New-York tribune., 1910-12-26
GROWTH OF MOTOR TRUCK
c. E. Duryea AnaIyzes Types at
the Coming Shows.
SIGNIFICANCE IN COMMERCE
Solution of the Transportation
Problems Cheaper and
Faster than the Horse.
By Charles E. Dmyea,
Americas Pioneer Auto

Americas Pioneer Auto Maker.
Never before has the automobile Tor
freight purposes attracted so much atten-
ton The high cost OF living, the scarcity
Of horse feed and the high prices OF horses
themselves have all been forcing the busi-
ness men TO look for cheaper, raster ana
better means Of Transporting their goods
The show ar Grand Central Palace, open
ing on December 81 and lasting until Janu-
ary 1. will therefore present an exceptional
opportunity 70 view the latest and best IN
this line, in addition to the passenger auto
mobiles and other interesting displays
which will fill that building
Never before has there been such wide
range Of models. covering all business
needs, from the ten-ton American Stand
ard truck to the five-ton Atterburys-
C.ramms, Moellers Saurers and Victors;
and on down in size 10 the oN-pouno
capacity Martins and still lower 10 the
Cyclonette Transport, weighing half as
much as. a horse and able to carry 100
pounds of load. Only ten years ago some
of our leading railroads were bringing coal
20 market in railroad cars of no greater
capacity than four 10 six tons; so any one
Of several modern power trucks could take
the whole carload at one trip, while the pig
American Standard would need two such
cars to complete its load
Even to-day the big freight cars OF our
best railroads carry but thirty TO fifty tons
each, and so make but three TO five loads
for a ter-ton truck. But when we compare
with horses the difference is still greater
A ton is a big load for two horses on com
mon roads, or in anything bur a level colln-
try; and even on paved streets a. single
horse has severe labor to handle ton
r7.<rx car
trucks handle would be all but impossible.
while the cost of the horses, the harness,
the hostlers and stables and feed would
put the transportation cost far above the
truck cost.
Passenger vehicles are limited to the uses
of people, and vary only slightly as to
whether open or closed and whether for
two five or seven people usually, but the
freight vehicle is almost as varied as the
goods it carries. Practically every maker
fits bodies at the purchasers option.
Wheel bases run from 156 inches on the
Atterbury and 152 and 146 on the Victor
down TO 124 on the Seitz and Gramm and
on down to 100 inches on the Monitor, 80
inches on the Penn-Unit and International,
sS on the Chicago pneumatic tool car, and
still shorter bases on the Cycionette and
so much. The Chase delivery, with two
cycle engine. has 37-inch wheels in front
and A0-inch wheels rear, as also has the
Penn-Unit. The big Granrn truck has 40
inch rear wheels, with twin 5-inch tires, its
front wheels being IS inches high, with
single 5-inch tires.
4 number of others use twin tires On So
inch wheels, suct, as the Atterbury and
.T~.yfar has S6-infH
wheels, with single tires, and the Case, 81
inches. These tires are solid, of course.
Not till we get into the smaller class, Ike
the Kelsey two-cycle Motorette. Express.
with its 2s-inch wheels, do I'VE find pneu-
matte tires, unless on passenger cabs, such
as the Bergdou ''s0," where 81 by tires
are used
With a few exceptions such as the Chase
and the Kelsey, the motors are OF the four
cycle type and have either two or four cyl
inders.
The Chase trucks up TO 500 pounds load
capacity have three cylinders Of the two
cycle type and are air cooled. This makes
the simplest possible motor equipment and
yet gives the steady propulsion Of the usual
six cylinder. These cars have been on the
market some time and demonstrate per
fectly that air cooling can do the work.
The desire 10 have a dead rear axle and
to avoid such heavy parts as the live rear
axle would necessitate forces the truck de-
signer 10 use jackshaft and chains, so the
trucks are very largely chain driven. There
are exceptions such as the Seitz, the OH
YER, the Moeller the Monitor, the Martin
and the Rergdou. mostly of the lighter
kinds which can use a different construc-
tion.
In general the clutches are of the disk
variety BY increasing the number of disks
it Is possible to secure all the wearing sur
face needed. and thus take the heavy loads
that NAV be required. But the cone clutch
has q soodIy representation Thus IL is
used by the American, the Cass, the Saurer,
the Victor, the Monitor. the Atterbury and
others, while the disk clutch is used by the
merican-Standard, the Bergdoll, the
Chase. the Chicago Pneuma tic Tool. the
Gramm. the MoeIler, the Oliver, the Penn
Unit and others The Martin and one or
two others will show band clutches, and on
the Seitz car are used double friction disks
which form the drive and need no clutches
GasoIene tanks are in almost every instance
under the operators seat, and in very few
instances do they have reserve tank II
seems TO be the thought that the car is on
known route and is filed at regular inter
vaIs so that there is no need for q reserve
supply.
Of prices there is not much 10 say From
-he little three-wheelers like the Cyclonette
and KELSEY Motorette at around 800 10 the
+ep-ton trucks like the American-Standard
ar ss ooo is range enough TO suit most buy