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Crank Substitute Engine | ||
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| Like the Coomber, this engine also came
from Marlyn Hadley's wonderful book.6 I
can do no better than to quote him:
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| This elaborate arrangement of gears and
linkages enabled the builder to eliminate the crank as we know it.
While this engine required more labor to construct, it did make a compact
engine which did not require a heavy crosshead as the connecting rod
connection on the bar between the two gears moves but a very small
amount. This means the piston rod guides can be made of a lighter
construction.
I do not know who invented it, when, or what prompted the inventor to think this arrangement is better than a crank... |
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| 5/23/01 update:
A few visitors have noted that there was actually a patent on the crank mechanism in the very early days of steam technology. This may have been the reason for the oddball design, but I still don't have a definitive source of information. If anyone knows of a good book on the subject, please e-mail! | ||
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Copyright 2000, Matt Keveney. All rights reserved. | ||