Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1868-11-20
ThompsOn's Road steamer.


alton by Prot Archer IL contains more
complete description than those which
have appeared hitherto, and all informa-
ton concerning an invention which prom
ises 10 be of especial value on the prairies
of the Northwest, will be interesting;
This road steamer has wheels made of
a material which at first sight does not
lCok very likely substance TO stand the
heavy work they are subjected TO. The
tyres are made of bands of vulcanized
india.rubber, about 12 in. wide and 8 in.
thick. Incredible as il may appear, this
soft and elastic substance not only carries
the great weig It of the road steamer with
out injury, hut they pass over newly
broken road metal, broken ilints, and all
kinds OF sharp things, without even leav-
ing mark on the india-rubber They do
not sink into the road in the least degree
They pass over stones lying on the surface
without crushing them Those soft and
elastic tyres resemble in some degree the
feet of an elephant. Both the camel and
the elephant have very large soft cushions
instead of hard hoofs, and no other ami
NAL can stand so much walking over hard
roads as they can accomplish. 600
The power required TO propel the road
steamer is very much less than what would
be required II the tyres were hard and
rigid. They do not crush nor sink into
the roadway. The machine, rs it were,
floats along on tho india-rubber, and all the
power used in crushing and grinding the
stones under rigid tyres is entirely saved.
1t might at first sight be supposed that IL
would take a great deal of power to pro
pei heavy carriage on son tyres but If
the tyres are elastic as well as soft, the
power used ia COMPRISING the tyre in
'front.' OF the wheel Is nearly all given BACK
as the elastic tyre expands behind the
wheel.
The india-rubber tyres require scarcely
any more power TO propel them over soft
bad roads or over loose gravel roads than
on the best paved streets. The reason of
this is quite obvious; they do not sink into
roads, and do not grind downthe stones In
the least degree. ,s+a, H.i.,,, ',,.
Trials have been made 1t Leith by run
ming the road steamer across soft grass
field, in which an ordinary steam carriage
would certainly have sunk. The way il
ran through the grass without even leav.
ing track, was very remarkable; but
when II made for part of the field which
had Just been covered with loose earth to
the depth of I II. or 9 f., and ran straight
across, the surprise of those present was
great indeed. The weight of the road
steamer Is between four or five tons and
yet the wheels in passing over the loose
earth compressed II so little that q walk.
ing stick could easily be pushed down in
the track of the wheels without any exer.
ton. II Is quite clear that one of the
great difficulties farmers had TO contend
with In using steam engines in ploughinq
is now removed, for the road steamer will
run through any field, even when newly
ploughed, without any difficulty. After
various evolutions, showing the ability o
| the road steamer TO run about where ther,
were no roads, II passed out into the street
and, taking large omnibus full of pas
sengers in tow, It proceeded UP the Bon
nington road TO Messrs. Gibson &c Walk
er's mills, where IL took n large wagon
weighing, with Its load of -four, about tel
tons, UP steep lane full o
holes and ruts, and rising with
| gradient of one in twenty. II wa
obvious that the road steamer was able I,
| do great deal more than II had to do II
| this trial. The bite on tho road is some
thing marvellous, and the easy way II
which II floated along on its soft and elias
tic tyres was very curious. When ridinJ
on the road steamer the feeling Is liki
what would be experienced in driving
| over smooth, soft grass lawn. There I
absolutely no jarring at all. Thus tn
machinery Is spared the severe trials aris
ing from the blows and jolts to which
is subjected when mounted on oommo
wheels. There Is, incredible as It ma
appear, no appearance Of wear on the In
dia-rubber tyres. The original suriac
which the rubber had when 1t left tn
manutactory is still visible.
Inc steamer which was the subject @
the experiments had another specially be
sides the wheels. II was fitted with ver
ucal boiler, which Is one OF the most eco
nomical steam generators yet produced
Externally the boiler looks very mucl
like Others Of vertical construction; bu
internally 1t is entirely different. A glanc
at a sectional drawing of II will make 1t
, advantages apparent to practical mer
Its powers may be illustrated by givin
the result of series OF trials made l
, contrast with common locomotive boilei
and an upright boiler of the ordinary kline
The latter eyaporated 800 ID of water 70
, each pound OF inferior Scotch Goa
burnedi the locomotive boiler Alb 10. c
water for each pound OF coal; and tn
new boiler ass 10, of water for like ca
penditure Of fuel. In contrasting tn
heating surface the new boiler had sti
greater superiority. With 63 n, of heatin
surface 1t evaporated 15la cubic feet c
water per hour The common vertict
boiler, with ~ n. of surface, eyaporate
IA cubic feet Of water per hour and th
locomotive boiler with lS1 H. of heatin
surface, evaporated 10 II. OF water p'
hour. This shows the new boiler 10 po
ssss a very decided advantage
The tractve powers Of the machir
have surpassed all expectation. II WI
. constructed to drag an omnibus, weighin
with its load of (say) thirty passenger
, about four tons on a level road, but I
/ powers are SO greatly in excess of tn
task, that no load yet placed behind 1t b
fully tested its power. An opportuni
v was offered which was. confidently Q
r pected would show the limits OF It's cap
bilities. A huge steam boiler weighil
with Its truck between twelve and IN
teen tons, had to be dragged up, h
rising one in twelve, The little ro'
h steamer was chained 10 the truck, al