THE GYROCAR 



Now we are prepared to understand the Brennan 

 gyroscope, which consists essentially of two such gyro- 

 stats as that shown in our diagram A, set into the frame 

 of the car on the axis D £, their wheels revolving in 

 opposite directions and their outer frames so linked 

 together that when one turns in one direction on its axis 

 D Ef the other must turn in the opposite direction. As 

 the sole object of having two of the gyroscopes is to 

 facilitate the going around curves, we may for the 

 moment neglect the second one, and consider the action 

 of only one of the pair. 



Our diagram 2, then, will represent one of Mr. Bren- 

 nan's gyroscopes in action. It is pivoted into the frame- 

 work of the car on the axis D E. If you examine it you 

 will see that it is essentially the Foucault gyrostat of 

 our other diagram, with the axis O A projected beyond 

 the frame to the point F. 



In practice, the frame BACis made to carry the field- 

 magnet of an electric motor for spinning the wheel. But 

 this in no wise affects the principles of action. Mr. 

 Brennan *s invention consists of the exceedingly ingenious 

 way in which he applies these principles ; and to under- 

 stand this we must follow our diagram closely. Looking 

 at it, you will see that the spindle O F carries two rollers 

 Ri and R2 which may come in contact under certain 

 circumstances with the curved segment marked Gi, 

 Gj, Gs, G4, which are strong segments of the car-frame 

 itself — the segments, indeed, upon which the force of 

 the gyroscope is expended in holding the car in equilib- 

 rium. It must be understood further that the roller 

 Ri is loosely fitted to the spindle O F and hence can 



[207] 



