Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1911-09-20
FIRST DIFFERENTIAL GEAR.
John v. Stribling, of Anderson, Sc.
cured First Patent in 1882.
(AndcrSOn AIail.)

| uerSOn man was the first to perfect
and patent the differcntiai gear,
which is probably one Of the most
essential parts III the construction Of
| TUG present automobile, and is also
being pressed into almost daily use
IN the building OF vehicles, etc., Of
other and varied kinds.
! Along about 1880 and 1881 the
plan was thought out by John V.
Stribling, of Anderson, and he set
about to get up working model. In
1882 this had been completed, work
ed perfectly, and a patent was secur-
ed from the government patent Of
| flee at Washington by Mr.. Stribling.
The gear was exactly the same that
| Is now used in all automobiles and
other vehicles OF the kind.
At that time Mr.. Stribling was
working to perfect a road buggy
| the same thing that is now the auto
| mobile---and had perfected also the
hollow axle, now used in manufactur-
| ing automobiles. His object was to
perfect a machine that would run at
least 25 miles an hour. and to con-
tinue work on it, so that this might
be increased as the condition Of the
public roads were improved SO as to
permit OF it.
Various parts o. the machine
which Mr.. Stribling was working to
perfect were made by as many differ
ent concerns In different parts OF the
| country, it being his object to work
out the whole Of the plan before any
thing became known OF his plans by
the outside world.
Many OF the old wings, and
even some Of the working models
that were made by Mr.. Stribling, are
now In his possession or are scatter
ed about at the foundries, machine
shops, etc, where the castings, ETC.,
were to have been gotten out. III
health, followed by financial embar-
easements, forced Mr.. Stribing to
give up the work, and the road bug
gy was never perfected--by him.
The records Of the patent office
VIII show, however, that the first
patent for the present differentsal
gear was issued to John V. Stribling,
Of Anderson, S. c., I'm 1882. The
patent expired in seventeen years,
and at that time Mr.. Stribling was
not In position, either physically or
financially, to renew it, the fortune
that was almost within his grasp
slipping away.
Those circumstances which were
responsible for the lapsing of the
patent, renewal Of which--when It
would easily have been done on the
ground that the time was not vet
right for the marketing Of the invcn-
ton, would have been easy, are not
pleasant for Mr.. Stribing to remem
Der; but he is nevertheless entitled
to the honor that Is due him. His
patent was the first issued.
In talking with Il friend about the
| matter the other day, Mr.. Stribling
said thai ne would never forget what
| an old uncle OF his had said when he
had asked him TO come up and in
| spect tho workings OF the piece of
| machinery. 1t was running perfectly,
| when the old man suddenly turned,
to his nephew and said:
"Wcll, John; all I've got to say is
| this: You were born Just about 30
years before You should have been"
'And told him." said Mr.. Strib-
ing, 'that ! was sorry, but that |,
Of course, had nothing to do with
| that
Mr.. Striblin& is Of naturally in
vcntive turn OF mind. lie has worked
out a number OF inventions in his
time, some Of which have been pat
cnted and some have not. The best
or these, he says, it yet to come, and
is one that will be Of Just about as
much importance as the diffcrcntial
gear.
| FOR some years now Mr.. Stribling
mas been working on a wheel to take
the place of the rubbcr-tircd wheel
| at present used on automobiles. bug
gies and other vehicles; wheel
mat Will cost much less, look better
and Will do away with all the jar in
| crossing rut or a hole i'm the road.
! a model. made from bronze, has
already been made from his plan and
! works perfectly. The trouble now Is
in getting it made Of some other
ana cheaper material. and this, he
says, can and will be done within
the near future. No patent has yet