TWO=WHEELED CARS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 806, 2 May 1910, Page 2

TWO=WHEELED CARS.

THE GYROSCOPE FOR THE MOTOR. INTERVIEW WITH INVENTOH. Mr. Louis Brennan has been engaged ill perfecting gyroscopic mechanism, and has l introduced the mono-rail into railway construction. Until lately it was scarcely imagined that the system could ever bef adapted to the ordinary motor-car; that in the near future we might see the motor, like tho bicycle, running on two wheels instead of four, and that in consequence tho danger arising from sudden swerves and lurches might bo avoided. Mr. Brennan has explained his system to a representative of The "Daily; News."

"I see no reason," said Mr. Brenran, "why the gyroscopic principle should not be adapted to motor-car construction iw' fact, it lends itself. pre-eminently to it. Instead of being more dangerons it would render motor traffic safer, and the motor would not bo so liable to give the huge lurches on uneven ground which often end in upsetting the car and injuring or killing the driver. The gyroscopic principle does away entirely with all la* teral oscillation.*" • •

If the principle were adopted," thai representative asked, "would it be harder or easier to drive and steer a car than it is at present?" ,'Would be much easier," answered Mr. Brennan, "and motor driving woula be a much simpler business altogether than it is at present. The. gyroscopio systf m works automatically, and recroires 110 oalancing on the part of the driver: moreover, the car wonM yield more easily the' steering geaT. , "The one drawback at the moment" h* continued, "is the fact that under tho gyroscopic system there wonld, of course, be additional weight upon the wheels, and tho question is, can-tyres bo made strong enough to bear it? However, a double or twin-tyre, such as'-is emi P l ?y e d on some buses and heavy motors, 1 toiwit . be employed, and . - thia kite away , from the difficulty. The speed which might bo attained by the adoption of this system would he beyond anything reached at present by the fastest racing car; it would, in other words, be a similar'difference to that between the bicycle and tricycle, and in the case of a gyroscopio railway such as I contemplate, I can confidently say that we could attain .to double the speed of the-most rapid extrain in Europe or America. < rWouttl your system lend itself equally to steam or electric traction?" "In the -experiments • which I hav* made," said Mr. Brennan, "I have employed a petrol motor, but steam could bo usea equally well.. Of course, with the advance of electric traction in every part of the world, it is only natural that" I should look to electricity as being the most probable power to be adopted in the gyroscopic system of traction .in the future; in countries such as Switzerland, where the uso of electricity ..is almost universal, that would no doubt be the power employed, and so - far as my experiments have gone I believe that the gyroscopic systen; would serve equally for hilly as for Hat countries. 'Where the mono-rail scores' over th« two-rail system," continued Sir. Brennan, "is in the cheapness and simplicity oi its construction. It- is adaptable botii for heavy or light traffic; the work of levelling down a track is not nearly sogreat, and though tho rolling-stock wouldcost a little more, the wear. and-tear 13 much less. Take, for example, a country district where transit is urgently"needed, but- where the expense of constructing the present double-rail system would not make it pay;' that is where ■ the monorail system reaps tho .■advantage."'' Asked if he contemplated -adapting the gyroscopic, system to aeroplanes, Mr. Brennan replied: "That is a-branch-of tho subject which I have -not gone fully into yet. At present all my ; experiments have basn conducted on, terra firma; but until 'I. have g'ot. my. system adopted for actual .work I do. not propose to. .taoklo che, question of" the gyroscope for aerial navigation." '" ■ ' • .y-n-