A Mechanical Triumph

Marvrlous as has beon the advancompiit of Mechanical Science within tha last century, tbere aro yet probleuis that set at defiance tho combincd ingenuity oí the world, and reader futilo the eft'orts of inind to becomo victor over inanimato matter. Büfore the keen researcher of man' iutelligent bruin these obstarle, aro graduaily giving way, and bfefore thö dawniug oí' the twenty-eighth century the vexatious questions of to-day will havo boon auswered by practical danioustration. We have becoaie belieTers in the doctrino that nothing is injpdssiblê. with man in the material world ; the only prevention to acooinpüshment boing tho undiscovered application of knowa principie, which renders plans impraoticable. Even the oft-teiupted perpetual motion will one day be secured, although its application to ruacbinery as motive power soemsthe noarest approach to iuipossibility. Füiüinost among the diffioultiea encountjri-d by thu maohinist is the " deaduenter" i.i the crank - being either of the two opposite points in the orbit of a crank, at wLieh the crank and the oonneefiug rod lio in the saiue straight line. It will hc scen that thrso poiuts occur twieo in euck revolution of the crauki The theory generally cjepted is that thtss deüd-poiuts involve the loss of an aníllense auiount of power. It is estimated by men of practical knowlodge that tlie loss equals about 80 par cent., of the pow.T generated by the engino. That ia to say, it requires the storing up in the fly-wheel of the engino, while tho conneeting-rod is upon the quirter, of a large amount of power to enable the engine to cavry the rod over the center. It is not clairued that HO per cent. of power made is ruquiicd to do this, but that tho last power und this thus required equals that proportion. Soiae there aro who laugh at thi idea They olftiia that there is no lost poWet on tho crank. If so, why are such im iliense fly-wheels necessary? They ignore the simple principies which demónstrate that there must be an additional expenditure of power to overeóme tho short leverage when the crank has paised the center, and that, instead of eXpending the power on the motion it is delivered ou the journal sustaining tha crank, as well. This latter is actually lost power, and it is not until the midangle of the quarter is reached that force is delivered to the shafting. Tho ruomentuin imparted to the fly-wheel moves the machinery, but that only 20 per cent., is actually given ofFis as easüy demonstrated as a problem in Euclid. ïhia increased power on the quarter i noticed ruoro easily on a side-wheel steamer, Horace Greeley said, in his Texas speech, in 1871, that the man would yet arise who would relieve tho niechauio world of this burden. Marshall now presents tbat inventor tothe people. Mr. Courtwright, a practical machinist, oonueived the plan of doing away with tha dead-center without destroying the crank. The piinciple, as patented, is simple, and embraces two right angle levers attached to a movable fulcrum. It can be best explained by describing the machina to which it was iirst applied. At John Adams & Co.'s Foundry is a car for use on tho Central Koad, having ihia principie in daily use. An upright framo sustains the lever which extends downward, in the shape of a triangle, to th crank-shaft. To accommodate the lever to the swinging movement of the crank, the entire fulcrum on which the lever is hung slides up and down, on rods, niade finn in woodon upright frames. Tha levers havo the usual pumpiug motion and as the crank turns round the lever and fulcruui are drawn down or rise upward. There can be no dead-senter, as tho fulcrnm, at snch points, moves; while, if it were ptationary, no leveraga could be obtained upon it. In other word?, the change of position in the fulcruin changes the line of draft, and as both fuloruui and lever move harinoniously the dead line never occurg. We stood upou the car, which weighs 400 lbs., having Mr. Courtwright stand a'.so ou the platform. We placed our thnmb upon one of the handles whioh stood upon tho dead-lino in other crank and bore down. To our amazement WO started tho car, thus overcomiug the inertia, the friction and the conibined weight of 700 lbs. Dr. WinslowhaaaidedMr. Courtwright in perfect ing his arrangements, and has exhibited a great deal of cnergy in secuiiiig patents, and iutroducing his machine. The principie can be applied in all machines using tho crank, and thereforo offers a wide field of opc-rations. Under the circumstancos we will bo pardoned if we cali tho attpntion of our capitalista to this important invention. Táere can be no doubt of its succes on a h md-cur, at least ; and Avere it pplitd to theS3 alone, it would requiru tha largost factory to supply the deutaud. It is estimated that one car every five minutes is now needed in the "United States. This car was thoroughly tested by tha authorities of the road and soveral otilered. It was propellod up a grade of 420 ft. to the milei stopped and again sturïel witb the crank oh the deai line. Tlio iiivciition is worthy oí careful