Adams-Farwell
Adams-Farwell was an innovative American automobile brand from Dubuque , Iowa , which was manufactured locally by the Adams Company from 1905 to 1911 .
history
The company emerged from the Roberts & Langworthy Iron Works , located at 57 South Main Street in Dubuque , which manufactured grave crosses and park benches . After Roberts' withdrawal from the company in 1883, Eugene Adams acquired his stake and joined the company as secretary and managing director. In 1885 it was renamed Langworthy and Adams Iron Works . When Langworthy also retired in 1892, Eugene's brother Herbert Adams was able to buy his share. Now the company has been reorganized as The Adams Company, Foundry and Machine Shop . In the same year the plant was victim of a fire and the company moved to new premises on East 4th Street . Now cast-iron machine components and household appliances such as washing machines or a "floor heating fan" patented in 1897, which distributed warm air from the lower to the upper rooms, were also manufactured. In 1895 Fay Oliver Farwell (1859-1935) joined the company as managing director.
He soon began with internal combustion engines to experiment and constructed a lying been requested arrange 3- cylinder - rotary engine whose cylinder and crankcase is horizontal to a standing fixed crankshaft turned. Inlet and outlet valves were led directly into the cylinder heads. The power is transmitted by means of bevel gears and the air is cooled by the rotation of the cylinders. Farwell had the idea for their star-shaped arrangement after observing a steam wind ; He saw the main advantages in the fact that the engine needed neither a flywheel nor a cooling device. In 1898 he built this engine between the front wheels of an iron-tyred carriage . Already in the prototype Model No. 2 , however, he installed his engine in the rear . All further Adams-Farwell followed this concept . For this second vehicle he used bicycle wheels , for the third wooden spokes - artillery wheels . The probably similar Model No. 4 he sold to a citizen of Dubuque. Prototype No. 5 was in February 1905 at the Motor Show of Chicago demonstrated (Illinois), where orders were received for the first time. It went into production practically unchanged as the Model 6 20/25 hp . Advertisements were advertised with the slogan: It spins like a top .
Innovations
In addition to the engine, the Adams-Farwell had other idiosyncratic solutions to offer. The only body variant available , referred to as a Convertible Brougham , was actually a Town Brougham . Its "changeable", convertible part consisted of a bench in the bulkhead that could be opened if necessary. The steering lever - a steering wheel came later - and the controls attached to it, could be removed in a few simple steps and reattached in front of the rear bench seat. The practical benefit: in bad weather it was not necessary to drive from the unprotected front seat. The Adams Farwell had a list price of $ 2,500, making it a luxury model as it was understood at the time .
In 1906 the Model 6 became a Series 6 ; In addition to the well-known 20/25 hp three-cylinder, a new Series 6 40/45 hp with a five-cylinder engine based on the same design principle and around 8 liters of displacement was available. Both shared a slightly longer chassis compared to the previous year.
The Adams Company now supplied the 20/25 hp instead of the Brougham as a landaulet (probably a similar structure with a foldable rear roof section) and as a 5-seater touring which was occasionally called a convertible runabout . The 40/45 hp was also available as a Touring , a Landaulet (both 5-seater) and an Extension Brougham ; the latter had a wheelbase that was about 10 cm longer . A 7-seater Touring, known as the Model 7-A , with a conventional-looking front (without radiator) was significantly longer ; As with other vehicles of the era, the engine was still in its traditional position in the rear. The back seat was offset slightly forward in front of the rear axle. All other variants had the folding front seat. Also new was the Model 8-A Gentleman's Speed Roadster with the shortest chassis of the model year, the 40/45 hp engine and a frameless construction that can be considered the forerunner of the self-supporting body . This sports car was capable of around 120 km / h, which was a remarkable speed at the time.
This variety of models had completely disappeared in 1907; there was only the Model 7-A Touring , new with an even longer wheelbase and a higher price.
1908 was again a year of innovation. A four-speed gearbox was probably introduced with the new Model 9 50 hp (most cars then had three gears). There were also two clutches , one each for gears 2 and 4 and one for gears 1, 3 and reverse. A separate gear lever was provided for each clutch ; they were operated by means of a common lever on the steering column. In this way, two gears can be preselected at the same time, for example second and reverse. One of them was inserted by simply flipping the clutch lever. Instead of the manual steering lever, there was now an accelerator pedal and steering wheel. This eliminated the possibility of moving the steering to a different seat position. Instead, the steering column was guided in a rail in front of the front seats and could be moved in it; the car was left or right-hand drive, depending on the driver's wishes . This Model 9 was available as a roadster for three, as a touring for seven and as a coupé for three people. Unfortunately, the roadster was now also built conventionally.
There was one last change in 1909. The Coupé was dropped without replacement, the Roadster got an additional seat and the Touring an even longer chassis. The Adams-Farwell was built in this form until 1912. After that, the Adams Company gave up car manufacturing. Between 1905 and 1911, between 52 and 200 Adams-Farwell were made .
Model overview
The small company brought out a very impressive number of models and variants, as the overview shows:
Construction year | model | cylinder | power | Wheelbase mm / in | Construction | construction | List price |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1898 | Model No. 1 | 3 circulation | Front engine ; Rear wheel drive | Express carriage | - | ||
1899 (approx.) | Model No. 2 | 3 circulation | Rear engine ; Rear wheel drive | - | |||
1901 | Model No. 3 | 3 circulation | Rear engine ; Rear wheel drive | - | |||
1902 (approx.) | Model No. 4th | 3 circulation | Rear engine ; Rear wheel drive | ||||
1904-1905 | Model No. 5 | 3, circulation | 25 hp | Rear engine; Rear wheel drive | Convertible Brougham | - | |
1905 | Model No. 6 20/25 hp | 3 circulation | 25 hp | 2134/84 | Rear engine; Rear wheel drive | Convertible Brougham | $ 2500 |
1906 | Series 6 20/25 hp Model A | 3 circulation | 25 hp | 2286/90 | Rear engine; Rear wheel drive | Touring 5 seats | $ 2000 |
1906 | Series 6 20/25 hp Model B | 3 circulation | 25 hp | 2286/90 | Rear engine; Rear wheel drive | Landaulet 7 seats | $ 2500 |
1906 | Series 6 40/45 hp | 5 circulation | 45 hp | 2286/90 | Rear engine; Rear wheel drive | Touring 5 seats | $ 2500 |
1906 | Series 6 40/45 hp | 5 circulation | 45 hp | 2286/90 | Rear engine; Rear wheel drive | Landaulet 7 seats | $ 3000 |
1906 | Series 6 40/45 hp | 5 circulation | 45 hp | 2388/94 | Rear engine; Rear wheel drive | Extension Brougham | $ 4000 |
1906 | Model 7-A 40/45 hp | 5 circulation | 45 hp | 2743/108 | Rear engine; Rear wheel drive | Touring 7 seats | $ 3000 |
1906 | Model 8-A 40/45 hp | 5 circulation | 45 hp | 2184/86 | Rear engine; Rear wheel drive | Gentleman's Speed Roadster | $ 4000 |
1907 | Model 7-A 40/45 hp | 5 circulation | 45 hp | 3048/120 | Rear engine; Rear wheel drive | Touring 7 seats | $ 3250 |
1908 | Model 9 50 hp | 5 circulation | 50 hp | 3048/120 | Rear engine; Rear wheel drive | Roadster 3 seats | $ 3000 |
1908 | Model 9 50 hp | 5 circulation | 50 hp | 3048/120 | Rear engine; Rear wheel drive | Touring 7 seats | $ 3500 |
1908 | Model 9 50 hp | 5 circulation | 50 hp | 3048/120 | Rear engine; Rear wheel drive | Coupe 3 seats | $ 4000 |
1909-1912 | Model 9 50 hp | 5 circulation | 50 hp | 3048/120 | Rear engine; Rear wheel drive | Roadster 4 seats | $ 3000 |
1909-1912 | Model 9 50 hp | 5 circulation | 50 hp | 3251/128 | Rear engine; Rear wheel drive | Touring 7 seats | $ 3500 |
In displaying a 1906 Touring with "false" bonnet and the designation Model L displayed. This is probably the Model 7-A 40/45 hp ; further information could not be found.
Performance data
Performance data from this time are unclear; at that time there was no uniform standard for calculation. As a rule, the first value relates to the taxable horsepower and the second to the power ( HP ). In the USA, the formulas of the NACC (“North American Chamber of Commerce”) or the ALAM (“Association of Licensed Automobile Manufacturers”) were used. The output of the Adam-Farwell Model 6 20/25 should have been between 15 and 20 kW and the Model 9 50 hp around 35 kW.
The only Adams Farwell still in existence
The National Automobile Museum in Reno ( Nevada ) - formerly Harrah Collection - has the last remaining brand vehicle, a Series 6 40/45 hp Touring , spanned by the Connolly Carriage & Buggy Company ; with a five-cylinder engine and the folding bench in the front. It competed in the 2011 Concours d'Elegance at Pebble Beach and won the Charles A. Chayne Trophy for the most advanced technique of its time.
Further development without building a car
The Adams Company also developed lightweight gyrocopter motors that successfully powered test models by Emile Berliner in 1909/10 and J. Newton Williams in 1909. After the abandonment of automobile construction (it is not clear how long engines were made), the company switched to iron foundry and the production of gears . Fay Farwell left the Adams Company beginning in 1920 and then tried a patent for driving fun fair - carousels evaluate.
literature
- Kimes, Beverly Rae (editors) and Clark Jr., Henry Austin: The Standard Catalog of American Cars 1805-1942 , 2nd Edition, Krause Publications, Iola WI 54990, USA (1985), ISBN 0-87341-111-0
- Kimes, Beverly Rae: Pioneers, Engineers, and Scoundrels: The Dawn of the Automobile in America , SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) Permissions, Warrendale PA (2005), ISBN 0-7680-1431-X ; P. 368
Web links
- http://www.conceptcarz.com/ via Adams-Farwell and the Series 6 at the National Automobile Museum, Reno NV , accessed October 1, 2012
- remarkablecars.com on Adams-Farwell and the Series 6 at the National Automobile Museum, Reno NV , accessed September 27, 2012
- american-automobiles.com: Adams-Farwell, story and pictures , accessed October 1, 2012
- earlyamericanautomobiles.com retrieved a photo of the Adams-Farwell Series 6 in the National Automobile Museum, Reno NV (English) on October 1, 2012
- trombinoscar.com presents the Adams-Farwell Series 6 at the National Automobile Museum, Reno NV (French), accessed October 1, 2012
- pebblebeachconcours.net about the winners of the 61st Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance 2011 ( Memento from November 3, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) (English)
- encyclopediadubuque.org: Adams-Farwell (English), accessed October 1, 2012
- encyclopediadubuque.org: Roberts & Langworthy Iron Works , accessed October 1, 2012
- encyclopediadubuque.org: The Adams Company , accessed October 1, 2012
- encyclopediadubuque.org: Fay Oliver Farwell , accessed October 1, 2012
- encyclopediadubuque.org: Rotary engine , accessed October 1, 2012
- encyclopediadubuque.org: Thomas Connolly Company , accessed October 1, 2012
- coachbuilt.com: Thomas Connolly Carriage Works, Dubuque, Iowa (English), accessed October 1, 2012
- The Adams Company: Homepage , accessed October 1, 2012
- Hugo Diemer: Automobiles - a Practical Treatise ; American School of Correspondence (1909). PDF, cf. Pp. 43–44 , accessed on July 10, 2014
Individual evidence
- ↑ ( Page no longer available , search in web archives: encyclopediadubuque.com ): Roberts & Langworthy Iron Works
- ↑ ( Page no longer available , search in web archives: encyclopediadubuque.com ): The Adams Company
- ↑ ( page no longer available , search in web archives: encyclopediadubuque.com ): Rotary Engine
- ↑ Transl.: "It turns like a top."
- ↑ a b c d e f g h Kimes: Standard Catalog (1985); Adams-Farwell
- ↑ a b c ( page no longer available , search in web archives: encyclopediadubuque.com ): Adams-Farwell Automobiles
- ↑ a b c conceptcarz.com : Adams-Farwell 7-A (1906)
- ↑ All data: Kimes
- ↑ Detailed view of the engine at conceptcarz.com
- ↑ trombinoscar.com has photos of the car with the seat open
- ^ Pebble Beach Concours