A.—­The pipe leading to the condenser from the cylinder is made somewhat bell mouthed where it joins the condenser, and the gland for compressing the packing is made of a larger internal diameter in every part except at the point at which the pipe emerges from it, where it accurately fits the pipe so as to enable the gland to squeeze the packing.  By this construction the gland may be drawn back without being jammed upon the enlarged part of the pipe; and the enlargement of the pipe toward the condenser prevents the air pump barrel from offering any impediment to the free egress of the steam.  The gland is made altogether in four pieces:  the ring which presses the packing is made distinct from the flange to which the bolts are attached which force the gland against the packing, and both ring and flange are made in two pieces, to enable them to be got over the pipe.  The ring is half checked in the direction of its depth, and is introduced without any other support to keep the halves together, than what is afforded by the interior of the stuffing box; and the flange is half checked in the direction of its thickness, so that the bolts which press down the ring by passing through this half-checked part, also keep the segments of the flange together.  The bottom of the trunnion packing space is contracted to the diameter of the eduction pipe, so as to prevent the packing from being squeezed into the jacket; but the eduction pipe does not fit quite tight into this contracted part, but, while in close contact on the lower side, has about 1/32nd of an inch of space between the top of the pipe and the cylinder, so as to permit the trunnions to wear to that extent without throwing a strain upon the pipe.  The eduction pipe is attached to the condenser by a flange joint, and the bolt holes are all made somewhat oblong in the perpendicular direction, so as to permit the pipe to be slightly lowered, should such an operation be rendered necessary by the wear of the trunnion bearings; but in practice the wear of the trunnion bearings is found to be so small as to be almost inappreciable.

624. Q.—­Will you describe the valve and valve casing?

A.—­The length of the valve casing is 16-1/2 inches, and its projection from the cylinder is 3-1/2 inches at the top, 4-1/4 inches at the centre, and 2-1/2 inches at the bottom, so that the back of the valve casing is not made flat, but is formed in a curve.  The width of the valve casing is 9 inches, but there is a portion of the depth of the belt 1-1/2 inch wider, to permit the steam to enter from the belt into the casing.  The valve casing is attached to the cylinder by a metallic joint; the width of the flange of this joint is 1-1/4 inch, the thickness of the flange on the casing 1/2 inch, and the thickness of the flange on the cylinder 5/8ths of an inch.  The projection from the cylinder of the passage for carrying the steam upwards, and downwards, from the valve to the top and bottom of the cylinder, is 2-1/4 inches, and its width externally 8-5/8 inches.  The valve is of the ordinary three ported description, and both cylinder and valve faces are of cast iron.