MULTICYCLES.
Triplets are made by the makers of the Dayton, World, Andrae, Tribune, Stearns and [Wolff-American]. The last named is shown in a cut, and when exhibited at the 1897 Cycle Show it attracted a great deal of attention, and was pronounced by the mechanical sharps to be one of the handsomest triplets ever shown. In its present construction it embodies all the features that have been heretofore described in their single and tandem construction. The Tribune triplet has a double top tube, and the immediate sprockets have 18 teeth in order to relieve the chain from unnecessary strain. The crank-hangers are dropped 1½ inches below the line of the wheel axles. The track racing model weighs only about 58 pounds, the wheel base being 86 inches. Cost, $200.
The World triplet has an extra lower main tube running form the head to the first diagonal, and has three lower main chords, the tubes one above the other, and between the first two of which the crank-hanger bearings are carried. These chords, after leaving the last diagonal stay, taper off to meet the rear braces and rear axle, thus giving this triplet three rear forks.
THE “ORITEN.”
The makers of the Orient (who, by the way, make a greater variety of multicycles than any other American maker) make a triplet which has all the details of construction that are embodied in their tandems already described; hence any further description is unnecessary here, save to say that it is a single steerer. The Andrae triplet has eccentric adjustments throughout, and the chains are respectively 3⁄16, ¼ and 5⁄16 in. of a special pattern. It is fitted with 2 in. Morgan & Wright tires, and has a 2 in. drop in the crank-hanger, and its price is $200. The Dayton triplet costs $250, and is built on the same lines as their single steering tandem already described. The Dayton “quad” is also of the same construction, and costs $400. The World “quad” is listed at $350, and is of the same construction as their triplet already described. The wheel base, however, is 9 ft. 3 in. The makers of the Orient, in addition to the tandems and triplets already described, make a “quad,” a “quint,” a “sex” and a “septuplet.” None of these, however, differ very largely, excepting in their seating capacity, from their triplet already described.
ANDRAE TANDEM.
At the 1896 cycle show held in New York a sextet shown by the Stearns people attracted a great amount of attention, and the big “yellow fellow” was easily the feature of the show. Since that time they have produced a [septuplet], an excellent illustration of which is shown herewith. An alternative construction on the Orient multicycles of the larger sizes is to place the rear rider on a saddle overhung just back of the vertical line above the rear axle; this rear rider pedals on an independent axle within the rear hub and drives forward, by a separate chain on the left, to the crank-hanger sprocket next forward of him; the power of all the riders is carried to the large sprocket on this cramp axle and then back, on the right hand side, to the small driver sprocket on the rear wheel. The object of this is to keep the wheel base a little shorter, the method being also employed on the multicycles made by Berlo.
On account of its great length the [Oriten] is not adapted to a speed trial on any but a straightaway course, and as the proper conditions for a test could not be had the real capacity of it is not fully known, but accurate estimates of the road trials already made indicate a possible speed of 1.25 for one mile, with probably a lower average per mile on a suitable course, which, allowing for stopping and starting should be from six to eight miles in length. The Oriten has a carrying capacity of 2,500 pounds; it weighs 305 pounds, its length over all being 23 feet 9 inches, the wheels being 30 inches in diameter; its largest sprocket is 16 inches in diameter, and the smallest 6 inches; both tires are 2 inches in diameter, and it is geared to 120 inches.