Life, 1909-01-07 · page 14 of 60
Life — January 7, 1909 — page 14: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is not a political cartoon but a **technical automobile advertisement** from *Life* magazine promoting the Rambler Model Forty-Four. The page explains the marketing advantage of the Rambler's "offset crank shaft" design. The diagrams compare an ordinary engine (where piston explosions waste energy at the "dead center") versus the Rambler's improved engineering, which harnesses full power throughout the combustion cycle. The text emphasizes practical benefits: smooth operation at low speeds (three miles per hour) and steady performance—crucial selling points for early 1900s automobiles when reliable, controllable power was still novel technology. This is straightforward product advertising using technical diagrams to demonstrate mechanical superiority, not satire or social commentary. The manufacturer is Thomas B. Jeffery & Company of Kenosha, Wisconsin, with prices ranging from $1,150 to $2,500.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Model Forty-Four, 34 H. P. $2250. Spare Wheel, with inflated tire, brackets, and tools, $74. Magneto $150. on THE OFFSET CRANK SHAF Most automobiles develop sufficient power when they are traveling at a high speed. The greatest need is for power at s/ow engine speeds. Rambler Model Forty-Four can be operated smoothly and steadily at ¢bree miles an hour on figh gear. This is because of the offset crank shaft. q Corresponds to position Corresponds to position of of piston in ordinary en- piston in Rambler en- gine at explosion center, \ TN ) ae gine at explosion center. The Car with the Offset Crank Shaft Ordinary Engine. Position of piston at explosion Rambler Offset Crank Shaft. ‘Position of piston at center. Explosion exerts no turning effart to crank sh. explosion center. Full power of explosion exerts turning The dead center wastes energy. Shock falls on bearings. effort to crank shaft. Dead center eliminated. No energy wasted, No shock to bearings. Seven passenger model, forty-five horse power with offset crank shaft, $2500. Other models, $1150 to $2500, Write for catalog describing Rambler offset crank shaft, Spare Wheel, straight line drive and other features of the new Rambler. THE CAR OF STEADY SERVICE Thomas B. Jeffery & Company, Main Office and Factory, Kenosha, Wisconsin. Branches and Distributing Agencies: Chicago, Milwaukee, Boston, New York, San Francisco. Representatives in all leading cities. comicbooks.com