While exact dates are not easily obtainable, it is thought to be quite
within the bounds of reasonable accuracy to say that the motor truck
only began to be recognized as a practical vehicle for commercial
purposes in 1905.
Today motor vehicles, both pleasure and commercial, are such a common
sight in every city and town, and even throughout the rural districts,
that one can scarcely believe that they were a novelty such a little
time ago.
[Illustration: ONE OF THE EARLIEST GASOLINE TRUCKS]
The statistics show, however, that in 1906 the total registrations of
both pleasure and commercial vehicles, as reported by the various
states, was 48,000--about one month’s production today of one well-known
pleasure-car maker.
In 1915 the registrations totaled nearly 2,500,000, and every day has
added to the number.
It can be truthfully said that the pleasure car is the father of the
truck or commercial car.
The application of the internal combustion engine to the use of
propelling vehicles was the beginning of a new era in that world. The
idea, born, one might say, with the new century, has already done more
to revolutionize transportation than all of the inventions of all the
centuries that have gone before.
The automobile, first looked upon as a freak, then “a rich man’s
plaything,” has in a few years come to be recognized as a necessity,
and literally millions of people are employed in its production and
dependent on the industry for support.
To trace the ramifications of the industry back through the mills, mines
and factories that produce the iron, steel, copper, brass, zinc,
aluminum, lead, leather, lumber, glass, celluloid, etc., would make a
long and interesting story, but this chapter deals with the motor
vehicle as a commercial car or truck and the part it is playing in
transportation of the world’s goods.
While the first commercial vehicles to come into use were electrically
propelled, and while the electric truck has become a factor in the large
cities, the gasoline power vehicles are, as yet, the dominant factor.
[Illustration: A 1907 MODEL SIGHT-SEEING CAR]
At the first, business men were slow to take up the use of trucks for
delivery and hauling purposes and one of the specialties of early
factories was the making of “sight-seeing” cars which were sold to
enterprising individuals in cities and summer resorts for the purpose of
showing visitors the sights. These wagons became popular throughout the
country and are still being used in many places.
Little by little, however, progressive business men saw the advantages
to be gained by motor delivery and the motor truck began to gain favor.
Several of the pleasure-car manufacturers took advantage of the
awakening interest and added a commercial vehicle section to their
plants.
Others began to see visions of the day when horses would no longer be
used for other than strictly farm work, and motor-truck factories sprang
up here and there, even faster than pleasure-car plants.
Like the seed mentioned in the parable of the sower, some fell on good
ground and grew to produce a bountiful harvest, but many withered by the
wayside.
[Illustration: RELIANCE TRUCK--1908]
[Illustration: 1908 TRUCK MODEL]
[Illustration: RELIANCE TRUCK--1909]
[Illustration: 1909 TRUCK MODEL]
In the early days of the motor-truck industry men bought the finished
vehicle, but later on the practice of selling chassis only became
popular, and while today some manufacturers cater to the body trade, a
large percentage of trucks are sold to the purchaser without the body,
this being built by a local builder, the truck manufacturer furnishing a
body builder’s blue-print.
As in everything else, it has taken time to overcome the faults of the
early trucks. Most all trucks above 1,500 pounds capacity are equipped
with solid rubber tires, and while the solid rubber tires and the
springs on the trucks give a great deal of resiliency, it was discovered
that the steady pounding over all kinds of pavements soon racked a truck
to pieces and that pleasure-car practice could not be followed
successively in building motor trucks.
[Illustration: 5-TON TRUCK--1913-14]
In the earlier days truck buyers made many mistakes in selecting the
size or capacity of trucks. Some made the mistake of buying trucks too
light for their work. Others selected trucks large enough to provide for
exceptional or emergency loads, and would, for example, buy a truck of
3-1/2-tons capacity when 90 per cent of their hauling was loads not
exceeding 1-1/2 or 2 tons. Thus they not only had a greater investment
than necessary in the truck itself, but were paying an exclusive charge
in the way of operating costs and depreciation.
[Illustration: LATEST 3/4-TON MODEL]
[Illustration: SOME 3/4-TON TRUCKS OF THE LATEST MODEL]
[Illustration: A 1-1/2-TON TRUCK OF THE LATEST MODEL DUMPING]
[Illustration: A 1-1/2-TON TRUCK OF THE LATEST MODEL LOADING]
[Illustration: REAR END CONSTRUCTION OF A MODERN 5-TON TRUCK]
[Illustration: A 3-1/2-TON TRUCK OF THE LATEST MODEL IN ACTIVE SERVICE]
[Illustration: THE LATEST 3-1/2-TON TRUCK DOING DUTY]
But the experimental days have passed, both in the manufacture of motor
trucks and in their adaption to various lines of work. If the buyer has
not determined by experience and investigation the kind and capacity of
truck he should use, the older manufacturers are able to step in and
analyze the work to be done and to intelligently recommend to the buyer
what he should have.
That motor trucks not only furnish cheaper transportation than
horse-drawn vehicles, but greatly extend the radius of operation, is
quite generally conceded. This is shown by the enormous increase in the
demand for motor trucks in all lines of business where goods of any kind
are to be moved over any considerable distance.
[Illustration: CHASSIS OF THE LATEST MODEL 3-1/2-TON TRUCK]
With motor trucks, merchants have extended their deliveries to reach
territory they could not touch under the horse-delivery system.
Market gardeners, who must have their product in the city markets early
and have it fresh, can now sell their high-priced land adjoining the
cities and go miles back in the country where as good ground can be
bought for from one-tenth to one-fourth the price their suburban
property will bring--and still be closer to market with their motor
trucks than they were before with their horses.
Contractors can transport material long distances and save both time and
money. Dairymen collect milk over a radius of thirty or forty miles and
get it to market fresh. Freight and passenger lines are possible with
motor trucks where a steam railroad or trolley system would not be
practicable.
In short, the motor truck is revolutionizing transportation. As made
today by the leading manufacturers, it is simple, durable and easy to
operate and care for.
* * * * *
What is a Diving Bell?
Diving, aside from the pleasure afforded to good swimmers, is important
in many different industries, particularly in fishing for pearls,
corals, sponges, etc.
Without the aid of artificial appliances a skilful diver may remain
under water for two, or even three minutes; accounts of longer periods
are doubtful or absurd.
[Illustration: LONGITUDINAL SECTION OF HOPPER DREDGER, Employed on the
River Clyde
The Vessel steams to place of working and is moored by the Steam Winches
A A at bow and stern to buoys, the Bucket Ladder B is then lowered by
steam power, and thereafter Buckets set in motion by gearing C C. The
depth of water at which the Bucket Ladder dredges is regulated by the
Hoisting Shears and Chain Barrel D D, driven by shafting E E from the
Engines. The Buckets discharge the material by the shoot F into the
Hopper G. The dredged material is discharged by the doors of the Hopper
being opened by the Lifting Chains H H. These doors are hinged on to the
side of Vessel, and suspended at centre by the Lifting Chains, which are
connected to geared Crab Winches I I.]
[Illustration: SECTIONAL VIEW OF DIVING BELL AND BARGE, Employed on the
River Clyde
All the appliances are worked by steam, rendering manual labour
unnecessary. A is the Bell, which is raised and lowered by means of the
Chain and Steam Winch B. _c c_ are Seats within the Bell; _d d_,
Footboards. E, Air-pipe entering the Bell at _f_, the air being supplied
by Air-pump G driven by the Engine H. J is a Steam Crane for raising or
lowering material. K K, Steam Winches for working moorings and shifting
position of the barge.]
Various methods have been proposed and engines contrived to render
diving more safe and easy. The great object in all these is to furnish
the diver with fresh air, without which he must either make but a short
stay under water or perish.
Diving bells have been used very effectively. A diving bell is a
contrivance for the purpose of enabling persons to descend, and to
remain, below the surface of water for a length of time, to perform
various operations, such as examining the foundations of bridges,
blasting rocks, recovering treasure from sunken vessels, etc.
Diving bells have been made of various forms, more especially in that of
a bell or hollow truncated cone, with the smaller end closed, and the
larger one, which is placed lowermost, open.
The air contained within these vessels prevents them from being filled
with water on submersion, so that the diver may descend in them and
breathe freely for a long time provided he can be furnished with a new
supply of fresh air when the contained air becomes vitiated by
respiration. This is done by means of a flexible tube, through which air
is forced into the bell.
A form, called the “nautilus,” has been invented which enables the
occupants, and not the attendants above, to raise or sink the bell, move
it about at pleasure, or raise great weights with it and deposit them in
any desired spot.
How are Harbors Dredged Out?
There are several forms of mechanical, power-operated dredges. One of
the most common is the “clam-shell” dredge, consisting of a pair of
large, heavy iron jaws, hinged at the back, in general form resembling a
pair of huge clam shells. This with its attachments is called the
grapple. In operation it is lowered with open jaws, and by its own
weight digs into the ground that is to be excavated. Traction is then
made on the chains controlling the jaws, which close; the grapple is
hoisted to the surface and its contents discharged into scows alongside
the dredge.
The dipper dredge, an exclusively American type, has a bucket rigidly
attached to a projecting timber arm. In operation the bucket is lowered
and made to take a curving upward cut, thus dipping up the bottom
material, which is discharged through the hinged bottom of the bucket.
The pump or suction dredge operates by means of a flexible pipe
connected with a powerful centrifugal pump. The pipe is lowered into
contact with the bottom to be excavated and the material is pumped into
hopper barges or into a hopper-well in the dredge itself.
The center ladder bucket dredge operates by means of an endless chain of
buckets moving over an inclined plane, which in structure is a strong
iron ladder, one end of which is lowered to the sea bottom. The steel
buckets scoop up the material at the bottom of the ladder, which they
then ascend, and are discharged by becoming inverted at the upper end of
the ladder. This dredge is the only one found satisfactory in excavating
rock.
How is a Razor Blade Made?
The best scissors, penknives, razors and lancets are made of cast steel.
Table knives, plane irons and chisels of a very superior kind are made
of shear steel, while common steel is wrought up into ordinary cutlery.
In making razors, the workman, being furnished with a bar of cast steel,
forges his blade from it. After being brought into true shape by filing,
the blade is exposed to a cherry-red heat and instantly quenched in cold
water. The blade is then tempered by first brightening one side and then
heating it over a fire free from flame and smoke, until the bright
surface acquires a straw color (or it may be tempered differently). It
is again quenched, and is then ready for being ground and polished.