New-York tribune., 1912-01-14
WORM DRIVE POPULAR |
Dozen Truck Makers Are Now
Experimenting with 1t.
A SUCCESS IN ENGLAND
Proves Reliable and Efficient on
Hundreds of Vehicles in
Use in London.

Just at this time a year ago the Pierce
Arrow Motor Car Company, OF Buffalo, an
nounced officially that 1t had adopted the
worm drive for its five-ton truck. The an
nouncement came as a surprise in the
motor car world. for no other reason thaH
that the worm drive was new to this coun-
try, and no inkling that the big Buffalo
concern had been experimenting with it had
leaked out 20 any great extent. But now 1t
IL known that dozen OF more manufactur-
ers are experimenting with this form OF
drive. and the indications are that the next
year or so will see great many announce
ments similar to that made by the Pierce
Arrow a year ago.
The worm drive is not new 1t was
known several hundred years ago as draw
ings in the British Museum, from the hand
of Durer, testify. These drawings show the
worm drive, operated by hand, used to
propel some Of the floats used IN great pa
geants 1t has been in use in motor cars
i'm England for a dozen years, and the
worm drive would appear to be one matter
of standard motor car engineering practice
for which full credit for pioneership must
be given to the English. However Ameri-
can manufacturers have never been Slow
to adopt what has proven successful
abroad, and in this instance the Buffalo
company seems to have been ahead in the
field.
Pierce-Arrow trucks have now been in
active operation in the hands Of numerous
owners for a considerable period and the
reports from these owners, aside from
every, other consideration, are sufficient 10
prove to the company that 1t was right in
introducing the worm drive here. it's Off
GERS say. They add that there has not been
a single report of any trouble in this con-
nection, and the only care that is necessary
in its operation is to lubricate II once in
every 1000 miles OF running.
Last year the worm and worm wheel, the
component parts OF the worm drive, were
rot shown outside the chassis of the Pierce
Arrow truck. This year. however, they will
he shown at the company's space in conjunc-
ton with a chassis a sand dump wagon
and a wing gate brewery wagon. Such
great amount of interest has been shown in
the actual working of the worm drive that
Il Is expected that the table where the
parts are shown in their natural positions
will be surrounded good part of the time
II is considered rather fitting that the
TO Introduce the worm drive in this coun-
try. II was a pioneer in the introduction
OF the bevel gear in the United States and
for years fought the battles of that type
OF drive Until now chains, even for the
heaviest Of passenger cars, are practically
unheard Of Among the engineers who are
regarded as authorities on the worm drive
Is H. Kerr Thomas, and in discussing the
matter he says:
Ten years ago French engineers intro
duced the bevel drive. and It was for q
considerable period employed, even by its
strongest advocates, only on cars Of small
weight. At first IT was considered ineffl-
cient and liabie to breakage. It's many ad-
vantages were 30 apparent. however, that
II was developed and improved, until now
in spite Of every conceivable objection that
was brought forward during the earlier
days. its use is accepted on the heaviest
passenger cars as standard and reliable
practice. Analogous TO this is the case o.
the worm gear. Perfected by Swiss engi
neers and toolmakers for stationary pur
poses. It's possibilities were seized upon by
Manchester in the closing years OF tn,
last century for use in the motor car Il
alone. among all forms of mechanical speed
reduction gears, is distinguished by abso-
lutte silence of operation.
The history of the worm gear I'm Eng
land cannot be disregarded. The Londor
General Omnibus Company, after testing
every known make of chassis. was at
tracted by its silence, and after the mos
exhaustive trials decided upon the worn
drive for fits vehicles because of Its proved
reliability and efficiency. Possessed tive
or three years ago of something like &