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The famous horizontal heavy-oil engine
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This is the "famous Crossley horizontal heavy-oil engine", the mother of all horizontal Crossley diesel engines shown before. |
| advert of 1920 |
The Crossley Oil Engine is of a "strong, well proportioned design, and is of handsome appearance. The greatest care has been taken to ensure reliable working" (Crossley brochure). In order to allow continuous service for long periods important design features were: low speed, robust construction, low pressure, ability to burn oils of different qualities.
The routine production of the oil engine started some years before 1920 with a relatively moderate power rating and a considerable reserve of additional overload capacity. Over the years the engines were adjusted also towards higher power ratings at slightly higher speeds. So different power specifications can be found for the same type of oil engine.
Accordingly the power ratings of these later oil engines increased towards the higher ratings of the HD diesel engines of the same sizes, which were designed later from about 1930 on:
The oil engines and the diesel engines are quite similar regarding the general engine design, but there may be also some minor differences, for example the fuel supply, ignition tube for some sizes, shape of the piston, air filter, splash guard, power. The fuel injector of the oil engine is positioned at the side and the air starting valve is at the front of the cylinder. This is in contrary to the diesel engines of the HD-types (injector at the front and air valve at the side).
Certain advantages were claimed for the fuel injector being positioned at the side of the cylinder: better combustion and reduced compression pressure (see the interesting book "OIL ENGINES" of A.H. Goldingham, p.90...100, printed in 1922, this book can be read even online at http://archive.org/details/designconstruct00goldrich )
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This brochure explains more details of this beautiful engine:
A larger view on the engine of the cover:
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The high power rating indicates that this is obviously the largest single cylinder oil engine.
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In 1918 the properties of the new oil engine were scientificly investigated by Prof. Burstall, professor of mechanical engineering at Birmingham University, and his team on behalf of Crossley Bros. Ltd. The tests were positive and the report with the results was published in a number of foreign languages for marketing purposes, for example this original Italian brochure of 1918:
It shows the "Crossley engine for heavy-oil which served Prof. Burstall in making his experiences", an engine of 117 hp at 180 rpm which looks like an O.128. The completely open splash guard is typical for these early engines, while it became more and more closed in the following years.
This was the beginning of the success story of these oil engines, which were built in that years also in smaller sizes of size O.115 and larger with a similar design.
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In 1930 also smaller oil engines of the sizes O.110 ... O.113 were built which corresponded to the earlier small gas engines of the types G110 ... G113 regarding their general engine design. These small oil engines are quite rare as only some time later also the small diesel engines of the HD-types HD3 ... HD6 appeared on the market, which show the same design as the small O-types. Accordingly images of the small oil engines are rare, too. The manual shows an authentic image of a small heavy-oil engine of the O-type.
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A typical feature of the oil engines is - similar to the earlier gas engines of the G-types and to the later diesel engines of the HD-types - that most of the components are made of the same design for all engine sizes, but of course with different geometries according to the engine power. This can be seen well in the parts diagrams, which show identical parts for the small engine types O.110 ... O.113 as well as for the larger types of O.115 and larger, see below.
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This system of identically designed engine components explains well, why all engine sizes show the same well proportioned appearence, that we all love so much.
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Some quite rare modifications of the oil engine were developed in the mid 1920s:
a) the type "CO", which is a link between the O/OE-types and the gas engine types G/GE and S/SE and similar benzine engines:
b) the type "ODE", which is a double cylinder engine with a special heavy flywheel and an alternator of compact layout, that does not require much space in contrary to an arrangement with the flat belt for driving the alternator:
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Some examples of existing engines can be seen on the following interesting websites and photos:
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O.116 (1930) of David, UK
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- 28 hp at 300 rpm
- with sight feed oiler / "plunger lubricator"
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OE.116 (1927) of David, UK
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- 28 hp at 300 rpm
- with sight feed oiler / "plunger lubricator"
- early style of the splash guard of circular shape
- a very rare engine type
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O.117 (1929) at Oude Liermolen / NL
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photos:
-> http://flickr.com/photos/quistnix/4599938856/in/set-72157614085383384/
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-> http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bestand:Oude_Liermolen_-_Crossley_dieselmotor.jpg
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and videos:
-> http://www.flickr.com/photos/quistnix/4599387755/in/set-72157614085383384/
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-> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EoUxg18okAE
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- 35 / 39 hp, 310 rpm
- with sight feed oiler / "plunger lubricator"
- early style of the splash guard of circular shape
- it's a working engine for pumping water !
- location: Laan van Adrichem 32 2678 CZ De Lier, Zuid Holland / Delft
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O.117 (1923), Electrokinetica
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photo: -> http://www.electrokinetica.org/shareddb/pix.php?f=gen_roopers_06_engine.jpg&r=2&w=6c87610a887b9c4315d51445e1ffae86
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website: -> http://www.electrokinetica.org/d1/1/1.php
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- 36 hp at 290 rpm
- sight feed oiler / "plunger lubricator"
- early style splash guard of circular shape
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OE.117 (1928) at Cango Caves / SA
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-> http://www.sandstone-estates.com/oldSHT/interim/Andy_Selfe/Cango_Caves_Crossleys/index.html
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- 35 / 39 hp at 310 rpm
- with sight feed oiler / "plunger lubricator"
- with ignition tube
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OE.117 (1927) at Corpusty Mill / UK
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-> http://www.norfolkmills.co.uk/Watermills/corpusty-crossley-engine.html
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- unique: fly wheel on the "wrong side" (camshaft side)
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O.120 at Biezen Vianen / NL
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video:
-> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKScvorB85E
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- 45 / 51 hp, 260 rpm
- with T&K "mechanical lubricator", 4 pumps
- early style of the splash guard (circular shape)
- it's an engine in a pumping station for pumping water
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O.120 (1925) at De Tuut, Appeltern/NL
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photos:
-> http://www.de-tuut.nl/index.php/fotos/25-fotos/fotos-gebouw/42
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-> http://www.de-tuut.nl/index.php/technische-gegevens/grote-motoren/crossley-oliemotor
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- 43 / 47 hp, 250 rpm
- with sight feed oiler / "plunger lubricator"
- early style of splash guard (circular shape)
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O.120 (1931) of Marcel / Belgium
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photos:
-> http://www.smokstak.com/forum/showpost.php?p=179291&postcount=1
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-> http://www.smokstak.com/forum/showpost.php?p=452737&postcount=7
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- 45 / 53 hp, 270 rpm
- with "mechanical lubricator", 4 pumps
- later style of the splash guard (longitudinal shape)
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O.126 (1930) "de Antagonist" Leidschendam/NL
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some good photos and a video by "Michiel2005":
-> http://www.flickr.com/photos/govert1970/7188536460/in/set-72157629698191436
-> http://www.flickr.com/photos/govert1970/7184399168/in/set-72157629698191436/
-> video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7TwqGJDGwM
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- 126 hp
- mechanical lubricator
- early style of splash guard (circular shape)
- drives a large water pump in the old pumping station "De Antagonist"
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Here are some double cylinder engines:
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OE.222 (?), 1923, Bourke/Australia
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website:
-> http://www.bourke.nsw.gov.au/tourism/crossley-engine
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photo of the engine side:
-> http://m0.i.pbase.com/g1/80/636180/2/125552200.QUmVIfK4.jpg
( photo of the website -> http://www.pbase.com/image/125552200 )
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videos of the running engine:
-> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FftEcf08ph8
-> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1XJ62RXyNs
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- 124 hp at 260 rpm
- the weight of the engine is 16t
- with one large common mechanical lubricator of 8 pumps for both engines
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O.223 (1925) Gemaal Streukelerzijl / Hasselt
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Photos:
-> http://www.neerslag-magazine.nl/userfiles/image/websites/water_neerslag/gfx/articles/migrated/2006_05_16_02.jpg
-> http://www.neerslag-magazine.nl/userfiles/image/websites/water_neerslag/gfx/articles/migrated/2006_05_16_01.jpg
( website: -> http://www.neerslag-magazine.nl/magazine/artikel/545/ )
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- 160 hp at 230 rpm
- mechanical lubricators
- early style of splash guards (circular shape)
- the engine runs at the pumping station Streukelerzijl near Hasselt
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OE.223 Extremadura, Spain
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some beautiful photos:
-> http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8064/8264715847_25f40df2bd_b.jpg
-> http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8360/8292391892_e50e418c16_b.jpg
( website: -> http://www.josemariacolomo.com/2013/01/explorando-la-vieja-fabrica-extremadura.html )
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- the wide flywheel is typical for the electric type OE
- two separate mechanical lubricators of 4 pumps each
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OE.228 in France
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photos:
-> http://i18.servimg.com/u/f18/11/60/67/77/photo_12.jpg
-> http://i18.servimg.com/u/f18/11/60/67/77/photo_15.jpg
-> http://i18.servimg.com/u/f18/11/60/67/77/photo_10.jpg
(website: -> http://mototracteurs.forumactif.com/t4476-crossley?highlight=crossley )
- 260 hp
- bore 470mm, stroke 700mm
- it's the largest and most powerful version of the series of the horizontal oil engines of Crossleys
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A Spanish advert of 1922 of a larger Oil Engine of "Motores Crossley":
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A Spanish advert of 1922 of a larger Oil Engine of "Motores Crossley":
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| advert of 1922 |
The water outlet branch, which should be above the cylinder, is not shown here
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