Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1899-07-28
LIGHTER VEHICLES.
THOSE IN USE TOO HEAVY AND
CUMBERSOME.


Conditions Requiring Weight and strength
Have Passed Away-Center of Gravity
should BE Lowered and width Re
duced.
The report of Hon. Martin Dodge as
director of the good roads division of the
agriculture department is valuable
document. He lays particular stress
on the need of lighter construction of
vehicles. Concerning them he says:
When John l.. McAdam advanced his
theory of roadbuilding in England, 1916
to 1918, he called the attention of paria-
ment to the fact that they had heretofore
exhausted their efforts mainly in regulat-
ing the size of vehicles, the width of
tires, the number of horses to be allowed
for each vehicle, the amount of toll to be
charged and minor details of that kind,
but had paid very little attention to the
| improvement of the roadbed, and, in
fact, almost none to its scientific i'm
provement. Today | find nearly all
persons interested in the "good roads
problem exhausting their efforts upon
the Improvement of the roadbed only and
seeking to initiate or duplicate the stone
roads of the older countries.
believe myself that we are substan-
tally past the "stone age" in road build
ing, and that it is possible to introduce
new means and methods by which we
shall gain very greatly in four different
ways. First of all, the Improvement of
the roadbed can be effected without in
creasing the cost of its construction. In
the second place, the weight of the
vehicle can be greatly diminished in
proportion to the load it carries. The
bicycle is noted example of what has
been done in this respect. The chief
value of the bicycle resides in the fact
that it carries burden many times its
own weight. If it were constructed on
the principle of nearly all other vehicles
so as to weigh as much as or more than
the burden it carries, it would have no
practical value and would not be in use.
1t is possible, in my opinion, to con-
struct other vehicles so as to attain, to a
very great extent, though not to so high
degree, the perfection of the bicycle in
that the vehicle shall carry in all cases
more than its own weight and in most
cases many times its own weight. In
the third place, having such vehicles as |
have referred to above, 1t is possible to
substitute inanimate power for animal
power for all distance upward of five
miles, and by such substitution there
would be gain equal to four-tlfths of
the present cost for animal power As a
fourth element of advantage, and one
resulting from the foregoing, there
would be an increase In the speed of
vehicles, and consequently a proper
tonal saving in time. which is also an
economic gain of great consequence.
The roadbed as commonly construct
ed is of great width and solidity, yet the
burdensp assing over these roads, as a
rule, are only from one to two tons.
1t is unwise and unnecessary to build
roads for the transportation of light
100 times the ordinary weight. OF
course the new roadway should be hard
and smooth This can be effected by
substituting steel for stone.
In reference to the vehicles, the fault
which expresses itself in excessive
weight is the result of a natural evolu-
ton based upon conditions heretofore
existing. but now rapidly passing away
and capable of complete elimination.
The wheels were made high in order TO
overcome the inequalities of the primi-
tive roadway and to enable the vehicle
to straddle extraordinary distractions
in the way. This height of wheel neces-
STATED great width of gauge in order to
prevent overturnng the carriage. Great
height and great width called for great
strength in the vehicle a great strength
could only be secured by making the
vehicle of great weight when construct.
ed of the materials heretofore avail
able and used for such purposes. Sc
we have maintained vehicles whose
weight aggregated much more than the
burdens they carried, and as conse
quence all of the immense sums OF
money paid for transportation are made
up almost as much of the cost of NOV
ing the vehicle as of the freight it car
ries.
In order to remedy this defect The
first thing to do is to lower the center
of gravity of the vehicle. No real prog
ress was made in the development o.
the bicycle until the low wheels wer,
put on and the center of gravity lower
ed to the lowest vehicles. With tht
lowering of the center of gravity may
easily and safe come diminution il
the width of the gauge, and with thes'
two steps taken it is easy to reduce tn,
weight of the vehicle, especially by
substituting lighter material now avail
able, so that the vehicle may be ye
strong and safely carry ten times it
own weight instead of weighing tel
times the burden 1t carries, as is oftel
the case with vehicles in common use
With smooth trackway and ligh
vehicle placed upon roller bearings it i
possible to substitute inanimate powe
for animal power on all distances o