Rough and Tumble Engineering | Page 8

handy. Now if the engine should start off at a lively gait and continue to run still faster, you must stop at once. The trouble this time is surely in the governor. If the belt is all right, examine the jam nuts on the top of the governor valve stem. You will probably find that these nuts have worked loose and the rod is working up, which will increase the speed of the engine. If these are all right, you will find that either a pulley or a little cog wheel is loose. A quick eye will locate the trouble before you have time to stop. If the belt is loose, the governor will lag while the engine will run away. If the wheel is loose, the governor will most likely stop and the engine will go on a tear. If the jam nut has worked loose, the governor will run as usual, except that it will increase its speed as the speed of the engine is increased. Now any of these little things may happen and are likely to. None of them are serious, provided you take my advice, and remain near the engine. Now if you are thirty or forty feet away from the engine and the governor belt slips, or gets unlaced, or the pulley gets off, about the first thing the engine would do would be to jump out of the belt and by the time you get to it, it will be having a mighty lively time all alone. This might happen once and do no harm, and it might happen again and do a great deal of damage, and you are being paid to run the engine and you must stay by it. The governor is not a difficult thing to handle, but it requires your attention.
Now if I should drop the governor, you might say that I had not given you any instructions about how to regulate it to speed. I really do not know whether it is worth while to say much about it, for governors are of different designs and are necessarily differently arranged for regulating, but to help young learners I will take the Waters governors which I think the most generally used on threshing and farm engines. You will find on the upper end of the valve or governor stem two little brass nuts. The upper one is a thumb nut and is made fast to the stem. The second nut is a loose jam nut. To increase the speed of the engine loosen this jam nut and take hold of the thumb nut and turn it back slowly, watching the motion of your engine all the while. When you have obtained the speed you require, run the thumb nut down as tight as you can with your fingers. Never use a wrench on these nuts. To slow or slacken the speed, loosen the jam nut as before, except that you must run it up a few turns, then taking hold of the thumb nut, turn down slowly until you have the speed required, when you again set the thumb nut secure. In regulating the speed, be careful not to press down on the stem when turning, as this will make the engine run a little slower than it will after the pressure of your hand is removed.
If at any time your engine refuses to start with an open throttle, notice your governor stem, and you will find that it has been screwed down as far as it will go. This frequently happens with a new engine, the stem having been screwed down for its protection in transportation.
In traveling through timber with an engine, be very careful not to let any over-hanging limbs come in contact with the governor.
Now I think what I have said regarding this particular governor will enable you to handle any one you may come in contact with, as they are all very much alike in these respects. It is not my intention to take time and space to describe a governor in detail. If you will follow the instructions I have given you the governor will attend to the rest.
PART SECOND ________
WATER SUPPLY
If you want to be a successful engineer it is necessary to know all about the pump. I have no doubt that many who read this book, cannot tell why the old wooden pump (from which he has pumped water ever since he was tall enough to reach the handle) will pump water simply because he works the handle up and down. If you don't know this I have quite a task on my hands, for you must not attempt to run an engine until you know the principle of the pump. If you do understand the old town pump, I will