The accompanying illustrations show how an ordinary sled may be converted into a dirigible sled, and how it may be combined with a boy's hand car to make a motor sled.

The Dirigible Sled

Unlike the ordinary sled, that is steered by digging in the heels, or dragging the feet in the snow, from one side to the other, thereby checking the speed of the sled, the sled here shown has flexible runners, which may he curved to one side or the other by a steering bar, causing the runners to follow smoothly in the curving tracks. The sled should be built low and narrow, and the runners should extend well forward and rearward, which will materially add to the speed of the sled when coasting down a hill.

Fig. 555 - A dirigible sled.

Fig. 355 shows an ordinary girl's sled, which is made into a flexible or dirigible sled. The top part of the runners, shown in dotted lines, is cut off on a level with the seat and the ends are fastened together with a transverse bar a, made of iron or wood. From this bar, and fastened thereto, are bars b, one on each side of the seat and parallel therewith. These liars are fastened to all the standards of the sled. On the front bar is fastened a steering lever c, which is fulcrumed by the rearwardly-extending arms a to the front part of the seat of the sled. It is now evident that when the operator wishes to steer to the right, he presses the lever with the left foot, and vice versa. As the steering lever is thus moved, it will be noticed that it moves the transverse bar to one side or the other, thereby curving the runners in the same direction, which will then follow smoothly in the curved tracks.

Fig. 356 - The hand-motor sled.

It will be noticed from the plan view that the end standard is bolted to the seat of the sled, and that the other two standards are not, so as to allow a free movement of the runners when operated upon by the steering lever.

Two pieces of wood should be fastened under the seat, a short distance each side of the forward standard, to allow for side movement.

The old iron shoes on the wood runners should be taken off and curved or hollowed as shown or may be replaced by new ones. By referring to Fig. 357, it will be seen how this curving of the shoe may be accomplished. A shallow groove is made in a block of hard wood, over which the thin steel shoe is placed. A short piece of round iron is laid on the shoe top; the latter is then hammered into the groove, assuming the hollowed or concave form.

Rivet the shoe on the runner, which should be hollowed out a little to fit. The object of the concave form of runners is the same as that of hollow ground skates. The outside edges have a tendency to dig into the ice or snow, and keep the sled in its course, or in "the same rut"; but when thrown out of line with the steering lever, they seem to take hold of the snow and change the course of the sled.

The Hand-Motor Sled

The motor sled, which should appeal to almost any boy, is made by combining a flexible sled with an ordinary hand car, such as sold by toy dealers. The rear wheels are taken off and substituted for a pair of traction wheels, which may be thrown in or out of commission by a suitable lever, within the reach of the operator.

The sled may be of any steerable kind now on the market, or it can easily be built by almost any amateur, to suit the hand car to be used. The material may be bought from almost any hardware dealer. The runners are made for an ordinary size sled, from 1/2- inch by 5/8-inch T iron or steel, or they may be made from two angle irons riveted together. The base of the T should be bent or curved downward, so as to make it slightly dished out in the center. This can be done as before described.

The runners are now ready to be bent to suit the height of the sled. There may be two or more standards, according to the length of the sled. They can be made of angle iron, riveted to the runners, and fastened to transverse bars of wood at the top, and braced together if found necessary, so as to make them stiff.

To these standards are fastened, one on each side, and directly on top of each respective runner, wooden rails e. These rails are fastened together with transverse bars f, at the front and rear ends. Directly over the rear standard, and journaled into the outside rails e, is a crankshaft g, provided with suitable handles h. At the front end, and directly over the front axle, the steering lever is fulcrumed, and two extending arms fastened thereto, which are connected with the front bar f by a bolt passing through slots in the arms.

Fig. 357 - Details of the motor sled.

The sled is now ready to receive the hand-car, which is placed in the center of the same. The front end is fastened to the outside rails c with a long bolt, forming a hinge for the car.

Long bolts with nuts at their lower ends are now passed through the frame of the car into the rear transverse bar, also into the rear standard. Two pieces of wood may he nailed or screwed to the rear standard, forming a guide for the up-and-down movement of the car.

It will now be seen that by moving the handle h to the rear, the crank g will lift the rear end of the hand car relatively to the sled, thereby elevating the traction-wheels from contact with the ice or snow. It will also he seen that the handle b will rest on top of the standard, and that the crank g has passed the center of the shaft, and is consequently locked in this position.

The traction wheels are made of hard wood. First cut out a disk (see Fig. 357) about the same size as the wheels of the car.

Then cut a number of radial slits in the periphery of same, into which are inserted small galvanized-iron buckets, and riveted thereto. Small round disks are now fastened to either side of the large disk, so as to make the proper length of the huh. Into these small disks are made four elongated recesses, to fit the four outward-extending prongs of the fixed collars on the shaft, and when screwed together with the nut on the outer end thereof, will keep the large disk fast on the shaft, and will rotate with the same.

The sled may be propelled by operating the handle h. and steered by means of the foot-lever, like the sled described above.

It will be possible to propel the sled up a hill, or go a roundabout way to get there. Then by throwing the lever //, the traction wheels may be elevated above the runners, so they will not interfere with coasting down hill.