The Washington times. [volume], February 13, 1915, HOME EDITION, Page 9, Image 9

About The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939

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THE WASHINGTON TIMES, SATURDAY; FEBRUARY 13, 1915.
LEADERS IN THE ELECTRIC VEHICLE FIELD
DETROIT ELECTRIC
Flo READY FIELD!
AND SOLD CHEAPER
ELECTRICS IMPROVED
Manufacturers of Cars Attain
Partial Standardization and
, More Co-operation. ,
,, ' i
i
Electric vchlil manufacturer, have
been working toward and have to a
fcrcat extent attained partial standard
isation of electric motor cars, follow
ing to some dcarce in the footsteps of
the pullders of gasolene cars.
rrhra hna twrnn marked Drocrcss made
by electric builders, and 1915 points
tmmirri si-enter nroductlon by Bome -'0
r rnt. morn ro-ooeratlon between
maker, aeaicr, ana user, iuwci- ii "
and a general betterment of the cars
themselves, with nothing radical In con
struction. In th main, the 1915 electric passen
ger cars are quieter, duo to the greater
use of worm drive, they are roomier be
cause of the tendency to larger bodies,
they are cheaper on the average be
cause of the Introduction of new low
priced vehicles, and they are finer W
appearance because of the general ten
dency to streamlining the bodies, tho
Influencing factor coming from the gas
olene car. . , . .
While the progress In design has not
been by any means radical the builders
of electric cars have endeavored to ao
mom fnr ! Henlpr nnd the owner by a
system of co-operation attained by or
ganization. The Electric Automobile
Manufacturers' Association, while It has
been In existence for many years, never
has been so active as It is at present.
In securing among makers and dealers
better co-operation and In preaching
better selling methods. This associa
tion has done much good work In the
Held in helping tne aeaicrs oecome
more familiar with ideal selling meth
ods, thereby ultimately gaining what all
Beek, a minimum of loss through sales
and service.
While this organization has been very,
active the local electric vehicle associa
tions have shown their extreme willing
ness to bring the electric vehicle Indus
try to a still higher standard and most
of these associations have kept the car
owner in mind as much as they have
their own Interests, since the car own
er's welfare means much to the dealer,
garageman, and all connected with the
industry.
The makers In the field during 1914
have turned out approximately 5,000
cars, and If present plans are adhered
to the coming year will see an Increase
of 1,000 vehicles over the 1914 flguro.
With this number on the list the aver
age per company will bo about 300 cars.
The list of manufacturers of electric
vehicle makers, while It changes from
year to year, shows a total in the neigh
borhood of twenty, each season seeing
the coming In of new concerns and tho
passing of older ones. The past five
years has witnessed production by
thirty-five makers, yet each year there
there was a falling off of old and a
proportionate addition by new makers,
until now about twenty remain.
Aside from the progress -in the busi
ness side of the industry, advancement
has been made in engineering lines and
the greater use of the worm, drive prob
ably comes In first place. There has
been an Increase of over BO per cent
in the number of cars using this type of
drive. For the first time spiral-bevel
gears have- come into use on electric
ears. Both worm and the spiral-bevel
have been adopted because of their
quiet operation as compared with the
straight bevel and quietness In Inclosed
electric cars is an asset The use of
worm drive also has resulted In Umtna
ttne near reductions between motor and
rear axle. The use of spiral bevel gears
probablv has been caused by the use of
,hl ivtin In ennolene nasseneer cars'.
Second In Importance to the method of
drive comes springing and for the first
time electric vehicle maKers nave con
nfdered the cantilever seriously, a sum
mary showing that four makers are us
ing this type. These are the Baker and
Buffalo, which use cantilevers in tho
rear only, and the newcomers. Mllburn
and Columblnn. which use cantilevers
both front and rear. Semlelllptlc front
nnd three-quarter elliptic rear Is the
usual construction, although practically
vcry type, such as elliptic and plat
form rear, are 'to be seen. One rather
unusual method of springing has been
Incorporated in the Woods cars. In this
the springs rest not upon the axles, but
upon radius rods and Instead of fasten
ing the springs outside the frame they
nr attached lnulde the channel.
Electric motor devejament for these
vehicles has tended toward greater ca
pacity to care for overloading ivd the
use of square-section wire on the arma
ture and ribbon for the fields is in
greater use than ever before. This con
struction allows of mort copper being
used and hence a more powerful motor,
without Increasing tho overall dimen
sions. These changes have helped to
make the electric more efficient in hlU
climbing.
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Emerson & Orme, Local Agents
For Car, Rank Among Fore
most Dealers.
MKJ1HM
ELECTRIC VEHICLE
BODY HERE GROWING
Seotion Organized Less Than
Year Ago, But Already Has
Grown Much.
Washington Firm Receives Con
signment of Motors With
Many improvements.
By HARRY WARD.
One of the newest business organisa
tions here is the Washington section
of the Electric Vehicle Association" of
America. It was organized March 12,
1914, in the offices of the Fotomac Elec
tric Power Company, and since then
has grown materially in membership
and in effectiveness.
The Washington Bectlon is a branch
of the parent organization which has
Its headquarters in New York, with sec
tions in various cities throughout the
country. The object of the association
is to advance the interest of users of
electric vehicles as well as those who
sell the machines and the various things
that go With electric automobiles.
The officers are E. S. Marlow, chair
man; R. Bruce Emerson, vice chair
man; c. M. Marsn, secretary-treasurer.
Executive committee-John J. Bartram. ,
chairman committee on papers and pro
gram; Joseph m. stodaara, cnairman
reception committee; Barry Mulligan,
chairman committee on statistics; John
A. Sterrett, chairman committee on
membership: James W. Orme, chairman
committee on publicity; K. T. Kalas,
chairman committee on traffic.
The Washington section meets month
ly and these meetings are marked by
the reading of interesting 'papers pre
tralnlng to the use of electric vehicles.
Social sessions are held from time to
time and the members are brought into
close personal touch through these soci
al affairs.' Efforts are now being' made
to bing the annual 'meeting of the par
ent organization to wis city. The meet
ing will be held In tho fall and Wash
ington stands an excellent chance of
lanatng tne convention.
Remove Tires and Clean
And Graphite the Rims
In winter and in rainy seasons it Is
a good plan to remove the tires and
clean and graphite the rims or use a
preparation containing this material.
Mix oil and powdered graphite together,
making a very thick paste. Next clean
the rims, smoothing up any rough places
that may exist, and apply the graphite
freely. Rub off with a cloth, which will
Impart a bright finish, leaving a sur
face that will resist the action of water
or moisture, and which will make chang
ing tires an easy matter.
An ounce of powdered graphite used
between the shoe and tube will prevent
the tube from sticking and eliminate
frlctional blowouts. .
Edison Expert Here
On Government Work
Dr. M. It Hutchinson, Thomas A.
Edison's chief engineer and personal
representative, has been making weekly
trips to Washington, for the past
eighteen months, as he Is directly in
charge of all the Government storage
battery business -of the Edison Storage
Battery Company.
Because, of the rapidly increasing stor-
Weird "Remedy" Found
In War for Cold Engine
A weird "remedy" for a cold engine,
which developed a kind of bronchitis
cough every time It was started In cold
weather. Is reported from the European
battlefields.
A chauffeur, whose engine was of that
type, discovered that If he held the Bole
of his heavy shoe against tho end of
the exhaust pipe he not only warmed
but exerted such an amount
t. Btlla 0 ft 4
ae "ry uu.uic.. n nu . of- ..- presflUrr.. as to heat up the
Washington, Dr. Hutchinson has taken I nEin. ln rpCOrd time. He calls his ac
tion "Retting her excited" which ex
oresston has traveled tho length and
One of Washlngton'8ploneer automo
bile concerns Is the Cook to Stoddard
Company, which handles the Baker elec
tric and Cadillac gasolene car. For 1915
the company Is showing the full Baker
line, which consists of four chassis with
the leader, a four-passenger coupe,
wlilph htm ilthor whfwl or Ip.ver starr
ing. The main feature of this coupe, it
is stated, 1b that It Is of lighter con
Htructlon as compared with many elec
trics of the coupe form. This lightness
of weight Is said to have been brought
about by a simpler chasslB construction,
though strength has not been sacrificed.
Cantilever rear springs and seml-elllp-tlc
fronts support the presscd-steel
fiamo, which has a klck-up at the rear
lo give clearance over the rear axle.
Thoro are two sets of Internal expand
ing brakes on the rear wheels, operated
independently by two pedals. An auto
matic circuit breaker cuts off the cur
rent when tho emergency brake la ap
plied.
Optional tiro equipment makes pos
sible the use of either cushion tirs of
31 by 4 or special electric pneumatloa,
32 by 4.
The seating arrangement Is unique In
that tho frunt scats are constructed to
fold back Into recesses in the front of
the body, making the car a commodious
two-passenger type at will.
Tho new Baker has a graceful exte
rior due to the lowering of the body and
the long wheelbasc. The curves are full
and sweeping. Body panels are of
aluminum and sashless windows are
used throughout. The door windows
are operated by mechanical means with
lcer control.
Featuring the Detroit electric the firm
of Emerson & Ormo Is meeting with
much success In the sale of cars. The
firm was organized some years ago, and
is numbered among tho most successful
In the electric field.
The .1915 Detroit electric offering Is
six-body types, four of which are
broughams and one a cabriolet mount
ed on a chassis of 100 Inches wheel
base, and the sixth, a small brougham,
is fitted to a chassis with M-lnch
wheclbase. All of the models on the
longer wheelbase have worm drive with
the worm underneath tho wheel, and
their batteries are slightly larger than
that of the shorter model which Is fitted
with a helical bevel gear rear axle.
Battery capacity has been enlarged by
increasing the plates from thirteen to
fifteen. The number tf cells has not
been altered. The 100-Inch wheelbase
cars have forty-two cells and the 94
inch car forty cells.
A feature of importance Is the metal
compartment ahead of the motor and
accessible to a trap door In the floor,
In which Is mounted the controller
mechanism brake, Klaxet horn, ammeter
shunt and throw-over switch. The horn
replaces a bell signal, and the throw-
over switch Is used to change the light
Ing connections from one half of the bat
tery to the other. For additional protec
tion the controller has an extra cover
of its own which can be removed by
loosening two clips. To remove the con
troller from the car it is only necessary
to disconnect the cables and loosen three
screws.
Steering continues to be by a hori
zontal lever mounted parallel with the
control lever, the latter being operated
by the left hand. Three separate sets
of brakes are provided, operating inde
pendently. The two sots of foot brakes,
on the rear hubs, are of the internal ex
panding type, 16xU4 inches. Between tho
two foot brake pedals Is a third pedal.
Pressure on this applies both rear hub
brakes, locks them and automatically
cuts off the power. The hand brake
operates on the motor and Is applied by
nacKwara movement oi tne controller
Buys a Cadillac.
Tho Cook is Stoddard Co. reports the
sale of an eight-cylinder, seven pas
senger Cadillac touring car to A. M.
Flshel. i
over the District of Columbia business
of the Edison Storage Battery Com
pany, has placed the service station ln
charge of one of their most competent
Inspectors, A. S. Major, and has ap
pointed E. W. Mollohan local manager.
The wonderful strides made by the
Edison storage battery Is a source of
much gratification to Mr. Edison, and is
Justifying his belief that the American
public Is perfectly willing to pay a
higher Initial cost for a battery that
will give constant, satisfactory service,
at an exceedingly low upkeep cost, and
which Is guaranteed to show full rated
capacity at all times during and at the
end of four years og constant service.
Harry DeGroat Here.
Harry DeGroat, manager of the Stude-
baker branch ln Philadelphia, was In
Washington yesterday visiting Col. V. I
u. uong, or tne commercial Automobile
and Supply Company.
Doering a Visitor.
H. H, Doering, manager of the R&uch 1
& Lang branch in Philadelphia was in
.Washington this week visiting J. J.
Bartram, the Rauch & Lang agent here.
cHiltli oi tho British Hues and reached
the ears of the "home folks."
Kentucky Tests Operators.
Under a new State law chauffeurs and
automobile demonstrators In Kentucky
are being examined as to their fitness
to operate motor cars.
Altoona Cyclists Hold
Motorbob Contests
A new sport has been inaugurated in
Altoona, Pa. motorbot, contests. A
number of riders who have converted
their motorcycles Into motor sleds have
bc-n staclDg some very exciting competitions.
lever. The brakes cannot be released
until the control lever Is returned to
neutral. A Yale locking device Is also
provided.
In the duplex control models the Inter
locking cutout feature also prevents
starting the car from cither driving po
sition unless the pedals are in position
to operate from that scat. In these
models there are two sets of steering
and control levers and two sets of
brakes. The operation of shifting nedals
from one driving position to the other
has been simplified. This Is accom
plished by pushing forward the Mna.ll
lever at the side of the front masthead,
which releases the brake pedals fto that
thev can be rnishcd with the foot flush
to the tocboards. This automatically
relocks the pedals which have been
pushed down and raises the other set of
pedtls to the operating position.
The motor is series-wound, and Is said
to have high torque and low Internal
rslRtnnee. It is held on the under side
of the supporting rails by large steel
bolts, and may be readily lowered to
the ground.
"
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ranira
Xjoodf
chains
'ON EACH
REAR
TIRE
'.
Better
CHAINS
ON EACH
REAR
ONE FRONT
T RF V
Vk' - -
CHAINS
ON ALL
FOUR
TIRES
WEED CHAINS on the front ttres
pick the easiest way in the hardest
going and prevent the front wheel skid-'
the most dreaded of all skids as it is
the hardest to counteract by manipula
tion of the steering wheel.
JW or All tires 6y dealers everywhere
Weed ChamTire unp CoJrifart,faJ
Also manufacturers (f
, Tire Chains and Lyon Grips especially
constructed forSindle and Dual Solid I
TruckTires-Motorcydeiire Chains &&
a
"Exide" Battery Depot
for
Expert Battery Service
The Electric Storage Battery Company
Manufacturer of the
Famous "Exide" Batteries
"Exide" "Ironclad-Exide" "Hycap-Exide" "Thin-Exide"
The Standard Batteries
for
Electric Passenger Cars and Delivery Trucks
x In Order To Provide
The Best Battery Service For Washington Auto Owners
Has Opened a
Completely Equipped "Exide" Battery Depot
1828 "L" Street N. W.
The Electric Storage Battery Co.
Baker
Clecteics
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rss
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What are the advantages of the
New Light Baker Electric Coupe?
No Effort to Steer
High Speed
Long Mileage
Security in Traffic
Low Cost of Upkeep
Strength Without Weight
Meets 98 of All Demand
Disappearing Front Seats
Unusual Riding Comfort
Light, Graceful Exterior
Exquisite Interior
Advanced Equipment
A Style Vehicle
The Cook & Stoddard Co.
,0
KM
Tel Nirth 7810
113840 Ctnn. Ave.
m
For Shopping
For Srhall Families
For Business Men
This Ohio Electric comfortable, luxurious,
light carries five passengers when necessary
A wonderfully distinctive car, with body and fenders ham
mered by hand from aluminum. . Note the graceful undulations
of the perfect stream-line body.
Appeals especially to electric-car buyers whose require
ments do not necessitate the use of a larger car; and' to business
men who appreciate luxury, beauty, ease and cleanliness with
out the expensive upkeep or unwieldiness of an enclosed gas
car.
Exclusive Ohio magnetic control and magnetic brake
simple, efficient and proven by six years of constant service.
Unquestionably the most popular 19 15 model of any type.
OHIO SERVICE FOR OHIO OWNERS
POTOMAC MOTOR CAR COMPANY
ARTHUR FORAKER, Manager
1226 Connecticut Avenue - - - Washington, D. C.
Telephone North 2000
OHIO
Magnetic Conbol
Tb Envied
ELECTRIC