Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1915-02-21
AMERICAS PART
IN AUTO MAKING
Many strictly American Inventions
Have Added Greatly In Building
Up Business.

The impression that everything
good in automobile. design comes
from France and Germany is so
strong In many minds that We are
/ constrained TO point out sOmo dis
! tnctly American developments which
are gaining ground on their merits to
| a remarkable extent nj the present
tune, says an editorial in the Horse
! less Age.
one Of these Is the separate head
| applied 10 the block cast cylinder.
Single cylinder engines built with sep
aratc heads years ago, but there was
80 much trouble with water that tho
| practice was abandoned Now there
| have been hundreds Of thousands Of
cars Of single model made with
separate cylinder heads, and many
makers are waking up TO the ad-
INantages Of this construction.
Perhaps manufacturing advantages
weigh most heavily i'm this instances,
as separate heads make 1t practicable
10 cast the upper half or even the
whole OF the CranhCase with the
cylinder block, thus saving several
machining operations as well as the
expense Of a large aluminium casting.
This Is possible because accessibility
Is better served I'm a block motor by a
separate head than by removable cyl
inders, and the weight saved in the
heavy Hanged joint necessary be-
tween the crank case and cylinders
just about offsets tho difference in
weight between aluminium and iron
in the case.
1t is no small gain that there is !
room for slightly larger valves in an
engine OF a given length with applied |
head than with screwed plugs over
la
space needed FOR a bridge between |
the two plugs in each cylinder is
saved It being possible to place the |
valves closer together.
Were II not for the development of
the oxygen decarbonlzing process, we |
would say that the accessibility OF the |
detachable was it smost desirab BILE
feature. II certainly is n much !
simpler matter to take off the head, |
grind all the valves, scrape out the |
carbon and replace the head than to |
go through the corresponding process |
when eight large plugs must be re-
moved which give little access for |
carbon sCraping 1t is also possible |
to remove pistons and connecting rods |
easily, and 1t is impossible to get |
piston caught i'm the top Of a cylinder |
by pushing 1t tin ring expands into |
the clearance space.
Inc OlN DISC Clultn is duOlueI |
American device. Originally it was a |
single plat clutch, and it was found |
to have the smooth action and low |
inertia OF the multiple disc type, !
which always ran in a bath Of oil I'm !
those days, without the Clingng eff |
feet which the OIL gave nor the yari- |
able action according to temperature |
OF the OIL The dry plate clutch has !
been greatly improved by the adoption !
Of the same type Of asbestos fabric |
facing which has now become reCOg- |
nized as the only suitable brake lining |
and by the multiplication of plates, |
allowing much lower unit pressure, !
although the original single platform
still has its adherents.
A statistical article shows that the
separate cylinder head Is used in over
80 per cent of the 1916 American
models and the dry disc clutch on al
most oue-third Of the models The
electric starting and lighting systems
might also be pointed out as distinctly
American development, the knight
engine was an American invention, al
though first brought into commercial
prominence abroad, and we have a
strong impression that some Of the
leading American builders, including
the three big Ps," exercised a pretty
big influence in making the bevel
gear drive popular for large cars.
while most OF the leading European
builders seemed to be satisfied with
the double chain drive.