Life, 1918-06-06 · page 29 of 40
Life — June 6, 1918 — page 29: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is **not a cartoon or satire**—it's a straightforward advertisement for Timken Roller Bearings, a real industrial company based in Canton, Ohio. The page features technical illustrations of three truck rear-axle drive systems (chain, internal gear, and worm drive) at the top, demonstrating different mechanical approaches to the same function. The accompanying text argues that regardless of which drive system a truck manufacturer uses, all depend equally on reliable bearings. The advertisement's strategy is to position Timken bearings as the superior choice by emphasizing rigorous testing across multiple criteria: actual use by truck builders, decades of industry history, load-handling capability, wear resistance, engineering expertise, and manufacturing quality control. This represents early-20th-century industrial marketing: establishing credibility through technical detail and proven track record rather than emotional appeal. The references to available literature ("How Can I Tell," "The Companies Timken Keeps") indicate Timken actively promoted their engineering credentials to both manufacturers and consumers.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
INTERNAL GEAR WORM Whatever the Drive Chain or worm, internal gear or double- reduction, the working parts of the truck rear axle that transmit power to the wheels, carry the truck’s weight and take the con- stant buffeting of rocks and ruts, are all mounted on bearings. Each set of gears must be supported and held in mesh by bearings. Live axle shaft or dead axle beam, the entire unit, and the tons of truck and freight above, rest on the bearings in the hubs of the wheels. These bearings can not be allowed to wear loose without endangering the effi- ciency of any form of rear axle. And if the tear axle goes wrong, the truck is out of business until the damage is made good. Is it not then poor economy to have any less positive assurance than bearings that measure up to every test? The test of actual use by the builders of the most substantial, worthwhile trucks. The test of years of use—clear back to the very beginning of the industry. The test of ability to stand up both to downward (or “radial’’) load, and of side pressure (or ‘‘end-thrust”’), at one and the same time, without the need of any extra ‘‘end-thrust bearings.” The test of take-up for wear—so that after years of service and thousands of miles, the bear- ing can still be brought back to its original newness by a part turn of a nut. The test of engineering experience, based not on a few but on thousands of varying applications. The test of manufacture ina plant completely equipped to handle every step in the production of bearings from the making of the steel to the final inspection. Timken Bearings alone have a record that covers all of these requirements. You will find proof definitely set down in two books—"How Can I Tell,’’ which covers matters of design and manufacture, and “'The Companies Timken Keeps,” which lists all makes of passenger cars, trucks and tractors using Timken Bearings and tells exactly where in each car the bearings are used. THE TIMKEN ROLLER BEARING CO. vy Canton, Ohio MRKREN BEARINGS TOR MOTOR CAR, TRUCK & TRACTOR comicbooks.com