Any ideas what this brass plate went on?

nova · May 29, 2018

The title sums up my question
Thanks.

6".5 across
3".5 wide
.125" thick
hole (/) .5"

Also the back Has C.A.F. 8231/17/1913 OR 18?

Any idea what the initials stand for?

creskol · May 30, 2018

A steam engine of some sort .. more than likely a steam tractor or steam locomotive.

DCMatt · May 30, 2018

From Wikipedia regarding "crown sheet":

The metal walls of the firebox are normally called sheets, which are separated and supported by stays. The stays support and brace the "sheets" (plates) against pressure. Ideally, they should be located at right angles to the sheets, but since the outer sheet (wrapper sheet) is radial and the top of the firebox (crown sheet) is relatively flat by comparison, such a relationship to both sheets is impossible. The actual location of the stays is a compromise. Since stay breakage is hidden, the stays have longitudinal holes, called tell-tales, drilled in them which will blow water and steam, revealing if they are broken. A boiler with more than 5 broken stays, or two next to each other, must be taken out of service and the stays replaced. The fusible plugs, usually located in the highest part of the crown sheet, have a soft metal alloy core which melts out if the water level in the boiler gets too low.

So, I guess it was important to know the highest point of the crown sheet on your steam engine...

Tony in SC · May 30, 2018

Where did you find it? It is from a steam engine. If found on a farm I would say it was probably 6 to 12 HP portable.

nova · May 30, 2018

Re: Where did you find it.

I bought it at an antique store.\

nagant · May 31, 2018

Copied this...The steel panels that make up the firebox are known as sheets, with the top panel known as the crown sheet. A fire within the box heated this sheets, which then heated the surrounding water to produce steam. As steam traveled through the engine or exited through the flues, the water level in the tank went down. The job of every engineer or worker was to ensure that this water level never went below the crown sheet, and that the crown sheet was always fully covered with water.