The Climax-Madisonian. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1914-1917, 1915-04-21
HOW TO BUILD A PusHMoslLE

The pushmobile is a unique form
of homemade wagon, patterned as
nearly after an automobile as it is
possible to make it with the materials
that boy can find about the house.
1t is steered by the driver" who
rides. and pushed by the mocha
niciaf," who runs behind
After several pushmobiles have
been built by the boys of your neigh
borhood, great fun may be had
through the organization of a push
mobile club and the promotion of
DuGhmobile races.
There are almost as many schemes
for building these machines" as there
are forms of automobiles, and by US
ing little ingenuity every boy of a
club can have a car OF his own de-
sign. The pushmobile shown in Fig.
1 is one of the simplest forms to
make. After 1 have described it's con-
struction, you can make such addi-
tons and alterations to the design as
you wish.
If you haven't any wheels at hand,
there are a number of sources from
which you can get them. Oftentimes
pair can be picked up at a second
hand store, or at junk shop; and
often you will come across a boy with
whom you can make a trade for some.
Get the iron rods, nuts and washers
that belong to the wheels, II possible,
so that you will not have to get new
ones. In case an axle ia missing, or
one that you have is too long or too
short, you can get a blacksmith, ma
chinist or plumber to thread a piece
of rod Of the right length for you.
Fig. 2 shows the completed frame
work of the pushmobile and Fig. the
construction of the wagon-bed The
rails A and the connecting crosspieces
B and c are made out of pieces of
by 4. The length of the former will
be determined by whatever length
you wish to have the car, while that
of the latter will be fixed by the
length of the wheel axles. The boards
D are nailed to the side of rails A to
support the hood framework, and the
crosspiece e is fastened to the under
side of the rails for footrest
If the front and rear pair of wheels
axles F and G may both be pieces of
2 by 4 Gig. p; but If the rear pair
are larger than the front pair, axle +
should be omitted and axle G made of
the right depth to make the top of
the wagon-bed level The iron axles
may be fastened to the wooden axles
either with staples or bent-over nails.
Procure a carriage bolt long enough
to extend through axle G and cross
piece G, for king-bolt. and with this
pivot the front pair of wheels in place
The framework of the hood Is made
of barrel-hoops, the ends Of which are
fasten then SO their tops will all be
on a line.
Figs. 2 and 5 show the details for
the steering gear. A sewing-machine
wheel or a wagon wheel may be used
for the steering wheel, and a piece OF
a broom-handle will do for the shaft.
A hole should be bored in the inner
edge Of wooden axle G for a pocket
for the end of the shaft to set in Gig.
-. and the board H Gig. p must be
fitted in the end of the hood frame
work. and be notched in its top edge,
to support the upper end OF the shaft
The method Of connecting the front
wheels with the shaft is simple, as
you will see by examining Fig. 5. The
crosspiece l is a trifie shorter than
the distance between the bars A, 80 1t
will turn with the shaft, and a hole
large enough for the shaft to run
through is bored through it's center.
A screw in the edge of the strip is
used for set-screw to fasten 1t to
the shaft. and to make the fastening