Automobile Biographies: An Account of the Lives and the Work of Those Who Have Been Identified with the Invention and Development of Self-Propelled Vehicles on the Common RoadsWeeks, Lyman Horace
History
Automobile Biographies: An Account of the Lives and the Work of Those Who Have Been Identified with the Invention and Development of Self-Propelled Vehicles on the Common Roads
Weeks, Lyman Horace
Automobiles -- History
Selden is known as an exceedingly able attorney in his specialty, while
his active connection with the extensive reaper and binder litigation, in
all of which he appeared prominently, established for him an enviable
reputation. Those who have had the privilege of a closer personal
acquaintance know of his great fund of scientific knowledge in various
arts, as well as his most interesting accumulations of data as a result of
his personal researches.
Selden is a patentee in other fields beside that of the gasoline
automobile and his achievements have been numerous and of exceeding
importance. He is also a chemist of more than ordinary ability and has
applied himself as a close student to this line of scientific
investigation. As a result he has made notable discoveries that, although
not yet given to the world, will, it is confidently believed by those
acquainted with them, prove to be of the greatest scientific value.
SIEGFRIED MARCUS
Marcus was an ingenious mechanic. In early life he made dental instruments
and apparatus for a magician in Vienna. For his construction of a
thermopile he received a prize and to his further credit as an inventor
are placed an arc lamp, Rhumkoff coil carbureter, a high candle-power
petroleum lamp, magneto-electro machines, a microphone and various other
things in many branches of science.
[Illustration: SIEGFRIED MARCUS]
It is claimed that about the middle seventies of the last century he
carried on experiments with a gas engine that had a spring-connected
piston rod. He mounted this vertically on an ordinary horse vehicle and
connected it directly with a cranked rear axle, carrying two flywheels in
place of the regular road wheels. He is said to have made trials of this
vehicle at night in Vienna. If this was so he was apparently trying to
keep his plan secret and succeeded very well. Aside from general
references nothing of importance revealed itself concerning this vehicle
and Marcus' experiments with it, until very recently when interest in the
historic development of the automobile has stimulated anew investigation
into the endeavors of the early inventors.
In 1882 the motor work of Marcus was principally preparatory to his new
engine construction. It included experimenting with an Otto engine run
with petroleum and a vaporizer and electric ignition with magneto. In 1883
he constructed a closed or two-cycled motor and thereafter had engines
made in Budapest and elsewhere. One of these motors he put on wheels, but
this was abandoned for other ideas that came from his fertile mind.
CARL BENZ
Born, November 26, 1844, at Karlsruhe, Baden, Germany.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account