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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