106 



PARKES' STEAM ENGINE. 



[1852. 



beverage — are takeu by liim in tlie moniiug, in the form of 

 Seidlitz powdei-s, to reinove the eti'ucts of his debauch. The 

 oti'al of the streets and the washings of coal-gas re-appeai' care- 

 fullj' preserved in the lady's smeUing bottle, or are used by her to 

 flavour i?anc?;iaM(/eforherfriends." — Bicheni Household Words. 



We have much pleasure in inserting the following communica- 

 tion from Mr. Viucent Parkes, of Toronto, whose earnest desire 

 to disseminate practical and useful information among working 

 mechanics, has already been acknowledged by the CanadiRU 

 Institute and the Toronto Mechanics' Institute. Mr. Parkes has 

 himself constructed a beautiful httle working model of a loco- 

 motive, in which the steam is generated by means of a sraall 

 spirit lamp. Many of our readers will remember the interest 

 which this little locomotive attracted at the annual exhibition of 

 the Mechanics' Institute a year or two ago. Since that period 

 Mr. Parkes has invented and constructed a new variety of steam- 

 engine, a description of which forms the subject of his communi- 

 cation. We are happy to state that both the locomotive and the 

 working model of his new engine, (for which he received a gold 

 medal from the Governor General at the Canadian Industrial 

 Exposition in 1850,) are now the property of the Canadian Insti- 

 tute, having been presented to that body by Mr. Pai-kes : — 



Fig 1. — Perspective view. 



PENDULUM STEAM ENGINE ', BY MR. VINCENT PARKES. 



The object in view was to simplify the ordinary Oscillating 

 Steam Engine. The arrangement consists in a semi-rotary slide 

 valve moving within the steam-chest, and placing the steam-chest 

 (with its peculiar steam ports) upon the end of the steam cylinder, 

 the steam and exhaust branch pijjes of the steam-chest to form 

 trunions upon which the steam-chest and cylinder can freely 

 vibrate so as to conform with the position of the crank, as is 

 illustrated by the following diagrams ; — 



Fig 3. — Section of Steam-Chest, showing Steam and Exhaust 

 Pipes. 



Fig 4. — Slide Valve, showing segment of Mitre Wheel cast in 

 the cavity of the Face. 



In all the diagrams, a represents the steam port, communi- 

 cating from the branch pipe j to the steam-chest. 



B — Steam port passing dhect through, communicating from 

 the steam-chest to the upper end of the cylinder. 



C — Steam port connects with side pipe, communicating irom 

 the steam-chest to the lower end of the cylinder. 



D — Exhaust port communicating with exhaust pipe. 



E — Segment of mitre-wheel working into the corresponding 

 wheel F in face of slide valve. 



G — Centre pin upon which the slide valve moves seom-ed firm 

 into the face, with a washer secured upon the upper end to prevAt 

 the valve from rising off the face by the action of the mitre wheels. 



H — Lever secured on the spindle i and connected to the 

 eccentric rod. 



I — Spindle of mitre wheel. 



J — Branch pipe from boUer. 



K — Upper end of eccentric rod. 



L L — Trunions showing the external appearance on the exhaust 

 side and section on the steam side. 



By this arrangement the steam ways are much simpUfied, the 

 trunions, cylinder, cover and steam ways are in one castiug that 

 may be iiuished entirel}' in the lathe. By the trunions being 

 placed at the upper end of the cylinder it becomes a pendulum, 

 and does not require the same effort of the crank to arrest the 

 motion of the cyhnder, also the angle of vibration is much less 

 than the ordinary arrano-eraent where the trunions are placed in 

 the centre of the cylinder. This kind of engine, with suitable 

 reverse gear, is particularly appUcable to propellers. 



The Ancient Miners of Lake Superior ; by Charles Whittleser** 



I shall not enter into a description of the extensive mining 

 operations that have been carried on in very remote periods, on 

 the shores of Lake Superior. They are of great magnitude and 

 are founil extending over a \yide space. As fer as at present 

 known, the most striking I'emains of the ancient mincis, are on 



Fio 2. — piuTi showing the F.ico of Steam-Chest, Steam-Ports, 

 Steam and Exhaust Pipes. 



•Tlli! 

 Willi 111 



delivery belore the American Associnlion, nl the expected meeting at Cleve- 

 land, in Angujt \aH.— {Annals oj t<cience, Cleveland.) 



rticle, showing the connexion of the Aztecs or Ancient Mexicans^ 

 ncicnt mining operations on Lake Superior, was prepared for 



