The Popular Science Monthly, September, 1900: Vol. 57, May, 1900 to October, 1900Various
Science
The Popular Science Monthly, September, 1900: Vol. 57, May, 1900 to October, 1900
Various
Science -- Periodicals; Technology -- Periodicals
[Illustration: FIG. 15. JENATZY DOG-PHAETON.]
American manufacturers of electric vehicles, at least the great
majority of them, resort to spur-gearing to transmit the motion of the
motor to the driving wheels, but with the French designers the chain
and sprocket appears to be in great favor. Fig. 15 shows a Jenatzy
vehicle (French), in which the chain is used. This construction would
not be received with favor by Americans, who as a rule desire to
have the mechanical part of the apparatus hidden from view as much
as possible. In the Jenatzy vehicle two chain gears are used, one on
each side of the body, and from the engineering point of view this
is the most desirable arrangement, as with it the driving wheels are
independently operated and a compensating gear need not be placed
upon the axle. The American designer, however, would in most cases be
controlled more by the artistic appearance and would use a single chain
which would be placed under the body of the carriage, and thus as much
out of sight as possible.
Fig. 16 shows an English design of electric dog cart. The mechanism
consists of a single motor which is connected with the axle by means of
spur gearing, this being so arranged that several different speeds can
be obtained for the vehicle with the same velocity for the motor. To
obtain variable speeds by means of gearing it is necessary to introduce
a considerable amount of complication, and in this country the opinion
of most designers appears to be that the gain effected thereby is
not sufficient to compensate for the increased complication, and
differential speed gearing is not often used.
[Illustration: FIG. 16. THE ELECTRIC MOTIVE POWER COMPANY’S DOG CART.]
A comparison of Figs. 14 and 16 with 6 and 9 will clearly show that in
so far as artistic effect is concerned, our manufacturers of electric
vehicles have little to learn from Europeans, although the industry
here is much younger than abroad. As to the operative merits, all that
can be said is that the American carriages run so well and possess such
endurance that it is probable that they are not second to any in these
respects.
THE HUMAN BODY AS AN ENGINE.
BY PROFESSOR E. B. ROSA.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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