Engines, cream separators, pumps and other pieces of machinery
require solid bases. These bases must be permanent, and free from any
vibration. A base constructed of concrete possesses these advantages.
[Illustration]
To form a base for the support of a small engine, first excavate a
pit 2 feet 4 inches deep, and 1 foot larger both in length and width
than the dimensions of the engine base. Fill the pit with a mixture of
concrete, (1: 2½: 5), and then construct a form which will carry the
concrete to a height 4 inches above the floor level or to the height
desired.
Bolts should be set in the concrete before it dries, these being
sufficiently long to bend 4 inches at right angles, and to extend 1
foot deep into the concrete, with bent end down. They should be placed
with the upright part surrounded by gas pipe of twice the diameter of
the bolt, and of a length sufficient to come flush with the surface of
the concrete. The open space formed around the bolt by the pipe will
allow for slight errors in locating bolts, so as to meet the holes in
the engine base.
Keep the concrete wet for 24 hours after placing, by sprinkling. After
six days, set the engine, adjust the bolts, and fill the spaces around
the bolts with cement mortar, mixed 1 part cement, 1 part sand. Do not
use the engine until the concrete base is at least two weeks old.
[Illustration: Concrete Ice House]
A concrete base adds years of service to the life of a gasoline engine
or cream separator.
[Illustration: Grain Elevator Approach and Engine House]