In-vert′ed Dou′ble—cyl′ inder Steam—en′--gine.
A form of steam-engine having two parallel cylinders, each of half the area necessary for the intended power, and combined to form one engine.
The cylinders are inverted, being above the crank to which their piston — rods are directed.
The four cylinders composing the pair of engines are ranged in a line across the vessel.
a a are the cylinders which stand upon strong iron columns (not shown) which rest on the foundation plate
c, and, passing through suitable bosses on the sides of the cylinders, support the entablature plate
d and the crank pedestals above.
The cylinders are placed at a sufficient hight from the bottom of the vessel to allow the piston-rods to work downward.
The two piston-rods
f f are connected together by a cross-head
g; the stuffing-boxes have self-acting oilcups.
The power is transmitted directly from the main cross-head
g below, to the cranks
h h above the cylinders, by the connecting-rod
i. The two pistonrods
f f and the cross-head
g are made to work uniformly together by a strong vibrating cast-
iron frame k, which forms part of the parallel motion, and with the side levers
I serves also to work the air, feed, bilge, and brine pumps.
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Hick's inverted double-cylinder steam-engine. |
[
1195]
Each cylinder has its separate slide-valve in order that it may be nearer to the cylinder than it would be were one used for both.
The condenser is not shown, but is beneath the slide-valve case, and the air-pump, foot-valve, and discharge-valve are similar in construction to those used in ordinary engines.
The air-pump and condenser are connected by a passage beneath the foundation plate.
The waste water is discharged from the hot-well by an overflow pipe through the side of the vessel.
The feature of the double cylinder is copied from
Maudslay's double-cylinder steam-engine, but in the
Hick's engine the cylinders are inverted, and the details of the connections are very different.
This, like
Maudslay's, is a
direct-action engine, intended to obviate the use of a beam in
marine engines.
