Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-04-10

With the s.. A. r.. representatives
undertaking passenger car frame
STANDARDIZATION It might be we'll to
| consider.this article on design.
At the Paris show in 1903 the ma
iority of%the French cars had armOred
wood or steel nitched frames, which.
were of built-up constructors: that Is.
each part Of the frame was composed
of two flat plates. Of steel separated by
q filling of wood. The three units
were bolted together,
In a review of the American Ma
tional Automobile Show held at Madi-
son Square Gardensin 1904 one writer
ed steel frame originally introduced
by the Mercedes was displacing all
other types. Up to this time many
| methods of frame construction had
been on triai: besides the fiitched
frame. there were those Of tubular
steel. angle steel. and square steel
tubular frames filed with wood.
The fitched frame in this country
was inherited from the carriage build
ers who claimed 1t was lighter than
the pressed steel frame m that It Ill
flowed a certain. amount of 1e4lbiiity
(which cannot he provided in other
systems without some risk Of break
ing.
Still another advantage claimed for
it, which in hts day Of oXyacetylene
Welding no longer old good, was
that it was cheaper to repair in case
OF IN accident.
One Of it's dra wbacks was the pres
cncc of wood. which. while it is not
more liable to rot than steel Is to rust,
! will expand or contract to q greater
degree titan steel. Then the com
posite structure made necessary spe-
cial methods for attaching the engine
gear case and springs. :
Tubular frame construction was
brought into the automobile field by
the men who entered via the bicycle
field. They knew its great strength
in comparison to weight. In fact, to-
day some of the foreign cycle car
builders use this construction. The
difficulty of attaching supports for the
engine and other parts accounts for
its fall from favor.
Pressed Steel Franc.
The pressed steel frame, which was
first used in 1902 or 1908. spread until
it is now nearly universal, not only
here in America. the home of produc.
ton, but abroad as well.
1t is pressed to a channel form,
in cross sections by<a machine from
a steel plate. 1t is the simplest type
of construction and has great strength
for it's weight.
Originally it had but five units
which arc composed Of two side mem
bers and three cross frames, VI now
adays there arc our or even five cross
members; in c types the use o.
the engine to make the frame more
rigid is undesirable. From Il mech.
anical point of view there is Il ques'
ton as to whether or not the engine
should be used to max the frame
more rigid.
AT present there are two types Of
pressed steel frames in general use
The first type is one in which the en-
CINE is directly supported\ on thu
frame by means Of arms attaehed tt
the, crank case. These arms are a
times cast as Il >part of the engine
though in some cases they arc boltet
to both the crank case Of the engine
and the frame sides. The other type
of frame has e sub-frame which sup
ports the engine and the gear case
This rub-frame is a miniature frame
with two longitudinal members, will
IL cross member at either end.
Sub-FrameS.
IL Designers. using the sub-frame ad