IÖ2
MODERN STEAM PRACTICE.
steam pipes are covered with feit and canvas, and the valve chestswith feit and wood, neatly covered in with ornamental plates. Theboilers are protected with fire-brick or other material on the top.Thus, with all these precautions, very little. radiation takes place,even although the engine may not have been working for a consid-erable time.
The action of the single-acting pumping engine is quite differentfrom that of the reciprocating engine, having the connecting rodcoupled to a crank shaft. The steam from the boiler only acts onthe top of the piston, lifting the water at the other end of the beam,or as it were the iN-stroke of the pump, when lifting pumps are fitted;
a, Valve . b, Spindle for valve. c, Seat for valve. d, Holding-down bolt. e, Cross bar.
and when forcing sets are used in connection with lifting pumps, asis often the case when pits are very deep, the water is forced up thestand pipe by the mere weight of the pump rods, &c.
The valves are of the equilibrium kind; two are fitted to the top