The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1880-03-27

ments OF the wheel principle: first the rude
round block, then the spoked wheel, the chariot,
the lords carriage the stage coach, tn" railroad.
The propelling power problem has not been easily
solved and horses, steam and mans legs seem
to complete the catalogue of motors until now.
For it remained for an Ottawa man to solve the
problem and add another motor to the worlds cat
alogue. Mr.. Andrew Lewis, of this city, like a
thousand or more predecessors, attempted the
perpetual motion--but gave it mp. Yet he has
attained the next best thing, and applied his
power to the propulsion Of vehicles. His power
consists of pair of springs and series OF
weights on the spOkcs of the balance wheel OF
his vehicle. At the extensive wagon shops of
Mr. Nette in Centre Ottawa, Mr.. Lewis has just
completed road buggy to which his power is at
tachcd, and he believes that he has successfully
made a buggy that will propol itself, The buggy
which he has constructed is four wheeled affair,
and sufficiently large to carry four men. The
front seat Is part Of the skeleton built on the fore
wheels, where is arranged the steering appara-
tus controlled by the feet Of the rider on the rear
seat The two sets of wheels are connected 10y a
frame the sides of which are beams rising to the
front at an angle Of about - degrees. These,
resting on the hind wheels and uprights in front,
support the seat proper and also the power
wheels. Between the frame and the hind wheels,
to which they are also attached, are cog-whccls
about l6 inches in diameter. These play into
two others about twice as large at about thecen-
tire Of the frame. On the inside Of the. beams
are two balance wheels the size Of the larger cog.
wheels TO which they are united by an iron bar.
On these balance wheels is attached the power
Without any mechanical power, however, the
buggy could easily be propelled by hand, work
! inc on the balance wheels or on the iron rods on
which they are united for use in travelling in j
| straight line. When it is desired to move in i
circle the rods are removed. But Mr.. Lewis pro
poses to propel his buggy first by two large
springs-c!ock springs magnilied, one of which
alone will move the wagon But in having two
no time is lost in winding up since one can be
wound up by the rider while the other is running
down In addition to the spring, he has added
eight NIB. weights which slide up and down OF
the spokes Of the balance wheels, striking OF
rubber bumpers at either end of the spokcs. The
fall of these to the outer rim of the wheel is cal
culated to increase the velocity of these wheels
hence the buggy's speed. The machine as now
constructed is very heavy, but moves very easily
lie has had it on the street once, carrying foui
linen easily, though run without the mcthanica
power. 1t is his intention to make the machines
for railroad and wagon road use, on the rail
road calculating to make eXprcsstrain time, II
would be of no use in muddy weather. nor woult
il answer for a hilly country, however. The ma
chine was patented June II, 1878, 1t can be seen
we presume, at Mr., Vettes shops, and will be
IcXhibited on our streets on July 4th, If rot be
fnrn