ae AeA ERR OE Et OES * ro enneare ce - eisai: e SS | f Ws 4 A) iy a a a ) ea id Sap i 4 x 6 \ GRAND RAPIDS, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20, 1895. MICHIGAN Fire & Marine Insurance Co. Organized 1881. DETROIT, MICHIGAN THE FIRE ee INS. co. PROMPT, CONSERVATIVE, SAFE. J. W. CHAMPLIN, Pres. W. FRED McBAIN, Sec. COMMERCIAL CREDIT C0. 65 MONROE ST. Reports on individuals for the retail trade ,house renters and professional men. Also local agents for the Furniture Commercial Agency Co.’s“*Red Book.” Collections handled for members. Telephones 166 and 1030 B J. BULLARD Manufacturer of Rubber Stamps All kinds of Stencils, Notary Seals, Checks, Badges, House Numbers, Door Plates, ete. 58 Pearl St., Grand Rapids THE NIGHIGAN TRUST GO, zn Makes a Specialty of acting*tas Executor of Wills, Administrator of Estates, Guardian of [linors and In- competent Persons, Trustee or Agent in the management of any business which Way be entrusted to it. Any information desired will be cheerfully furnished. Lewis H. Withey,. Pres. Anton G. Hodenpy!], Sec'y. ‘- WANTED -: Everybody in- terested in pat- ents or patent law to send his name; in return a book contain- ing valuable in- formation will be sent free by mail, L. V. Moulton, Patent Att’y, Grand Rapids, Mich. bt 2 THE -AGTIVE POWERS #€ “oP INVENTIVE GENIUS - 9 AND 7 PEARL STREET. USE TRADESMAN'S WANTS COLUMNS Commercial Aspect of the Bicycle. Written for THE TRADESMAN. The sewing machine and watch rack- ets are both worn out, in addition to be- ing easily explainable when brought up to sustain the theory that we pay too much for our bicycles. The former high price of the former article was due to patents which have since expired. It is true that all bicycles have some patented features, but they have practically no influence on the price, for the simple reason that the essential points are not patented and are used by every manu- facturer. Oneof the most important of these is the ball bearings, upon which the patents long since expired. Itisa noteworthy fact that, when these patents ran out, prices were not reduced an iota. The true principle of the lateral adjust- ment of ball bearings was discovered by Joseph H. Hughes, an Englishman who secured British patents upon it in 1877. The United States patent was granted to William Bown, the assignee of Hughes, in 1880. On November 20. 1877, another type of lateral ball bear- ings was patented by a plain ‘‘John Smith, U. S. A.’? These two bearings are the only ones of any consequence ever invented, as the principle of such a bearing is so fundamental that no innovations were possible. The patents upon the bicycles of to- day are upon some special feature which may or may not be more valuable in theory than in practice. Most of them, or at least a large proportion, are theory only—‘‘freak ideas,’’ as they are gener- ally called. Such things as adjustable handle bars, curved tubing in frames, elliptical sprockets, ditto cranks, braces in frames, special seat fastenings, auto- matic brakes of different kinds, etc., etc., have no bearing upon the easy running or durable qualities of a bicycle. The ordinary single diamond frame with no extra curves or braces in its construction has proved entirely adequate to with- stand all ordinary, and a great many ex- traordinary, strains put upon it. A man used to riding with his handle bar in a certain position does not feel at home if that position is changed and, conse- quently, cannot ride so skillfully. When a frame will not break under the most severe strains to which it can be put, what is the use of further strengthening it? Certainly, none of these things con- tribute to the easy running qualities of a wheel, and those are the qualities which, combined with durability, make a bi- cycle valuable. For thisreason the ma- jority of the patents are of no practical value except as a handle to talk when making, or attempting to make, a sale. The comparison of bicycle prices with those of watches comes nearer to the point, as improved machinery consti- tutes a big figure in the lower prices of each, but there the similarity ends. The manufacture of watches has reached per- fection, as timepieces are in use which do not vary a minute a year. Perfection in the mechanism of bicycles is practi- cally unattainable. Asa basis for this assertion, note that a bicycle is a vehicle, ang@gthat vehicles of all kinds have been on the market (what market there was at various ages) for 4,000 years or more, and improvements are still going on. Thus, the models are always changing and the demand for new wheels keeps the price up. In an article in a previous issue of THE TRADESMAN, I stated that there were but five absolutely high-grade wheels on the market, to which statement exceptions were taken by another writer. I did not say that there are only five good wheels, as he quotes me, as I well know that there are dozens of them, but that there are five that are the best. { did not men- tion any names, as I did not wish to de- preciate the value of some wheels and enhance the value of others, if, by chance, any writings of mine might do either. In making the statement, I told only what every thorough wheelman, un- prejudiced by trade associations, Knows to be a fact, and I adhere to the state- ment. Anyone wishing a corroboration has but to question any veteran wheel- map he meets. A few of them may say that there are six or seven, but not more than that. I would also like to state that I did not intimate that considerable eonsignment business is being done, and refer to the article in question in proof of this. I wish, also, to adhere to my statement that only the oldest factories have the experience and facilities for turning out the very best work. As an example of this, there are three different factories in America which spend more in a year simply for experimenting with metals and methods of construction than the en- tire annual expense account of some, and, indeed, most, of the new ones. As to their being behind the times, it is well to note that every one of them will next month commence work upon their 1896 models, thus allowing themselves nine months’ time in which to privately test their new ideas, while the youngereand inexperienced makers put their experi- ments upon the market immediately and, consequently, in an imperfect state of development. Good ideas appearing in a crude form upon cheap wheels are often appropriated and perfected by the experienced men, who are, therefore, ac- cused of being behind the times because they did not put something on the mar- ket in an imperfect form. Was the first pneumatic tire or the first wood rim on the best wheel made? 1 will supplement my advice to buy light—a sample wheel only if you are in a small town—by the simple remark that bicycles are unlike any other merchan- dise, and won’t sell at their list price, or anywhere near it, the next spring, and that the man who orders a large number | of wheels without the customers in sight, | and has to carry them over, will be a poorer and wiser man the next season. Morris J. WHITE. —--—--- > We believe better times are ahead of us, but we don’t know how far ahead they are. NO. GOO Prospects of a Successful Bicycling Season. As soon as the frost is out of the ground, and it cannot remain there much longer, the cyeling season will begin. Even now, with bad roads and change- able weather, the enthusiastic cycler can be seen on the streets every hour of the day and evening. The prospects of a successful season, both socially and from an athletic standpoint, never looked brighter. The manufacturer is a happy man just now, and well he may be, for the demand for new wheels almost ex- ceeds the supply. All the factories are now running on full time, and many of them are practically running night and day. There is not as much grumbling as there has been among would-be purchas- ers about the price they must pay for their wheels, although some cyclists are firmly of the belief that the prices are entirely too high. The profits to the manufacturer are enormous, but the manufacturers of cycles form a close corporation, and it Will take a mammoth tidal wave to break it down. “Our profits are not as large as some people think,”’ said a maker of one of the staple wheels to the writer the other day. “Cycle manufacturing is a business in itself, and it has been run differently from most. other enterprises. Our methods have grown up with the busi- ness, and, until there is a change of policy, 1 cannot see much chance of a material change in the price of wheels. “You ask, if one large maker should break away and offer to sell wheels cheaper than the others, what the effect would be? That has been done already; in fact, it was done last year. The maker who tried it simply ruined him- self. All the other manufacturers held aloof and watched the struggle, and the alleged reformer soon reached the end of his rope, and his business collapsed. ‘“‘There is only one thing which will cheapen wheels, and the time may be close at hand. I believe that tue new "95 wheel is a model in itself, and I do not see how it can be improved upon to any appreciable extent. The limit of lightness has, I believe, been reached. I do not think that a serviceable road wheel can be built which can weigh much less than nineteen pounds. “If wecan make this pattern last for three or four years, we can afford to sell cheaper wheels. It is the constant changing, constant experimenting, the purchasing of new tools and machinery, which have cost the manufacturers so much money. I see that it is charged that we are pulling wires just like the batters; that is, that we set styles in wheels and bring out new designs each year so as to keep the riders and enthu- siasts buying new wheels. If those peo- ple knew what it costs us to turn outa new wheel they would whistle another tune.’’ el It is a good thing to make money. It is a better thing to make a good use of it.