Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-03-13
DODGE BROTHERS
CAR OF INTEREST
Auto Show Offers First Real OPP
portunities For a Close
Inspection of Car

Since the touring car model was
placed on exhibition the equipment
and finish of Dodge Brothers product
have received much praise from deal
ers and motorists of long experience.
The equipment is most unusual for a
car in the popular-priced field, Briefly
sumed up, it includes real leather up
holstery, Chrome Vanadium steel
springs of the self-lubricating type,
Timken bearings throughout. Chrome
Vanadium steel gears, one-man top,
North East electric starting and light
ing system, and, it is said, the almost
exclusive use of drop forgings in the
manufacture of the car. The car Is a
roomy five-passenger machine and has
wheel-base of 110 inches. Non
skid tires are furnished on the rear
wheels.
In designing a car of light weight,
Dodge Brothers have made use of
their experience gained through eX-
haustive tests carried on with Chrome
Vanadium steel in the days when they
were engaged in manufacturing auto
mobile parts. Wherever the employ
ment of Chrome Vanadium steel
would give strength without excessive
weight its use was accepted. AS a re-
suit, such important parts as the
connecting rods and transmission gears
are all manufactured from their high
grade material.
Drop-forgings, another important
item in the making of the new car,
are also employed to a degree unusual
in the moderate-priced car. Dodge
Brothers are in position to do this,
because they have forge shop in
which there are 457 steam hammers.
These forgings are much stronger than
castings of similar shape would be,
and at the same time are lighter. Not
every car maker, it is explained, can
use these forged parts, because he has
not the equipment to make them. II
he bought them, the cost would run
up, and that is often prohibitive to
the small production maker. The
enormous outlay for such equipment
as Dodge Brothers have for forging
work alone could not be made to pay
for tself for small output.
Unnecessary Wear Eliminated
Among other improvements over
standard automobile practice, the
Dodge Brothers have devised method
whereby none of the transmission
gears are in mesh when the car is
running in direct drive. In the ordi-
nary gearset the gears are constantly
rotating, but in the new Dodge Broth
ers' transmission the gear on the
mainshaft is slid back on the squared
end of that shaft and out of mesh
with the countershaft gear. As soon
as the direct drive connection is made
the countershaft is imperative and all
gears are at rest. The advantages of
this are obvious. The unnecessary
wear on the countershaft bearings is
eliminated, to say n%shing of the 81
lence of the transmeAlon when the
drive is direct
The Dodge power plant is COM
pactly designed type, which consists
cylinder, block-cast motor, with re-
movable head, with a leather faced
cone clutch, and the three-speed, Sc
lective gearset, the construction of
which has already been mentioned.
These are built as unit and suspend
ed in the chassis at three points. All
valves are enclosed, and the exterior
of the engine is free from unsightly
equipment. A waterproof Eisemann
magnetic is employed, being driven
from the end of the pump shaft on the
right side of the engine. A we'll
tested North East system of starting
and lighting is the main electrical
equipment of the car, and takes care
of everything along that line with the
exception of ignition. This North East
equipment consists ESincipally of the
combined motor gef.&rator carried on
| the left forward side and driven by
an enclosed silent chain from the
crankshaft with a three to one re-
duction. This is simple and efficient
| form of drive.
| The motor-generator, in operating
as a starting motor, gets its current
for the purpose from a 12-volt Will
lard storage battery of 40 ampere-
hours capacity, which is conveniently
carried under the left front seat. This
is much better than having 1t in some
out, of the way place, where 1t is next
to imnossible to reach it. The battery
must have care, and Dodge Brothers
have seen to it that this will not be
overlooked so far as its accessibility Is
concerned.
other features of the engine are the
circulating-splash oiling system, the
detachable cylinder head and the in
take manifold construction, whereby
it is entirely within the cylinder cast
ing. AS a matter of fact, the carbur-
etor attaches to the side of the cylin-
der block opposite to the valves and
the distribution of gases to the several
intakes is effected within by means of
internal cored passages. This makes
a simple exterior, and by passing the
gases through the jacket spaces. va
porization of the fuel is materially
aided by the heat. The detachable
cylinder head makes it possible to
get at the valves and pistons by re-
moving the bolts which hold II in
place. This is an accessibility feature
for which Dodge Brothers is com
mended. A gasket is placed between
head and main cylinder block, when
the two are bolted together this pre-
cluding any possibility of leakage.
Easy riding qualities have been OBJ
tanned through the rear spring sus-
pension and the precautions taken to
insure proper fabrication OF the
springs at all times.
Built according to the most ad-
vanced ideas of streamline body de-
sign, the touring models of Dodge
Brothers car should meet with the
approval of the most critical. Abrupt
transitions in the body lines are en-
tirely absent. The radiator design is
the straight-front type and blends
gracefully into the tapered hood
which, in turn, meets the cowl in an
uninterrupted curve. Another feature
which aids materially in producing a
pleasing effect is the type of fender
which has been specially designed. The
tenders are attractively crowned and
meet the running boards in a short,