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A French patent has been granted to E. Huchet, of Nantes, for an apparatus called the "Auto-Slip ArchimMe," which is designed to facilitate the inspection, cleaning and repairing of automobiles. As will be seen from the illustrations, the device consists essentially of two wooden rails, shod and flanged with iron, which turn on bearings in two troughs or hollow tracks that are bolted to three cross pieces. In the middle of the flrst cross piece there is a winch which is operated by a tangent screw and crank. The front ends of the rails are connected by a tie-rod, and the steel cable by which the car is drawn up on the rails passes over a pulley, carried by this tie-rod. One end of the cable is attached to a hook on & winch, the other to a sort of whiffletree, which is fastened securely to the axle of the car by two straps. Either axle may be used, but it is best to select the more heavily loaded axle. The apparatus is portable and can be packed in a sll space, afl shown in Fig. 1. To reduce it to this form it is only necessary tr-take off the three cross pieces anO' the tie rod, and lay them parallel with the rails, each of which remains pivoted in its trough. Each end of the cross pieces and tie rod has three bolt holes, by means of which the width of the auto-slip can be adjusted to a car of any gage, from 1.20 to 1.40 meters (4614 to 55 inches). The nuts of the bolts have wings, and can be screwed on by hand. The parts having been assembled in this nner, props or wedges are placed under the front or short ends of the rai's. and the car (witb its lighter end in advance) is hauled up on the rails uiitil it strikes the hoppers. The brakes of the car are then set firmly and all four wheels are strapped securely to the rails, care being taken to ma ke a turn of each strap about a spoke. Then, the wedges having been removed, the continued operation of the winch has the effect of tipping the rails and the car, which can thus be placed in the most advantageous position for the examination and repair of any part of the chassis or mechanism. The wedges may be used, also, to support the rear or longer ends of the rails, as indicated in Figs. 3 and 2. It is preferable, however, to attach the cable to the heavier end of the car and to stop hauling when the vehicle has nearly reached the position of equilibrium. In this method no wedges are required, and the car (Continued on page 339.) The Auto-Slip Archimede. ( Oontinued from page 332. ) can be tipped with ease to any desired inclination. The proper approximate position of equilibrium for any particular car can be determined, once for all, by hauling the car up until the rails can be propped in a horizontal pOSition ( Fig. 2 ) , slackening the cable and moving the car by hand until it can be tipped by a moderate effort. The wheels are then strapped to the rails and their places are marked. The car is removed from the apparatuJ by simply reversing the motion of the winch, allowing the vehicle to move slowly down the rails, which return automatically to their initial position.
