1. Thick spacer
2. Shim
3. Cylinder outer block
4. Thin spacer
5. Cylinder outer-block spacer
6. Cover support bracket
7. Shim
8. Cylinder cover
9. Dowel pin
10. Flange
11. Aligning ring
12. Cable support plate
13. Cable support spacer
14. Cable support shim
15. Guide
16. Clamp
17. Shim (NAVSHIP)
18. Lubrication fitting
Figure 4-4.—Typical cylinder section.
Cylinder Covers
The cylinder covers (fig. 4-4) act as clamps to
prevent the spreading of the cylinder slot when steam
pressure is applied behind the launching piston
assemblies. Cylinder cover support brackets, screwed to
the cylinder, hold the cylinder cover in place. Dowel
pins are used to ensure the proper alignment of each
cylinder cover section.
Cylinder Sealing Strips
The sealing strips (fig. 4-5) prevent the loss of
steam from the cylinders by sealing the space between
the cylinder lip and the cylinder cover. As the steam
piston assemblies move through the cylinders, the
19. Pad (NAVSHIP)
20. Baseplate
21. Bolt
22. Bearing pad
23. Cylinder base
24. Screw
25. Launching engine cylinder
26. Track supporting bar
27. Cylinder slot
piston connectors lift the sealing strips and the sealing
strip guides reseat them (fig. 4-6). Action of the sealing
strip is shown in figure 4-7. View A shows the strip
position forward of the piston assembly, View B shows
the connector lifting the strip to permit the
piston-shuttle connector to pass under it. View C shows
the guide re-laying the strip into its sealing position.
View D shows the final step in seating. View E shows
the strip fully seated, sealing
behind the piston assembly.
Sealing Strip Tensioner
the steam in the cylinder
The sealing strip tensioner (fig. 4-8) is mounted on
the end of the most forward cylinder cover on each
cylinder. It applies constant tension to the sealing strip
4-6
