Rough and Tumble Engineering | Page 8

on
this valve if you can get emery paper, and I would advise you to always
have some of it with you. It will often come 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