St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1896-01-26

the 'hippocycle," Of which he submits
a working drawing, a great advance
in this direction has been made The
machine is equipped with four 40-inch
rubber-tired wheels the two rear
wheels being drivers, the two for
ward wheels steerers. The machine is
so designed that the horse will propel
himself and the vehicle, and there will
be two riders, who will do the steering
and governing.
The method of transmitting the power
from the horse is by a revolving end
less platform built upon two chains
supported by rollers, the construction
being Identical with that of the horse
power treadmills, and with that in
small flour mills and wood-sawing
yards Upon this platform the horse
can wall or run as desired. being har-
messed with collar and traces in the
usual way, the traces being hooked to
the end Of the machine
In moving the horse pulls at the
traces, and as the platform recedes
under his feet the machine advances.
Motion from the platform is communi-
Gated to a toothed and ratcheted drum
on the driving axle over which the
platform runs, and the other end Of
the platform runs over a free drum.
When the first machine was built il
was found by this arrangement that
1t was propelled backward To obyiate
this difficulty the platform was reversed
and the horse placed so that his head
pointed In the direction opposite to that
Which 1T was desired to propel the ma
chine; and no doubt this system will be
continued in machines not intended to
reach high rate of speed
But little study got over this diff
Guilty, and the perfected machine per-
mits the horse to be stationed in a
normal position so that his head points
forward. This result Is achieved by
fitting the platform below the driving
axle, communicating it's motion by CIT
side teeth engaging in similar teeth
on the driving axle. The gearing of the
platform with the axle, as in the BIZ
cycle, determines the speed of the ma
chine. But whereas in the bicycle a
two-speed gear is not a necessity. in
the hippocycle it is Indispensable.
When the cyclist nowadays encount-
ers hill that is too formidable. he dis
mounts and pushes his machine. To
unharness the horse in like manner and
attach him to the front of the machine
would be out of the question. But with
the low gear as designed which is ap-
plicable at will. all hills can be mount
ed, and the tire speed gear is said to
answer admirably.
The horse i'll the hippocycIe is en-
abIed To rest absolutely on every an
probable decline. Every driver knows
that the strain on a horse drawing
a carriage is equally severe, whether
the gradient be for or against him.
The ancient lines called the Horses
Prayer" will be recalled:
up hill and down hill
Spare thou me:
And when upon the level road
III make it up to thee"
In the hiDpocycle the horse will be as
much at rest when going down hills as
if he were at home in his stall. Propar
provision Is made for preventing in
jury to the horse in case of sudden ap-
plication Of the brakes. The problems
of steering the hippocycle are those in
volved in the government of the moto-
cycles or horseless carriages. Ova-
good roads speed of fifteen to twenty
miles is said to have been me de by the
hippocycle.