National Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark Emery Rice
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National Historic Emery Rice T. V. Engine (1873) The American Society of Mechanical Engineering U. S. Merchant Marine Academy Mechanical Engineers Landmark Kings Point, Long Island, New York September 28, 1985 The Back-Acting Engine of the was sent to the breakers in 1958. It repre- the third, the only twin-screw vessel, T. V. EMERY RICE sents a typical naval engine of the nine- was fitted with two compound overhead- This engine of the training vessel T. V. teenth century during the time of mo- beam engines. The fourth ship, a dis- EMERY RICE was constructed in 1873 mentous change: sail was giving way to patch vessel, was driven by a vertical and began its long career in the USS steam, iron hulls replacing the “wooden compound. All in all, it was quite a Ranger, an iron gunboat rigged as three- walls,” and the entire character of naval power spectrum reflecting mixed opin- masted barque and commissioned in engagements transformed as new guns ions of the time. 1876. With 1909, the RANGER was and armor plate came into their own. This engine—the type is called “back- transferred to the Massachusetts Nau- In this engine we have the real hard- acting” in the United States and “return tical Training School and was suc- ware—not pallid engravings or faded connecting-rod” in England—has all the cessively known as ROCKPORT, NAN- photos without a sense of scale—to show parts of a conventional reciprocating en- TUCKET and BAY STATE. The ship how things were near the end of a once gine that are adroitly re-arranged to form was again renamed in 1942 to honor Cap- vital development naval steam power that a compact horizontal compound engine. tain Emery Rice, an 1897 graduate of the would soon be overwhelmed by a combi- The new configuration is distinguished Massachusetts Nautical Training School nation of advancing technologies. for being short as well as low, enabling it who served with distinction in both the The RANGER was one of the four last to lie athwartship over the keel and drive Spanish-American War and World War I. iron ships to be built. The next ships, the propeller shaft directly. The arrange- The engine is that rare thing, an actual again four, authorized in 1883, were of ment of the parts is necessarily uncon- machine from the past, an artifact not steel and mark the beginning of the ventional, for while the crossheads are in scrapped after being outmoded. By “American Steel Navy.” Of this lot, two their expected locations, the two cranks memorable foresight, the engine was of the three cruisers (all had ram bows), are not. Instead of being beyond the saved when the iron hull that carried it carried engines similar to “ours,” while crossheads, the cranks are quite close to Principal parts of a back-acting engine of the period say 1855–1875. (adapted from The Marine Steam Engine by Sennett and Oram, London, 1915). 1–Cylinder; 2–piston; 3 and 3–two piston rods, the upper and far one being over the crankshaft 6 and the near rod passing under, with the crank turning between the rods; 4–crosshead guide; 5–connecting rod; 6–crankshaft; 7–steam inlet; 8–crankpin; 9–wrist pin; 10–crosshead; 11–waterline. their cylinders. The connecting rods service with the Atlantic and Pacific With few exceptions, the earliest reach back or “return” from the fleets and spent many years on magnetic steam merchant vessels had sidepaddle crossheads to couple to the crank pins. To survey duty along the western coasts, wheels. Straightforward and easily con- allow this, the usual single piston rods crossing the equator countless times. In structed, the requirement of low speed were dispensed with, and replaced by 1909 she was transferred to the Massa- for the paddlewheels was compatible two off-center piston rods in the L. P. and chusetts Nautical Training School as the with that of the vertical-cylinder station- an equivalent yoke from the H. P., all USS ROCKPORT, the old name being ary steam engines with large oscillating straddling the crankshaft. Although assigned to a new battle cruiser in 1917. A beams that had been serving industry somewhat cramped, the arrangement year later, now as the USS NAN- from the early 1700s. For shipboard use does allow connecting rods of reasonable TUCKET, she was given patrol service such engines were readily re-configured length to keep the lateral thrusts on the with the First Naval District but with and easily adapted to the high paddle- crosshead guides within bounds. maintenance of her training duty. With shaft located below the weather deck. The fore-and-aft crankshaft is in the war over, the ship was again released to Power requirements were substantial, middle of the engine, the cylinders being the School. The year 1941 had her under but low steam pressure because of the to starboard with the high pressure for- the name BAY STATE. Finally, in July state of the boiler art made for large ward. The attached condenser, salt-water 1942, she was transferred to the newly cylinders and massive engines standing circulating pump, and the air and con- founded Merchant Marine Academy at well above the water line, some project- densate pump—are to port. The con- Kings Point and given her last name, ing through the weather deck. denser lies over the crossheads and EMERY RICE, at the urging of Vice Naval vessels had to cope with design pumps, the latter being driven from the Admiral Richard R. McNulty, who in parameters associated with possible lower piston rods. All is mounted on a ordering the ship to Kings Point kept her damage by enemy guns. It was bad very massive iron frame that also carries on the active list. Age and 1944 brought enough to have masts and sails exposed the crankshaft main bearings. The total retirement from sea duty that she might to shot, but to have highly vulnerable weight of the engine is 61 tons, and it is display her memories as Museum Ship. paddle-boxes and above-waterline ma- some 20 ft wide with fore and aft length The ship herself was scrapped in 1958, chinery was out of the question. The of 10 ft, height about 6 ft. but the engine escaped disaster and was submerged and relatively small screw at The cylinders of 28.5 and 42.5 in put into storage because of the efforts of the stern was in protected position, and bores with common stroke of 42 in are Karl Kortum, Curator of the San Fran- the engine had to be compact and shel- served by D-slide valves having Stephen- cisco Maritime Museum (now National tered by being below the waterline. This son link motion supplemented by Maritime Museum). Kortum calls it “the location was vital, for while the fighting Meyer’s Riding Cutoff for precise control largest marine steam engine of its period ships of the forepart of the 19th century of cutoff. Reverse is by steam ram, existing anywhere.” Some 25 years had wooden hulls more than a foot in backed by handwheel and screw, and later, now Rear Admiral Patterson of the thickness, iron plate armor would not be hand levers. Pistons and cylinder liners Academy became aware of the historic pioneered until the Civil War are of bronze, and the 9-in diameter engine and bent every effort to get the (1861–1865). The old battle tactics in- crank-shaft is a one-piece forging. The engine back to Kings Point that it might volved trying to disable the enemy with glands of piston and pump rods, inac- become the focal point of the Marine broadsides of solid shot delivered at cessible when running, are toothed and Engineering Hall of the Academy’s Mu- point-blank range above the waterline, engage worm gears on reach-rods termi- seum. Patterson was also a key figure in and then boarding him. nating on the control platform to permit saving the World War II Liberty Ship The world’s first screw-steam warship adjustment when the engine is operating. JEREMIAH O’BRIEN, the last steam- with propulsion machinery and boilers Bronze, not Babbitt metal, bearings are ing survivor of a once great fleet, a ship entirely below the waterline was the USS featured. The engine was designed by the that was designated a National Historic PRINCETON commissioned in 1843. Bureau of Steam Engineering of the Mechanical Engineering Landmark in She was a creation of John Ericsson, best U. S. Navy Department and constructed September of 1984 in San Francisco. The known for the USS MONITOR of the by John Roach & Son of Chester, work of guiding the rehabilitation of the Civil War, and Captain Robert Stockton Pennsylvania. EMERY RICE engine fell to retired Rear of the U.S. Navy. The 164-ft vessel of There was a 9-in propeller shaft that Admiral Lauren S. McCready. 954-t displacement was ship-rigged. was interrupted by a “sailing clutch” A fuller account of the low-profile en- Space does not permit description of the allowing disengagement of the four- gines of yester-century holds enough sur- quite unique horizontal two-cylinder en- bladed, 12-ft diameter propeller of 17.5- prises to be of interest. The engine of gine lying just above the keel, a type ft pitch. With 64 rpm, the engine of 560 1873 that gave faithful service from 1876 dubbed “vibrating piston,” “vibrating ihp gave the 175-ft, 1020-t ship a speed of to 1944 relates to the period 1840–1880 pendulum” or “semi-cylinder” in which 10 kn.