ENGINE MATERIAL COMPOSITION

The Journal of the American Society of Naval Engineers - February 1914

BEDPLATES – The bedplates are of cast steel, in three sections each, bolted together and supported on kellson plates. Proper seating and facings are provided for the main bearings, column, etc.

MAIN BEARINGS – The main bearings consist of a lower brass cast-steel cap, each lined with white metal and cored for the circulation of cooling water.

FRAMING – The engine frames are of the usual Navy type forged-steel columns, bolted to the bedplate and cylinders, and braced by suitable diagonal, cross and longitudinal stays.

CYLINDERS – The cylinders and valve chests are of cast iron, fitted with working liners of close-grained cast iron as hard as can be properly worked. All cylinders, except the high-pressure, are steam jacketed around the working liners and at both ends.

PISTONS – All pistons are of conical design, those for the high-pressure cylinders being of cast iron, all others are of cast steel. The high-pressure followers are of cast iron, and those for the intermediate and low-pressure pistons are forged steel. The high and intermediate-pressure are forged steel. The high and intermediate-pressure pistons have one solid packing ring each, and each low-pressure piston two rings, cut obliquely into eight sections each, and fitted with brass tongue pieces and lugs. All packing rings are of cast iron and floated by springs.

PISTON RODS – Each piston rod is tapered to fit its piston and secured by a locked nut. The lower end is fitted to a forged-steel crosshead, to which is bolted a cast-steel slipper, white-metal lined. The piston rods are forged steel.

CROSSHEAD GUIDES – The go-ahead guides are of cast iron hollowed for the circulation of cooling water. The backing guides are of cast steel and securely bolted to flanges on the go-ahead guides. The guides are supported by bolting to facings on the cylinders at the upper end, ad to a cast-steel girder of "I" section at the lower end, the girder being secured to the inboard engine columns.

CONNECTING RODS – The connecting rods are of forged steel, forked at the top to span the crosshead and carrying the crosshead brasses and "T" headed at the bottom to receive the crank-pin brasses.

VALVE GEAR – The engines are equipped with the Stephenson, double-bar link valve gear, fitted with Lovekin assist cylinders. Piston valves are used throughout; there being one for each high-pressure and two for each intermediate and low-pressure cylinders.

REVERSING GEAR- Each main engine is provided with a reversing engine of the vertical, direct-acting type, bolted to the high-pressure cylinder and connected through connecting rods to the reversing-shaft arms; the shaft in turn connecting to the main links by arms and suspension rods. Each reversing engine has a steam cylinder 17 inches in diameter by 22 inches stroke and an 8 ½-inch oil-controlling cylinder of same stroke for taking up shock and for hand operation, a small hand pump being provided for that purpose. The gear is controlled by a floating lever operated at the working platform.

TURNING GEAR – the customary turning gear is fitted on each engine, consisting of a double engine, with cylinders 8 inches in diameter by 5 inches stroke. The engines drive, by worm gearing, a second worm, which may be made at will to mesh with a worm wheel fitted on the crankshaft. The turning engines are reversible