Los Angeles herald., 1909-10-10
Motor C1r" Growth
a WOnder1nt Story
tcOntiausd from Page onsl

of cylinders, to obviate or minimize the
cluding propelling wheel and steering
mechanism of liquid hydrocarbon gas
engine of the compression type, COM
prising one or more power cylinders,
a suitable liquid fuel receptacle, a
power shaft connected with and ar
ranged to run faster than the propel-
necessity for a flywheel, he produced an
inclosed crank case (Which Immediately
reduced weight to an enormous extent)
and used smaller piston with a snort
stroke (Which made possible the speed
that would compensate for the loss OF
piston-head area).
'1rhis engine with allowance for ad-
juncts Selden did not use) but (as eX-
perience has shown) should have used,
weighed less than 200 pounds per brake
horsepower, as compared with over SUI
pounds in the lightest form of Bray
toms, and is capable of over 800 reVolu-
tions per minute, as against less than
ESQ by any type of gas engine KNOWN
built or suggested in 1879.
''These I find to be the facts regard
ing the engine built by Selden before
application fled. He then caused to be
made a model and mechanical drawing
of his suggested vehicle and actual en-
Eine and submitted the same with spe-
cifcation and claims to the commits
sioner of patents"
Duryea a Pioneer
Among those whose names are inti-
mately associated with the develop
ment of the American automobile Is
Charles E. Duryea, who states in an
article in Motor magazine that he was
considering the possibilities of self
propelled vehicles and writing ABOUT
them in 1882 The article adds that he
had carefully considered the various
. fIaF1 n T1rgptiNal I1E6
with reference to their being adapted
TO motor vehicle service, and had Sc
lected the gasoline engine, making its
gas from liquid gasoline as needed
and electrically ignited by batteries or
other source of electricity carried on
the vehicle as early as the summer of
1886, thus antedating modern practice
by twelve to fifteen years.
He assisted as consulting engineer
in designing a steam motor buggy In
1883. but did not engage in actual pro-
ductiVe work himself until 1891, be-
cause he did not believe the public to
be ready for his type of vehicle even
at that time. Recognizing that some
years must be spent in development,
experiments with motors We're begun
and drawings for a complete carriage
were completed during the summer
and fall of 1891, followed by actual
work that winter. Many experiments
were made with almost every part of
this first vehicle TO reduce it to
practical form, typical Of more mod
ern practice, with the result that the
first lnotor carriage was finished in
the fall of 1892.
This vehicle was Of the phaeton
type with irreversible steering, en-
ploying inclined steering buckles and
single lever control by which the
steering and speed changing were
manipulated as easily and certainly as
n horse could be driven. It had disk
and drum friction transmission, much
resembling modern friction drive de-
vices; used a balance gear in the cross
shaft with double side chains to the
rear wheels, a spray carburetter of
the constant level overflow type, and
nlake-and- break electric ignition, sup
piled by battery Of wet cells.
First Car Under-Powered
The first vehicle proved under-pow-
cred. in spite of the towing tests and
other experiments to determine the
power needed, and was soon disman-
tied with intent to provide a more
powerful motor, but this attempt at
rebuilding was quickly abandoned and
a complete heavier design begun on
the same lines, which was finished in
the fall Of 1893 1t ran many miles
an hour, and demonstrated that the
auto Of the future would be so far su-
perior to the horse vehicle that in
stead of being sold to the poorer
classes, unable to afford horses, it
would be purchased by the wealthy
and supersede their horse-drawn out
fits.
This new view of the invention ne
cessitated different design TO meet
the different price believed to be obtain
able. Instead of attempting to build a
vehicle to sell at $3.50 to $500, as had
been the thought, $1,000 to $4,000 was
considered obtainable. and a more elab-
crate design of vehicle begun. The ex-
perimental work connected with this
went forward during the fall and win
ter Of 1888, resulting in the adoption of
a three-speed and reverse spur gear
transmission with individual clutches.
q double-cylinder two-cycle motor,
water tank in front where 1t would be
exposed to the cooling air, artillery
wheels, live rear axle and a number of
other features that are stardard prac-
tice today.
The experiments were completed
and actual work begun in the spring
of 1894, but owing to failure to secure
the desired flexibility from the two
cycle motor, 1t was soon abandoned
and a double cylinder, was continued
This vechile was finished late in this
year 1894, and nicely painted and up