MR VAILE'S ROTARY ENGINE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 2691, 11 November 1876, Page 2

MR VAILE'S ROTARY ENGINE.

' » The New Zealand Herald states .— • Prom the beginning we have carefully watched tbU most ingenious invention, and we believe thai all the known difficulties in oonneotion with the rotary principle have been overcome. Fenlta there are which, however, can be remedied in another engine. With a perse▼enaee of the Zddst laudable kind, Mr Vailo ! has overcome many great obstacles, much opposition, and sometimes endured ctmb ridicule. This, however, ii nothing new. Without recurring to medissrai time*, in on own generation we find, in a Committee of the House of Commons, Stephenton was Uunted with being "mad," and "most certainly labouring under a drlusion," because he modestly stated that he could drive sv locomotive at the rate of 10 miles an hour. Not only has Mr Yaiie's engine been working continuously in the Herald machineroom, but on Monday lat,in order to give a convincing proof of the immense power developed iv proportion to the steam area employed (only 12$ inohw), everything in the Herald e«Ubii«bm< m that could bfl driven by steam was gear, d on lo this tiny engine, which can only be contiderad as a> model. With a pre#«ure of barrlv 35lbs of steam it easily drove the following machinery, dealing with the enormous and irregular load, with as much ease as a giant would toes A baby :— One quadruple Main's Tumbler printing machine, one quadruple double- feeder Wharf dale printing machine, with fl/ert, one double demy Belle Sauvage printing machine, one demy folio Miuerva printing machine, one foolscap folio Minerva printing maohine, one foolteap Paragon printing machine, one demy lithographic machine, one double demy lithographic maohine. In addition to this heavy lj*d it worked the force pump, liftiog a H inch, column of water 145 feet bijb, distributing the lame over the entire building, and also carried round the 8} puton engiue to work the feed pump of the boiler. To do all this work 102 ft of shafting, working on 13 bear- ' | ings, had to be driven at a speed of from 80 to 100 revolutions per minute. There was no more load that could be put on, or it would have been tried. After tub severe test we may safely conclude that the question of. power in proportion to piston area has bf en conclusively and triumph*ii.iy proved. We may add that, much to the detriment of the engine.a much smaller pullet was fixe.i,r*nder» ing Unnecessary to drive at a much greater velocity than necessary, resuking in great watte of fuel and steam. The engine i» alto without governors, from which came tte*m is lost. la considering the merits and demerits of this invention it mutt ai#aj« be bjrne in mind that these experiments have been made with the first trial engine c instructed, and that it is utterly impo*iible to prove all the points of advantage .with any one engine. In some instances great power and velocity in a small space would be of much greater value than a mere saving of fuel; while in other instances economy of fuel would be all-im-portant. In designing the first engine it became a matter of serious consideration which of these points to prove first, and it was ultimately decided in favour of great power in small space, as being on the whole the most important, and we tbink it will be conceded that the point is fully proved. It is a well-known fact that in order to use fuel to the greatest advantage, steam must be used expansively, and before a c lrrect estimate of the amount of fuel saved by this invention, can be arrived at, an engine working expansively and compounded will have to be built. When suoh an engine is made there is little doubt the inventor will prove all that he I olaims for it in this direction alto. The Otago Daily Timet sajs.— We hear from Auckland th»t Y*Uo*e R Aary Kngine is now at work driving « he printing machinery Of the New Ztaiand Herald. It it considered a success, and has been taken in hand by fire

gentlemen, enoh of whom has put down » thousand pounds towards working the patent rights. Among those gontlemen i» Captain Suttlo, of II M.S. Nymphe, who has taken a •trong interrd in tho invention. The engineers of both iho Nytppho and Sapphire havo boon watching the working of the engine, and oon* tidcr that its value will be erpeoially felt in marine pnginrs. Thoooonomyof spacoand fuol, M well as tVio absoneoof vibration, aro thestrong points of tho rotary engine. Great hopes are oxoited by thn invention, whioh will, wo hope, be realised, both for the public and for the inventor, as well as those who have oomo forward to Mr Vailo's agsistanoo to onablo him to brintr his engine into goneral uso. In a lator nurrbor, tho Herald sayes — If; may bo in> teroating fa «ome of our readers to learn that the teat with respeob to tho consumption of ooal was brought; to a oloso yesterday, very favourable to the rotary engine. In doing tho work and running egainob an engine of five times the uteam an a, a laving of ono-third of fuol wan tho result. This trial has boon oonduof.ed by porffofc strangers, tho ooal being Weigbod and a perfect record mado as to steam proßdnre, draught, &0., hour by hour,by An exporionot'd man, who has neithor mtoreat nor friends in tho town, and ovor whom Mr Vftile has had no control.