Grasshopper Engine

Single cylinder Grasshopper beam engine made in around 1840, maker unknow. Slide valve, speed 20 rpm, power output 5 horsepower.

This engine provided power at the Clyde Wharf Works of The United Alkali Company, London, from 1840 to 1928. Formed in 1890, The United Alkali Company amalgamated multiple smaller companies that made soda ash for the glass, textile, soap, and paper industries, ultimately merging with other chemical companies to form Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI).

'Grasshopper' engines get their name from the action of the beam, which moves up and down like the insect's legs. It works on the same principles as a beam engine but was made to fit in smaller factories that needed more compact power units. Steam engine development progressed so quickly that few of these engines survive today.