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How Do Antique Stationary Engines Work?

Antique stationary engines were usually gas-powered, but some were oil-burning or steam engines. They were often used to run stationary agricultural, industrial or electrical generating equipment. Hit-or-miss engines ran on gasoline and were a type of internal combustion stationary engine.

Technical Information
- Early stationary engines used a standard steam engine design with a piston that moved horizontally. The valve and crank gears were located outside of the engine housing, and lubrication was by a drip-feed system. Later designs fully enclosed the engine's moving parts and used sump lubrication. The engine's power was transferred to an implement by a wide, flat belt.
Governor
- Throttle-governed engines used a centripetal device to control the engine's speed to adjust for varying work loads. The governor used weights that rotated with the crankshaft to sense the engine's speed. As the engine accelerated, the weights moved outward and pressed against a retaining spring that slowed its speed. Centrifugal force, reduced by a slower running motor, caused the weights to fall inward, and the spring's pressure increased the engine's speed.
Hit-or-miss
- Hit-or-miss, four-stroke stationary engines had large external flywheels connected to their crankshafts. They got their name because they didn't fire on every power stroke. The governor regulated the engine's speed by cutting off the fuel mixture and preventing the magneto from firing when the engine ran above a certain RPM. As the engine slowed, the governor closed the exhaust valve, allowing the magneto to fire to increase the engine's speed.

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