Directions for WorMiu/ Portable Steam- Engines. 433 



cock provided for the purpose, and move the engine round by 

 hand, bj means of the fly-wheel, to ascertain that it is all in 

 working condition ; all the oil-cups must be filled up, and the 

 syphon-wicks examined, to make sure of their being in good con- 

 dition. A little oil should be put upon the guide-bars themselves, 

 as well as into the oil-cups attached to them ; the pump-plunger, 

 and all the eccentrics, must also be oiled. 



Staetinct and working the Engine. 



The piston should be placed at about the half-stroke, and the 

 regulator-valve opened gradually, the two relief-cocks on the 

 cylinder being previously opened : after the engine has made a 

 ievf revolutions these cocks may be shut, and the regulator-valve 

 set full open, so that the speed of the engine may be controlled 

 by the governors. The feed-pump should be tried as soon as 

 the engine is in motion, to ascertain that it is in working con- 

 dition, before the water has had time to diminish. To set the 

 pump to work the suction-cock may be opened, and the small 

 pet-cock must also be opened and shut a few times ; if water 

 does not issue from the pet-cock at every stroke of the plunger, 

 the finger should be applied so as to stop the hole in the pet-cock 

 for a few strokes, and then be taken off it again ; this operation 

 should be so performed that the hole in the cock may be closed 

 by the finger on the plunger going out of the barrel of the pump, 

 and opened on the return stroke when the plunger is forced in 

 again. If, after repeated trials, no water is thrown by the pump, 

 and steam or hot water only issues from the cock, something is 

 wrong with the valves, and they must be carefully examined. 



Pump out of order, Valves to be examined. 



The engine must be stopped, the cock connecting the feed-pipe 

 to the boiler musFbt; shut, the covers of either or both valves 

 may then be taken off, and the valves examined or cleaned ; the 

 engine must on no account be moved round after the valve covers 

 tire put on again, before the cock, connecting the feed-pipe to the 

 boiler, be opened, or the pump and pipes may be seriously 

 damaged. The use of this cock is to enable the pump-valves to 

 be examined when the steam is up, without the danger of scald- 

 ing those about the engine. 



Supply of Water to Boiler. 



It is desirable to have a constant supply of water always going 

 into the boiler from the feed-pump ; a little experience will soon 

 point out to the engine-man how far the cock requires to be open 

 to enable him to do this ; the plan of shutting the feed quite off 

 for some time, and then turning it full on, should never be 



