Union (automobile)
Encyclopedia
The Union automobile was based on Lambert's "horseless carriage"
gasoline buggy. It had four wheels instead of his 1891 three-wheeled version. The automobile was made by the Union Automobile Company
from 1902 through 1905. There were about three hundred Union automobiles made all total.
The Union automobile had an experimental model in 1898 and 1901. It was manufactured in Union City, Indiana
from parts made in Anderson, Indiana
. The first friction disk-drive gearless transmission
rear-engine automobile, as designed by Lambert, was in full production in 1902. The motor for the automobile was a pair of opposed 6 x 4 inches (101.6 mm) cylinders, far in front, crosswise, side chains to rear drivers. This was quickly followed by a second friction driven model, same motor placed crosswise in extreme rear of car.
The Union automobile had a gasoline tank that was built in the back of the seat hidden from sight. It has a capacity sufficient to run the automobile about 125 miles (201.2 km). The engine was water-cooled with a circulating pump, driven by a gear from the cam shaft. There was a large radiator coil provided. The electric current for ignition was supplied by dry batteries for starting. A generator was used in normal operation. The automobile was equipped with 34 inches (863.6 mm) pneumatic tires. Kerosene oil lamps were furnished it came with enameled sheet steel mud guards.
The Union automobile had a special hand brake controlled by the left foot. The friction disk-drive transmission made an emergency brake, being operated by throwing it in the reverse position. The operator controlled the steering wheel with his right hand and the speed changing lever with his left hand. The speed of the motor could be varied from 150 revolutions per minute to over 1,500 revolutions per minute. This variation of speed of the motor, in addition to the variable speed from the transmission, allowed a wide range of speed for the Union automobile. The transmission was enclosed in a dustproof casing and run in oil. One lever controlled two forward speeds and one reverse. The high speed was 20 mi/h.
Buckeye gasoline buggy
The Buckeye gasoline buggy or Lambert gasoline buggy was the first practical gasoline automobile available for sale in America, according to automobile historians.-History:...
gasoline buggy. It had four wheels instead of his 1891 three-wheeled version. The automobile was made by the Union Automobile Company
Union Automobile Company
The Union Automobile Company began to make automobiles in Union City, Indiana in 1902. It built the Union automobile from 1902 through 1905. The company was located in Union City, Indiana from 1902 to 1905...
from 1902 through 1905. There were about three hundred Union automobiles made all total.
Description
The Union automobile had an eight-horsepower two-cylinder, four-cycle, double opposed-cylinder gasoline engine. The engine was available in either an air-cooled version or a water-cooled version. The transmission was of the friction type and the final drive by double chain. The body style was a two-seater with a folding collapsible front seat to carry two more passengers, which enabled it to be converted into a four passenger automobile.The Union automobile had an experimental model in 1898 and 1901. It was manufactured in Union City, Indiana
Union City, Indiana
Union City is a city in Wayne Township, Randolph County, Indiana, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 3,584.Union City was a stop along the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad, a forerunner of the Pennsylvania Railroad that connected Pittsburgh to...
from parts made in Anderson, Indiana
Anderson, Indiana
Anderson is a city in and the county seat of Madison County, Indiana, United States. It is the principal city of the Anderson, Indiana Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses Madison county. Anderson is the headquarters of the Church of God and home of Anderson University, which is...
. The first friction disk-drive gearless transmission
Lambert friction gearing disk drive transmission
The Lambert friction gearing disk drive transmission was invented by John William Lambert originally in 1904. The invention relates to a friction disk drive transmission for automobiles that is gearless. He saw the need for a simple transmission of engine power to an automobile's drive...
rear-engine automobile, as designed by Lambert, was in full production in 1902. The motor for the automobile was a pair of opposed 6 x 4 inches (101.6 mm) cylinders, far in front, crosswise, side chains to rear drivers. This was quickly followed by a second friction driven model, same motor placed crosswise in extreme rear of car.
The Union automobile had a gasoline tank that was built in the back of the seat hidden from sight. It has a capacity sufficient to run the automobile about 125 miles (201.2 km). The engine was water-cooled with a circulating pump, driven by a gear from the cam shaft. There was a large radiator coil provided. The electric current for ignition was supplied by dry batteries for starting. A generator was used in normal operation. The automobile was equipped with 34 inches (863.6 mm) pneumatic tires. Kerosene oil lamps were furnished it came with enameled sheet steel mud guards.
The Union automobile had a special hand brake controlled by the left foot. The friction disk-drive transmission made an emergency brake, being operated by throwing it in the reverse position. The operator controlled the steering wheel with his right hand and the speed changing lever with his left hand. The speed of the motor could be varied from 150 revolutions per minute to over 1,500 revolutions per minute. This variation of speed of the motor, in addition to the variable speed from the transmission, allowed a wide range of speed for the Union automobile. The transmission was enclosed in a dustproof casing and run in oil. One lever controlled two forward speeds and one reverse. The high speed was 20 mi/h.
See also
- Lambert automobileLambert (automobile)The Lambert automobile and Lambert truck were built by the Lambert Automobile Company as an American vehicle from 1905 through 1916.The Lambert automobile motor in the early part of manufacturing moved around on the chassis. It was on the back of the chassis, then in the center, then to the front,...
- John William LambertJohn William LambertJohn William Lambert was an American automotive pioneer, inventor, and automobile manufacturer.-Biography:...
- Buckeye gasoline buggyBuckeye gasoline buggyThe Buckeye gasoline buggy or Lambert gasoline buggy was the first practical gasoline automobile available for sale in America, according to automobile historians.-History:...
- Union Automobile CompanyUnion Automobile CompanyThe Union Automobile Company began to make automobiles in Union City, Indiana in 1902. It built the Union automobile from 1902 through 1905. The company was located in Union City, Indiana from 1902 to 1905...
- Lambert Automobile CompanyLambert Automobile CompanyThe Lambert Automobile Company was a automobile factory in Anderson, Indiana to make the Lambert automobile through the Buckeye Manufacturing Company.-History:...
- Lambert Gas and Gasoline Engine CompanyLambert Gas and Gasoline Engine CompanyThe Lambert Gas and Gasoline Engine Company was a company founded by John William Lambert in the later part of the nineteenth century as part of the conglomerate of the Buckeye Manufacturing Company.-History:...
- Lambert friction gearing disk drive transmissionLambert friction gearing disk drive transmissionThe Lambert friction gearing disk drive transmission was invented by John William Lambert originally in 1904. The invention relates to a friction disk drive transmission for automobiles that is gearless. He saw the need for a simple transmission of engine power to an automobile's drive...
Primary sources
- Biography of John W. Lambert, written by his son January 25 1935 — obtained from the Detroit Public Library, National Automotive History Collection
- Dolnar, Hugh, Automobile Trade Journal, article: The Lambert, 1906 Line of Automobiles, Chilton Company, v.10 January 1906
- Forkner, John L., History of Madison County, Indiana, New York and Chicago, The Lewis Publishing Company, 1914
- The Horseless Age: The Automobile Trade Magazine, The Horseless Age Company, 1902
Secondary sources
- Bailey, L. Scott, Historic Discovery: 1891 Lambert, New Claim for America's First Car, Antique Automobile magazine, Vol. 24, No. 5, Oct–Nov 1960
- David Burgess Wise, The New Illustrated Encyclopedia of Automobiles ISBN 0-7858-1106-0
- Dittlinger, Esther et al., Anderson: A Pictorial History, G. Bradley Publishing, 1990, ISBN 0943963168
- Georgano, G. N., The Beaulieu Encyclopedia of the Automobile, Taylor & Francis, 2000, ISBN 1-5795829-3-1
- Huffman, Wallace Spencer, Indiana's Place in Automobile History in Indiana History Bulletin, vol 44, no. 2, Feb. 1967; Indianapolis, Indiana Historical Bureau
- Huhti, Thomas, The Great Indiana Touring Book: 20 Spectacular Auto Tours, Big Earth Publishing, 2002, ISBN 1-9315990-9-2
- James, Wanda, Driving from Japan, McFarland, 2005, ISBN 0-786417-3-4X
- Kimes, Beverly Rae, Standard Catalog of American Cars, 1805-1942, Krause Publications, 1996, ISBN 0-8734142-8-4
- Madden, W. C., Haynes-Apperson and America's First Practical Automobile: A History, McFarland, 2003, ISBN 0-7864139-7-2
- Scharchburg, Richard P., Carriages Without Horses: J. Frank Duryea and the Birth of the American Automobile Industry, SAE, 1993, ISBN 1-5609138-0-0