An Historical and Descriptive Account of the Steam Engine - Comprising a General View of the Various Modes of Employing Elastic Vapour as a Prime Mover in Mechanics (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1822. Excerpt: ... APPENDIX (B). Abstract of Evidence and Reports made by a Select Com? mittee of the House of Commons, on Steam Engines and Furnaces. MICHAEL ANGELO TAYLOR, ESQ, In the Chair. Mr. Joseph Gregson, Surveyor, called in and examined. Was of opinion that the nuisance that arose from the smoke of steam engine furnaces might be attributed to two causes: one, the putting on the fire or furnace too much crude fuel at one time; the other, from the chimnies being commonly too low, in proportion to the fuel consumed.--Had seen this nuisance effectually removed; but it had generally been attended with an increased consumption of fuel: it was seldom adopted but where the parties had been or were under an indictment.--His own invention consisted in, causing all the smoke after it had arisen from the fire, to return into the heat of the fire before it entered into the flue or chimney, and so was consumed; 2dly, By putting on no more fuel at any one time than the smoke of which can be so consumed, and that without opening the furnace door for the purpose; 3dly, By supplying every fire with air, in order to counteract the effect of those winds that operate against the draft.--Had employed it in the fires and boilers of private houses, under steam engine boilers, and in wealding furnaces, where a number of bits and scraps of iron were packed together, and subjected to an intense heat 3 they were, in that state, then rolled or hammered into one compact body.--The result however in the latter case was, that although every thing acted according to the plans laid down, and the fire was regularly supplied with fuel, and the smoke completely destroyed, yet the heat necessary to weald those scraps of iron together could never be attained, and this was in consequence of the continued...