Los Angeles herald., 1907-01-27
.|NvENTS ENGINE
OF GREAT MERIT
SPOKANE MAN 0VERTURNS
FORMER IDEAS
Rotary Engine Which Develops Ten
Horse Power Weighs Less Than
the Average Full Grown
Man

An invention of recent date that
promises to revolutionize the motive
force all over the world is now being
exploited in Los Angeles. 1t is the
Crescent rotary engine, invented some
time ago by H. l. Call, a Spokane in
ventor who has made the construction
of such a machine his life work.
The new machine has innumerab BILE
points that at once commend it to the
machinist. The great amount of space
occupied by the ordinary steam engine
is point of intense interest, no mat
ter where the engine is used In a
large battleship the engine and boiler
occupy space sixty feet long, while
by using the new machine this can be
reduced to a space twelve feet square
In steamships where every foot of en-
| gine room means so much less space
for freight, the saving is very evident.
| The light weight of a high horse
| power engine of this class is another
strong point in its favor. James Aus
| tin Larson, vice president of the COM
pany is at present in the city explain
| Ing the mechanism of the new inven-
ton Mr.. Larson carries with him a
| ten-horsepower engine which weighs
only 167 pounds. This he sends from
| city to city as baggage, while with a
reciprocating engine of the same horse
power the weight would be $50 pounds
or more. A 30-horsepower weighs less
than $50 pounds and a 250-horsepower
less than a ton. Mr.. Larson's engine
is on exhibition at PIP Mercantile
Place.
Great Automobile Engine
The marvellous mechanical features
enable the makers to construct the en-
| gine so light. The Crescent has done
away altogether with back pressure,
with q piston, and with dead center.
| The absence of a dead center does
away with a balance wheel, and so
| takes away a great part of the weight
| so necessary in a machine of the or
| dinary type. When the dead steam is
exhausting new steam is at the same
! time entering another port and there
is constantly a forward drive with
no work wasted in driving a piston or
in exhausting.
The absence of all vibration is an
| other feature on which the promoters
| base their hopes of reaching the auto
mobile and steam launch trade. A
| glass of water set on the engine will
not show so much as a quiver of the
| surface. This will make it especially
! sought after for automobiles, steam
boats and launches and in all cases
where a noiseless machine is desired.
Add to these features a saving of
! halt the fuel necessary to run an old
style engine and q saving of frem
20 to so per cent in cost, and the sue
cess of the new venture seems assured.
The entire action is controlled by a
single lever, and the machine can be
reversed without stopping.
German Navy Interested
Outside investors have been quick
to sec the advantages of the inven-
tion, Canadian capitalists have Sc
cured the Canadian rights on payment
Of 100000, and at present a German
syndicate has an option on the Ger
man rights, for which they will pay
81 100000 If they accept the exclusive
territory in their country. Tests will
be made in the imperial navy during
the middle of May, and if they prove
successful, as the inventor has nc
doubt they will the syndicate will
close its negotiations with the Cres
cent company at once.
All money received from the sale OF
treasury stock is being used to build
factories one is already esta blished
at Spokane, and the owner is per.
mitting other concerns to build thC
engines on a royalty basis of one dol
lar a horsepower. AS the company Is
capitalized for only million dollars
, the closing Of the contract with the
German syndicate will mean as much
for the German rights as the entire
capital stock of the company.
Mr.. Larson, who is looking after the
, interests OF the new concern, has
opened offices in Mercantile Place,
@%-S-