New-York tribune., 1912-03-08
AUTO NEWS OF THE DAY.
Motor Truck Standardization
May Become Reality.
MANY FEATURES AGREED ON
Makers at Local Meeting Show
Unanimity of Opinion That
Should Help Industry.

Remarkable unanimity OF opinion was
shown by the leading motor truck makers
OF the country at the three-day meeting
which has just ended at the headquarters
OF the National Association of AutomoblIe
Manufacturers OF this city II was decided
to standardize trucks in several features
notably that Of speed ratings, load. weight
allowances for bodies ard a warranty
covering defective work or materials.
BY the agreements reached the truck
manufacturers have gone much further. al
though truck making is a comparatively
new industry, than the passenger car
makers have ever been able TO do. There
is no doubt that they will all feel the bene-
| fit, but the principal gamers will be the
makers of the more reliable machines.
| The duration Of a warranty on motor
| trucks was agreed on as ninety days after
! tho delivery OF the machine TO the pur-
| chaser. 1t was later decided by the exec
| utive committee of the National Automo-
bile Association of Manufacturers that the
form of guarantee suggested might not be
correct. and it has been held up until legal
advice can be taken. It is practically GER
tain. however. that the ninety-day war
ranty will be made a standard for all
makers in the association.
The form Of warranty which the exec
utive committee questions follows the
standard warranty on touring cars, with
changes to make IL apply TO trucks. such
as an additional provlso requiring that the
failure of the part or parts claimed 10 be
defective be shown not TO be due to al
normal use. misuse, neglect or accident &C.
| curing after the motor truck has been
shipped 10 the purchaser. Another clause
J was inserted making the guarantee void II
the vehicle is operated at a speed in excess
Of it's factory rated speed or IL it is loaded
| beyond its factory rated capacity.
There was long discussion on the sub
| ject OF overload allowances, following
which the meeting passed resolution that
in the opinion of the meeting II is mad
visabe TO encourage the belief that truck
is designed to carry any weight In excess
\ of its rated capacity, or to permit war
I ranty TO apply TO any truck that is over
| loaded" The adoption OF a standard plate
was recommended on (which should be
stamped the rated capacity Of the chassis
and appear some such warning as DO not
| overload"
In the list of standard speed ratings for
trucks there are some figures that show
| the alteration OF opinion In the last year
| or two For instance, IT was agreed that
for nine and ten ton vehicles under load
| the maximum speed shall be ive miles an
hour which is greater than such enormous
machines would have been considered
| H. Civ fnilee
an hour is the limit for eight-ton trucks;
seven miles for trucks of seven tons capae-
ity; eight miles for six tonners, and Line
miles for those of five ton.
Leland A. Mitchell, who since 1901 has
competed in many prominent speed con-
tests, including three Vanderbilt Cup races
and one Grand Prize contest, has en-
barked upon a new enterprise. Jointly
with G. w. EdmonstoD he has leased three
floors in the Alco Building, at Broadway
and 62d street, and on April he will open
a garage The combined floor space viii
accommodate more than two hundred cars.
Mitchell will not quit the racing game,
however, for it has just been announced
that he is TO be one OF Louis Disbrows
relief drivers in the 500-mile race at In
dianapolis on Memorial Day.
BY recent decision of the United states
Circuit Court in New Jersey, the paten,
rights of the Hartford Suspension Com
pany relative TO its shock absorber have
been sustained III a most decisive man
ner The case which has been IN the
courts for some time, is that OF the
Weston Manufacturing Company, which
placed on the market a shock absorbing
device for automobiles, which was 50
clearly an infringement or the Harttord
patent that the court. in its decision. goes
TO great length in condemning the Westen
device. The Weston people made a haIa
fight to sustain the validity OF their patent
The decision says: There was no dim,
Guilty in finding the defendant guilty Of
infringement. A careful consideration o.
the expert testimony and the exbioitee
drawings OF the defendants mechanism
low that they embody the same idea ana
means as found in the complainants DE-
Vice. The reasoning Of the Circuit CoI,.
OF Appeals is quite CONCLUSIVE as 10 tne
yalidity OF the reissue OF the patent IN
suit, and precludes the necessity oi ~, ,S,.
ther discussion on that point by this
court