A Resume of Front Drive Motor Patents.*
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To the student of any engineering problem a great amount of information and instruction can be gathered from the Patent Office records. It is a source of information which is too often neglected, as in most cases a search of the riles will save a vast amount of work and expense upon the part of those who are interesting themselves, or propose to interest themselves, in any mechanical development. A knowledge of how not to do a thing is sometimes a long way towards finding out how to do it, mid certainly, in. this respect, any research into patents nearly always repays the trouble, as ideas are put upon record which, whaii. examined carefully, demonstrate their absolute impracticability. Take any form of machine you will, the Patent Office records reveal to us ideas which few would have been quite able to conceive, let alone put into cold type. Patent applications are to some, I think, a form of amusement, but nevertheless the ideas of the dreamer sometimes contain germs of practical utility, which we can, if we have patience to sift the " chaff from the wheat," turn to some useful account at some time or another.
The Patent Office records of front drives reveal to us a great variety of ideas, and emphasise the fact that a great amount of thought has been devoted to this system. It would be difficult, I think, after going through the specifications (there are over too), to suggest any new system of front-driving mechanism, i.e., as regards the disposition of the necessary parts. Every conceivable arrangement appears to have been thought of, but in most cases without any idea of practicability, or, what is most essential, the careful working out of details. When all is said and done, the broad idea is not the main point. All useful inventions rely more upon matters of detail than upon the broad principle, and in the majority of these patentspractical detail seems to have been left severely alone. There are two very distinct forms in connection with these patents, namely, vehicles which are arranged to steer on the turn-table or fifth wheel system, and those which are steered by means of swivelling axles,
It is, of course, difficult without drawings or diagrams to explain mechanical devices. I urn therefore afraid that, without sketches, the record is of little practical use, but may be of service to those who desire to thoroughly study the problems connected with front driving of motor vehicles. The front drive, in my opinion, after a leng series of tests, has so much to recommend it for certain purposes that it is bound in the near future to become a popular and prominent type of motor vehicle, and the list of patents which follows may, I hope, be considered as a useful compilation from an historical point of view, if it serves no other purpose.
Haddan, 'SM.—Tabor.
S95.--Brindley. 1896.--Lawson, Gauchon, Crowden, Thompson, Lacosle and Hunean, Carmont, Krieger, Pretot, Dutton, and Sydenham..
1897.—Ponsard, Krieger, Rianccy, Morris and Salmon, and Brightniore.
1898.—Carmont, Conti, Headland and others, Lawson, McMallin and mother, Morris and Salmon, and Greffe.
T899.—Kalsteine and Vollmer, Mobs, Ilall, Brat, Greffe, Heebner, Schnoor, Krieger, Hall, Goddard, Lathern, Conti, Newman and Strasson, Greffe, and Hall.
r9oo.—Hunt, Valentine, Freestone, Holt, Lawson, Croil, Latil, Riegel, Porsche, and Hoffirtann. too i.—Brightmore, Lake, ITunter, Thayer, Johnson, Yeaktey, and Crawford.
I902.—Westberg, Hunter, Rouleau, Hellman, Polak, Porsche and Lohner, Taylor, Bernhardt, 011agnier, and Buckingham.
9o3.—Carmont, Brightmore, Steinhauer, Spyker, Dranlette, M.archant, Hooper, Wright, Boulding, Hochegger, Hoare, Wehrle, Saunderson, and Ludlow. 9o4.—Christie, Leaman, Tribelhorn, Raworth, Hansen, and Spyker. 1g05.—Barker, Croil, Thompson, Von Koroknay, Parker, Clerget, Spyker, Krieger, and Daintier Motoren Gesellschaft, 1906.—Martin and Shepherd, Brightmare, Spyker, Mont gomery, Latil, Binney and Watkins, Hansen, Gosset-Tanner and Deane, and Pullcar and Baines. too7.—Lamplough, Shave and others, and T.amplough.
(The reading of the three papers (the first of which, by Dr. IL S. Hele.Shaw. was reprinted in our last issue) occupied the whole of the evening of the ))21n1 instant. The discussion was, therefore, adjourned to a date, of which the members win be notified by the secretary of the institution as soon as it is settled.—End