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934 trol levers, which simplifies the opera- tion and permits controlling both tur- bines if either the port or starboard operating valves should for any reason become temporarily disarranged. In addition to the standard screw down valves on the ahead and astern turbines, each turbine is provided with a hand operating device, by means of which a nozzle valve can be moved by hand, if necessary or desirable. This is accomplished by the lever h as shown in the diagrammatic sketch Fig. 1. The lever is pivoted on the shaft 7 and has a lever engaging with the crosshead on the valve operating piston rod L. The latter lever is fitted with a latch so that it can be quickly connected or disconnected when not in use. Control of Turbines As previously pointed out, there 'may be a number of operating stations from which the turbines can be _ controlled when this is desirable, as for instance, there might be considerable advantage in the case of battleships in having the turbines controlled from the central station as well as from the bridge and starting platform. | After the officers have once become accustomed to using the bridge control, they will no longer use the engine room telegraph and will not feel as a man would, had he only the steering wheel : of an automobile under his control and compelled to rely upon an engineer to control the speed and the direction of motion independently. As far as reli- ability is concerned, this has been abso- lutely proven by the experience on the "Neptune." The only difference between the dia- grammatic sketch and the actual valve gear is that in the latter the various parts have been placed one within the other in order to make the valve more compact. In order that the officer on the bridge or navigator can see that the turbines are operating as desired, and also to show that the control system in in operating condition, gages are provided which show the steam pressure in the boilers, the air pressure in the control system, the air pressure in the pipe lines Z' Z" as well as the pressure in the oil supply system, and the pressure of the oil under the pistons of the float- ing frame on the reduction gears. As it would be frequently necessary to have the piping communicating from the engine room to the bridge in exposed places where it would be liable to freeze and because of the difficulty of allow- ing for the hydrostatic head in the pipe between the bridge and the engine room in the case of liquids, the steam and oil pressures are indicated on the bridge by means of compressed air and a small THE MARINE REVIEW relay valve, such as illustrated in Feg. 2. As the steam pressure or oil pressure to be indicated on the bridge may ex- ceed 'the air pressure available, the former are reduced in some ratio, such as 2 to 1 or 3 to 1, as required. In Fig. 2 the orifice B is connected to the steam or oil line, and the pressure desired is indicated on the bridge by the air pressure in the pipe connection to F which communicates ,with the gage on the bridge. The operating element of the relay consists of the plunger L A, having L and A the same diameter or 4. a smaller diameter than ZL for relaying oil or steam pressures. The plunger L A is fitted in a bushing, having ports G and H, port G communicating with the high pressure air supply and port H communicating with atmosphere. A drain C is also provided, which may either drain to the bilge or to the oil reservoir when oil pressure is being re- layed. Normally, when not being used, the small spring pushes the plunger L A to the right, and the gage on the bridge is then connected to atmosphere through the ports K and H. When steam or oil under pressure is admitted at B, the plunger L A is forced to the left against the resistance of the spring, and the edge J of the plunger L A moves over the port G and admits high pressure air through the port K to the gage on the bridge, the pressure in the space to the left of the plunger L A increases until the pressure times the area of the left-hand portion of the plunger L A, equals the pressure times the area on the right hand portion of the plunger L A, thus if the diameter of plunger L is twice the diameter 4, the area of the large end of the plunger will be four times that of the small end, and the actual pressure maintained on the left- hand side of the plunger will be one- fourth of that maintained on the right- hand side of the plunger, thus 200 Ibs. gage steam pressure would be in- dicated on the bridge by 50 lbs. of air pressure, The oil pressures are trans- mitted to the bridge in the same way. Relay Device This relay device has been found very sensitive and accurate, and so far has never given any trouble in the in- stallation on the "Neptune." As was pointed out in describing the operation of the controlling system, there is a fixed pressure (for any given num- ber of revolutions per minute of the turbine shaft) in the spaces Of aud:S: 5 as well as under the diaphragm K in the governor spindle and the space N to the right of the air operating cylinder. Consequently, instead of graduating the gage recording the air pressure in the space S' in pounds, this scale may con- June, 1914 veniently be graduated to read revolu- tions per minute, so that those in charge on the bridge can see every instant exactly the number of 'revolutions which the propellers are making. Another novel feature of the new con- trol apparatus used on the U. S. "Nep- tune" is a set of speed recording in- struments. As previously mentioned, for any given turbine speed there will he a definite oil pressure under the diaphragm K of the governor, and consequently this pressure can be used to indicate the speed of the turbine and propeller, Pressure gages of the recording type may be used, showing the speed, direc- tion of rotation and period of operation of each turbine under any given condi- tions. These records furnish an accurate. log which is indisputable in case of a controversy regarding the speed or man- ner in which the turbines were operated. These cards can be graduated to read revolutions or knots, as desired. Lundin Life Boat Official approval of the Lundin housed life boats and the Lundin power life boat has been received by the builders, the Welin Marine Equip- inent Co., of Long Island City,* from the United States Steamboat spection Service. This approval is based on the tests conducted at the company's dock in the East River March 13 and out at sea on the following day. Sixty- seven men, fifty inside and seventeen more standing on one side, outside, tested the floatation and _ stability of the 30 x.10 ft. power boat and sixty-one men were lowered from a pair of Welin davits mounted on the dock into the water in a 28 ft. Lundin decked life boat. Eight mémbers of the Steamboat Inspection Service be- sides Supervising Inspector ~General Geo. Uhler witnessing the test, and on the following day watched the boats maneuver out at sea from an ocean tug. So satisfactory were all these tests that official approval has been given' for their use on steam- ships. Ine The two large twin screw passen- ger and freight steamships building at Cramps, Philadelphia, will have the paneling of passageways doors of Nevasplit, furnished by the Keyes Products Co., 71 West Twenty- third street, New York. The Bowers Southern Dredging Co., Galveston, Texas, was lowest bidder for constructing the dredges Sam Houston and San Jacinto for service in Lt. Col. Riche's depart- ment. and -