Lippincott Steam Engine Indicator

Object Details

Description

The Lippincott Steam Specialty and Supply Co. manufactured this steam engine indicator, serial number 1380. It consists of a steel piston with two grooves and a bottom guide; a brass cylinder; an internal spring, which is missing; a small drum with a spiral spring and single record. The stylus is missing, but assumed to be a lead pencil point. Accompanying the indicator is a box with four springs, and extra piston, a wrench, reduction pulleys, record cards, and scales.

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

Credit Line

Gift of Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois

ID Number

MC.316800

catalog number

316800

accession number

228496

patent number

1380

Object Name

indicator, steam engine

Physical Description

oak (container material)

Measurements

overall: 5 1/2 in x 9 1/2 in x 9 7/8 in; 13.97 cm x 24.13 cm x 25.0825 cm

oak case - from catalog card: 6 in x 9 1/2 in x 9 1/2 in; 15.24 cm x 24.13 cm x 24.13 cm

place made

United States: New Jersey

See more items in

Work and Industry: Mechanical and Civil Engineering

Engineering, Building, and Architecture

Work

Industry & Manufacturing

Indicators

National Museum of American History

Record ID

nmah_847439

Metadata Usage (text)

CC0

GUID (Link to Original Record)

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746a6-86e6-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa