Every successful engineer is a born inventor; indeed the daily work of an engineer in practice largely consists in scheming and devising from previous experience new and improved processes, methods, and details for accomplishing them, and for simplifying or cheapening old forms of machinery and the work they produce, to enable him to successfully compete with others, who are perhaps as ingenious and enterprising as himself.

In the work of designing machinery the draughtsman has to rely mainly on his memory for inspiration; and, for lack of an idea, has frequently to wade through numerous volumes to find a detail or movement to effect a particular purpose. Hence, as a rule, every man’s work runs in a groove, his productions generally having the stamp of his particular experience and training clearly marked upon them.

In the course of twenty-five years of such experience, I have found the want of such a volume as the present, and endeavoured to supply the deficiency in my own practice by private notes and sketches, gathered promiscuously, until the difficulty of selection and arrangement became so apparent that I began to classify them, as they exist in the following pages. A few weeks of unusual leisure have enabled me to complete this work and amplify it by numerous additions, and it is now presented in the hope that it will be found of equal service to others engaged in the head-splitting, exhausting work of scheming and devising machinery, than which I can conceive of no head-work more wearing and anxious, Several valuable works have already found numerous users, and there is no lack of admirable collections of memoranda, rules, and data for designing and proportioning the various constructive details of machinery; but, as far as I am aware, there is no work in existence which aims at the same purpose as is attempted in the following pages, viz. to provide side by side suggestive sketches of the various methods in use for accomplishing any particular mechanical movement or work, in a form easily referred to, and devoid of needless detail and elaboration. A sketch, properly executed, is—to a practical man—worth a folio of description; and it is to such that these pages are addressed. For the same reason it has been deemed undesirable to add to the various sketches any rules or tables relating to strengths or dimensions, which may be found in numerous well-known volumes.

Any suggestions or additions will be entertained and gratefully acknowledged.

THOMAS WALTER BARBER.

CONTENTS.

PAGESSECTION
Accumulators[147][67]
Adjusting devices[10], [246][2]
Anchoring[10], [246][1]
Anti-friction bearings[152], [306][70]
Apparatus for drawing curves[224], [330][98]
Automatic cut off. See [Valve gear][172], [312][79]
Balance weights[54], [258][20]
Ball and socket joints[12], [248][4]
Beam-engines, types of[80], [270][32]
Bearings[102], [282][46]
Bearings, relieving pressure on[152], [306][70]
Bed-plates, foundations, and framing of machines[22], [250][8]
Belt gearing[12], [248][3]
Belt pulleys[12], [248][3]
Blowing and exhausting[20], [250][7]
Boilers, types of[16], [250][6]
Bolts, &c.[168], [310][78]
Boring, drilling, &c.[72], [270][30]
Brakes and retarding appliances[14], [248][5]
Cams, tappets, and wipers[24], [250][9]
Carriages, cars, &c.[32], [252][12]
Centres[164], [308][77]
Centrifugal force, applications of[38][14]
Chains, links, and couplings[30], [252][11]
Chopping, slicing, and mincing[68], [264][27]
Chucks, grips, and holders[68], [264][28]
Circular and reciprocating motion[56], [258][21]
Clutches[40], [254][15]
Compensating and balance weights[54], [258][20]
Concentrated power[62], [260][22]
Concentrating and separating[66], [264][26]
Condensing and cooling[66], [264][25]
Connecting rods and links[42], [254][17]
Contracting and expanding[84], [272][36]
Conveying messages, &c.[52][19]
Conveying motion to movable parts[62], [260][23]
Conveyors[128], [298][57]
Cotters, &c.[86], [274][37]
Couplings[42], [254][16]
Couplings for shafting[42], [254][16]
Covers, doors, &c.[242], [332][106]
Cranes, types of[46], [256][18]
Cranks and eccentrics[28], [252][10]
Crushing, rolling, and disintegrating[36], [254][13]
Curves, apparatus for drawing[224], [330][98]
Cushioning[72], [268][29]
Cutting tools[64], [260][24]
Differential gear[74], [270][31]
Disintegrating[36], [254][13]
Doors, covers, manholes[242], [332][106]
Drawing and rolling metals, &c.[234], [332][101]
Drawing curves, &c., apparatus for[224], [330][98]
Drilling, boring, &c.[72], [270][30]
Eccentrics[28], [252][10]
Elastic wheels[84][35]
Elliptical motion[82], [272][34]
Engines and boilers combined, types of[82][33]
Engines, types of[76], [270][32]
Exhausting and blowing[20], [250][7]
Expanding and contracting devices[84], [272][36]
Fastening wheels to shafts[86], [274][37]
Feed gear[334][107]
Filtering[334][108]
Foundations and framing[22], [250][8]
Friction gear[88], [276][38]
Gear, differential[74], [270][31]
Gear, friction[88], [276][38]
Gear, reversing[158], [308][74]
Gear, rope[146], [302][66]
Gear, valve[172], [312][79]
Gearing, belt[12], [248][3]
Gearing, toothed[186], [318][84]
Gearing, various devices in[92], [278][40]
Governing and regulating speed, power, &c.[96], [280][41]
Grips and holders[68], [264][28]
Guides, slides, &c.[90], [276][39]
Handles, &c.[220], [328][97]
Heating appliances[234][100]
Hinges and joints[116], [292][50]
Holders and grips[68], [264][28]
Hooks, swivels, &c.[98], [280][43]
Hydraulic multiplying gear[96][42]
Impact. See [Striking and hammering][238][104]
Incorporating[122], [294][54]
Indicating pressure, &c.[214], [326][92]
Indicating speed, &c.[100], [282][44]
Intermittent motion[140], [300][62]
Iron and steel[224], [330][99]
Jets, nozzles, &c.[102], [282][45]
Joints and hinges[116], [292][50]
Journals, bearings, pivots, &c.[102], [282][46]
Keys, cotters, pins, &c.[86], [274][37]
Levelling and plumbing[122][52]
Levers[108], [286][48]
Links[30], [252][11]
Locking devices[110], [288][49]
Lowering[148], [304][69]
Lubricators[120], [294][51]
Marine engines, types of[236][103]
Materials of construction[224], [330][99]
Measuring and weighing[214], [326][92]
Mechanical powers[122][53]
Messages, conveying[52][19]
Mincing[68], [264][27]
Mixing and incorporating[122], [294][54]
Motive power[136], [300][60]
Movable parts, conveying motion to[62], [260][23]
Multiplying gear—hydraulic[96][42]
Nozzles and jets[102], [282][45]
Packings, joints, stuffing-boxes, &c.[132], [298][58]
Parallel motions[124], [296][55]
Pawl and ratchet motions, intermittent motion[140], [300][62]
Pins, &c.[164], [308][77]
Pipes and conveyors[128], [298][57]
Pivots[102], [282][46]
Plate work[106], [286][47]
Plumbing and levelling[122][52]
Power and speed, to vary[146][64]
Power, motive[136], [300][60]
Power, reservoirs of[147][67]
Power, transmission of[192], [320][85]
Pressing[144], [302][63]
Propulsion[134], [300][59]
Pumping and raising water[124], [296][56]
Pumping engines, types of[138][61]
Quick return motions[146][65]
Rails and tramroads[156], [308][73]
Raising and lowering weights[148], [304][69]
Raising water—pumping[124], [296][56]
Ratchet and pawl motions[140], [300][62]
Reciprocating and circular motion[148][68]
Regulating and governing[96], [280][41]
Relieving pressure on bearings[152], [306][70]
Reservoirs of power, accumulators[147][67]
Retarding appliances[14], [248][5]
Reversing gear[158], [308][74]
Riddling and screening[154][72]
Rope, belt, and chain pulleys[152], [306][71]
Rope gearing[146], [302][66]
Rolling and drawing[234], [332][101]
Rotary engines[160], [308][75]
Safety appliances[182], [318][81]
Screening[154][72]
Screw gear, bolts, &c.[168], [310][78]
Sections of iron and steel. See [Materials][224], [330][99]
Segments, wheels in[212], [326][91]
Separating[66], [264][26]
Shaft couplings[42], [254][16]
Shafting[164], [308][76]
Signals, &c.[52][19]
Slicing and mincing[68], [264][27]
Slide and other valve gear[172], [312][79]
Slides, guides, &c.[90], [276][39]
Socket joints[12], [248][4]
Sound[240][105]
Sources of power[136], [300][60]
Speed and power[122][53]
Speed, indicating[100], [282][44]
Spindles and centres[164], [308][77]
Springs[178], [316][80]
Starting valves[184][83]
Steam traps[184], [318][82]
Striking and hammering—impact[238][104]
Struts and ties[234][102]
Stuffing boxes[132], [298][58]
Swivels[98], [280][43]
Tanks and cisterns[192], [320][86]
Tappets[24], [250][9]
Throwing in and out of gear[192], [320][87]
Ties and struts[234][102]
Timber. See [Materials][224], [330][99]
Tools, cutting[64], [260][24]
Toothed gearing[186], [318][84]
Tramroads[156], [308][73]
Transmission of power[192], [320][85]
Traps, steam[184], [318][82]
Turbines[208], [326][90]
Valve gear[172], [312][79]
Valves and cocks[198], [324][89]
Valves, starting[184][83]
Variable motion and power[194], [320][88]
Washing[216], [328][94]
Water-pressure engines[216][93]
Water-wheels and turbines[208], [326][90]
Weighing and measuring, indicating pressure[214], [326][92]
Wheels, elastic[84][35]
Wheels, fastening to shafts[86], [274][37]
Wheels in segments[212], [326][91]
Windmills and feathering wheels[218], [328][95]
Winding apparatus[220], [328][96]
Wipers[24], [250][9]