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- “Columba,” famous Clyde river steamer, 1875
Fifty years later witnessed the full development of Mr. Bell’s ideal in the Columba, then as now the largest river steamer ever seen on the Clyde, and the swiftest. The Columba is built of steel, is 316 feet long and 50 feet wide. She has two oscillating engines of 220 horse-power, and attains a speed of twenty-two miles an hour. Her route is from Glasgow to Ardrishaig and back, daily in summer, when she carries from 2,000 to 3,000 persons through some of the finest scenery in Scotland. She is provided with steam machinery for steering and warping her into the piers, and with other modern appliances that make her as handy as a steam yacht. She resembles a little floating town, with shops and post-office where you can procure money orders and despatch telegrams And what is the Columba after all but an enlarged and perfected reproduction of Bell’s Comet! - Wright Brothers' Wind tunnel
They found that a slight curve or camber in the wing section would cause the moving air to travel farther over the top of the wing surface than along the under side. This made the air pressure greater under the wing, gave a suction effect above the wing, and caused it to rise, creating lift. They discovered that a wing section of the proper camber would counteract the weight of gravity. Thus, a wing must be so designed that, with a certain amount of air flowing around it, it would lift a certain weight. They also discovered that air flow against any surface attached to the wing would cause a resistance or drag. Hundreds of experiments in their wind tunnel with various types of wing shapes gave the Wrights a series of tables from which to design a wing that would create the lift for a designed weight. - Wright Brothers' Bicycle shop
Out in Dayton, Ohio, there were two small brothers, who dreamed, as countless other children before them had dreamed, of flying like birds through the air. Their dreams were heightened by a small toy given to them by their father, the pastor of a local church. This toy was to lead to an idea which had a profound effect on the world. You would probably call it a flying propeller. It consisted of a wooden propeller which slipped over a notched stick. By placing a finger against the propeller and rapidly pushing it up the notched stick, the propeller was made to whirl up off the end of the stick and fly into the air. The brothers, young as they were, never quite forgot this little toy as they continued to dream of flying like birds through the air. Though the brothers continued to dream of flying, they were not the kind of lads who spent all their time in dreaming. They made kites which flew a little better and a little higher than those made by the other boys in the neighborhood. They built a press to print their own little newspaper, and they dabbled in woodcuts. To carve out porch posts for their father’s home they built an eight-foot wood-turning lathe. Indeed, they were the sort of boys who caused the neighbors to say, “What will they think of next?” The brothers knew that if they ever wanted to see their dreams come true they must earn their own capital. In the early nineties America was in the midst of the bicycle craze. Everyone who could possibly afford to do so owned a bicycle of some sort and belonged to a cycle club. Being mechanically minded, the brothers did the logical thing. They set themselves up in a small bicycle shop in Dayton, next door to their home. The bicycle shop in Dayton prospered, for the brothers were careful and expert mechanics, and cyclists in need of repairs made their way to the Wright Brothers’ shop. - Wright Brothers first powered airplane
By 1903 the Wright Brothers were ready to build a powered man-carrying flying machine. Their experiments had shown them just how much moving air was necessary to create lift in such a machine. To create the needed thrust, an engine having eight horsepower and weighing not over 200 pounds had to be fitted into the machine. Such an engine was not available, so the Wrights built one in their shop at Dayton, Ohio. They were ready to ship their airplane to Kitty Hawk, N. C., in the fall of 1903. - Wright Brotherrs wind tunnel
The Wright Brothers were not only inspired mechanics (as many people still believe today) but serious scientists, working along the soundest lines. In their keen desire to know what air pressure on wings really was, they cleared a corner of their bicycle shop and built a small wind tunnel with spare lumber and an old electric fan. They built small wing sections of various shapes and experimented with them in their wind tunnel. The electric fan was used to create the moving air around the wing section. By attaching the wing sections to a supporting frame and connecting the frame with a pointer and dial, they were able to keep a record of the effect of moving air on each experimental wing section. Through their wind tunnel research the Wright Brothers discovered the four forces that control all heavier-than-air flight: lift, thrust, weight, and drag. - Wolfe, Model A, 24 H.P
Wolfe, Model A, 24 H.P. H. E. Wilcox Motor Car Company, Minneapolis, Minn. PRICE: $1,800 BODY: Side entrance, rear seat removable SEATS: 5 persons WEIGHT: 1,900 pounds WHEEL-BASE: 108 inches TREAD: 56 inches TIRES, FRONT: 34 × 3½ inches TIRES, REAR: 34 × 3½ inches STEERING: Worm and sector BRAKES: On rear hubs SPRINGS: Full elliptic FRAME: Pressed steel BORE: 4 in.; STROKE: 4 in. CYLINDERS: 4 vertical, tandem MOTOR SUSPENSION: On sub-frame COOLING: Air IGNITION: Jump spark CURRENT SUPPLY: Battery CARBURETER: Float-feed LUBRICATION: Mechanical force feed MOTOR-CONTROL: Spark and throttle CLUTCH: Cone CHANGE GEAR: Sliding type SPEEDS: 3 forward and reverse CHANGE-GEAR CONTROL: Side lever DRIVE: Side chain NOTE: Runabout body fitted to above chassis for a list of $1,700. Light delivery body also furnished on order. - Waltham-Orient, Model B R., 4 H.P
Waltham-Orient, Model B R., 4 H.P. Waltham Mfg. Co., Waltham, Mass. PRICE: $400 BODY: Runabout SEATS: 2 persons WEIGHT: 600 pounds WHEEL-BASE: 80 inches TREAD: 42 inches TIRES, FRONT: 26 × 2½ in. TIRES, REAR: 26 × 2½ in. STEERING: Tiller BRAKES: On rear hubs SPRINGS: Elliptical front and rear FRAME: Wood BORE: 3¼ in.; STROKE: 4¼ in. CYLINDERS: One in back VALVE ARRANGEMENT: Automatic inlet; mechanical exhaust MOTOR SUSPENSION: Rear on side members of frame COOLING: Air IGNITION: Jump spark CURRENT SUPPLY: Dry battery CARBURETER: Orient LUBRICATION: Oil pump MOTOR-CONTROL: Throttle and spark CLUTCH: Friction CHANGE GEAR: Friction SPEEDS: 5 forward, 2 reverse CHANGE-GEAR CONTROL: Side lever DRIVE: Friction drive NOTE: Furnished with 2 cylinder motor for $50 extra. - Travelling Posting Carriage (2), 1750
- Travelling Posting Carriage (1), 1750
- Travelling Post, 1825-35
- The Wright Brothers experimental glider
After a year of exhaustive study and experiments with models in their wind tunnel, the Wright Brothers were ready to experiment with a man-carrying glider. With the thoroughness that was typical of every move of the Wrights, the brothers asked the government to let them have information on meteorological conditions all over the country. By studying the weather charts they were able to find a locality where there was a continual flow of wind. This would be nature’s wind tunnel where they could test their glider day after day. Through their study of the charts they found that the wind conditions at Kitty Hawk, on the North Carolina coast, seemed to offer the best possibilities for their glider test. Orville and Wilbur Wright began their experiments with a small man-carrying glider at Kitty Hawk in 1900. From that time until 1903 they made hundreds of successful glider flights and kept accurate records of each flight. They recorded wind velocity, angle of flight, duration of flight, time of day, temperature, humidity, and sky conditions overhead with the typical Wright attention to detail. Each year the Wrights constructed new gliders which embodied principles they had discovered for themselves during their flights at Kitty Hawk. Each glider was larger and had longer and narrower wings than the one before. During the fall of 1902 the brothers recorded nearly a thousand flights in a glider with a wingspan of thirty-two feet. It had a front elevator and a vertical tail which helped to maintain lateral stability. - The water tank
The water tank is seen frequently along the route of the railroads and plenty of water must be taken on and carried in the engine tender to make steam which is the power used to drive the big engines. - The tunnels
The tunnels are passages for trains under mountains, hills and rivers. The tunnels are dark but the trains are well lighted. Electric motors are often used, this avoids the smoke of steam engines which is very unpleasant in the tunnels. - The Train Ferry
The Train Ferry carries entire trains across rivers where there are no bridges. Some of the largest train boats have several tracks and carry a train on each. The boats are tied in slips at the shore so that the tracks meet exactly those on the land. - The Stage coach
The Stage coach is used in the country where towns are few. The stages meet trains at the stations and take on passengers to be carried to their homes away from the railroad. Some of the stage routes are several hundred miles long. - The Machine, 1640-1700
The coaches that travelled between London and distant towns were similar in construction to the hackney coach, which plied for hire in the streets, but were built on a larger scale. They carried eight passengers inside, and behind, over the axle, was a great basket for baggage and outside passengers, who made themselves as comfortable as they might in the straw supplied. The “insides” were protected from rain and cold by leather curtains; neither passengers nor baggage were carried on the roof; and the coachman sat on a bar fixed between the two standard posts from which the body was hung in front, his feet being supported by a footboard on the perch. Mr. Thrupp states that in 1662 there were only six stage coaches in existence; which assertion does not agree with that of Chamberlayne, quoted on a previous page; the seventeenth century writer tells us that in his time—1649—stage coaches ran “from London to the principle towns in the country.” It seems, however, certain that the year 1662 saw a great increase in the number of “short stages”—that is to say, coaches running between London and towns twenty, thirty, forty miles distant. - The Four forces of flight
after testing more than 200 wing designs and plane surfaces in their wind tunnel, the Wright Brothers found out how to figure correctly the amount of curve, or camber, that was essential to weight-carrying wings. They discovered, too, that before man could be flown through the air, he must have his wings attached firmly to a body or platform which was firm and controllable. The Wrights in their earliest experiments had realized that to be practical their machine must be built not only to fly in a straight line, but also in order that it could be steered to the right or to the left. One day, Orville was twisting a cardboard box in his hand when Wilbur noticed it. Immediately he saw the solution to the problem of steering their airplane. The result was a design which changed the lift of either end of the wing by warping its surface. If one end of the wing was warped to give it more lift, the machine would lift on that side and fall off into a turn. Thus the problem of steering was solved by the Wrights - The flight of Etana
Historians have unearthed stories in cuneiform writing of man’s attempts to fly. Some of these inscriptions date back more than five thousand years, to 3500 B.C. Perhaps the most famous of these stories is the ancient Babylonian tale of the shepherd boy, Etana, who rode on the back of an eagle. - The Control of a Biplane
The driver of a modern-type aeroplane, sitting snugly within its hull, has a wheel and instrument-board before him, as sketched. As he flies across country he has many things to think of. Holding the control-wheel in both hands, his feet resting upon the rudder-bar, his eyes rove constantly among the instruments [Pg 163]on the dashboard before him. He glances at the compass often, for it is by this that he steers; and when the air is clear, and the earth below plainly seen, he will every now and then glance over the side of the hull, so as to be on the look-out for a landmark that may tell him he is on his course. A. Pilot’s seat B. Hand-wheel (pushed forward or backward operates elevator; twisted sideways works ailerons) C. Foot-bar actuating rudder D. Compass E. Dial showing number of revolutions per minute that engine is making F. Gauge showing pressure in petrol tank G. Speed indicator H. Dial showing altitude I. Clock J. Switch for cutting off ignition. - The Aerodrome
Langley built his plane without much difficulty, but could not find anyone to make an engine large enough for it. Finally, Charles Manley, an expert engineer, asked for permission to build the engine. Manley’s engine was a five-cylinder, radial gasoline engine that developed 51 horsepower and was far ahead of its time. It was years before American radial engines were used successfully in airplanes. Professor Langley called his machine the Aerodrome, and by October, 1903, the plane was ready for its test flight, with Manley to guide it. The Aerodrome was to be launched from a catapulting platform built on the roof of a houseboat. The houseboat was anchored on the Potomac River near Washington. As it left the platform the machine crashed into the river, and the trial was a dismal failure. The newspapers and the public ridiculed Langley, but he and Manley, who was unhurt in the crash, repaired the machine for another trial. This test took place on December 8, 1903, and again the Aerodrome crashed into the river. Manley once more escaped injury, but Langley and the government were abused by the public for wasting money. Langley was out of money himself, the government could not furnish funds for further trials, so the experiments were ended. The professor, discouraged and brokenhearted, gave up. - The 'Hercules' Traction Engine, as used during the Crimean War
During the Crimean War, Boydell’s traction machine was used to haul open trucks on the road and across country. Its engine, the “Hercules,” was fitted with a curious arrangement, which, by means of rails attached in six sections to the wheels, enabled it to lay down and take up its own track as it went along. - Testing the girder-built body of an aircraft
Put together scientifically and from sections of wood specially tested, a remarkable strength may be obtained by such a method of building. The figure shows how a girder aircraft body, supported by trestles only at its ends, may support from its centre, without yielding, a tray containing a number of heavy weights - Synnestvedt 2-Ton Truck
Synnestvedt 2-Ton Truck. Synnestvedt Machine Co., Pittsburgh, Pa. BODY: Stake or van CAPACITY: 2 tons WHEEL-BASE: 87 inches TREAD: 52 inches TIRES, FRONT: 36 × 4 in. TIRES, REAR: 36 × 5 in. BRAKES: On rear wheel and driving shaft SPRINGS: Platform FRAME: Channel steel MOTOR: Synnestvedt electric MOTOR SUSPENSION: In rear under body SPEEDS: 4 forward, 2 reverse DRIVE: Chain - Symington’s ‘Charlotte Dundas,’ 1802
In 1801 the London newspapers contained the announcement that an experiment had taken place on the Thames, on July 1st, for the purpose of propelling a laden barge, or other craft, against the tide, by means of a steam-engine of a very simple construction. “The moment the engine was set to work the barge was brought about, answering her helm quickly, and she made way against a strong current, at the rate of two and a half miles an hour.” In 1802 a new vessel was built expressly for steam navigation, on the Forth and Clyde Canal, under Symington’s supervision, the Charlotte Dundas, which was minutely inspected on the same day by Robert Fulton, of New York, and Henry Bell, of Glasgow, both of whom took sketches of the machinery to good purpose. This boat drew a load of seventy tons, at a speed of three and a half miles an hour, against a strong gale of wind. Under ordinary conditions she made six miles an hour, but her admitted success was cut short by the Canal Trust, who alleged that the wash of the steamer would destroy the embankment. - Sovereign, Model M
Sovereign, Model M. Matthews Motor Co., Camden, N. J. BODY: Side entrance tonneau SEATS: 8 persons WHEEL-BASE: 124 inches TREAD: 56 inches TIRES, FRONT: 36 × 4 inches TIRES, REAR: 36 × 5 inches BRAKES: 2 double internal on rear hubs SPRINGS: Semi-elliptic, front; platform type rear FRAME: Pressed steel BORE: 5½ in.; STROKE: 6 in. CYLINDERS: 4 vertical MOTOR SUSPENSION: From frame COOLING: Water IGNITION Jump spark (double plugs) CURRENT SUPPLY: Magneto and batteries CARBURETER: Automatic LUBRICATION: Mechanical pump MOTOR-CONTROL: Spark and throttle CHANGE GEAR: Sliding type SPEEDS: 4 forward and reverse CHANGE-GEAR CONTROL: Side lever DRIVE: Double side chain - Scientific American Trophy
Following the success of the "White Wing" we started in to build another machine, embodying all that we had learned from our experience with the two previous ones. Following our custom of giving each machine a name to distinguish it from the preceding one, we called this third aeroplane the "June Bug." The name was aptly chosen, for it was a success from the very beginning. Indeed, it flew so well that we soon decided it was good enough to win the trophy which had been offered by The Scientific American for the first public flight of one kilometer, or five-eights of a mile, straightaway. This trophy, by the way, was the first to be offered in this country for an aeroplane flight, and the conditions specified that it should become the property of the person winning it three years in succession. The "June Bug" was given a thorough try-out before we made arrangements to fly for the trophy, and we were confident it would fulfill the requirements. - Royal Mail Coach
- Racing Deperdussin Monoplane (top view)
- Racing Deperdussin Monoplane (side view)
In the development of speed, some remarkable craft are built. Each year there is an international air race for the possession of the Gordon-Bennett trophy, and to win this designers build special craft. In tiny monoplanes, engines of high power are installed; and the sustaining wings are so reduced, to give a maximum speed, that the machines appear more like projectiles than flying craft. A purely racing-type monoplane is seen in figure.. It represents a Deperdussin, which, with an engine of 160 horse-power, reached a speed of 130 miles an hour. How small this machine was, in relation to its engine-power, will be realised from the fact that the sustaining surface of its wings amounted to only 104 square feet—far less lifting area, in fact, than Lilienthal used in his gliders. Wires and struts are reduced to a minimum; the body is tapered and smoothed. Such a machine, although it carries speed to an extreme, and is in reality a “freak,” teaches useful lessons. But though it provides data for the construction of high-speed scouts, a monoplane of this type would be useless for cross-country flying; and for the reason that it cannot be manœuvred, prior to an ascent, upon anything save the smoothest of ground. Its wings being so small, to ensure a maximum of speed, the machine will not rise until it has run forward a long distance across the ground; and during this run it attains a speed of nearly 90 miles an hour. At such a pace, unless the ground below its wheels was level, it would leap, swerve, and probably overturn. When alighting from a flight, also, again owing to the smallness of its wings, the craft has to plane down so fast that its pilot could not land safely unless he had below him a surface that was absolutely smooth. A. Propeller B. Shield to lessen wind resistance C. Sloping shield which encloses engine (also to minimise wind-pressure). Air passes between the shields B and C to cool the motor. D. Pilot’s seat E. Padded projection against which, when at high speed, the pilot rests his head F. Sustaining-plane Very slightly cambered G. Rudder H. Elevating-plane I. Landing wheels. - R & L Stanhope
R & L Stanhope. Rauch and Lang Carriage Co., Cleveland, Ohio PRICE: $1,850 BODY: Stanhope SEATS: 2 persons WEIGHT: 1,600 pounds WHEEL-BASE: 73 inches TIRES, FRONT: 32 in., pneumatic TIRES, REAR: 32 in., pneumatic STEERING: Side lever BRAKES: On rear wheels and emergency SPRINGS: Semi-elliptic front; full elliptic rear FRAME: Steel HORSE-POWER: 1½ MOTOR: Hertner MOTOR SUSPENSION: Under body SPEED: 1–22 m. p. h. DISTANCE: 75 to 80 miles MOTOR-CONTROL: Lever at left of seat DRIVE: Double chain from countershaft - Queen Elizabeth’s Travelling Coach
Queen Elizabeth travelled in a coach, either the one built by Walter Rippon or that brought by Boonen (who, by the way, was appointed her coachman), on some of her royal progresses through the kingdom. When she visited Warwick in 1572, at the request of the High Bailiff she “caused every part and side of the coach to be opened that all her subjects present might behold her, which most gladly they desired.” The vehicle which could thus be opened on “every part and side” is depicted incidentally in a work executed by Hoefnagel in 1582, which Markland believed to be probably the first engraved representation of an English coach. As will be seen from the reproduction here given, the body carried a roof or canopy on pillars, and the intervening spaces could be closed by means of curtains. - Plan of a Behr Mono-Railway Car
But a means of adapting a mono-rail to every condition had some time before been thought out. In 1883-4 Charles Lartigue, the eminent French engineer, developing the principle conceived by the great Telford, constructed some small lines in Tunis and Algeria for carrying esparto grass. The cars were drawn by animals in a special form of mono-rail, the model upon which Mr. F. B. Behr, ASS. INST. C.E.—who modestly disclaims all originality in the matter—has worked for years, greatly improving in practical details the original design, and constructing for the first time mono-rail trains that have been successful in the carriage of both goods and passengers by steam and electricity. - Pennsylvania, 35 H.P. Pennsylvania Auto Motor Co., Phil., Pa.
PRICE: $2,800 BODY: Mercedes SEATS: 5 persons WEIGHT: 2,550 pounds WHEEL-BASE: 111 inches TREAD: 56 inches TIRES, FRONT: 34 × 4 in. TIRES, REAR: 34 × 4 in. STEERING: Worm and nut BRAKES: Double on rear wheels SPRINGS: Front, 40 in. long; Rear, platform type FRAME: Pressed steel BORE: 4½ in.; STROKE: 5 in. CYLINDERS: 4 vertical, cast separate VALVE ARRANGEMENT: Same side MOTOR SUSPENSION: Direct from sub-frame COOLING: Water; cellular radiator IGNITION: Jump spark CURRENT SUPPLY: Storage battery CARBURETER: Schebler LUBRICATION: Force feed MOTOR-CONTROL: Spark and throttle CLUTCH: Cone CHANGE GEAR: Sliding type SPEEDS: 3 forward and reverse CHANGE-GEAR CONTROL: Selective system DRIVE: Shaft - Octave Chanute experimenting with his gliders on the Michigan sand dunes
Octave Chanute, born in France and reared in America, was one of the first men to make a scientific approach to the problem of flying machines. A thorough scientist, he had followed the progress of all flight experiments the world over. He built gliders with one, two, and even five pairs of wings and tested all of them on the sand dunes of Lake Michigan. His most successful glides were made with a biplane glider. In 1894, he published a book called Progress of Flying Machines, which covered all the efforts of men like himself who had experimented with man-carrying gliders and flying machines. - Mr. Daniel Bourn’s Roller Wheel Waggon -1763
Bourn’s reference to the “narrow-wheel waggon” touches a matter which formed the subject of hot debate for generations. It was urged that the narrow wheels of waggons were largely the means of cutting up the roads, and no doubt these did contribute to the general condition of rut and ridge that characterised them. This view was adopted by Parliament, and to encourage the use of wide wheels a system of turnpike tolls was adopted which treated the wide tire far more leniently than the narrow; anything under 9 inches in width being considered narrow. Bourn was a warm advocate for wide wheels, and the book from which the above passage is taken describes an improved waggon invented by himself; the drawing is[80] from the inventor’s work. The wheels of this vehicle resemble small garden rollers; they are 2 feet high and 16 inches wide. Each is attached independently to the body of the waggon and the fore wheels being placed side by side in the centre, while the hind wheels are set wide apart, the waggon is practically designed to fulfil the functions of a road-roller. It does not appear that Bourn’s invention obtained any general acceptance, which is perhaps not very surprising. - Mississippi steamboat ‘J. M. White,’ 1878
The light-draught Mississippi steamers bear little resemblance to the Hudson River and Long Island Sound boats while the American steam ferry-boat is a thing certainly not of beauty, but unique. The J. M. White, of 1878, was deemed “a crowning effort in steamboat architecture in the West.” She was 320 feet long and 91 feet in width, over the guards. Her saloons were magnificently furnished, and all her internal fittings of the most elaborate description. She carried 7,000 bales of cotton and had accommodation for 350 cabinpassengers. Her cost was $300,000. She was totally destroyed by fire in 1886. - Miller’s twin boat on Loch Dalswinton, 1788
An experiment was made by Patrick Miller, a banker in Edinburgh, aided by Mr. Taylor, tutor in his family, and Alexander Symington, a practical engineer. Mr. Miller had a boat built and fitted with a small steam-engine, for his amusement, on Dalswinton Loch, Dumfriesshire. It was a twin-boat, the engine being placed on one side, the boiler on the other, and the paddle-wheel in the centre. It was launched in October, 1788, and attained a speed of five miles an hour. The engine, of one horse-power, is still to be seen in the Andersonian Museum, in Glasgow. Encouraged by his experiment, Mr. Miller bought one of the boats used on the Forth and Clyde Canal, and had a steam-engine constructed for it by the Carron Ironworks Company, under Symington’s superintendence. On December 26th, 1789, this steamboat towed a heavy load on the canal, at a speed of seven miles an hour; but, strange to say, the experiment was dropped as soon as it was tried. - Marion Model 7, 22–24 H.P
Marion Model 7, 22–24 H.P. The Marion Motor Car Co., Indianapolis, Ind. PRICE: $2,000 BODY: Runabout SEATS: 2 persons WEIGHT: 1,750 pounds WHEEL-BASE: 100 inches TREAD: 55 inches TIRES, FRONT: 32 × 3½ inches TIRES, REAR: 32 × 3½ inches STEERING: Worm and sector BRAKES: Hub, internal and external SPRINGS: Semi-elliptic front, and full scroll rear FRAME: Pressed steel BORE: 4 in.; STROKE: 4 in. CYLINDERS: 4 separate VALVE ARRANGEMENT: Opposite sides MOTOR SUSPENSION: From side members of main frame COOLING: Water IGNITION: High-tension CURRENT SUPPLY: Storage battery CARBURETER: Schebler or Holley LUBRICATION: Force feed MOTOR-CONTROL: Spark and throttle CLUTCH: Multiple disc CHANGE GEAR: "Hassler" SPEEDS: 2 forward and reverse CHANGE-GEAR CONTROL: Side lever DRIVE: Shaft - London Hackney Cab (Boulnois’ Patent)
- Locomotive of To-day
- Leonardo da Vinci's Glider and Parachute Idea
Leonardo da Vinci, the great Italian artist and scientist, who lived in the fifteenth century, spent years experimenting with the idea of flying. He made a number of sketches of wings to be fitted to the arms and legs of man. His plan for a parachute was soundly worked out and his idea that the wings of a flying machine should be patterned after the wings of the bat found expression in the doped fabric covering of our early airplanes. - King George IV. in His Pony Phaeton
- Horse-boat at Empy’s Ferry, Osnabruck, Ontario
Paddle-wheels for driving boats through the water were used long before steam-engines were thought of. They were worked by hand and foot-power without, however, any advantage over the old-fashioned oar. The horse-boat, in a variety of forms, has been in use for many years, and is not yet quite obsolete. In its earlier form two horses, one on each side of a decked scow, were hitched to firmly braced upright posts at which they tugged for all they were worth without ever advancing beyond their noses, but communicating motion to the paddle-wheels by the movable platform on which they trod. For larger boats four or five horses were harnessed to horizontal bars converging towards the centre, and moved around the deck in a circle, the paddles receiving their impulse through a set of cog-wheels. - Horse Litter
Horse litters, carried between two horses, one in front and one behind, were used in early times by ladies of `rank`, by sick persons, and also on occasion to carry the dead. Similar vehicles of a lighter description, carried by men, were also in use. William of Malmesbury states that the body of William Rufus was brought from the spot where he was killed in the New Forest in a horse-litter (a.d. 1100). When King John fell ill at Swineshead Abbey, in 1216, he was carried in a horse-litter to Newark, where he died. For a man who was in good health to travel in such a conveyance was considered unbecoming and effeminate. In recording the death, in 1254, of Earl Ferrers, from injuries received in an accident to his conveyance, Matthew Paris deems it necessary to explain that the Earl suffered from gout, which compelled him to use a litter when moving from place to place. The accident was caused by the carelessness of the driver of the horses, who upset the conveyance while crossing a bridge. The illustration is copied from a drawing which occurs in a manuscript in the British Museum (Harl. 5256). - Hill Touring Car, 35 H.P
Hill Touring Car, 35 H.P. Hill Motor Car Co., Haverhill, Mass. PRICE: $3,000 BODY: Side entrance tonneau SEATS: 5 persons WEIGHT: 2,200 pounds TIRES, FRONT: 32 × 4 inches TIRES, REAR: 32 × 4 inches BRAKES: On rear wheel drums SPRINGS: Full elliptic FRAME: Pressed steel BORE: 4½ in.; STROKE: 5 in. CYLINDERS: 4 vertical cast separately VALVES: Mechanically operated MOTOR SUSPENSION: Direct from frame COOLING: Air IGNITION: Jump spark CURRENT SUPPLY: Storage battery CARBURETER: Float-feed automatic LUBRICATION: Automatic MOTOR-CONTROL: Hand or foot CLUTCH: Multiple disc CHANGE GEAR: Sliding type SPEEDS: 3 forward and reverse CHANGE-GEAR CONTROL: Side lever DRIVE: Bevel gear - Hercules, Model 144
Hercules, Model 144. James Macnaughtan Co., Buffalo, N. Y. PRICE: $1,700 BODY: Heavy platform truck CAPACITY: 6,000 pounds WEIGHT: 3,525 pounds WHEEL-BASE: 73½ inches TREAD: 37⅜ inches TIRES, FRONT: 20 × 4 × ⅜ in. steel TIRES, REAR: 20 × 4 × ⅜ in. steel STEERING: Irreversible worm type BRAKES: Electric on motors SPRINGS: No springs MOTORS: Single equipment MOTOR SUSPENSION: From body MOTOR-CONTROL: Westinghouse CHANGE SPEEDS: 3 speeds forward and reverse DRIVE: Double chain - Hercules, Model 139
Hercules, Model 139. James Macnaughtan Co., Buffalo, N. Y. PRICE: $2,250 BODY: Express wagon CAPACITY: 2,000 pounds WEIGHT: 3,200 pounds TIRES, FRONT: 34 × 3½ inches TIRES, REAR: 36 × 4 inches STEERING: Horizontal side lever BRAKES: Internal expanding hub SPRINGS: Front, half platform; rear, full elliptic MOTORS: Single equipment MOTOR SUSPENSION: From body DISTANCE: 50 miles MOTOR-CONTROL: Westinghouse SPEED: 9 m.p.h. CHANGE SPEEDS: 4 speeds ahead and reverse DRIVE: Double chain - Hercules, Model 128
Hercules, Model 128. James Macnaughtan Co., Buffalo, N. Y. PRICE: $4,400 BODY: Stake platform with top CAPACITY: 10,000 pounds WEIGHT: 8,700 pounds WHEEL-BASE: 117 inches TREAD: 83 inches TIRES, FRONT: 36 × 7 inches TIRES, REAR: 36 × 7 inches STEERING: Pinion and sector type BRAKES: Internal expanding hub SPRINGS: Semi-elliptic MOTORS: Double equipment MOTOR SUSPENSION: From body MOTOR-CONTROL: Westinghouse CHANGE SPEEDS: 4 forward and reverse DRIVE: Double chain - Hercules, Model 121
Hercules, Model 121. James Macnaughtan Co., Buffalo, N. Y. PRICE: $3,200 BODY: Delivery truck CAPACITY: 4,000 pounds WEIGHT: 6,000 pounds WHEEL-BASE: 103 inches TREAD: 72 inches TIRES, FRONT: 36 × 4 inches TIRES, REAR: 38 × 4 inches STEERING: Pinion and sector type BRAKES: Internal expanding hub SPRINGS: Half platform front and rear MOTORS: Double equipment MOTOR SUSPENSION: From body MOTOR-CONTROL: Westinghouse SPEED: 8½ m.p.h. CHANGE SPEEDS: 4 forward and reverse DISTANCE: 38 miles DRIVE: Double chain NOTE: With slight changes in price and specifications these trucks range in capacity up to 10,000 pounds: bodies to order - Hercules, Model 120
Hercules, Model 120. James Macnaughtan Co., Buffalo, N. Y. PRICE: $1,750 BODY: Delivery wagon (closed) CAPACITY: 1,000 pounds WEIGHT: 2,300 pounds TIRES, FRONT: 34 × 2½ inches TIRES, REAR: 36 × 2½ inches STEERING: Side bar BRAKES: Band brakes on rear axle SPRINGS: Front, elliptic; rear, platform MOTORS: Double equipment MOTOR SUSPENSION: From body MOTOR-CONTROL: Westinghouse SPEEDS: 4 speeds ahead and reverse DRIVE: Double chain - Hercules, Model 113
Hercules, Model 113. James Macnaughtan Co., Buffalo, N. Y. PRICE: $3,750 BODY: Platform truck CAPACITY: 7,000 pounds WEIGHT: 7,500 pounds WHEEL-BASE: 118 inches TREAD: 70 inches TIRES, FRONT: 36 × 5 inches TIRES, REAR: 38 × 5 inches STEERING: Pinion and sector type BRAKES: Internal expanding hub SPRINGS: Semi-elliptic MOTORS: Double equipment MOTOR SUSPENSION: From body SPEED: 8 m.p.h. MOTOR-CONTROL: Westinghouse DISTANCE: 30 miles CHANGE SPEEDS: 4 forward and reverse DRIVE: Double chain - Hercules, Model 106
Hercules, Model 106. James Macnaughtan Co., Buffalo, N. Y. PRICE: $2,350 BODY: Open delivery CAPACITY: 1,500 pounds WEIGHT: 3,500 pounds WHEEL-BASE: 77 inches TREAD: 65 inches TIRES, FRONT: 36 × 3 inches TIRES, REAR: 39 × 3½ inches STEERING: Irreversible type BRAKES: Internal expanding hub SPRINGS: Front, semi-elliptic; rear, half platform MOTORS: Double equipment MOTOR SUSPENSION: From body MOTOR-CONTROL: Westinghouse CHANGE SPEEDS: 4 forward and reverse DRIVE: Double chain - Hercules, Model 103
Hercules, Model 103. James Macnaughtan Co., Buffalo, N. Y. PRICE: $3,000 BODY: Delivery wagon with top CAPACITY: 3,000 pounds WEIGHT: 5,400 pounds WHEEL-BASE: 111 inches TREAD: 65½ inches TIRES, FRONT: 36 × 4 inches TIRES, REAR: 36 × 4 inches STEERING: Irreversible worm type BRAKES: Internal expanding hub SPRINGS: Half platform front and rear MOTORS: Double equipment MOTOR SUSPENSION: From body SPEED: 10 m.p.h. DISTANCE: 45 miles MOTOR-CONTROL: Westinghouse CHANGE SPEEDS: 4 forward and reverse DRIVE: Double chain - Hercules, Model 102
Hercules, Model 102. James Macnaughtan Co., Buffalo, N. Y. PRICE: $2,000 BODY: Delivery wagon (closed) CAPACITY: 800 pounds WEIGHT: 2,576 pounds TIRES, FRONT: 34 × 2 inches TIRES, REAR: 36 × 2 inches STEERING: Horizontal side lever BRAKES: Internal expanding hub SPRINGS: Front, half platform; rear, full elliptical MOTORS: Single equipment MOTOR SUSPENSION: From body MOTOR-CONTROL: Westinghouse SPEED: 12 m.p.h. CHANGE SPEEDS: 4 forward and reverse DISTANCE: 40 miles DRIVE: Double chain - Hercules, Model 101
Hercules, Model 101. James Macnaughtan Co., Buffalo, N. Y. PRICE: $2,000 BODY: Closed delivery wagon CAPACITY: 1,000 pounds WEIGHT: 2,700 pounds TIRES, FRONT: 34 × 2 inches TIRES, REAR: 36 × 2 inches STEERING: Horizontal side lever BRAKES: Internal expanding hub SPRINGS: Front, half platform; rear, full elliptical MOTORS: Single equipment MOTOR SUSPENSION: From body MOTOR-CONTROL: Westinghouse CHANGE SPEEDS: 4 forward and reverse DRIVE: Double chain - Hercules, Model 140
Hercules, Model 140. James Macnaughtan Co., Buffalo, N. Y. PRICE: $2,350 BODY: Piano box SEATS: 2 or 4 persons CAPACITY: 1,500 pounds WEIGHT: 3,300 pounds TIRES, FRONT: 36 × 3 inches TIRES, REAR: 39 × 3½ inches STEERING: Irreversible type BRAKES: Internal expanding hub SPRINGS: Full elliptic MOTORS: Double equipment MOTOR SUSPENSION: From body MOTOR-CONTROL: Westinghouse SPEEDS: 4 ahead and reverse DRIVE: Double chain - Hammock Waggon
Supposed to have been in use in England about A.D.. 1100-1200. Strutt states that the chariot of the Anglo-Saxons was used by distinguished persons for travel. If the illustrations from which he describes them give a fair idea of their proportions and general construction, they must have been singularly uncomfortable conveyances. The drawing is taken from an illuminated manuscript of the Book of Genesis in the Cotton Library (Claud. B. iv.), which Strutt refers to the ninth century, but which a later authority considers a production of the earlier part of the eleventh. The original drawing shows a figure in the hammock waggon, which figure represents Joseph on his way to meet Jacob on the latter’s arrival in Egypt; this figure has been erased in order to give a clear view of the conveyance, which no doubt correctly represents a travelling carriage of the artist’s own time, viz., a.d. 1100-1200. - Hackney Coaches in London, 1637
Excessive number of Coaches in London. The preamble of a patent granted Sir Saunders Duncombe in 1634 to let Sedan chairs refers to the fact that the streets of London and Westminster “are of late time so much encumbered and pestered with the unnecessary multitude of coaches therein used”; and in 1635 Charles I. issued a proclamation on the subject. This document states that the “general and promiscuous use” of hackney coaches in great numbers causes “disturbance” to the King and Queen personally, to the nobility and others of place and degree; “pesters” the streets, breaks up the pavements and cause increase in the prices of forage. For which reasons the use of hackney coaches in London and Westminster and the suburbs is forbidden altogether, unless the passenger is making a journey of at least three miles. Within the city limits only private coaches were allowed to ply, and the owner of a coach was required to keep four good horses or geldings for the king’s service. - Going to Bury Fair
From Engraving, A.D. 1750.