Explanation of Technical Terms
Accumulator - A secondary electrical battery, which undergoes a chemical change when subject to the passing of an electric current; the chemical change afterwards produces an electric current. Although accumulators are commonly said to be “charged,” they are not charged with electricity, but are in a condition to give out an electric current.
Ackerman’s axle - The axle usually used in motor cars for steering, in which each wheel turns on a joint close to its hub.
Ammeter - An electrical instrument for ascertaining the strength of an electric current. It consists of a magnetic needle surrounded by a few turns of stout wire, which will carry the whole of the current produced by the battery or dynamo. This is coupled up in series, with the coil, lamps, or any other circuit through which the current is passing. It must never be used to couple the two poles of an accumulator (as is done with a voltmeter), as the discharge through the low resistance of the stout wire would be too great for the cells.
Carburetter - The vessel in which the air becomes charged with petrol vapour and rendered combustible.
Condenser for Steam - In motor cars generally a series of tubes, with or without additional radiating surfaces exposed to the air, to condense the steam.
Condenser (Electric) - Sheets of a conducting material, such as tinfoil, insulated from one another by some material, such as paraffin waxed paper. The alternate layers of the tinfoil are connected together to form practically two large sheets of conducting surface. One of its uses is to draw off the extra spark or current in the primary of an induction coil, and by it the power of an induction coil is much increased.
Crypto Gear - A gear used in the Benz and other cars for slow speed.
Devil or Sprag - A pointed rod generally attached to the axle of a car to prevent the car running backward downhill.
Differential Gear - Sometimes called Jack-in-the-box, a device by which each driving wheel may revolve at a different speed from the other, as in going round corners. It consists generally of two bevel wheels - one attached to each driving wheel either on its axle or attached by the chain gear. The bevel wheels are coupled by a pinion or pinions, which pinion transmits the power to the bevel wheels, and simply acts as a driver. It does not revolve on its axis unless the car is running round a curve.
Dry Battery - A primary battery, in which the exciting fluid is replaced by a paste or jelly.
Fast and Loose Pulleys - Two pulleys - one fixed to a shaft, the other running free. By this means machinery can be stopped or started at will by shifting the driving belt from one to the other.
Horse-power - A term due to James Watt, and is equal to 33,000 foot-pounds.
Indicated Horse-power, generally expressed as I.H.P., is the total power given by an engine as read by an indicator.
Brake or Actual horse-power, generally expressed B.H.P., is the power given off by an engine on a friction brake or dynamometer. It is the power of the engine less the friction of the moving parts.
Induction. Coil - An electrical coil for producing the igniting spark in motor cars and gas engines.
Intermediate-shaft, as its name implies, is a shaft intermediate between the engine and the axle.
Jockey Pulley - A loose pulley generally attached to a lever, which, by being forced into contact with a belt, tightens the same and causes it to drive.
Live Axle - An axle that revolves. Railway carriage axles are live axles. Those in common road vehicles are not.
Panhard Gear - A change speed gear consisting of three or more pairs of spur wheels of different sizes; the wheels slide sideways into gear.
Sparking Plug - The insulating plug of non-conducting material which leads the platinum wire into the cylinder to fire the charge electrically.
Trembler - A vibrating spring which makes and breaks electrical contact to produce the secondary spark in an induction coil. It is generally worked by the induced magnetism in the soft iron core of the coil, but in the De Dion engine it is worked mechanically by a cam of peculiar construction.
Voltmeter - An electrical apparatus for showing the voltage of a battery or dynamo. Its main features are a magnetic needle surrounded by a coil of very fine wire of great length or of great resistance, the ends of which are coupled to the terminals of the accumulator, or other source of electricity. It only receives a very small portion of the current produced. It shows the electromotive force (generally expressed as E.M.F.) of the accumulator or dynamo.
Memoranda
Metre = 39.37in.
Kilometre = .62 mile or 1,093.5 yards.
Mile = 1.6 kilometre.
Horse-power 33,000 foot lbs.
Specific Gravity of Various Liquids
Gasoline .66
Petrol .68
Benzoline .70 to .72
Paraffin lamp oil .8 to .85
Water 1.0
Until 14th November, 1895 (Emancipation Day), it was illegal to run a locomotive on the highway above four miles per hour.
The Locomotives on Highways Act of 1896 permitted the use of light locomotives under certain regulations.
A speed of fourteen miles an hour as the maximum, reduced by Board of Trade to twelve miles per hour (ten miles hour in Scotland).
Each light locomotive must after one hour after sunset till one hour before sunrise carry at the extreme right-hand side a lamp showing a white light in the direction the locomotive is travelling and a red tail light.
The driver shall not quit the light locomotive without having taken due precautions against its being started in his absence or to allow it to cause any unnecessary obstruction on the highway.
The driver shall stop the light locomotive if required to do so by any person, in charge of a horse, holding up his hand, or when signalled to do so by a policeman.
The owner of a light locomotive weighing less than one ton must take out a £2 2s. [2010 £190] license for the same. If the weight exceed one ton the charge is £4 4s [2010 £380]. The weight is reckoned without water or fuel, or in the case of an electrical vehicle without the accumulators, and presumably tools and cushions would not be included in the weight.
The license for a motor tricycle is 15s.[2010 £68]. A reduction on these payments is allowed if the machine be only used after October 1st .
The 1896 Act permits the keeping and storing of petroleum, i.e. petrol and benzoline for private use and for the use of the light locomotive only, without a license if the quantity does not exceed sixty gallons, but it must be kept in metal vessels securely closed not exceeding a capacity of two gallons each.
The petroleum must not be handled or tanks filled by artificial light, unless such light is so arranged or protected that it shall not cause an explosion.