COMMUNICATIONS. "How Many Wheels?"

Albany, N. Y., Oct. 25.

Editor Horseless Age:

I have read with interest the several articles published in

your valuable journal in regard to three-wheeled vehicles. In

last week's issue I noted the comments of Messrs. Duryea and

Bramwell. The only advantage of the three-wheeled vehicles

is that one wheel is easier to steer than two wheels. The

single drive wheel, I think, is more of a disadvantage than an

advantage. For instance, if the rear drive wheel were in a

ditch and could not work its way out, the operator would be

stalled, but with two drive wheels one would not be in the

ditch, and would thus help to propel the vehicle.

As Mr. Bramwell says, a four-wheeler properly built has

its frame swiveled in the center of the front axle, and he

does not see any difference whether a wheel or a swivel is

employed at that point so far as stability is concerned.

Now this may all be true in going straight ahead, but if we

turn a sharp curve at a high speed the three-wheeler is

certainly more liable to upset than the four-wheeler, as the

extra wheel on the outside of the arc (which is formed when

the vehicle turns a curve) decreases the danger of upsetting,

and this is truer of a vehicle of a long wheel-base.

I believe a single steering wheel is superior for turning out

of ruts and car tracks, but on a country road the front wheel

does not track, but must run over all obstructions such as

snow, mud and stones that chance to be in the center of the

road. But with a four-wheeler when going straight ahead the

rear wheels follow the track of the steerers.

In my estimation a motor carriage should have four

wheels, the front wheels serving as steerers and all four wheels

as drivers. By this arrangement, if one pair of wheels are

ditched the other may not be. As. Mr. Bramwell says, custom

proves nothing to the designer of vehicles, but common sense

does.

Yours truly,

F. J. MILLER.

VOLUME X

of the HORSELESS AGE, bound with

or without advertisements, $3.

The Horseless Age,

Times Building, New York

NEW DIAMOND DEMOUNTABLE

Carrying extra tires inflated and ready to run, a new demountable rim has been
developed by the Diamond Rubber Company, of Akron. O. The rim has just
been placed on the market and will have a conspicuous place in the Diamond
products for 1910. In design and construction it is both simple and strong
and permits the removal of the damaged tire with the application of a fresh one,
pumped up and ready for running, in scarcely more time than is required to
jack up the wheel.

A notable improvement over the Diamond 1909 demountable equipment is the
fact that the rim can be fitted to any automobile wheel felloe of regulation
construction without material alteration of the same. No machine work is necessary
on the wheel band or elsewhere and any competent blacksmith can, the
Diamond Rubber Company states, do the job properly and inexpensively. A
further improvement eliminates the necessity of mortising out the felloe to
admit the valve stem of the inner tube. A series of wedges fitting between the
wheel band and the rim itself take up all possible play and make the fit tight
and secure. For the same reason small irregularities, due to dinging of rim or
band or other causes, cannot interfere with the rim's quick and easy operation.

The new Diamond demountable will accommodate any standard make of
regular clincher tire. The Diamond Company has spent much time and energy
in developing and testing this new product and the vigor with which the
rim is being pushed is plainly indicative of the company's own confidence therein.