The Brass Era is an American term for the early period of automotive manufacturing, named for the prominent brass fittings used during this time for such features as lights and radiators . It is generally considered to encompass 1896 through 1915, a time when cars were often referred to as horseless carriages .
22-612: The Inter-State was a Brass Era car built in Muncie, Indiana , by Inter-State Automobile Company from 1909 to 1919. Thomas F. Hart announced in October 1908 the winning name of his new company, chosen via a contest. The Inter-State Automobile Company set up shop at 142 Willard Street. Ads stated "we could get more for this car." Originally, all Inter-States were mid-market, both in size and price, with four- cylinder engines. In 1913, 6-cylinder engines were added. Receivership followed in
44-552: A Rickenbacker . Angle steel took over from armored wood as the frame material of choice, and in 1912, Hupp pioneered the use of all-steel bodies, joined in 1914 by Dodge . In January, 1904, Frank Leslie's Popular Monthly magazine catalogued the entire range of automobiles available to the mass market in the United States. This list included: Fred H. Colvin , who covered the American automotive industry for many years as
66-426: A characteristic "spider web" cracking pattern (radial and concentric cracks) when the impact is not enough to completely pierce the glass. Laminated glass is normally used when there is a possibility of human impact or where the glass could fall if shattered. Skylight glazing and automobile windshields typically use laminated glass. In geographical areas requiring hurricane-resistant construction , laminated glass
88-411: A journalist and editor of trade journals, wrote in his memoir (1947) about his experiences: I have already indicated how the early "craze" for horseless carriages caused automobile plants to spring up like mushroom growths all over the country, just as hundreds of locomotive plants had sprung up in the early days of railroading. In both instances, however, the great majority faded out of the picture once
110-472: A market share throughout the era. Development of automotive technology was rapid, due in part to hundreds of small manufacturers competing to gain the world's attention. Key developments included the electric ignition system (by dynamotor on the Arnold in 1898, though Robert Bosch , 1903, tends to get the credit), independent suspension (actually conceived by Bollée in 1873), and four- wheel brakes (by
132-453: A result of its safety and strength, tempered glass is used in a variety of demanding applications, including passenger vehicle windows, shower doors, architectural glass doors and tables, refrigerator trays, as a component of bulletproof glass , for diving masks , and various types of plates and cookware. In the United States, since 1977 Federal law has required safety glass located within doors and tub and shower enclosures. Laminated glass
154-420: Is composed of layers of glass and plastic held together by an interlayer. When laminated glass is broken, it is held in place by an interlayer, typically of polyvinyl butyral (PVB), between its two or more layers of glass, which crumble into small pieces. The interlayer keeps the layers of glass bonded even when broken, and its toughening prevents the glass from breaking up into large sharp pieces. This produces
176-418: Is far more heat-resistant than a laminating material. Wired glass, as it is typically described, does not perform the function most individuals associate with it. The presence of the wire mesh appears to be a strengthening component, as it is metallic, and conjures up the idea of rebar in reinforced concrete or other such examples. Despite this belief, wired glass is actually weaker than unwired glass due to
198-420: Is often used in exterior storefronts, curtain walls and windows. The PVB interlayer also gives the glass a much higher sound insulation rating , due to the damping effect, and also blocks most of the incoming UV radiation (88% in window glass and 97.4% in windscreen glass). Wire mesh glass (also known as Georgian Wired Glass) has a grid or mesh of thin metal wire embedded within the glass. Wired glass
220-468: Is part of the building regulations making properties safer. Toughened glass is processed by controlled thermal or chemical treatments to increase its strength compared with normal glass. Tempering, by design, creates balanced internal stresses which causes the glass sheet, when broken, to crumble into small granular chunks of similar size and shape instead of splintering into random, jagged shards. The granular chunks are less likely to cause injury. As
242-489: Is used in the US for its fire-resistant abilities, and is well-rated to withstand both heat and hose streams. This is why wired glass exclusively is used on service elevators to prevent fire ingress to the shaft, and also why it is commonly found in institutional settings which are often well-protected and partitioned against fire. The wire prevents the glass from falling out of the frame even if it cracks under thermal stress , and
SECTION 10
#1732858779571264-631: The Arrol-Johnston Company of Scotland in 1909). Leaf springs were widely used for suspension , though many other systems were still in use. Transmissions and throttle controls were widely adopted, allowing a variety of cruising speeds, though vehicles generally still had discrete speed settings, rather than the infinitely variable system familiar in cars of later eras. Safety glass also made its debut, patented by John Wood in England in 1905, but would not become standard equipment until 1926 on
286-465: The veteran (pre-1904), and Edwardian eras, although these terms are really not meaningful outside the former British Empire. Early automakers turned to brass for their vehicles for both its looks and function. It held up well against tarnishing and bad weather, but required regular polishing to maintain its appearance. Though the automobile was invented a few years before the start of the Brass Era,
308-437: The 20 years that make up this era represent the beginning of the automotive industry. It was a period of small-scale manufacturing, experimental designs, and alternative power systems. The middle of this period saw the introduction of Panhard et Levassor's Système Panhard , a front-engine, rear-drive design that became the industry standard for decades. Through this period, electric, gasoline, and steam propulsion power were
330-477: The agreed-upon cutoff of the Brass Era, was the final year the Ford Model T was available with brass fitments. At this point the style had also begun to be considered outdated, and by the 1920s few if any vehicles continued to employ brass in their designs. In the early part of this period, steam-car development had advanced, making steam cars some of the fastest road vehicles of their day. Electric cars also held
352-531: The fall of 1913. Thomas Hart cited "internal dissention and his inability to secure working capital because of disagreement among stockholders." In February 1914, Frank C. Ball (one of the original Inter-State investors) bought the Inter-State factory and real estate. This resulted in a renaming of the parent company to the Inter-State Motor Company . In 1915, a new Beaver 4-cylinder low-priced car
374-414: The incursions of the wire into the structure of the glass. Wired glass often may cause heightened injury in comparison to unwired glass, as the wire amplifies the irregularity of any fractures. This has led to a decline in its use institutionally, particularly in schools. In recent years, new materials have become available that offer both fire-ratings and safety ratings so the continued use of wired glass
396-546: The industry had become firmly established. As late as 1917, there were 127 different makes of American automobiles on the market, as compared with little more than a dozen in 1947 [i.e. at the time of this writing]. For the sake of the completeness of the present record, and in order to aid future scholars and research workers, I should like to give the list of American automobiles current thirty years ago [i.e., 1917]: A great many more names, including Brush , Duryea , Alco , Speedwell , and Waverly , had already disappeared from
418-530: The powertrains of choice, though gas-powered internal combustion engines were dominant by the end of this period. Various body styles were also in vogue at the time, including the high-wheel motor buggy (resembling the horse buggy of before 1900), runabouts , tonneaus , and other more expensive closed bodies. The vehicles most closely associated with the Brass Era were larger, more expensive luxury vehicles, such as those built by Packard, Peerless, Pierce-Arrow, Cadillac, and other premium manufacturers. 1915,
440-424: The scene by 1917. Safety glass Safety glass is glass with additional safety features that make it less likely to break, or less likely to pose a threat when broken. Common designs include toughened glass (also known as tempered glass), laminated glass , and wire mesh glass (also known as wired glass). Toughened glass was invented in 1874 by Francois Barthelemy Alfred Royer de la Bastie. Wire mesh glass
462-505: Was invented in 1892 by Frank Shuman . Laminated glass was invented in 1903 by the French chemist Édouard Bénédictus (1878–1930). These three approaches can easily be combined, allowing for the creation of glass that is at the same time toughened, laminated, and contains a wire mesh. However, combination of a wire mesh with other techniques is unusual, as it typically betrays their individual qualities. In many developed countries safety glass
SECTION 20
#1732858779571484-431: Was released. By May 1918, automobile production was suspended in favor of war work. In late February 1919, F. C. Ball announced he would be resuming passenger car production, but by March of the same year, Ball sold the Inter-State factory to General Motors for them to produce their new Sheridan . Brass Era car Elsewhere in the world, this period would be considered by antique car enthusiasts to consist of
#570429