New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-12-21
FRENCH AUTOMOBILES.
Exhibition Of Machines in Paris
attracts attention.
Paris, December. IL.

hihiton OF the Automobile Club of France,
which will remain open until Christmas Eve
eclipses its predecessors. both from an industrial
and from an artistic point of view. Experts
and amateurs from all countries have arrived in
astonishing numbers to visit the show. Prob
ably structure in the world is better adapted
to electric illumination and display than the
Grand Pslace in the Champs EIysees with its
beautiful outlines, and its vast glass domed roof
In these short. wintry days darkness sets IN at
i O'Clock in the afternoon, and each DAY at that
hour the full force OF the 325 900 electric Jumps
and the 5000 acetylene gas jets distributed
in the Grand Palace burst forth in a fairylike
blaze OF light. There are 100 stands en- the
ground floor Of the palace. $50 in the upper
galleries. side halls and corridors. while along
the banks of the Seine, in the spacious dollhouse
Conservatives of the city Of Paris. there are
upward of a hundred exhibits of motor boats
and motor balloons The exhibitors evince keen
rivalry in the decorative illumination OF their
stands. and several leading firms have expended
$4,000 each for electric display alone, in addition
to S2.ea0 rent for space for the fortnight
which the show lasts France undoubtedly
holds the foremost place in automobile con-
struction. and it is estimated that the motor
industry. in its multiform branches, gives en-
ployment to 10000 workmen.
The principal characteristics of the 1905
models have already been described by cable.
There is general adoption of the pressed steel
frame: the coach work is placed we'll within the
four wheels to insure greater security and COM
fort there are automatic starting devices. and
very great improvement is manifested in car
hurettors. radiators and lubricators. There is
tendency fit light motor for city use with
leather faced cone clutches while fer touring
cars the metal clutch with disk plate and
spiral spring. is deemed necessity result
of the international cups competed for in
mountainous regions is great Improvement IN
brakes. The old form Of brake acting on the
outside of the rear wheel, is now obsolete. Some
of the new models Of the leading firms are pro-
yided with three brakes, one of which is indie
pendent of the clutch. Water cooling Of the
footbrakes is in favor, because it not only
cbviates excessive wear. but makes the brake
much more effective, especially during long
mountainous descents
The present exhibition still leaves unsettled
the great question TO the relative merits OF
the rival methods of transmission. by chains or
hy live axle (cardan drive)- The advocates OF
each system find equal encouragement in the
1905 models The trend Of opinion among ex-
perts is that for touring automobiles Of high
power the chain drive and metal clutch are
better although several highly reputed makers
notably the Hotchkss, ITALIA and Renault' re
tain their cardan shaft drive. An important
convert TO the direct drive system is the Mer-
Cedes firm. which EXHIBITS q gear DuA oL Siiiiht0
construction. the description Of which is thus
given in the catalogue: The lower three
speeds drive through one set OF gears In 'ils
usual manner but 10 obtain the fourth speed
the shaft wheel of the third speed slips out Oh
mesh with its correspondent on the smart ana
enters a. steel drum, which is fitted behind Win
gear teeth in mesh with similar set on the
main gear wheel OF the diferentfel SHAFT IN
This z7av- unlike most gear boxes with a direct
f-o lO(<n
is transmitted through only one set Of gears in
stead of two" Hence, it is claimed that the
,,er7I disadvantage of the direct drive is OBJ
waited In regard to the chain driven cars II
Is remarkable that there is a complete absence
of chain cases to protect the chains from mud
end gravel which by inevitably clogging the
chains prevent them from properly transmit
ting the power of the motor to the driving wheel
II is singular that no oil bath chain case, SUCH
as used TO be fitted to bicycles has yet oeeh
adapted to the chain driven motor cars
The universal adoption of ball bearings. WHICH
have now replaced the old bronze Innings is ex-
o4aa sreatlv IN increase the durability OF
motor cars Hitherto the ends of the motor
crankshaft the spindles supporting the gear
wheels and in general all turning sha1ts' TO
tated in holes in exterior aluminium cases llneu
v-i1h bronze-a material that wears away rap
idIv In the case Of the gear box the OIL De
came rapjdIv charged with minute spnIlters Oh
hard steel chipped off the edges Of the gear
wheels when changing speed If oil were de-
handed an TO Iubricate the bearings the wear
rvould be disastrous. In practice solid tallow
Eat is injected to exclude the fouled oil. Nine
times ont of ten it is found that when motor
car after a long journey, Is sent to the repair
sbop not ONLY the bronze Innings but the steel
ends of the shafts and cranks are damaged, ana
have to be snoothed off and bronze Innings
adiusted All this requires the work Of highly
skilled artisan and takes up much time. There
are several systems of ball bearings TO be seen
at the present automobile show. Their principle
Is however practically identical. There Is an
inner ring slipped onto the rotating shaft and
on outer ring fixed in the hole in the casing.
Ese+veen these rings are the balls, made of the
hardest steel obtainable- II any part of this
breaks or wears out it can be replaced In
-.,. minutes and no damage can be done TO the
CHATS Another tendency noted at the sho" Is
,ba+ all the leading makers strive TO arrange
+,a+ each part OF the motor should be Access
,,1a IN the chauffeur. Hitherto coach buiIders
heva inf the petroleum tank in the BODY, SO
that If n springs a leak the whole car mas 10
he ,,i1led TO pieces Sometimes also the mag
re.o is pIaced under hot exhaust pipes ana is
tbus practically inaccessible This has been
radically changed in the new models ana eacii
mart can now be readily reached by the chaur-
feur while on the road.
IN regard TO prices it should be noted that
Ill hose Of the small low power classes re-
main about the same as last year. there Is d
~. 5i,,;nution in the prices of the motors
of Is horsepower and upward The reason Tor
has for.r