New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-08-03
THE INDIA RUBBER MOTOR
THE NEW CAR PROPULSION
EXPERIMENT WITH A MODEL

Europe and America was confined to Iittl,
else than to erase lead pencil marks OF
paper, and it did not even do that thor
oughly. '.'
To-day it bids fair, Us motive power O.
the first class, to supersede that which has
been for several generations mightiest of all
In fact, the thing has ceased to be an ex
pertinent. 1t has been demonstrated by
proof that must bring conviction to any
mind, unless swayed by motives of interest,
to resist conviction.
One afternoon last week the working
model of car, to be propelled by the appli
cation Of the cOntractile power of India
rubber, was exhibited at the office of the
Ship Island Canal Company, No. 80 Caron-
delet street, by the inventors and patentees,
Messrs. Solomon Jones and Bernard Ter.
fioth, both of whom are practical mechanics,
and citizens of New Orleans. The result of
the trial convinced every one present that
a new era had come in that division of the
mechanic arts relating to motors.
The principle of this is so obvious, and
the method of application so simple, that it
may perhaps require ocular evidence to
show the public that on the fact of India
rubber stretching and contracting, is
founded a means of propelling machinery
full as efficiently as before, but with econ
Omy, durability and safety to life and limb
hitherto little or never thought Of -...,
There is a strong platform, ON which the
70 70 =,
tached the, by no means complicated, CON-
bination Of cogs and wheels which, when
| acted upon by the elastic power of India
rubber, moves the car with steady motion
at almost any given rate of speed.
In front, beneath the platform, there is a
large wheel, called in the specifications of
the patent the power pully, among mechan-
les known as the master wheel. It acts like
the drum on which is wound the handspring
of a watch. The India rubber being
fastened on the under part of the platform
is continued along by being passed around
side of the platform; by this means a suffi-
cient length of India rubber band is OBJ
tanned, the length in street car of the or
dinary size being one hundred and twenty
five feet. BY means of circular lever, ex-
actly like the horizontal wheel to regulate
the breaks in ordinary cars, the master
wheel is turned, and the India rubber wound
around it until that remaining on the pullies
acquires extreme tension. When wound up
the cOntractile power of the India rubber
bands will give the requisite motion to the
machinery for the propulsion OF the car.
The bands of India rubber to be used in
prOpelling street cars, is slightly vulcaniZed,
round in shape, and two and half inches
in diameter. For the benefit of juvenile
readers, we may say here, the vulcanized
India rubber means India rubber mixed
more or less with sulphur, which is done to
prevent the rubber from being affected by
heat -.-...
The prOpelling machinery of the ear is
provided with a means of reversing its mo-
ton, which is acted on by a lever adapted
to the foot; by this means, the car can be
made to run backward as well as forward
with equal facility. By means of the cir
cular lever or horizontal wheel used in
winding the machine, its speed can be regu-
lated with the utmost nIcety There is no
necessity to stop the car in order to wind up
the machinery. 1t can be wound up while
at full speed with as much facility as a Le-
pine watch can be wound up while going.
No attempt at description of the inven-
ton whereby India rubber is used as mo-
tive power, can possibly give a very clear
idea of its workings. Every one who has
L
asfull success, ON fair trial by a car of Or
dinarny size, placed on a railroad track.
We understand, that in order to test this
invention, car will be built or adapted to
be run by this new motive power. SO it is
to be hoped that in no short time our citi-
zens will see on the public streets, satisfac-
tory proof that this application of India
rubber as motive power, is no chimera, but
proven fact. ..-..
And when the reliability of the invention
is once fixed, the immense advantages to the
public are so obvious that they will occur to
the most unthinking. --....
The first cost is all Giving reasonable
margin, even, the machinery for prOpelling
a first class city railroad ear will cost within
five hundred and fifty dollars. There is no
doubt. though, that whenever the India rub
ber machine comes to be made on an extern
sive scale, instead of experimentally, the
cost of manufacture will be much less. The
principal points of advantage attained in
the. application of this new motive power
are two, the efficiency being supposed equal,
and these are economy and safety. ...
The first cost is the only cost, as far as
machinery is concerned. The
India rubber bands will last lifetime, and
their elastic power will remain perfect as
long as kept from contact with oil; which,
so far as known, is the only agent to affect |
their elasticity.
Hence, the horse and mule will be super
seded, and with the horse and mule will dis |
appear all the tremendous expense Of feed, |
stabling, harness and shoeing. This will |
result in benefit to the community at large, |
from the greatly reduced price of fare that |
must ensue. Moreover, India rubber is not |
affected by the weather. 1t would be just |
as elastic and do its work as well beneath as
it viii labOve water: under all probable con-
litions it will be always in working order. |
Hence no loss of time is likely to occur.
SAFETY-The car propelled by the India
rubber motor will be entirely manageable.
The India rubber never gets frightened,
VIII never shy True, a mule or horse
generally will not shy after years expe-
rience, for by that time the sentiment and
frights of Imagination are pretty much
worked out of him. Still, there are excep-
tons, while in the India rubber is undevia-
ing safety. Besides, the car propelled by |
India rubber can be stopped inStanta-
neously, for by reversing the motion the
is Obviated.
Should this new motive power supersede
steam (Which it certainly will to great ex-
tent, and perhaps altogether, eventually,
then the safety acquired will be ten-fold.
If the new motor shall displace horse power,
t is easy to conceive that it is competent to
.ake the place of the steam locomotive.
And then, applied on larger
md more powerful scale, may it
lot be found competent for ocean
layigation9 The thing is very supposable:
or in the infancy of all great inventions,
he most sanguine fancy has never pre-
licted the ultimate result. If, then, elastic
India rubber should be made to supersede
steam at sea, the beneficial results must be
enormous. To say nothing of the greater
AGILITY with which long voyage can be
made on account of the non-necessity of
.oaling. and of the greater StOWage room tor