THE DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

The Program of studies in Mechanical Engineering*

leading to the degree of Mechanical Engineer, is open to young men who wish to prepare themselves for the designing of m achinery, w ith its appurtenances, and for th e successful m anagem ent of power plants. As the program requires a thorough knowledge of pure and applied M athematics, as well as of Physics, only those capable of adapting them selves to these requirem ents should tak e it up. The program of th e departm ent is modeled in th e tw o fold belief th a t a thorough funda­

m ental training is best secured by a stu d y of th e practical application of the principles involved, as well as of the theoretical principles.

The work of th e departm ent, conducted in connection w ith other departm ents elsewhere described, consists of th e study, by tex t-bo o k or lectures, of the m aterials used in m echanical engineering, accompanied by th e science of pure m echanical kinematics, which traces th e m otions of connected p arts w ithout reference to th e cause of such motions, to the work done or energy tran sm itted . This is succeeded b y machine design, which is a direct developm ent of kinem atics, and the course

continues throughout th e Junior and Senior years.

The courses in Shop work are m ost complete. The first y ear’s work is confined to practice in the wood- shop, in which th e principles ofi carpentry, turning, and

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p attern -m ak in g are ta u g h t. W hen th e stud ents have become sufficiently skilled in woodwork, th e y tak e up th e w ork of th e foundry, blacksm ith shop, and m achine shop. A system atic course of tra in in g is provided, which advances th e stu d en t by easy steps un til he has m astered all th e details of th e work.

The la tte r p a rt of th e Senior year is largely ta k e n up in th e p reparation of a graduation thesis. Here espe­

cially th e stu d e n t is ta u g h t to depend as m uch as possible upon his ow n resources and abilities in exercising his ingenuity. This is th e culm inating effort of th e program em bodying its chief results, and is expected to show considerable originality.

B very possible advantage is given th e stu d en t wishing to specialize in some of th e branches of engineering, to w ard furthering his knowledge and ab ility in th e p articular field desired. He m ay ta k e up general m achine design, steam design, specifications and contracts, installation and erecting, original research or gas engine design and operation. A system atic curriculum of stu d y will be outlined in each individual case leading to a com plete and proficient knowledge of th e work undertaken.

Access m ay be h ad to all m achinery and ap paratus of th e U niversity contained in th e various power plants and laboratories elsewhere described, and every effort is m ade b y th e authorities to m ake th e work as com­

prehensive as possible.

The laboratories and shops are equipped w ith all necessary ap p aratu s and m achinery. The wood shop is supplied w ith m odern work-benches fully equipped w ith th e smaller tools necessary for carpentry, lathes for tu rn ed work, tw o jig saws, a pony planer, a joiner, an edge m oulder and shaper, a universal trim m er, circular saw w ith dado and drilling attach m en ts and band saw,

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th e whole forming an adequate equipm ent for a th o r­

ough m astery of joinery, scroll work and p a tte rn m aking.

The power for operating th e m achine shop is derived from the electric p lan t of the University, two ten-horse power m otors being used for this purpose, from which power is tra n sm itted to the various machines by line shafting running th e entire length of th e building. The latest im proved lathes have been provided, nine in num ber, varying from a five-inch swing in th e sm allest to a large engine lathe w ith sixteen foot bed, having a capactiy for work tw enty-eight inches in diam eter.

Two drill presses, a large planer, a shaping machine and a Brown and Sharp milling machine complete the outfit, thus m aking th e machine shop a model of its kind. There have been completed lately in the fnachine shop seven new screw cutting lathes of fourteen-inch swing, a high speed bench hand lathe, one tw enty- eight inch Sibley and W are drill press, one horizontal 8x12 slide valve steam engine and a wood milling machine. The equipm ent is added to regularly, and recently a Seneca Falls lathe of fourteen inch swing and eight foot bed, a Crown high speed lathe, a Toledo punch press and a complete new set of chucks, drills, taps, m andrels and lathe dogs have been installed to m eet the additional requirem ents of th e courses. I t is th e policy of this departm ent to refrain as m uch as possible from exercise work, and each stu d en t is usually tak ing p a rt in the construction of some new machine or engaged on general repair work for th e University, a plan which is regarded superior to a fixed routine of exercises.

The blacksm ith shop has th e usual com plem ent for teaching forging, annealing, welding and tool-m aking.

In th e foundry work th e stu d e n t is instru cted in th e proper disposition of gates and sprues, the m ixing of

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sand, setting up and drawing simple and com plicated p attern s and core m aking. This is supplem ented w ith lectures on th e proper m ixing and heating of cast iron for th e various purposes for which it is* used.

In addition to th e facilities afforded b y th e shops, th e engineering stud ents have access to th e steam and power plants of th e U niversity which have been recently remodeled and m ade to compare favorably w ith th e best contem porary practice. The m ain steam p lan t contains two batteries of ten horizontal tu b u la r boilers, aggregating 1200 horse power. In connection w ith the boilers is installed th e necessary testing ap paratus as follows: a W orthington h o t w ater m eter for m easur­

ing th e am ount of feed w ater, a feed w ater therm om eter for getting tem p eratu re of _ same, a high range th e r­

m om eter for tem p erature of generated steam , a th ro ttlin g calorim eter for ascertaining th e q uality of steam and an autom atic recording pressure gauge giving a con­

tinuous record of th e boiler pressure. Provision is m ade for finding th e tem p erature and pressure of th e flue gases by m eans of a pyrom eter and draught gauge and for obtaining samples of flue gas for analysis w ith F isher’s analysis apparatus. These, w ith a Carpenter coal calorim eter for determ ining th e heating value of fuel, comprise a full and complete equipm ent for giving th e stu d en t an in tim ate knowledge of th e practical p a rt of boiler m anagem ent and testing. A W ebster feed w ater and purifier, two com pound duplex pum ps, two vacuum pum ps working on th e heating system , two large W orthington fire pum ps 16x9 by 12 w ith a capactiy of 1500 gallons per m inute, w ith num erous separators, steam trap s, auto m atic reducing valves, etc., complete, th e ap p aratu s in th e m ain steam plant. A McEwen high speed au to m atic engine, an A rm ington and Sims engine of smaller ty p e and several low speed horizontal

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engines w ith polar and roller planim eters, indicators, reducing wheels, slide rules and other necessary in stru ­ m ents, are used in studying th e operation of th e steam engine, distribution and econom y of steam , regulation, valve setting and h eat wastes.

There have been recently donated to th e m echanical lab orato ry about four hundred brass and iron fittings used in steam and gas engineering, including feed w ater injectors, sight feed lubricators, oil cups, safety valyes, relief valves, different varieties of globe valves, gate valves, tees, elbows, crosses, unions, bushings and reducers. M any of these have been sectioned to show th e dimensions, and facilitate a stu d y of th e intern al stru ctu re and arrangem ent of parts.

In th e gas engine laboratory are installed one h o ri­

zontal eleven horse power four cycle engine com ­ pletely equipped for experim ental runs, w ith indicator reducing m otion, prony brake, scales and therm om eters, a five horse power two-cycle vertical gas engine of the m arine type, a four horse power horizontal four cycle gasoline engine with circulating pum p and cooling tower, one Motsinger auto-sparker w ith induction coil, one Apple ignition dynam o with storage b attery , tw o H endricks autom atic igniters together w ith carburettors, spark plugs, spark coils, indicators, and all necessary equipm ent for a complete stu d y of th e gas engine.

R ecent additions include th e latest type K ingston carb uretto r and muffler, a N ational storage battery, Pittsfield induction coils and dash coils, two W izard m agnetos w ith brass arm ored spark coils, one four engine cylinder distributor and a num ber of im proved stan d ard and m eter spark plugs.

A set of castings for an eight horse power engine to be operated by alcohol has been placed in th e m achine

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shop, and th e work of designing and building th e engine will be undertaken by th e students.

In th e dep artm en t library, stand ard authors m ay be consulted and th e current literatu re on engineering topics is k ep t on file for reference, as well as a complete line of tra d e catalogues.

TWO-YEAR PROGRAM IN MECHANICAL