Rectilinear Engine

[weir-smith]

Last year, I was challenged to build an engine that was different to the usual. I found a couple of old photos in a modeling magazine of a cross engine which was a version of James Booth original. The build was completed over a month in hobby hours and with the usual few adjustments to timing etc ran first up.

There was only one real difficulty in the build and that was the machining of the cross links. The centres must be extremely accurate e.g to 1/10 of a thou otherwise, the crosshead motion will jam or worse still colide. At the intersection of the crossheads, you have about a thou clearance.

All parts including the flywheel were fabricated from stock. I have included several photos taken just after a show where it ran for 8 hours a day for 8 days on compressed air.

I have a video of it running before taking to the show but haven't found a way to up load it.

Bruce W-S

 

[weir-smith]

My third attempt to up load photos.

 

[Piston_Broke]

Great looking model, nice work! I can't wait to see the video of it running so keep trying to upload it. Did you make your own drawings?

 

[Blogwitch]

Very nicely made.
It reminds me of an engine that I saw running when a friend brought his over a few years ago called the 'Harmonique'. it had a similar front to it but was driven by four cylinders and two scotch yokes made of thin bronze sheet and driving one crank pin.
Very mesmerizing to watch.

Here is a sheet from the magazine it was printed in to show you what it was like.

John