrived
at E the eccentric will have reached
point f, which is its extreme travel in
that direction — i. e., toward the right
in the figure — and when it is in this
position the steam port has full open-
ing for admission. As the crank-pin
continues on its revolution the steam
port is gradually closing until the ec-
centric has arrived at g, at which mo-
ment the crank-pin is on the other dead
center, the steam port closed and the
valve ready to open for admission into
the other end of the cylinder for the
return stroke. As steam lap is added
to the valve for the purpose of working
steam expansively, the eccentric must
be advanced to an angle greater than
90 degrees ahead of the crank, to bring
the valve into position for opening at
the proper time, and as ' ' lead ' ' is given
to the valve, this advance must be still
further increased.

It is a well-known fact that the recip-
rocating motion derived from a crank,
or other equivalent rotary motion, is

CORLISS STEAM ENGINES. 95

intermittent; for instance, an engine
piston starting from the end of its
stroke accelerates in speed up to mid
stroke, beyond which point its motion
is retarded until it comes to a state of
rest on the other center, its fastest
travel being when the crank is about
perpendicular to the center line of the
engine. An eccentric is simply a crank
with an abnormally large crank-pin,
and the characteristics of the motion
imparted by it are identical with that
derived from a crank. The particular
point which we desire to bring out
being that the eccentric also will trans-
mit its fastest motion to the slide-valve,
or to the wrist-plate of a Corliss engine,
as the case may be when it, the eccent-
ric, is at a right angle to the center line
of the engine, regardless of its position
relative to the crank. The foregoing
facts apply equally to the Corliss valve
motion as to the slide-valve.

It is essential that the steam valves
should move very rapidly in opening
so as to give full port opening early in
the piston stroke, therefore the fastest
motion of the wrist-plate is desired
when the piston is just beginning its

96 HAND BOOK OF

stroke, and to attain this the eccentric
must be as nearly perpendicular to the
crank as is possible.

Referring again to Fig. 12, in which
the parallel lines A B represent the
stroke of the piston, therefore twice the
length of the crank, it will be seen that
with the eccentric set at 90 degrees
ahead of the crank, the crank-pin hav-
ing moved through one-eighth of a
revolution as indicated by h, and the
eccentric to the position i, the piston,
in moving through a trifle more than
one-eighth of its stroke has moved the
eccentric, consequently the wrist-plate,
through about two-thirds of its effective
travel, as regards steam valve opening,
as from b to c on line A B, while for
the next equal movement of the crank-
pin, i. e., from h to e the wrist-plate
has moved only about half as far as it
did for the first eighth of a revolution
of the crank-pin, its total movement
toward opening the steam valve being
bed. It is apparent that if the steam
valve is not released for cut-off before
the eccentric reaches the extreme of its
travel, point f in the figure, it will not
be released in that revolution, becaus e

COELISS STEAM ENGINES. 97

the motion of the eccentric after pass-
ing f is in the opposite direction, there-
fore the crab claw will be receding
from the knock-off cam.

Referring to the lower half of the
figure, we find the same crank and the
same eccentric, but sufficient lap has
been given to the steam valves to re-
quire the advancing of the eccentric 15
degrees further ahead than before, or
to a position 105 degrees ahead of the
crank-pin, see 1, in the figure. It will
be seen here that with the crank-pin
moved forward one-eighth of a revolu-
tion as before — see m — the eccentric
has moved from b1 to c1 which is con-
siderably less than from b to c as when
in its first position, and that the re-
maining portion of its travel during
which the steam valve may be released
is smaller still as shown at c1 d1 ; the
total movement during which cut-off
may take place being proportional to
b1 c1 d1, which is considerably shorter
than with the first setting.

The effect of advancing the eccentric
beyond 90 degrees will be that it will
require a smaller load to prevent cut-
off taking place, or to "make the en-

98

HAND BOOK OF

gine take steam full stroke" than is
required to do so when set at 90 degrees.
Having placed our engine on the
dead center, say with the piston in the
head end of the cylinder, and found by
referring to the "Table of Laps and
Lead" that a 20 inch engine requires
1-32 inch lead, we are ready to go ahead.

ENGINE HOOKED

FIG. 13.

Let an assistant slowly turn the eccentric
around the shaft in the direction the
engine is to run, the reach-rod, or hook-
rod, as it is also called, being engaged
on the wrist plate, until the lap of the
steam valve on the head end is taken
up which will be indicated by the marks

CORLISS STEAM ENGINES. 99

on the valve and chamber being line
and line, as at D, Fig. 13. Now take
up a pair of dividers the 1-32 inch of
required lead, and placing one leg in
one of the lines, have the eccentric ad-
vanced until the line on the valve is
1-32 inch nearer the crank than that on
the chamber, provided the valve rotates
toward the center of the cylinder in
opening, as is the case in Fig 13. Of
course, if the valve opens outward the
line on the valve must be on the other
side of the one on the chamber the dis-
tance required. Fasten the eccentric,
being careful that it has not been moved
along the shaft, and then turn the en-
gine on to the crank end dead center,
and see if the crank end steam valve
has the required opening, as it un-
doubtedly will if due care has been given
to all the preliminary adjustments.
While this is being done it will be well
to see that the exhaust valves are prop-
erly lapped when engine is on the cen-
ter, this lap should be the same for each
end.

Having found everything to be cor-
rectly adjusted the back bonnets may
now be put on the valve chambers, a

100 HAND BOOK OF

careful examination made of all parts of
the valve gear to see that there is no
bind or interference. This being done
and the eccentric securely fastened
and its position on the shaft lightly
marked, we are ready to adjust the
governor.

COELISS STEAM ENGINES. 101

CHAPTER VIII.— ADJUSTING THE GOVER-
NOR.

Have the engine unhooked, then
block up the governor three-eigthe; of
an inch and place the wrist- plate at
very nearly its extreme throw toward
the frame end, thus pulling the head
end steam valve almost wide open.
Now adjust the cam rod which con-
nects with the cam-collar on the head-
end to such a length as will cause head-
end steam valve to be unhooked when
the wrist-plate is moved exactly on to
its extreme throw, as will be indicated
by the marks on the wrist-plate hub
and stud. Having fastened the cam-
rod to the head- end, put an extra quarter
inch piece of blocking under the gover-
nor— thus raising it a total distance of
five-eighths of an inch — and make the
crank end cam-rod of such length as
will cause the steam valve in this end
to be released when the wrist plate
is moved over to its extreme travel
toward the head-end.

The reason for raising the governor

102 HAND BOOK OF

higher when adjusting the crank-end
cut- off, is to make correction for the er-
ror due to the angularity of the con-
necting-rod. This will be explained
later on in the present chapter.

The governor should now be blocked
up to its extreme height, and when in
this position the valves should not
hook up. This will prevent the en-
gine from ' ' running away ' ' should the
main belt or line-shaft break, thus re-
lieving the engine of its load.

Several of the Corliss engine gover-
nors have a collar fitted to the upright
governor spindle, several inches above
the counter-weight, and held in posi-
tion by a set- screw ; this collar should
in all cases be secured high enough up
to allow of the governor being raised
high enough to prevent the steam
valves hooking on, but not so high as to
allow the governor to be pushed far
enough up as to raise the guide blocks
out of the slots in the column.

In addition to the knock- off cams on
the cam-collars, there will be found ad-
justable buttons. When the governor
is resting on the safety-stop — which con-
sists of a removable pin in the side of the

COELISS STEAM EXGINES. 103

governor column, or a notched collar
loosely fitted around the column near
its top — these safety stop buttons
should be adjusted so that they will
just clear the hook, thus preventing the
steam valves from hooking up should
the governor drop to its lowest point,
through the breaking or running off of
the governor belt, when the engine is
running. Of course this safety collar
must be turned, or the pin removed, as
the case may be, as soon as the engine
is up to speed, for if not, and the gov-
ernor belt should run off or break, seri-
ous results would undoubtedly follow,
because the engine would take steam
full stroke as soon as the governor
ran slow enough to prevent cut-off tak-
ing place.

Reference has been made to the dis-
turbance of the cut-off, due to the
angularity of the connecting-rod ; this
effect is explained as follows : In Fig.
14 let A B represent the travel of the
crosshead pin — consequently the piston
travel— and the circle C E D F the path
of the crank-pin. Assuming the crank
to be on its inboard dead centre — or in
the position O C — the distance A C will

104

HAND BOOK OF

Fig-. 14.

CORLISS STEAM ENGINES. 105

obviously be the length of the connect-
ing-rod. If we now assume the cross-
head to be in the centre of its "travel;
as at X, the crank-pin will have moved
in the direction indicated by the arrow,
to point E, whicn is plainly less than
90 degrees, and when the crosshead has
travelled the same distance on the re-
turn stroke, the crank-pin will have
travelled the space D F, which is greater
than 90 degrees, consequently the pis-
ton travels further during the first quar-
ter of the crank's revolution, starting •
from C, than it does during the second
quarter ; also a shorter distance during
the third quarter than it does during
the last.

Suppose the engine to be turning over
very slowly, and the governor blocked
up to cut off the steam when the crank-
pin has made one eighth revolution, as
at a on the outward stroke and b on the
return stroke, it is evident, with no cor-
rection of the governor, that when cut-
off takes place, the piston will have
travelled the distance A c on the out-
ward stroke, and the distance d B on
the return stroke, therefore it is appar-
ent that the point of cut-off in the

106 HAND BOOK OF

crank end is much shorter than in the
head end, as will be seen by comparing
the space d B with A c.

By putting the extra thickness of
blocking under the governor when the
crank end cam-rod is being adjusted,
the knock- off cam is moved relatively
further away from the circular limb of
the crank end crab-claw, thus allowing
this crab-claw to be moved further
toward the head end before being un-
hooked than would have been the case
had not the correction been made.

When the cut-offs are equalized, the
steam valves will not be released in the
same revolution when starting up the
engine ; the head end valve will begin
to be released probably two or more
revolutions before the crank end valve
is unhooked, before the engine has got
up to speed. The object of equalizing
the point of cut-off in the two ends of
the cylinder is to assist in delivering as
nearly as possible a uniform rotative
effect to the belt wheel, which will assist
in perfect regulation. It must be un-
derstood that equalizing the point of
cut-off alone does not by any means
signify that each end of the cylinder

CORLISS STEAM ENGINES. 10?

will be doing an equal share of work,
for the piston rod diminishes the effec-
tive area of the piston in the crank end
of the cylinder, and when "balancing
the load," this must be accounted for.
There are still other factors which enter
into the question of stable regulation,
such as steam pressure, speed, weight
of reciprocating parts, and flywheel,
also the manner of connecting an engine
with its work.

The instructions given in this volume
if carefully followed, will result in
as nearly perfect adjustment as it is
possible to attain under ordinary condi-
tions. Different conditions of load,
class of work, etc., will have their modi-
fying effect, and the only way to deter-
mine what the required refinements of
adjustment are to be in each case, is to
apply the indicator and abide by its
dictation.

After getting the engine to work with
its full load, should it be found, by ap-
plying the indicator, that the head end
still has the longest cut-off, the cam rod
to the crank end steam valve should
bestill further shortened if the engine
has the crab-claw gear ; should it be

108 HAND BOOK OF

equipped with the oval arm gear open-
ing the steam valves outward, the cam
rod must be lengthened — letting the
head end cam rod remain as adjusted
before starting up, for all error caused
by the angularity of the rod must be
compensated for at the crank end.
When the engine is shut down again
after making this second connection, it
may be necessary to readjust the safety
stop cam on this end, for as the engine
is slowing down and the governor de-
scending, this cam may come into play
too early, thus preventing the crank
end valve hooking on when the gover-
nor gets down onto the safety collar.

CORLISS STEAM ENGINES.

109

110 HAND BOOK OF

CHAPTER IX. INDICATOR DIAGRAMS.

In the proceeding chapter we referr-
ed to applying the indicator to deter-
mine the final adjustment of the
valves. Let us first study the essen-
tial features on an indicator diagrams,
by referring to Fig. 15, which has been

Fig. 15.

drawn by hand for illustration only,
it being too near perfect for actual
practice. The names of the different
lines are plainly marked in the figure.
The sequence of events in the cylin-
der for one revolution is as follows: —
The engine being on a dead center the
steam enters the admission valve at
that end at A in the figure, and raises

CORT'ISS ST15AM ENGINES. 1H

that pressure in the cylinder to B
when the piston starts on its forward
stroke — in the direction of the ar-
row. Steam "follows" the piston, at
full pressure, to C, the "point of cut-
off," at which time the steam valve is
released by the action of the governor,
thus cutting off the supply of steam,
and the balance of the stroke is made
by the expansive force of the steam,
as shown by the "expansion curve."
At D, a trifle before the piston reaches
the end of its stroke the exhaust valve
is opened and the expanded steam is
expelled into the atmosphere. * This
early release greatly assists in reduc-
ing* the back-pressure on the return
stroke.

At E the piston starts on its return
stroke — impelled from the other end
in the manner just described — against
the "back pressure," which is the pres-
sure in the exhaust pipe, up to point F
where the exhaust valve closes, and
the piston in completing its return
stroke, compresses the confined steam
thus bringing the reciprocating parts
up gradually for their reversal of mo-
tion, to A where the steam valve is
again opened for admission. This cy-
cle repeats itself in each end of the
cylinder alternately.

112 HAND BOOK OF

The compression of the exhaust
steam remaining in the cylinder at the
closing of the exhaust valve, at F, not
only serves to "cushion" the recipro-
cating parts, but it also diminishes the
quantity of steam that would other-
wise be required to fill the clearance
volume at each stroke, thus reducing
the quantity of steam required for the
engine per horse-power per hour.

The line al is the "atmospheric line,"
and denotes the pressure of the atmos-
phere at the time the card was taken,
and is always equivalent to 0 pounds
gauge pressure or "14.7 pounds abso-
lute" i. e. 14.7 pounds above perfect
vacuum. It is drawn by the indicator
immediately after taking a card and
while the spring is still hot, with
steam shut off from the instrument.

The pressures indicated by the dif-
ferent lines of the diagram are meas-
ured from the atmospheric line with
the scale of the spring used in taking
the diagram. Thus if a 50 spring was
used, and the steam line near B stood
90 points, on the 50 scale, above the at-
mospheric line, the "initial pressure"
would be 90 pounds.

The terminal pressure, which to a
great extent indicates the degree of
economical performance, is measured

CORLISS STEAM ENGINES. 113

from the point of release, D, to the at-
mospheric line.

The proportion of the whole length
of the diagram held by the distance C
from the admission line — or a line
erected perpendicular to the atmos-
pheric line and forming a part of the
admission line, — represents the pro-
portion of the engine stroke complet-
ed when cut off takes place.

In practice you will rarely get such
sharply defined points as shown in the

?'- 60 rev -

Fig-. 16.

figure, unless it be at very slow speeds,
they being slightly obscured by the
rounding of corners, due to the com-
paratively gradual action of the steam
in changing from one operation to an-
other. This gradual merging of one
line into another is illustrated in tho
reproductions of actual diagrams
shown in this chapter.

When perfecting the valve adjust-
ment after the usual full load has been
put on, the cards should be made to

114

HAND BOOK OF

approach the ideal diagram as closely
as is consistant with other conditions.
Figure 16 was taken from a 16x36 in.
Corliss engine making 60 revolutions
a minute, and is a splendid card. The
initial pressure is 63 pounds, (scale 40)
the terminal 4 pounds, and the back
pressure 1 pound, all gauge pressures.
This diagram is all that could be de-
sired, and gives every indication of
economical performance.

Fig. 17.

Figure 17 was taken from a new en-
gine, Corliss type, 12x36 in. — 83 revolu-
tions. Steam pressure 90 pounds,
spring 50. The load was not all on,
as some of the machinery was not
ready to run, and the load is far too
small for the best results.

The valves had been set according
to the method described in the prev-
ious chapters, and shows what may
be accomplished by careful work,
when "setting to marks." A few

COKLISS STEAM ENGINES.

115

slight corrections are necessary, no-
tably the rather late admission in the
head end, as shown by the inclination
of the admission line toward the cen-
ter of the diagram. No adjustments
were made at this time, it being de-
cided to wait for the full load before
making any corrections.

16' * -4-2." CorJis* type,, 52. rev
A

116 !£?

Fig-. 18.

In Figure 18, card A was taken from
a new Corliss type "straight line" air
compressor — air and steam cylinders
tandem, — the valves on this engine
also were set to marks. It illustrates
the effect of the angularity of the con-
necting rod upon the point of cut off,

116 HAND BOOK OF

as described in chapter viii, the head
end indicating 14 :55 horse power more
than the crank end. Card B was
taken a few minutes later after length-
ening the governor rod to the crank
end knock off cam, — the "oval arm
gear" being used on this engine — with
the result that the difference in load
between the ends of the cylinder was
reduced to 8.18 horse power. The
load was balanced within a fraction of
a horse power when the total load was
about 140 horse power before leaving
this engine, but the final diagrams
have been mislaid.

A little more compression and an
earlier release would have been benefi-
cial to this engine, in fact a slight ad-
vancement of the eccentric thus mak-
ing each function of the valves earlier,
would not be much amiss.

CORLISS STEAM ENGINES. 117

CHAPTER X. A FEW POINTERS.

When starting a new engine for the
first time the greatest care should be
exercised. Get the cylinder and
valves thoroughly warmed up before
the engine is started and when you
do start do not hook on the valve gear
but run several revolutions moving
the valves by hand, or as it is usually
called, "with the bar," observing the
action of the valve gear and other
small parts while doing so. When
you are positive that there is no bind
or interference anywhere, hook on the
valve gear and allow the engine to
run slowly for several minutes, then
get it gradually up to speed.

Do not try to economize in the use
of oil for the first few days; use plenty
of good cylinder oil in the cylinder.
The surfaces of the cylinder and
valves will be improved by the appli-
cation of Dixon's flaked graphite pre-
pared for this purpose, which can be
mixed with cylinder oil and injected
with a hand pump, or fed clear in a
cup especially designed for it. This
graphite is an excellent antidote for
hot bearings, besides being exceeding-

118 HAND BOOK OF

ly useful in many other ways, and
should be included in the list of sup-
plies for the engine room.

During the trial run demonstrate
the efficiency of all safety appliances
and Imow postively that they are ad-
justed so as to perform that which
they were designed for; in fact never
assume anything to be all right when
dealing with any of the various forces
existing in a steam plant, but know by
actual investigation.

Do not try to "key up" the brasses,
or adjust any of the bearings, to the
utmost nicety for a few days so long
as they do not pound; it is better to
run a trifle slack until they have at-
tained a "surface"; in other words,
better a little noise than a hot bear-
ing.

After a few hours' run examine all
fastenings to determine if any of them
are inclined to work loose, and after a
few days of actual running with the
load on, examine the anchor bolts to
see if any of them have become slack ;
take off the cylinder head and exam-
ine the follower bolts and piston rod
nut, to make sure they are going to
stay where the belong. This exam-
ination of the cylinder should be
made three or more times a year, and

COBLISS STEAM ENGINES. 119

the piston kept in the center of the
cylinder. Also keep the cross head
so adjusted that the piston rod shall
always be concentric with the center
line of the engine.

In keying up the connecting rod
brasses it should be remembered that
the equality of the clearance in the
ends of the cylinder is gradually de-
stroyed, and if no correction is made
the piston will in time be brought up
against one of the cylinder heads, ac-
cording to the kind of rod and meth-
od of adjusting. In engines whose
connecting rod ends are fitted with
the usual straps and keys the repeat-
ed driving of the keys shortens the
effective length of the connecting rod,
thus diminishing the clearance in the
crank end — or "back end" — of the cy-
linder. This is corrected by interpos-
ing sheet steel liners or "shims" be-
tween the stub ends of the rod and the
inside brasses thus maintaining a
nearly constant length of rod. With
"solid end" rods keying up lengthens
the rod thus diminishing the clearance
in the head end of the cylinder, there-
fore the shims in this case, should be
put between the extreme ends of the
rod eyes and the outside brasses. Or-
dinarily it will take a very long time

120

HAND BOOK OF

to sensibly alter the clearance, but it
should be looked into occasionally by
referring to the "striking points" laid
off on the guides.

After the normal load is all on, the
engine settled right down to business,
and the valve adjustment corrected
with the indicator to conform to the
conditions under which the engine is
to run, mark the eccentric's position
permanently upon the shaft, also

Figr. 19.

mark the position of the eccentric rod
and hook rod ends, wherever there is
a screwed joint, to conform to the
tram gauge which was laid off on the
frame when the reciprocating parts
were being set up (Chapter VII. part

1.).

For marking eccentrics — or any
similar part of any machine — we have
found the tool illustrated in Fig. 19,
very handy. It is made like a cold

CORLISS STEAM ENGINES. 121

chisel with the exception that it has
two cutting edges at a right angle, the
apex of the angle being directly in the
longitudinal center of the chisel. On
using, its point is placed in the angle
formed by the eccentric and the shaft,
when a light blow with a hammer
marks both shaft and eccentric at the
same time, with the marks in exact
line.

Occasionally a Corliss engine, es-
pecially those built ten or a dozen
years ago with the old style slow
speeded governor, will have an unac-
countable fit of racing, .when every-
thing connected with the regulating
mechanism is apparently in the best
of condition. Well do we remember an
instance of this kind in our early ex-
perience which completely baffled us
yet it was almost immediately reme-
died after we had called in a brother
engineer from a neighboring plant. The
collar which takes the weight of the
vertical spindle together with the
balls, is located some six or eight
inches down inside the governor col-
umn, just below the bottom of the
guide slot. When our neighbor enter-
ed the engine room and observed the
antics of the governor, he asked for a
squirt can full of kerosene, and he pro-

122 HAND BOOK OF

ceeded to flush this collar with it. In
a few revolutions the racing had stop-
ped and after cooling down this bear-
ing, which had got quite warm, no
further trouble was experienced. The
fact is these collars are rather difficult
to properly lubricate, and in the case
referred to whatever oil had found its
way there had gummed, thus the fric-
tion. The best oil which we have found
to use upon any governor of this type
is called "high viscosity spindle oil":
it is a very fluid, light colored, neutral
oil, and, as its name implies, has good
lubricating properties, and being
strictly mineral, it will not gum.

One of the common faults of the
crab claw gear which will cause rac-
ing, and send the un-initiated on a
wild goose chase, is occasioned by the
unavoidable wearing of the "steels."
When the steel hook contacts are
new the circular limb of the crab claw
is concentric with the center of the
hook block stud. The wearing of the
contact edges of the block and steel
and the consequent grinding up the
same, changes the relative position of
the hook, block, and knock-off cam to
such an extent that the cam cannot
release the hook if the load is such
as "will require a late cut off, thus

CORLISS STEAM ENGINES.

123

causing the engine to take steam full
stroke for a revolution or two and
making it race. Inferring to Fig. 20,
the arc c shows the changed relation
of the circular limb of the hook to the
other parts, after the steels have been
shortened by wear and grinding. This
new position as shown by arc c shows
why this trouble is confined more to a
late cut off than an early one.

Fig. 20.

The way to determine the extent of
wrear, consequently the required
length of new steel (the section-lined
portion in the figure represents the
steel) is as follows:— Place the point
of an hermaphrodite caliper in the
center of the hook block stud and with
the other end of the caliper follow the

124 HAND BOOK OP

outline of the circular limb of the
claw. If the caliper does not follow
the curvature of the claw, but runs off,
following a path similar to c in the fig-
ure, slide the block along the spindle
(using a hand clamp to lift it against
the action of the dash pot and hold it
steady for measurement) until the cali-
per will follow the arc of the circular
limb; then the distance between the
hook block and the steel on the claw
shows how much longer the new steel
should be. It will do no harm to make
the new steels, say, a thirty-second of
an inch longer than this, to allow for
wear. The steels should be hardened.
Another fault of this gear, which
makes itself apparent through negli-
gence, is the tendency of the block B
to stick fast to the spindle A, due to
lack of lubrication or the use of an
inferior quality of engine oil. When
this sticking occurs it is evident that
the dash pot cannot close the valve,
consequently the engine must take
steam full stroke, and the governor is
powerless to prevent it, thus it is ap-
parent that a catastrophy is immin-
ent if it is not discovered in time. In
fact, it is positively known that fly
wheels have burst, engines been

CORLISS STEAM ENGINES. 125

wrecked, buildings been demolished,
and lives destroyed from this cause.

In any engine room which houses
an engine whose cylinder is twelve
inches or over in diameter, there
should be eyebolts permanently placed
in the ceiling, one over the center line
of the engine say four inches back
from the cylinder head, so that the
head may be hoisted or lowered clear
of the studs whenever it is necessary
to examine the cylinder, another one
over the middle of the connecting rod,
and others over each main bearing.
Their cost is trifling and they save
time and labor.

As to tools for emergencies: — we
have found the following list very ap-
propriate. It should beselected accord-
ing to the size and weight of the parts
to be handled but ordinarily the sizes
named will be about right: — One
chain hoist of 1500 pounds capacity, a
tackle with one single and one double
shive blocks with five-eighth inch (di-
ameter) rope, two 12 inch or 14 inch
screw jacks, a good hickory lever 8 or
10 feet long and 4 inch to 6 inch at the
butt, a crow bar, small pinch bar, and
an assortment of rope slings and
blocking. We find that pro vision in this
line is woefully lacking in the major-

126 HAND BOOK OF

ity of engine rooms which we have had
the opportunity of visiting. These
things may seldom be needed, but in
one emergency job — and accidents do
sometimes happen — they will usually
more than pay their cost through the
amount of time and labor saved.

COELISS STEAM ENGINES.

127

CHAPTER XI. THE DOUBLE PORTED

VALVE, AND THE "LONG RANGE

CUT-OFF."

The two most important improve-
ments in the Corliss valve gear are
the double ported valve and the adop-
tion of separate eccentrics for the
steam and exhaust valves.

Fig. 21.

Fig. 21, is a sectional view of the
"double ported" steam valve and valve
chamber and shows the relative posi-
tion of the working edges of the valve
and ports. The valve moves in the
direction of the short arrow in open-
ing, and steam enters the port P as
indicated by the crooked arrows. The
steam is admitted and remains at
nearly full boiler pressure up to point
of cut-off, the latter being very pro-

138 HAND BOOK OF

uounced on the indicator diagram,
when this style valve is used.

While the idea of using two eccen-
trics and two wrist plates, can hardly
be considered as a recent improve-
ment, they were not generally adopted
until a few years ago.

As long ago as 1877 several engin-
eers realized the benefits to be derived
from separating the driving mechan-
ism of the steam and exhaust valves,
and begun agitating the matter but
for some reason builders generally
refused to adopt the idea. In 1886 a
few builders began to equip the low
pressure cylinders of compound en-
gines with separate eccentrics for the
steam and exhaust valves, but still
using a single eccentric for the high
pressure side. The fallacy of this ar-
rangement soon became apparent, as
when a good load was put upon the
engine the low pressure cylinder
would empty the receiver, owing to
the contracted range of valve move-
ment on the high pressure cylinder
not furnishing a sufficient quantity of
steam, therefore both cylinders were
finally equipped with two eccentrics.

At the present time any of the lead-
ing builders will equip engines with
two eccentrics when specified, and

COKLISS STEAM ENGINES.

129

several of them make a specialty of
regularly furnishing engines, either
simple or compound, with the double
eccentric valve gear. Fig. 22 illus-

tes the valve gear of a well known
make of Corliss simple engine with
two eccentrics, for ulong range cut-
off."

130 HAND BOOK OF

A Corliss engine with a single eccen-
tric, having the valves adjusted and
eccentric set so as .to give the greatest
range of cut off — i e. with the least
possible angular advance — if put to
work under a heavy load may be han-
dicapped by its inability to exhaust
the steam early enough to bring the
exhaust down to atmosphere pressure
at the beginning of the return stroke,
or as the saying is, to "get rid of the
steam," and if the eccentric be advanc-
ed to secure early release the range of
cut off under control of the governor
is so reduced that the steam valves
may not be released for one or two
strokes, thus augmenting the trouble
which it was desired to remedy.

With separate eccentrics for the
steam and exhaust valves, the exhaust
eccentric may be given a good ad-
ranee, thus securing an early release
and sufficient compression to fill the
clearance space, and warm the cylin-
der walls up to a temperature ap-
proaching that of the entering steam,
while the steam eccentric may be so
set as to have the laps of the steam
valves taken up when this eccentric is
set with negative angular advance,
thus giving a great range of cut off,

COKLISS STEAM ENGINES. 181

and the greatest range of power un-
der control of the governor.

The setting of the steam eccentric
varies from 9 degrees negative angu-
lar advance to 6 degrees positive an-
gular advance or from 81 degrees to
96 degrees in advance of the crank,
according to the requirements of the
case. The 9 degree negative advance
position provides for about seven
tenths cut off.

132 HAN1> BOOK OF

CHAPTER XII. TABLES AND MEMOR-
ANDA.

NOTES ON STEAM AND FUEL CONSUMP-
TION.

A good many automatic non-con-
densing engines require from three to
four pounds of coal per horse-power
per hour, according to the quality of
the coal and the efficiency of the
boiler. An automatic condensing en-
gine requires from two and one-quar-
ter to three and one-half pounds of
coal per horse-power per hour. A
steam-jacketed compound condensing
engine of the most improved construc-
tion may, with good management, re-
duce the consumption of coal as low as
one and three-quarters to two pounds
of coal per horse-power per hour.

The average amount of feed water
required for a good, economical en-
gine, is about 2(> pounds per indi-
cated horse-power per hour; engines of
high economy — compound and triple
expansion — will use less than this
amount. A high piston speed, togeth-
er with a high rotative speed, is very
desirable, as a great power may thus
be obtained from the moderate sized
engines, and the evil of cylinder con-

OF TH

IVERSITY

CORLISS STEAM ENGINES,, 133

densation corrected to a great extent,
but these are somewhat limited by
practical considerations-

A good condenser increases the eco-
nomical efficiency of an engine from
twenty-five to forty -per cent , and the
amount of injection water required for
condensing may be roughly taken at
about twenty-five times the quantity
fed to the boilers.

In estimating for a consumption of
fourteen pounds of coal per square
foot of grate per hour, about eight
pounds of water may be taken as the
rate of evaporation per pound of coal,
which can be done with good natural
draft. With forced draft and twenty-
eight pounds of coal per square foot of
grate, the evaporation is only about
six pounds of water to one of coal.

Each pound of coal per hour is:—

1.5 net tons per year of 300, lOh. days
1.34 gross " " " " " "

3.6 net " " " " 24h "
3.21 gross " " " « " "

With eight pounds of water evapor-
ated per pound of coal, each pound of
steam (water) per horse-power takes:
.1875 net tons per year of 300, lOh. d'ys
.1675 gross " " * " " " " "
.45 net " " " " " 2!h "
.4 gross "

" " "

134 HAND BOOK OF

HORSE POWER OP AN ENGINE.

Formula:—

H. P.=

33000
P=mean effective pressure on the

piston.
L=the length of the stroke of en-

gine in feet.
A=area of the piston in square

inches.
N=number of strokes of piston in

a minute.
33000=foot pounds of work equal to

one horse-power.

PROPERTIES OF SATURATED STEAM.

Ice is liquefied and becomes water
at 32 degrees P. Above this point
water increases in temperature up to
the steaming point, nearly at the rate
of 1 degree for each unit of heat added
per pound of water. The steaming
point (212 degrees at atmospheric
pressure) rises as the superimposed
pressure increases.

For each unit of heat added above
the steaming point, a portion of the
water is converted into steam, having
the same temperature and the same
pressure as that at which it is evapo-

CORLISS STEAM ENGINES. 135

rated. The heat so absorbed is called
"Latent Heat." The amount of heat
rendered latent by each pound of wa-
ter in becoming steam varies at differ-
ent pressures, decreasing as the pres-
sure increases. The latent heat, add-
ed to the sensible heat (or thermome-
tric temperature), constitutes the
"Total Heat." The "total heat" being-
greater as the pressure increases, it
will take more heat, and, consequent-
ly, more fuel, to make a pound of
steam the higher the pressure.

The table on page 143 gives the prop-
erties of steam at different pressures
—from 1 Ib. to 400 Ibs. "total press-
ure," i. e., above vacuum.

The gauge pressure is about 15
pounds less than the total pressure, so
that in using this table, 15 must be
added to the pressure as given by the
steam gauge.

The column of Temperatures gives
the thermometric temperature of
steam and boiling point at each press-
ure.

The "factor of equivalent evapora-
tion" shows the proportionate cost, in
heat or fuel, of producing steam at the
given pressure, as compared with at-
mospheric pressure. To ascertain the
equivalent evaporation at any press-

136 HAND BOOK OF

ure, multiply the given evaporation by
the factor of its pressure, and divide
the quotient by the factor of the de-
sired pressure.

Each degree of difference in temper-
ature of feed water, makes a difference
of .00104 in the amount of evapora-
tion. Hence, to ascertain the equiva-
lent evaporation from any other tem-
perature of feed than 212 degrees, add
to the factor given as many times
.00104 as the temperature of feed wa-
ter is degrees below 212 degrees.

For other pressures than those
given in the table, it will be practical-
ly correct to take the proportion of the
difference between the nearest press-
ures given in the table.

MEMOEANDA ON WATER.

1 cubic foot of fresh water at maxi-
mum density, 39.2 degrees F. weighs
62.48 Ibs.

I cubic inch of fresh water at maxi-
mum density, 39.2 degrees F. weighs
.03617 Ibs. '

1 cubic foot of fresh water at boiling
point, 212 degrees F. weighs 59.76
Ibs.

1 cubic foot of fresh water at standard
temperature, 62 degrees F. weighs
62.355 Ibs.

COBMSS STEAM ENGINES. 137

35.84 cubic feet of fresh water weighs

2240 Ibs.
1 cubic foot of fresh Avater contains

7.48 U. S. Gals.
1 IT. S. Gallon of fresh water weighs

8.35 Ibs.
1 U. S. Gallon of fresh water contains

231 cu. in.
1 Pound of fresh water at 62 degrees

F. contains 27.64 in.

PRESSURE OF A COLUMN OF WATER.

A column of water one foot high ex-
erts a pressure of .434 pounds per
square inch, therefore to ascertain the
pressure per square inch upon the base
of a column of water, multiply its
height in feet by .434 pounds.

II. P. REQUIRED TO ELEVATE WATER.

To determine the horse power nec-
essary to elevate water to a given
height, multiply the number of gal-
lons per minute by 8.35, the weight of
one gallon; multiply this product by
the total number of feet the water is
raised, and the last product w^ill be
the foot-pounds of work done in one
minute. Divide this quantity by 33,-
000 ; the quotient will be the net horse
power, to which add twenty-five per
centum for friction, slip, etc.

138 HAND BOOK OF

CONVENIENT APPROXIMATE MULTIPLI-
ERS.

Square inches x .007=square feet.
Square feet x .lll=square yards.
Cubic inches x .0005S=cubic feet.
Cubic feet x .03704==cubic yards.
Cubic inches x .004329=U. S. gallons.
Cubic feet x 7.48=U. S. gallons.
Cubic feet x 62.355==pounds.
U. S. gallons x 231.s=cubic inches.
U. S. gallons x .13368=cubie feet.
Diameter of a circle x 3.141G;=circum-

ference.
Diameter of a circle x .8862==side of

equal square.
Circumference of a circle x .31831=*

diameter.
Square of diameter of circle x .7854=

area.

CORLISS STEAM ENGINES.

139

AREAS OF CIRCLES.

AREAS OF CIRCLES- HAVING DIAMETERS VARYING FROM
1 INCH TO 100 INCHES.

Diam.
Inches

Area in Diam.

Square

Inches. Inches.

Area in
Square
Inches.

Diam.
Inches.

Area in
Square
Inches.

4.4302
4 6664

4 9087

5 1573
5.4119
5.6723
5.9395
6.2126
6.4918
6.7772
7.0686
7.3662
7 6699

7 9798

8 2957
8 6180

8 9462

9 2807
9.6211
9.9680

10 320
10.679
11.044
11.416
11.793
12.177
12.566
12.962
13.364
13.772
14.186
14.606
15.033
15.465
15.904
16.349
16.800
17.257
17 720
18.190^
18.665
19.147
19.635
20 629
21.647
22.690
23.758
24 850

25 967

27 108

28 274
29.464

30 679

31 919
33.183
34.471
35 784
37.122
38 484
39.871
41 282
42.718
44 178
45.663
47.173
48.707
50.265
51.848
53.456
55.088
56.745
58 426
60 132
61.862
63.617
65.396
67.200
69.029
70.882
72.759
74.662
76.588
78.540

140

HAND BOOK OF

Diam.

in
Inches.

Area in
Square
Inches.

Diam.

in
Inches.

Area in
Square
Inches.

Diam.

in
Inches.

Area in
Square
Inches.

80.515
82.516
84.540
86.590
88.664
90. 762
92.885
95.033
97.205
99.402
101.623
103.869
106.139
108.434
110.753
113.097
115.466
117.859
120.276
122,718
125.184
127.676
130 192
132 732
135.297
137.886
140.500
143.139
145 802
148.489
151 201
153.938
156.699
159.485
162.295
165.130
167.989
170.873

15

16

17
17#

173%

17/8

18

18/8

18X
18>!

19
19X

19/8

173.782
176.715
179.672
182.654
185.661
188.692
191.748
194 828
197.933
201.062
204.216
207.394
210.597
213.825
217.077
220.353
223 654
226.980
230.330
233.705
237.104
240.528
243 977
247 450
250.947
254.469
258.016
261.587
265.182
268.803
272.447
276.117
279.811
283.529
287 272
291.039
294.831
298.648

8*

20>/6

21

21#
21 44

22
22^

22/8
22^
22#

223^

!»

23/8
23 \i
23/8
23^
235^

23^

23^

24

24^

24#

302.489
306.355
310.245
314.160
318.099
322.063
326.051
330.064
334.101
338.163
342.250
346.361
350.497
354.657
358.841
363.051
367.284
371.543
375.826
380.133
384,465
388.822
393.203
397.608
402.038
406 493
410.972
415.476
420.004
421 557
429.135
433.731
438.363
443.014
447.699
452.390
457.115
461 . 864

CORLISS STEAM ENGINES.

141

Diam.
in

Inches.

Area in
Square
Inches.

Diam.
Inches.

Area in
Square
Inches.

Diam.
in
Inches.

Area in

Square
Inches.

2426

466.638

29%

666.227

37%

1119.24

24^

471 436

29%

671.958

38

1134.11

24^

476.259

S9#

677.714

38%

1149.08

24%

481 106

SS9£

683.494

38^

1164.15

24%

48d 978

29%

689 298

38%

1179.32

25

490 875

29^

695.128

39

1194.50

25%

495 796

29%

700.981

39%

1209.95

25%

500 741

30

706.860

39^

1225.42

253/8

505 711

30X

718-690

39^

1240.08

25#

510 706

30^

730 618

40

1256.60

25%

515 725

3034:

742.644

40'^:

1272.39

25%

520 769

31

754 769

40)£

1288.25

25%

525 837

six

766.992

40%

1304.20

26

530.930

8$

779.313

41

1320.25

26/8

536 047

3ii

791 .732

41%

1336.40

26%

541 189

32

804 249

41^

1352 65

26^8

546 356

32X

816 .865

41%

1369.00

26^

551 547

38#

829.578

42

1385.44

26%

556 762

32^

842.390

42%

1401.98

26%

562 002

33

855.30

42^

1418.62

26%

567.267

33^

868 30

42%

1435.56

27

572.556

33^

881 .41

43

1452 20

27%

577.870

33%

894.61

43%

1469.13

27k

583 208

34

907.92

43^

1486.17

27%

588 571

:i4#

921.32

43%

1503.30

27%

593 958

34^

934.82

44

1520 53

27%

599.370

3*K

948 41

44%

1537.86

27%

604 807

35

962.11

44^

1555.28

27%

610.268

35^

975 90

44%

1572.81

28

615.753

35^

989.80

45

1590.43

28 ft

621 263

35%

1003 78

45%

1608.15

28%

626 798

36

1017.87

45^

1625.97

28%

632 357

36%

1032.06

45%

1643.89

28%

637 941

36^

1046 35

46

1661.90

28%

643 594

36%

1060.73

46%

1680.01

28%

649.182

37

1075.21

46^

1698.23

28%

654 839

37%

1089 79

46%

1716.54

29

660.521

37^

1104 46

47

1734 94

142

HAND BOOK OF

Dium.
in
Inches.

Area in
Square
Inches.

Piam.
Inches.

Area in
Square
Inches.

Diam.
in
Inches.

Area in
Square
Inches.

47X

1753 45

59

2733 97

73%

4242.92

47%

1772 05

59%

2780.51

74

4300.85

47^

1790 76

60

2827.44

74%

4359.16

48

1809.56

60%

2874.76

75

4417.87

48#

1828.46

61

2922.47

76

4536.47

48%

1847.45

61%

2970 57

77

4656.63

48^

1866.55

62

3019.07

78

4778.37

49

1885 74

62%

3067.96

79

4901.68

49^

1905.03

63

3117.25

80

5026.56

49%

1924 42

63%

3166 92

81

5153.00

49#

1943.91

64

3216.99

82

5281.02

50

1963.50

64%

3267.46

83

5410 62

50%

2002.96

65

3318.31

84

5541 . 78

51

2d42.82

05%

3369.56

85

5674.51

51%

2083.07

66

3421.20

86

5808.81

52

2123.72

66%

3473.23

87

5944.69

52%

2164.75

67

3525.62

88

6082.13

53

2206.18

67%

3578.47

89

6221.15

53%

2248.01

68

3631.68

90

6361.74

54

2290.22

68%

3685.29

91

6503.89

54%

2332.83

69

3739.28

92

6647.62

55

2375.83

69%

3793.67

93

6792.92

55%

2419.22

70

3848.46

94

6939.79

56

2463.01

70%-

3903.63

95

7088.23

56%

2507.19

71

3959.20

96

7238.24

57

2551.76

71%

4015.16

97

7389.80

*7%

2596.72

72

4071.51

98

7542.96

58

2642.08

72%

4128.25

99

7697.68

58%

2687.83

73

4185.39

100

7854.00

CORLISS STEAM ENGINES.

143

TABLE OF PROPERTIES OF SATURATED STEAM.

Total
per

ssr

Tempera-
Fahrenheit
degrees.

Total Heat
in heat

at 3>o F

Latent
heat,
in heat
units.

Density
weight
cubic It.

Volume
of one
pound of
steam

Relative vol
uine, or cubic
'feet of steam
ifrom one cub
feet of water

Factor of
equivalent
evaporati'n
from water
at 212o

,

102

1113.05

1042.964 .001(0

330. 26

20620

0.965

2

126.266

1120.45

1026.010

.0058

172.08

10720

0.972

3

141.622

1125.131

1015.251

.0085

117.52

7326

0.977

4

153.070

1128.62.-,

1007 229

.0112

89 62

5600

0.981

5

162.330

1131.449

1(100 727

0137

Tt.66

4535

0.984

6

170.123

1133.825

995 249

.0103

61.21

3814

0.986

7

176.910

li:r,.8'.ic

99U.471

.11189 52.94

3300,

0.988

8

182.910

Ii:i7.72(i

98(1.245

.0214 1 46.69

2910

0.990

9

188.31C

1 131.37 J

.02:t9

41.79

2607

0.992

10

193.240

1140.877

978.958

.0264

31.84

2360

X).994

15

213.025

1146.91-2

964.973

.0387

25.85

1612

1.000

20

227.917

1151 4;.4

954.415

.O.M1

19.72

1220.3

1.005

25

240 000

1198.139

945.825

.0634

15.99

984.8

1.008

30

250.245

1158.263

9:t8.925

.0755

1346

826.8

1.012

35

259.476

1160.987

932 152

.0875

U.&

713.4

1.015

40

267.120

1103.410

926472

.9991

10.27

628.2

1.017

45

274.396

1165 BOO

921.324

1111

9.18

561.8

i.«i?

so

280854

1167.60H

916.631

.1227

8.31

508.5

1.021

55

286.897

11119. 44'J 9122'.K>

.1341

7.61

464.7

1.023

60

292.520

1171.158 1 908.247

1457

7.01

428.5

1.025

65

297.777

1172.762

904 462

.,1569

^.49

397.7

1.027

70

302.718

1174269

900.899

f<n

6.07

871.2

1.028

75

307.388

1175692

897.526

.1792

5.68

348.3

1.030

80

311.812

11 77.042

894.330

1901

5.35

328.3

1.031

85

316.021

1178.320

891. 206

.201(1

5.05

310.5

1.033

90

320.039

1179.551

888.375

.2118

4.79

294.7

1.034

M

1180.724

886.5*8

.2224

4.55

280.6

1.035

100

327^571

1181.849

S63.914

.2330

4.33

267.9

1.036

105

331.113

1182.929

880 342

.2434

4.14

265.5

1.037

110

334.523

1183.970

877.865

2537

3.97

2460

1.038

115

337814

1184.974

875.472

.2640

3.80

236.3

1.039

180

340.995

1185.944

873. 155

.2742

3.65

227.6

1.040

125

344.074

1186.883

870.911

.2842

3.51

219.7

1.041

130

347.059

1187.794

868.735

.2942

3.38

212.3

1.042

140

352.757

1189.535

864.566

.3138

3.16

199.0

1.044

150

358.161

1191.180

860 621

.3340

2.96

187.5

'1.046

160

363.277

1192.741

856874

.3520

2.79

177.3

1.047

170

368.158

1194228

853 294

.3709

2.63

168.4

1.049

ISO

372.822

1195.650

849.869

.-JS89

3.49

160.4

1.051

190

377.291

1197.013

846.584

.4072

2.37

153.4

1.052

200

381.573

11 98 319

843.432

.4249

2.2G

147.1

1.053

250

401.072

1203.735

831 222

.5464

1.83

114

1.059

300

418.225

1 208. 737

819.610

.6486

1.54

96

1.064

350

431.956

1212.580,

810.690

.7498

1.33

83

1.068

400

444.919

1217.09*

800.198

.8502

1.18

73

LOTS

144

HAND BOOK OF

* ^ 2. & i 2 ?= r= %. ?= b r- ;, 2
^ ^ - S £ S S3 S S-S K SI K S

t- 5. £, = 5, f. =

1 i S a i g i i ^ i § g i § I! i I § g § g i J i § § i

* -55*58 js

B| 512 51 811 i § i § § § g SJii

•|j!| 2 S S £ § 5 1 i a s ? H- 1 u§ II i = S 1 1 i I =

S3 s'SS l-s 831$ If MM85I6S i i

IllliiHillllilHElHIISIj

li a 'S 1. 1, 1 li I

CORLISS STEAM ENGINES. 145

CHAPTER XIII. THE REYNOLDS-CORLISS
ENGINE.

This engine is built from the de-
signs of Mr. Edwin Reynolds, in both
horizontal and vertical styles, includ-
ing triple and quadruple expansion en-
gines.

Figure 23 is a view of the crank
side of the Reynolds-Corliss "1890" en-
gine, and Figure 24 illustrates the
valve-gear side of the same style. The
wearing surfaces are all extra large,
particularly the cross-head and
guides, and the engine throughout is
admirably adapted for long continu-
ous duty under the high steam press-
ures commonly used in electric rail-
way and lighting stations, for which it
is much used. Figure 25 illustrates a
tandem compound engine of the same
design.

The standard girder-frame Rey-
nolds-Corliss engine, wrhich is exten-
sively used for manufacturing plants
is well illustrated in Figure 26, which
is a tandem compound of this pat-
tern ; the cross-compound girder-frame
engine is illustrated in Figure 27.

The valve-gear was designed by Mr.
Edwin Reynolds in 1876, and is one
of the standard styles used at the pres-

146

HAND BOOK OF

Fig. 23.

COKLISS STEAM ENGINES.

147

Fig-. 24

148

HAND BOOK OF

Fig. 25.

COBLISS STEAM ENGINES.

149

Fig-. 26.

150

HAND BOOK OF

Fig. 27.

CORLISS STEAM ENGINES. 151

ent time. The releasing mechanism is
illustrated in outline in chapter 2, part
2, figure 5, and is styled the "oval arm
gear." Vacuum dash pots are used
for closing .the steam valves when re-
leased at cut off, this style of dash pot
being noted for the rapidity of its ac-
tion at high speeds.

152 HAND BOOK OP

CHAPTER XIV. THE HARRIS-CORLISS
ENGINE.

The engraving, Figure 28, illustrates
the Harris-Corliss simple engine.

The releasing gear possesses many
desirable and novel features, as will
be seen by referring to Figure 29.
The use of springs is entirely
dispensed with, thereby decreasing
the noise so common with oth-
er gears, and reducing the wear
on pins to a minimum. The en-
gagement of the hook is positive and
takes place entirely through the ac-
tion of gravity, the release being ef-
fect by a positive locked edge cam
working between the two arms of the
hook block lever, and imparts a slight
rotative motion to this block, thus un-
failingly releasing. The hook con-
tacts have four edges each which may
be successively brought into contact
as necessitated by wear.

The dash pots of the well known
"noiseless" form. They require no
piping to conduct away the compress-
ed air, and they adjust themselves
readily to variations of load without
adjustment. As will be seen by re-

CORLISS STEAM ENGINES.

153

Fig. 28.

154

HAND BOOK -Of

ferring to Figure 30 their construction
makes them practically dust proof.

The connecting rods are of the solid
end type with wedge and screw ad-
justment for the brasses.

The cross-head is of the box pattern,
has large wearing surfaces and a very

.Fig. 29.

convenient arrangement for removing
the wrist-pin when taking down the
connecting rod. The wrist-pin may
be turned to various positions in the
cross-head so as to correct any tenden-
cy to wear out of round.

COBLISS STEAM ENGINES.

155

The well known Babbitt and Harris
piston is used in all engines built by
this company.

All engines over twenty-six inches
diameter of cylinder are fitted with
two eccentrics for long range cut off.

The governor is of the Porter- Allen
type designed to run at a speed of two
hundred and twenty-five revolutions a

Fig. 30.

minute, with heavy balls and heavy
counter- weight, which combination
gives it great power and sensitiveness.

156 HAND BOOK OF

CHAPTER XV. THE PHILADELPHIA
CORLISS ENGINE.

This engine illustrated in Fig. 31. Its
peculiar features are its massive box
pattern frame, and its valve-gear,
known as "Gordon's Improved Corliss
Valve Gear." It will be seen by re-
ferring to Fig. 32, wThich is an enlarged
view of the Gordon valve gear, that
the dash pots are cast in one piece
with the exhaust valve-stem brackets.
They are powerful and noiseless and
are so constructed that they discharge
no air.

The double ported steam valve is
used with this gear, giving a steam
line of almost constant pressure up to
cut off.

This company also build a "high
speed Corliss engine/' for electric rail-
way stations and similar work requir-
ing a high rotative speed, as in direct
connected engines and dynamos.

CORLISS STEAM ENGINES.

157

158

HAND BOOK OF

Fig. 32.

COKLISS STEAM ENGINES. 159

CHAPTER XVI. THE ECLIPSE-COIl-
LISS ENGINE.

This engine is built in styles and
powers to meet the requirements of all
classes of modern steam engineering
practice.

Fig. 33 is an illustration of a single
cylinder girder frame, Eclipse-Cor-
liss engine, and Pig. 34 is a "long
range cut-off/' tandem compound en-
gine by the same company.

The valve gear is of the usual type
of modern design and needs no detail-
ed description, but the valve itself has
peculiar features as will be seen in Fig.
35. Instead of being driven by the
usual flattened elongation of the valve
stem, motion is imparted to the valves
by T headed valve stems, and they are
held in place by keepers at each end of
the valve; they ma}7 be removed for
inspection without disturbing the
valve stems or gear.

The cross head is of the usual box
pattern, runs in V guides, and is keyed
to the piston rod. It is adjusted by
the usual concealed wedge as illustrat-
ed in Fig. 36.

160

*HAND BOOK OF

H

3 I

W

CORLISS STEAM ENGINES.

161

Fig. 34.

TANDEM COMPOUND ECLIPSE CORLISS ENGINE
(100 H. P.), VALVE SIDE.

162

HAND BOOK OF

A feature of the governor which is
shown in Fig. 37, is the "speed adjust-
er"; by placing the weight at different
positions upon the speed lever, con-
siderable variations of speed may be
obtained as required.

THE STEAM VALVB

Fig1. 35

Figr. 36.

Fig. 38 illustrates a tandem com-
pound Eclipse-Corliss engine, driving
a double vertical ammonia compress-
or.

CORLISS STEAM ENGINES. 163

Fig. 37.

164

HAND BOOK OF

CORLISS STEAM ENGINES. 165

CHAPTER XVII. THE COLUMBIAN-
CORLISS ENGINE.

This engine was produced in honor
and commemoration of The Columbian
Exposition, and embodies all the im-
provements in detail and construction
demanded by modern conditions of
high steam pressure, speed and con-
tinuity of service, such as electric light
and railway plants and the manufac-
ture of artificial ice.

The Columbian-Corliss engine con-
sists of two main parts — the cylinder
and frame. The cylinder in the larger
sizes, is bolted directly to the founda-
tion without the interposition of ped-
estals or legs, and in the smaller sizes
the legs are cast on. The pedestals
are of box form — in cross section-
having two vertical walls of metal for
the direct support of each end of the
cylinder, at the same time presenting
smooth surfaces with no recesses for
the lodgement of dirt, thus being
easily kept clean.

The frame has the main bearing,
with its pedestal, cast upon its outer
end, which construction dispenses with
useless joints and prevents spring-

166

HAND BOOK OF

ing. Instead of the usual "girder."
this company have adopted a frame of
box section, supported in the middle
of its length, which is admirably
adapted to withstand complex strains,
and combines the guides, main bear-
ing and seats for the governor and
rocker arm, in one piece. The guides
are of the bored cylindrical style, the
outer ends being tied together by a
heavy ring of metal. Figure 39 is a

Fig. 39.

cross sectional view through guides, 3
being the ring tying the guides to-
gether, and A representing the pedes-
tal under the end of the guides.

The cylinder is fitted with circular
valve bonnets, and has round corners
of large radius on top of each end of
steam chest, which is an improvement
on the square corners and consequent
sharp angle in the steam passages to
the ports. The iron top cast on the
cylinder is one of its peculiar features.

COKLISS STEAM ENGINES.

167

giving it a handsome appearance and
doing away with the unsightly warp-
ing, shrinking, and swelling of wood

The steam chest is much larger Jian
usual, and the exhaust chest is sepa-
rated from the bottom of the cylinder,
thereby preventing the cooled exhaust
steam from extracting heat from the
cylinder walls. The cylinder heads

Fig. 40.

are scraped metal to metal, thus mak-
ing a tight joint without packing.

The piston packing is the well
known Babbitt and Harris patent, il-
lustrated in Figure 40. It consists of
a chunk ring, with a narrow, sectional,
self-adjusting packing ring, automati-
cally expanded by German-silver
springs. The chunk ring is provided
with the usual centering screws, be-
tween it and the spider. When re-

168 HAND BOOK OF

moving this packing from the piston,
it is necessary to insert pins — which
come with the engine — in the small
holes near the circumference of the
chunk ring, working them into corre-
sponding holes in the packing ring sec-
tions, this will prevent sections of the
packing from dropping into the ports
in removing or replacing.

The cross-head is the approved box
pattern, with removable wrist-pin, and
large wearing surfaces.

The connecting rod is of the solid
end style with wedge and screw ad-
justment for taking up the wear of the
brasses.

The governor — Figure 41 — with
which this engine is equipped is ex-
tremely simple and wonderfully ef-
ficient; the centrifugal force of two
balls situated upon the ends of the
vertical levers of the bell cranks, is
resisted by a spring engaging the in-
ner ends of these bell cranks. By this
mechanism the resisting forces can be
most accurately adjusted and regu-
lated. It is designed to run at about
two hundred revolutions a minute,
and owing to its construction the
usual dash pot is dispensed with. The
safety stop is perfectly automatic, be-

CORLISS STEAM ENGINES.

169

ing actuated by gravity in starting the
engine.

The valve motion of this engine is
fitted with unusually large bearings
and pins which is an important fea-

Fig. 41.

ture, for the reason that these joints
are usually the first parts to wear
loose. The releasing gear is of the
oval arm type which has been de-
scribed; the usual vacuum dash pot is
used.

170 HAND BOOK OF

The Heavy Duty Engine, Figure 42,
is designed to meet the severe require-
ments of rolling mills, electric and
cable railways. The frame is massive
with a bearing practically the entire
length of the foundation. The double
eccentric valve gear is applied to this
style engine; a peculiar feature, adopt-
ed by this company, is the absence of
the wrist plates. The parallel rods
are connected directly to the bell
cranks.

CORLISS STEAM ENGINES.

171

173 HAND BOOK OF

CHAPTER XVIII. THE FILER AND
STOWBLL-CORLISS ENGINE.

This engine is built under the super-
vision of its designer, Mr. J. H. Yorst-
man.

The principle features are compact-
ness, rigidity, and simplicity. All
wearing surfaces are made unusually
large and provided with improved de-
vices to prevent heating of the bear-
ings.

Cylinders of Corliss engines of large
size have been built with ports rather
small in proportion to the piston
speed, partly because large ports re-
quire valves of large diameter, and
wide angle of travel, and partly be-
cause they increase the clearance. In
the design of this engine these objec-
tions have been eliminated, the port
areas being of such dimensions that
the velocity of the steam is practically
the same in all sizes, and the clearance
in the valve cavities reduced to a min-
imum, thereby obtaining high initial
and low back pressures.

The frame of the standard pattern is
one piece, containing the main bearing

CORLISS STEAM ENGINES. 173

and guides, and rests upon a base or
sole plate of ample dimensions.

The main bearing, Figure 43, is pro-
vided with cast iron quarter boxes
lined with babbit metal. The wear
is taken up by heavy adjusting screws
and the quarter box shell is protected
from the wearing in of these screws,
by steel thrust blocks. The upper and

Fig. 43.

lower shells can adjust themselves au-
tomatically to the shaft without caus-
ing binding or unnecessary friction
and consequent heating. Openings
are provided in the cap, through which
the shaft may be examined by eye and
hand while it is in motion.

For direct connected electric gen-
erators, a special feature is introduced
in the main bearings, whereby the

174

HAND BOOK OF

shaft may be kept in perfect allign-
ment vertically; this is accomplished
by the interposition of a wedge and
screw between the bottom shells and
their seatings.

The cross-head is of a very compact
pattern made of special "semi steel"
which this company use extensively
for details; it is of the box pattern

with removable wrist pin. The shoes
are turned to fit the guides which are
bored cylindrical.

The connecting rod, Figure 44, is
made with solid ends. It will be no-
ticed that the wedges, instead of being
set vertically in the stub ends, as is
usual with this style, enter the rod at
the side and provide a bearing the full

* OK THE

COKLISS STEAM ENGINES. V 175

width and depth of the box, whu
very desirable, as this arrangement
prevents "wearing in" and consequent
springing and heating of the box. The
wedge is operated by means of a screw
bolt which allows of a very delicate
adjustment. A small set screw under-
neath the rod is added as a safety
check. Owing to the disposition of
these wedges — the wrist-pin box ad-
justment being between the wrist-pin
and the crank-pin, and the crank-pin
box wedge being at the extreme end of
rod — the taking up of the wear will
leave the distance between the centers
of the pins nearly constant, thus cor-
recting any tendency to disarrange-
ment of clearance due to "keying up."

The governor is of the medium speed
type with large counter-weight and
medium sized balls. A novel safety-
stop is introduced which, owing to its
peculiar construction, is entirely auto-
matic, and cannot possibly fail to
operate should the governor belt run
off or break. Figure 45 illustrates
this governor so well that further de-
scription is unnecessary.

The Heavy Duty "1900" pattern en-
gine, built by this company is illus-
trated in figure 46. This is a cross
compound engine, designed for long

176

HAND BOOK OF

continuous running under heavy
loads, and its construction makes it
well adapted for this purpose.

A complete line of this make of en-
gines are also built, including horizon-

45.

tal and vertical engines, either con-
densing or non-condensing, tandem or
cross-compound, also triple and quad-
ruple expansion engines.

CORLISS STEAM ENGINES.

Fig. 46.

CROSS COMPOUND HEAVY DUTY
FILER-STOWELL-CORLISS ENGINE.

178 HAXD BOOK OF

CHAPTER XIX. THE GEO. II. CORLISS
ENGINE.

This engine is built by the company
which was established in 1849, by
Geore H. Corliss, the inventor of the
Corliss Engine.

Figure 47 represents a single cylin-
der engine with two eccentrics and
two wrist plates, the latter being of
peculiar design. Figure 48 is a view
of the crank side of the same engine.

Figure 49 illustrates a four cylinder,
triple-expansion engine of 1,000 horse-
power, which was built for a New
England cotton mill. There are two
low pressure cylinders, one being in
tandem with the high pressure cylin-
der, the other one — the left hand in the
figure — is in tandem with the inter-
mediate cylinder. This arrangement
equalizes the strains and obviates the
necessity of using one excessively
large low-pressured cylinder.

The heavy duty G. H. Corliss en-
gine is illustrated in Figure 50, which
is a cross-compound, "direct connect-
ed'7 engine of 2000 horse-power, which
was built for an electric railway in the
West. It is fitted with the "long
range cut off" on both cylinders.

CORLISS STEAM ENGINES.

179

s^Pt|v
11^--. e

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180

HAND BOOK OF

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COKLIbS STEAM ENGINES.

181

a

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8 $

182

HAND BOOK OF

CORLISS STEAM ENGINES. 183

CHAPTER XX. THE SIOUX-CORLISS
ENGINE.

The standard Sioux-Corliss engine
is illustrated in Figure 51. The valve
gear is of the approved modern type, a
peculiar feature being the disconnect-
ing device — Hart patent — which is
one of the latest and best improve-
ments designed to support the reach
rod when "unhooked," in order to han-
dle the valve gear with the starting
bar. It is composed of two pieces, i.e.,
a clamp, and a bronze box on the wrist
plate pin. The reach rod end is slot-
ted and runs over the box, the latter
being ajustable for wear on the pin, a
very desirable feature. The clamp is
a steel nut with a taper projection,
which fits into grooves in the side of
the reach rod end, and is fitted with
short levers suited to the hand. The
general appearance of this device is
plainly shown in the illustration.

The governor of this engine is of the
high speed type with light fly-balls
and heavy counter weight, the latter
having a cavity cast in the top intend-
ed to receive shot for adjusting the
speed to a fraction of a revolution; the

184

HAND BOOK OF

COKMSS STEAM ENGINES.

185

vertical thrust bearings are all fitted
with hardened steel balls, which pro-
duce an exceedingly light running and
3ensitive regulator. It is provided
with a safety-stop which sets itself au-
tomatically as soon as the engine — in
being started — has attained a speed
sufficient to raise the governor a trifle.

Fig. 52.

By referring to Figure 52, which is a
sectional view of the Sioux-Corliss cy-
linder, it will be noticed that the ex-
haust steam passes tJirough the ex-
haust valve instead of over its edge
at one side, also that the valve fills the
valve chamber, thus reducing clear-
ance to a minimum. The exhaust
chest is separated from the cylinder
walls which is of material benefit in
reducing cylinder condensation.

186 HAND BOOK OF

The frame is of the girder type, but
of box shape in section and has a
heavy pedestal under the end of the
guides.

The connecting rod is of the usual
solid end pattern with the adjusting
wedges for the boxes placed one in-
side and one outside of the pins which
prevents shortening the effective
length of the rod in keying up.

The outboard bearing has many de-
sirable features. It is seated upon a
sole plate which is provided with a
parallel vertical adjustment whereby

Fig. 53.

the engine shaft may be quickly re-
stored to proper level when thrown
out by wear. By removing the tap-
bolts which hold the pillow-block to
the sole plate, the bearing may be
drawn off over the end of the shaft
should necessity demand it, making it
unnecessary to jack up the shaft as is

CORLISS STEAM ENGINES. 187

usual in a case of this kind, it being
only necessary to take the weight of
the shaft on blocking. Further ad-
justment is provided for keeping the
shaft square with the center line of the
engine. Figure 53 illustrates these
points.

188 HAND BOOK OF

CHAPTER XXI. THE VILTER-CORLISS
ENGINE.

The Vilter-Corliss engine illustrated
in figure 54 is one of the most recent
developments of this type of engine
with the girder frame.

The cylinder is fitted with circular
valve bonnets and circular corners on
the top of each end. The absence of
sharp angles in the steam passage
gives a free, smooth passage for the en-
tering steam.

The exhaust valves are so construct-
ed that the wearing surfaces come be-
low the valve centers which insures
long life of the valves with freedom
from leakage. The cylinder is covered
with a steel jacket inside of which is
placed an approved non-heat conduct-
ing filling.

The frame, main bearing and gird-
er for engines up to 18 inches are cast
in one piece, the girders in all sizes be-
ing of the bored cylindrical style with
a pedestal under the outer end.

The usual modern style of valve
gear, with oval arm releasing mechan-
ism, and so arranged that it will oper-

CORLISS STEAM ENGINES.

189

190 HAND BOOK OF

ate without the use of springs, has
been adopted.

The dash pots used on this engine
are dust proof, perfectly noiseless, and
so constructed that the usual cup-
leather packing is dispensed with; the
cushion is regulated by turning a small
thumb screw as conditions require.
They are both mounted upon one sole
plate which is bolted to the founda-
tion.

The cross head is of the box pattern
with large shoes lined with babbitt
metal, and adjusted with a wedge and
screw. The wrist pin is a taper fit in
the cross-head and is held in place by
a nut. The piston rod is either keyed
or screwed into the cross head as re
quired.

Solid end connecting rods with
wedge and screw arrangement for
taking up the wrist pin and crank pin
brasses, are used.

The outboard bearings are fitted
with parallel wedges interposed be-
tween the bearings and a heavy sole
plate, and are capable of being adjust-
ed both vertically and horizontally
without disturbing the anchor bolts,
which is a splendid feature.

COEMSS STEAM ENGINES. 191

Simple engines of this pattern are
built in sizes from 9x24 inch to 32x54
inch cylinders. Cross and tandem
compound engines of this make are al-
so built.

192 HAND BOOK OF

CHAPTER XXII. THE BATES-CORLISS
ENGINE.

The Bates-Corliss engine, illustrated
in figure 55, differs but slightly if at
all, in general appearance from others
illustrated in this book, but the con-
struction and operation of its valve-
gear are worthy of more than a pass-
ing notice. The use of steel blocks,
springs, hooks, and the usual small
parts have been eliminated in the de-
sign of this gear, and an exceedingly
simple "folding device," which accom-
plishes everything that the hook me-
chanism does, has been substituted.
The number of parts is noticeably
small, and all joints have pins and
boxes of greatly increased size, thus
the liability to derangement is reduced
to a minimum, and its action rendered
practically noiseless.

The principles governing the adjust-
ments of the ordinary "hook" gear ap-
ply equally to this one, as will be read-
ily understood by reference to figure
56, which shows valve gear in full.
W is the wrist plate which gives mo-
tion to both steam and exhaust valves.

COELISS STEAM ENGINES.

193

194

HAND BOOK OF

RR are valve rods which operate the
steam valves. LL are connecting
links and are supported by steel pins
II securely fastened in wrist plate. PP
are small steel wrist pins connecting
valve rods RR with links LL. C is a
center line drawn from center of pins
O and I, which indicates the line of
strain between the two points. DI)

Fig. 56.

are tripping arms moving to and from
each other, varying point of cut-off to
suit load. They are actuated by the
governor through rods GG. HH are
dash pots which instantly close steam
valves as soon as released at wrist
plate. Observe that the center of pin
P on right side which connects link L
to valve rod R is below center line C.

CORLISS STEAM ENGINES.

195

The operation is as follows: — The
wrist plate W moving in the direction
indicated by the arrow wTould cause
link L to tighten and keep its hold on
valve rod 11 until the end of link L

Fig. 57.

comes in contact with roller D at
which point the center of pin P is
raised above center line C, allowing
the dash pot to instantly close the
steam valve, the link assuming a sim-

196

HAND BOOK OF

ilar position to that shown on left
hand. When the wrist plate com-
pletes its motion in the direction indi-
cated the left hand link L and rod II
will fold together like that on right
side.

Fig. 58.

The governor is of the weighted fly-
ball pattern and is provided with an
exceedingly efficient, and perfectly au-
tomatic safety stop which is ready for
instant action the moment the gover-
nor begins to rise, in getting up to
speed.

COBLISS STEAM ENGINES. 197

C and D, Figs. 57 and 58, are inde-
pendent discs between which is placed
spring F connected to the hub of C
and rim of I). The tension of this
spring is resisted by pawl E on disc C,
thus causing discs C and D to work as
one. Hod A connects direct to the
governor. Kods B connect the trip-
ping device at valve motion. Should
any accident befall the governor it
would immediately descend until pawl
E came in contact with adjustable
screw G, disengaging it from disc D,
thus allowing the spring F to throw
the rods B back to the earliest point of
cut-off, shutting off steam and stop-
ping the engine. When the engineer
stops his engine and the governor de-
scends, he pushes pin H into a recess
in disc D, thus stopping the downward
travel of the governor at a point wrhere
pawl E will lack just a trifle of being
in contact with adjustable screw G.
When the engine is started in motion
again and the governor rises, the pin
H is automatically forced out leaving
the automatic stop free to act.

The valves are of generous dimen-
sions and have large wearing surfaces.
They are driven from the end, the
valve stem being made with a T head,

198

HAND BOOK OF

suitably meshing into the end of the
valve. The use of springs in either
steam or exhaust valves is dispensed
with, their construction rendering
them unnecessary. The valves may
be removed without deranging the
valve gear, which is a decided con-
venience.

Fig. 59.

These engines are also built with
special admission valves of the flat
slide pattern, driven by the same gear
as the ordinary rotative Corliss valve.
This valve is illustrated in Figure 59.

Engines of this make are built in all
sizes and styles of cross and tandem
compound, vertical and horizontal.

COKLISS STEAM ENGINES.

199

CHAPTER XXIII. THE WATTS CAMP-
BELL CORLISS ENGINE.

Figure 60 represents the valve-gear
side of a simple Watts-Campbell Cor-
liss Engine arranged for a twin or
"pair." The crank-shaft and fly-wheel
are made of sufficient strength to
transmit double the power of one cyl-
inder, and the end of the shaft, which

Fig. 61.

projects through the outboard bear-
ing, is provided with a key-way to hold
another crank.

By referring to Figure 61, it will be
noticed that the releasing device used
on these engines differs from the usual
form of gear used upon Corliss en-

200

HAND BOOK OF

CORLISS STEAM ENGINES. 201

gines. The releasing arrangement il-
lustrated was devised with a view to
eliminating disturbances of the gover-
nor at the moment of "knock off,"
which it very successfully accomplish-
es. The latch is semi-cylindrical in
shape and has a slight rotary motion
in hooking on and tripping; the roller
upon the end of the latch lever is al-
ways in contact with the knock off
cam disc, thus avoiding the jar usual-
ly sustained when such devices depend
upon a blow for the tripping action.
The figure illustrates this gear so
plainly that a detailed description is
unneccessary.

A dash-pot of the usual approved
vacuum type is used with this valve
gear, and its attachment to the dash
pot rod is by means of a ball-and-
socket bearing, which permits the
dash-pot plunger to turn freely in its
bore, thus insuring uniformity of wear
and increasing its durability. The
ball-and:socket device also compen-
sates for any fault in alignment, should
any exist, thus avoiding all danger of
binding.

The cross head, illustrated in Figure
62, is of the box type with removable
wrist pin and ample bearing surfaces.

202

HAND BOOK OP

The method adopted by the builders
of this engine for adjusting the cross
head in the guides is such that when
the lock nuts are properly screwed up,
the cross head and shoes have the ri-
gidity of one solid piece. In all en-
gines of this make the piston rod is
keyed into both the cross head and the
piston.

Fig. 62.

The connecting rod is made with the
ordinary strap end, and gib-and-key
adjustment, and is "six cranks'' long
or three times the length of stroke of
piston, which is somewhat longer than
the usual practice.

These engines are built in all sizes
from ten inch up to thirty-four inch
cylinders, also cross and tandem com-
pound engines.

COKLISS STEAM ENGINES. 203

CHAPTER XXIT. THE FISHKILL COR-
LISS ENGINE.

The Fishkill Corliss engine is of the
usual design of this type, and is built
with the girder frame of generous di-
mensions and excellent distribution of
material. Figure 63 is a view of the
valve-gear-side of a simple engine of
this make.

The valves are made of cast iron,
with large wearing surfaces, and may
be removed from their chambers, with-
out disturbing the valve-gear, by tak-
ing off the back valve bonnets.

The piston is very strongly built,
and is attached to the piston rod by
a cross key and the end of the rod is
riveted. The weight of the piston is
carried on a junk rink, adjusted by
screws in the spider so that it shall
sustain all the wear, while the spider,
follower and packing rings are kept
central in the cylinder bore. The
packing rings are self adjusting; two
being used in the larger sizes and one
only in the smaller engines. Figure
64 illustrates the design of this piston
thoroughly.

204

HAND BOOK OF

00 rr*

« §

CORLISS STEAM ENGINES.

205

The cross-head is of the box pattern
with removable wrist pin, and is keyed
to the pistol rod. The shoes, which
have large wearing surfaces are

64.

vided with a very convenient means of
adjustment consisting of taper keys
extending across the cross head in-
stead of longitudinally; by the keys
the shoes may be quickly and easily
removed whenever necessary. See
Figure 65.

The connecting rod is of hammered
wrought iron, is six cranks long, and is
fitted with straps, gibs and, keys in
the usual manner.

The principal feature of this engine
is its valve-^ear, or rather the releas-

206

HAND BOOK OF

ing device, known as Cite's Releasing
Valve-Gear, and is designed to relieve
the governor of the work of actual
tripping, thereby permitting it to
more correctly perform the actual
wrork of indicating the proper time
when the valves should be released.

Fig. 65.

The following illustrations show
Cite's Releasing Valve-Gear. Figure
66 is a front elevation. Figure 67 is a
plan, and Figure 68 is a rear elevation
of this device as it appears when en-
gaged, and in the middle of its travel.

In all the figures, A represents the
valve-stem, and B the valve-lever
which is secured to end of valve-stem
by feather and set-screw. C-C' is a
double crank vibrating loosely on a
projection of the bonnet which sup-

COBLISS STEAM ENGINES.

207

ports the valve-stem, and this double-
crank is connected by an adjustable
link-rod X to the wrist-plate from
which it receives its motion. The end
of the arm C carries a small rock-shaft

Fig. 66.

D which has a hook E fastened on one
end. This hook is provided with a
hardened steel catch-plate which en-
gages a similar plate c fastened on the

HAND BOOK OF

end of valve-lever B? and the hook is
kept in place by a light spring f.

On the end of rock-shaft D, opposite
the hook E, is fixed a lever F, having a

Fig-. 67.

pin h on which is mounted a friction
roller R. The triple lever HH' H" os-
cillates upon a projection of the bon-
net which supports the valve-stem;
the arm H is connected by an ad jus-

CORLISS STEAM ENGINES.

209

table rod Z to the governor; the arm
H' has a pin j on which is mounted
a friction rolled E, and on the arm
H" is mounted an adjustable cam
W (or a friction roller), which is used
for the stop motion.

Fig. 68.

By referring to Figure 68, in which
the double crank CC' is moved by the
wrist-plate in the direction indicated
by the arrow, it will be seen that all

210 HAND BOOK OF

the parts which are connected to the
double crank CC' will move around the
center of valve-stem A ; the side of fric-
tion roller Ii' nearest to the valve-stem
will describe an arc of a circle indicat-
ed in the figure by a broken line, and
when it passes over roller E it will be
pushed away from the center of valve-
stem A, thereby causing the small
rock-shaft D to turn slightly, and at
the same time to move the engaging-
point of hook E far enough to release
the valve-lever B, when the dash-pot
will act and close the valve.

At the moment of release, the pres-
sure on the triple lever caused by the
liberation will be exerted in a radial
line from j to A; by the action of the
friction rollers R and K' there will be
no appreciable strain to turn the
triple lever on its axis, and conse-
quently there will be no tendency to
disturb the normal action of the gov-
ernor. As the position of the triple
lever is controlled by the governor,
any variation in the height of the gov-
ernor caused by change of load on en-
gine will change the position of point
j and of roller E, and so make varia-
tions in the times of release of steam
valves and in corresponding point of
cut-off in steam supply to cylinder.

CORLISS STEAM ENGINES.

The action of the Automatic Safety
Stop is as follows: When the engine
is at its lowest normal speed, and the
hook E is at the point of engagement
with the valve-lever B, the roller 11'
conies nearly in contact with the ad-
justable cam W (or friction roller),
which is mounted on arm H" of the
triple lever. Now, should the gover-
nor belt be broken, or if from any
other cause the governor balls should
fall belowr the point corresponding to
the lowest normal speed, the triple
lever will move in the direction of the
arrow, Figure 68; the cam W (or fric-
tion roller) will come in the way of the
roller R', which will ride on the top of
it, thus preventing the hook E from
engaging with the end of valve-lever
B, and the valve will remain closed.
No steam being admitted, the engine
will stop.

In connection with the above, a
simple attachment is placed on the
governor column, by means of which
the action of the stop motion may be
suspended or made operative at any
time by the engineer; and when sus-
pended, the engine can be stopped and
started in the unsual way.

INDEX

PART I.— ERECTING CORLISS ENGINES.

Adjusting the cross head, . , ' .53

Anchor bolt, casings for . . .24

" tightening the . . 45-47

plates, . . .53

Bearings, levelling the main . . .32

" scraping " *? . . . .48

Belt, locating the hole for the . .18

Bolts, follower . . . . .52

" shrinking in . . . . 50

' ' tightening in the frame . . 45

Building in the anchor bolts, . . 24

Calipers, . . . . 40-43

Cap stones, dressing the . . .29

Cement filling between engine and cap stones, 46

Center line, establishing the . . 17-19

" " setting the . . ' 39

" " supports for the . . .37

Cleaning the cylinder and piping, ;. .50

Clearance, equalizing the . ^ . - . 54

Concrete, . . . . .12

Crank shaft, levelling the . . 36

* ' setting parallel to the line shaft, 35

Cross-head, adjusting the .. • • 53

Driving keys, . . . . .46

Engine, location of the . . . 9

Filling for joint between engine and cap

stones, . . . . .46

Fly wheel, putting on the . . .48

Follower bolts, . . . . .52

Foundation materials, . . , .25

INDEX. 213

Foundation preparing the ground for the . 11

Frame, main bearing and cylinder . . 30

" rocking of , due to tightening the bolts, 45

Gauge marks on rod ends, . • . .57

Hub-bolts, shrinking in 'the . 50

Joints in the frame, bolting the „ . 45

Keying the fly wheel, . . .48

Kind of line to use through the cylinder, . 38

levelling the main bearings, . . .32

" " center line, . . . 40

" crank shaft, . . , . 36

" " cylinders and guides, . . 39

wedges for . . .;, . 30

Line, best kind of . . . .38

** laying out the preliminary . . 13

" import position of the . ... .39

" setting the center . . .39

* ' ' ' " guides horizontally to the . 44

Lines, laying at right angles . . .17

Lining up the cylinders and guides, . . 42

' ' the requirements of . .34

Materials for concrete, .. ; • . 12

" " foundations . . 25

Pipe scale, removing
Piston, centering the
Plans,

Plumb bobs,
Putting on fly wheels,

51
52
11
15

48

Putting the main parts in position, . L 30

Reference marks on piston and piston rods, 53-57

Soft metal filling, . . . .46

Striking-points on guides, . . .54

Supports for the line, ... 18 37

214

INDEX.

Targets, .

Template, building the

setting up the
Tram guage, . .

Valves, description of the

' ' putting in the .
Valve motion, setting up the

Wedges for levelling, .

18
22
25

57

58
61

30

PART II.-ADJUSTING CORLISS VALVES.

Adjusting the governor, . . . 101

" dash pot rods, . . .79

" " eccentric rod to proper length, 85
" reach " " " " 85

" " travel of the rocker arm, . 84
Acceleration and retardation of the recipro-
cating motion, . * . .94
Admission line, . . . .110
Advancing the eccentric, . . .96
Angularity of the connecting rod, . .103
Areas of circles, . . , . 139

Babbitt and Harris piston packing, . .167

Balancing the load, .... 106
Bearings, the main . . .. 173-186

Centering the engine, . , . 87-91

Coal per horse power, . . . 132

Compression, advantages of . . 112

line, ... 110

Connecting rods, keying up the brasses of 119

" solid ended, . 119

" rod of Filer & Stowell engine, 174

Crab-claw gear, ... 70

" faults in . . 122

" " improper care of the 124

" " wear of the steels in 123

Cut-off, equalizing the point of . 103-107-115

£15

Cut-off, the point of . . . 67-111

Cylinder lubrication, . . . 81-117

of The Sioux Corliss engine, . 185

Dash pots, the Harris-Corliss . . 155

" Gordon's . . . .156

" pot rods, adjusting the length of the . 79

Double eccentrics, .... 128

" ported steam valve, . . .127

Eccentric, position of, for valve without cap

or lead, . . . 4 . 67

Eccentric, lateral position of the . . 82

setting the . . . 98-131

marking the . . .120

" rod, adjusting the length of the . 85

Eccentrics, advantages of using independent,

for steam and exhaust valves, . .130

Engine, The Columbian-Corliss . . 168

Eclipse-Corliss . ". . 159

Filer & Stowell-Corliss . 172

Geo. H. Corliss . . .178

Harris-Corliss . . . 152

Philadelphia-Corliss . .156

Keynolds-Corliss . . 145

Sioux-Corliss . . . 183

Vilter-Corliss . . .188

" room tools, . . . .125

" starting a new . . . 117

" with two eccentrics, . i . 128

Equivalent evaporation, . . . 136

Evaporation per pound of coal, . . 133

Exhaust line, . . . . .110

valves, . v , '. 76-185

Expansion line, . , . .110

Factor of equivalent evaporation, . . 135

Formula for determining the horse-power . 134

Fuel notes, . . . . .136

Gordon's improved valve gear, . . 156

Governor, adjusting the . . . 101

" care of the . 121

216

INDEX.

Governor of The Columbian-Corliss engine, 168

" Eclipse-Corliss engine, . 162

Sioux-Corliss engine, . 183

safety stop, adjusting the . 102

Half -moon gear, . . . .71

Harris- Corliss releasing gear, . . . 154

Heat, latent and total . . . .135

Horse-power and dimensions, a table of . 144

formula, . . . .134

Indicator diagram, an ideal . . . 110

a good example of an

actual ...... 113

Indicator diagram, names of the lines on the 110

Keying up brasses, . . . .119

and lead, a table of . . .78

effect of adding, to the exhaust valve . 77
' ' and lead, effect on the eccentrics position 94
Lead, how it is obtained . . .98

Marking eccentrics, .... 120
Multipliers, convenient approximate . 138

Oval arm gear, . . . , .V . 72

Port, working edge of . . .76

Properties of saturated steam, . 134-143

Range of cut-off, . . ., 96-130

Reach-rod, adjusting length of the . . 85

" of The Sioux-Corliss engine, . 183

Eeciprocating motion, the peculiarities of . 94

Booker arm, adjusting the travel of the . 84

Safety stops, . •' .' " -, 108-118-168

Setting the eccentric, . . . 98-131

" valves, . .73

Steam, action of, in one revolution . Ill

" line, . . . . 110

" valve, the double ported . 127

INDEX. 217

Table of areas of circles, . . . 139

" " horse-power and dimensions, . 144

" " lap and lead, . . .78

" " properties of saturated steam, . 143

Terminal pressure, . . . .112

Tramming the fly wheel to locate the dead

center, . .- . . .88

Tools for the engine room, . . .125

Total heat in steam, . . . .135

Unhooking device of the Sioux-Corliss engine, 183

Valve gears, . . . „ .70

Valves of the Eclipse-Corliss engine, . 159

laps of the . . . .66

marks on the end of the . .73

the position of the exhaust, . . 77

slide, . . . . .65

squaring the -. . . . 73

slide and Corliss compared, . . 68

travel of a slide, . \. .92

TVater, horse-power required to elevate . 137

memoranda on . . 133-136

consumption per horse-power, . 132

pressure of a column of . . 137

Wrist plate, travel marks on a . .74

" " motion of a 69

APPENDIX TO INDEX.

Bates-Corliss Engine,

hook adjustment,
valve gear,
governor,
safety stop,

192
192
192
194
196

218 INDEX.

Fishkill-Corliss Engine, . • . .203

" " " packing rings, . 205

cross head, . . 206

" " " releasing gear, . 206

valve gear, . . 206

Watts-Campbell Engine, . . .199

" " " releasing device, . 199

cross head, . 202

ADVEETISEMENTS.

219

«tf)

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ADVERTISEMENTS. 221

THIRD EDITION.

Modern Examinations

. . of . .

Steam Engineers.

By W. H. WAKEMAN.

Editor of "American Engineering1." Author of
"Practical Guide for Fireman."

Size 6x8 Inches. 272 Pages. Hand-
somely bound in Cloth.

Price, $2.00, post paid.

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engine, how they should be designed, adjusted, etc., and
also the various types of engines. This part of the book
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Under the subject of boilers, the safe working pres-
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found.

222 ADVERTISEMENTS.

PRACTICAL

Guide for Firemen

OK

Instructions and Suggestions for the care and man
agement of Steam Boilers, Pumps, Injectors, &c,

___ _. j> Y _L-_,^Jn_. __

W. H. WAKEflAN.

80 PAGES, 4x61. ... 14 ILLUSTRATIONS.
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This book is purely an elementary treatise
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Contents.

I. — Introduction.

11. — First duties in the morning.

III.— Carrying fires and removing ashes.

IV.— Steam pressure and water level.

V.— Boiler feeders.

VI.— Receive and return traps.

VII.— Caring for water and steam guages.

VIII.— Leaving the boiler at night.

IX.— Incrustation and scale.

X.— Accidents.

XI. — Preparing for inspection.

XII. — Boiler inspection.

XIII. — Suggestions.

XIV.— The prevention of smoke.

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and Examples for obtaining the best results in the Econom-
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Engines, together with original and correct information on
the Adjustment of Valves and Valve Motion, Computing
Horse Power of Diagrams, and extended instructions for
Attaching the Indicator. Its Correct Use, Management and
Care, derived from the author's practical and professional
experience, extending over many years, in the Construction
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By WILLIAM HOUGHTALING.

307 Pages. 157 Engravings. 20 Full Page Tables.
Handsomely Bound in Silk Cloth.

PRICE, - - - $3.OO.

PREFACE.

The preparation of this book has occupied most of the
author's spare time for a number of years, Originally the
matter was not intended for publication, but the manuscript
has grown so large and complete, which consideration,
combined with many repeated requests, has induced the
writer to publish the matter in book form.

I,et every Engineer make his own Indicator book as he
proceeds in his study and practice, and it will prove invalu-
able in after years. The present work has been compiled
in this way, from data continually obtained during the
author's professional career, extending over a third of a
century.

The introduction of algebrical formules have been avoid-
ed. These are readily found in the many valuable Mechan-
ical Pocket-Books. The writer has endeavored to discuss
the principle and use of the Indicator in as plain common
sense words as the subject and the English language will
admit of.

Special attention has been given to the requirements of
the young progressive student in Steam Engineering. The
preparation of the following chapters has been a work of
pleasure to the author, and if they prove beneficial to his
fellow-workmen, he will be amply repaid.

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