Page:Motors and motor-driving (1902).djvu/334

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302
MOTORS AND MOTOR-DRIVING

the motors, and grouping the parts of the motors as required, surrounds the vertical steering pillar.

Fig. 12 shows the running gear of one of the City and Suburban Electric Carriage Company's electric vehicles. Two series motors mounted on the fixed rear axle drive by pinions on to gear rings secured to the spokes of the wheels. This Company has adopted a system of trading by which for an annual payment of 186l. a purchaser of any vehicle can have it kept practically new for an indefinite period.

In accordance with the practice that has been observe d in treating of other types of automobile vehicles, it is proposed to give a short description of the ills and misfortunes to which electromobiles are subject, together with some very cursory directions for detecting them and effecting their cure. To begin with, however, it may be observed that an electromobile is much less liable to disarrangement of its functions than almost any other type of automobile. When the car is finished and provided with properly designed and geared electromotors, and furnished with an adequate battery and properly constructed controller and connections, it very rarely happens that anything gets out of order, and practically mishaps can only occur when a heavy electric vehicle is being forced up a steep, hill either through heavy mud or at irrational speed. There is no doubt whatever that the trustworthiness of an electromobile is one of its most attractive characteristics, and that it comes nearer to being a 'fool proof' vehicle than any other type of automobile.

If anything goes wrong with an electromobile it is well-nigh bound to be something happening either to:

The electric motors

The battery

The controller, or

The connections.

Of course, in addition to these things, gears may get out of order, tyres may puncture or come off, axles may break; but such misfortunes are common to all cars, and it is not proposed