The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-13
AUTOMOBILE UP TO DATE
ELECTRIC CAB SERVICE HAS BEEN
INTRODUCED IN LONDON.
The Motorcycle in Use in Several Eu-
rOpean Cities-Fifty Cents IA Day the
Estimated Cost of Traction.



Company began to ply for hire in the
streets of London at the same fares as are
charged for the horse vehicles they are de-
signed to supplant. If one can Judge truly
of the trend OF human preferences by the
manner in which England, France, and
particularly Paris, is taking to the automo-
bile, or horseless carriage, the world is
step nearer the era when most muscular Ia
bor whether of man or beast, viii be
superseded by the work of arms of steel
driven by the force of steam, electricity,
compressed air, explosive gases or some of
their equivalents. The invasion of the field
of the horse by the automobile carriage be-
gan in Paris only about five years ago, and
to-day 1t is said that there are two thou
sand such vehicles in public service, be-
sides many more in private use. Fifteen
hundred were said to be in use there pre-
vious to July l. and the last five hundred
were to be added at that date or as soon
after as they could be made ready. How
many there are in all France it would be
difficult to compute from any information
which is at hand in this country but it is
known that there are thousands, and there
is a public service of such carriages in
Rouen, in Lyons, and, in fact in a great
many of the smaller cities. From Fran &c
the use of these new vehicles has spread
into Germany, where it is of considerable
consequence, and now England is full of
interest for the horseless carriages, and
New York is learning to use and like them
In shape these cabs, which have been in
troduced in London streets, carry two per-
sons and resemble coupes; they run on
four rubber-tired wheels, are comfortably
upholstered in leather, and possess the lux
uries of spring cushions and electric light
The driver, who sits in front, is not trou-
bled with the multiplicity of handles which
appear TO be necessary for the manipula-
ton of some motor vehicles At his right
hand is a small steering wheel which acts
on the front pair of wheels. at his left a
single lever which regulates the speed
According to the position of this, the We
hicle moves forward at top speed-say ten
miles an hour-crawls at one mile an hour
or adopts various intermediate rates, or
goes BACKWARDS. BY means of a fOot-lever
the driver can apply the brake and at the
same time cut off the current from the mo-
tor Electricity is supplied from forty ac-
cumulator cells carried on a tray beneath
the body of the vehicle, and these can pro-
pei the cab for fifty miles or more without
recharging. When they are exhausted they
can be replaced in three or four minutes
by fresh set by means of hydraulic APP
paratus at the companyS yard in Lam
beth, where special precautions are taken
TO treat them with the tenderness neceS-
Sary IL they are to be kept in good condi-
ton. The three-horse power motor, which
is of the Johnson Lundell type, is connect
ed with a countershaft which is provided
with ditferential gear and drives both the
back wheels by means of endless chains.
Both the armature and the fields of the
motor are double wound, an arrangement
which in conjunction with appropriate
switches allows various speeds to be OBJ
tanned without the use of resistance coils,
and hence insures the greatest economy
in the consumption of current
HEAVY VEHICLES
The vehicles have yellow bodies and
wheels and black surroundings, are de-
scribed as broughams, but are at first sight
strongly suggestive of the oId-fashioned
family coach. Roomy enough inside for
two and not quite big enough for three, the
fare" finds himself comfortably located
with glass and the driver in front of him
and glass on each side, after the manner
of the coupe on a train. The accumulation
weighing lao pounds, is underneath and
works the yellow wheels by a fastening of
iron clamps on the spokes. Another /, 400
pounds for the carriage body gives 2 800
pounds gross weight. Charged at the CEN
trail station, 1t is claimed that the ma
chine" is good for fifty miles, either right
OH or at intervals in the course of a twelve
hour day. The prime cost of power is put
at so cents for that period.
Early experiments made by the company
to determine the energy required to propel
the road vehicle on solid rubber tires dis
closed the fact that the tractiye effort on
wooden pavements barely exceeds that of Il
ordinary macadamiZed road the energy
taken is not much greater. When, however
the thick mud such as that met with only
in the country, is encountered the tractive
effort is very considerably increased, and
this company, therefore, whilst maintain
ing that it is perfectly practicable to run
electrical vehicles in the streets of London
or other well-pavGd and comparatively level
towns with commercial success, do not sug-
gest that the same holds good of vehicles
to be used on country roads The battery
used on each of the vehicles consists of
set of 40-E 2. S. traction type cells having
a capacity of 40 ampere hours when dis
charged at a rate of thirty amperes These
cells are all mounted in one tray, which is
Slung under the bottom of the cab by four
compression, and the ordinary carriage
springs again separate the cells from the
vibration to which the carriage wheels are
exposed.
The double-wound motor and series par
allel controller is perhaps the most impor-
tant arrangement OH the cab, nsurng, as it
does the greatest economy in the con-
sumption OF the current at whatever speed
the cab may be running. The controller is
arranged so as on the first stop to connect
on two armature windngs and the two field
winnings of any series with q small start
ing resistance; this is not n running speed,
but is only intended to start the motor into
motion. On the second step the windings
are still in series. but the resistance cut out.
and with this arrangement the cab runs at
n speed or ABOUT three DlleS an nOuf Inc
third step places the armatures in parallel,
but Peaves the fields in series, and with this
arrangement the cab runs at about seven
miles an hour. The fourth step places the
field windings in parallel, and the cab runs
nine miles an hour.
MECHANICAL FEATURES.
It will thus be seen that three normal
running speeds allow OF the full energy of
the current being utilized in the motor
without any absorption in resistance, and
the cab can thus crawl" using only about
the same number Of watts per car mile as
when running at full speed. In the reverse
direction from the top position, the series
parallel controller on the first step short
circuits the motor through the starting re-
sistance, thereby gently braking the cab.
On the second step backwards the motor
is completely short-circuited. bringing the
cab to a dead stop, and the third step
backwards reverSeS the connections be-
tween the arTnatures and fields, all being
in series to enable the cab to be moved nj
the slowest speed backwards. The whole
of these movements are produced by the
use of one lever placed at the side Of the
drivers box. The circuit from the accum-
ulators to the controller and motor passes
through an ingenious switch arrangement
attached to the foot brake, which can also
be used for bringing the cab to a stop.
This switch is arranged to brake the cir
cult when the foot brake is applied and to
brake II rapidly so that there is no inju-
rious arcing at it's contacts. 1t is. there
fore impossible in the use Of either the
electric or the foot brake for q careless
driver to apply the brake whilst the current
Is still passing through the motor. The
foot brake has another advantage in the
crowded London streets. for when moving
in a block the driver can set his controller
handle to slow ahead. and then start and
stOp the cab time after time the traffic