Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-24
ATTACK PROBLEMS
OF GEAR Shit TING
Automotive Engineers Add is
New Transmission Devices
in Two Years.

Special Dispatch TO The Star.
DETROIT. August 23.--The automo-
bile engineers are making concerted
attack on the age-old problem of gear
shifting.
This year and last no less than l6
new transmission devices have been
added to present American models.
The aim is to simplify the process by
which the average car is operated from
the drivers standpoint. 1t has long
been conceded that the ''wobble-stick =
q name that used to be applied to the
Gear-shift lever--should be changed.
The chassis engineers and their asso-
ciates who collaborate with them on
engine design, have sought for years
to work out new methods. They have
argued that there should be no earthly
reason why car should have to be
put through hop, step and jump stages
to get 1t under way. For such in effect
is what conventional gear shifting
amounts to.
Tried But Not Adopted.
Substitutes have been tried, but have
not been generally adopted. Steam,
as used in the steamer" cars Of years
ago, got away from gear shifting and
was conceded to be one of the smooth
and operating it through variable
speeds. The steam cars were economi-
cal. too. besides being silent and smooth
running They failed to catch on large
~ because steam, as a power medium
for all kinds of machinery, had been
known and used for years without num-
Der and was deemed old fashioned.
Gasoline power being newer, exer-
cised a more potent appeal to the inn
mi, ton If bNfb e1pinnRYS a1d nIIhlic.
therefore, it stayed for motor cars and
the gear changing with 1t.
The next thing to be tried was the
gas-electric. This type of power plant
employed a gas engine to operate an
electric generator. 1t let a car create
the power that operated it as 1t trav-
eled along, applying the current di-
rectly to the rear wheels.
In theory 1t was me. AS worked OUT
however, ii proved about 25 per cent
more expensive to build than the gas
engine alone. 1t was heavier and, in
motor car types, more expensive to OPP
crate and service. Nevertheless, it has
found a place in bus and coach use,
where the loads are heavier and pas
partial use for the same purposes, but
to a less extent.
Gear-Shift Improvement.
In automobiles the effort to improve
the gear shift began three years ago,
and It has been taken up by the engi-
neering departments Of virtually all
companies. 1t has resulted in o variety
IL devices, ranging all the way from
four-speed transmissionS to "free Wheel
ing" and "syncro-mesh" necllaniSms,
all Of which are coming into wide usage
on cars in the higher price classes.
The merits and dement's OF four
speeds in place Of the three associated
with the term standard gear shift"
are still matters Of debate among the
engineering fraternity. BY some it is
held that adding a fourth or double
high" has advantages because 1t per-
nnits high car speed at lower crank
shaft speed in the top range. There
fore, it is a fuel saver and allows fast
travel with less engine noise.
The four-speed engineers in effect
divide the range between second and
high into two, and use third TO give
faster accelerstion than the conven-
tional second gear. Opponents OF this
change point out, however, that such
an arrangement means more shifting
than by the older method because there
are more positions in the gear box.
Principle Applied.
Besides use in automobiles, the four
speed principle also has been applied
to trucks and commercial cars, but in
q different way The useful fourth
speed in this type of vehicle is an
extra low gear for use in starting with
an extra heavy load or pulling out Of
naudholes or through sand.
For free wheeling the claim Is that
II eliminates use of the clutch except
to start or go into reverse, and that
economy of both fuel and oil becomes
q worthwhile factor.
Syncro-mesh, now applied to straight
Fights as well as the Weight and W
sixteen types. allows gear shifting with
snoothness and no claShing at the
higher speeds Of which the engines are
capable.
copyright, 1880 by North American News
paper Aliance)