Low Slung Steam Engine

[Brian Rupnow]

This is one of those very strange posts, where I am searching for something I hardly know how to describe. A few years ago, on this forum, someone posted an animation of a steam engine which was designed to take up very little room. As I remember, the cross head guides were in a very unusual locaton, and may even have moved during the cycle of the engine. There seemed to be a lot more "monkey motion" than is associated with most conventional steam engines, and I don't know if there was a link to plans for this engine or not. If anybody has an inkling of what I am trying to describe, any help would be appreciated, thanks.---Brian

 

[Metal Butcher]

Hi Brian. Its a long shot. but here's my best guess.

Elmer's #34 Cross Twin.

http://www.john-tom.com/ElmersEngines/34_crossTwin.pdf

-MB

 

[kjk]

or perhaps an overcrank engine?

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkCtQiHsh3c&feature=player_embedded[/ame]

 

[Brian Rupnow]

Thanks Rick and Woodguy--It wasn't the Elmers----just may have been the Overcrank engine. Its been a while since I seen the animation, so I'm not sure.---Brian

 

[Jasonb]

Was it a side rod engine, these had the conrods down the side of the cylinder to reduce their height, like this one by Anthony Mount which also has the cross heads on the side of the cylinder

Jason

 

[maverick]

Could it have been the Monitor engine. There was a post here on it 2 years ago.

 

[Brian Rupnow]

No, it wasn't the Monitor nor the side rod engine.

 

[tel]

Not the Bernay's perchance?

http://www.homemodelenginemachinist.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=10112.0;attach=13441;image

 

[Brian Rupnow]

No Tel, I'm pretty sure it must have been the Overcrank engine I was thinking of. I tried to get over to MadModder to have a closer look at the build, but I'm banned off that site for taking exception to some nasty things that were posted about me over there. : : :

 

[kjk]

Delete the cookies from the madmodder site from your system and view the posts of the build as a guest.

 

[shred]

A lot of early marine engines tried to reduce height by all sorts of wacky levers and arms, so if you can't find it here, a bit of surfing marine steam will turn up some oddities.

 

[JorgensenSteam]

Brian-

I will post the animations I have in case it was one of them.
The Monadnock was very similar to the Monitor engine, both were designed by Ericcson.

Pat J

Edit: This site will not allow a file as large an these animations.
I will have to post links.

Edit02: Ok, see if it is one of these animations:
http://www.classicsteamengineering.com/index.php?topic=55.0

 

[Cedge]

Brian...
Could it be a rectilinear engine?
http://www.cedesign.net/steam/rectilinear1.htm

It's compact and uses a very different movement.

Steve

 

[JorgensenSteam]

Brian-

There was an animation on here a while ago, and it was very similar to Ericcson's "Vibrating Piston" engine, not to be confused with with Ericsson's ironclad engine, which many also label a "vibrating engine".

I am not sure if the original link is still on here or not.

The guy posted the engine like it was 21st Century breaking news, but it was just multiple cylinders of John Ericsson's vibrating piston engine, combined into one engine, and tied to a common shaft from two sides.

Pat J

 

[JorgensenSteam]

Here is a "nutty" engine:

http://www.homemodelenginemachinist.com/index.php?topic=1038.0

 

[Brian Rupnow]

YES---Cedge---It was the rectilinear engine!!! I kinda thought that in some way you were associated with that memory, but I wasn't certain. I followed the link you posted and that is definitly the one. I may develop a set of plans for a model engine based on that. My real work has once again dried up to a point where I am chasing my tail, looking for something to do.---Thank You so much----Brian

 

[Jasonb]

Anthony Mount did a two models of this style of engine, you can buy it from Bruce engineering. I started one about 20yrs or more ago but the castings then were quite poor with a lot of sand inclusions so never finished it.

There are also a couple of scratch built ones that follow his drawings,"Bauabschnitten" or "Baubericht" will take you to the build thread

http://www.dampfundmehr.de/start_dateien/cross_eng.htm

http://www.eckartkercher.de/index_seiten/Rectilinear.htm

Jason

 

[imagineering]

Are there any Plans lurking in the Public Domain for this Engine??

Murray.

 

[Cedge]

Brian....
I thought you might be on the trail of that engine. I refurbed mine and it was a tricky piece of work to get everything in alignment to run. Not impossible to reverse engineer, but I'd probably want to get the drawings, were it me.

Plans are available for sale but none that I've seen in the public domain. I bought the 2 books by Anthony Mount on Ebay sometime back that have those and a lot of other really juicy plans and build hints for very little money... I think both were in hand for less than $30.00 bucks, as I recall. The books are available from Polly Model Engineering and they once told me drawings for their engines could be purchased separately from the casting kits.

Historic Engines Worth Modelling..... Vol 1 and Vol 2 by Anthony Mount.
http://www.pollymodelengineering.co.uk/sections/stationary-engines/anthony-mount-models/index.asp

Steve

 

[JorgensenSteam]

I think that is called a Trammel mechanism.
Similar to what is used on the Direct Connect engine.

Pat J