The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1909-03-24

novelty, caSt-llOn ana bronze were used
for the gearwheels of the speed change
mechanism; roller-bearings having un-
hardened rolls operated in soft axle
tubes as bearing for soft steel solid
axles; bronze and malleabe iron were
used for connecting-rods; the harden
ing and grinding crankshafts and many
other parts were unknown; brakes
were lined with wood blocks; any yell
low metal for bearings was bronze"
regardless of its composition; harden.
ing meant "casehardening," sometimes
001 inch deep, sometimes more, but
always an indefinite amount.
Heat treatment, alloy steels, and
hardening as we know them today,
were practically unknown. Structural
steel, bar, plate, and rod stock woods
of various kinds, cast iron, brass, and
bronze of the ordinary merchant"
shapes and qualities were alone avail
able for the automobile builder. In
Europe, on the other hand, the re-
quirements of foreign gunmakers, en-
gine builders, and others had created
a demand for special steels and
bronzes From the beginning of the
automobile industry in France the
machines were entered in races and
other competitions that developed in a
few hours weaknesses and shortcom-
ings Of design in materials that would
have taken months of ordinary use.
Finding that increasing the size alone
of weak part to make 1t strong
enough was not always the remedy,
or even always feasible, the manu-
facturers naturally turned to the steel
makers for better materials.
Right here another difference be-
tween the United States and Europe
should be noted. In the United States
the steel makers wanted tonnage" ="
That is, they would not get out a spec
ial grade of metal and set up the rolls
to shape 1t unless an order for many
thousands Of tons was placed. Whereas,
in Europe, the steel mills would take
an order for a few hundred pounds
Of steel of special composition.
The net result was that the French
automobile builders, by races that test
ed the materials and design Of con-
struction, by the facility and possibil-
ity of procuring proper materials, by
cleverness in design and by keen COM
petition, soon distanced all other ma
tons in the production of cars that
were reliable, fast, and dependable
A concrete example Of the above is
furnished by the actual experience Of
one of the early American manufacture
ers, who conceived the idea of building
in this country an exact copy of a
well known and successful French car
After the first car was built the testing
out proved that the American tubing
used in the frame had only about one
half the strength and stiffness of the
tubing used in the model. The gears
would not stand up under the work,
and the wearing qualities and general
durability of the entire machine were
far below the French model A care
full investigation showed that the diff
ference was solely due to the quality
Of the materials used AS at that time
practically no one here who was avail
able knew the difference between the
materials in the model and the copy
and there were not procurable in this
country materials from a constructive
and commercial point of view that
would answer the purpose, the manu-
facture of the car was discontinued.
Conditions in the American engineer.
ing talent and material market have in
the last three or four years completely
changed. We now know what material
to.use in each particular place, how to
use it, where to get it, and why we
use Ii.
1t Is, moreover, fact that the re-
verse of the above mentioned case has
happened. An American manufacturer
in 1899 and 1900 produced number
Of eight horsepower cars, with single
cylinder, vertical in front engine. The
owner of one of these cars appeared
within the past two months at New
York salesroom and stated that he still
used his original little eight horse-pow-
er American car, and that the bearings
and all of the parts had stood up won-
derfully well. This car must have had
excellent materials and admirable de-
sign. AS matter of fact one of the
largest manufacturers in Germany ac
quired in 1898 exclusive rights to man
ufecture this same car of American de-
sign, and on American specifications
for material. All the detailed drawings
were converted into the metric system
and sent to Europe with a model and
some parts The car, though we'll
known and successful in the United
States was not satisfactory when made
by the German maker with European
material.
The American industry has grown
to such proportions that steel and
other material manufacturers seek and
cater to the wants of the automobile
builder AT the present time there is
not, and in fact for some time past
there has not been, the difference be-
tween the foreign and the domestic
car that formerly existed. If the AM
erican engineer is not satisfied with