Life of Richard Trevithick: With an Account of His Inventions, Volume 1

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Page 44 - ... it in a case of wood, or any other materials that transmit heat slowly ; secondly, by surrounding it with s.team or other heated bodies ; and, thirdly, by suffering neither water, nor any other substance colder than the steam, to enter or touch it during that time.
Page 44 - ... vessel moves round, it is supplied with steam from the boiler, and that which has performed its office may either be discharged by means of condensers, or into the open air.
Page 44 - Fourthly, I intend, in many cases, to employ the expansive force of steam to press on the pistons, or whatever may be used instead of them, in the, same manner as the pressure of the atmosphere is now employed in common fire-engines. In cases where cold water cannot be had in plenty, the engines may be wrought by this force of steam only, by discharging the steam into the open air after it has done its office.
Page 122 - My attention was first directed in the year 1759 to the subject of steam-engines, by the late Dr Robison, then a student in the University of Glasgow, and nearly of my own age. He at that time threw out an idea of applying the power of the steam-engine to the moving of wheel-carriages, and to other purposes, but the scheme was not matured, and was soon abandoned on his going abroad.
Page 44 - Condensers; and, whilst the engines are working, these condensers ought at least to be kept as cold as the air in the neighbourhood of the engines, by application of water, or other cold bodies. THIRDLY, whatever air, or other elastic vapour, is not condensed by the cold of the condenser, and may impede the working of the engine, is to be drawn out of the steam vessels or condensers by means of pumps, wrought by the engines themselves, or otherwise.
Page 46 - I soon relinquished the idea of constructing an engine upon this principle, from being sensible it would be liable to some of the objections against Savery's engine, viz. the danger of bursting the boiler, and the difficulty of making the joints tight, and also that a great part of the power of the steam would be lost, because no vacuum was formed to assist the descent of the piston.
Page 44 - I call the steam vessel, must, during the whole time the engine is at work, be kept as hot as the steam that enters it ; first by enclosing it in a case of wood, or any other materials that transmit heat slowly; secondly, by surrounding it with steam...
Page 131 - In such cases or constructions as may render it more desirable to fix the boiler with its chimney and other apparatus, and to place the cylinder out of the boiler, the cylinder itself may be suspended for the same purpose upon trunnions or pivots in the same D&T 18 FIG. 5 manner, one or both of which trunnions or pivots may be perforated so as to admit the introduction and escape of the steam, or its condensation as before mentioned.
Page 44 - ... are placed weights, so fitted to them as entirely to fill up a part or portion of their channels, yet rendered capable of moving freely in them by the means hereinafter mentioned or specified. When the steam is admitted in these engines between these weights and the valves, it acts equally...

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