Charles Vernon Boys

“ The urgent necessity for a good meter has called such a host of inventors into the field that a complete account of their labors is more than any one could hope to give in an hour. Since I am one of this host, I hardly like to pick out those inventions which I consider of value. ”

“ Sociable machines are both front-steering and rear-steering. Rear-steerers with each rider driving the wheel on his side only are nearly as objectionable as the single-driving rear-steerer. Front-steering sociables with dif ferential gear are safe and comfortable; but all sociables are slow machines. For nearly every make of single tricycle there is a corresponding tandem. The Coventry rotary in the tandem form suffers more from the single-side driving than in the single form, the rear-steering machines not so much, owing to the greater weight which the steering wheel has to bear. ”

“ I shall at once explain what I mean by the term "meter," and I shall take the flow of water in a trough as an illustration of my meaning. If we hang in a trough a weighted board, then, when the water flows past it, the board will be pushed back; when the current of water is strong, the board will be pushed back a long way; when the current is less, it will not be pushed so far; when the water runs the other way, the board will be pushed the other way. So, by observing the position of the board, we can tell how strong the current of water is at any time. ”

“ The differential gear is an essential feature of the modern tricycle.
In 1878 Messrs Doubleday and Humber patented the Humber machine, which is both driven and steered by the two front wheels, the rider being seated on a trailing backbone and hind wheel as in the bicycle. This machine requires skill to manage: the steering is at first difficult to control and a spill over the handles is quite possible; under a skilful rider, however, the Humber is generally recognized as one of the fastest machines. ”

“ If instead of a weight we use electro-magnetic force to control the vibrations of a body, then twice the current produces four times the force; four times the force produces twice the rate; three times the current produces nine times the force; nine times the force produces three times the rate, and so on: or the rate is directly proportional to the current strength. There is on the table a working meter made on this principle. ”

“ The Humber is less sen sitive in the steering, owing to the greater moment of inertia of the frame and the front rider. The front-steerer cannot be made safer, but an excellent tandem is formed by placing the rear-rider on a trailing tail as in the Humber. Tandems have an advantage over sociables and perhaps over single tricycles in the matter of speed; they are, however, not quite so safe, and their appearance alone prevents many from riding them. Many sociables and tandems are convertible into single machines with but little trouble. ”

“ The instrument is on the table, but, as it is far too small to be seen at a distance, I have arranged a large model to illustrate its action. The object of this machine is to measure how much work an engine has done during any time, and show the result on a dial, so that a workman may read it off at once without having to make any calculations.Fig. 4.Before I can explain how work is measured, perhaps I had better say a few words about the meaning of the word "work." Work is done when pressure overcomes resistance, producing motion. Neither motion nor pressure alone is work. ”

“ It is steered by a cross handle, like the bicycle, and this method of steering, in spite of the fact that it boxes the rider into the machine, is becoming very general in front steerers in place of the rack and pinion steering hitherto in use. The Cripper is a very popular example. The brake is an important feature in roadster tricycles. It is always made to act on the box of the differential gear where that is used ”

“ Edison have adopted this method; but, as it is impossible to allow the whole of a strong current to pass through a liquid, the current is divided; a small proportion only is allowed to pass through. Provided that the proportion does not vary, and that the metal never has any motions on its own account, the increase in the weight of one of the metal plates measures the quantity of electricity.
The next method depends on the use of some sort of integrating machine, and this, being the most obvious method, has been attempted by a large number of inventors. ”

“ I will now put more pressure on my finger, more work is being done, the index is moving faster; whether I increase the speed or the resistance, the index turns faster; its rate of motion measures the power, and the distance it has moved, or the number of turns, measures the work done. ”

“ Coventry chair " is a kind of bath chair driven as a tricycle by a rider behind. When invalids have overcome a certain prejudice as to the danger of this kind of vehicle, it will no doubt be more generally used. ”

“ This is what the engine-power meter does, and it shows the continuously growing result on a dial. When the piston moves, it drags the cylinder along; where the steam presses, the wheel is inclined. Neither action alone causes the cylinder to turn, but when they occur together the cylinder turns, and the number of turns registered on a dial shows with mathematical accuracy how much work has been done.
In the steam-engine work is done in an alternating manner, and it so happens that this alternating action exactly suits the integrator. ”

“ So long as the current continues, so long must the hands on the dial turn in one direction. This effect is obtained in the instrument now on the table, the electric energy meter, in this way: Clock-work causes the cylinder to travel backward and forward by means of what is called a mangle-motion, but, instead of moving always in contact with one wheel, the cylinder goes forward in contact with one and back in contact with another on its opposite side. ”

“ The necessity for such mechan ism has been avoided by making the wheel axle also the treadle axle; but great instability is the result.
Machines in which the arms instead of the legs supply the power are maile, and are of immense service to those who have lost the use of their legs. ”

“ I now turn the handle quickly, and lightly touch the driven wheel with my finger. The resistance, small though it is, has to be overcome; a minute amount of work is being done, the index creeps around gently. ”

“ By means of these it is possible to change the gear of the machine so as to have a high gear under favourable conditions and a low gear when mud, wind, or an ascent make travelling difficult. Although chain gearing is used in nearly every machine made, connecting rods, wheels, or bands are fitted instead to some machines. ”

“ The India-rubber is traveling faster on the tight side than on the loose side, nearly twice as fast; this must be so, for, as there is less material on the tight side than on the loose, there would be a gradual accumulation of the India-rubber round the driven pulley, if they traveled at the same speed; since there is no accumulation, the tight side must travel the fastest. ”

“ The first, which has been used in every laboratory ever since electricity has been understood, is the chemical method. When electricity passes through a salt solution, it carries metal with it. and deposits it on the plate by which the electricity leaves the liquid. The amount of metal deposited is a measure of the quantity of electricity. ”

“ Again, when a body vibrates under the influence of a controlling force, as a pendulum under the influence of gravity, four times as much force is necessary to make it vibrate twice as fast, and nine times to make it vibrate three times as fast ”

“ The two factors, pressure and motion, must occur together. The work done is found by multiplying the pressure by the distance moved. In an engine, steam pushes the piston first one way then the other, overcomes resistance, and does work. ”

“ One stick is going at exactly twice the pace of the other. To make one go three times as fast, it is obviously useless to put on three pounds, for it takes four to make it go twice as fast. I will hang on nine pounds. One now goes exactly three times as fast as the other. ”