Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-07-29
SPRING POWER. Fya.
A Reply 10 NV. Esuihey-Why 0aeey,'
spring Power Will succeed.

Reply 10 NV. EsaiHey-Why 0aeey,s
spring Power viii succeed.
To the Editors Of the Union and American:
In your issue of the 26th inst, Mi. I.
]. Bailey favors the public with disqul
sition on a law of mechanics, winch dis
QUESTION was doubtless charitsbly con-
ceived and intended for the enighten-
meat of said public 80
Mr.. Bailey assumes that one oi the
great fundamental laws of mechanics is,
or is to be, violated by the claims OF tte
originator of the combined Spying
Power.n Now there is possibility that
the inventor of FIAT combination has
something near as much confidence, and
as profound respect for that law as Mr..
Bailey seems TO have, and h2 certainly mas
no inclination to evade IFS requirements.
Some months since, the inventor Oh the
Combined Spring Power was kind enough
to explain TO the writer the mechanism of
his invention and to indicate the range
and principles of its application, in ali of
which there was certainly no violence
done to any written law.
He claimed: /. That by means of the
combination he would be enabled to
''store up any required amount of
power, and retain that power indefinitely,
as TO time, without loss or expense, after
being deposited, and would at the same
time be enabled to use that power at any
moment and in any quantity desired. 2. In
moving bodies, cars, buggies, ect., he
would utilize the power which is usually
worse than thrown away on descending
inclined plains-that is, friction, rubber,
back straps, etc.
Now, granting that these things may
be done without violence to any known
law of mechanics, the only question re-
manning is as to the practicability of their
economical appreciation, which is already
demonstratedin light stationary machinery,
such as the sewing-machine. 1t is well
known that the ordinary method of oper-
ating the sewing machine is quite labor
ious and exceedingly disagreeable to most
ladies. By means of the combined
spring power any servant or member OF
q family, or even the lady herself, by the
simple movement of turning a crank, may
in few minutes "store up" sufficient
power to drive the machine for hours.
The only labor the lady will necessarily
perform will be to adjust the needle and
guide the work, while at the same time
the machine is under perfect and instan'
taneous control. Many other useful ap-
pications of this principle will readily
suggest themselves.
As to moving bodies, cars, carriages,
etc., it is q law that, on horizontal planes,
no more force or power is required than
is sufficient TO overcome the friction of
the vehicle proper and atmosphere, ex-
cept the Vis inertia at the start. O1e
horse would easily draw an ordinary rail
road train on a dead level after 1t was
once in motion. OF course, in descend
ing inclined planes, horses or other mo-
tive power aTe not only useless but alb
solute distractions, and are worn out
trotting dOW n hill for no other purpose
than to be ready to pull up the next.
Now, if we take away the horses, utilize
the excess of gravity, Tor velocity if you
please, that il, wind few springs in
stead of grinding away the wheels with
was.eful rubbing, and use this power in
ascending the next grade, is there not a
positive saving of much power that Bas
hitherto been worse than thrown away!
It would be necessary in making any
circuit or starting from 8nd returning &c
any given point, to have stored up sOne.
thing mere than sufficient power to pro
pei the car up the longest grade.
But without circumlocutiOn it is q geo
graphical aud mechanical law, If yOT
please that:-stsrl from any given point,
travel when, where and how you please,
when you return to that point you viii
have gone ''down hili' as much IS YOU
have gone cup therefore body set in
motion on . cured surface, at uni.
form velocity, would, if the restraining
foi ce necessary on the descending planes
were saved and nsed in rropelling thu
body up the ascending planes, for ell
practical purposes, reduce the curved Il
3 plane surface This the combined
spring power proposes TO do, which sure
" violates no Law, while it does some
thing that has not been done before hGC
hence also, the mower necessary to prope
a vehicle on a horizontal plane surface
and on q curved surface of equal length
would differ only by The amount of trc
ton of the vehicle proper, On the de
scending planes.
1t is proper to say that the inventor o.
the spring power hae no knowledge o
this writing, and is, therefore, in no mau
ner TT sponsible for ii; but it indicates &C
cording to the writer's views, something
| of what he expects TO accomplish viii
! his power. Finally, whileit may be very
possible that Mr.. B's windmill woulC
not grind corn," nevertheless windmill
have ground corn long before and sine
the days OF the crazy Spanish Knight, ana
! may do so again without violating an,