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.
TRICYCLES.
The first really practical tricycles were introduced in 1877. Previous to this, however, the old wooden [boneshaker] had sometimes been converted into a tricycle by substituting two trailing rear wheels on an axle instead of one wheel; the best example of this, of course, is in the little three-wheeled velocipede ridden by the small boy of the present day. This old style of tricycle, of course, did not need any teaching to learn the balance, but any acute grade, or any attempt to turn a corner rapidly caused it to upset, and as the Dublin and the Coventry were the first tricycles that were largely used they may therefore be considered as pioneer types of the modern bicycle.
WOLF-AMERICAN DUPLEX.
The Dublin was patented by W. B. Blood in November, 1876, and was for a long time made by Carey Brothers of Dublin; the Coventry was patented by the Starley brothers in the same year, who were afterward succeeded by the Coventry Tangent Company, who were in turn succeeded by Rudge & Co. The Coventry was first made as a lever machine, but before it went out of use the rotary action was fitted to it, so that to Mr. Blood must be given the credit for inventing the modern tricycle, although Starley was the first to adopt the bevel-gear principle to the tricycle, producing a gear which was well known as Starley’s Differential Balance Gear. This gear is one which enables both wheels of a double-driven tricycle to be driven equally, and yet one may go faster than the other in turning a corner. The first tricycle to which Mr. Starley attached it was a four-wheeler known as the Salvo-quadricycle, the fourth wheel being carried clear of the ground in front to prevent its tipping forward, and the steering was effected by the rear wheel.
This method of construction was soon reversed, the front wheel then being placed on the ground and doing the steering, and the tilting wheel being carried clear of the ground in the rear. This tilting wheel was gradually reduced in size until it became a mere roller, on the numerous loop-frame tricycles, of which the Salvo-quadricycle was the pioneer.