Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 92.djvu/446

 430 Popular Science Monthly

New Farm Tractor Driven by Honey of Grapes — An Attractive

All Four Wheels Sounding Substitute for Sugar

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��Bowles, an inventor of Seelyville, Ind., has produced a farm tractor which is very hard to mire even in the softest kind of ground. It applies the all-wheel drive and steer of the French tractors, which haul artillery. The vehicle has four wheels, two at the front and two in the rear in the conven- tional arrangement. Each wheel receives some of the propelling power delivered by the gasoline-engine. If the two front wheels are mired in a soft spot and begin to spin because of lost traction, the rear wheels, if they are on solid ground, can pull the vehicle through.

Each wheel is car- ried on a universal joint, so that all four wheels aid in the steering. In turning a corner, the rear wheels track with the front ones, thus reducing the turning radius and making it simple to turn furrow corners without loss of time.

Although, as we have said, the all- wheel drive and steer is applied in all French military tractors, Mr. Bowles assures us that he has been working on his invention for thirty years. Even well-informed tech- nical men tried to discourage him, arguing "It can't be done. " But Mr. Bowles did it.

���The all-wheel drive illustrated, makes it exceedingly difficult to mire the tractor even in the softest ground

��/Wheel carrier

���with cleats Each Wheel Receives Some Propelling Power

Tliis unu.'-ii.il traitor is fnur-wlicc! (lri\<Mi ami steered, that is, each wheel receives some of the drivinv; power to I)iish the vehi< le aloiiR and also aids in the steerinc The power is siipijlied to each wheel from the enuihe, above the frame at one end, by means of a cen«ral, lonniliidinal shaft riinninvj from the front to the rear axle. The drive is throuKh a bevel near and differential at each end. ICacli difTerenlial has universal joints on its opposite sides. These are connected with the center of each wheel, so that it may turn for steerinu. Rach joint is h'-ld in itj proer position with the frame by m<Mns ol a hinKcd knuckle joint and the wheels arc held perpendicular to the joints ;it any angle by pipe carriers which run over the tops as shown in the diagrain.

��IT would seem that almost every fruit but the lemon has been considered as a sweetener since the sugar shortage has become a problem. But few substitutes have been even usable.

The question of obtaining sweetening substances from plants and fruits has naturally been studied by scientists. The Italian Government, through its experiment station at Asti, has been ex- perimenting with Honey of Grapes which is produced by a special process and a patented apparatus, discovered by a

Professor Monti.

The sub- stance is a grape sugar resembling honey. It is obtained through evaporation, andasit con- tains no water, it does not change in quality even if conserved for a long period. This is a great ad- vantage over other sugars. It is especially useful in the preparation of jellies and preserved fruits as well as in the manufacture of fruit sirups for non- alcoholic beverages. At Asti, only a small model of Prof. Monti's ap- paratus is em- ployed, but a con- centration of fifty- five per cent is ob- tained from grape liquor, which at the beginning has only sixteen per cent of sugar in solution.

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