Crosby Steam Engine Indicator
Crosby Steam Engine Indicator
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- Description
- Crosby Steam Gauge & Valve Co. of Boston, Massachusetts, manufactured this steam engine indicator, serial number 330. It consists of a brass piston with one groove, a vented brass cylinder, an internal, double wound spring which can be changed, and a small drum with a spiral spring and single record. The stylus is missing. Accompanying the indicator is a box with two springs, two turn cocks, a scale, and small tools.
- This indicator was made for W. J. Hammer, Chief Inspector of Edison Light Co. There is a nickel-plated name plate on the front marked: “Property of W. J. Hammer, 65 Fifth Ave, New York.”
- An engine indicator is an instrument for graphically recording the pressure versus piston displacement through an engine stroke cycle. Engineers use the resulting diagram to check the design and performance of the engine.
- A mechanical indicator consists of a piston, spring, stylus, and recording system. The gas pressure of the cylinder deflects the piston and pushes against the spring, creating a linear relationship between the gas pressure and the deflection of the piston against the spring. The deflection is recorded by the stylus on a rotating drum that is connected to the piston. Most indicators incorporate a mechanical linkage to amplify the movement of the piston to increase the scale of the record.
- When the ratio of the frequency of the pressure variation to the natural frequency of the system is small, then the dynamic deflection is equal to the static deflection. To design a system with a high natural frequency, the mass of the piston, spring, stylus, and mechanical linkage must be small, but the stiffness of the spring must be high. The indicator is subjected to high temperatures and pressures and rapid oscillations, imposing a limitation on the reduction in mass. Too stiff a spring will result in a small displacement of the indicator piston and a record too small to measure with accuracy. Multiplication of the displacement will introduce mechanical ad dynamic errors.
- The parameters of the problem for designing an accurate and trouble free recorder are such that there is no easy or simple solution. Studying the variety of indicators in the collection shows how different inventors made different compromises in their designs.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Object Name
- indicator, steam engine
- date made
- ca 1885
- maker
- Crosby Steam Gage & Valve Company
- place made
- United States: Massachusetts, Boston
- Physical Description
- wood (case material)
- Measurements
- in case-from catalog card: 8 in x 6 1/2 in x 4 1/2 in; 20.32 cm x 16.51 cm x 11.43 cm
- overall: 4 3/8 in x 8 in x 6 3/8 in; 11.1125 cm x 20.32 cm x 16.1925 cm
- ID Number
- MC.320555
- catalog number
- 320555
- accession number
- 241402
- Credit Line
- Gift of International Business Machines Corp., New York
- See more items in
- Work and Industry: Mechanical and Civil Engineering
- Engineering, Building, and Architecture
- Work
- Industry & Manufacturing
- Indicators
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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Comments
"Hi i have a set of these i rescued from a skip many rears ago, Just thought you might to knowRegardsTony Leicester England"
Tony
Wed, 2015-04-15 17:27
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Philip Woodmansey
Mon, 2017-11-27 16:24