History of the Steam Engine: From Its First Invention to the Present Time

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Cowie, 1826 - Steam-engines - 219 pages
 

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Page 8 - An admirable and most forcible way to drive up water by fire, not by drawing or sucking it upwards, for that must be as the philosopher calleth it, infra spheeram activitatis, which is but at such a distance. But this way hath no bounder, if the vessels be strong enough ; for I have taken a piece of a whole cannon, whereof the end was burst, and filled it...
Page 110 - ... 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...
Page 25 - Papin's digester, and formed a species of steam-engine by fixing upon it a syringe, one-third of an inch diameter, with a solid piston, and furnished also with a cock to admit the steam from the digester, or shut it off at pleasure, as well as to open a communication from the inside of the syringe to the open air, by which the steam contained in the syringe might escape. When the communication between the digester and syringe was opened, the steam entered the syringe, and by its action upon the piston...
Page 152 - ... is at the farthest extremity of the stroke, the leg de will be brought close to the engine; the piston is then made to return in the opposite direction, moving with it the leg...
Page 21 - I believe it may be made very useful to ships, but I dare not meddle with that matter; and leave it to the judgment of those who are the best judges of maritime affairs;" and he further remarks, " As for fixing the Engines in Ships, when they 1698.
Page 42 - ... the contrary. As the steam 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. Sixthly, I intend, in some cases, to apply a degree of cold not capable of reducing the steam to water, but of contracting it considerably, so that the engines shall be worked by the alternate expansion and contraction of the steam. Lastly, instead of using water to render the piston...
Page 189 - On the Application of Liquids formed by the Condensation of Gases as Mechanical Agents.
Page 26 - It soon occurred to him that this was caused by the little cylinder exposing a greater surface to condense the steam than the cylinders of larger engines did in proportion to their respective contents...
Page 8 - I have seen the water run like a constant fountain stream forty feet high. One vessel of water rarefied by fire driveth up forty of cold water ; and a man that tends the work is but to turn two cocks, that, one vessel of water being consumed, another begins to force and refill with cold water, and so successively, the fire being tended and kept constant, which the self same person may likewise abundantly perform in the interim, between the necessity of turning the said cocks.
Page 25 - 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.

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