An old engraving of Napier’s direct-action steam engine. It is from a Victorian mechanical engineering book of the 1880s. Direct action means that power was directed to the crankshaft via the piston rod and/or connecting rod. Direct-acting engines had the advantage of being smaller and less heavy than beam or side-lever engines but they were more prone to wear and tear and thus required more maintenance. Robert Napier (1791–1876) was a Scottish marine engineer. From his works in Govan, Glasgow, Scotland, UK, Napier built marine engines.
An old engraving of Napier’s direct-action steam engine. It is from a Victorian mechanical engineering book of the 1880s. Direct action means that power was directed to the crankshaft via the piston rod and/or connecting rod. Unlike the beam engine, a direct-acting engine could be readily adapted to power either paddlewheels or a propeller. Direct-acting engines had the advantage of being smaller and less heavy than beam or side-lever engines but they were more prone to wear and tear and thus required more maintenance. Robert Napier (1791–1876) was a Scottish marine engineer. In 1823 he won a contract to build a steam engine for the paddle steamer ‘Leven’. The engine was so good that it was later fitted to another ship, the paddle steamer ‘Queen of Beauty’. From his works in Govan, Glasgow, Scotland, UK, Napier continued building steamship engines, eventually expanding into engines for ocean-going vessels.
Size: 3307px × 3892px
Location: Govan, Glasgow, Scotland, UK
Photo credit: © M&N / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: 1800s, 19th, acting, action, black, boiler, century, compressor, design, direct, direct-acting, direct-action, early, engine, engineer, engineering, engraving, glasgow, govan, historical, history, hundreds, illustration, industrial, industry, machine, marine, maritime, mechanical, napier, napiers, nineteenth, power, powered, pump, pumping, revolution, robert, scotland, scottish, ship, shipping, steam, steamship, uk, victorian, water, white
