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THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



[March, 



and female stiitues, in the attitude of prayer. One of the best pre- 

 served male figures is apparently clad in chain mail, with a low conical 

 helmet; and wears either a juponor cyclas, with a triangular or heater 

 shaped shield, and a sword girt upon the thigh: this costume cor- 

 responds with tlie date to which I have assigned the erection of the 

 steeple. Tliere are also two canopied niches, containing good figures 

 of saints, upon the western end. 



The general ettect of the spire is very imposing, its lofty altitude 

 gaining additional elevation from its beautiful proportions and fine 

 outline ; which, together with the absence of all meretricious detail, 

 and resulting simplicity of design, would, in my opinion, render it an 

 admirable model for modern imitation. 



I am, Sir, your obedient servant, 



J. C. Robinson. 



J^oUingham, February 20, 1844. 



MESSRS. BOULTON & WATT, ON THE STEAM ENGINE. 



Through the intervention of a Correspondent we are enabled to lay 

 before our readers a document of some importance — being not less 

 than a copy of the instructions furnished by Messrs. Boulton & Watt 

 to five, we are informed, of their principal agents, and superinten- 

 dents, who were deputed by them to attend, in different parts of the 

 kingdom, to the erection of the steam engines made by the firm, 

 under the first conditions of the patent-rights granted to them. 



In the history of the invention of the steam-engine, some authors 

 have shown much laborious research, and have deemed it right to ad- 

 duce as elementary discoverers, the names of Hero, Brancas, and 

 other individuals; and have terminated this branch of their histories, 

 with the inventions of Sir Samuel Morland, and the Marquis of Wor- 

 cester. But we, ourselves, are of opinion that, in the history of the 

 invention of the steam-engine, there are only three important elemen- 

 tary periods; viz., those of Savery, Newcomen, and Watt; and all 

 of them took place within a century. 



In taking a retrospect of the inventions of those eminently distin- 

 guished individuals, and of the times in which they respectively lived 

 and brought them forward, we scarcely know to whom the greatest 

 meed of praise is due — whether to Savery, for the invention of the 

 steam-engine, and its first application to the arts of life ; or to New- 

 comen, for the introduction of the cylinder, piston, beam, and pump- 

 work generally, which still remain, as essential features of the inven- 

 tion; or to Watt, first for effecting the condensation of the steam in a 

 vessel separate from the cylinder; and secondly, for his admirable 

 contrivance of the parallel motion. For it was by this last that he 

 was enabled to work the steam on both sides of the piston, and to 

 reduce the action of the engine to that extraordinary precision of 

 time and power, for which it is now universally celebrated, and by 

 which it is adapted to tlie performance of the most delicate and rapid 

 processes, even to the weaving of lace. 



To James Watt, notwithstanding the profundity of his intellect and 

 great inventive powers, much additional praise is due for his sound 

 commercial talent ; so ably aided and seconded, as it is well-known 

 tu have, been, by his princely-minded partner, Mr. Boulton. And, 

 perhaps, it was owing to this last mentioned circumstance, that the 

 names of Messrs. Boulton & Watt spread so rapidly over the surface 

 of the civilized world, as pre-eminently skilful mechanicians. 



A document emanating from such a firm, even as a matter of history, 

 is of some importance ; but when the low state of the mechanical 

 arts at that period is considered, and a knowledge of it is placed in 

 juxta-position with the soundness of judgment, prudence, and fore- 

 sight, displayed in the document, we cannot withhold our admiration 

 of that commercial sagacity, by which they ensured practical success. 

 There cannot be a question, that much of that success, and its conse- 

 quence, the realization of great wealth, was produced by deep inves- 

 tigation of, and attention to, minute details, as thus exhibited ; and it 

 ought to convey to many of those who have embarked, or are about to 

 embark, in the same arduous and honourable profession, a memorable 

 lesson. 



In giving the document to our readers, we shall not presume to dis- 

 turb the meaning of the text, or attempt to eniich it by notes and an- 

 notations. But, at the conclusion, we shall take a retrospect of the 

 whole, and bring the practical illustration of the steam-engine down 

 to the present time. 



Section. 

 . 3 

 . 4 

 . 5 



Table of Contents. 



To dig the foundations of the engine liouse 



The foundation of the lever wall and of the condenser cistern 



Section. 

 . 1 

 . 2 



The walls, or butts, which support the cylinder beams and platform 



'I'o build the lever wall . . . . . . 



To leave proper holes for the upper cylinder beams, and to fix them 

 Concerning the spring beams . . . . . 



The wooden and stone platform that the cylinder stands upon . 

 The construction of the great lever, or beam, and its parts 

 To fix the plug tree arch, the martingales, the king posts, and other arti- 

 cles about the beam ...... 



The great chains, and martingales . . . . . 



The cap, and cross bar, of the piston rod .... 



To hang the plug tree . . . . . . 



The wheel and pinion windlass to lift the cylinder . 



The springs to save the shock of the great Iji-am 



To pay strict attention to dimension in building the house, he. 



The condenser cistern . , . . . . 



The boiler ....... 



The boiler setting . . . . . . • 



The gauge pipes ...... 



A pool for the injection water . . . . . 



The plummer blocks not to be fixed until the cylinder is fixed . 



To fix the outer bottom of the cylinder . . . . 



To fix the inner bottom of the cylinder, and to make its joints 



To fix the cylinder to its bottoms . . . . . 



The holding down screws, and setting the cylinder u[iright 



To clean the cylinder, to hang the piston, and to put a lead ring within 



the cylinder, to save the bottom when the piston falls 

 To make the piston rise and fall perpendicularly 

 To fix the under part of the lower nozzle . . . . 



To fix the steam case to the cylinder, and to make its joints . 30 & 31 



To fix the upper part of the lower nozzle, the perpendicular steam pipe, 

 and upper nozzle . , . . . . 



The cross pipe ...... 



To communicate the steam from the cross pipe to the steam case, and to 

 the outer bottom . . . . . . 



To fix the condenser pumps, and to make their joints 



The valves of the condenser buckets and clacks, and their other mountings 



The copper eduction pipe ..... 



The joinings, and fixing the injection and blowing pipes . 



To fasten down the condenser pumps, the pump break, to pack the 

 buckets of the condenser pumps . . . . . 



The condenser stuffing box ; the air pump lid, and clack door; and fixing 

 the injection valve .... 



Guards to prevent the valves over opening 



The guide posts, plug tree, and working gear 



The regulators .... 



The cylinder stuffing box 



The lid or cover of the cylinder . . . 



To pack the piston, and of its mounting 



To examine, by steam, if all the joints are tight 



'to fix the steam gauge, and barometer 



Tu examine the tightness of the joints, and piston, by working the air 

 pump by the pump break . . , . . 



Proper length of the piston chain, and other matters r^ating to it 



To fix guards to prevent the pump rods from dropping 



To screw up the holding down screws from time to time 



The uses of the three regulators ..... 



Their operations in working the engine . . . . 



The use of the eduction pipe ..... 



The use of the air and hot water pumps . . . . 



The uses of the barometer, and steam gauge, and of the necessary 

 strength of the steam ..... 



To pack the piston . . . . . . 



To pack the buckets of the condenser pumps 



To set the engine to work . . . . • . 



To regulate the engine ; and marks of its being in good order 



To examine the tightness of the joints, and to search for air and water 

 leaks ....... 



To examine the engine while it is working . . . . 



To feed the boiler ; and to keep the steam regular 



To make the fire properly, and to oil the wearing parts . 



To examine the piston every week, and to give it the proper quantity of 

 tallow ....... 



To examine the regulators frequently, and the stuffing boxes ; marks of 

 the engine being in order ; heat of the hot water . 



The use of the steam or boiler regulator .... 

 f set the engine a-going, by working the air pump by the break 



To make putty for the joints, and cautions about grease . 



7 

 8 



9 

 10 

 11 

 12 

 13 

 14 

 15 

 16 

 17 

 18 

 19 

 20 

 21 

 22 

 23 

 25 

 26 



27 

 28 



29 



32 

 33 



34 

 35 

 36 

 37 



38 



39 



40 

 41 

 42 

 43 

 44 

 45 

 46 

 47 

 48 



49 

 50 

 51 

 52 

 53 

 54 

 55 

 56 



57 

 58 

 59 

 60 

 61 



62 

 63 

 64 



65 



66 



67 

 68 

 69 

 70 



