CHAPTER XX

Close of the Engine Manufacture in Harlem. My Occupation During a Three Years’ Suspension.

In the autumn of ’72, following the above incident, we had a proof of the sagacity of Mr. Smith in rejecting my plan for the establishment of works for the manufacture of the engines, and taking a five years’ lease of an abandoned shanty. The property had changed hands, and we received a note from the new owner, saying that he had purchased the property with a view to its improvement. He should therefore be unable to renew our lease, and he gave us six months’ notice, that we might have time in which to make other arrangements before its expiration.

Here was a situation. To move and establish the business in a new locality would require a large expenditure, and we had no money. The natural thing to do would be to enlarge our capital. On consultation with several parties, Mr. Hope found the financial situation at that time would not warrant this attempt. The Civil War had ended between seven and eight years before. Hard times had been generally anticipated after its close, but to the surprise of capitalists these did not come. The country continued to be apparently prosperous. The best observers were, however, convinced that a financial reaction was inevitable, and the longer it was delayed the more serious it was likely to be; an anticipation that was more than realized in Black Friday in September, 1873, and the collapse of values and years of absolute stagnation that followed.

For some time before that eventful day capitalists had felt anxious and there had been a growing timidity and indispositionto invest in any enterprise, however substantial it might be, so there was nothing for us to do but to wind up our business and wait for more propitious times, when we might attempt its revival.

In the winter of ’72-3 I had a call from my friend, J. C. Hoadley, accompanied by Mr. Charles H. Waters, manager of the Clinton Wire Cloth Company. Mr. Waters wished to obtain one of our engines. I told him I was very sorry, but we should not be able to make one for him. I then explained our situation. Our lease would expire in a month or two, and could not be renewed, and we had made arrangements then to close our business, had sold all our tools deliverable before that date, were rushing two engines to completion, but absolutely could not undertake another order.

“Never mind,” said he, “one of your engines I must have.” He then told me that he was about to introduce a new feature in weaving wire cloth. This was then woven in various narrow widths, according to customers’ orders, having a selvage on each side. He had satisfied himself that this latter was unnecessary. The wire, being bent in weaving, had no tendency to ravel, and he had planned a loom to weave the cloth seven feet in width, and slit it up into narrow widths as required. In this loom the shuttle alone would weigh a hundred and fifty pounds, besides the great weight of wire it would carry; it had to be thrown nearly twelve feet, and he wanted to make as many picks per minute as any narrow loom could do. In order to make these throws uniformly, he required absolutely uniform motion. From a careful study of slow-moving variable cut-off engines, he had satisfied himself that none of them could give him the uniformity of motion he needed. They were driven by a succession of violent punches, these excessive amounts of force at the commencement of each stroke were absorbed by the fly-wheel, the velocity of which had to be increased to do it, and at the end of the stroke its velocity had to be reduced in the same degree, to supply the total failure of the force of the steam. This involved a variation of speed which in ordinary business would not be regarded, but which would ruin the action of this new loom. In the high speed of my engine, and the action of the reciprocating fly-wheel, which compensated the inequalities of the steam pressure without affecting the uniformity of the speed, he found just what he needed, and that engine he must have. I was astonished at the man’s penetration.

J. C. Hoadley

I was able to get from our landlord and purchasers of our tools the necessary extension of time, and made the engine for him. It and the loom were each a complete success. Mr. Waters told me long after that he never observed a single variation from exact uniformity of motion, without which his loom would have had to be abandoned.

I had one day the pleasure of meeting there the president of the Lancaster mills, the only other great industry of Clinton, who had come over expressly to examine the running of our engine. Before he left he said to me that the engine certainly presented a remarkable advance in steam engineering.

I saw there one thing that interested me greatly. That was, the method of painting wire cloth. This was carried on in a large tower high enough to enable a twenty-yard length of the “cloth” to be suspended in it. This was taken through a tub of paint, and drawn slowly upward between three successive pairs of rollers, the last pair of india-rubber, held firmly together. By these the paint was squeezed into every corner, both sides were thoroughly painted, and the surplus paint removed, so that every mesh was clear, a uniform perfection unattainable by hand painting, and two boys would paint in ten minutes as much as a painter could paint in a day. I think this was an invention by Mr. Waters.

With the completion of the engine for the Clinton Wire Cloth Company, the manufacture of the high-speed engine was closed for three years, from the spring of 1873 to the spring of 1876.

This long rest proved to be most valuable. Looking back upon it, I have always been impressed with its importance at that very time to the development of the high-speed system.

The design of the engine needed to be revised, and this revision involved study, to which time and leisure were essential.

I had also an order from Elliott Brothers of London, to prepare a new and enlarged edition of the pamphlet descriptive of the Richards Indicator. I determined to make this a comprehensive book, embracing new information required by the steam engineer, so far as I knew it. This was published simultaneously in London and New York in the summer of 1874.

I was enabled also to turn to account the report of the experiments of M. Regnault, which I had been at so much trouble to get, and with the help of English authorities to prepare and embody in this book Tables of the Properties of Saturated Steam, which the American Society of Mechanical Engineers honored me by adopting as its standard.

I felt warranted in giving to this edition an amended title, as follows: “A treatise on the Richards Steam Engine Indicator, and the Development and Application of Force in the Steam Engine.”

This also was a job requiring much time and undivided application. It is needless to say that without this long and entire rest from business neither of these tasks could have been undertaken.

I found in the Astor Library a remarkable old book, entitled “Canon triangulorum,” published at Frankfurt in 1612, containing a Table of Natural Trigonometrical Functions, computed for every minute of arc, and extended to the fifteenth place of decimals. The column of versed sines enabled me to prepare tablesexhibitingthe rates of acceleration and retardation of the motion of a piston controlled by a crank, neglecting the effect of the angular vibration of the connecting-rod. This effect was afterwards shown separately. For my treatment of this subject, I must refer the reader to the book itself.

A little incident in connection with this work, which made a deep impression on my mind, and has since afforded me some food for reflection, seems worth relating. The printing was done in London, and I did not see the proof, so I had to take especial pains with the copy, having no opportunity to revise it. I was living in Harlem, and at one time having no suitable envelope for mailing, and none being obtainable there, I took a Third Avenue horse-car for an eight-mile ride down to the New York post office, intending to get some envelopes at a stationery store on Beekman Street, and mail the portion of the copy which I then had ready at the general post office. I had hardly taken my seat when Mr. Allen got into the car. He was living in Mott Haven, and I had not seen him for a long time. Besides ourselves the car was nearly if not quite empty. He came and sat down by me, and I opened my copy and read to him something in which I knew he would be interested. He said to me, in his gentle way, “You would not express it exactly that way, would you?” On the instant it flashed on my mind that I had made a stupid blunder, and I replied, “I guess I wouldn’t,” and, thanking him for calling my attention to it, I left the car, and returned home and corrected it. I have quite forgotten what the point was, and if I remembered it, I would not tell. But I have often asked myself who sent Mr. Allen there, saving me from publishing a mortifying blunder. I expect some sweet spirit will tell me before long.

The Prototype of the Modern High-speed Engine, Fly-wheel Side.

The Prototype of the Modern High-speed Engine, Crank Side.

As soon as this book was off my hands, I devoted myself to the revision and standardizing of the engine.

As made up to that time, it was not reversible, and the valves could not be handled. It could not therefore be used in rolling-mills, the field to which I felt already that it was especially adapted. Moreover, every engine should be capable of being backed in starting, as otherwise whenever it had stopped with the piston at a point later than the latest point of cut-off, or say in the lasthalf of the stroke, which it would do half the time, it would need to be pulled around by hand to a position in which one of the admission ports would be open. This in a large engine, or one connected with extensive lines of shafting, would be a serious matter, so much so that in some engines little starting cylinders are required.

Longitudinal Section of Cylinder and Valves.

Cross-section of Cylinder and Valves.

Elevation and Plan of Valve Connections.

I had also determined to use the equilibrium admission valves with adjustable pressure plates, according to the drawings sent to me by Mr. Allen in 1863, and to abandon the separate steam chest, and put the exhaust valves on the opposite side of the cylinder.

Then the engine needed to be standardized, so as to cover the field with the fewest number of sizes, symmetrically distributed. The existing practice with all makers of engines had been to let the purchaser dictate the size and speed of the engine he wanted, a practice which resulted in a lot of patterns and drawings not adapted to other people’s requirements, and not properly distributed. For an organized manufacturing business, this habit must be entirely broken up.

Mr. Allen had in his shop in Mott Haven an unoccupied second story, in which I had stored our patterns and drawings and drawing implements. Here I established my quarters, and spent my working hours until this second job was finished.

The twoperspective viewsofopposite sidesof the engine, show these changes as they appear externally, and the remaining views show some constructive details.

Theselattershow the exhaust valves transferred to the front side of the engine, and located so as to drain the cylinder, and the admission valves set at different elevations, to accommodate the differential connection, the abandonment of the separate steam-chest, and this chest with the exhaust chambers cast with the cylinder, with openings over the valves; the levers by which the differential movements are given to the admission valves; and the single-link rod, and the gab by which this rod is unhooked, with the method of moving the admission valves by hand.

In place of the levers on the steam rock shaft, I at that time drew cast-iron disks, which being polished and vibrating in place I thought very handsome. They gave me lots of trouble, till I learned enough to get rid of them, the story of which I will tell by and by. The front view shows the admission valve stems balanced by being extended through at the back end, a feature which helped the governor action when high steam pressures were employed, but which was abandoned as unnecessary after I abandoned the disks on the rocker shaft.

First Arrangement of Exhaust Valves.

The firsttwofiguresshow the valves in section and the adjustable pressure plate and mode of its adjustment. The closeness of the piston to the head may be observed. I never allowed more than one-eighth inch clearance, and never had a piston touch the head. This was because the connecting-rod maintained a constant length, the wear of the boxes being taken up in the same direction.

These illustrations show the exhaust valves after alteration made several years later in Philadelphia. As first designed by me, these are shown in the foregoingsectional views. As will be seen, the exhaust valves lay with their backs towards the cylinder, worked under the pressure of the steam in the cylinder, made four openings for release and exhausted through the cover.

I consented to the change in Philadelphia because this arrangement involved too much waste room, but the change was not satisfactory after all. I had become possessed with the idea that the engine running at high speed needed 50 per cent. more room for exhausting than for admission. This was not the case. I have always regretted that I did not retain this design, and content myself with reducing the exhaust area.

The lightness of the piston in this view will be observed. This was a special design for adapting the engine to be run at 200 revolutions, giving 1200 feet piston travel per minute. The stuffing-box was a freak which was abandoned.

The next figures show the valve-stem guides, rocking-levers, coupling-rods and gab, which latter when thrown over unhooks the link-rod, as is done on steamboat engines.

The followingfiguresshow the construction of the main bearing with adjustments on opposite sides, by which the shaft is kept in exact line, and shows also the solid support of the shaft quite out to the hub of the crank. This view contains one error. The cap is not made a binder. I relied on the strength of the thick continuous web of the bed under the boxes in addition to the depth of the bed. But we once had a bed break right here under enormous strain, and since then the caps have been made binders. It will be observed that the wedges are drawn upward to tighten the boxes. It is not necessary to explain why.

Main Bearing.

Front View of WiperSection on the Line a-bCenter Line of ShaftEccentric and Crosshead Pin Lubricator.Crank-pin Lubricator.

Front View of WiperSection on the Line a-bCenter Line of Shaft

Front View of Wiper

Section on the Line a-b

Center Line of Shaft

Eccentric and Crosshead Pin Lubricator.Crank-pin Lubricator.

Eccentric and Crosshead Pin Lubricator.

Crank-pin Lubricator.

The aboveleft-hand cutshows the automatic lubricator of the eccentric and the cross-head pin. The studA, on the eccentric strap and on the strap of the connecting-rod, carries a curved blade,a, which at the beginning of each forward stroke rises to take the drop of oil from the stem of the sight-feed lubricator. This is set on an arm fixed on the cap of the main-bearing and on a bridge between the upper guide-bars. The drop is made sure to come to this central point by a wireBfilling the brass tube, grooved on opposite sides and terminating in a point.

The automatic lubrication of the crank-pin presented a still more serious problem. It was solved by the construction shown, in theright hand view, which will be understood without further description. It will be seen that here the oil tube is inclined, and the drop follows it to a point on its lower side. Both these lubricators proved absolutely reliable. The last one is equally applicable on double-crank engines.

DimensionsofCylinders.Revolutionsof Crankper Minute.Travelof Pistonin Feetper Minute.Indicated Powers.Fly-wheels.Madewhen Practicableto Serve alsoas Belt-Drums.Driving Belts.Bore.Stroke.WithoutConden-sation.WithConden-sation.Diameter.Weightof Rim.Velocity.Width.Inches.Inches.HorsePowers.HorsePowers.Feet.Inches.Lbs.Feetperminute.Inches.61235070025335033009single.7123507003536400385010„81628074645604650352012double.916280746607546700396012„10202307667510051300361014„11.520230766100125561450397014„1324200800130160662100408418„14.52420080016020072350440020„163016582520026084000415026„183016582525033094000467030„2036140840320400106000440038„2236140840400500116000484042„2442125875480620122642125875560730132848112.5900670870163248112.590087011403648112.5900110014304048112.5900136017504448112.590016002100The powers are those given by an initial pressure of 85 lbs. on the square inch, cut off at about one quarter of the stroke. For the best economy steam should not be cut off earlier than this, unless a higher pressure is carried. At the latest point of cut off, the powers developed are double those given in the above Table. The engines can be worked under locomotive pressures, with corresponding increase of power.

The powers are those given by an initial pressure of 85 lbs. on the square inch, cut off at about one quarter of the stroke. For the best economy steam should not be cut off earlier than this, unless a higher pressure is carried. At the latest point of cut off, the powers developed are double those given in the above Table. The engines can be worked under locomotive pressures, with corresponding increase of power.

After considerable study I finally adopted the above table of standard sizes and speeds, covering the ground from 25 horse-power up with nineteen sizes.

As the bed could not be reversed, I needed both a right-hand and a left-hand bed for each size. I avoided half of this expensein patterns by planning two diameters of cylinders with the same stroke, and making one bed answer for both.

Until I found something else to do, I employed myself in preparing complete drawings for three or four smaller sizes of engines; a work which afterwards proved exceedingly useful.

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