The Washington herald., 1918-10-21
TRACTOR HAS
MIGHTY PULL
American S Invention Prom
ising Benefits Described
by Holland.

Al one time late in tn. summer
while the armies of France were
making successful drive whereby
the German armies were pushed
osck' motors upon which had been
placed one OF the heaviest u runs
USED by the French army werx
stalled by reason Of mud and Other
lmpassable conditions. Thereupon a
call was made for a m1oor truck
which had been nicknameo the
hlnoenoerg." This truck came
speedily 70 the place desienated
and TO II was attached the motor
trucks upon which the heavy run
" placed In moment the
alhoenoers. apparently without
enorI started along. Overcomlnx
mud and other obstacles. and in a
little while had drawn the hesvy
gun TO the position which Il was
TO take.
Fortunately an American with a
camera was on the spot. so that he
was able TO take a picture show
Ing how the "Hindenberg'' with the
heaVy gun behind f. mastered with
ease these dificulties. That pictur,
was recently published in the United
States
IL Is not generally known. hovever.
that this powerful truck, 40 far ss
its effective apparatus is concerned.
is the invention OF an American citi-
zen, William Walters. although by
birth he Is Swiss French BY one
OF The curious condolences OF which
mere have been 50 many since th&
war began, Mr.. Walters perfected
thls apparatus only a few months
before the German armies begap
their great drive toward Paris. "a.
had no thought OF its use for war
purposes. for there was then no war.
Ihere are reasons for presuming that
ne had IN mind when perfectinE this
Invention the use OF the truck for
hauling heavily laden traiIers Over
the highways.
Already in Ohio and some other
parts Of the country commodities
were being transported over the high
ways from city to city. but Il Wa
FOUND that trouble was freouently
met with because of the incspacitv
OF motors at all times to haul The
trailers. So also IL was evident thar
upon the great farms OF the West
and Northwest tractors were 10 b.
more and more used. Yet this serv-
Ice was not always satisfactory be-
cause the tractors were now and the,
unable to work over plowed fields or
In other places where there were
serious obstacles.
France Ordered Some.
Then came the war and almost i'm
, rneoiately France ordered some Of the
l so-csled four-wheel-drive trucks
which were the invention of Mr.
Walters. These were found To be
aomirsoiy adapted TO the service re-
! Quired, for there seemed TO be moth
{ ing which these powerful trucks could
not surmount -
/ The authorities at Washington h.EL
? ing heard OF the achievement Of this
! American invention in France asked
10 have tests made OF Il at the Rock
Island Arsenal The report Of the
representatives OF the government
has just come TO hand Some OF the
tests were exhaustive and seemed 10
be almost unnecessarily severe For
instance, one test compelled the oB-
Grating OF the truck without stop for
a distance Of 300 miles over the Rock
Island Arsenal course. this beinr
done at the lowest speed. only two
miles an hour. That test proved 20
be satisfactory. Again the govern
ment representatives demanded thai
the truck be operated for q hourS
in continuous turning As the IN
, Vention makes it possible 10 turn in
a little over the length OF the truck.
the test entsiled a whirl around in
that narrow space for a hours That
too was satisfactorily accomplished.
Then four howitzer caissons. winch
weighed 1900 pounds were used a
load and there were in addition,
5000 pounds upon the truck The
truck hauled these csissons easily "
l5-fOot grade. Various tests were
made OF the capacity OF the truck tc
haul heavy loads over stlI grades
The government authorities reported
these tests as very satisfactory.
load consisting OF 6-inch howitEers, tho
! hmbers and three loaded Caissons the
total weight OF which was 100
pounds, was hooked 10 the truck aRc
the body was towed around the Rock
Island Arsenal course at the rate OF
two miles an hour
The government representatives re-
ported so favorably that Il is under
~'ooS me government WAS prepared
70 enter into contract for the con-
s-TUCuoH o: a considerable number of
these trucks. presumably with intent
70 send them to France
Drives with Both w-besIs
Mr.. Walters invention consists IN
part Of an automatic lock direren-
tial so constructed as 20 give q
positive drive to both drive wheels
This makes IL possible 20 secure
maximum traction because both
drive wheels must drive togeths..
Other Americans had invented, be-
fore Mr.. Walters perfected his sp-
panatus, mechanism by means %
which both the forward and rear
wheels could be driven. but Mr..
I Walters invention provides an Au-
tomato lock diTerentisl which, as
the name indicates. takes care Of
itself. He also perfected a steering
apparatus by means Of which both
sets Of wheels are Influenced and
controlled by the steering gear.
Furthermore he perfected springs
attached TO the rear Of the truck.
These springs make il possible alb
solutely TO control the trailers with
out any bucking. when the truck
stops the trauers stop instantly;
when the truck starts so also dc
the trailers.
There are four speeds. The fourth
operates the apparatus at two miles
an hour. but IL gives a tremendous
traction power. When this is in use
the truck plows through deep snow
. drifts or what seems 70 be impene-
, trable mud. So great is the energy
in that compound OF hydrogen and
= carbon which is called gasoline, vhCp
= this energy is properly utilized by adr
anuafa rDa rafus