A history of the growth of the steam-engine . the remaining distance of 136 feet; and the steam-pressure required would have, been nearly 60 pounds persquare inch. With this high temperature and pressure, thewaste of steam by condensation in the forcing-vessels wouldhave been so great that it would have compelled the adop-tion of two engines of considerable size, each lifting thewater one-half the height, and using steam of about 25pounds pressure. Potters rude valve-gear was soon im-proved by Henry Beighton, in an engine which that talentedengineer erected at Newcastle-upon-Tyne in 1718, and
A history of the growth of the steam-engine . the remaining distance of 136 feet; and the steam-pressure required would have, been nearly 60 pounds persquare inch. With this high temperature and pressure, thewaste of steam by condensation in the forcing-vessels wouldhave been so great that it would have compelled the adop-tion of two engines of considerable size, each lifting thewater one-half the height, and using steam of about 25pounds pressure. Potters rude valve-gear was soon im-proved by Henry Beighton, in an engine which that talentedengineer erected at Newcastle-upon-Tyne in 1718, and inwhich he substituted substantial materials for the cords, asin Fig. 20. In this sketch, >• is a plug-tree, plug-rod, or plug-frame^ THE MODERN TYPE. 63 as it is variously called, suspended from the great beam,with which it rises and falls, bringing the pins^ and h, atthe proper moment, in contact with the handles h k and nnof the valves, moving them in the proper direction and tothe proper extent. A lever safety-valve is here used, at. FiQ. 20.—Beightons Valve-Gear, a. d. 1718. the suggestion, it is said, of Desaguliers. The piston waspacked with leather or with rope, and lubricated with tal-low. • After the death of Beighton, the atmospheric engine ofNewcomen retained its then standard form for many years,and came into extensive use in all the mining districts, par-ticularly in Cornwall, and was also applied occasionally tothe drainage of wet-lands, to the supply of water to towns,and it was even proposed by Hulls to be used for ship-pro-pulsion. 64 THE STEAM-ENGINE AS A TRAIN OP MECHANISM. The proportions of the engines had been determined in ahap-hazard way, and they were in many cases very Smeaton, the most distinguished engineer of his time,finally, in 1769, experimentally determined proper propor-tions, and huilt several of these engines of very consider-able size. He built his engines with steam-cylinders ofgreater length of stroke than had been c
Size: 1255px × 1991px
Photo credit: © The Reading Room / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1870, bookidc, booksubjectsteamengines
