﻿[45] 
  

  

  WORK 
  OF 
  STEAMER 
  ALBATROSS. 
  

  

  47 
  

  

  great 
  heat 
  in 
  the 
  water 
  discharged 
  into 
  the 
  hot-well 
  from 
  the 
  heaters 
  ; 
  

   they 
  have 
  been 
  replaced 
  by 
  vulcanized 
  hard-rubber 
  valves. 
  The 
  feed- 
  

   pump 
  valves, 
  from 
  faulty 
  design 
  and 
  excessive 
  weight, 
  used 
  to 
  batter 
  out 
  

   their 
  stops 
  and 
  would 
  cockbill 
  and 
  stick 
  up 
  in 
  their 
  seats. 
  I 
  therefore 
  

   designed 
  a 
  set 
  of 
  valves 
  with 
  better 
  guides 
  (Fig. 
  1), 
  having 
  greater 
  

   diameter 
  and 
  less 
  lift 
  and 
  containing 
  much 
  less 
  metal. 
  They 
  were 
  made 
  

   and 
  fitted 
  at 
  the 
  Washington 
  navy-yard. 
  During 
  the 
  year 
  we 
  have 
  

   overhauled 
  the 
  valve-gear, 
  and 
  have 
  set 
  out 
  the 
  piston-springs 
  twice. 
  

   While 
  the 
  ship 
  was 
  in 
  dry-dock 
  in 
  May 
  we 
  examined 
  that 
  portion 
  of 
  

   the 
  line 
  shafts 
  which 
  we 
  had 
  covered 
  with 
  Edison's 
  tape 
  a 
  year 
  before, 
  

   and 
  found 
  the 
  metal 
  bright 
  and 
  clean, 
  the 
  corrosion 
  having 
  been 
  com- 
  

   pletely 
  arrested. 
  These 
  corroded 
  places 
  are 
  directly 
  behind 
  the 
  bronze 
  

   covering 
  of 
  the 
  shaft 
  which 
  is 
  placed 
  there 
  for 
  a 
  bearing. 
  We 
  have 
  had 
  

   new 
  set-screws 
  fitted 
  to 
  the 
  nuts 
  on 
  themain 
  valve-stems; 
  the 
  original 
  

   ones 
  were 
  not 
  tight 
  enough, 
  and 
  have 
  sometimes 
  backed 
  out. 
  We 
  have 
  

   always 
  found 
  great 
  difficulty 
  in 
  moving 
  the 
  engines 
  by 
  hand, 
  owing 
  to 
  

   the 
  great 
  lack 
  of 
  counterbalancing, 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  to 
  the 
  inaccessibility 
  of 
  

   the 
  jacking- 
  wheels. 
  

  

  I 
  therefore 
  designed 
  a 
  pair 
  of 
  counterbalances 
  (Fig. 
  2) 
  for 
  the 
  low 
  press- 
  

   ure 
  cranks, 
  which 
  are 
  being 
  built 
  at- 
  the 
  Washington 
  navy-yard. 
  By 
  

  

  Fig. 
  2. 
  

  

  making 
  them 
  in 
  halves 
  they 
  can 
  be 
  put 
  on 
  without 
  disturbing 
  the 
  crank- 
  

   shafts, 
  and 
  by 
  providing 
  teeth 
  in 
  their 
  peripheries 
  they 
  can 
  be 
  utilized 
  

   as 
  auxiliary 
  pinching- 
  wheels. 
  

  

  