'Jane D'
The 50 HP Hick Hargreaves No 303 is the oldest engine in the Forncett collection, being built in Bolton, Lancashire in 1873. It has a single cylinder of 13 inch bore by 36 inch stroke, its 10 foot diameter flywheel runs at 66 rpm, it is fitted with a Porter speed control governor which acts on the releasing or trip gear of its Corliss valves, these being a semi rotary valve which were originally developed by an American engineer George Corliss, the valve gear to open and close these valves is to a design by Inglis and Spencer and only two examples of this type remain in the UK, this engine and a larger engine preserved at Gurteens Chauntry Mills in Haverhill, Suffolk.
The benefit of using the Corliss Valve is that it opens and closes very quickly, with Inglis and Spencer's valvegear, the inlet valves are snapped shut by a spring, so steam is let into the cylinder in very controllable 'packets' at near boiler pressure, thus avoiding the pressure drop which many other types of valve give and avoiding the consequent loss of energy and inefficiency. The Porter Governor controls the point at which the valve is released from the open position and hence by lengthening and shortening the time the valve is open for the speed of the engine can be regulated very accurately - essential when operating textile machinery.
This engine originally powered a lace factory in Nottingham became obsolete in 1940 and fortunately survived until 1980 when it was donated to the museum by Kontac Ltd. and Jane D Knitwear - hence the name.