Engineering Wonders of the World
Volume I

224 ENGINEERING WONDERS OF THE WORLD. piston operates a central crank on the shaft by an ordinary connecting rod, and from a heavy crosshead at the end of the fixed piston rod of the other cylinder run two long side rods to two cranks set in line on each side of the first crank. This disposition of the pistons and other moving parts gives perfect balance and smooth running. Huge American Installa° tions. The Americans have followed closely ths lead given by Germany. Probably the largest in- stallation of blast-furnace gas engines in the world is that built by the De la Vergne Company of New York for the Lackawanna Steel Company. It includes sixteen 2,000 h.p. engines working Fig. 16.—FIVE UNITS OF AN INSTALLATION OF SIXTEEN 2,000 H.P. KÖRTING ENGINES AT THE WORKS OF THE LACKAWANNA STEEL COMPANY, U.S.A. At its extreme outward position one piston uncovers a ring of exhaust ports, e ; the other uncovers first a ring of air ports, A, and then a ring of gas ports, g (marked in solid black). The fresh charge forced in by pumps through these expels the burnt charge at e. The Clerk two-stroke cycle being used, a working stroke is obtained at each revolution of the shaft. as many huge 76" by 60" vertical blowing cylinders. Five of these engines are seen in Fig. 16. The largest individual engines yet built de- velop about 3,650 h.p. These monsters have shafts 311 feet long and 23| inches in diam- eter to revolve 30-foot fly-wheels of enormous weight. Referring back for a moment to Fig. 14,