Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1917-05-06

It during quite period Of comparative
! testing.
The next step was to build an auto
mobile using this silent Knight motor
but finances also at this time were
quite we'll depleted, but the results
were accomplished by calling on his
banker and true friend, Mr.. Kilbourne,
and it was decided that they build six
motors and install them on a good au-
1 tomobile chassis. The Garford chassis
was selected, and the motors built and
installed and when the cars so equip
ped we're driven and exhibited they
created the same results as had been
expected from the motor test.
INFRINGEMENT ALLEGED.
Just as Messrs. knight and Kilbourne
were sure Of success, the unexpected
happened-they were served with a
notice from one of the largest automo-
bile manufacturers in the United
| States, with factory at Detroit, that
their sleeve motor was a direct in
| fringement on a steam engine patent
| that they owned and controlled and
| that they would sue them II they did
not cease their operations.
After tedious, annoying and expens-
i've delay caused by law suits, Knight
and Kilbourne won, but in winning it
cost them approximately $4,000 for
the experience.
Then after all apparent trouble was
clared, again these people finished the
building Of the six motors planned and
were mounted into the various chassis.
- hox t,,,N, ,civ
body was sold to Peter Kohler. Chi
cago auto liveryman, who has used 1t
continuously in his business and claim
ed that after having been driven 20o,-
900 miles 1t was still quiet, powerful
and efficient. The car has had the
| third body installed on the chassis.
Other of these cars were purchased
by wealthy people, and have since
shown wonderful records of mileage.
Then Messrs. Knight and Kilbourne
were satisfied that they had an arti-
Gle of superior merit, and decided that
| they would call on some of the leading
auto manufacturers and either sell or
lease their paterted motor
From one concern to another 1t was
nearly the same story: 'Why, we don't
care anything about how quiet or pow
erful your motor is, if we can keep our
own cars running we would be salts
fled, the most of the people don't know
very much about gas motor and care
less, and IL we can build motors that
will keep going long enough to get rid
of them were satisfied, when they wear
one of our motorcars out they will buy
anothe enc. 1t would be poor bust
ness for us to sell cars that would
last too long or that would not break
down occasionally. The repairman has
to live and needs the money"
Among the machinery and automo-
bile manufacturers it was a known
fact that Europe was considerably
ahead of the United States at this
time in the way of finer and better
made machinery, and consequently
there would probably be better and
more appreciative market for the Silent
Knight gas motor.
Mr.. Knight, who was OF English de-
scent, proposed that they go to Lon
don, England, which was done. They
| inquired who were the largest and
most responsible automobile manufac-
turers in England. On being informed
that the DAIMLER Motors company, Ltd,
of London, and Coventry, they were on
the way. On arriving at the large fac
tory they were shown every courtesy.
Mr.. knight explained their mission
and what they had, and after a short
and agr"eabi. conversation, the chief
of the EXPERIMENTAL department was
called and proved 20 be a good listener.
After all had been shown and de-
scrtbed, he said: Gentlemen, we will
give your motor a trial 1t will tnke
six weeks before we can tell you any
thing. We aiways make it a point to
carefully try out anything that shows
merit and that. as you know it, takes
considerable time, besides. if your par
ticu.ar motor cannot show us that it
| is better proposition in every way
than the motor we are now building,
we certainly would not be Interested"
What happened in those six weeks is
now past history. The knight sleeve
valve motor was carefully built ac-
cording to Mr.. Wrights plans and su-
pervision. After being finished it was
taken to the testing department of thi.
factory and tried in every way against
the then famous Daimler motor, of
which England was very proud
Before the six weeks had elapsed the
Knight motor had proven itself all ana
more than had been claimed for 1t, The
patents covering same had been sold
for large sum Of money to the Dain-
Ter Motors company of London and
Coventry. Almost as soon as this large
| concern purchased the Knight ana
kilbourne patent sleeve-motor other
motor concerns in England began to
pick flaws, they even questioned the
Daimler concern for having adopted
this new type motor as suicide, expert
mental, joke, etc, but it was soon an
nounced that the great Dewar trophy
contest was soon to be held for the
most meritable invention in the auto
mobile line, and the Daimler motors
had decided to enter the new motor in
direct compile tition with England's
of nor motors nf national s+o,d;nr