Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-03-31
MATERIAL FOR MOTOR CARS
Efforts Of Licensed Manufacturer IN the
ssuruh Of the Best
HOW AUTOS ARE BEING PERFECTED
Laboratory in which All Sorts Of
Tests Are Made and whore Ex-
perisnces of Engineers Are
Freely Unchanged.


Freely Exchanged.
The Association OF Licensed Automobile
Manufacturers was formed by the manufac-
turers, who have recognized the validity Of
the patent granted TO George B. selden I'm
1895. and known as the Selden patent. This
patent, the specifications. for which were
filed in 1879, was acknowledged in the patent
Office ITO be the pioneer invention in the
application of the compression gas engine
to road or horseless carriage use" The
prosecution Of infringers Of this patent the
cooperative methods employed to conserve
the interests Of the public, and the further
ance OF the Industry on a sound and con-
servative basis. Las been the aim of the
association. The work is being carried
forward as fast as possible in fulhllment OF
the original purpose of the organization.
The cleverness Of the MANAGEMENT OF this
organization has never been more clearly
indicated than through its policy Of estab-
fishing and organizing the mechanical
branch OF the association. The managers
cast their eyes about them in the engineer
ing world and saw what great benefit had
como from the conventions and meetings
ana transactions Of the American Society
OF Mechanical Engineers, American Insti-
tute Of Mining Engineers the Electrical
societies hourished on this side OF the water,
but In Europe The management. therefore,
says, why not develop our industry for the
benefit OF ourselves and the engineering
world in general In a similar way?" In
furtherance of this idea, the executive COM
mittee and business end Of the association
nshed the means whereby the engineers
d superintendents of the various COM
panes in their organization could get to-
ether once a month.
Tests Came Fret.
)ne Of the first steps taken by the me-
1anical branch after organizing was to APP
point what was called a committee on tests,
which is really the executive committee Of
the mechanical branch. The duty Of this
committee is to carry forward the tests
and policy as developed during the meet
ings OF the mechanical branch. The ques-
ton OF materials naturally came up and
metallurgist familiar with both the manu-
facture and use of steel was selected;
man who was, in the first place, a technical
graduate, and secondly, who received prac-
teal education in the steel works of Penn
sylvania and further practical experience
in the machine shops and among industries
Of New England.
The chemical and physical laboratory Of
this metallurgist Henry souther OF HART
ford, Conn. was thus acquired by the me-
ohanical branch. In this laboratory there
Is. first the chemical department, the duty
OF which is TO ascertain what steels are
available in the markets Of the world, and
selecting the best from these to write
\ specifications for the use OF the members
of the association. each quality Of steel
apecihed being suitable for certain parts Of
ne automobile. The number OF specihca-
ons has been reduced 70 a minimum, 30
3 to reduce the cost Of production and
fsimplhes matters in every way.
In this laboratory It naturally follows
that the steels purchased are examined to
discover whether or not they are IN ac-
oordance with tho Specifications under
which they were purchased. In another
part OF the laboratory Is a large physical
r testing machine for static tests that Is.
simple tension. compression and bending
~. The ateels purchased are Inspected in this
machine as 20 their physical characteristics
under static loads. This is the oldest and
most widely accepted form Of testing ma
teriais
Test for Service.
Experimenting this static test Is one OF
the greatest Importance, especially in the
automobile industry, and that is a dynamic
test-e test under shock vibration or IA
tigue closely initiating the kind Of punish
ment steel gets in any vital part OF an au-
tomobile. Such tests have existed for some
time but have never assumed the impor-
lance that they now do in connection with
automobiles.
The character Of the test is worthy Of de-
scription. not being a common one. The
test bar-shaped like a small axle-is
slipped into the center OF a pulley and
tightly gripped This pulley ia driven by
an electric motor arranged to run night and
day at about 1900 revolutions per minute.
/ On the ends Of the specimen are hung loads
which defect or bond the specimen to any
desired amount, say from .07 OF an inch TO
10 Of an inch in a length Of four inches.
To the ends OF the specimens are attached
revolution counters, so that the exact mum.
Der Of revolutions up TO the time when the
specimen breaks may be noted. II win
readily be seen that each fiber of this test
specimen is first stretched and then COM
eEsed as Il passes the upper side or the
=, ,8ver side respectively OF the bent bar.
- GENERALIZATION" has always been the ex-
chbe for the kind OF break this machine
brings about. Capitalization, or whatever
II may be called. Is what the automobile
builder must avoid. This machine reveals
without question and with unerring accu-
racy. steels which win endure longest I'M
der automobile conditions II has been
stated that. no matter how small the load
or how small the bend. that n such a test
Is kept up long enough rupture will finally
ensue. This is probably true, but the life
of a good steel is so long that It matters
little.
TrytnE ont the Gas Engine.
In another part OF the laboratory Is the
engine testing plant erected TO study the
principles underlying the gas engine and
It's construction; that Is, the kind OF a gas