Stationary Engine Kits
Anthony Mount Models
Trapezium Connecting Rod Engine
This
example of a trapezium connecting rod engine is attributed to Professor Realeaux,
who was professor of Kinematics at Charlotenburg University Berlin and was
taken from a Dutch textbook published in the 1890s. As can be seen the connecting
rod is in the form of a trapezium and completely encompasses the cylinder.
The motion is most interesting and makes for an attractive model. It would
probably have been in the range of 5 to 25 NHP range. Alas few details are
given in the text. I have presumed a 9ft (2.7metre) flywheel, which conveniently
at 1/12 scale gives a 9” (228mm) flywheel.
The base and brackets are aluminium castings. Gunmetal castings are used for the flywheel, cylinder, covers, steam-chest and eccentric strap. The connecting rod yokes are mild steel fabrications. The valve is of the slide valve type. To support the crankshaft there is an outrigger bearing.
There are 20 A4 drawings which have both imperial and metric dimensions, also included is a parts list.
Construction is quite straightforward and can be performed on a 3 72” (90mm) lathe such as the Myford series 7, with a gap bed. Though not essential a milling machine does make some operations easier.
The model was serialized in Engineering In Miniature from July 1997 to February 1998.