Help! > Specific Engine Help
What sort of engine is this?
PaulR:
--- Quote from: paul gough on February 05, 2026, 08:59:30 AM ---There is another engine that is somewhat similar to the Horne engine and is in the Science museum. A photo can be seen if you enter in the search box ‘Harvey and co oscillating engine’ or just ‘oscillating engines’ and scroll to it. It is also a 1870 engine. This one is a little more involved but is quite handsome. If you want a simpler style but still a historic engine the same place has a drawing of Maudslay’s early oscillator. Regards, Paul Gough.
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Thanks for this. Simple and a bit different is what interests me. I don't have the skill, equipment or interest to build replicas but I like to adapt mechanisms to suit simple engines.
This is the other idea that's been floating around my head some time time. The piston rod is the the right, the T-shaped cylinder pivots in a 'cradle' with two holes, one for the inlet the other for exhaust, the cylinder has a single hole at the back. Basically it's a wobbler with the pivot near the end and the ports on the back instead of the sides. Actually I suppose it's more like a rotary valve engine.
Crazy idea #2: The cradle could be a complete block with a vertical slot in the front allowing the cylinder to move up and down like a gun turret! That would also remove the need for pivots either side.
paul gough:
Sounds like you enjoy conceptualising, trying to keep things simple in engineering has been challenging designers forever. In the mechanical 19th century you would have been an “Experimentalist”. Trying to create simple, workable and makable engines is a challenging intellectual endeavour, especially if you are pursuing novel designs. Keep exploring, it is the fountain of youth. Regards, Paul Gough.
Jasonb:
If you fancy a double acting version of the engine you sketched this may suit.
crueby:
--- Quote from: Jasonb on February 05, 2026, 08:20:57 PM ---If you fancy a double acting version of the engine you sketched this may suit.
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Thats a very interesting take on an oscillator!
Did a quick search, found this: https://modelengineeringwebsite.com/Hamers_oscillator.html
PaulR:
--- Quote from: Jasonb on February 05, 2026, 08:20:57 PM ---If you fancy a double acting version of the engine you sketched this may suit.
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Haha, well there we go, there's nothing new under the sun! I didn't get to thinking about a double acting version as I wasn't sure the single acting idea was remotely sensible :Lol:
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