Professor Rose’s 1910 STEAM TRACTION ENGINE Guide - reprint

Description

Steam Engine Guide
, by Prof. P.S. Rose. Being a Reprint from The Thresher's School of Modern Methods of The American Thresherman, and Reprinted in 1910 as Volume 1 of The Thresher's Guide by The American Thresherman, Madison, Wisconsin. As reprinted in 1989 by the Stemgas Publishing Company, Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Reprinted by Nation Builder Books, Leesburg, VA, 2005. 5½ x 8½ paperback, 119 pages.
Please note this is a photoduplicated reproduction, not an original
Well, all I can say is, there are some people who believe this is the best little book on the subject you’ll want to hang eyeballs on. Why, them fellers at the steam school at Rough and Tumble use it. I think they even ask all the new ‘uns wanting to learn ‘bout steam to buy one. Rough and Tumble, you know, is the second oldest threshermen’s reunion in the country. Yes sir, them fellers having their 65th annual thrashin’ reunion in August 2013!
Table of Contents
Power of Steam and Types of Boilers.
The expansive energy of steam. Classification of boilers; Internally fired boilers ; externally fired boilers; fire tube boilers; water tube boilers. Description of the various types of traction engine boilers. Discussion of return and of direct flue boilers. Boiler stays and girders.
Kind of Material and Boiler Details.
Discussion of the physical characteristics; properties and uses of cast iron; malleable cast iron ; wrought iron, steel; effect of carbon on steel; methods of testing boiler plate. Boiler steel specifications, babbitt metal, brasses, bronzes. Boiler tubes, arrangement of in boiler; method of setting flues; beading: calking; use of copper ferrules; description of tools- used. Rules for figuring safe working pressure of all parts of a boiler.
Boiler Feeders and Safety Appliances.
Atmospheric pressure; principles of action of pumps; principles of the Injector; of the jet pump. Principles of the steam gauge; single Bourdon spring; double spring; diaphragm spring. Care of the gauge, the syphon. The fusible plug; principles of action of pop valves.
Fuels and Firing and Boiler Horse Power.
Principles of combustion ; heating value of various fuels. Duty of the fireman , methods of firing with coal, straw, wood. Keeping up steam. Horse Power: Work and power defined. Horse power, how measured; boiler horse power; directions for using Prony brake.
Types of Engine, The Plain Slide Valve.
Classification of engines, simple, duplex, compound. The plain slide valve. lap, lead, angle of advance. Economy of working steam expansively. Principles of action of compound engine. Directions for putting engine on dead center. Piston clearance. How to set a plain slide valve. Angularity of the connecting rod.
Traction Engine Reversing Gears.
Classification of all reversing gears. The link reverse gears. Radial reverse gear. The shifting eccentric reverse gear. The Marsh reverse gear.
Directions for Valve Setting.
Detailed directions for setting the Woolf valve gear, link reverse, shifting eccentric, Marsh reverse. Description and classification of valves, direct acting, indirect, multiple ported, piston, balanced, poppet.
Governors.
Classification of governors, throttling, variable expansion. Early types of governors. Modern governors, the Pickering governor, Waters governor. Speed adjustments for governors.
Lubricants and Lubricators.
Effects of friction. Purposes of lubrication. Kinds and properties of various lubricants. Liquid lubricants, greases, dry lubricants. Properties of oils. Value of mineral oils. Cylinder oils. Description of lubricators, plain lubricators, sight feed oilers, grease cups, pumps.
Gearing, Belting and Care of Engine.
Description of differential gear. Leather belting, power belts will transmit. Canvas belts, rubber belts, belt fasteners, methods of lacing belts. Engine efficiency, causes for loss of efficiency. Life of a traction engine and methods of handling. Cleaning a boiler.