Excerpt from Steam Engines: Prepared in the Extension Division of the University of Wisconsin This book on Steam Engines was written to be used as a textbook for correspondence students in the University of Wisconsin Extension Division. It is the third of a series of three textbooks designed for those students who are pursuing a general course in Steam Engineering, the other two being "Steam Boilers" and "Heat." In this course in Steam Engines we aim to teach the fundamental principles underlying the operation of the steam engine and to do this in as simple and nonmathematical a manner as possible. This is particularly true with those parts which deal with thermodynamic principles. Enough of the practical features of steam engine operation has been given to illustrate the principles, and it is hoped that operating engineers who take this course will be able to supplement from their own experience other applications of the principles presented. That part of the course dealing with valve gears has been made more complete than other sections because our experience shows that operating engineers usually do not understand the valve gear mechanism of their engines as well as they do other parts. Most of the material in the chapter on Lubrication was furnished by Mr. R. P. Tobin, Chief of the Technical Department of the Vacuum Oil Company and we take this opportunity to express our thanks for his aid. We wish to take this opportunity also to thank Mr. J. C. White, Chief Operating Engineer for the State of Wisconsin for very valuable suggestions as to the scope of the course and the outline to be followed, also for many useful hints and suggestions about writing the course, and for a careful and critical reading of the manuscript. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

This is the first comprehensive history of the steam engine in fifty years. It follows the development of reciprocating steam engines, from their earliest forms to the beginning of the twentieth century when they were replaced by steam turbines.