Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-10-15
Electric Lighting
For Automobiles

Almost with tho beginning Of the auto
mobile industry the great need OF electric
lights for the cars was recognized. Ex-
pertments were made. but Il was not
until the advent OF the new metal fila
ment incandescent lamps that the plan
was at all feasible. A motor car requires
at least five lamps. Rggregatlng forty-six-
candle power with the old carbon fila
ment lamp. consuming 25 watts Of cleo
tricity per candle, the size and weight
OF the battery for supplying the necessary
current were prohlbitory. Consequently,
gas and oil lamps have been. until rec
entity. the only source OF light available.
The new metal filament inoandescen,
lamp OF small size and low voltage salts.
flies TO the highest degree the persistent
demand for a safe. reliable and conven.
tent system Of motor car lighting. Thos,
lamps OF low voltage suitable for this pur.
pose consume only ono watt per candle
and bring electric lighting within reach
OF ali motor car owners
The ideal lamp outfit for this purpoae
consists of two headlights OF twenty.
candle power each, two side lamps of
two or four-eandle power. consuming for
ty-six 20 fifty watts OF energy The cur
rent is supplied by lOO-amphere-hour
six-volt battery. which win operate all
the lamps continuously for twelve hours
without recharging. Such battery
weighs about fifty-flve pounds, but since
Il can also be used for engine ignition II
will replace an equal weigh now repre-
scented by the ordinary ignition battery.
which weighs twenty-five pounds, and
gas tank Weighing thirty pounds.
In many OF the 1912 model cars the en-
ergy for the lamps is supplied by a small
dynamo. This leaves the owner a choice
OF equipping his car with battery or
with small dynamo. The former Is OBJ
viously the cheaper way, but the latter
completely removes the necessity OF re-
charging the battery.
battery outfit. including switch,
lamps. wire and cost for wiring the car
amounts 10 about $50, Il is very easily
installed. The battery Is designed 10 be
carried on the running board
In the dynamo lighting system the DIV.
namo and battery are used together, cur.
rent for the lights being taken direct
from the dynamo when the car is run.
ning. In some cases. In others the dynamo
being used simply to charge the battery
inc obtct system, known as the straight
storage" battery system. consists OF q
high capacity battery used alone, IL fur.
nishing all the current required and hav,
ms its charge renewed from some outsid,
source as az garage or central station
In the early stages attempts were mad,
10 operate lights from ordinary ignition
batteries, which was soon found 20 b,
impraeticable. as this type OF batter,
could not deliver the amount OF curren
required. resulting in poor lights ans
injury 10 the battery.
The dynamo lighting system has the ad
vantage that Il Is not necessary to re
move the battery from the car for re
charging. and with this type OF ma
chine in It's present effective stage Tn
dynamo lighting system will surely com
into general use. especially on high price,
cars.
The new metal filament auto-lamp
give a fine. clear. penetrating light whicl
does not flicker or blacken the reflector
and lenses.