"CROSSLEY" ENGINES.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1776, 14 June 1913, Page 21

"CROSSLEY" ENGINES.

THE "LAST WORD" IN THEIR-LINE. SOME OF THEIR ADVANTAGES. In detailing; the many advantages of the Crossley engine, irrespective of size or power, the biff outstanding features that must commend them to the discriminating buyer are their extreme simplicity and reliability. These engines may be obtained in many powers, and may be run with town gas, suction gas, benzine, kerosene, and crude oil fuel. Of late there has been a decided tendency towards kerosene as fuel, owing to the increasing cost of benziui, which in some parts of New Zealand is now being retailed at something over 23. a gallon, with an upward tendency. Kerosene as a fuel is hardly so clean to work with, but is equally, effective for working' purposes. These engines may be obtained from 1J horse-power upwards. From 18 horse-power upwards the Crossley engines are of the semi-Diesel (modium compression) pattern. Thoyare started with a lamp, and once in operation the compression fires the charge. There is no ignition and no sparking, and thus some of the usual sources of troublo are avoided.

In tho small kerosene engine (illustrated in the advertisement in this issue), there is only one cam and one lever, which makes it simplicity itself as far as working and attention aro concerned. This little engine was awarded first prize by the. Royal Agricultural Society of England. All tho engines from 6 li.p. upwards (town gas, auction gas, or benzine fuel) have a throttle-governing arrangement which causes the engine to fire at each stroke, draw in a charge in direct proportion to the load it is working. What is important, too, it fires with strict regularity—there is no hit and miss about It, which means less strain on the whole of the working parts, and does away with the necessity for tho. heavy fly-wheels as steadiers. There is also a special mixing arrangement, which amalgamates the air and fuel thoroughly before they enter the cylinder. Trouble usually occurs in some makes of engines owing to tho two elements 'not being properly mixed, and tho result is that on low loads the charge fails to fire. The Crossley people guarantee their engines to fire accurately down to the lowest load point.

Regarding the horizontal and vertical types of engines, it is significant that most of the makers in England and on the Continent of Europe are reverting to the- horizontnl cylinder on account of the difficulty ,in lubricating with oil evenly nil round'the piston of the vertical engine, nod also on account of the ease with which the former can be taken to pieces compared with the vertical pattern. Reverting again to the suction gas engine, Crossley s have evolved an engine which can be .driven by the use of woodshavings and the refuse of sash-and-door factories as fuel. Many factories . using such engines have now to buy coke, and at the same time pay tor the'dumping of mill and factory ret use, whereas the expense of both can bB saved. Tho smaller 'Crossley engines are laTgely in demand for milking-plants, shearingplants, and fruit-spraying. The latter is a new uso for the engine, yet a most effective and economical one. One farmer in the south who has used a small "Crossley" engine to pump the sprayingfluid over his fruit-trees, testifies that he saved its cost in one season. At present most orchardiaU use a hand-pump for the work, and the result is that a good deal of the fluid is lost before sufficient power can be exerted to throw the spray the required height. The ongiue can bo made portable quite easily. Crossley s maintain that their latest gas engines aro the last word in the line. They includo certain exclusive patents, which add slightly to the initial cost, but linvo been found thoroughly to justify their inclusion. One of the faults of the higher-powered gas engines is back-firing or pre-ignition, owing to carbonisation at the back of tho piston. This in the Crossley is cleaned by a. very simple provision, which absolutely eliminates back-firing. "The firm" case-harden 'the whole of their cams, which means less wear, and greater accuracy in timing and firing. The engine has very large water-spaces round the breech-e'nd, which keep the valve gear particularly cool. There are no pockets in the chambri'—the whole charge is cleaned right out after each explosion. The Crosslcys also have a water-jacket on the exhaust-pipe, which largely helps to silence tho engine. They aro all seltlnbricating, ami will run from morning till night without attention. Messrs. A. D. Riley and Co., of Laml>tun Quav, agents for Crossley engines, hold slocks of tho smaller engines usually in demand, and have agents scattered thro\i"hout New Zealand who will always prepared to supply the fullest information respecting Uisae engines.