The islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1891-1899, 1895-08-01
HORsELESS CARRIAGES.
Successful Use of the Daimler Petro-
leum Engines.

Successful Use of the Daimler Petro-
Ieum Engines.
One year ago there was so much IN
terest in these horseless carriages that
a race was arranged between them from
Paris to Rouen, the first prize to be
given to the carriage which should ex-
Gel in speed, safety, manageability, and
economy. There were one hundred
and two vehicles entered, but before
the day of the contest this number was
reduced by Withdrawals and dlsquailfl-
cation to twenty-one. The starters were
of all shapes and sizes, from neat VIC
tOrias to great coaches OF eight and ten
passengers. The first to finish was the
Comte de Dion's steam vehicle,
heavy traction engine of some twenty
five orse-power, drawing four-seated
carriage The next to finish, thirty
five minutes later, was four-seated
pheaton, built by the Sons of Peugeot
Brothers, of Paris, and propelled by
Daimler petroleum motor. The next
four to finish were also propelled by
this same motor. The prize was given
to the first petroleum motor to finish,
and this carriage had covered the dis
lance, eighty miles, in five hours and
forty minutes, including two stops of
fifteen minutes each. This test was a
distinct victory for petroleum engines,
and a special victory for the Daimler
type engine.
In these petroleum engines it must
not be understood that petroleum is
used as fuel for the production OF
steam. The principle is quite differ
ent, as this Daimler motor is the utili-
cation of gas explosions produced at
regular intervals. What bothered the
inventive minds Of those who first ex-
perimented with this type of engine
was the irregularity of motion, and the
fact that when the work to be done
was less than the normal power of the
engine too many explosions occurred,
and the machine ran too fast. The
first of these defects was corrected by
the introduction of f1y-wheel heavy
enough to take up and carry Oh all sur
VI
its explosion. The piston was thus
brought back by the momentum ac-
quired by the f1y-wheel to the position
in the cylinder where fresh explosion
had the greatest propelling effect upon
it. The second defect mentioned was
remedied by the ingenious application
of the principle of the regulation gov
ernor, by which the gas-valve was
not opened when the speed of the en-
CINE exceeded certain limit. Again,
the cylinder in which the explosion
took place became so hot after time
that the entire engine was likely to be
smashed, owing to the expansion OF
parts made to fit accurately. A water
jacket around the cylinder, and cir
culating cistern in connection with it,
prevented this catastrophe. The heat.
ed water flowed out above, while the
cold water passed into the cistern in its
turn.
With such general improvements as
indicated, the gas-engine became COM
mercially practicable. But it was not
until about nine years ago that Mr..
Daimler, a German inventor, found
that he could make use of the ordinary
gas-engine, with some notifications,
as consumer of liquid hydrocarbons,
variously known as petroleum, naph-
tina, paraf1ine or gasoline. The chief
change was the addition of a small
heating chamber into which the liquid
fuel passed before it entered the cylin-
der. Beneath this chamber petrole-
um-burner was lighted, and its metal
covering made so hot that the petrole-
UNI vapOrized as soon as it entered the
chamber. The freshly prepared gas
was then in position to explode in the
cylinder as soon as it was mixed with
the air. A small portion of each
charge was allowed to escape through
an opening near the top of the cylin-
der, so as to come in contact with the
naked light which heated the vaporiz-
ing chamber. These various steps
were automatically regulated by pup
pet valves, which regulated the force
and time of the explosions.
Such, ON general lines, is the Daim-
Ter motor which has been used SC
effectively in these road tests in
France. After seemingly perfecting
the motor there was much ingenuity
required in reducing its size, and also
i'll preventing bad smells and objection
able noise Perfect combustion secured
an abatement of odors, and the size
was diminished by shortening the
stroke of the piston-rod and enlarging
the corss-section of the cylinder. This
gave shorter connecting-rod between
the piston cross-head and the pin on
the fy-wheel. In order to gain in
creased power with a shorter stroke,
the speed of the engine had to be &C
clerated from 1870 to 700 revolutions
per minute. -Harper's Weekly.