THE USES OF WOOD 



847 



a single wood exceeds all others combined. For vehicles 

 oak and hickory are fairly evenly matched in quantity, 

 but hickory is the leader. Its place is in light vehicles 

 like carriages, buggies, carts, and racing sulkies where 

 elasticity or resiliency is highly essential. Oak goes more 

 into heavy wagons where elasticity is not of first con- 

 sideration but strength is accorded the leading place. The 



that each will be equal to the duty assigned it. Averages 

 have been worked out by elaborate tests ; and dimension 

 stock is cut in sizes which will assure sufficient strength. 

 Most large vehicle factories maintain testing apparatus 



WATER WAGON WITH WOODEN TANK 



This vehicle, serviceable for the purpose intended, represents a rather 

 unusual use for wood in wagon making. The work must be well put 

 together or the joints will leak as the result of jolting over rough roads. 

 The tank here shown was manufactured at York, Pennsylvania, by the 

 A. B. Farquhar Company. The tank's capacity is ten barrels. 



two woods, oak and hickory, are dissimilar in many of 

 their qualities. 



The average strength of hickory is about thirty-three 

 per cent greater than that of oak, when both are well 

 seasoned, but the strongest oaks are not below medium 

 hickory in strength. Hickory is the tougher wood, and 

 in point of 

 e 1 a s ticity, or 

 the ability to 

 spring back 

 when bent, it 

 averages about 

 fifteen per cent 

 superior to 

 oak. 



Every kind 

 of wood varies 

 greatly in 

 strength and 

 elasticity when 

 one sample is 

 compared with 

 another, and 

 hickory and 

 oak are no ex- 

 ceptions. For 

 that reason it 

 is necessary to 

 select these 

 woods careful- 

 ly for vehicles, 

 to make sure 



WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN IN A RUNAWAY 



Manufacturers of buggies put the shafts to the severest tests to determine strength and toughness, and 

 to discover defects. Only those which come through the ordeal unmarred are considered suitable for 

 high-class vehicles. The accompanying illustration shows some of the defects which may be discovered 

 by tests. The unfits are, of course, rejected. 



A RELIC OF OLDEN DAYS 



The body of an overland freight wagon that crossed the plains of the 

 far west before the first railroad was built west of the Mississippi 

 River. The exterior wooden braces and the stay chains across the bed 

 give additional strength and increase efficiency on rugged roads. Such 

 a bed held enough merchandise for a four or six horse load. 



of their own; and the government laboratory at Madison, 

 Wisconsin, has gone thoroughly into the matter of vehi- 

 cle woods and has compiled information available to 

 manufacturers who care to use it. 



Hickory's best use is as poles, shafts, reaches, rims, 

 and spokes for light vehicles ; while oak serves best as 

 spokes, felloes, hounds, tongues, bolsters, axles, hubs, and 

 other parts of the running gear of large wagons. Other 

 strong woods employed in considerable amounts by 

 wagon makers are ash, maple, elm, birch, beech, Osage 

 orange, and locust. Some of these are selected for par- 

 ticular parts. Of ash they make spokes, standards, and 



axles, and oc- 

 casionally beds 

 for ore wagons 

 and frames for 

 auto mobiles. 

 Maple is very 

 strong and it is 

 often made into 

 heavy axles. 

 Elm is tough 

 and is one of 

 the best woods 

 for long spokes 

 in extra large 

 log wagons. 

 Birch and 

 beech fill places 

 similar to those 

 filled by maple 

 and ash. Osage 

 orange, or bois 

 d'arc, has a 

 special place. It 

 has often been 

 selected in 

 pre f erence to 



