The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-02-26

matter how high the waves may b
come. More than one inventor h
used the Ryroscope as a means
rendering afrpIaneB more stable. al
patents are already pending for
device OF this nature.
The gyro-tank consists Of n lari
central wheel upon which III wi
run. Slung from the hub OF I'll
central wheel is the motive power
500 horsepower gas engine; also n
operating chamber OF the drive
Attached to the hub on either side {
the main wheel are the two gyros
copic wheels operated also by th
central motive power and givin
stability and equilibrium to tn
whole.
The driver Of the gyro-tank ha
a seat directly above the gas engine
and this seat, no matter what tn
velocity OF the gyro-tank, always re
mains right side up. Just as III
baskets on a Ferris wheel remai1
horizontal during the movement
OF the wheel.
The gyrO-tan has one wheel only
! touching the ground. There Is, there.
fore, little resistance, and the speed
/ Of the monster can be accelerated al
will simply by speeding up the gas
engine. The faster the tank goes tho
4 faster the gyroscopiC wheels turn
and the safer the tank Is from any
! possibility OF overtuTn.
| The gyro-tank will be heavily
aTmored In order 10 protect the ma
| chinery for its operation. By reas-
on OF It's very shape the armorcd
tank win defect ali small caliber
shells, because the chances for a
direct, right-angle hit are practl-
cally nil-about the same as the pos
sibility Of hitting the front tire of
a bicycle being ridden directly to-
ward the gunner. Anything less than
a right-angle bulls eye will be de-
lected by the aTmor.
The gun turrets are attached tc
the ends Of the axle OF the central
wheel. The hubs revOlve, but thu
! gun turrets, thanks to the Ferris
! wheel plan Of attachment, remain
! perpendicular at all times
The gunners, safely sheltered in
their aTmOF-shielded quarters and
enjoying a height which gives them
downward view on trench and
line, can annihilate the enemy.
Ordinary trenches will not stop
the gyro-tank. Wire entanglements
will be broken down as IL they were
mere barriers OF straw. Doggy ter
ritory will be no impossible obstacle
because the Eyro- tank requires a
path no wider than the path or
bicycle or that Of a man walking.
The Ryro tank can be brought to q
stop Immediately by an internal eE-
banding brake similar to the internal
brake of an automobile. The gyro-
scopic attachment will hold the huge
wheel upright while IL stops to clean
fort such as the Germans now use,
or for other purpose. It's inventor
adds that ii can run with equal fac
fifty and velocity in any direction.
can be handled easily and controlled
without effort. The speed OF the
gyr0-tank is limited only by the
perimeter Of it's central wheel. The
larger the wheel the greater the
speed. For any ordinary gyro-tank
the inventor mode8tly sets the speed
at $50 miles an hour, though this Is
by no means the limit to which the
machine may aspire.
For some months a small model
Of his weapon has been demonstrate
ed in the workshop OF the inventor
in Cedar Rapids, and its performance
does much to justify the hopes or
it's inventor.
Many of the otherNinventions sub
mitted TO the United States have
Of considerable value In |
war. For instance, there Is a land /
torpedo newly patented, which is
designed to open the way for 3 |
charge against an intrenched force /
defended by barbed wire entangle-
ments.
The continuance is a torpedo hold
ing several hundred pounds or high
explosive. mounted on four wheels |
with a storage battery and motor
behind it. IL is i'm effect an electric L
Of cheap construction, its l,
vital parts (motor and battery pro- n
.ected against rife by a curved steel
shield. The pointed nose Of the tor
Dedo, In front, easily sheds any
bullets that may hit it. II
The vehicular destroyer IL pre-
pared for action in sheltered places
hen runs up to the ground level and
starts toward the enemy line. II
has spiked wheels. TO assist loeomo-
ion over rough or muddy ground.
As it goes rapidly forward a Cable
s paid out. helping to determine is
direction. If IL goes wrong IL can Do
by means Of the cable.
Ordinarily, however, IL may be e1-
lected to reach the obstruction ~
which 1t is aImed--opposing trench /
ines being only q short diatancs
lpart-and, this being accomplish
d, the torpedo Is exploded by a FIR
ng cord held and operated at the
,oint OF departure. II
In actual practice a number pr
hese land torpedoes would be start
"a simultaneously against the en-
.my's line, so as to blow many gaps /
n the obstructionB-a most import |
int advantage Of the Continuance II |
ng, as one readily sees. in the fact |
hat the explosive. in huge quaint |
lies, is set to explode exactly at the /
points where II win do the maxi |
mum Of useful wirk.