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1900.] MARINE REVIEW. : 23 BUFFALO FORGE CO.'S MARINE TYPE SIMPLE ENGINE. __As the building of the main engines for a ship is an art in itself, widely different from the practice that prevails in steam plants ashore, so also are special features required in the various smaller auxiliary engines required for marine purposes. There is illustrated herewith an engine of these smaller sizes which is designed expressly to meet the rigid require- ments of shipboard lighting or power service. It is the marine type simple upright engine built by the Buffalo Forge Co. of Buffalo, N. Y., and is very popular for the uses for which it was designed. The cut shows the engine arranged with extended sub- base and coupling for direct connec- tion to an Elwell-Parker Electric Co. generator, but in this, as in other par- ticulars, it will be understood that the construction may be varied to suit the exigencies of individual cases. The cast iron sub-base serves to give the proper floor clearance to the fly wheels, or the one governor fly-wheel when dynamo di- rect connection is provided. In this . case the' sub-base serves as a bed for the generator, and may likewise car- ry the outboard bearing. The form of both sub-base and outboard bearing of course varies with the different makes of generator which it may be desired to connect to the engine. The base, bolted to the sub-base, is cored out so as to combine strength with lightness; it carries the four upright frame rods and, in addition, provides bearings for the crankshaft. The four frame rods are of machine steel, screwed at either end into small cast iron pads and locked with a jam nut as shown. The pads or plates themselves are bolted at the bottom to the base and at the top to the head or cylinder base plate, thus giving a very solid construction. These frame rods combine maximum lightness and rigidity and also afford ready accessibility of parts. In fact, throughout the whole machine an ex- tremely high factor of safety has been preserved. Slight consideration will serve to show that this construction of frame is more than amply sufficient in strength. If we consider simply the vertical axial stress due to the steam pressure on the head, greatest at admission, it will be seen that the stress coming upon each rod in consequence thereof will be but about one-quarter of the stress in the piston rod. The weight of the upper parts, however, must be carried by these rods and they must in addition resist the bending stresses due to guide pressures. But the main reason why a large factor of safety is given these rods is to over- come all tendency of vibration, and this they successfully accomplish. The cylinder, steam chest and bottom head plate are cast in one piece, the latter carrying the stuffing boxes and affording means for se- curing the rods. The cylinder is accurately bored and counter-bored and is also provided with indicator connections as shown. Two circu- lar cages or bushings drawn into place in the steam chest form the seats and ports for the piston valve. The piston is cast in one piece and fitted with the usual cast iron snap ring. It is cored very thin to reduce weight, but is thoroughly braced and sufficiently strong for any reason- able strain. The piston rod is of the best machine steel, tapered, ground to fit and 'bolted to the head by a countersunk nut. At the lower end, the piston rod screws into a crosshead of the marine type. This latter is provided with a single shoe which works upon a guide plate bolted to the frame, as shown in the cut. The engine is designed to run so that the guide pressure will always be taken up by this plate, but two small addi- tional guides are bolted to the main guide plate in such a manner that the crosshead shoe will be enclosed on two sides. The connecting rod at the wrist pin is of the usual marine forked pattern, but: at its lower end resembles closely a locomotive end with strap and brasses. A wedge and screw adjustment is here provided for taking up any wear. The crankshaft is a single forging resting in the base bearings, as has already been mentioned, while to the cranks cast iron counter-weighted discs are secured in such a manner as to minimize the shaking forces. The cut shows a coupling shrunk and keyed on one end of the shaft and on the other end the flywheel and governor. This Buffalo governor, by its swinging eccentric controlling the valve travel, possesses many peculiar points of merit, among which may be mentioned constant lead of the valve at all cut offs, and the provision on all the governor pins of oil cups or grease pots for insuring that sensitiveness, ease of running and minimum need of attention so essential for the sustained high speeds of marine service. The eccentric rod at its upper end takes hold of a bottom horizontal extension of the valve rod, which by means of a guide bear- ing carried from the base of the steam chest is constrained to move in a straight line. A construction much superior to the old rocker arm valve rod motion is thus provided. Jn order to render possible high speeds without cessation the greatest care throughout the design must be taken to prevent the likelihood of heating of any parts. For this reason also the lubrication must be super- abundant. In this engine special attention has been paid to these most essential features. A multiple oil system is incorporated in this engine. From a large glass-ended oil receiver, situated on the level of the cyl- inder base, small pipes lead through sight feed devices to each journal or rubbing surface, insuring in this manner the application of the oil to the proper place in the proper quantity. The novel Buffalo Forge Co. system of forced oil circulation, which is an advance step in marine lubri- cation, may likewise be applied to this engine. With such construction a small oil pump in the base, driven from an eccentric on the crankshaft, acts to take the oil from the crank pit and force it to the receiver above, from which it is distributed through small tubes under a pressure of about 20 lbs. to the various parts needing lubrication, returning then to the crank pit. A light hood, not shown in the illustration, is provided to en- close the crank disc and connecting rod. For oiling the piston and valve a large sight feed lubricator is provided. __ .This machine is constructed by the Buffalo Forge Co. in sizes up to 65 H.P. The same structural features are embodied in larger marine upright engines of the compound"type. The cut of the small engine shown herewith gives a general idea of how the combination of minimum weight and maximum strength and accessibility of the various moving parts is obtained. In the department of marine high-speed lighting ser- vice it may not be amiss to mention that this engine has achieved for itself a most admirable record. SIXTEEN AND A HALF MILLION TONS OF FREIGHT MOVED TO AND FROM LAKE SUPERIOR TO SEPT. 1--MARKED INORHASE IN SHIPMENTS OF BITUMINOUS COAL--FALLING OFF IN GRAIN MOVEMENT. Notwithstanding the idleness of one of the largest of the lake fleets of freighters, records of Lake Superior commerce, as reported by offi- cials of both Canadian and American canals at Sault Ste. Marie, show a total of 16,490,020 net tons of freight moved to Sept. 1, against 14,418,477 tons on the same date in 1899 and 12,613,639 tons in 1898. The number of vessel passages on the same date was 12,337 in 1900, against 11,856 in 1899 and 11,029 in 1898; and the registered tonnage of the vessels, 14,319,248 in 1900, against 12,673,275 in 1899 and 11,105,554 in 1898. Probably the most remarkable gain is in soft coal shipments, which foot up 3,702,959 tons, as compared with 1,810,969 tons on Sept. 1, a year ago, and 2,139,778 tons on Sept. 1, 1898. Hard coal shipments, which amounted to 507,708 tons on Sept. 1, 1899, now foot up only 376,886 tons. Of course there is a large increase in the ore movement, as has already been noted in the reports from shipping docks, but the falling off in grain of all kinds moving from Lake Superior amounts to 7,226,515 bushels. This is due mainly to very light shipments of grain other than wheat. The wheat movement is about 2,000,000 bushels in excess of what it was a year ago, but in corn and other cereals there is a falling off of about 9,000,000 bushels. Following is a complete summary of the canal reports: MOVEMENT OF PRINCIPAL ITEMS OF FREIGHT TO AND FROM LAKE SUPERIOR. To Sept. 1, | To Sept. 1, | To Sept. 1, aT EMS: 1900. 1899. 1898. Coal, anthracite, net tons............... 376,836 507,703 277,181 Coal, bituminous, net tons............ 3,702,959 1,810,969 2,189,778 Iron ore; net tons....0.0. ccc sce 10,818,663 9,062,580 7,714,003 Wheat, bushels... 05.0062 0.0sc00s.ccre ss 27,005,111 | 24,825,894 | 11,514,527 Blour; barrels. sc.. ccc cosc.cse cece ee 3,301,858 3,705,457 3,503,875 REPORT OF FREIGHT AND PASSENGER TRAFFIC TO AND FROM LAKE SUPERIOR, FROM OPENING OF NAVIGATION TO SEPTEMBER 1 OF EACH YEAR FOR THREE YEARS PAST. EAST BOUND. so To Sept 1, | To Sept. 1,| To Sept. 1 ITEMS. Designation. 1900. | 1899. ' ee ' COPPeT ..0-..cse reece ceeeoe ee Net tons.... 77,198 638,859 75,567 Grain, other than wheat) Bushels.....| 6,824,151 | 16,229,883 | 14,104,367 Building stone............ Net tons... 19,131 17,778 4,063 Ploutssse hese Barrels...... 3,391,696 3,704,107 3,502,973 Tron Ore is. ee, Net tons...| 10,818,663 9,062,580 7,714,053 IXON, Pig. .oscoce.. soot cet Net tons... 11,584 15,926 20,215 Dumber 3 .e.c0c...2s0..0csee M. ft. b. m. 488,133 588,747 520,725 Silver ores ss. jc00.05.000.055 Net €ONsSis | ice Reese Wheat... 6000S ct Bushels.....| 27,005,111 | 24,825,894 | 11,514,527 Unclassified freight .....,; Net tons... 36,364 87,437 145,097 PasSengers..........506..5<¢ Number.... 21,414 18,408 15,316 WEST BOUND. Coal, anthracite.......... Net tons... 376,836 507,703 277131 Coal, bituminous......... Net tons..| 3,702,959 1,810,969 2,139,778 Blours. eeccreee ee Barrels ..... 162 1,350 902 GEA ee cress Bushels..... 18,584 26,500 7,715 Manufactured iron...... Net tons... 79,637 98,662 149,982 Salt 4i5c., 0chesceeces cc ceseees Barrels ..... 176,734 189,932 178,365 Unclassified freight..... Net tons... 247 624 239,566 228,521 Passengers................+- Number ... 22,529 20,060 18,522 SUMMARY OF TOTAL FREIGHT MOVEMENT IN TONS. To Sept. 1, 1900. | To Sept. 1, 1899. | To Sept. 1, 1898. West bound freight of all kinds, net tons.............. 8,483,946 2,686,443 2,823,396 East bound freight of all kinds, net tons.-......:..:.: 13,056,074 11,732,034 | 9,790,243 16,490,020 | 14,418,477 | 12,613,639 Vessel passages. Registered tons. Ta Sept 1, 1000. os. ceeccstreecate sexe 12,887 14,319,248 To Sept: by 1800. hid is cece 11,856 12,673,275 Mo Sept. ©, 1898.0 28.5..ciceccees se seeeteee 11,029 11,105,554