In the conventional arrangement, the front roller is mounted centrally, forward of the chimney. This replaced the separate wheels and axle of a traction engine. The roller was a single wide cylinder supported at either end. Steam rollers, on the other hand, had smooth rear wheels and a roller at the front. Engines intended for agricultural use would have a series of 'strakes' bolted diagonally across the rims (like the tread on a modern pneumatic tractor tyre), and the wheels were typically wider to spread the load more evenly. Those intended for road use would have continuous solid rubber 'tyres' bolted around the rims, to improve traction on tarmac. All traction engines were built with large fabricated spoked steel wheels with wide rims. The most obvious difference is in the wheels. Convertible engines were liked by local authorities since the same machine could be used for haulage in the winter and road-mending in the summer (for example).Īlthough most steam roller designs are derived from traction engines, and were manufactured by the same companies, there are a number of features that set them apart. This configuration is still used frequently for small motor road rollers for use on minor pavement and road repairs.Īnother variation was the convertible: a combined engine which could be either a steam roller or a traction engine and could be changed from one form to the other in a relatively short time – i.e. However, there was also a distinctive variant, the tandem, which had two wide rolls, one front, one rear (see photo). The majority of rollers were of the same basic configuration, with two large smooth wheels at the back and a single wide roll at the front. Steam Roller at Astwood Bank Vintage Gathering 2008 This article concentrates on steam-powered rollers see road roller for a description of motor (eg diesel) rollers. This typically only applies to the largest examples (used for road-making). In many parts of the world, the term steam roller is still used to refer to a road roller, regardless of the method of propulsion. The key difference between the two vehicles is that on a roller the main roll replaces the front wheels and axle that would be fitted to a traction engine. The majority of steam rollers are outwardly similar to traction engines as many traction engine manufacturers later produced rollers based on their existing designs, and the patents owned by certain roller manufacturers tended to influence the general arrangements used by others. The levelling/flattening action is achieved through a combination of the size and weight of the vehicle and the rolls: the smooth wheels and the large cylinder or drum fitted in place of normal road wheels with a treaded face. A Steam roller (or steamroller) is a form of road roller – a type of heavy construction machinery used for flattening/compacting surfaces, such as roads or airfields – that is powered by a steam engine.
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