Roper steam velocipede - Works On Steam

Roper steam velocipede

The oldest self-propelled road vehicle within the Museum's collection is that the powered velocipede inbuilt the late 1860s by Sylvester H. Roper, of Roxbury, Massachusetts, and demonstrated by him at fairs and circuses. initially look the machine seems to be a regenerate velocipede, however examination reveals that its frame was cast expressly for this self-powered vehicle.

The two 34-inch-diameter wood-spoke wheels have wooden felloes and iron-band tires. The front wheel is supported during a cast wrought-iron fork having a straight bar with wood grips. Footrests ar provided at the lowest of the fork. The distance is 49 inches.

A vertical, fire-tube boiler is suspended between the wheels, and a chimney angles back from the highest of the boiler housing. The lower 1/2 the housing served because the firebox (the grate of that is missing). Charcoal was fed through a little circular door on the left facet of the furnace. The housing is suspended from the middle of the frame by means that of a elastic device hanger (intended to absorb some of the road shock) and is braced at the lowest by 2 keep rods connected to the rear of the frame.

A non-automatic pump is mounted vertically on the left forward facet of the boiler housing. 3 water-level cocks are settled near , and there's a drain valve at the left rear of the boiler's base. periodic steam cylinders are pivoted on both sides of the frame, next to the chimney.

From outside measurements, it's calculable that the bore of the cylinders is regarding 2 1/4 inches. The piston rods worked on a pair of 1/2-inch cranks on the ends of the rear shaft. Piston valves for the cylinders were operated by eccentrics adjacent to their cranks, and a feed-water pump was operated by the left-cylinder crank. The exhaust steam, carried by conduit into the bottom of the chimney, provided forced draft.

Apparently, whereas the machine was at rest a forced draft was provided by a small piping that leads from the security valve at the highest rear of the boiler to the bottom of the chimney. there's a damper valve inside the chimney.

The throttle, settled at the highest front of the boiler housing, was actuated by forward twisting of the bar. A friction brake was applied against the rim of the front wheel once the bar was twisted toward the motive force. significant conduit leads from the throttle to the steam chests of the cylinders, and different conduit leads from the boiler to a steam gauge at the front of the frame. The water for the boiler was contained in tank that also served because the saddle. The filler gap is at the front of the tank. Water was provided to the pump and also the feedwater pump by means that of conduit that leads from the lowest of the tank.