"The Most Powerful Idea in the World argues that the very notion of intellectual property drove not only the invention of the steam engine but also the entire Industrial Revolution." -- Back cover.

Excerpt from Mechanism of Steam Engines This book is intended as an elementary treatise on the kinematics of reciprocating steam engines and steam turbines. Sufficient attention is given to the behavior of the steam itself to enable the student to study intelligently the machine for which the steam is the source of power. The indicator card, or pressure-volume diagram, is employed in this connection. No consideration is given to the underlying heat theory or to the details of construction of the various parts of the machines. The book has been planned primarily to meet the needs of students who take up this subject as a part of, or immediately following, their course in the elements of mechanism, before they study the theory and practice of heat engineering or machine design. The purpose of the authors has been to present the subject in such a way as to make clear to the beginner the mechanical principles on which the steam engine operates, with special reference to the valve gear and governing devices, and the various diagrams used for studying the same. Examples are given of the different types of mechanisms, these examples being chosen merely to illustrate principles and methods, without particular reference to their relative importance. In dealing with a subject which has been so thoroughly developed as has the steam engine, it would be useless to claim that any new principles are set forth in an elementary textbook such as the present one.r The aim is to treat the subject in a logical manner, as concisely as possible, yet with sufficiently detailed explanations to make the principles easily understood. Chapter X describes the principle of action of steam turbines in general and explains briefly the various types of turbines, giving an example of each. Chapter XI treats of the method of controlling the steam supply to turbines and describes two mechanisms which are used for this purpose. Thanks are due to the various builders of engines and turbines for their ready response to requests for information, for the loan of cuts, and for permission to make free use of the material contained in their publications. Acknowledgment is also made of the assistance rendered by the authors' associates at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 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.