SUBSCRIPTION, FOR THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA, $2.00 a year, payable in advance. For all foreign countries included in the Postal Union, $2.50. ADVERTISEMENTS.-Rates will be made known on application. When change of copy is desired it should be sent in not later than the fifteenth of the month. COMMUNICATIONS.-The Editor will pleased to receive communications on trade topics from any authentic source. The correspondent's na.ne should in all cases be given as an evidence of good faith, but will not be published if specially requested.

THE HORSELESS AGE will be sent regularly to advertisers, paid subscribers, and exchanges only.

Address all correspondence, and make all checks, drafts, and money orders payable to

THE HORSELess Age, 216–218 William Street, New York. Entered at the New York Post Office as second-class matter.

No. 11.

LESS AGE nearly two years ago, and since that time scores of "horrible examples" have appeared in its pages, but like Banquo's ghost the old horse vehicle will not down in the inventor's mind.

First meet the mechanical conditions, then please the eye. Most of our inventors are doing neither.

The Diesel Gas Engine.

All students of the gas engine have been on the tiptoe of expectation for news of the gas engine on which Herr Diesel has been engaged for several years. We therefore take pleasure in laying before our readers a summarized translation of the inventor's own exposition, reprinted from the London Engineer. An economy heretofore unknown in either steam or explosive engines is undoubtedly obtained by the Diesel method, and in large powers a wide field may be open for it, but as the construction involves greater complication and weight, it is not available for vehicles.

The Hybrid Motor Vehicle.

In spite of the experience of the past two years in America, and the lessons to be learned by the much wider range of European examples, many of our inventors still seem unable to forget the horse. The different conditions to be met by the motor vehicle are lost sight of, and in consequence of this fundamental error, we see nondescript creations,. mere patchwork which cannot be expected to give practical results. If we are to work intelligently it is absolutely essential that we should have a clear understanding of the problem. This cannot be gained by inspiration or by a superficial examination, but is the reward of careful investigation and thought.

Attention was called to this matter in THE HORSE

Back Numbers.

Parties having Nos. 1, 2, or 3 of Volume I., or Nos. 6, 7, or 8 of Volume II., which they are willing to exchange, should send them to the office of THE HORSELESS AGE, as current or future issues will be given in return for them, number for number.

JOIN THE

American

Motor League.

The Autocar of recent date gives a description of the latest design of this vehicle, which the Coventry Motor Co., Coventry, England, are now turning out.

The machine they have hitherto made is an improved Bcllée -a most efficient little carriage in every way, but the great objection to it is the position of the back rider, which, although well enough in fair weather, is by no means an ideal position when driving in wet or very cold weather, as he is compelled to keep one leg on either side of the central case which runs down the machine, and in which the transmission gear is enclosed, and unless he swathes his legs in many garments, and wears boots of uncommon proportions, it is impossible to keep his feet warm or his knees dry. The front seat is right enough, as the rider can have a rug, and generally make him

Fig. 2.

d,

self cosy.

COVENTY SOCIABLE MOTETTE

Of course, conversation is not carried on quite so easily as is the case when the riders are side by side, and this is what Mr. McRobie Turrall has borne in mind in designing the sociable pattern illustrated. So far as the framework, arrangement of the wheels and the motor are concerned, they may be dismissed for the time being with the statement that they are practically the same as on the latest pattern of the Coventry Motette, the great difference being in the comfortably shaped and sprung body of the carriage. The steering is between the two riders, so that it is easily undertaken by either occupant. The steering on this machine is now positive-the handle being moved in the same direction it is desired the machine shall go, which is a considerable improvement in the hands of a novice.

Bicycle Motor of M. Baris-Loutzky.

This motor, which is the invention of an engineer of St. Petersburg, Russia, is of the Otto cycle. All the moving parts are located in a closed case, a, upon which is the cylinder, b. The inventor is of the opinion that in bicycle motors, generally of less than one horsc-power, it is necessary, in order to obtain a reliable ignition, to employ a straight ignition canal, and a mixture as rich as possible.

In the cuts the exhaust valve is situated in the mouth of the ignition canal, c, in front of the admission valve, e, so that during the period of compression there is at the end of the canal, c, over the valve, e, only an absolutely pure mixture.

m

Pig 4

A

The rods of the valve, d and e, are in the same plane as the axis of the cylinder, b,and in order that the two valves, d and e, situated one behind the other, may be conveniently controlled, the corresponding levers, ƒ and g, ought also to be in the same vertical plane and to be operated by the same cam, h. To obtain this result the lever, ƒ, is placed in front of the lever, g. The ramps of the two levers are arranged at 90 degrees and the common cam, h, therefore serves for both exhaust and admission valves.

In motors which are provided with mufflers to deaden the noise of the exhaust, it has been found that the muffler exerts a counter pressure upon the exhaust. To overcome this, in the Loutzky motor the exhaust valve is opened before the period of expansion, to allow part of the gas to escape. To accomplish this the cam, h, is provided with a shoulder, n, which operates the lev r, f, while the shorter foot of the lever, g, is not affected by the notch, n.

To gain room the crank shaft, i, set in two bearings of the case, a, is attached on one side to the fly wheel, k, while on the other is the pinion, /, which engages with another pinion on the shaft, m, controlling the distribution i. Hence the whole mechanism is enclosed in the case, a.

Big Electric Cab Company Formed.

The Electric Carriage & Wagon Co., which has been operating the electrical cabs in New York, has been merged into the Electrical Vehicle Co., of New Jersey, having an authorized capital of $10,000,000, of which $5,000,000 is common and $5,000,000 preferred stock. The incorporators are Gustave Kissel, of Kessler & Co., bankers of Wall Street; Philip Leman and Edward Tuck.

The company will put over 100 additional cabs in service as soon as possible.

Automatic Speed Changing Mechanism.

M. Maugras, a French inventor has brought out an automatic speed changing mechanism, in which the relation of the speed of the motor shaft to that of the axle of the drive wheel is regulated by the work to be performed.

A is the motor shaft. By means of the pinions, R, and R2, the shaft, carrying a governor R, and a disc f. Through the gear wheel, R, and R., the same shaft 1 turns the shaft B1, which is one of the parts of the axle of the driving wheels. Upon the disc ƒ bears eccentrically the disc wheel c, which in its rotation revolves the rod a, in its bearings and b.. This rod has an endless screw W, which by means of a drum turns the wheels S, and S1, and consequently the shaft B1, constituting the other half of the axle of the driving wheels. B, and B, are connected with the differential D.

Suppose the wheel e is in such a position that the motion which the endless screw communicates to the shaft B,, is just the same as that of the shaft . If, because of the nature or inclination of the road, the driving wheels offer less resistance, the speed of the motor will tend to increase. The regulator R draws the cone V to the left, and the rod 9 descends and closes the opening Q. In this position compressed air supplied from a small pump operated by the motor, instead of passing out through the opening rushes into the tube pand in the cylinder S lowers the piston 7 which has a tendency to rise owing to the action of a spiral spring.

It will be seen that the lowering of the piston 7 has the effect of reducing the eccentricity of the disc wheel e which is shifted along the rod a by means of a groove or feather. But, as the wheel e moves from the center of /, it is revolved less rapidly, and in consequence, the endless screw W also slackens its speed.

The differential D then plays its part and the drive wheels

receive a movement resulting from the difference in the speeds communicated to B, and B. Thus the speed of the motor is regulated.

By means of levers the operator controls the mechanism by lowering the wheel or opening a valve which allows the compressed air to enter.

In a vehicle propelled by electricity instead of compressed air simple contacts H and H, controlling in the coils II, would be substituted.-La Locomotion Automobile.

The Sintz Motor Carriage.

The Sintz carriage herewith illustrated, is equipped with a six horse-power double cylinder, Sintz gasolene motor and, the variable speed mechanism of the Reeves Pulley Co., Columbus, Ind.

The Sintz Co. state that on good roads it will make twelve miles an hour, and climb any hill that is encountered. They have never yet found mud or sand too deep to pass through. They have probably made 1,000 miles with it since they have had it in use.

The Bergmann Carriage.

The American Motor Co., Havemeyer Building, New York, have recently imported this vehicle the details of which were fully illustrated in the February issue of the THE HORSELESS AGE. It was manufactured by Carl Bergmann, Gaggenau, Germany, and has several novel features in the transmission

and the carbureter.

The Winton Motor Carriage Co. Cleveland, O., have a new model for 1898, which will commend itself both to the eye and the judgment of the purchaser.

Fig. 2.