Popular Mechanics 1920-09: Vol 34 Iss 3

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Popular Mechanics Magazine REGISTERED IN U. S. PATENT OFFICE WRITTEN SO YOU CAN UNDERSTAND IT No. 3 Flying Anglers Troll for Deep-Sea Fish By JOHN EDWIN HOGG ROLLING for deep-sea game fish from the gondola of a low-flying dirigible, locating schools of fish from the ir, and then tossing the hooks to them from the air, is the newest twist to angling pastimes to attract the attention of Amer- ican sportsmen. The first dirigible fishing expedition vas carried out, on July 7, by a party of \ngeles sportsmen who flew from the city in a pony blimp to a point about 12 miles north and out to sea, from the harbor. The trip of 35 miles was accom- plished in 50 minutes in spite of delays from a low-hanging fog which made light by compass necessary part of the way. With some light fishing tackle the fly- ing anglers made a landing in Portuguese Bay, about 10 miles north of Los Angeles. Here an hour or two was spent at “still fishing” for small herring and smelts. Using these small fish for bait, a number of large barracuda and mackerel were caught, necessitating the dumping of con- siderable ballast to prevent the airship from being pulled down by the increased weight. While trolling at an elevation of some los 30 ft. and about 10 miles from land, the big thrill of the expedition came when an } Ly Left: The Aerial Anglers Still- Fishing from the Gondola of the Dirigible as It Rests on the Sur- face, One of Them in the Act of Removing a Big Barracuda from His Hook. Buckets of Water are Used; for Ballast, and are Easily Emptied When Arising. Above: Trolling from the Dirigible at an Elevation of About 30 Feet above the Water, with the Machine Running at an Approximate Speed of Six Miles an Hour. The Bait Used on the Troll Lines Consisted of Small Herring and Smelts, Also Caught by Stil! Fishing from the Airship 321

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322 POPULAR MECHANICS eight-foot shark swallowed a big mackerel that one of the flying fishermen was reel- ing in. Several hundred feet of line were unreeled before the shark’s run was checked. Then he began towing the air- craft after its motor had been shut down. A number of times the airship was pulled down by the big fish until its pontoons rested on the water. After a 30-minute battle with the shark the flying anglers realized that the great fish could not be brought aboard without the necessity of dumping a quantity of ballast, more to be desired at that moment than the shark itself. Accordingly, a fisherman drew his knife, and was about to cut the line when the shark wiggled off the hook. After catching as many fish as could be used the aerial fishermen flew back to Los An- geles, making the trip in 40 minutes. STRONG VAULT-LINING METAL RESISTS ACETYLENE TORCH Ability to resist the most potent cutting tool so far known, the acetylene torch, is the remarkable characteristic of a bur- p ; 4 tm Acetylene-Torch Experts Trying Vainly to Cut through a Plate of the New Burglar-Proof Metal glar-proof alloy now being used for lining bank vaults and safes. In an official test, a 4-in. plate of the material showed only a small hole, 24% in. deep, after nearly four hours’ work with a cut- ting flame. In another trial, experts using two torches succeeded in burning a l-in. hole through a plate with 300 cu. ft. of oxygen and 200 cu. ft. of acetylene, 14 torch tips being spoiled in the work. The same flame cut through a 4-in. steel plate in 24 seconds. It was estimated that a hole large enough for a burglar’s entrance would require 40 tanks of oxygen and 10 of acetylene, and occupy two men for two days. @ Tree trunks of square cross section are now the goal of an English school of forestry as a result of a recent investiga- tion into the gardening practice of slit- ting and bruising the bark to stimulate the growth of wood.: NEW LUBRICANT REMOVES RUST AND DEPOSITS GRAPHITE Remarkable qualities are claimed for a new kind of lubricant, compounded by an Ohio inventor. Graphite is carried in suspension by an oil of great penetrating power, so that when a few drops of it are placed on one side of an automobile spring, for example, it soon oozes through to the other side, leaving a film of graph- ite between the leaves, without any need of separating them for the application. Its value is increased by its property of cleaning away all rust and dirt in its path. NO SPOKES OR TUBULAR FRAME MEMBERS IN LATEST BICYCLE Bicycles, in the construction of which no spokes or tubular frame members are used, are now being marketed at a sur- prisingly low price by an American man- ufacturer. Welding is the operation most often performed in the assembly of the parts. Thus, to the two diamond-shaped pieces of angle iron which form the frame, there are welded the seat post, the lugs for the sprocket housing, and the hinged bracket for the front fork. The fork, further, is simply a length of angle iron bent into U-shape. The wheels are formed of steel disks welded along their circumferences to the steel rims, and at their centers to ordinary bicycle hubs. The Frame and Front Fork of This Low-Priced, Practically Indestructible Bicycle are Formed of Angle Iron. To These the Other Fixed Members are Welded ‘8 Ce PGA Fs

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chased from England an interesting apparatus for sub- marine photography. Lowered down the flooded shaft, as pictured on this page, this apparatus illuminates a 10-ft zone; then, as switches are pressed at the mouth of the shaft, it photographs simultaneously each of the four walls. The apparatus, seen beside one of the divers above, stands four feet nine inches high, weighs almost a ton, and consists of three gun-metal castings, bolted together In the top and bottom castings are eight water-tight chambers, each containing a 3,000-cp. mercury-vapor lamp. In the middle casting are four chambers which contain the lamp resistances, and four smaller chambers in which are mounted the cameras. These are of a special box type, are fitted with wide-angle lenses, and are con- trolled electrically by means of back-of-the-lens shutters

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324 POPULAR MECHANICS The Magnet-Crane Motor Truck is being Used Here to Handle Scrap Iron. The Stabilizing Jacks at Either Side have been Screwed Down into Contact with the Road. Beneath the Operator’s Hands Are the Five Control Levers WOMEN SHOOT IN DARKNESS USING LUMINOUS SIGHTS Realizing that the law-abiding citizen usually encounters highwayman or house- breaker in the sunless hours, leaders of the Women’s Motor Corps of New York City staged their recent pistol-shooting contest in the darkness of an _ under- ground gallery. Only the target was illu- minated. As few of the contestants were experienced “snap shots,’ however, the sights of the weapons had to be covered with a radioactive preparation. To the winner a citizen of the city presented a handsome trophy. a, Tiga tes "| epovbiant, KEYSTONE View co. On the Sights of the Firearm Glows the Radioactive Preparation Applied to Make Possible the “Lightless’” Shooting Contest MAGNET-CRANE MOTOR TRUCK HANDLES SCRAP IRON A motor truck equipped with a magnet crane has recently been introduced by a Michigan manufacturer for unloading carloads of iron, for handling scrap, and for similar purposes. As clamped to the chassis frame, between the driver's seat and the body of the truck, the magnet- crane attachment consists of the crane itself, two stabilizing jacks of screw type, and the magnet. Like the crane, the magnet, with its capacity of 1,500 Ib., is energized by the engine of the truck. If used without the magnet, the crane will lift a weight of three tons at eight ft., and of one and a half at 14 feet. AIRPLANE CARRIES RESTAURANT OWNER ON INSPECTION TRIPS Officers of the army air service musi now share the distinction of making their trips of inspection by airplane with a Ca- nadian of Chinese birth. This Chinaman operates a string of restaurants in To- ronto and other cities of western Ontario, and has lately learned that much time can be saved by making his rounds by way of the air. A two-seater plane of the familiar training type is used. Army men will be amused to learn, otherwise, that this restaurant owner’s name is Chow.

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BEAUTIFUL FACES TRANSLATED INTO MUSIC Machines Render Profiles in Jazz or Classic, According to Nature’s Mood By HARRY A. MOUNT BEAUTIFUL face is a symphony of A vision. \nd there’s nothing senti- ental about that, either. It is a cold sci- entific fact, capable of demonstration just conclusively as is a geometric theorem, For the curves that make a beautiful 1 rofile can be translated into sound and he result will be perfect harmony. And harmony, in turn, can be caught by ‘ mera— onomer the most beautiful thing might be some particular star; to the musiciat the tone of some particular instrument to the poet some bit of sentiment. TI xperiment proves that there is a unity in beauty which we have heretofor take the beautiful profile of a girl, translate it into a form understandable to the ear and ine e 1,+¢] 11itie suspected. For instance, we 4 we again have ' , photo- beauty. Cor nd clusive proof e 1 t is a that the thing reproduction of we have do the es of the is not just a | yfrle iccident lies i Such an ex the fact that eriment ] s the beautiful ecentl been sound can b pert rrmed b again turned Dr. Dayton (¢ back into the Miller, of the lines of the Case School of A Photograph, Taken with the Aid of the Phonodeik, Showing profile. Applied Sci- the Wave Form of a French Horn’s Beautiful Low Tone Music is t ence Cle e- most subtle of land, who is the fine arts, ell-known in and its enjoy- the scientific ment consists rid as an au- entirely in the ority on the appreciation of ysical nature abstract beau t sounds. lo ty. It is abstrac il the ex- because it is eriment may The Harsh and Unlovely Record of a Cannon’s Boon, Illustrating presente d tous “a a 1 : the Difference between Musical Tone and Mere Noise hs P t] II to | ve nrougn € ; i sense of h material form oT \ i( h we ir¢ co scious \nd yet musi appeals to mot never been A Phonodelk Record of the Sound of “A” as in “Father,” a oe a Si se wieh en 4. one of Much Beauty Both Aurally and Visually we quat answer PO ie a se —" . find tl the ap st is he ea? neals of beaut rhe are | which we pet most as many ceive throug] nswers to the our othe question as there are per senses, as sight are the same 1 Sons in the their essential \\ orld, tor each . - ch iT icteristic SEES beauty a The Photographic Record of a Spoken Word, Interesting but as that of mu little different- without Special Beauty: The Scale along the Lower sic In a final ly. T he : Edge of the Film Indicates the Duration of the ; aaa iV. O the as- Sound in Hundredths of a Second analysts we 99°. $25

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326 POPULAR MECHANICS must recognize that there is only one in- tellectual center, or brain, that perceives beauty and its criteria of beauty are the same through whatever sense perceived. Away back in 1822, Baron Fourier of The Mechanism of the Phonodeik: The Long Horn at the Right, Resem- photographic method of the “Phonodeik,” an instrument devised by Doctor Miller, it is possible to obtain records of the shapes of these complex musical waves. The trained ear can analyze the sounds, but the eye cannot ana- lyze the curves. By the application of Fourier’s theorem, however, the curves can be analyzed in a manner correspond- ing exactly to analysis of the sounds by the ear. Such investigations show that all sounds which are musical, as distinguished from noise, are always made up of simple tones, which, when represented by curves can be analyzed into composite curves which seem to flow smoothly with rounded bends and symmetrical groupings. The richer bling a Beam of Light, Collects the Sound Waves for the Diaphragm and the tone, the more com- Its Oscillating Mirror. At the Left Are the Arc Light, the Revolving Mirrors, and the Motor That Drives Them Paris published La Theorie Analytique de la Chaleur (The Analytical Theory of Heat), in-which he gave a theoretical ex- planation of the transmission of heat, as from one end of an iron poker in the fire to the handle. In doing so he developed a new mathematical process, known as Fourier’s theorem, which was destined to become of very great importance in other lines of scientific investigation. This theorem has been most elaborately devel- oped in the study of the complicated wave mo- tions which constitute harmonious sounds of music, and hence it is often called harmonic analysis. In 1844, Ohm of Mu- nich definitely announced the principle that beauti- ful musical sounds are complexes, made up of separate, simple compo- nent waves, and he as- serted that the trained musical ear could hear the separate compo- nents; that is, that sound can be analyzed by ear. By such a method - plex its wave form, but it is always beautiful in outline and smoothly flowing. The dis- cordant musical sounds and noises, on the other hand, are represented by waves which have kinks, sharp points, zigzags, and other irregularities. The mere form of the wave of harmony is pleasing to the eye, as the photograph of the beautiful low tone of a French horn shows. In marked contrast to this is the photograph of a noise—the boom of a cannon. A further contrast is the «eid as that now used in mak- The Harmonic Analy zer, by Which a Sound Wave of 30 Components may ing phonograph records, be Resolved Mathematically into Its Elements and the Individual Waves and better still by the Found by a Simple Mechanical Process. By This Means the Human Profile may be Analyzed ee

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POPULAR Above The Harmonic Synthe- sizer, Which Combines the Wave Forms of Simple mes mto a Composite Record of Harmony or Discord, the Case may Be ‘ ee Fs , ° spoken vowel a, as in fa- ther—one of the simplest and most beautiful of the poken sounds and most often used by teachers of oice cul The Italian tongue is rich in this sound and is therefore a favorite vith singers. On the other hand, the photograph of a hown elsewhere, has little When an investigator ishes to study a sound, he first obtains a photo- graph of the sound, by the use of the phono- deik. This instrument boxlike ture, is a arrange- ment from which pro- jects a phonograph horn. In fact, at first ange it appears to be a sort of crude phono- raph. The phonograph 1iorn, however, is for the ing purpose of collect- sound waves, not sending them, and at its tip is a simple dia- phragm. To the center of this diaphragm is at- tached a very fine piece of silk fiber, wound once around an upright spindle, and held by a spring. Each vibration ts | eats EE \ ‘ ~ GC SEs oe pinhole, falls flected by it. spoken word, or no beauty. Tone Record of a French Horn, Which First Suggested the Test of a Human Profile MECHANICS 33 ee = ; es Left: The Profile of a Famous M tion-Picture Actress, Selected for the Experiment of Translating Fa cial Curves to a Harmonious Composite Sound Waves ° : . ree ot the diaphrag1 there fore, pulls the fiber bach and forth and causes the pindle to turn from side spindle to rn from sid to side. A mirror of almost microscopic pl oportions 18 ~~ : attached tothis spindle, and a spot of light from an are lamp, admitted through a on this mirror and is re When the diaphragm is in motion, therefore, the light dances from side to side, This spot of light 1 1, falls on a wheel, which has its outer rim lined with a series of little flat mirrors. This wheel is revolved by an elec- tric motor. The result is that the spot of light is reflected from the wheel to a ground-gla screen, as a series of dots of light that pass from the top to the bottom and again to the top of the screen, and so forth, at the same time oscillating with the movement of the sound diaphragm. The dots of light follow each other the screen in rapid across such

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328 POPULAR MECHANICS succession that they appear to be a solid line of light that curves and writhes about over the screen like a thing alive. In fact it reproduces exactly the wave which may contain as high as 32 com- ponents. This machine is called the “harmonic synthesizer.” Here we have, then, the instruments BSN Swen ans wo ~ used in making the ex- periments referred to in t the beginning of this ar- omnes ticle. It is a rather curi- ous fact that the experi- ment of turning a profile d of a certain tone of a | ( French horn, which bore / a very close resemblance | Jieh \ ) \ into a sound, and then | \ ; A back again into a profile, 1) {() was inspired by the dis- f covery of the photograph | \ \\ ; | ( }\/ \ \ } die / ~~ | to a human profile. The ; / ¢ | Progress of the experi- ; ment was as follows: A photographic nega- Left to Right: The Selected Profile, Its Synthetic Curve, the 14 Simple tive of a pleasing profile Components, and the Profile Reproduced Again by Com- bining Them with the Harmonic Synthesizer form of the original sound. To photo- graph the wave form, it is only necessary to allow the reflected dot of light to fall on a revolving film, instead of the mirror wheel. A tuning-fork device, electrically operated, throws dashes of light on the film to indicate the time duration of the recorded waves. Once the photograph is secured, it is analyzed by the application of Fourier’s theorem, to determine the component tones present and to learn how harmoni- ously they blend. The numerical applica- tion of Fourier’s theorem involves diffi- cult calculations based on integral calcu- lus. But just as we have adding machines to solve problems in simple arithmetic, we have machines to “do” calculus prob- lems, and the equation of a curve may be found by the easy mechanical operation of a “harmonic analyzer.” If we wish to learn the effect that will be produced by the combination of cer- tain simple tones, the natural method would be to sound the several components and listen to the result. But this method is not always convenient, and for pur- poses of a preliminary study, it is more suitable in the laboratory to draw a com- posite curve made up of the simple curves in combination. The first machine of this kind was made in 1876 by Lord Kelvin, to predict the tides of the ocean. Later Professor Michelson of the University of Chicago devised a similar machine for studying composite waves of light. More recently Doctor Miller has constructed the most elaborate machine of the kind yet made for studying musical sounds, was placed in a project- ing lantern and the im- age was thrown ona sheet of paper. The profile was accurately traced. The curve was then analyzed by the “harmonic ana- lyzer,” and found to consist of 14 com- ponents. The equation was “proved” by setting up the 14 simple components on the harmonic synthesizer. The curve, as actually drawn by the machine, is shown in one of the illustrations. Musical sound waves are often repre- sented by waves of this general character. but the word wave is generally considered as a succession of similar forms, and if it is repeated, as shown in one instance, it represents a wave motion similar to the sustained sound of a musical tone. If all — A Musical Chord, Produced by 14 Organ Pipes, Giving a Composite Wave Exactly Corresponding to the Human Profile the details of the portrait are repeated, we should have a veritable sea of faces. Se

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POPULAR lf, upon looking upon such a sea. of faces, we should facetiously ask, “What are the wild waves saying?” Doctor Miller vould insist that these vaves are by no means wild, ut that they Lreintruth 1ost harmoni- yusandare inging a gen- tle song to the which is as eve, weet and mel- ow as the tone fa French orn to the ear. The composite ‘urve of this profile is to the e just what a ch musical nony is to the ear. The equation is equivalent to the musical no- tation of the chord repre- ented in an- ther illustra- tion. \nd not only is this analysis possible, but the harmonious musical notes which the com- ponent curves in the profile represent, can be combined to produce a wave form in the air, which, when protographed, will be a reproduc- tion of the photograph. This is done by MECHANICS The Successive Composite Wave of Harmony at the Left Is the usical Counterpart of the Beautiful “Sea of Faces” Depicted at the Right selecting 14 organ pipes, delicately voiced and accurately toned. These are all set up in a miniature organ and connected with a source of compressed air. When all are sounded simul- taneously the result a chord in per- fect harmony. If this har- mony is pho- tographed, the face is in the waveform. lf we add sharp chin o1 nose to the profile and re produce it in sound there is at once notice- able a discord Similarly a dis cordant note added to th« “profile music” at once disfig ures the beauty of the curve. It is not at all unlikely that very similat methods will soon be applied to practical ad vantage in the study of voices, language, and the like. It will undoubtedly be perfection of musical in- in the elimination of all is seen a used in the struments and sorts of noises. ELECTRICAL OSMOSIS PURIFIES CLAY [he complex phenomenon of electrical osmosis, tegarded for many years as a matter of purely academic interest, has lately been put to commercial use in Europe for the purification of the clays used in making glass and the finest chem- ical porcelain. Explanation of the term itself would be more involved than inter- esting; the new process, however, can be described in the space available. A wooden tank is employed, in which the impure clay, suspended in liquid, is kept in motion by paddles in the lower portion. \bove the paddles is the cylindrical cathode, through holes in which the clay is passed. Receiving a negative charge here, the clay particles are attracted to the anode, with the effect that a nearly dry layer of pure clay is deposited thereon. Meanwhile the impurities, consisting of particles of mica, pyrites, free silica, etc., being indifferent to electrical osmosis, are simply washed away. The pure clay is scraped off the anode in the form of a blanket one quarter to one half of an inch thick.

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f | ERGY ete } , POPULAR MECHANICS 331 WHARF CONVEYOR MEETS ANY RIVER LEVEL One of the stock arguments of ; opponents of waterway transpor- tation is that river-barge cargoes must be lifted to the wharf by expensive labor or power, and that changing water levels create an obstacle to the efficient use of machinery. That this difficulty may easily be overcome is being ——— : weenie demonstrated by a new electric & = conveyor re- cently installed at a southern IHinois railway terminal on the Mississippi River. At this point the stream’s an- nual variation in height is The Long Con- veyor Arm is Pivoted to the Wheeled Frame and is Supported by the Steel Boom gearing, and controls, is mounted on a wheeled frame on the wharf. The convey- ing mechanism itself is carried by a long arm, The River End of the f pivoted to the Conveyor Arm can be {fame and capable of a _ con- Swung Down to the siderable range of vertical move- Barge Whatever the : Height of the River ‘ient. Projecting angularly above the arm, and connected to it by cables, is a steel boom, by which the conveyor may be promptly raised or lowered to meet the deck of a barge. In that position, cargoes are loaded or unloaded mained eee ata rapid rate. It is asserted that This Close-Up View of the Conveyor Arm was Taken from the 1,000 pieces of freight can be han- ae os s Bae ——a of - a oo can dled in an hour. The whole in- ee a Le stallation cost less than $10,000 about 20 feet, but it has been known to’ and displaces a large amount of manual reach 39 feet. labor. Additional conveyors of the same The conveyor’s power equipment, com-_ type will be provided as the traffic along prising electric motors, winding drums, the river increases and warrants it. CITY WATER IN FLORIDA ABUNDANT Florida is blessed with an abundance of water; not only are there hundreds of fresh-water lakes, but the whole state is underlaid with an apparently inexhaust- ible supply. The well driller can guaran- tee a good well in perfect confidence. The stratum is reached at about 150 ft. and is found below a layer of limestone. As a rule the wells flow freely, as in the illus- tration, which is of “oe of the artesian The Artesian Well Pictured Here is One of Those wells supplying the city of Jacksonville. Supplying Jacksonville, Florida, with Water

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ENGLISH ROADSTER HAS EXTRA SEATS ON RUNNING BOARDS Autoists who prefer to drive cars of the roadster type sometimes display much in- — _ An English Roadster with Auxiliary Seats Just Ahead of the Rear Fenders, Giving Touring-Car Capacity genuity in making odd provision for the occasional extra passenger. A powerful English car has been fitted this season with an auxiliary seat on each side, just in front of the rear fender. A solid outer side, surmounted by a rail, makes the out- riding seat as safe as any, and even a footrail is provided by mounting a metal bar on the running board. With this equipment, the roadster accommodates as many passengers as a touring model. BRICK HIGHWAY EXPLODED BY RISE OF TEMPERATURE A “potential mine field,” county engi- neers now call a 10-mile stretch of mono- lithic brick highway near Seattle, Wash., as a result of a recent peculiar and almost fatal explosion of its surface. This road In the Foreground is Seen the Highway Surface, Here Somewhat Repaired, Which Exploded beneath a Passing Truck 332 POPULAR MECHANICS has exploded less seriously a dozen times in the past, the records show, but never before so disastrously as upon this thir- teenth time. The rear end of a passing motor truck was flipped into the air, throwing the occupants to the ground, while bricks soared to the tops of the tel- egraph poles. As in the previous cases, the explosion is believed to have been caused by the nonprovision of expansion spaces for the brick. Lacking them, the surface tends to buckle or explode. ONIONS IN MESH BAGS NOT ATTACKED BY MOIST ROT Experiments having proved that, when thoroughly ventilated, onions are not at- tacked by the moist rot which for many years has been a source of financial loss, the farmers of the Imperial Valley, in southern California, now ship their crop in mesh bags. These are made of a heavy jute or hemp fiber, woven so coarsely that To Permit Circulation of Air and So Prevent the Dreaded Moist Rot, Onions from Southern Califor- nia are Now Shipped in These Odd Mesh Bags the air can circulate freely through the contents. The new bags are popular with the buyers, too, as a glance reveals the condition and quality of the onions. QUEER HOUSEBOAT PROPELLED BY ENGINE AND AIR SCREW A small houseboat, as striking for its oddity of design as for its method of pro- pulsion, last summer appeared on the in- land waters of Canada. In design it is chiefly remarkable because, thouga only 23 ft. long, it is 11 ft. or almost half as wide. It is completely decked over, too, by a “roof” so humped that one can stand erect in any part of the hull. Admission to the hull is gained, as to the interior of a submarine, by means of a small hatch near the stern. Ten portholes on either side admit light and air. To propel this strange floating home there has been bolted to the stern a 20-hp. automobile > dll di ——

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aS POPULAR MECHANICS 333 The Humped Roof is Seen in the Bow-On View, Above, of the Odd Houseboat. At the Stern Is the Power Unit The Side View Brings Out the Un conventional Lines of the Craft and Explains the Mounting of the Pro- peller on the Frame at the Stern engine which turns an evi- dently homemade propeller of eight blades to give a rise to a height of 180 ft. Carved into a semblance ot lacework, and backed by speed of six miles an hour. ‘tern View, Showing Eight- thousands of electric lights, lo impart stability to his Bladed Propeller, Entrance it will be visible at night for craft, Saale. the builder ee miles. Supporting this dom« has fixed, not one, but five keels to the will be a curious base of nine sides, eac] broad, flat bottom of the strange hull. taking the form of a semicircular entrance court. The American Bahaists are ad PERSIAN SECT PLANS STRANGE herents of the Babi religion, founded in TEMPLE FOR CHICAGO Persia in the middle of the last century. The choice of a design for the great @ Proposals for the operation under con- Mashrak Elazkar, or place of worship, tract of air-mail routes from Cleveland to eventually to be erected in Chicago, ™~ Detroit, from Pittsburgh to St. Louis. lll., was perhaps the development yy fam from New York City to Atlanta, of most general interest to mark ge AO and from New York City to Chi- the recent annual convention ‘ cago by way of Pittsburgh, of the American Babist sect, \ were called for recently by more commonly known as “ the Post Office Depart Bahaists. The terra-cotta \ ment. These four routes model, designed by an * ae will be supplemental to architect of New York | ae wee the New York-San City, represents a build- ing of strange, exotic appearance. Domi- nating the whole is a hemispherical dome which will Francisco route, which is to be maintained as a development of the New York- Chicago line by the department itself. — COPYRIGHT, UNDERWOOD & UNDERWOOD This Terra-Cotta Model Represents a House of Worship, 180 Feet High, Which a Persian Religious Sect is Going to Erect in Chicago, Illinois, The Lacy Dome, and the Nine-Sided Base Are the Most Noteworthy Features of the Strange Design

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334 POPULAR MECHANICS ELECTRIC CANDY KETTLE IS AUTOMATIC IN OPERATION An electric kettle now made for the manufacture of candy is automatic and practically fool-proof in operation. As mounted on its strap-iron pedestal, it The Asbestos Insulation has been Removed from the Automatic Electric Candy Kettle Here to Show the Outer Wall consists of a large copper container with double walls. Between these walls, in the bottom, are several heating elements which connect with the factory circuit. Between the walls, too, is poured the water which is to be turned to steam by the elements. The height of this water is shown by a glass gauge; above the gauge is fixed a safety valve. On the other side is an adjustable thermostat which keeps the conteuts of the kettle at the desired temperature by disconnecting the electric current when the steam pres- sure, and hence the temperature, becomes too great. The whole kettle is covered with asbestos to prevent heat loss. When the candy has been cooked, it is drained from the kettle through a wide-mouthed valve in the bottom. CHINESE TRUST CONTROLS DYE USED TO COLOR FIRECRACKERS That the manufacture of the red dye used by the Chinese to color firecrackers for export to America is controlled by a native “trust” with headquarters in Hong- kong is the intelligence brought to this country by a Filipino now studying at the New York State College of Forestry. The trust obtains this dye, he explains, from the Philippines and the East Indies in the form of sapan wood, known to the Chi- nese as “Soo Mook,” and to the Filipinos as “Sibukau.” The yellow stuff secured directly from the wood is treated until it yields a red ink or paste of the familiar firecracker hue. The dye is used also in making the florid seals with which the Chinese certify their more important documents. ROD WITH SUCTION CUP ENDS PERIL OF SLIPPING LADDER A ladder “stay,” as it is called, is now marketed as the first contrivance of its kind. Its peculiar purpose is to make impossible the slipping, or skidding, of the ladder under the weight of the work- man. To accomplish this, the stay is made in two parts: the first, a clamp which is placed around the lowest rung; the second, a rigid steel rod which is held to the clamp at the right length by the pressure of a thumbscrew. At its lower end this rod terminates in a sharp spike, or in a rubber suction cup. The first is thrust into wooden floors, shingle roofs, etc.; the second is used on cement side- walks, tin roofs, ete. When not in use, the stay can be pushed to one side of the ladder, and turned through 180°, or until out of the way. Left: The Ladder “Stay’’ Pushed to One Side and Folded Out of the Way. Right: Used on Cement Floor with Suction Cup —

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POPULAR MECHANICS 335 —_ x * Sticks of Cordwood Placed on the Lower End of the Table of This Portable Machine are Carried by the Conveyor past the Three Circular Saws to the Top, Where They Fa'l Off in Four Pieces Power is Obtained from the Rear Wheel by Means of the Belt and Pulley TRUCK CARRIES AND DRIVES $350 structure contains a_ floor arch , measuring only 12 by 18 ft., vet the dealet WOOD-SAWING MACHINE has secured pie ntv of room for his stock \ portable wood-sawing machine of re- by setting his building about 15 ft. dis cent invention is interesting because it tant from the sidewalk. This intervening cuts each stick into four lengths, and if desired, drops these into the body of a vaiting wagon. The table, tilted up in he rear at an angle of about 30°, is fixed to the chassis of a lightweight motor truck, and is slotted for three circular saws. The first of these is placed in the middle at the lower end of the table, the others near the sides at the upper end. \ll are driven by a belt from a pulley on one of the rear wheels. Power from the same source operates the conveyor chains which, through wooden blocks bolted to them, push the sticks from the lower end of the table, where they have been placed by the operator, to the upper end, where they fall off in four pieces of equal length. STORELESS MERCHANT MOVES INTO PORTABLE GARAGE The purchase of a portable metal ga- rage and the temporary rental of a vacant or The Fruit Dealer Rented a Vacant Lot and Erected i lot recently enabled a fruit dealer of This Portable Garage When He Found It Detroit, Mich.. to so into business in an Impossible to Build or Rent a Store uptown neighborhood despite the prohi- area he has bitive cost of building and the impossi- lined, on either side. bility of finding a vacant store. The little covered with planks, and with tables for the display of his choicer wares

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336 POPULAR MECHANICS THEATER NURSERY HAS SIGNAL FOR CALLING MOTHERS Mothers attending a certain Los An- geles theater may now leave their babies q Left: The Electric-Signboard Act Announcer, in Its Conventional Aspect. BLIMP WATCHING YACHT RACE FALLS INTO JAMAICA BAY The group of newspaper reporters who watched the first two of the recent inter- national yacht races from the car of the navy dirig- ible “C-10” returned from the third race with far less to tell of the contest than of their own experi- ence. The blimp had descended close to the “Shamrock” and “Reso- Iute” as they jockeyed for the start, and had then nosed upward as the radio operator telephoned to New York that the yachts were over the Right: The Signboard Converted. by a Switch in the Theater Nursery, line. To the surprise of into an Indicator That Teils a Mother in the Audience Her Baby is Crying. Center: The Switch That Changes the Sign in a special nursery, with the assurance that they will be given a silent signal if the little ones become unruly. The same electric signboard alongside the stage that announces the number of each act, func- tions also as the mother call. Two switches at the top of a panel in the nurs- ery permit the word “Act” on the sign to be changed to the illuminated phrase, “Baby No. — crying.” A circular switch lights up the sign lamps to form iny de- sired number, and by that previously as- signed symbol calls the mother. the crew the bag climbed sluggishly. Yet 3,000 ft. was reached. Here the nose sagged down- ward, and the blimp began to fall. First slowly; then, though the crew threw overboard sand, loose equipment, and finally the storage batteries, faster and faster. But the commander kept his head, and sped up the engines in an attempt to reach the nearest shore before all buoy- ancy was gone. In this he was successful. The car came to rest upon the water, and the half-emptied bag toppled over on its side within a few yards of an old wharf. Salvaged, the blimp is now being repaired. NIAGARA PLUNGE DESTROYS MAN AND BARREL Incased in stout oak staves, hooped with heavy steel, and seemingly prepared to meet a cataclysm, a misguided adven- turer from England on July 11 defied the resistless power of Niagara, and was ut- terly annihilated. The unfortunate ex- perimenter, convinced that the terrifying plunge of 163 ft. over the falls could be made in safety with the proper mechan- ical protection, had constructed a barrel for the journey remarkably complete in its equipment. It was 7 ft. long, built of 2-in. oak, and bound with six 6-in. bands of steel. Inside it was padded from end to end. Electric lights and an oxygen- breathing apparatus provided for the oc- cupant’s comfort, and at the bottom was a 150-lb. weight to keep it upright. Stout as this shell appeared, the man who successfully took the plunge in 1911, an interested spectator of the prepara- tions, gave warning that it was not ade- quate, and motion-picture operators who were present to film the event endeavored to discourage its performance. But the eager traveler was not to be deterred. At 8:30 a.m. he entered his cask, and was towed into the river a mile above the falls by a motorboat, which itself narrowly es- caped the pull of the treacherous current. Irrevocably in the rapids, the barrel, de- spite its bottom weight, turned end over end, swept in an erratic course to the brink, and leaped, bottom up, over the dizzy precipice. It was 2 p. m., more than five ours later, before the awed spectators espied, floating in the lower river, a single stave from the vanished barrel. After careful search, a man’s shoe was found, and then fragments of clothing—nothing more. The eddying pool behind the curtain of the falls is nearly 200 ft. deep in its basin of jagged rock, and there is no way of discovering what its dark hollows may hold. _- ‘

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: ? a 7 Charles Stephens, the Ill-Fated ps» , Experimenter a : , i} = > “ey 4 . :* Diagrammatic View of the Steel-Bound Oak Cask, = Showing the Padded In- = _ terior, the Electric Lights at — “ k the Top, and the Special ys Oxygen-Breathing Appa- >. ae , . ratus: The Bottom was \ ‘ , , rhte ( Ip- Top: A Cross-Sectional Diagram of Niagara Falls, Weighted —— It Ut | Showing How the Barrel with Its Human Cargo was basil Whirled into the Deep, Rock-Bound Pool Below. Bot- a aa - tom: The Line Indicates the Erratic Course of the ee “ = \ Floating Cask, from the Point Where It was Towed a 2 into the Current of the Upper Rapids, to the Brink of © , the Giant Cascade, Where It and Its Rash Occupant ’ A Vanished Forever a A@ \ 1 = Zz. es le 38 The Motorboat Towing the Barrel, with Its Occupant —-*;5 . : Sealed Within, to the Edge of the Treacherous i Current Leading to the Upper Rapids a Z_ a —_— , _

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2900 Sate) POPULAR WIRE CLAMP HAS TENACIOUS BUT HARMLESS GRIP A wire-pulling clamp now made for the use of electrical linemen, and other work- ers, is composed of only four simple parts, Sy Means of This Simple Clamp a Pull of a Ton and a Half can be Applied without Injury to the Wire but has so firm a grip that a 3,000-lb. pull can be exerted. A second model, weigh- ing a few pounds more than the first, will stand a strain of 5,000 lb. Yet neither clamp bends or mars the wire, whether it be bare or insulated. Both clamps can be applied and removed in an instant and cannot drop off the wire accidentally. EMBALMING APPARATUS FITTED FOR HOSPITAL USE Description of a newly invented em- balming table and bathtub shows it to be singularly adapted to hospital use. It consists of a collapsible steel table frame which, when set up, measures 6 ft. 6 in. long and 2 ft. 4 in. wide. From the four topmost horizontal members of the frame The Tub has been Removed Here to Show the Framework of the Embalming Table When in Use Neither as an Embalming Table nor as a Bathing Mechanism, the Apparatus can be Collapsed as Shown is suspended a tub of metal or, preferably, of rubber. Immediately beneath the two longitudinal members are two long shafts, MECHANICS which are revolved by means of a crank, chain, and sprockets. Cables wound on these shafts support a perforated table top. From these details it is obvious that the table may conveniently be used for bathing hospital patients. Rolled upon the perforated top, from his bed, the patient is lowered into the tub by a few turns of the crank. CORRECTNESS OF OHM’S LAW RECENTLY VERIFIED One of the simplest and most important laws used in the theory of electricity and in its everyday applications, is Ohm's law. This law states, practically, that the resistance of a metallic conductor, at any given temperature, 1s constant. That is, it is independent of the amount of current Howing.. This is an experimental law. It was not derived from theoretical consid- erations. It is, however, of fundamental importance both practically and theoreti- cally. Any slight failure of the law to hold would be of interest to everybody engaged in electrical work. At the Washington meeting of the \merican Physical Society, a paper was presented on this subject. Facilities now available for testing ‘the validity of the law are quite superior to those available about 50 years ago, when the matter was previously investigated. It appears that Ohm’s law holds exactly as far as the use of modern instruments and methods can determine. It holds to an accuracy of at least three parts in ten million. NEW AIR-CRAFT CARRIER ADDED TO BRITISH FLEET The “Ugly Duckling of the British Fleet,” known officially as H. M. S. “Eagle,” recently was put in service as one of the first vessels to be designed solely for the mothering of naval air- planes. It follows that the accommoda- tions are far superior to those provided by the remodeled cruisers and merchant- men of the past. The landing “field,” or level expanse of the superstruccure, stretches from bow to stern, and is broken only by the emergence of the funnels and wheelhouse. These are placed well to starboard of the center line. Beneath this long surface are the “hangars,” the workshops, and the supply rooms. It is apparent that the nickname “Ugly Duck- ling,” is well deserved. Yet, in spite of its clumsy, unnautical appearance, and its displacement of 30,000 tons, the “Eagle”

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POPULAR MECHANICS 335 Go =) ¥ 09 The New Airplane Carrier “Eagle,” Dubbed the “Ugly Duckling of the British Fleet,” was Recently Put through Its Trials. It Showed Itself as Swift as the Fastest Cruisers of the Fighting Fleet i reputed to be as swift as the battle who insist that the air craft carrier be cruisers. This apparent excess of speed able to maneuver as a vital part of the demanded by British naval strategists, fighting fleet at all speeds. SHOTGUN AIDS CAMERA TO SNAP MOVING OBJECTS Using a shotgun instead of a tripod as run from its shutter release to the trigger support for his camera, a photographer guard. This arrangement enables the of southern California has evolved a new meth- od of taking rapidly mov- Ing objects, obtaining clear-cut pictures of au- tos going over 100 miles in hour, during a recent racing meet. The cam- era, of ordinary type, is igidly clamped to the un barrel, and a cord ~ 4 Autos Running More Than 100 Miles an Hour Taken with the Shotgun Camera: The Blurred Background Adds to the Effect of Speed photographer to follow the flying cars with his sights, as a gunner fol- lows a bird in the air, and permits an exposure of 1/50 to 1/25 of a sec ond, instead of 1/500 or 1/1,000 as usually em ployed for such work. | Moving the camera with The Camera, Rigidly Attached to the Gun Barrel, is Snapped by Means the object blurs the back- of the Cord Running from Its Shutter to the Trigger Guard ground, but keeps the

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340 POPULAR main image sharp and clear, a result which actually adds to the effectiveness of the picture by giving visual evidence of rapid motion. It is obvious that the same simple process may be applied to photo- graphing any object whose motion is too swift to be “stopped” by a stationary camera, particularly for nature study, athletic events, and diving feats. PAPER STRIPS ON AUTOMOBILE WINDOWS REDUCE BREAKAGE \ firm in New York City which makes a business of crating automobiles for ex- port has developed a novel method of COPYRIGHT, PUBLISHERS’ PHOTO SERVICE Strips of White Paper are Pasted on Windows and Windshield Before the Car is Crated for Shipment reducing breakage, en route, of wind- shields and closed-car windows. On each pane are pasted crosswise two strips of heavy white paper. The object is not to dampen vibration, as in the case of similar treatment of Parisian shop windows dur- ing the war, but rather to make the win- dows visible in a dimly lighted shop inte- rior or ship’s hold. Tools and even heads were frequently thrust through the panes by careless workmen before this expedient was resorted to. MECHANICS TREES IN DYNAMITED SOIL YIELD FIVE TIMES NORMAL For exploiting the agricultural use of dynamite most publicity has been given in the past to the various state experi- ment stations. It is now learned, how- ever, that a private farm near Spartan- burg, S. C., has been worked largely by means of explosives for the last eight years. Results were slow to show them- selves, at first; but now the system is netting the farmer, in fruit at least, an increase over normal of approximately 400 per cent. In one section of the fruit orchard, that is, where the seedlings were set alternately in spade-dug holes, and in dynamite craters, the trees in the latter now yield an average of five times the crop of their neighbors, Cotton and corn have also been grown on dynamited ground with similar, though less startling results. CANTONMENT HUTS AUCTIONED TO RELIEVE HOUSE SHORTAGE Approximately 150 squad huts were auctioned off by the War Department at Camp Dodge, la., recently, to relieve the housing shortage in and about Des Moines. Most of the buyers carried their purchases away bodily, by motor truck; and all, from those who paid $75 to those who paid $125, seemed more than satis- fied with their bargains. The little dwell- ings have never been occupied, indeed, as they were completed at about the time of the armistice. Each measures 20 by 20 ft. and is sided with one-foot boards. Between these and the wallboard of the interior are sheets of composition roofing similar to those on the roof. Each room is wainscoted with pine to a height of four feet. Approximately 150 Squad Huts were Auctioned Off at Camp Dodge, Iow’, Recently in the Course of Spirited Bidding at the Auction Pictured Above. For $75 to $125 the Purchaser Acquired a Little Dwelling ; Identical with That at the Left. The Foundation Measures 20 by 20 Feet og

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—@ POPULAR MECHANICS 341 ms A Motor Truck of 3% Tons’ Rated Capacity, Carrying a Bottling Machine Weighing 41,200 Pounds, or an Overload of 488'4 Per Cent: The Big Load MANY TIMES ITS RATED LOAD CARRIED BY MOTOR TRUCK 1 Instances of the successful transporta- tion of extraordinary loads by motor trucks are not uncommon, but usually the trucks employed are of great capacity or are assisted by trailers. In West Vir- rinia recently a huge bottling machine, eighing 41,200 Ilb., had to be carried rom the railroad station to a factory two iles distant, and no special equipment as available. The feat finally was ac- omplished by an ordinary 3'-ton truck, vith four years of service behind it. In spite of the fact that the load was about 17 tons more than the truck’s rated ca- pacity, representing an overload of 48815 per cent, no trouble was encountered on the remarkable trip BOTTLE CAPPER FOR HOME USE RESEMBLES PAIR OF PLIERS _ A bottle capper of recent invention will find favor with housewives because it operates on a beverage bottle of any type and size, and because it is hardly larger than a pair of pliers. Superficially, it re- was Hauled Two Miles without Trouble sembles this tool, though on closer in- spection it is seen that the jaws are pro- longed as lazy tongs, on the end of which is a metal cup. Beyond this cup is fixed rigidly a yoke, or collar. To employ the instrument, a metal cap of the usual kind is placed in the bottom of the cup; then Though Hardly Larg er than a Pair « Pliers, the Little In- strument will Cap a Beverage Bottle of Any Style and Size Various Phases of Its Operation are Pic- tured Here the cup is inverted over the mouth of the bottle, and the yoke is locked around the neck, As the handles are squeezed, thi cap is pressed into place,

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342 POPULAR MECHANICS A FOUR-TRACK CONCRETE RAILROAD BRIDGE By STANLEY W. TODD Y the construction of a four-track railroad bridge of unusual design over the Kankakee River, at Kankakee, Ill., a serious congestion of the freight business between Chicago and New Or- —_—— : The new bridge is of the open-arch type, with five arches of 90-ft. span, a 23-ft. rise over the river, and one arch of smaller dimensions over a street-car line. The arches are segments of a true circle. Taking the place of an old two-track truss bridge, that had stood for 34 years, the new struc- ture has been in course of construction about three years. The grade of the tracks had to be raised 3 ft. to give the arches their proper shape. The engineering prob- lems involved in building the bridge were many. One of the features was the use of a stiff-leg der- rick, for handling the concreting materials, be- cause property owners would not let the rail- road engineers use the ordinary cables for the purpose. It was found As Property Owners would Not Let the Railroad Engineers Use the Ordi- that the bed of the river nary Cables for the Purpose, the Concreting Materials had to was solid rock, so that be Handled with the Stiff-Leg Derrick Pictured Here leans has been relieved. The bridge, which is 62 ft. wide and 626 ft. long, is capable of handling four long trains at once, furnishing sufficient facilities at this point to meet the situation for some time to come. The structure is on the main line of the Illinois Central Railroad. not much excavating was needed or undertaken. The pier foun- dations were placed after the base rock had been blasted out to a depth of 2 ft. for a distance of 80 ft., 16 ft. wide. Over this bridge, when officially opened, there will be one set of tracks for the handling of interchange freight between

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Ce POPULAR MECHANICS 343 ne (a o.~t>~... Nearly Every Phase of the Construction Work is Illustrated by This Photograph. Little Preliminary Excavation had to be Done as the Bed of the River at This Place is Formed of Solid Rock. A Bare Two Feet of This was Blasted Away Before the Founda- dations were Laid two of the big railroad systems; the other tracks will be used for passenger trains. @. An American insurance firm, following the lead of a famous British company, is now covering weather risks not only for proprietors of open-air resorts, managers of tennis tournaments, etc., but even for individuals leaving the city for a day’s holiday. Concrete Slabs are being Laid in Place, Above. In the Rear of the Crane can be Seen the Two- Track Truss Bridge, Veteran of 34 Years’ Serv- ice, Which was Replaced by the New Structure 2 A / LLM re or ” a “ ™ Se In This Two-Page View of the New Four-Track Railroad Bridge over the Kankakee River It is Seen to Consist of Five Arches of 90-Foot Span, and One of Smaller Dimensions over the Car Track at the Left. Measuring 62 Feet Wide and Made of Reinforced Concrete Throughout, the Bridge will Meet the Requirements of North-and-South Traffic for Years to Come

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ot POPULAR AUTOMOBILE-WASHING BRUSH WHIRLED BY MIDGET TURBINE The hydraulic turbine, commonly thought of as a colossal mechanism at the The Implement is Shown in Top and Sectional View In the Latter are Seen the Turbine ani the Second Smaller Brush foot of some great waterfall, is now used in Lilliputian form in a newly invented MECHANICS brush for washing automobiles. The in- strument is screwed to the end of an ordi- nary garden hose by means of a hollow nozzle handle which flattens out at its working end into a metal disk. To this circumference is attached a circular brush of horsehair. Beneath the disk, and im- pelled by the jet from the handle, is the midget turbine. As the impeller of the little mechanism revolves, it gives a whirl ing motion to a second, smaller circlet of bristles, and so makes easy the removal of the most adhesive mud. CONCRETE OIL SHIP LAUNCHED WITH MACHINERY INSTALLED The last word both in ships and in methods of launching them was presented in San Diego Bay, Calif., recently when the 7,500-ton concrete oil-tank steamer “Cuyamaca” took the water. In the new boat, which is 434 ft. long, all the engi neering learned in previous building of concrete ships was applied, and the result is expected to justify all the claims ever made for the “rock” con- struction. The remarkable feature of the launching was the installation of all the ship’s machinery prior to the event, leaving little in the way of outfitting to be done after it was afloat. The vessel was launched sideways, and to assure an even keel in striking ‘the water, and avoid all strain, releasing triggers on the ways fore and aft were arranged for simultaneous action, result ing in an unusually even and accurately timed con tact of the hull with the water. Above: The Concrete Oil-Tank Steamer on the Ways Ready for Launching with Machinery ing One Set of Release Triggers. Bottom: edict Keel by the Simultaneous Release of Triggers at Both Ends Installed, Show- The Vessel Launched Sideways on an Even

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— i lenin POPULAR MECHANICS 345 Above Is a Close View of the Break in One of the Five Cast-Iron Columns That Support the Lighthouse. All Five were Bent and Broken in the Same Way One of the Five Columns is Seen Above on the Completion of the Weld- ing. Though Crooked, as Before, It Is Now Amply Strong Hidden by the Numerous Temporary Wooden Piles the Cast-Iron Columns Are Indistinguishable in the Gen- eral View of the Lighthouse, at the Left. The Interesting Picture at the Right was Obtained as the Liquid Steel was Pouring from the Crucible LIGHTHOUSE SUPPORTS WELDED WITHOUT STRAIGHTENING Rather than spend $13,000 for new col- umns, or $30,000 for a new structure, the Federal lighthouse service recently re- paired the five cast-iron supports of a South Carolina lighthouse, bent and broken in an ice jam, by the simple ex- pedient of welding the parts together. No attempt was made to straighten them. As these supporting columns had been bent equally, it must be explained, the lighthouse itself had not left the vertical and was still held firmly in place by the various tie-rods. The columns were welded one at a time, a 3)-ton ratchet jack being used to lift the weight off each in turn. Each break was then made complete, and so widened for the weld, by cutting away the parts in contact. The interior of the column was next filled with molding sand, and a second mold was built around the exterior. The thermite crucible was then placed on a wooden staging beside the break, while sheets of asbestos were nailed over all ex- posed wooden parts. The ends of the broken parts were now heated to red heat, the crucible priming was touched off, and into the Molds Surrounding One of the Breaks the liquid steel, at 5,000° F., was run into the molds. In spite of the intense heat the lighthouse was not injured, and on completion of the job it was found that the columns, though crooked as ever, were now amply strong. GOLD PRODUCTION OF WORLD IN 1919 AND 1920 Between $345,000,000 and $350,000,000 is the value of all the gold produced in the world during 1919, according to the latest available figures, as compared with $380,- 924,500 for 1918. The uncertainty in the reports just completed is due to the lack of information from Russia. The United States’ share in the 1919 output was $58, 285,196, but present reports indicate that the 1920 yield will not exceed $50,000,000 Canada’s 1919 contribution was $14,687, 000, the Transvaal’s $171,640,173, India’s $10,028,000, and Australia’s $29,268,000, while $18,631,070 came from Rhodesia and West Africa. @A group of returned soldiers on) the west coast of Vancouver Island, B. C,, are bottling salmon on a commercial scale. The salmon are put up in glass jars,

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eR ON kh ale acca wa Gare + tn ay POPULAR MECHANICS 347 ENORMOUS STATION TO BE WORLD’S RADIO CENTER A new commercial radio station, so enormous that any one of its six com- jlete transmitting equipments will equal the world’s greatest existing stations, 1s ihout to be constructed on Long Island, N. Y. A tract of 6,400 acres, practically 10 square miles, will be covered by the 72 huge steel antenna towers, which, in six lines of 12 each, will cross each other like the spokes of a giant wheel. The towers, 400 ft. high, carry crossarms, 150 ft. long, for the wires. Five of these great lines of antenna will be used for regular service, reserving the sixth for emergency. For special signaling, all five may be com- bined into one vast aerial of unprece- dented capacity, or each may be split into two shorter aerials, giving a total of ten. \ll will be used simultaneously, commu- nicating directly with all European coun- tries, and ultimately with every station in the world. Sending current is to be supplied by a total of ten 200-kw. high-frequency gen- erators, two for each transmitter. Mul- tiple tuning of the antenne will add greatly to the sending effectiveness, giv- ing results formerly attained, it is de- clared, only with five times the power. \ll this powerful transmitting equipment will be actuated by remote control from the office in New York City, the five sets of receiving apparatus being located but 18 miles from the sending station. The receiving antennez are to be arranged for the entire elimination of static trouble, and received messages from all parts of the world will be handled like ordinary telegrams, and delivered to their recipi ents by messenger boys. Ultimately it is the intention to install automatic high- speed transmitters and receivers, giving the new station a tremendous message capacity. SAWDUST YIELDS GLUCOSE IN LABORATORY TESTS The commercial production of glucose from sawdust may soon be a fact, it is believed, as a result of experiments per- formed recently at the New York State College of Forestry. This laboratory work involved the acid treatment of vari- ous kinds of sawdust with sugar as the final product. This sugar is not, of course, the familiar sucrose, or cane sugar, of the table, but is glucose, so widely used as a nutritive component of sirups and the like. Sucrose cannot now be produced from glucose commercially or in the labora- tory; and there is little prospect that such a synthesis will ever be accomplished. Yet this latest work promises to open the way to a valuable and previously unsus- pected source of food supply. PAPEETE HARBOR ENTERTAINS ITS SMALLEST GUEST As all travelers pass some time or other through Paris, so it might be said that all globe-wandering ships put in, sooner or later, at the Society Islands. Not long after the U. S. battleship “South Dakota” paid its.recent visit to the French posses- sions in the South Pacific, the largest vessel that ever entered Papeete harbor, a claimant for the complementary honor appeared. The sloop yacht “Ogre,” a mere toy of 11 tons, carrying five pas- sengers, arrived at Tahiti some nine months after leaving London, on its lei surely way around the world. After a short stay the little boat sailed for New Zealand on the last lap of its 30,000-mile cruise. The Sloop Yacht “Ogre,” of 11 Tons, at Anchor in Papeete Harbor, on Its Year’s Cruise around the World

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So POPULAR AUTO CANTEENS CARRY EXTRA GASOLINE, OIL, AND WATER Many careful autoists carry spare parts for possible emergency, but fail to provide against the most probable emergency of all — running out of fuel, oil, or water. A western manufacturer ; is undertaking ss : oe to remedy this oversight by supplying a set of three canteenlike con- tainers that rest compactly on the run- ning board. A steel channel across the top covers the caps, and is strapped to two clamps. The 2-gal. gasoline can is red, the l-gal. oilcan is blue, and the 2-gal. water tank is covered with blanket material, COLLEGE TEACHES CHILD CARE WITH REAL LIVE BABY Child care is obviously the most impor- tant of all domestic-science subjects, but the one most conspicuous by its absence from college curriculums, because of the difficulty of maintaining an experimental baby as a part of the laboratory equip- ment. But even this seemingly insur- mountable obstacle has been overcome by an agricultural school in the far West, where a real and very live baby girl is MECHANICS actually installed for class study. Six girl students take care of the little subject, each having a week’s turn. Next year another baby will be “adopted.” ALL-METAL MONOPLANE MAKES 1,400-MILE NONSTOP FLIGHT One of the all-metal passenger-carrying monoplanes which by their distance and altitude flights along the Atlantic coast have been almost monopolizing the in- terest of airmen during the last few months, recently outdid even these per- formances by flying in 10 hours and 58 minutes, and without a stop, from Omaha, Neb., to within 40 miles of Philadelphia, Pa. The approach of dusk compelled a halt before the goal, New York City, was reached, yet the 1,400-mile flight is the longest ever made in America. This airplane, like the others now be- ing manufactured and sold by the owner of the American rights, is the creation of a celebrated Dutch designer, and is formed almost entirely of an aluminum alloy. Consequently it appeals to the commercial operator as being fireproof, weatherproof, and comparatively inde- structible. The two wings, being canti- lever, internally braced structures, are devoid of struts and wires, and thus offer a minimum of resistance to the air. It is for this as much as for any other rea- son that the plane is able to carry six to eight persons at an average speed of 112 miles an hour though powered with an engine of only 160 horsepower. It Was a Monoplane of This All-Metal Type That Recently Flew in 10 Hours and 58 Minutes, and without Stop, from Omaha, Nebraska, to within 40 Miles of Philadelphia. Though Powered with an Engine of Only 160 Horsepower, the Plane Carries Six to Eight Persons at 112 Miles an Hour ~~? Par

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These Three Waterfalls, Totaling 450 Feet in Height, from Portland, Oregon. Proceeding Upstream, the Arrangement Above. a . were Recently Discovered Not More than 40 Miles Discoverers Came upon Them in the Order of Their The First, at the Left, Is 175 Feet High; the Second, Just a Few Yards Farther On, Is Approximately the Same; the Third, a Quarter of a Mile Upstream, Is 100 Feet High WATERFALLS NEAR BIG CITY JUST DISCOVERED By HORACE E. THOMAS \TERFALLS that rival in beauty the most splendid cataracts of the Pacific Northwest have just been discov- ered on the western slope of the Cascade Mountains in Oregon. Although within 40 miles of Portland, a city of 260,000 people, no white man, so far as the rec- ords show, had ever seen them until a few weeks ago. If-a man with a spy- glass were stationed at a vantage point near te falls, he could distinguish a score of towns and cities, could see the smoke of industries and ocean vessels plying the Willamette River, could discern railroad and electric trains, and the other ear- marks of civilization; yet, for generations, the falls have been unknown to the peo- ple living almost within hearing of their pounding waters. The falls lie almost in the center of the Bull Run Forest Reserve, set aside by the government to protect Bull Run Lake and Bull Run River, the sources of Portland's water supply. It is this, of course, that accounts for the fact that the falls were not discovered long ago. The closed to all visitors except employes of the government and of the city of Port- land who may go there on business, a precaution taken to protect the timber of the watershed against fires that might be started by careless campers. Every trail that leads into the reserve is carefully guarded, and the public is excluded at all times. The reserve, which includes 222 square reserve 1s miles of mountains and forest, was set aside by Congress in 1892, and has been closely guarded ever since. It may be that in the early days some of the men who inspected the reserve came upon the falls,.but this is unlikely, as they could hardly have failed to make a record of their discovery. The geological service made a survey of the district, but the falls do not show on their maps, although all other waterfalls are marked. None of the officials or employes of the water bureau of Portland, who have supervision of the reserve jointly with the United States Forest Service, knew that the falls existed. The falls were found by three. officials of the water bureau who had been travel ing a new trail that leads from Bull Run Lake to the headworks of the water sys tem, a distance of 21 miles. Up to the present time, the only trails between these places led along the momntain ridge, above Bull Run River. They decided to explore Falls Creek, a tributary of the Bull Run which had been named for minor falls that were already well known. Penetrating witl great difficulty up this stream, they came into a deep box cafion, and abruptly rounding a turn, were in full view of the lower of the unknown falls. They found that the stream at this place drops over a series of three shelves, two close together, and the other a quarter of a mile above them. The enthusiastic description of the beauty of the falls brought back by the 149

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350 POPULAR party was later confirmed by photographs, The new falls are compared in beauty with Multnomah, most famous of Ore- gon’s waterfalls. Multnomah is higher, having a drop of 610 ft., while the Falls Creek cataracts have a combined eleva- tion of 450 ft. Falls Creek, however, has a larger flow of water. In early summer, a large body of water flows down Falls Creek and the cataracts are extremely MECHANICS beautiful. Later in the season the stream is greatly diminished. A peculiar circumstance is that survey- ing parties are known to have gone within 400 or 500 yards of the falls without find- ing them. Even now that they are found, however, their beauty will continue to be wasted, as the exclusion of the public from the reserve is a policy that probably never will be changed, LIBRARY CAR CARRIES BOOKS TO FARMERS NEAR CITY Since the purchase, by the city library board, of a small automobile now known locally as the “Book Wagon,” farming AY sb x me > >. a) The ‘“‘Book Wagon” Departs from the Public Library at Portland, Oregon, Every Morning with Books for Families on Farms about the City families living near Portland, Ore., have been able to enjoy the privileges of the municipal library without stirring farther than their front gates. Each morning the bookshelves in the tonneau are freshly stocked by a young woman who knows from experience what her people want. Then she speeds over the country high- ways, leaving books as requested, and picking up those left on previous trips. As the various routes are covered on a day-and-hour schedule, the families along the way know when to expect the book wagon, and so are usually ready to return the books on hand and to make their new selections with little delay. @ What is believed to be the only natural fresh-water lake in Panama was recently discovered accidentally near Ancan by airmen of the Seventh Aero Squadron, U.S. A., during an aerial reconnaissance. NEW FISHING RULE IN EFFECT FOR YELLOWSTONE PARK Tourists who plan to wield their fishing rods in Yellowstone National Park this season are advised that, because of the record-breaking number of visitors expected, a new ruling has gone into effect. It prescribes that a visitor can take no more than 10 fish from the streams and lakes within two miles of the main highways. Other- wise, as in the past, tour- ists are not required to purchase licenses, and are given access to all the fishing areas. Hook and line only are allowed, and all fish under eight inches must be returned to the water unless serious!y in- jured. Fishermen will find additional interest in the news that the Bureau of Fisheries has estab- lished a large hatchery at its Yellowstone station, and plans this year to outdo even its activity of 1919, when 700,000 young fish were placed in the various lakes and streams, ODD NEW ELECTRIC TRAINS RUN IN LONDON TUBES Electric trains made up of six cars, with the first, last, and one of the inter mediate coaches motor-driven, and the others trailers, comprise the new equip ment of the underground railway in Lon- don. Each motor car has two motors of 240 hp., giving a total of 1,440 for the train, and allowing a speed of 48 miles an hour. The motor cars seat 36 passen- gers, the trailers 48 each, loading and un- loading being facilitated by a third door in the center. This auxiliary door is electrically controlled from the end, red I $2

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POPULAR MECHANICS 35 + ha Ree Bn xs - L A Motor-Car Unit of the London ~— Door-Control Mechanism. Which Underground Railway's ew Automatically Unlocks the Cen- Rolling Stock, Three of Which ter Door and Lights a Pilot are Included in Each Six-Car Lamp When the End Doors are Train Opened vc a LONDON Left: A Detail View of ‘One of the Center Doors, Which are Electrically Controlled from the End, and Swing Instead of Sliding. Right: Side View of One of the Trailer Cars, Showing the Large Windows and the Arrangement of the Doors, Three to a Side and green pilot lights indicating its locked not unlike that produced by the o Id-time or unlocked condition. The doors swing _ bell ringers. instead of sliding, because of the peculiar _ shape of the cars, to conform to the tube through which they run. In starting, the motorman swings his controller at once to the full running position, a relay auto- matically taking care of the usual steps ot progression. Each car is 50 ft. 10 in. long, and constructed almost entirely of steel, MUSICAL INSTRUMENT MADE OF SHELLS FROM FRANCE \ musical instrument, as peculiar for its construction as for the origin of its parts, has recently been completed by a = : clergyman-architect of Coluinbus, Ohio. | gg + During the course of 21 months’ a; M. - C. A. service along the western front, this man salen cted shell cases of almost every caliber used by the allied and German 7 liv armies, These he has art ‘anged accord- - ing to diameter, cut to proper length, and : ; "ey. suspended from the crossbars of a .. ~ : . wooden frame. As a result he has a per- : ° “sage ee ; wy r i This Musical Instrument is Made of Shells Collected cussion instrument which vields music from the Battle Fields of France e i a

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35% POPULAR ODD MOTORCYCLE RACE HELD ON BOWLDER-STREWN BEACH A bowlder-studded strip of ocean beach near Santa Monica, Calif., was recently ake eee MECHANICS however, as since 1889 Brazil has been a republic. Instead, the work is almost wholly allegorical. The dominating group, consisting of a number of life-size figures about a horse-drawn chariot, is supported = _ by a rectangular pedestal. This is approached by a flight of steps which sup- port a smaller group. EASEBALL AFFECTS DEPORTMENT OF SCHOOL CHILDREN Ever since 1917, the Salt Lake City baseball club has been casting its bread upon the waters and laying up treasure Four of the Contestants are Seen Here at the Start of the Race along the (0 heaven in a form of Bowlder-Strewn Beach. The Contest Was a Splendid Test of the Riders’ Ability the scene of a motorcycle obstacle race. \s it is impossible to find a square yard of beach without its bowlder, the diffi- culties of the contest can be imagined. Nine riders started upon the 300-yd. course; five finished. The others were spilled ingloriously, or dropped out as their machines were damaged. The win- ners time was 3 min. 8 seconds. MONUMENT TO COMMEMORATE BRAZILIAN INDEPENDENCE A towering monument of marble is soon to be erected in the city of Sio Paulo —situated about 220 miles west of Rio de Janeiro—in commemoration of the Bra- _zilian declaration of independence. This declaration was made in Sao Paulo on Sept. 7, 1822, a few months after the break with Portugal, it may be recalled, by the prince Dom Pedro, later constitutional emperor. Nothing of this history is suggested by the monument, advertising that has re- turns just as sure and large as they are valuable. When the season opened in April, 1917, the club started inviting the teachers and pupils of the four higher grades fo be their guests on every Friday afternoon. Of course, the pupils have to do something to be worthy of this great privilege. Their * week’s conduct has to be sat- isfactory to their teachers, satisfactory as to attendance and deportment, and with a ».. grade of 85 in every study. Thus baseball makes what is known to school-teachers as “little angels of good behavior” out of all the boys and girls of these grades, or nearly all. There have to be some black sheep in COPYRIGHT, KEYSTOWE view Co. This Monument is Soon to be Erected in the City of Sao Paulo in Commemoration of the Brazilian Decla- ration of Independence ate. ‘

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wt ee POPULAR MECHANICS 353 The Side View of the New One-Man Davit, at the Left, Shows the Two Pivoted Arms from Which the Boat is Hung. The Boat Rests upon the Two Collapsible Blocks, at the Right. Here are Seen the Two Girder Uprights and, Immediately in Front of the Boat, the Mechanism by Means of Which the Speed of Descent is Controlled every flock, but they are rare in this flock of school children. The free games are open to about 6,000 children, and out of this number 98 per cent have satisfactory enough conduct to win the privilege. I-very Friday these pupils are excused an hour early. Street cars meet them near the schoolliouses, and the boys have seats on the bleachers, while the girls and teachers have their pick of seats on the grand stand. It may be true that there is no royal road to learning, but Salt Lake children know there is at least a royal weekly prize by the wayside. \nd baseball not only makes angels out of the school children but fans as well. Here is where the management of the ball team has shown good advertising sense. The fan on Friday wants to be a fan on Saturday, and on all other possi- ble occasions. He is going to talk ball games at home to elder brother and fa- ther, and one free ticket to a boy or girl may mean a whole family paying for tickets on another day. It also means that Salt Lake will always be a city of men and women enthusiastic over the national game from generation to genera tion. NEWEST LIFEBOAT DAVIT IS OPERATED BY ONE MAN To the old problem of lowering life- boats from a ship’s deck to the water a new solution has recently been attempted in the form of a one-man davit. The chief merits claimed for the invention are simplicity, speed, and safety of opera- tion. One man can release the lifeboat; then step into it, and, by paying out a single line, lower it into the water at any desired speed. On striking the water, further, the boat is always on even keel. The apparatus by means of which this performance is achieved consists of two girder uprights, to the bases of which are pivoted the arms from which the boat is hung. When not in use, the boat rests upon two “blocks”; when the boat is to be released for use, these are coll ipsed, SO throwing the weight of the boat upon thx pivoted arms, GAUGE ON TIRE-VALVE STEM TELLS PRESSURE WITHIN Most autoists carry a tire gauge nowa- days, but many postpone using it from day to day because of the bother of re- moving a dust cap and a valve cap from a tire that “looks all right.” The bother is eliminated, and the guessing replaced by accurate and constant information, with the use of a new type of gauge that forms part of the valve stem on each tire. and is working and visible all the time. The in dicator is a graduated tube on a coil A Tire-Valve Stem That Carries Its Own Pressure Gauge, Visible through a Heavy Glass Dust Cap spring, with an inner valve tube of rubber The dust cap used with it is made of thick flint glass, tested to stand hard bumps and high pressure,

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SEAGOING AIR FLEET NOW A PERMANENT PART OF THE U. S. NAVY SEAGOING aerial fleet, capable of prolonged and independent service far from land, is now a permanent part of the U. S. Navy as a result of the recent maneuvers off the southeastern tip of Cuba. As organized experimentally, early The Mother Ship “Shawmont,” One of the Scouting Planes, and Four of the Big Flying Boats are Seen in This Photograph, Taken from to the nine air craft. On board the “Shawmont” are workshops, fuel tanks, storerooms for spare parts, and living quarters for airmen and mechanics. The after deck is cleared for the accommoda- tion of the small scout planes. When, last spring, this aerial fleet was ordered to Cuban waters, the “Shawmont” picked up the scout planes at Hampton Roads, and proceeded to Guantana- mo Bay. The six flying boats left the roadstead on the same day, and journeyed down the At- lantic coast, with two stops for fuel, to Miami, Fla. A day or two later they ran up their pen- nants in Guantanamo Bay, having completed in 32 hours a_ remarkable supermarine flight of 1,500 miles. Work with the fleet was begun on the following morning, and proved to be of four i > ° apetica Still Another Unit of the First Seagoing Air Fleet sorts. Bombing practice in the spring of last year, this self-sustain- ing aerial group, probably the first of its kind in naval history, consisted of three parts. Most important were the six (later five) big flying boats of the twin- motored F-5L type. These relied on their own motive power for transport from station to station, and when not in the air, were anchored in formation like so many surface craft. In addition there were four fast scouting planes of the float-equipped airplane type; and _ third, the U. S. S. “Shawmont,” formerly a mine layer, which served as mother ship was perhaps the least ar duous; while reconnaissance was enjoyed as the most sporting. The work of spot- ting the fire of the big guns was done with ‘particular success; it is stated, in- deed, that 90 per cent of the aerial ob servers, untrained as they were, furnished better reports than the spotters in the control towers of the battleships. The most interesting activity, however, was the fourth, which consisted, in codpera tion with the submarine flotilla, in offen sives against an enemy fleet reported in the vicinity. It was the business of the aerial fleet on these occasions to locate The Former Mine Layer “Shawmont” Is Mother Ship to the Seagoing Air Fleet. On Board Are Workshops, Fuel Tanks, Storerooms, and Living Quarters; to the After Deck are Lashed the Small Planes 354

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POPULAR MECHANICS 355 the hostile force, then to report by radio to the commander of the submarines its osition, course, and speed, until the at- tack was made. During almost two months of such -ampaigning the new aerial fleet demonstrated its self-sufficiency by refraining from any communi- ‘ation, except by radio, with the land. The airmen drew all sup- olies from the “Shawmont,” and tendered all reports to the vessel's commander. During these weeks, too, the record of the organiza- tion was marred by only one se- ious accident. This occurred during one of the first days of the maneuvers when a high wind and engine trouble forced one of the seaplanes to the water off the southern coast. With seams Ope ned by contact with the waves, the hull sank until the lower vings were awash. In this con- dition the craft was thrown by the surf against the cliffs until it broke up and disappeared. Meanwhile he airmen reached the shore after a des- ‘ate, bruising tussle with the = surf. SPEED OF ANTELOPE LEARNED BY EXPLORER IN AUTOMOBILE rhe running speed of the antelope was ascertained in a picturesque and unprece dented fashion, it has been disclosed, dur- ing the recent expedition of the American Museum of Natural History into the little-known hinterlands of Asia. It has long been surmised that the antelope eludes the wolf and other desert enemies only by reason of marvelous stamina and eetness. Its actual speed, however. has previously been a matter of conjecture. \ccordingly, the leader of this expeditior decided, while camped on a level waste of the Gobi Des Tt, to devote a day to chas ing an antelope herd in his automobile. Mile after mile herd and car traveled parallel, while the motorist observed and noted the readings of his speedometer, Consulting these records later, he found that the herd had traveled at 60 miles an hour for almost two hours, and then had slowed down to about 50, or a little less. @ For the first time in three centuries the villagers of Oberammergau, Bavaria, have decided not to stage the decennial per- formance of the Passion Play. The war and its aftermath have so crippled local life that the custom may be abandoned. They soon saw small boats put over the side of the battleship “Mississippi,” which had been advised of their plight by a com- panion seaplane; but so precipitious was the shore line that the exhausted airmen A Seaplane being Lifted to the After Deck of the Mother Ship “Shawmont:”’ On This Deck the Smaller Planes are Lashed during Travel from Station to Station were forced to search the coast for five miles to find a cove into which their res- cuers might venture. WOMAN RENTS SERVICES AND VACUUM SWEEPER BY HOUR The world-wide shortage of domestic labor is responsible for the recent appear- ance in London of _- the vacuum- sweeper specialist. Thus, the subject of the illustration on this page rents her services and her vacuum sweeper by the hour to her neigh- bors. Her talents being in great de- mand, she is obliged to carry her equipment from house to house many times during the day. These journeys formerly were al- most as tiring as the work itself. But now the sweeper is pushed along easily on a wheel of the woman’s own de- sign. The wheel is mounted on a long rod to which the heavier end of the sweeper is strapped.

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356 ELECTROMAGNET PULLS STEEL FROM EYES OF WORKERS For the first-aid room of machine shop, steelmill, shipyard, or other establishment where flying metal dust and chips of steel menace the eyes ofthe workers, there is now made a small in- strument of the type called “eye magnets.” It consists of a powerful elec- tromagnet, the core of which terminates in a blunted point. As the entire working end of the apparatus is incased in a knurled grip, and as a wire support transfers the weight of the magnet from the fingers to the fore- arm, the operator is able to use the point with unhampered facility and steadiness in removing the metal particle from the surface of the eyeball. Close to the point of the core is fixed a small bulb which is wired to shed a subdued light upon the affected eye. Current is taken from any lamp socket. POWER IMPULSES IN LIQUID HANDLED LIKE ELECTRICITY The problem of transmitting power im- pulses, or energy, through liquids has been studied since the war with remark- able success by the Roumanian scientist who invented the liquid-column machine- gun synchronizer, of which 40,000 were constructed for the British air service. In these later experiments with the vibra- POPULAR MECHANICS tion of liquid in a pipe, he has discovered, in short, that there must be taken into account elasticity of the liquid; mass, friction, and energy loss, just as the elec- trical engineer must reckon with capacity, induction, resistance, and leakage. And from this parallelism he has reasoned that every electrical mechanism has its liquid- vibration counterpart. He has been led, therefore, to construct a number of remarkable machines actu- ated by these vibrations received through a liquid medium. The motors are of the most surprising efficiency and simplicity. Thus two 180-hp. units built recently for turning airplane propellers weigh only 66 lb. each, and are so small that, when mounted out on the wings, they add little to the air resistance of the craft. In the fuselage of the plane is placed, of course, the gasoline engine which drives the im pulse generator which, in turn, actuates the propeller motors through the medium of the liquid in the connecting pipes. GANG PLOW FOR VINEYARDS HAS REVERSIBLE SHARES Two plows are commonly used in the cultivation of vineyards and hop fields, one shaped to turn the soil away from the vines, and the other to turn it toward them, as this alternate arrangement is necessary for these crops. Now a Cali fornia inventor has devised a gang plow, suitable for a small tractor, in which the plows at the sides of the machine are reversible, and may be turned indepen dently in either direction by two levers at the driver’s seat. To avoid injuring the roots of the vines, the plows cut shal low furrows at the sides, and a deep on: in the center. The swivel wheels are at the rear of the frame, permitting short turns. Left: The Special Gang Plow for Vineyards and Hop Fields, Cutting Three Furrows and Turning the Earth in the Outer Ones in Opposite Directions. by Small Tractor; the Two Levers at the Rear Control the Positions Right: The Plow being Pulled by a of the Side Gangs of Plowshares

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“yy POPULAR Left: Examining a Patient of the Canine Dental Laboratory for Defective Teeth or Pyorrhea. the Modern Equipment, Including Anesthetics, Used in Treating the Dogs. MECHANICS 357 oes Center: Some of Right: An Assistant Holding the Patient’s Mouth Open with a Padded Metal Frame While the Dentist Uses the Speculum DENTAL LABORATORY FOR DOGS IN VETERINARY HOSPITAL ; Dogs suffering from toothache, pyorrhiea, tooth troubles to both the canine and are now relieved at an veterinary hospital in the most approved modern manner. A completely equipped dental laboratory is a feature of this institution, and a highly successful me. It is the practice of the skilled den- tists in charge of the department to cause al abscesses, or other ire common e human races, eastern their patients as little pain as possible, and to extract no teeth that might better be saved. The instruments used are sim- ilar to those of a regular dental office, except that instead of saying “Open, please,” the operator inserts a padded metal frame in the dog’s mouth that holds its jaws apart and provides the assistant with means for keeping its head station- ary. When conditions warrant, anesthet- ics are used, PORTABLE HYDRAULIC MACHINE SETS BIG TIRES QUICKLY lasks that are difficult to perform by hand soon bring forth designs of special machinery and tools. Mounting and de- mounting the enormous pneumatic tires used on many motor trucks require con- siderable effort and much pounding of the casings. A machine now on the mat ket, made on the principle of the hydraulic press, the work in from 4 to 10 minutes by easy foot pressure, and with- out injury to the tires. A round does hori- q° zontal bedplate holds the big tire, whicl is then pressed against the hooked ends of six upwardly curving arms, pivoted to Machine, Mounting Huge Pneumatic Tires Portable Hydraulic Lever, for Operated by a Foot and Demounting Though hydraulic, the machin is self-contained, and may be carried on a service truck to the point where it 1 most needed. the base. @ The paint industry of Australia, handi capped heretofore by the high prices ot imported materials, is rejoicing 1 the discovery within 30 miles of Adelaid of a 60-acre deposit of ocher and sienna both used in the manufacture of basi pigments. Approximately 70,000 tons ot the ores are in sight. now

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358 POPULAR MECHANICS GAUGE DESTRUCTIVE IMPACT OF TRUCKS ON PAVEMENT To answer once and for all the argu- ments about pavement damage caused by A Truck Passing over the Road-Impact Gauge: The Front Wheels Displace the Protecting Bridge, and the Rear Wheels Strike the Testing Plate motor trucks, the U. S. Bureau of Pub- lic Roads is taking measurements of wheel impact with the aid of an ingenious mechanism. A concrete box sunk in the road contains a steel plunger, actuated by a steel plate flush with the surface. A rigid bridge prevents any recording of the passage of the front wheels, but in passing they displace the bridge and the rear wheels impact on the steel plate. They drop onto it. from an adjustable approach of planks, from % to 3 in. high. The effect is measured by the deforma- tion of a standard copper cylinder, '% in. in diameter and 1% in. long. SPECIAL RAKE MADE FOR USE ON PUTTING GREENS The caretaker charged with the main- tenance of the putting greens of the golf course can now provide himself with a rake made specially for his use. In ap pearance it can be likened to a metal dust- This Rake, Made Specially for Use on Golf Greens, Gathers All Clods, Sticks, and the Like, into Its Pan without Injuring the Grass pan, six inches deep and almost three feet long, to which is attached a long handle. The edge of the pan is formed by 58 teeth, 2 in. long, and separated by intervals of % in. Because of this construction the rake gathers in its pan all clods, sticks, etc., when pulled over the green, without pulling grass or injuring the surface oth- erwise. SPONGES TANNED TO INCREASE STRENGTH AND LONGEVITY Sponges have been used by man for thousands of years, as is proved by early references to the Greek practice of stuffing them into war helmets; yet it has re- mained for an American professor of chemistry to devise what is practically the first process for improving their natural condition for industrial use. Like so much leather, according to his recent patent, they are tanned. This process affects them as it does leather, too, in that it increases strength and resistance to decay. Toilet sponges, of course, are not treated in this way, the process being meant only for the specimens used in laboratories, ga rages, and similar places. AMERICAN CRAFTSMEN FINISH BATON FOR MARSHAL FOCH As the fruit of 11 months’ labor, crafts- men of a famous jewelry house in New COPYRIGHT, UNDERWOOD #& UNDERWOOD Craftsmen of New York City Worked 11 Months to Complete This Gold Baton. It is to be Presented to Marshal Foch York City have at last completed the baton, or truncheon, which the Knights of Columbus are to present to Marshal Foch of France at the unveiling of the Lafayette monument in Metz, on August 21 of this year. Measuring 2014 in. long, and weighing almost five pounds, the ba- ton is formed of gold from California, sapphires from Montana, and ore from Pennsylvania. On the blue-enamel exte- rior appear 52 gold stars, each engraved with the name of an American state or territory. Circling the bottom are carved the names of the marshal’s three most famous victories. aft emanate Aan oe

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POPULAR MECHANICS 359 SEAT, COUCH, AND BED COMBINED IN ONE PIECE This Ingenious Piece of Combination Furniture Is a Window Seat When Not Re- quired for Sleeping Purposes A Double Bed Is the Result When the Spring Frames are Extended and the Three Mat tresses Put in Place For the benefit of lower one to horizon the many city fami- tal,and the other mid lies who must eke As the Armrests Are Adjustable, One can be Low- Way, and so trans out domestic com- ered to Horizontal and the Other Midway, So form the seat into a . : Changing the Seat to a Comfortable Lounge "a fort in the cramped day bed, or reclining interiors of family hotels and apartment couch. At retiring time, finally, bed clothes houses, an American inventor has re- and the three sections of the mattress are cently produced a promising piece of taken from a deep compartment in the ombination furniture. In the daytime it bottom, and the three spring frames of appears, and is used, as an upholstered’ the top are extended to make a bed about window seat, 41% ft. long, and fitted with 4 ft. wide and 7 ft. long. One mattress irmrests at the ends. As these can be _ section is placed, of course, on each spring inclined at any desired angle, it is easy to frame. ARTIFICIAL LAKE BECOMES RESORT FOR TEXAS TOWN HOUGH far away from any large natural body of water, Wichita Falls, in northern Texas, now has its 4 own lake and lakeside resort 10 miles to the southwest of the city. The project was inaugurated some time ago by the construction across a wide arroyo of a large dam. Accumulating behind this dam for many months, the drainage from _three counties has finally created Lake Wichita, measuring one and a half miles wide by seven miles long. For the benefit of the people of the city, a trolley line has been built to the shore. At the terminus of this line there has been erected, too, the magnificent pavilion pictured above. Here row- boats can be rented by those who would angle for the fish with which the lake has been stocked.

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360 POPULAR MECHANICS AMERICAN SAILORS REMEMBER ord and proof of the sense of loyal com- DEAD COMRADES IN BRAZIL radeship that animates the men of the American service. It depicts an obelisk A photograph taken by a member of of white granite on a broad base of the the American Naval Commission to Bra- same material. On the shaft are carved zil now rests in the files of the Navy De- these words: “Erected by the Crew of partment at Washington, D. C., as rec- the U. S. S. ‘Pittsburgh,’ in Memory of — — —— Their Shipmates Who Died from the In ’ fluenza, October-November, 1918.” Be low are the names and ratings of the 41 who died. The monument stands in a beautiful cemetery in Rio de Janeiro, for it was in this port that the epidemic took its terrible toll. The graves will be tended by the American Patriotic Society of Rio de Janeiro as a perpetual trust. ENTIRE BRIDGE SPAN PLACED BY LOCOMOTIVE CRANE Installing a steel bridge of any size is usually a task of considerable circum stance, and seldom is it accomplished with the ease and celerity that marked a re cent performance on a railroad in Ohio When the completed structure, 100 ft long, was ready to be placed, no machin ery was available except a locomotive crane on the rails beléw. This piece of equipment, however, proved wholly equal to the occasion. By means of cables looped about the upper girders, the crane picked up the entire span, swung it over its abutments, and lowered it into place without the slightest difficulty, completing the big job in a very short time. Pe o * ” s ¥ * a * * Pid a be yr

eee aie This Monument was Erected in Rio de Janeiro by the Crew of the U. S. S. “Pittsburgh,”’ in Memory of Shipmates Who Died There of the Influenza KA \ tuak a WAAL Xi aw ‘ — ak <4 8 a -_

A besaiisaien Crane on an Ohio Railroad Lifting the Entire Span of a 100-Foot Steel Bridge into Place without Assistance: The Big Structure was Swung into Place over Its Abutments without Difficulty

ty een RRM Beh GER IN assent. _ =

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POPULAR MECHANICS 361 fpeeamael? me i l. i Huge Press for Printing Express Waybills: It Prints, Perforates, Punches, Folds, and Carbonizes the Paper, and Numbers, Dates, and Addresses Each Bill, Performing 16 Distinct Operations. Prior to the Installation of This Press the Preparation of the Paper Forms, of Which Enormous Quantities are Consumed Daily, Involved the Use of Four and Five Machines EXPRESS WAYBILLS PRINTED COMPLETE BY NEW PRESS Every express shipment requires a way- bill, and the quantity of the paper forms used daily is enormous. Heretofore the printing of these bills has involved the use of four or five machines, but an ingenious press just added to the equipment of a large eastern plant completes the job in a single run. The paper is printed, per- forated, punched, folded, and coated with carbon, and each bill separately num- bered, dated, and addressed. In all, the new press, which is a huge and complex machine, performs 16 distinct operations, and delivers the waybills ready for use in the express offices. FREAK FISH FOUND IN NET BY CALIFORNIA FISHERMAN A wearied marine monster blundered into the net of a San Diego fisherman not long ago. On being pulled into the fish- ing smack by the astonished captain, it was found to measure a little more than 15 feet long, and iri general configuration to resemble a shark. Its upper jaw was surmounted, however, by a clumsy-look- ing horn of solid bone. When it had been photographed, the creature was sold to a fertilizer plant. A month after its de- struction there, a prominent scientist no- tified the fishing captain that he had caught a female of the species “basking shark,” of which only six are known to have been taken during the history of the _—— This Rare Fish was Caught Off San Diego, California. The Mouth has been Propped Open to Bring into Prominence the Clumsy Horn world’s fishing industry. Of these but two have been mounted, one in Vienna and one in Berlin. The captain would, doubtless, be a richer man if the infor mation had reached him before the sale.

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36 LAMPS BEHIND FALSE WALL GIVE DAYLIGHT ILLUSION Day and night, to all appearances, the sun shines cheerily into the basement Pa Back of the Windows at the Right of This Basement Salesroom Are Several y Passing through the Ground-Glass Panes, Light from These is Given the Diffused Quality of Daylight Powerful Nitrogen Lamps. salesroom of an electrical-fixture in London, Ont. As the room is rounded by unbroken foundation walls, appearances are obviously deceitful. The effect was achieved, in fact, by the erec- tion of a dummy partition, on the street side and two feet distant from the foun- dation wall. In this partition were set three large windows with panes of ground glass. Between partition and wall, and store SuTr- above the windows. were fixed several powerful nitrogen lamps. Light from these, directed downward and outward, is deflected through the windows. Here it is given the diffused quality of ordinary daylight. The illusion was furthered by the application to walls and ceiling of a delicate sky-blue tint. STOLEN PLATINUM IS TRACED BY CHEMICAL ANALYSIS Solution of a large and vexing problem in criminology by the application of deli- cate methods of chemical analysis, a feat recently performed by government scien- tists, may well be classed among the facts that are “stranger than fiction.” Two men had been arrested while attempting to sell 280 oz. of sponge platinum at $100 an ounce. It was found that all the precious metal reported missing by government and industrial laboratories did not equal this amount, which the suspected men claimed to have mined in Canada. ¥ POPULAR MECHANICS It was known, however, that the plati- num in possession of the various plants and bureaus varied in composition, some stocks containing traces of iridium, and some palladium, or other rare elements. Inventories of known stocks were immediately requested, and the confis- cated lots were checked against these returns. With the information thus gained as a founda- tion, supplemented by keen detective work of a technical character, the stolen platinum was traced to its two sources, munition plants in West Virginia and Tennessee, jy replacing the ab- stracted metal with a mixture of mercury and moist earth, the culprits had been able to prevent detection of the gradually diminishing stores. But they failed to realize that the very rarity of their booty gave it individual identity in the scientific records. less AUTOMOBILE TOOL SPREADS DEMOUNTABLE SPLIT RIMS The work of replacing automobile tires on demountable split rims is easy when the motorist is equipped with a new tool, made for the purpose. It consists of two slotted bars, each terminating in a claw which grasps the rim. Passing through the slots, and pivoted to each bar, is a lever. As the lever is moved, the claws As the Lever of the New Tool is Moved to the Left, the Claws are Forced Apart and the Split Rim is Snapped into Position are forced apart and the rim snaps into position. The tool can be adjusted to fit a split rim of any size.

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ro eee FES POPULAR MECHANICS 363 ——— = ——— CHICAGO EXPERIMENTS WITH BIG TRAILER CAR W itk a sense of personal interest the people of Chicago, IIl., have lately watched the passage through the downtown streets of the city’s first trailer car. For they know that on the performance, the manage- ability, etc., of this trailer, built in a local shop, depends the company’s decision to build or not to build 200 more after the same pattern. This experimental car is unusually long, and is provided with wide sliding doors in the middle. The seating capacity is brought up to 62 by the provision of semicircular seats at both ends COMPANY ORGANIZED TO TRACE metal plate marked with an identification AND RETURN LOST BAGGAGE number. Having obtained the codperation of hotels, transfer companies, baggage A company has recently been organ- companies and similar agencies, the com ized in the Middle West, with branch pany anticipates little difficulty in tracing offices throughout the country, for the pieces of baggage so registered. purpose of recovering and returning to —_—- the owners lost suitcases, handbags, @Storage batteries of the nickel-iron type trunks, and other articles of luggage. To are made by a new method in a Swedish avail himself of this protection, the trav- inventor’s laboratory. The active mate- eler gives the company a small fee, his rial, in briquette form, is fed mechanically name and address, and a description of between two strips of perforated nickel- the article. These data are placed on file steel, which are then crimped together in in the central office. In return the com- a steel frame, and rolled into solid con- pany fixes permanently to his article a tact with the active material. FIRST PHOTOGRAPH RELEASED BY CREATOR OF BAT-WING AIRPLANE His photograph, apparently of an accurately made model, is remarkable as the first ever released from the mystery-veiled establishment in Detroit, Mich., where, it is said, 1,000 men are or were employed on the construc tion of the bat-wing airplane which is soon to fly from Detroit to New York City. This projected flight was announced, it will be remembered, in Popular Mechanics for August. The large plane now being groomed for the test was there described as powered by several engine distributed along and entirely within the leading edge. But smaller, single-engined planes of this revolutionary type will differ slightly, it may be assumed from the photograph, in that they will bulge downward into the semblance of a fuselage for the accommodation of the power plant. COPYRIGHT, UNDERWOOD & UNDERWOOD

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364 POPULAR DRYDOCK IN ODD REPAIR JOB TAKES IN PART OF ITSELF Part of a floating drydock, undergoing repairs in the other part of the same dock, was the curious condition made necessary a . oe | ‘ [. ’ oy | “| The Injured Part of the Drydock, with Repairs Practi- cally Complete, Floating inside the Uninjured Part, a Method of Treatment Made Possible by the Unit Sys- tem of Construction ly a recent emergency in an eastern ship- vard. The big drvdock, built on the unit principle, was rammed by a tug, and so badly damaged that it threatened to sink, The defective section was quickly de- MECHANICS tached, and the uninjured remainder made into a somewhat shortened but complete dock for the reception of the smashed member, which was floated into its sub merged inclosure in the usual way. The unit was then raised and repaired like a ship, and soon was restored to its forme: place in the assembly. ANTS GUIDE PROSPECTORS IN DIAMOND FIELDS As a result of the recent exploitation of the new diamond-bearing areas in northwestern Cape Colony, the ants of south Africa, long regarded as the worst of pests, are now coming to be recognized as invaluable allies of the diamond pros pector. Examination of the great ant heaps, that is, has several times revealed the presence of mica, brought up from the subsoil by the insects, and so has led to the discovery of diamondiferous ground. THEATER “RUNWAY” EXTENDS ALONG EDGE OF BALCONY Proprietors of revues, musical comedies and burlesque shows have for several sea sons been familiar with the merits of the “runway as a means for stimulating i the audience a lively interest in the pei formers. As usually built, this runwa) extends from the middle of the footlights to the back of the house. But in on theater in San Francisco the idea has been developed practically to its limit. [1 addition to the glass-topped structure i the orchestra, runways extend along the front of the first balcony, and over the boxes. The outer edge of each is fut nished with an ornamental yet substan tial railing for the protection of the girls Electric bulbs line the inner edge. In Addition to the Glass-Floored Runway in the Orchestra, Pictured at the Right, the Theater is Equipped with a Runway along the Front of the First Balcony, and Plattorms over the Boxes. These are Shown at the Left. The Railing Guards the Girls against Tumbles into the Audience Below Oe ay. wey

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POPULAR MECHANICS oo if 7 AS i-— & i Pe a This Oriental Structure Adorned a Business Street of Portland, Gregon, during the Days of the National Convention of a Large Fraternal Order. Colored Jets of team Rose, at Night, from the Eight Incense Burners, Six of Which are Seen in the Photograph EGYPTIAN ARCH SPANS STREET OF AMERICAN CITY An arch of striking monumental design was the pivotal element of the decorative scheme which recently beautified the streets of Portland, Ore., during the days of the national Shriner convention. In architecture the structure suggested the i gyptian, by reason of its columns of truncated-pyramidal form, and the two sphinxes atop the smaller flanking arches, Atop the middle arch were three allego- rical figures in Oriental garb, one of them astride a camel. At night the structure was flooded with light from near-by build- ings, while smokelike jets of steam, col- ored by electric illumination, ascended from eight large incense burners. UNLOADING QUICKENED BY USE OF LAGE HOPPERS ON DOCKS To expedite the unloading of grain ships at its ocean docks, a western railroad has constructed at the water’s edge several novel towerlike structures. A square hop- per, measuring about 25 ft. on each side, forms the top of each tower. Into these capacious funnels the ship’s crane drop the bags of grain, or similar material: from the hoppers the bags slide dow: chutes into waiting wagons or railroad cars. Use of the towers permits unload Bags of Grain are Easily and Quickly Dropped by a Ship’s Crane into One of These Hoppers Thence the Bags Slide into Waiting Wagons or Car ing to go forward at increased speed, as the crane loads do not have to be spotted with time-consuming accuracy. The tow- ers can be moved along the dock as de- sired.

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HOW ALTITUDE RECORDS ARE ESTIMATED Discrepancy between Bureau of Standard’s and Fédération Aéronautique Interna- tionale’s Statement of Major Schroeder’s Flight Explained ’ N an announcement from the office of the director of Air Service, U. S. A,, May 25, official figures were given con- cerning the altitude flight of Maj. R. W. Schroeder, on Feb. 27, 1920, at McCook Field, Dayton, Ohio. A LePere biplane driven with a 12-cylinder Liberty engine equipped with a supercharger, was used. The altitude reached, as computed by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale, by the 1919 method, was 38,180 ft. The most probable altitude (Bureau of Stan- dards method) is 33,000 feet. The difference between the two figures given is 5,180 ft., or just exactly 100 ft. less than a mile. The explanation of this discrepancy in the two values is a matter of very general interest. From informa- tion which is at present available, the greater part of the difference arises from temperature considerations which enter into the computation of the altitude. In the method referred to as used by the international federation, the mean air temperature of +10° C. was assumed. It fits closely the conditions of flight at rel- atively low altitudes, say, from 12,000 to 15,000 ft. The use of this method, how- ever, does not represent correctly the ac- tual conditions in respect to the high alti- tude reached by Major Schroeder. In his case temperature observations were made by means of thermometers. Actual values for the temperatures were therefore available. The average or effec- tive temperature obtained from his record, and used in figuring his altitude, was something like —30° C. The use of this figure in place of the arbitrary value of 10°, is chiefly responsible for the differ- ence in the two sets of figures reported. In this connection it may be stated that the federation recently issued a for- mula to be used in altitude determina- tions. According to the best present ad- vice, the use of this, the so-called 1920 formula, will give results much more in accord with those of the Bureau of Stan- dards, although this formula, as well as the one used in the 1919 method, is based solely upon pressure considerations and makes no allowance for temperature of the air. Thus it will be seen that the F, A, I., for the purposes of establishing altitude records does not consider tem- perature either by the old or new method; and the making of a new record simply means that the pilot has flown in air of lower atmospheric pressure than the for- mer holder of the record. 366 Temperature should enter into the de- termination of the height of a flight for the reason that the altitude, as shown by the aneroid barometer, is determined from the change in air pressure. Cold air is more dense than warm air. A given change in altitude in cold air, other things being equal, will cause a greater change in pressure than would be the case with warmer air, and conversely, a change in pressure represents a greater change in altitude in warm weather than in cold. The assumption of a temperature higher than was actually present would lead to a figure for altitude greater than the ac- tual height. It should be clearly understood, how- ever, that this question of formulas does not prejudice the record of Major Schroe- der as compared with other high-altitude records. Indications are that the use of the correct temperature, as was done in the case of Major Schroeder, would re- duce in the same manner the figures for various high-altitude records previously obtained. For this reason the figures of the Ff. A. I. of 38,180 ft., are of value and interest for comparative purposes. Major Schroeder, it may be said, appears to have the world’s record for altitude by a good margin. The following table gives the compara- tive figures for Major Schroeder and those of his nearest competitor, as deter- mined by the three methods mentioned. Bureau of 1919 F.A.T. 1920 F.A.1. Standards ee 38,180 ft. 33,120 ft 33,000 ft MOE svinwaesucue 34,910 ft. 29,770 ft. 31,400 ft. NEWSPRINT AND OTHER PAPER MADE FROM BRITISH PEAT Peat, long used in Great Britain and Ireland as a substitute for coal, now gives considerable promise of taking the place of wood pulp for the manufacture of paper. Experiments recently con- ducted in Manchester, England, demon- strated the possibility of making a usable grade of newsprint from bleached peat pulp, and the inventor displayed samples of other papers of various tints, suitable for wall papers, wallboard, wrapping pa- per, etc. For better grades of stock, it is proposed to mix the peat pulp with wood pulp, thereby reducing the consumption of the latter. The coarse roots removed from the peat have a by-product value for brush making.

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ett cn laa Mane erate ane AT Mabe o mentee tae Meni GI « Mi cerenic POPULAR _— _ era. In Use, oo _ —_ COPYRIGHT, KADEL & HERBERT A Rabbit is being Photographed, at the Right, with the Aid of the Swinging Mirror. In the Operator's Left Hand Is the Long Sighting Arm with the Finder Lens on the End. The Mirror is Moved with This Arm. At the Left Are Two Samples of the Work Done. It will be Noticed That the Bird is Seen near the Center of Each Exposure FAST MOVIE CAMERA USES SWINGING MIRROR Designed particularly for making mo- tion pictures of birds and animals, a new French camera, with a speed of 250 ex- posures a second, is remarkable for its ingenious method of keeping the moving object in the field of the lens. Movably attached to the lens tube is a metal ring, with a flat mirror pivoted at one side. A long sighting arm, with a finder lens on the end, enables the operator to follow the object in any of its movements, as a gunner follows a flying bird. The sighting arm is so connected to the pivoted mirror that they move together in geometrical relation, and an image in the center of the finder is always reflected into the center of the camera lens, regardless of its posi- tion. In use, the camera is not pointed at the object, but approximately at right angles to it. The flight of birds, and even of projectiles, may thus be recorded for further study, the object being in about the same position on each picture. In the Inventor’s Hands, Above, can [> be Seen the Reflecting Apparatus by * Means of Which the Operator Is Able to Photograph Rapidly Moving Objects without Turning the Cam- the Camera is Not Even Pointed at the Object MECHANICS 367 VANISHED CURRENCY REPLACED BY ORDINARY BUSINESS CARDS Business and advertising cards, now torn and dirty from much handling, have been circulating as money in Papeete, Ta- hiti, travelers have been surprised to find, since the middle of October, 1919. At that time, and in some manner not ex- Citizens of Papeete have been Transacting Their Lesser Business for Half a Year by Means of Business Cards, Stamped and Certified as Shown

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368 POPULAR MECHANICS plained, all the small silver coins dropped out of circulation as though dumped into the water that girds this small island of the southern Pacific. Financial confusion ensued. Determined to establish a me- dium of exchange, at last, one of the busi- ness firms offered as currency its own business cards, bearing above the proprie- tor’s signature the words “Good for 50 centimes,” one franc, or two francs, as de- sired. This example was followed by all the leading firms, eventually, with the re- sult that the trusting citizens of Papeete have been transacting their lesser busi- ness for more than half a year with this heterogeneous, makeshift currency. QUEER MICROMETER MEASURES WEAR ON DENTAL FILLINGS Unusual tests require unusual tools. A micrometer of interesting type, closely re- sembling a spring scale, has just been designed by the Bureau of Standards for the special purpose of investigating the results of pressure and impact upon dental amal- gams. The dial is graduatedin thousandths of an inch, the entire circle represent- ing but 14-in. movement of the points. The specimen of tooth-filling compound, .16 in. in diam- eter, is inserted in the jaws below, and a weight is placed on the pan at the top. With a pressure of 3,200 lb. per square inch, amalgam, one-half to two hours after packing, was compressed only four per cent in 30 minutes. In some cases it was completely-crushed in 20 hours of the same pressure, or in three minutes or less by 32,000 lb. Equivalent pressures are de- clared quite possible in chewing food. RECOVERY OF GREASE IN WOOL SOUGHT BY FEDERAL CHEMISTS It has long been known that a number of valuable substances can be obtained from wool-scouring wastes; only lately, however, have the specialists of the Bu- reau of Chemistry tried to learn whether or not these can be obtained in quantity, and at costs that will make this recovery feasible. They find that grease suitable for use in leather dressing and in the manufacture of cosmetics ahd ointments can be secured from the wool of the “Ohio delaine” variety, for instance, at the. rate of 17.8 to 41.9 lb. of grease to every 100 lb. of unscoured wool. The utilization of such a percentage is obvi- ously well worth the attention of the wool-scouring industry. GARAGES TO BE DWELLINGS UNTIL HOMES ARE BUILT A neighborhood housed exclusively in garages may now be seen outside Los Angeles, Calif. The situation is a result of the shortage of homes in the city, coupled with a real-estate company’s de- sire to sell the subdivision. Realizing that the present inflation of values puts the erection of a home out of the ques- tion for the average buyer, the company has constructed on each lot a tiny four- room bungalow-garage. Here the pur- chaser of the lot will live until conditions revert to normal, when he will probably build a permanent home. He will then tear the partitions out of his temporary dwelling, widen the door, and run in his automobile. At the Rear of Each Lot in the New Subdivision, as Illustrated at the Right, Is a Little Building That is to Serve as the Buyer’s Home Until He Decides to Erect a House. A Few Alterations will Then Trans- form the Building into a Garage. One of the Completed Bungalow-Garages is Seen at the Left Sans semabeer ens © pe er ee atabtetc ISY-. 2 eee Ee

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cent i eS a POPULAR MECHANICS 369 nr MS A Tractor with a Double Row of Shoes on Each Broad Driving Wheel, Giving a Contact Surface of 500 Square Inches with the Ground: The Power may SHOES GIVE TRACTOR WHEELS LARGE BEARING SURFACE Ground-bearing surface of 500 sq. in., with drivewheels alone, is obtained in a new tractor, invented by a western farmer, by equipping each broad wheel with a double row of shoes that operate like an endless tread. As a result, the ground is not packed ahead of the implements, and the shoes clean themselves of soil. Each wheel has its own driving gears, and the engine power can be shifted, by means of a clutch, wholly to either one for a short turn. The special transmission gives two speeds forward and one reverse without throwing the gears out of mesh. A fea- ture of the machine is that nearly all its working parts are incased and run con- stantly in oil, TWO DRINKS MIXED AT ONCE BY SODA-FOUNTAIN MACHINE A recently invented drink-mixing ma- chine for the soda fountain is of duplex construction; it has one electric motor, that is, which drives either one or both of two dashers. In consequence, two drinks can be mixed simultaneously. The mo- tor, in its central, waterproofed casing, is started when either one or both of the dasher spindles are pressed down into the be Thrown to Either Wheel for a Short Turn mixing cups. These are in themselves of peculiar design, each having in the inte- rior two bafiles, or deflectors, so that the This New Drink-Mixing Machine for the Soda Foun- tain Has One Electric Motor Which Drives Either One or Both of the Dashers liquid does not rise above the top at even the highest peripheral speed. @A motion picture showing the destruc tive habits of the gopher and methods of extermination was recently exhibited be- fore an assembly at the Oregon Agricul- tural College.

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370 POPULAR MECHANICS HELICOPTER OF GREAT SIZE COMMERCIAL CHEMICALS MADE BUILT BY FRENCHMAN IN ELECTRIC FURNACES Stimulated by recent offers of large The widespread substitution of elec- money prizes, a number of French aero-_ tricity for expensive chemical reagents in nautical engineers are busy with the con- the manufacture of commercial phos- phoric acid, potash, and similar substances, may possibly be presaged by a recent activity of a south- erncompany. In its elec- tric furnaces, during the war, this concern made synthetic pig iron, ferro- manganese, and similar products. After the arm- istice, however, the de- mand declined and it was resolved to attempt the manufacture of phos- phoric acid and potash. After much experimenta- tion the company evolved the entirely successful The Fuselage of This French Helicopter is Seen to Resemble That of an = etho d — ~. — Ordinary Airplane. Halfway between Nose and Tail is Mounted the Up- | hosphoric acid is_ ob- right with Its Four Radiating Wings. These are Revolved by the Engine tained by first smelting at the Left ; " . phosphate rock in. the struction of vertically rising, heavier-than- furnaces. Thence the phosphorus goes air machines. The largest of these is a over as phosphoric acid, suspended in the helicopter characterized by its unusually gases. Collected and treated by a second large size and substantial construction. process, also electrical, these gases yield The wings resemble in plan the leaves of the phosphorous compounds as a fine a four-leaf clover, and are carried on powder. In the making of potash, like- metal tubes which radiate from a central wise, electricity is employed both as the upright. This upright is mounted on the’ breaking-down agent, and as the medium middle of the metal fuselage, and is re- by means of which the final products are volved by a nine-cylinder radial engine. recovered. FREAK LIGHTNING BOLT BUTCHERS FLOCK OF SHEEP A JARRING crash of lightning interrupted the rest of two herdsmen recently as they slept near their flock of 1,250 sheep on the range above the American Fork Cajion, in north central Utah. A hurried walk of some 200 feet brought them to their charges; the eootegsree. taken several days later, suggests what they found. Striking the close-gathered flock, as a scythe the standing grain, the lightning had cut two wide swaths, about 250 sheep in each. One of these stretches, in the photograph, from the foreground into the background at the left. Between these swaths and on either side, the animals were not touched. The mone- tary loss was estimated at $10,000 or more. es

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THE TWO SIDES OF THE ETHER PUZZLE Who Is Right, Sir Oliver Lodge or Einstein? By ROGERS D. RUSK, M. A. iy there an ether? Or is space empty? Sir Oliver Lodge says there is. The much-famed Einstein says there is not. lf there is an ether, the earth must be flying through it at the terrific rate of 19 miles per sec- ond, traveling around its or- bit. It is diffi- cult to believe the ether is streaming past us at this rate and even through our == own bodies = — without our ever feeling it. But if there is no ether, how do light waves reach the earth from the sun, and how does gravitation hold the planets of our solar system together? Sir Oliver Lodge has concluded from a lifelong study of the problem that the ether is the most important thing in the universe; that it is the fundamental sub- stance of which atoms and worlds are made, the essence of electricity, and per- haps even the con- The Scientists’ Experiments, to Decide Whether the Ether Moves with an Object Passing through It or Remains Stationary, were Based on the Facts Observable When a Man Rows a Boat Up- stream against a Current and Downstream Again, as Compared with Rowing It in Still Water ray of infinitesimal strength reaches us unchanged after traveling from a distant star for perhaps a thousand years. Einstein bases his theory on the fact ether has that the never been actually detected. Hence he is led to ig- nore its exXist- ence altogether, anditisthis bold stroke that has brought him his remarkable re- sults. The facts in the case are ~ really quite sim- ple. It is the complicated mathematical theory that Einstein’s brilliant genius has built which is difficult for even a good many scientists. The impossibility of detecting the ether is shown by two famous experiments. Sir Oliver Lodge himself performed one of these and a few years earlier Michelson and Morley, of this country, performed the other. At first it seemed they exactly contradicted each other, and that is why Einstein was led to necting link be- tween mind and ignore the ether completely. matter. If it fills all the universe, it must Both of these ex- periments made use be the greatest sub- stance in both weight and volume. If it sustains the sun’s pull on the earth of some bil- lion billion tons, it must be stronger than the strongest steel. However, no one has ever been able to detect its actual presence. Only of very simple me- chanical principles and applied them to the theory of light. A boat moving up- stream is retarded by the current, and moving down- stream is accelerat- ed by it. But it a boatman rows a certain distance up- stream and back, it takes longer than if some of its proper- he rowed the same ties have been dis- covered, of which by far the most im- portant is its power to transmit waves of light at the al- most incredible speed of 186.000 miles a second, ee whether the large or small, short or long. A tiny light The Large Horizontal Arrows Represent Apparent Countercurrent Set Up in a Stationary Ether by the Earth’s Motion. A Light Ray, Represented by Dotted Lines, was Split by the Silvered Glass M, One Part Passing through It and the Other being Reflected by It, and Then Returned to the Observer’s Eye by Mirrors A and B. The Horizontal Part of the Ray was Expected to be Retarded by Going with and against the Ether Current, and Thus to Cause a Disturbance in the Light Returned to the Observer. No Such Result Was Observable waves be shown by a simple distance in still wa- ter. At first it looks as if the loss in speed in going up- stream would be compensated by the gain in speed while coming back down- stream. That this is not the case may be calculation, 371

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on ote POPULAR If a boat travels at a speed of two miles per hour in still water, it will travel three miles and back in exactly three hours, If the boat is rowed up- MECHANICS So it was that Sir Oliver Lodge set himself the task of finding just how mov- ing matter carries ether with it. In de- stream against a cur- rent of one mile per hour, its speed will be 2—1, or one mile per hour, and it will take three hours to go the three miles upstream. On the return trip its speed will be 2+1, or | * three miles per hour, and it will therefore re- turn in one hour, mak- ne ———— Qe es SED scribing his own appar- atus on which he worked during a period of six years he says: “I took two steel disks, a yard in diameter, clamped together with a_ small space between. The plates were mounted on | a vertical axle so they could be spun as fast as nt they would stand with- out flying to pieces.” ing a total of four hours Sic Oliver fortheroundtrip i’ against three hours for the same distance in still water. The reason Moved with the Lodge’s Apparatus: A Split and Reflected as in Morley’s and Michelson’s Experiment, between Two Rapidly Spinning Disks, One Part with and the Other against the Direc- tion of the Disks’ Rotation. Disks, a should Occur in the Light Returning to Light The arrangement is shown in the other dia- gram. Here again a beam of light is broken up into two parts by a was Passed If the Ether Disturbance is obvious. The boat _ the Observer's Eye. but in This Case, Too, thinly silvered glass, one going upstream loses the Experiment Failed to Reveal Any of the parts being re- é Disturbance speed for three hours, while on the return trip it gains speed at the same rate for only one hour, thus los- ing more than it gains. The same would be true of a light wave in the ether if the wave were reflected up and down an ether current by a suitable mirror. Michelson and Morley applied this prin- ciple in an attempt to detect the stream- ing of the ether past the earth as the earth flies through space. For this pur- pose an apparatus was devised in which a beam of light was split into two parts by a thinly silvered glass, one half of the beam passing on undeflected through the glass, the other*half being reflected ex- actly at right angles to the first half. Both beams were then reflected back again by two mirrors, arranged as shown in one of the diagrams, to reunite and be observed by the eye. If there were any motion of the ether relative to the earth, the beam traveling along the line of motion would be re- tarded just as a boat would be retarded by a stream of water. The other beam trav- eling across the line of motion of the ether would suffer no change in its time of transit, hence the first beam would lag behind and the two would not reunite as if they had both followed a path of the same length. This would produce a dis- turbance in the light, visible to the ob- server at the silvered glass, where the beams emerge. But when the experiment was tried, there was not the slightest evi- dence of the ether slipping or moving past the earth. This seemed to indicate that the ether travels with the earth, and at exactly the same speed. flected around between the plates in one direction by suitable sta- tionary mirrors, while the unreflected beam is madé to take an exactly opposite path. Hence when the disks are whirled, if the ether in the space is carried with the disks at all, the beam traveling oppo- site to this motion should be retarded, while the other beam is accelerated. This should produce a disturbance visible to the observer when the beams reunite. But when it was tried, there was no evidence at all of the slightest motion of the ether. At first it seemed the Michelson and Morley experiment proved ether moves with matter, while on the other hand it seemed that Sir Oliver Lodge had proved just the contrary, that it does not move at all. Those who believe in the ether today advance strong arguments in sup- port of Lodge, claiming that the ether moving through the Michelson and Mor- ley apparatus produced a compensating effect in the apparatus itself which made the detection of the ether impossible. Einstein has boldly ignored the ether and has thereby been enabled to formu- late a more general law of gravitation than the classic law of Newton. On this as a basis he predicted that the grav:ta- tional field of the sun would bend the rays of light from the distant stars pass- ing through it; and the British expe- dition announced that the photographs taken during the recent eclipse showed this to be true. This, however, does not prove there is no ether, and as Sir Oliver Lodge has said, perhaps the same phe- nomenon can be explained by means of the ether as well as without it.

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An te ek > plein oh SIS POPULAR (RIGHT, UNDERWOOD & UNDERWOOD MECHANICS 3 -? STAGE FOR THEATER OF LAKESIDE HOTEL BUILT OVER WATER N open-air theater with an auditorium on the land and the stage in Lake Michigan has recently beer completed by a lakeside hotel of Chicago, Ill., for the entertainment of its guests. have been placed upon the turf of the shore, that is, while the stage is formed of a platform set upon piling Access is gained by means of a narrow gangway. from the shore, and shows the stage as it nears completion. about 50 ft. out. footlights. Light still in Europe. popularity in Paris is driven by a one-cylinder, 4-hp. engine of 3.35-in. bore and 3.46-in. stroke, air-cooled, and mounted above the fork of the sin- gle front driving wheel. The car steers like a mo- torcycle, with a pair of handlebars, and is con- trolled by the same means, Lifting the bars actuates the clutch, by the simple process of loosen- ing the tension of the belt drive. The right handle operates the front-wheel brake, and also carries the hand lubricating pump. The two rear wheels are equipped with motor cars are growing lighter One now coming into FOUR-HORSEPOWER MOTOR CAR HAS HANDLEBAR CONTROL lever, body or may be fitted. i" Se : 208 ea a sti A Light Parisian Motor Car, with a One-Cylinder Air-Cooled Engine Either a two-passenger torped a 550-lb. capacity delivery bo: The little engine is starte by means of a hand crank. The Handlebars Operate Steering Wheel, Brake, and Clutch Seats for the audience The photograph above was snapped The orchestra “pit” will be observed below the brakes too, which are operated by a hand |

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374 POPULAR MECHANICS Alumnus are Hidden The Bleachers Built by the Students of Tufts College from Lumber Donated by an ; y Several Thousand Spectators, Above, on the Occasion of One of the “Big Games” Last Spring. The Cage at the Left Protects the Musicians By Volunteering as Carpenters and Painters, the Students of Tufts College Saved the Administration a Bill for Labor of Almost $1,500. At the Right are Seen Two of the 20 Stands Built in Three and a Half Days. Paint is Being Applied to the Finished Structures, at the Left VENTRILOQUIST INVENTS WALKING MANNIKIN A ventriloquist known to American vaudeville audiences for many years has lately added considerably to the merit of his act by equipping himself with a walking man- nikin, or dum- my. It is a product of the performer’s own ingenuity and skill. Un- like the ordi- nary manni- kin, which is carried before the footlights with limbs dangling su- pinely, this lit- tle figure walks on and off the stage upon his own legs. His right hand is always held, how- ever, by the ventriloquist’s left, as in the palm are concealed the controls, by means of which the ventriloquist causes his “as- sistant” to walk, dance, and seat himself, STUDENTS BUILD AND PAINT STANDS ON COLLEGE FIELD Last spring, for the second time in re- cent years, an alumnus of Tufts College, Mass., donated lumber for the building of bleachers on the athletic field with the stipulation that the work be done by the students. This time, as before, the re- sponse to the call for volunteers was en- thusiastic. Donning their oldest clothes, the boys worked with a will for a period of three and a half days, at the end of which 20 stands stood completed. In this work more than 30,000 ft. of lumber and eight kegs of nails and bolts were used. And now that the erection was accom- plished, it was decided to give the struc- tures a preservative coating of paint. Again the students volunteered, and in such number that the job was done in a single afternoon. Altogether, the stu- dents saved the college almost $1,500, ac- cording to a faculty estimate. @The commercial value of the informa- tion supplied by the Department of Agri- culture has never been more strikingly exemplified than in the case of a cran- berry grower of south central New Jersey. At the suggestion of the department, sev- eral years ago, he planted blackberries on 20 acres of soil so acid as to be consid- ered valueless. Last year’s crop brought almost $1,000 an acre. —_ Na INL ala 3 (ein.

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aw ene POPULAR GASOLINE-VENDING MACHINE OPERATED ELECTRICALLY A gasoline and lubricant-vending ma- chine, invented and now used by a garage man of New York State, is unusual in that, al- though stationed beside the street curbing in the isual way, it is operated electrically from the ga- rage office. The appara- tus consists of a rack, or stand, containing a fixed casoline tank and a re- movable, spouted oil measure. Both are con- nected to the large tanks beneath the garage floor vy feed pipes, the flow in hich is regulated by 1eans of switches in the office. If the motorist : ishes five gallons of : asoline and two quarts if oil, for example, he steps into the office and pays for this amount. Without stirring from his seat, the proprietor turns one -witch through five points and a second through two. Returning to his automo- bile at the curbing, the motorist finds his purchase awaiting him in the two con- MECHANICS The Gasoline-Vending Machine at the Curb is Oper- os ated Electrically from the Office of the Garage tainers. The gasoline he transfers to his car by means of a hose, the oil by means ot the spouted measure itself. @Its rudder disabled by a storm, the steamship “Vancouver” was navigated for the last 1,600 miles of the way from Ber- muda to Queenstown, Ireland, recently, by means of its twin screws. “hes (AGMA cca. 375 WELDING SAVES NEW CASTING FROM SCRAP HEAP A welding job that is typical of the economies effected by the increasingly The Valuable and Intricate Aluminum Pattern is Seen at the Left as Cut into Two Parts. Aluminum was Welded into the Three Gaps So Formed The Arrows at the Right Indicate Where popular oxyacetylene process was per- formed some weeks ago in the factory of a large farm-tractor concern. An intri- cate aluminum frame pattern, worth $250, was found too narrow, it seems, after casting and finishing. As it was about to be scrapped, welding was thought of. The pattern was cut into two parts, which were then clamped so far apart that the pattern was of correct width. Aluminum was welded into the three gaps. The to- tal cost of the operation, figuring in labor and supplies, was only about 75 dollars. WIRELESS MAY CARRY ACTOR'S VOICE TO GROUP OF THEATERS An amazing prediction was made by a French expert on wireless telephony a few weeks ago in the course of an ex- tended comment on the recent wireless “concert” given in Chelmsford, England, for the benefit of listeners in London, Paris, Berlin, Rome, and Christiania. By means of the wireless, he prophesied, music played by a single orchestra will be transmitted to not one but a group of mo- tion-picture theaters. Similarly, a group of theaters will display the same film simultaneously while actors before one of the screens, suiting voice to action, will speak their parts into a transmitter. The scientist is presupposing an unbreakable film, apparently, and, still more important, some system for synchronizing the pro- jecting machines.

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376 POPULAR oe Me n= r) —_ MECHANICS This Machine Trims Stock to Length, and Tenons It on Both Ends by Means of Saws Mounted Directly on the Shafts of Small Electric Motors. It is Believed to Be the First of Its Type to be Equipped Throughout with Ball Bearings HIGH RAILROAD TRESTLE BUILT IN ODD WAY In building a high wooden trestle over an intersecting right of way, engineers of a western railroad recently adopted an interesting plan of construction. Or bet- The Unusual Plan Design of This Trestle was Made Necessary by the Acuteness of the Angle at Which the Two Railroads Intersect ter, they were forced to adopt it because of the acuteness of the angle at which the tracks intersect. As seen from the above, the finished trestle takes the form of two rectangles, placed corner to corner, with the track running diagonally across them. This permits the use of more sup- porting uprights than usual. NEW DOUBLE-END TENONER NOW PRODUCED A new woodworking machine now be- ing sold is designed to trim stock to length, tenon it on both ends, and ac- complish cope work, all in one operation. Because of this performance it is being installed in furniture, sash-and-door, and automobile factories. It is of duplex construction, one unit being fixed, the other sliding along the long base. The four spindles mounted on these are each 2 in. in diameter, and are driven direct by 3-hp. induction motors, each controlled independently. The coping-saw arbors can be tilted to an angle of 22°, and are provided with 2-im. vertical and 4-in. horizontal adjustments. The machine is equipped throughout with ball bearings. ITALIAN QUEEN BEES TRAVEL BY MAIL TO ENGLAND In little wooden boxes, each composed of a tiny cage and a tinier provision chamber, thousands of bees have traveled from Italy to England recently through the mails. Responsibility for the curious pilgrimage rests with the British ministry of agriculture which has learned that cer- tain queen bees of Italy are highly re- sistant to a disease of disastrous preva- lence among English bee colonies. The ministry sells the queen to the beekeeper at a nominal price, accordingly, then or- ders it sent directly to the purchaser from Italy. Here 12 drones are placed in each box as traveling companions for the queen; in the larder is packed food enough to satisfy all during the journey. In This Little Wooden Box, Half Cage Half Larder, the Queen Bee is Mailed from Italy to Eng- land. A Dozen Drones Accompany Her : abd

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— > POPULAK NEW HERD OF WILD BUFFALOES FOUND IN YELLOWSTONE PARK That the wild buffalo herd of Yellow- tone National Park is not dwindling, as supposed, but on the contrary s expanding rapidly, was proved ecently by the discovery in the outheast section of about 15 ani- ials. The wild buffalo is never een by tourists, and only rarely iy the rangers in their patrols of he remote areas, Yet their num- ber can be estimated closely. A few years ago, by an official esti- mate, there were about 50; this latest find brings the number to pproximately 100. The little herd was found within five miles of a large hotel, evidently lured down from its mountain haunts y the abundance of spring grass m the bottom lands. In speak- ing of the wild bison, it is worth entioning also that the tame herd of the park has been aug- mented this year, by almost 50 irths, to a population of 500 or more. Many of these are on display this season. WINDSHIELD CLEANER ASSURES CLEAR VISION FOR FLIERS \utoists have some idea of weather probabilities when they start on a trip, but fliers who range wide are likely to run into rain, or even snow, at any time with- A Windshield Cleaner of Automobile Type is Fitted to the Middle Panel of the Window of This ‘‘Aerial Coupé” out warning. Preparation for such an eccasion is simple, involving merely the mounting of a cleaning device on the windshield to assure the maintenance of clear vision. A cleaner of this kind, mounted on a pivot at the center of the windshield and easily rotated from with- In, was part of the regular equipment on an “aerial coupé” displayed at a recent exhibition. The cabin of this machine holds two or three passengers and a pilot. MECHANICS 377 ELECTRIC STOVE OF NEW TYPE MARKETED IN FRANCE An electric stove of unusual design is now being marketed in France. Within The Cover of the New Electric Stove, at the Right, has been Removed, at the Left, to Show the Heating lements. The Fabric Strips are Seen above the Switch the exterior, which is a metal box with no bottom and with a rectangular window in front, are four heating elements. Two of these are broad strips of fabric into which have been woven many resistance wires. These strips, placed immediately above the bottom of the box, warm the rising air thoroughly. The air is heated further, before it passes out of the rectangular window and into the reom, by two glass- inclosed elements in front of a reflector. These become visible through a grating of the window as they warm to a red heat, and so serve to improve the appearance of the stove. EXCESS OF CEMENT USED WITH WET AGGREGATE Experiments with the mixing of con- crete, recently completed by the Bureau of Standards, show that when aggregates are proportioned by volume, as is usually done in mixing concrete, the use of wet sand requires one half to one bag more of cement per cubic yard of concrete than does the use of dry sand. Or, the use of sand from a dry pile will result in the employment of less cement for a given volume of concrete than would the use of sand from a pile that has just been wet by the rain. If the sand is moister than usual, accordingly, it is advisable to use a proportionately larger volume in mix- ing the batch.

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378 POPULAR MECHANICS MACHINE TURNS 2,500 BAGS INSIDE OUT IN HOUR The statement that a new, one-man machine can turn 2,500 burlap or cotton bags inside out in an hour is appreciated This Machine Turns Bags Inside Out at the Rate of 2,500 an Hour. The Turning is Done by the Plunger at the Right Which Descends as the Endless Conveyor Halts Momentarily for its real value when it becomes known that the turning of the finished bag is one of the most costly operations in the mak- ing of bags, and that an expert operator working by hand can handle only about 600 an hour. The machine is built around a conveyor chain, to which are fixed 22 vertical metal frames. On these the oper- ator slips the bags as they come to him from the sewing room, wrong side out. Driven by a motor through an interrupter gearing, the conveyor proceeds _inter- mittently, or haltingly. At each halt a vertical plunger descends into one of the frames, carrying the bag along and so turning it. The plunger then rises, the conveyor jerks forward, and the turned bag is pushed out upon the floor. @ The housewife should not use “canning powders” in putting up fruits and vege- tables, the Department of Agriculture warns. The excessive consumption of boric, salicylic, and other preservative acids, sold under fanciful names, may be attended by severe effects upon the health of the family. PRODUCTION OF MAGNESIUM NOT CONTINUED AFTER WAR Though war-time experience made com- mon knowledge the fact that the tensile strength of cast magnesium is higher than that of aluminum, and that the former metal weighs approximately 32 per cent less thar the lat- ter, American demand in 1919 fell close to pre-war status. In 1914, according to a recent bulletin of the Bureau of Mines, almost no metallic magnesium was made in this country, and there were imported only 35,817 lb. In the next year importations from Germany were cut off, and manufacture be- gan in this country on a large scale. In 1917 war demands forced the do- mestic output to 115,813 Ib., and in 1918 to 284,188 Ib. Then, with the sign- ing of the armistice, production declined, un- til in the fall of 1919 only one American firm was making the metal. In the interests of American economic independence it is hoped, however, that as automobile and airplane manufacturers are taught its merits, the manufacture of this unexploited metal will again rank as an important American industry. NEW OIL-RECOVERY PROCESS USES ELECTROLYTIC ACTION A new, patented method of oil extrac- tion has recently been discovered, and is now being developed and commercialized for the production of vegetable and ani- mal oils of all sorts, as from peanuts, cot- tonseed, copra, linseed, olives, whale blubber, fish livers, etc. The fat-bearing substance is simply fed, in a raw state, into a machine containing an electrolytic unit. Here, in less than a minute’s time, the electrolytic action breaks down the fat cells and releases the oil content. Thence the rendered material passes to a separating device. The process is new fundamentally, and also in that it is odor- less, continuous, automatic, cheap, and so efficient that practically 100 per cent of the oil is obtained. Necessary current can be supplied by a small generating set. Nie cities EP Rls — are i eater © r be. AA

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aE CE tego POPULAR MECHANICS SEATTLE AUTOMOBILES LINE UP AT DAYBREAK FOR GASOLINE DURING the period of the gasoline shortage “First come, first served’”’ has become the rule at the automo- bile-service stations of Seattle, Wash. In consequence, as the stations usually secure their supplies early in the morning, most motorists are up with the sun each day. Arriving at their stations they are almost nvariably compelled to wait their turn, with the result that the lines often reach, as in the photograph, the ength of a block or more. In spite of the ruling that each pleasure car can be served with no more than five allons, the stations are usually bone-dry before noon. MASKED MONKS CARRY SICK BROTHER TO HOSPITAL A VARIETY of ancient practices and traditions are sedulously preserved in the historic city of Florence, Italy, by patriotic, historical, and similar organizations. The local religious bodies are most conspicuous, perhaps, for this clinging to queer customs, one of which is the subject ‘of the above photograph. Having been notified that one of their number is afflicted with a contagious disease, the members of the order have donned robes and hoods. and are now carrying the sick man to the isolation hospital. The black covering of the stretcher is withdrawn for an instant at the request of the photographer.

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380 POPULAR MECHANICS IMPROVED SHIP’S VENTILATOR FUNCTIONS IN ALL WEATHER A ship’s ventilator of recent invention is noteworthy in that it delivers air to the hold or cabin which it serves, in a The Fan of the New Ship’s Ventilator is Seen at the Left, Mounted in the Throat of the Cowl. The Doors Have Been Closed, at the Right dead calm, and in that it can safely be operated while heavy seas are breaking over the vessel. Though from a distance it resembles an ordinary rotatable, cowl- type ventilator, it is seen on closer inspec- tion to be equipped with two accessories, The first of these, for use when the breeze fails and a forced draft must be had, is a motor-driven fan, mounted in the throat of the cowl. The second, for use in stormy weather, is a pair of doors which can be locked to close the cowl opening. In each door are two rectangular open- ings protected by small hoods against the intrusion of sea water. CITY MUSEUM TO GET QUAINT SCULPTURAL MINIATURES The announcement that the Cleveland Museum of Art is planning a series of historical and geographical “groups” to be executed by an artist of New York City, reminds that for five years, now, this man has been perfecting a form of artis- tic expression that is almost entirely his own. He concerns himself, in plain, with the making of tiny, three-dimensional pic- tures of historical, geographical, and ro- mantic interest. They are composed, first, of a miniature stage, or setting, which is correctly furnished in every detail. On this stage are placed wax figures, about eight inches tall, and garbed in the clothes of the place and period. Artistic lights and a gauze screen across the front of the stage heighten the illusion of reality, and complete the “picture.” The artist was formerly a naturalist in a metropolitan museum of natural history, it may be ex- plained, and there was charged with the making of the familiar groups of wild ani- mals and exotic peoples. SHARP SPIKES ON AUTO WHEEL ARE ANTISKID ATTACHMENT A new antiskid attachment for automo- bile trucks is intended for use on frozen and inclined surfaces, and in soft mud. Functioning under such conditions, the equipment holds the truck to its path as his iron-shod stick sustains the Alpine climber on the most slippery ice. As clamped to the outside of each wheel, the attachment consists of two concentric rings of steel, the outer of a little more than the diameter of the wheel rim. Piercing these rings radially are the 18 heavy, pointed spikes, or prongs, which by the weight of the truck are forced into the highway. They are not mounted immovably, however, but in coil springs, which permit a limited recession from These 18 Pointed Spikes, Mounted Ra- dially in the Circular Frame, Constitute an Effective Antiskid At- tachment for the Auto-Truck Wheel the road surface. The pointed ends are removable in order that they may be replaced when dull or worn away. @The heretofore unused part of its lot is now yielding a considerable revenue to a church in a small eastern city. Sur- faced with cinders, the area is rented as parking space when, on Sundays and holi- days, the farmers flock to town in their automobiles.

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b “ 4 4 4 1 PRY pee deag 2 POPULAR MECHANICS 381 Interior View of the Truck Showing its Power Machinery and Electrical Plant The Complete Mobile Repair Shop as It Appears in Action. Note the Removable Stepladders for Speed- Up the Activities of the orkmen. Right: The Forge, and Welding and Brazing Outfit of the Trailer TRAVELING REPAIR SHOP KEEPS PLANES FIT \ new perambulating airplane-repair hop, which is claimed to be the most aborate and complete of its kind, was ecently put into service by the War Department at Rockwell Field, Calif. The entire outfit, which weighs 32,000 Ib. nd cost $25,000, is carried on an enor- ous motor truck and trailer. In addi- tion to all the tool equipment included in former outfits, the new repair shop em- odies several noteworthy and heretofore nattempted features. The truck houses a lathe and combina- ion horizontal boring machine, drill ress, power hacksaws, emery wheels, uffing machine, and punch press. There a set of tools including everything ieeded for rebuilding an airplane in the field, and the electrical equipment. A iour-cylinder, four-cycle stationary engine n the truck body drives a generator, vhich in turn charges a set of storage batteries located under the floor. In ad- lition to supplying power for the ma- chinery, this outfit also provides current lor a spot-welding device, and a lighting system that may be set up to illuminate an entire aviation field. Night landing of airplanes is thus made possible. In the trailer is a complete welding and brazing equipment, and a forge, in addition to tools for any kind of a blacksmithing job. The truck also includes an air compressor which is used for inflating airplane tires, for transferring gasoline and oil, and for spraying distillate for cleaning airplane machinery. The equipment has, besides, a portable radio telephone having an operating ra- dius of 150 miles, which enables the mobile repair shop to keep in constant communi- cation with planes in the air, and most of the time with its original operating base. RED CROSS ADOPTS STANDARD EMERGENCY SURGICAL PACK For use in great disasters and emer- gencies the American Red Cross has lately adopted a standard surgical package. It is of about the size of a small loaf of bread, is wrapped in heavy, paraffined brown paper, and contains 10 gauze com- presses, one absorbent pad, one rolled wadding bandage, one muslin bandage, one gauze bandage, one triangular bhand- age, and safety pins. Samples with in- structions for preparation are being sent to Red Cross workrooms throughout the country. The move has been fully in- dorsed, incidentally, by the surgeon- general of the army.

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YQ oo POPULAR REAR WHEELS PUT TO ODD USE IN NEW POTATO DIGGER The interesting feature of a _horse- drawn potato digger of new type, now manufactured in the East, is the use of Thrown by the Plowshare into the Wheels of This Potato Digger, the Soil Falls Through, and the Pota- toes Tumble into the Furrow between the Wheels the two rear wheels as a vital part of the mechanism. The rims are made of steel bars arranged transversely, and conse- quently resemble great squirrel cages, six feet in diameter. Slanting across the inner surface of each of these cagelike wheel rims are six metal plates. Between the wheels is a large, reversible plowshare. As the team draws the digger down the rows of hillocks, the plowshare throws potatoes and soil into one or the other of the wheels. The dirt falls through the cagelike rim; the potatoes, having been MECHANICS carried a short distance along the revolv- ing wheel, fall back, and are deflected by the diagonal plates into the furrow plowed up a minute before. LOST LUMBER VESSEL BRINGS FORTUNE TO FINDERS There is always supposed to be one more voyage left in an old ship. So the 547-ton sailing vessel “Retriever,” built in 1881, left San Francisco late last Feb- ruary in spite of its bad condition, with an unsinkable cargo of mine lumber for Peru. But it never reached its destination. By the time it had crossed the line, water was gaining rapidly in the hold, and 150 miles east of Marquesas Islands the crew was forced to abandon it and take to the small boats for three exhausting days and nights. When they told their story later at Papeete, in the Society Islands, most of the foot-loose shipping in the harbor set out to scour the South Pacific for the prize derelict. The quest proved vain. Not even a stick of timber had been sighted by the volunteer salvagers when the steamer “Talune,” bound on business from New Zealand to Papeete with no thought of derelicts, came abreast of Huaheine Island, in the very midst of the Society group itself. There the old lum- ber ship was floating peacefully, its decks awash, but its $75,000 cargo as good as ever, and on May 17 the steamer towed it triumphantly into harbor. Above: The Steamer “Talune” Towing the —— Valuable Derelict into the Harbor at Papeete, in the Society Islands j | These Photographs were Snapped in the Harbor at Papeete a Few Days after the Arrival of the Steamer with Its Find. At the Left, Piles of Lumber are to be Seen on the Deck of the “Retriever.” At the Right Is the ‘“*Talune” weer es Ne IPE TOE aad © a

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POPULAR MECHANICS 383 “ COWGIRL ON PINTO HORSE GREETS NEW YORK FROM HOTEL ROOF ASTRIDE their piebald ponies, and weeing, sombreros, audible shirts, and fleecy chaps as the vestments of i a vanishing type, there rode into New ork City recently a man and a girl from the West. Reaching re their hotel, famed as one of the most luxurious in the world, they rode up the steps, into the lobby, and to i the desk. Here they registered, and the curious crowd learned that both hailed from Wyoming, and that the girl bore letters from the governor inviting prominent men and women of the East to the forthcoming annual celebration at Cheyenne. The intrepid girl then rode her pony, via the elevator, to the roof, where horse and rider gave Manhattan the imperturbable “once over.” ; Several departures from current prac- mudguard, which, in front, turns with the tice feature a little automobile recently wheel. On the front fenders, too, are constructed by an American manufactur-_ fixed the headlights, which are thus en ¢ er, and soon, it is hoped, to be — a — a — produced in quantity. It is called : a “unit car,” first of all, because ; the power plant is mounted as a : unit just above and forward of 4 the rear axle. Universal joints and other complexities of trans- mission are made unnecessary by ‘his arrangement. The motor is id of four-cylinder, air-cooled type, and develops 16 hp. The space reneath the hood, ordinarily oc- cupied by the engine, is given over to the gasoline tank, to a The Motor of This Newest Midget Automobile is Mounted Im luggage compartment, and in the mediately in Front of the Rear Axle Beneath the Hood rear, to leg room for the occu- Front. Are the Gasoline Tank and a Luggage Compartn pants. The four wheels, of airplane type, abled to illuminate curves in the ro > are each surmounted by an individual The car is operated in th ——————————

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384 POPULAR HINGED LEGS PERMIT STAIR CLIMBING WITH HAND TRUCK A stair-climbing hand truck is a recent invention which should prove itself valu- able wherever heavy trunks and similar Two Wooden Legs, Hinged to the Middle of the Frame of This Hand Truck, Serve as Ful- crums, and So Make Stair Climbing Easy objects must occasionally be moved up and downstairs. The gist of the inven- tion is a pair of wooden legs, which are hinged to the middle of the frame of a rather ordinary hand truck. These are held in normal position by two rods which are connected, through coil springs, to the front of the truck. As the truck is pushed MECHANICS upstairs, the legs serve as fulcrums, per- mitting the operator to lift the front end of the truck and push it forward to the next step. Then, with the wheels as ful- crums, the operator lifts the rear end, and so permits the coil springs to pull the two legs forward to the next step. This oper- ation is repeated to gain each step. GIANT ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVES PLUNGE DOWN MOUNTAIN As spectacular a wreck as the history of railroading has produced occurred a short time ago, when two of the giant new electric locomotives just put into service on a western line plunged down the timbered steeps of the Cascade Range in a drop of 300 ft. The collapse of a 40-ft. stone retaining wall a short distance west of the divide, supposedly caused by the undermining action of heavy rains, literally projected the big engines into space. The great masses of steel turned over perhaps 20 times in their crashing roll down the mountain, brushing bowl- ders aside and clipping off forest trees in their path like weeds. The most remark- able feature of the accident is that none of the six. men in the crews was killed, though five were hurt, two rather badly. Had steam been the motive power, it is thought scarcely possible that any could have escaped. The estimated damage to the locomotives is between $50,000 and $75,000. They were valued, incidentally, at $175,000 each. S$... Wreck of One of the Two Huge Electric Locomotives after Their Plunge down 300 Feet of Precipitous Hillside: The Steel Giants Rolled Over and Over, Pushing Bowlders Aside and Clipping Trees like Weeds ea a

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POPULAR MECHANICS 385 The New Rein-Driven Tractor is Handled Exactly like a Horse. By Means of Differential Brakes, Either Drivewheel can be Retarded or Stopped by a Pull on the Corresponding Rein. Pull on Both Reins Stops or Reverses the Machine ONE-MAN TRACTOR IS DRIVEN special machine. Driven by a gasoline en BY PAIR OF REINS gine or small electric motor, this machin fills the bags from an overhead hopper Further improvement in the rein-driven type of farm tractor is announced by a \Visconsin manufacturer, who is produc- ing a machine entirely controlled by two reins, and handled exactly like a horse. Having a 12-hp. kerosene engine, and giving a 1,000-lb. pull at the drawbar, it will do the work of five horses, controlled from the seat of any of the usual horse- drawn implements, or a wagon. By means of differential brakes, either drivewheel may be retarded or stopped by a pull on the corresponding rein, and the trac- tor turned in its own length, while pulling on both reins either stops gr reverses the machine. An automatic governor adjusts the speed to the work, from 1!5 miles an hour in the field to three miles on the road. \ 30-in. clearance permits cultivation of row crops, and a 10-in. pulley is provided tor belt work. The whole machine weighs 2,350 lb., and is 10 ft. long. One of the Valve-Type Cement Bags has been Placed CEMENT BAGS OF VALVE TYPE —_Peneath. the Spout. of ‘the Special" Mo- FILLED BY SPECIAL MACHINE . wast then releases them, as various handles Cement, lime, and similar materials, manipulated by the operator. are now commonly packed at the pro- ~~ ducing plant into bags of the valve type— @German war-time experiments with th bags filled through a corner of the bottom, use of blast-furnace slag in the manufa that is, then turned right side up to close ture of brick have lately borne fruit in ar the aperture. Containers of this type are apparently successful method. It invol) not filled by hand, but are stuffed to ca- the use of “foam” slag, formed by pacity, quickly and without waste, by a contact of molten slag and water.

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POPULAR ELEPHANT LEARNS TO FILL AUTOMOBILE RADIATORS “Big Bill,” largest of the elephants car- ried with a famous circus organization, has lately developed a talent which should win the admiration of every manager of an automobile service station. For “Big Discharging the Water Held in the Air Passages of His Trunk, the Elephant Fills the Radiator in Record Time Bill” has learned to fill auto radiators with such dispatch that the cars operated by the circus officials are now brought to him for refilling. With his trunk in a barrel of water, the animal fills the two capacious air passages. A graceful flour- ish then brings the proboscis to the radi- ator filling port, into which the water is discharged. METAL EYES FIXED TO LOGS FOR JOURNEY DOWNSTREAM Story writers who tell of the timber country never tire of describing the lum- herjack’s agility in leaping from log to As a Chain is Threaded through the Iron Rings. the Logs are Easily Made Up into Rafts of Any Size Desired MECHANICS log as the big sticks spin and tumble in the swollen river. Unfortunately, the logs now sent downstream by one west- ern concern neither spin nor tumble. In- stead, each is part of a raft consisting of from 10 to 20 logs. These rafts are made up by simply driving a spike, with eyelet head, into each log, then threading a chain through the eyes. Bound together in this way, the floating logs are handled with less difficulty than before. TEST BEHAVIOR OF SOFT SOIL UNDER HARD PAVEMENTS With the increasing use of heavy motor trucks on interurban highways, it is be- coming evident that the nature and be havior of the soii under a pavement may be as important a factor as the paving material itself. That road-engineering knowledge of these conditions may be more definite, a government bureau is conducting a series of tests on a well- traveled concrete road in Virginia. The instrument used has a sensitive contact e oe m. vs Fe Instrument for Measuring the Deflection of Pave ments, as Affected by the Underlying Soil. It is Ex- pected to Furnish New Data for Future Road Design member located between the pavement and the underlying soil, connected to measuring apparatus in a box alongside the road. The deflections and bending of the road crust under truck vibration and impact, as affected by different subsoils, are expected to furnish new datz for future road design. HUGE POWER DEVELOPMENT PLANNED BY FRENCH A water-power development now con- templated by the French will rank, when completed, according to recent announc: ment, with the pyramids of Egypt, th« roads of Rome, and the Panama Canal

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POPULAR jard pressed tor coal, the government nutends to harness the swift mountain treams of southwestern France, in fact, ind so electrify the industries in all the ‘ities of this important area. The ap- proved plans call for not one but a series of dams. The first will be 283 ft. high. ind will block the Chavanon River, in the ipper Dordogne region. The _ turbines ill be installed at the village of La Cel- ette, and will develop 4,500 kw. Leaving the wheels at this village, the water will nter a huge pipe, and will drop down- -tream for five miles to another turbine, developing another 5,100 kw. A second dam, even higher now than the Croton dam in New York State, will next be built below the confluence of the Chavanon and the Dordogne. Here the turbines vill develop 26.000 kw. The largest dam of all, at last, will be built 15 miles far- ther downstream, at Chambon. This tructure will rise 407 ft. or more than 150 higher than the famous Roosevelt dam \rizona, and will furnish 100,000 kw. \s the water backs up behind these three dams it will swallow up village after vil- lage in valley and ravine. SEAT OF BABY CARRIAGE IS TRANSFERABLE TO BICYCLE From a little village in far-away Siam a reader of this magazine has sent for publication a description of an interesting haby-carriage seat of, his own invention and manufacture. The seat is simple in construction, yet it'is so ingeniously con- trived that it can be lifted out of the baby-carriage body, and hooked securely to the handlebars of a bicycle. In this position it rests upon the horizontal mem- ber of the bicycle frame. The seat can be transferred from carriage to bicycle with- out disturbing the baby. ~ Without Disturbin the Baby, the Seat o the Carriage can be Transferred to the fuam Bicycle, as Pictured at the Right a = MECHANICS 387 FOREST PRODUCTS LABORATORY TO GET BIG TESTING MACHINE A vertical screw-testing machine having a capacity of 1,000,000 Ib. has been con pleted for the United States government and will installed in the Forest Products Laboratory at Madison, Wis. The machine is of the two-screw type, weighs ap- proximately 150- 000 Ib., is 45 ft. high over all, soon be | ee er) bi: . ss : j Pl, "| } y/ = ul eS This Screw-Type Testing Machine, Built for th- Forest Products Laboratory, Is Capable of Exertinz a Pressure of 1,000,000 Pounds on a Column Placed beneath the Moving Head and stands 37 ft. above the floor when t! table top is level with the floor. Fo compression, it will test columns 30 f: long or less, and for testing in transvers will accommodate specimens 10 ft. lon or less. When arranged for tensile test the maximum travel of the pulling head i 29 ft. The weighing beam is of the mic meter-dial screw type, and reads from 4 LOO pounds. AUTOS OF STAINLESS STEEL PROPOSED FOR TROPICS To the new the stainless st now made at Sheftield, England, and other steel centers, the American con at that city suggests that there be addes the manufacture of automobile that the automobile market of humid tropics and the Far East will captured*by the first firm to build its uses of parts. ¥ | reeis of this noncorroding material

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388 POPULAR TAP REGISTERS EACH DRINK TAKEN FROM BARREL An elaborate self-registering tap for the cider barrel, or similar container, has been invented by an Australian, and is now in use in the beverage dis- pensaries of that continent. The apparatus is made of metal, and can be screwed into any wooden bar- rel or tub. The valve is operated by simply pressing the bottle or tum- bler upward against a horizon- tal plate, in a man- ner familiar to pa- trons of the larger American cafe- terias. When the bottle or tumbler is filled, pressure is released and the flow stops. Fixed above the valve is a count- ing mechanism which is operated every time the valve is opened. MINIATURE MODEL REPRODUCES SHIPYARD IN ALL DETAILS Lilliputian shipbuilders, if such there were, would take keen delight in a model shipyard recently constructed in complete miniature reproduction of a big one on the Potomac River. At the foot of the tiny ways is a basin of real water, and when a lever is pulled, a toy vessel slides down in an actual launching scene. On other stocks, in various stages of con- MECHANICS struction, are three more ships, showing the process of building in all its details, Not only the shop and administration buildings, but the lighthouse, hospital, employes’ café, and baseball grounds of the large yard are all repeated in the small one. Steaming up the river is seen a fully-rigged ocean freighter. NEW GASOLINE PUMP RECORDS PRICE OF WHOLE ORDER The man in the auto does not have to make a lightning calculation every time . he has the tank filled, when the garage is equipped with a type of computing gasoline pump just placed on the market. Instead of pumping a gallon at a stroke, necessitating counting the strokes, the new _ accessory registers the quantity extracted continu- ously on a visible gauge, and, like the scales now popular in retail stores, tells the total price at a given value per gallon at the same time. This saves effort for both dealer and customer. @ The chy of * .&t. Louis, Mo., in 1919 produced more chemicals than New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Ohio combined. This fact is surprising when it is remembered that in 1916 these states produced 77.3 per cent of the total American output. Complete Miniature Model of a Shipbuilding Yard with Reproductions of All Buildings and Other Features in Detail: When the Basin in the Foreground is Filled with Water, a Tiny Vessel may be Launched

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POPULAR MECHANICS 389 COTTAGE IN BUILDING FOR BUILDERS’ SHOW From the Porch of the Building-within-a- Building the Visitor Steps into the Living Room The Inglenook in the Living Room can be Used for Luncheons by Setting in Place a Small Dining Table On the third floor of the Builders’ Ex- change in Min- neapolis, Minn., is a permanent building - mate- rial exposition exterior is made of seven differ- ent types of brick, crowned ‘y a roof of asphalt shingles The interior is handsomely that contains the Above: The Exterior of the Racag = ee Fea- eq uipped with »shihits 5 tures the Permanent Building-Material Exhibit on the _ver 73 : - hibits of 65 Third Floor of an Office Building in Minneapolis every kind ot local firms. With space-saving ap this array of samples to choose from, paratus. Thus the inglenook in the living the out-of-town builder can transact in room can be used for luncheon by setting . forenoon the business that formerly in place a convertible library and dining required a week or more. The out- table. From the living room one steps standing feature of the exposition is a into a dressing closet which a few manip- complete bungalow, which, though it is ulations transform into a bedchamber built between two floors of an office build- Similar compactness and convenience ing, contains 400 sq. ft. of floor space. The characterize the bathroom and kitchen. DIVING PLATFORM HUNG WHERE DESIRED ALONG PIER Small diving platforms that can be hung from the rail, at any point desired by the bathers, have been contrived by the pro- prietors of one ocean amusement pier. Kach platform is about three feet square. Braced uprights, bearing the forged-iron suspension hooks, rise from two corners. On the bottom are four castors on which the platform may be rolled along the pier at the bather’s direction. A low rail on the outer edge guards the bather, and is removed when he is about to dive. @ Nearly 70,000 acres in western Canada. a Number of Diving Platforms like the One [Nu acquired by the Soldier Settlement Board, trated Are Now in Use at an Ocean Amusement Pier have bee ld , Idiers They are Hung from the Guard Rail Where Desired Nave been sold to ex-soldiers, Each Platform Is About Three Feet Square

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So) POPULAR WATER TROUGH OF NEW DESIGN MADE FOR STOCK FARMS A drinking trough of new design is now being produced for the farmer and stock- man. The trough proper is an iron cast- ing with three compartments for the accommoda- tion of as many animals, and with three lugs project- ing from the bot- tom so that it can be screwed to the floor or platiorm. Held upon this casting by three bolts, is a large tank of galvanized iron, from the bot- tom of which the water drops into the trough. The flow is regulated by a float valve of ordinary type. It is obvious that the peculiar shape of the trough makes impossible the intrusion of feet and bodies, and so prevents contamination of the water. TRUCK THAT STRADDLES LOAD USED FOR HANDLING BRICK Any method of reducing building costs is interesting nowadays, and saving labor im handling material is an important item. An electric lumber-carrying truck that straddles its load, automatically picking it up and depositing it, as described in MECHANICS this magazine in June, 1917, now has been adapted to the handling of brick and tile. The brickyard product is packed in crates of 1,000 as it comes from’ the kiln, and the queer truck picks up two crates, or almost 5% tons, at a time. At the build ing, the crates are set down in the same manner, by a lever at the driver’s hand, either loading or unloading being possible in 11 seconds. Not only is labor saved, but breakage of the bricks in unloading is eliminated. GRAPHITE FED INTO ENGINE BY NEW AUTO ATTACHMENT As a lubricant for auto-engine cylin ders, it is asserted that graphite is supe- rior to oil, sealing the piston against leakage of gasoline or oil, prevent- ing carbon formation, and permitting higher oper- ating temperature. An attachment now on the market holds a charge of pulverized graphite in an aluminum-trimmed glass | cup, and feeds it auto- * matically into the cylin ders through the mani- fold, with the gasoline. An ounce of graphite ‘s sufficient for 1,000 miles (a in a four-cylinder engine, as very little is required after the first charge The appliance is readily attached and does its work without attention. Brick and Tile, in Crates of 1,000, Automatically Picked Up, Two Crates at a Time, and Carried to Their Destination by a Peculiar Electric Truck That Straddles Its Load: Not Only is Labor Saved, but Breakage of the Bricks in Unloading is Eliminated

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es CONCRETE STACK DIFFICULT TO DEMOLISH BY GEORGE F. PAUL The Huge Tube of Concrete, When It Finally Fell, Revealed a Tangle of Reinforcing That Easily Explained the Difficulty of Wrecking It HE city of Spokane, Wash., had a white elephant on its hands in the form of a ejant stack, solidly built of reinforced concrete and rising to a height of 210 ft. ‘This stack was the remains of an old cre- matory building which had been demol- ished when a new crematory was built a short distance to the north. The change vas brought about through the desire of the Spokane and Inland Empire Railway to widen its yards, and ground was ac- cordingly traded. As a result the white elephant was left standing in solitary and threatening grandeur. The city wanted to wash its hands entirely of the over- grown creature, and the railroad company vas perfectly willing to hand the towering stack over to anybody wanting a symmet- rical toy of goodly proportions. As the days passed by, both the railroad company and the city officials became more and more afraid of the threatening structure. If it fell to the south it would undoubt- edly destroy considerable railroad prop- erty; if to the north, it might almost ruin the new crematory, to say nothing of pos- sible loss of life. Some contracting firms inspected the stack and figured on the vork, but not one of them would assume any liability for damage. After much heated discussion, extending over a period of two years, the courts finally decided that it was the duty of the city to remove the stack. When the city engineering department took up the work, it was found that the stack leaned slightly to the south and east. A deadman was anchored north of the direction in which it was hoped to fell the stack. It was believed that in this way the tendency of the stack to go too far south might be counteracted. An at- tempt to shoot a line over the top of the A Be't of Ho.es Drilled Part Way around the | Stack for B’act- | ing the Con- crete ) The Old Stack, Just Before It was Wrecked, is Seen at the Left, with Guiding Cable Attached. The New Crematory Is at the Right stack with a gun, used for this purpose by the fire department, proved a failure—the stack was too high. Then a light scaf- fold was built up on the inside to a height of 100 ft., a hole was made through the shell of the stack, and a *4-in. cable fast- ened to another anchor on the inside. The cable was then attached to a rope line, which passed through a double and a triple block fastened to the drum of a windlass. Thus the windlass and blocks could exert a pull of about 20 tons, yet even with this powerful force the top of the stack could be drawn over only about one inch. The next move was to drill a belt of 65 holes through the stack on the side on which it was desired to have it fall, lea ing one-third of the circumference un touched except for several emergency holes to be used if necessary. Drilling these holes was difficult work on account of the many reinforcing rods. Then began the work of blasting away the concrete. The opening on the north side of the stack for the smoke flues was 4-ft. wide and 7 ft. high. A similar open ing was blasted out directly opposite. This left two sections to act as colum

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aoe POPULAR and support the weight. Then these piers were loaded, and shot at the same time. The stack listed about a foot in the direc- tion of the cable, but failed to fall. It was supported only by the reinforcing rods and one-third of the circumference. Then the steel bars were cut with an ‘acetylene torch, yet even then the stack did not topple, though about 30 in. out of line. Next the emergency holes on the still untouched part of the circumference were shot, and the stack began to fall slowly in MECHANICS the direction of the cable. The cable was rapidly pulled taut and determined the direction of the fall. Finally the portion of concrete leit on the back broke, allow- ing the stack to drop, and this in turn broke the reinforcing, whereupon the stack fell rapidly. The upper portion of the stack collapsed completely, and buried itself deep in the soft ground. To fell this stack took the crew of four men five days, and the total cost for labor, stag- ing, lines and powder amounted to 275 dollars.

TESTING MACHINE DETECTS MISSHAPEN GEAR TEETH In many automobile factories gears for the transmissions are now tested before assembly by means of what is called an

Above: A Plan View of the Gear-Testing Machine. Below: The Dial Revealing the Pres- ence of Misshapen Teeth “involute-contour indicator.” If the gears pass this inspection, the manufac- turer can be assured, the makers assert, that the transmission will be practically noiseless. The machine consists of a base plate on which is mounted a plug of the same diameter as the base circle of the gear to be inspected. Centered upon this plug is another, which holds the gear. A straightedge rests upon the base plate, and is held in contact with the base-circle plue by means of a steel ribbon and col! spring. <As the straightedge is rolled around the base-circle plug, the short arm of a five-to-one lever, pivoted on the straightedge, follows the tooth form Meanwhile the long arm of this lever keeps contact with the plunger of an in dicator dial. If the tooth is true, the indicator pointer will not move. If not the pointer will reveal deviations of .0002 in. Or more, STUDENT ARCHITECTS LEARN BY MAKING PAPER MODELS One of the most interesting of the new teaching methods now being practiced in the School of Architecture at Columbia University is that concerned with the construction of cardboard models. Here- tofore, it may be explained, the student has done almost all his original work upon the drawing board, and hence has seldom been able to sée his design worked out in three dimensions. His first build- ing has, in consequence, sometimes re- vealed unsuspected misconceptions in the architect’s mind. The models are made of heavy illustration board, and are com- plete in every exterior detail. STEAMSHIP LAUNCHED READY TO SAIL To launch a large steamship with steam up, ready to cross the Atlantic, was some- thing new in the history of shipbuilding on the Delaware River, the “Clyce of America,” as it has been known since war days. The ship that in this way set the pace for marine architects and engineers was the “John Jay,” a 12,800-ton cargo car- rier, launched, last June, at Gloucester City, N. J., in the presence of one of the largest gatherings of representative ship- yard officials in years. " Because of the lack of space in the

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POPULAR MECHANICS 393 The Unusual Launching of the 12,800-Ton Freight Steamer “John Jay.”’” Which Took to the Water Sideways, with Steam Up and Fully Equipped: launching basin the ship was sent into the vater sidewise, and as it slid down the ways, smoke was flowing from its smoke- stack and its own whistle was sounding. Striking the water, it sent up a huge wave and leaned so far to one side as to seem to the uninitiated to be in danger of cap- izing. But in less than a minute it had righted itself and soon was steaming, without the assistance of tugboats, to an adjoining shipyard, where, on the day fol- lowing, it was given a dock trial to make sure that its engines were working prop- erly. Later it was given a trial on the river to test its steering equipment and adjust its compasses, and the third day after the launch it was accepted by the United States Shipping Board and as- signed to a steamship company engaged in overseas trade. It is now busy in the service of the company. It Left the Scene Shortly Afterward on Its Own Power BEACH RESORT IN FORM OF MONSTER ELEPHANT \t one end of the famous boardwalk at Atlantic City, N. J., is a resort that for eccentricity is unrivaled. The building takes the form of an elephant, nearly 100 ft. high, and correctly proportioned from tail to proboscis. Entering the hotel through a narrow door in the off hind leg, the visitor finds himself in a strange inte- rior of irregular rooms, and many stair- Surmounting the last of these, he steps upon a platform, which is nothing less than the howdah. Here he may en- joy a magnificent view, while fortifying himself with the refreshments which the place provides. These are the more ap- preciated if the visitor has previously inspected the whole of the vast and mazy interior. cases. PHOTOS BY GILLIAMS SERVICE The Size of the Strange Building is Revealed by Comparison, at the Left, with the One-Story Structures at Its Feet. Is the Breezy Observatory Platform. Irregular Rooms and Many Staircases Fill the Interior; on the Top, like a Huge ‘“Howdah,” The Entrance Door in the Hind Leg is Seen at the Right

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394 POPULAR MECHANICS HEAVY SIGN FALLS THROUGH TOP OF AUTO Just as an auto drive: in a Texas city paused to let a street car pass, a few days ago, a heavy electric sign which ove hung the street, its holdings weakened by storm, let go its post and crashed down through the top of the car. By a curious freak of fate the sign belonged to an auto-supply station, and advertised gasoline. The noise of the breaking fastening so startled th« driver that he instinct- ively started the car, sav- ing himself by a_ few inches as the big sign smashed through just behind his seat and wedged itself corner wise into the frame oi The Big Gasoline Sign Fell Just in Time to Smash into a Car That Paused ? i 5 : beneath It, but a Second Too Late to Hurt the Driver the demolished top. PHOTOGRAPHERS IN BALLOON MAP WATER FRONT The San Francisco Chamber of Com-_ its part by bringing from the Arcadia merce now possesses a coinplete set of Balloon School, near Los Angeles, a kite aerial photographs depicting the city’s balloon, motor winch, and operating crew, ~ of 65 men. The Califor nia State Harbor Com mission supplied a tug, and the Chamber of Com- merce a barge. A pier at the southern extremity of the water front was chosen as a starting point. Here the barge was tied up, the The Winch was Driven upon the Deck of the Barge, and Here the Balloon was Inflated. Preparations are being Made, Above, for the Operations of the First Day long water front, as a result of a combining, several weeks ago, of the efforts of local mili- ary an Se i Anchored to a Barge, and with Two Photographers in the Basket, the tary and civil authori ace coon Meee teen Wek ae Seed Ge San Francisco’s Long ties. The military plaved Water Front. The Work was Completed in Two Days

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os POPULAR MECHANICS 395 One of the Massive Rectangles of Armor Plate is being Sliced into Sections, at the Left, by One of the Oxy- acetylene Cutters Recently Sent to the Government Proving Grounds at Sandy Hook for This Work. A Pile of These Sections is Seen in the Foreground at the Right wineh driven aboard, and the balloon in- lated. As the barge was towed into open water, and down the bay, the bag was al- lowed to rise from the deck, with two photographers in the basket. The making of the overlapping photographs went steadily forward, until a brisk breeze arose in mid-afternoon, necessitating the de- scent of the balloon and a return to the starting point. CARNIVAL GUN THROWS CORN AND CONFETTI HIGH IN AIR For shooting corn, confetti, and similar adjuncts of festivity, high into the air, whence it falls back upon the shoulders of the crowd at carnival or fair, there has recently been introduced a simple gun. It consists of a 3-ft. barrel, made of seam- less steel, and mounted on a standard of strap iron. At the breech is a chamber for a blank shot- gun cartridge, and a trigger for firing it. Halfway down the bore of the barrel is fixed a steel disk, perforated with many “e-in. holes. To operate the gun, a quart of corn and as much con- fetti are poured down the muzzle, to be stopped before reaching the cartridge, of course, by the disk. The barrel is then pointed skyward, the lanyard is pulled, and the charge rises to the housetops, OXYACETYLENE FLAME SLICES 4,000 TONS OF ARMOR PLATE A crew of oxyacetylene cutters was sent to the government proving grounds at Sandy Hook, recently, to cut up for resmelting 4,000 tons of armor plate, used as targets for the big guns during the war Each plate, weighing between seven and eight tons, and measuring 3 in. thick, 9 ft. wide, and 13 ft. long, was sliced like so much fudge into sections approximately 13 in. wide, 25 in. long, and 300 Ib. in weight. The sections varied a good deal in size, however, as each of the plates was punctured at least six times by shell holes. OPTICAL INSTRUMENT GAUGES COLOR VALUE OF OILS One method used by large buyers for judging the value of oil is to observe its color. To make this a positive process, an instrument has been developed in the Oklahoma fields, consisting of two vertical glass tubes, with an eye piece at the top, through which both are visible. A glass slide of standard color is placed at the bottom of one tube, and the othet filled with oil. The oil is then allowed to drain out slowly, and when the col ors match, th« height of oil rm maining indicate the value.

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CIVIC FEATURES THAT PROMOTE THE COMFORT it | A Monster Fire Hydrant, Having 18 Hose Connections, has been Installed at a Strategic Point on the Waterfront at San Francisco, Caiifornia Three Permanent Dining Tables, the Most Curious of Which is Pictured Here, are Provided for the Use of Auto Tourists Who Camp Overnight in the City Park at Wamego, Kansas This Combination Seat, Shelter, and Picnic momger> ot ~ a —_ of the Table Is Popular with the Patrons of a Ne -s gh ay 4 a ann Public Bathing Resort at Hermosa Beach, ae h Gat . Which —— Carel _ California. As It is Built as a Unit It can ag a ba - cn ~e be Moved Easily by Two or Three Men je Lert These Stilee ——e ¢ 4 t - » = AN a «a On Three Mornings of Each Week the Truck Farmers from the Vicinity Back Their Loaded Wagons against the Curhing in Two City Parks in Memphis, Tennessee, and Sell Directly to the Housewives. Both Groups are More than Satisfied with the Arrangement

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AND ENJOYMENT OF VISITORS AND RESIDENTS Street Names and the Numbers of Adjacent Houses are Painted on the Glass Globes of the Street Lamps in Pasadena, Califor- nia, to Avoid Nighte time Confusion For the Protection of Pedestrians a Metal Roof has been Built over a Footbridge in Cincinnati, Ohio, Where It Passes under One of the a ~~ a - i * we Railroad Bridges That Span the PRN | River J ’ Heavy Iron Warping aa J Posts, with Bases At- = ms ‘ tached, are Now Used ro Py in San Francisco, es a California, to Close \f Streets Temporarily + hh® a en ; in ncn lA Op ' This Bronze Group, One and a Half = Over the Mouth of the Chief Ute Times Life Size, and Christened “The Mineral Spring in Manitou, Colo- Bucking Broncho,” is to be Installed in rado, has been Built a Fountain the Civic Center of Denver, Colorado in the Form of a Huge Bottle = — - - — 4 — A Tumbling Mountain Stream Flows through Reno, Nevada, Making It = = Possible for Local Sportsmen to Hook Trout Sometimes within a Block or Two of the Center of the Town

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398 POPULAR MECHANICS STEEL TUBING HEAT-TREATED BY ELECTRIC CURRENT Heat-treating steel tubing by its own electrical resistance, a current of high amperage at low voltage being passed directly through it, is a recently patented process of great value and interest. The ap- paratus used is practically auto- matic. The length of tubing to be treated is held vertically between pneumatically op- erated copper- faced chucks, which act as ter- minals for a step- down transformer. The current used is about 8,000 am- peres per square inch of cross sec- tion, at three volts per foot of length. No pyrometer is needed, and no special attention is paid to temperature, the expansion of the tubing cutting off the current at the critical point, which is usually reached in less than one minute. At the same instant, the chucks are re- leased, and the tube drops into a cylinder of oil and is quenched. The stock is not warped or distorted, no matter how thin, and any defects are readily observable while the tube is hot. It is found that expansion stops at the critical temperature, followed by a slight contraction, giving its own indication of complete treatment. Though its most useful application is to materials used in automobile, airplane, and similar con- structions, it is interesting to note that the first experiments were made with steel lance shafts for Russian Cossacks during the war. It is asserted that solid stock may be heat-treated the same way, using .06 kw-hr. of current to the pound of material. PANAMA CANAL ZONE SHAKEN YEARLY BY MANY QUAKES The traffic-blocking slides at Culebra Cut seem to be explained when it is learned from a recent report of the Panama Canal Commission that the zone was shaken in the period from 1906 to 1920 by no fewer than 457 earthquakes. As a matter of fact, however, numerous as they were, these disturbances were always harmless, and were usually per- ceptible only to the four sensitive seismo- graphs in the Administration Building at Balboa Heights. Their frequency is at- tributed to the presence of an abrupt break, or fault, which is thought to extend all along the Pacific Coast at no great distance from the shore line. INDICATOR IN WHEELHOUSE SHOWS ANGLE OF RUDDER An electrical apparatus now being added to the equipment of British steamships in- dictates on the navigating bridge, or in the wheelhouse, the exact angle the rudder makes at every moment with the ship's center line. The indicator consists of a graduated scale across which a pointe: moves in response to electrical impulses from a small mechanism beside the rud derpost. This mechanism consists of many contact points over which moves a switch bar linked to the post. The indi- cating pointer drops from view, finally, when the electric current fails or the ap- paratus becomes otherwise disarranged, in order that no false indication may be given, GROOVED ALUMINUM PISTONS FIT CYLINDERS CLOSELY To overcome the relatively large expan- sion of aluminum-alloy pistons in auto engines, an eastern accessory manufactu- rer employs diagonal grooves running up from the edge of the skirt and joining hori- zontal grooves just below the piston rings. This enables a clear- ance as small as .0005 in. to be used, alumi- num pistons ordinarily needing from .0045 to Ol-in. clearance. Ga- and oil leakage past the piston, with ics at tendant troubles, is prevented, and all the advantages of lightness retained by this simple and inexpensive expedient. @On receipt of a promised gift of $5,000.- 000 a building will be erected in Washing ton, D. C., for the National Researc Council and the Academy of Sciences. DE. ec LL ee ee

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| . pe I. R.A\L vears ago a number of men took up profitless mineral claims on \fullet Island, a tiny volcanic formation pretruding above the saline waters of the Salton ; southern California. Gold inl pumice were the minerals they were eeking, and little did they think that the aters which lapped against their rocky hores hid from their view a mineral de- posit of another variety and_ practically incalculable value. During the several years that the min- ‘al prospectors have delved with their picks and shovels into the rocky island, quantities of a highly colored, dustlike Sea ol a The Newly Discovered Paint-Pigment Beds of the Salton Sea: The Lines Are the Walls of Adobe Rese: - voirs on the Mudflat Where the Pigment-Bearing Waters are Impounded for Cooling, to Precipitate the Mineral Held in Them VAST STORES OF MINERAL PAINT PIGMENTS IN SALTON SEA By JOHN EDWIN HOGG substance have been washed up onto the shore by the sea. Chemists pronounced it mineral paint pigment, but where it came from, no one could say. The deposit on the rocks at the water’s edge was not sufficient for commercial exploitation. Last year the Salton Sea developed an other of its characteristic temperamental streaks. Its surface level dropped 4'.5 ft., leaving Mullet Island surrounded by hun- dreds of acres of soft slimy mud. Present ly the attention of the prospectors was at tracted to the mudflats by a strong odor of sulphurous and which gas noises sounded like the fierce boiling of thou These Beds Produce a Vivid Green Pigment Which Only Requires Mixing with Oil and Turpentine to Pro- duce a Durable Green Paint. > ae : = 3 See | See The Raised Portions Are Solid Banks of Pigment maa

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400 POPULAR MECHANICS sands of teakettles of colossal propor- tions. They investigated by providing them- selves with long made by spading up the mud to form a wall, that is soon transformed into hard adobe mud under the baking effeet of the desert sun. The wooden _ shoes resembling a hybrid ski and snowshoe, and with which they were able to walk about over the slimy mud without becoming bogged. At no great distance from the shore, . - — ‘ they found, un- =——=* boiling water is drained very slowly through these impound- ing beds, and the cooling causes the paint pigment to be precipitated to the bottom of the pools. After several days of aera- tion, the water covered by re- Miniature Volcanoes of Boiling Mineral Pigment: Those Ap-. from each ceding waters of the sea, numberless boiling hot springs, tiny geysers, and mud volcanoes. From these flowed various-colored saline waters, some bright red, others green, blue, and yel- low, with all the intermediate shades of the rainbow. Great accumulations of the material were soon built up around each of the springs, and samples were soon in the hands of a chemist. Analysis dis- closed it to be mineral paint pigments: ocher, carmine, ultramarine, and all the other colors essential in the manufactur- ing of paints. The prospectors immediately began the construction of impounding reservoirs to segregate the waters from springs of in- dividual colors. These reservoirs were ~~ © — me -» fe, Gs 2 wh pecgesterteAie pearing Light Are Yellow, While the Others Are a Vivid Green and Several Shades of Blue spring is divert- ed into another pool. Then, after drying in the sun for a few hours, hundreds ef pounds of pig- ment are spaded out of each pool. The pigment is first dug out into boxes, trun- dled onto the island in wheelbarrows, and later sacked for shipment to the paint factories. It comes from the pools prac- tically pure, and requires little or no re- fining. A crop of low-grade salt is a profitable by-product of the newly developed pig- ment industry. All the pigment springs are highly saline, and the water, after be- ing purged of its pigments, is drained into an evaporation reservoir, where the sun quickly takes possession of the moisture, leaving a heavy deposit of clear, white y Oi Ni i aX eS i ey all 7 The Pigment Pool Which the Men are Examining Produces a Brilliant Carmine Pigment, While the One Surrounding It Flows Yellow Ocher. Note the Spout Holes from Which the Boiling Substance is Exuded. The Surrounding Deposits Are Pure Ocher —

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a ee a a A Bo aie tattoo

POPULAR

MECHANICS 401

After the Boiling Pigment Springs have been Purged of Their Mineral Harvest, the Water is Evaporated in Large Aeration Reservoirs, Yielding a Valuable Crop of Low-Grade Salt salt. This salt is periodically plowed up, and stored on the island in gunny sacks for later sale as ice-cream salt. It is also used for the manufacture of ice. It could, of course, be refined to give the higher grades of pickling and table salt, but for the present, the industry being yet in its infancy, the owners of the deposit are content to sell it as crude salt, for which they receive two cents per pound. The paint pigments bring $40 a ton delivered in carload lots to the railroad station at Niland, five miles away. Up to the present only small shipments of pigments and salt have been made from the newly developed industry. This is for the reason that the water has not yet been off the source of supply long enough to permit the building of roads or the installation of machinery. Just as soon as the mud slime has hardened <o the point of being able to support heavy weights, a truck road will be built to the pigment beds. Trenching machines will then be used for digging the pigments out of the beds. It is expected by the end of this summer production will be in full swing, and that thenceforth this new- found natural resource will be more fully exploited. “Ae “

A Tiny Geyser of Boiling Water and Steam Which Spouts Yellow Ocher

KELP BY-PRODUCTS USED AS CATTLE FOOD Preparations are being made at kelp factories on the coast of Washington State to utilize, as fodder for cattle, by- products which are declared to be as nutritious for this purpose as alfalfa. Ileretofore the kelp pulp has been thrown away after the potash, iodine, and other valuable chemicals have been extracted. At Puget Sound, and along the coast of Washington, the kelp harvest begins in June. The season of operations extends over a period of about seven months. @The growing importance of motor- truck transportation, and the awkward cumbersomeness of that term in describ ing it, has led a large tire manufacturer to suggest the general adoption of the coined word “truckportation.”

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102 Bx |-4 eg? * on : Fae ee “- ra ? POPULAR MECHANICS ROCHESTER’S BARGE-CANAL HARBOR RECEIVES ITS FIRST SHIPMENT PREPARATIONS recently completed by the city of Rochester for the full utilization of the New York State Barge Canal, embracing the construction of a modern harbor and doek equipped for handling all canal shipments, brought their first fruition the other day. ful towboat, swept up to the concrete dock, lb. of sugar began. city’s button factories. The trip from New York barges were dropped at points along the canal. with the new Clarissa Street bridge in the distance. Three heavily loaded barges, drawn by a small but power- the lines were made la The sweet cargo filled two of the barges, the third carrying a load of ivory nuts for the 2 to Rochester took 10 days, including stops, while other The picture shows the three barges moored at the harbor dock, st, and the ceremony of unloading 1,250,000 VARIABLE-CAMBER WING ACTS AUTOMATICALLY Of all the inventions conceived during the last decade in the hope of decreasing the landing speed of airplanes, none has promised more in preliminary tests than a device recently evolved by the U. S. The New Steel Variable-Camber Airplane Wing is Seen Here under Test in the Laboratories of the Bureau of Standards. This Rib Weighs Less than the Ordinary Wooden Rib Bureau of Standards. than a simple, variable-camber rib which is used, instead of the ordinary rib, in the construction of one plane of a biplane, or of the top and bottom planes of a tri- __.—s-— plane. One peculiarity of con- struction is that the nose of this flexible rib is fixed to the front spar, while the tailpiece is rigid and slides on the rear spar. Another peculiarity is that the rib structure between the spars is normally symmetrical, or un- cambered, but is deformed by = nonsymmetrical air pressure until it becomes a rib of most pronounced camber. In theory, then, the airplane wing built with these ribs will. be a simple, stream- lined body, offering little resistance to the air, when traveling parallel with the air flow, as at high speeds. As the fuselage is tilted upward for a landing, however, the wing will be deformed until it pos- sesses a decided camber, which will act to bring the airplane to a stop after a short run, The new rib is made of metal. It is nothing more

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ee POPULAR MECHANICS 103 EROSION, PUT TO WORK, IS FOUND INTRACTABLE Clear across the extreme southern point of Illinois, the Cache River flows parallel vith the Ohio, and only about 10 miles iway, until it turns and joins the larger stream just below Mound City. \long its course are some 81,000 acres of fertile swamp soil and overflow land, only awaiting lrainage to become highly valuable. Some time ago the engineers decided to cut a channel between the rivers by vay of Post Creek, where the fall is small and the canal would grade only a foot to the mile. A chan- nel was planned with a 30-it. base, a maximum depth of 41 ft., and a top width of 115 ft., and ero- sion, when the way was opened, was counted on ject, on W to do most of the work. Once unleashed, how- ever, the natural force failed to recognize the boundaries set for it. The 41-ft. depth became 56 ft., and the 115-ft. width spread out to 300 ft., like a miniature Culebra Cut. And in the midst of the widening flood appeared a wholly unsuspected ledge if rock, defying and diverting the erosive action. As a result, crops near the head of the cut-off are damaged by inadequate drainage, and those below flooded out by what drainage there is. It is thought now The Post Creek Channel from the Cache River to the Ohio, Greatly En- larged and Deepened by Unexpected Erosive Action: The Intended Width that a judicious use of dynamite will bring the rgsults originally contemplated. The work will cost $100,000 in addition to the The Rock Ledge Uncovered by Erosion in the Cache River Drainage Pro hich Blasting Operations have Already Started: This Barrier Was Largely Responsible for the Damming Back of the Drainage Water and the Diversion of the Erosive Action $500,000 already spent, but the sum is small in view of the ultimate benefit. FAMOUS PASSENGER LINER IS NOW LARGEST OIL BURNER For a number of months a force of 4.000 workmen has been engaged in the task of converting the huge passenger linet “Olympic” to the use of liquid fuel, and the famous ship is now declared to be the _ largest oil burner in the WW orld. The 29 boilers are heated by a total of 195 furnaces, and each of these had to be fitted with a burner to which the oil is fed in a fine spray. On every trip it makes, the steamer will consume 25,000 bbl. of oil, and the carrying capacity of its fuel tanks is approxi- mately 50,000 bbl. The installation of oil burners is part of a general over- hauling that the big boat has been undergoing for almost a year, following its use as a_ transport during the war, when it carried more than 200,000 of 115 Feet Became 300, and the Depth Increased from 41 to 56 Feet troops.

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404 POPULAR MECHANICS FLY SCREENS PAINTED BLACK AND WHITE TO GIVE PRIVACY By a trick long known to the interior decorator, but well worth the considera- tion of every householder, the fly screens The Left Half of the Fly Screen hac been Painted White to Show How, by Careful Use of the Brush, the Screen is Made to Afford Much Daytime Privacy applied to the windows of a palatial home in New York City have been made prac- tically opaque when seen in the daytime from without, and practically transparent when seen from within. This effect of privacy, so desirable in rooms with win- dows opening upon a busy street, is achieved in the simplest manner imagin- able. The inner surface of each screen is painted dead black, because black absorbs the light. The outer surface is painted white, because white reflects the light, and so serves to dazzle and thwart the eye. Thick paint, applied sparingly and care- fully, it may be explained, must be used if the screens are to be painted success- fully in this way. ACOUSTICS OF AMPHITHEATER PUT TO DRAMATIC TEST The production on so grand a scale of the historical pageant which is to enter- tain the visitors to Boise, Ida., during fair week this fall is made possible only by the discovery some time ago of a natural, bowllike amphitheater just outside the city. So accurately has nature disposed the hills that scarcely an alteration need be made. But most satisfying is the excellence of the acoustic properties, ascribed to the presence, in rear of the “stage,” of a second hillside, which serves as a vast sounding board. That this “sounding board” will function perfectly was proved by a recent test. In the presence of 10,000 citizens of Boise, seated in front of the stage, a man stationed him- self at the rear of the stage, 600 ft. away. Here he spoke, in a clear voice, several familiar sentences; then asked “Did you hear that?” This performance he re- peated at intervals of 100 ft., until he reached the hilltop, 1,200 ft. distant. Each time an affirmative roar swelled from his audience. ne ee — ale vehi a One of the 10,000 Spectators Snapped This Photograph during the Recent Test of the Acoustic Properties of the Natural Amphitheater near Boise, Idaho. A Single Voice was Heard from All Parts of the Hillside in the | Background. Halfway up This Slope is Seen a Brass Band Which was, of Course, Even More Easily Heard ee neers

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a rd Sam Left: to Take the Weight Ka POPULAR MECHANICS 105 The Trailer Legs Halfway be- tween the Folded and the Service Posi- tion. Right: The Legs Down, Ready When the Truck Pulls Out the Trailer Left: The Automatically Coupled Fifth Wheel Mounted on the Chassis of the Motor Truck. Right: An Unde: View of the Trailer, with the Truck Preparing to Back into a Coupling with It TRAILER SUPPORTED BY LEGS HAS AUTOMATIC COUPLER Recognition of the two-wheel trailer’s isefulness has set designers at work up- il means to save labor and time in con- necting it with the truck that hauls it. \ vehicle of this type now being pro- luced in Michigan is provided, at the for- ard end of the body, with a pair of fold- ing legs, adjusted by screws for length, upon which it rests when not attached to the truck. An automatic fifth wheel at the rear of the truck chassis engages and locks with the trailer as soon as the truck acks into place, and the legs are then folded up out of the way by a hand crank reared to a long screw. For disconnec- tion, the legs are lowered again, the fifth heel released by pulling a lever, and the uck moves away. AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHER HAS OFFICE IN OIL FIELD A number of young airmen throughout the country are finding that much money is waiting for the man with an airplane and an aerial camera. Most towns and cities, they learn, are eager to buy pic- torial studies of city-planning problems and progressive photographs of municipal improvements. Industrial and commet cial concerns are in the market, likewis« for photographs of their plants and ente: prises. It is work of this last sort that i done by the aerial photographer whos office is pictured herewith. Situated in the heart of a western oil field, the littl structure is visited daily by oil men de siring bird's-eye views of their property THAT PROPE RT FROM THE ain This Little Office. Situated in the Heart of a Wester: Oil Field. is Maintained by an Enterpris- ing Young Aerial Photographer

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406 POPULAR MECHANICS In This Close-Up View are Seen the Crosspieces from Which the “Bun- dled” Rods are Suspended Increased strength is claimed by one _ building contractor for con- J. >a crete walls and floors built with his own system of rein- forcing. His meth- od involves rein- Fam es _ REINFORCING RODS JOINED TO GAIN STRENGTH =Saa as 5 QS “sa In This More General View It is Seen That Each Bundle Has Its Own Mold in Which It Hangs to form structures that are square in section. Each of these reinforcing elements is then suspended in the mold as the con- Miata crete is poured in. —_e— — = Local strains im- forcement of the The Manner of Bundling the Reinforcing Rods to In- posed on the result- reinforcings. If he crease Their Strength is Shown in This Picture. The Re- is building a floor, for example, he first binds the rods to- gether with heavy wire, four at a time, sulting Reinforcing Element Is Square in Cross Section ing structure are shared, the contrac- tor maintains, by the four reinforcing rods. “Bundling” increases the strength. MAIL CARRIER STRIPS AUTO FOR TRAVEL IN BAD LANDS The driver of the little automobile that regularly carries the mail from White River to Rosebud, S. D., recently de- cided that the car’s top and body were superfluous, if not a nuisance. Appear- ances count for little in the Rosebud In- dian Reservation, anyway. So he re- moved them, placed a spring seat over the gas- oline tank, strapped a spare tire to the rear— and now covers the dis- tance between towns in better time. The trip is no small one, as_ the towns are separated by 35 miles of bad lands and unbridged streams. An Indian trail is the high- way. In wet weather the trail is deep in mud; but since stripping his car the driver cares less, as the mud finds less automo- bile to stick to, and as, This Picture of the Stripped Mail Car was Taken in Rosebud, South Da- because of the reduced kota, at the End of a 35-Mile Trip across Muddy Bad Lands. _Behind the Seat, Which was Taken from a Farm Wagon, are Seen the Mail Sacks Carried as the Regular and Only Load weight, the car does not sink far into the mud. ee

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a te eer la Si ——— a cite ae POPULAR MECHANICS 107 WHERE EVERYBODY BATHES TWO HOURS A DAY Probably the widest contrasts in bath- ing customs in the world are to be found in Colombia, South America. In some sec- tions, especially in the higher interior Andes Mountain regions where it is cold all the time, the natives can never be ac- cused of taking a bath, but in the important city of Cali it is carried al- most to the other ex- treme. Cali is a city of 40,000 inhabitants, has three railroads, and is the larg- est Colombian shipping port on the Pacific, yet with all its great volume of business the people set aside a bathing time from 11 to 1 o’clock, and : the river to bathe before eating lunch. The doors of every business house and home are locked at some time during these two hours, usually promptly at 11 o'clock, and no business is allowed to be trans- acted until the town clock strikes one. During this period the banks of the river Everybody in the City of Cali, Colombia, Seeks the River between the Hours of Eleven and One Midday, to Gain Relief from the Sweltering Heat of Noonday. Above, the Camera has Caught are dotted with the clothing of the bathers, put upon any rock that happens to be convenient. The reason for such frequent bathing is apparent when it is known that the climate is exceedingly hot all the year around. everybody goes down to _ The subject of Th CAMERAMAN SNAPS VOLCANIC ERUPTION TEN YARDS AWAY An unnerving, but fruitful incident oc- curred recently as the volcano of Kilauea, is Photograph, Snapped on the Edge of the Crater of Kilauea, Hawaii, was to have Been the Crag in the Background, but as the Bulb was Pressed, the Surface of the Lake Erupted with a Roar H. I., described as the most continuously active in the world, was being examined by scientists of the Hawaiian Volcano Research Association. As the climax of this expedition they had determined to photograph a towering crag of solidified lava that rises, Gibraltar- like, from the surface of a swelling, overcrusted lava lake. For this pur- pose the camera was sei up on the bordering rampart, itself hot enough to fry an egg. But at the instant the cameraman Was squeez- ing the bulb, an explo- sion within the uneasy mass threw into the air not 10 yd. from the party, and directly before th lens of the camera, tumbling mass of white hot lava. Crashing back, and so breaking the sur face crust, these erupted fragments roused the en tire lake into a “seething bellowing mass of fountains.” The cam era caught the erupted mass in mid-air. @Small naval dirigibles are soon to be used for the charting of the Pacific coast line from Mexico to Canada. the First Arrival

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408 POPULAR CHILD RIDES ODD VELOCIPEDE LIKE TROTTING HORSE A velocipede propelled without move- ment of the hands or feet is a recent in- vention that should fascinate the active

In This Cutaway View of the Odd Velocipede is Seen the Rack, Ratchet, and Other Propelling Mechanism boy or girl. Propulsion is effected simply by the weight of the rider, who rises and sinks in the saddle as a horseman does in “posting” at the trot. Every tame the saddle descends, it depresses a_ vertical rack. This rack turns a ratchet wheel which, in turn, is geared to the rear wheels. <A coil spring keeps the saddle in contact with the rider as he rises for each power stroke. HIGHWAY SIGNS GIVE ACTUAL MAPS OF DANGER POINTS Each danger point on the Columbia River Highway has been marked with a sign of new and interesting form. In all cases the sign is 300 ft. from the condi- tion it marks, and so states, while the word “danger” appears in red letters. BANG

ay Cumes eon % 390 FREY

Three Typical Danger Signs on the Columbia River Highway: That at the Left Signifies a Sharp Curve, T

MECHANICS Besides descriptive wording, each point is illustrated. A crossroads is indicated by a heavy cross; a sharp curve is shown by a broad curved line with a directional arrowhead, and a steep grade is desig- nated by a profile line on the signboard. IMPLEMENT DROPS FERTILIZER IN RING AROUND PLANT BASE A fertilizing implement now gaining the approval of farmers, gardeners, and florists in the eastern states applies the phosphate, or other material, in a ring or disk, and in an accurately measured amount, to the soil around a growing plant. The nourishment can thus be sup- plied during growth, it will be noticed, rather than at planting time. One form of the implement is provided with a slit for accommodation of the taller plants; another is without this opening, and is used for the smaller plants. Both func- tion in the same way. As the implement is picked up by means of the handle, a

—_—- The Manner of Using the , Slotted Form of the New Fertilizin Implement is f Explained at the Left. The Lower Cone has been Separated into Its Two Parts, at the Right

valve in the bottom of the hopper fills with fertilizer; as the implement is set down upon the next plant, the valve hat in the Center a Crossing, and the One at the Right a Grade. All Signs Are 300 Feet from the Danger Point a 2 een

—

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See POPULAR MECHANICS 409 During the Summer the Angara River is Crossed at Irkutsk, Siberia, by Means of a Pontoon Bridge. At the Approach of Winter the Bridge is Towed im Sections to the River Bank, Where It Freezes In. Vehicles and Pedestrians Then Use the Ice as They Would a Street. The Winter Views, Above, Show One of the Side walks, and Sections of the Stranded Bridge opens, and the fertilizer falls through the distributing cones to the ground. Using the machine in this way, and with hills about 9 ft. 6 in. by 18 in. apart, a man can cover about three acres a day. PARKING LIGHT HAS MIRROR AND SAVES AUTO BATTERY To save the large amount of battery current wasted when an auto is parked at night, with head and tail lights burning, a new form of parking lamp carries only one small bulb, and is mounted on the left front fen- der. The front lens of the lamp is white and the rear one red, but the latter, in daytime, is covered by a rear-vision mirror. Drop- ping the mirror to the horizontal position, out of the way, automatically switches on the current and lights the lamp. BRIDGE AT IRKUTSK STRANDED ON RIVER BANK IN WINTER The city of Irkutsk, in many ways one of the most important in Siberia, lies on the right bank of the river Angara, which is here about 1,900 ft. from shore to shore. The city is remarkably well planned, hav- ing broad, well-paved, and adequately lighted streets, lined with imposing build- ings. As yet, however, no permanent bridge spans the Angara. Lacking one, the people of Irkutsk cross the river in three ways. During the summer they use the floating bridge, an old structure of many sections, each supported by wooden pontoons and anchored with large chains At the close of the warm weather the anchors are weighed, and the sections are towed to the river bank. In a few weeks they are frozen in place, and in a few more there is no need of a bridge anyway. The ice is so thick that vehicular and pedestrian traffic use it as they would a street. As a matter of fact the surface takes on every appearance of permanence when wooden sidewalks are laid and elec- tric-light poles are set in place. Then, during the short springtime, the ice goes out with a rush, and the third means must be used, for the river can now be crossed only by ferry. FIRE ESCAPE INSTALLED ON FARM RESIDENCE To the surprise of his neighbors,, who declare that never before have they heard of a fire escape on a farmhouse, an Iowa’ agricultur- ist has recently added such a con- venience to his home. He decid- ed to take the step, whether cus- tomary or not, after a fire had half destroyed the structure, and had showed him thereby the dan- ger of being trapped in his second-story bedroom. The escape is a simple steel ladder, bolted to the side of the building.

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110 POPULAR MANY AUTOS AT WASHINGTON HAVE TWO NUMBER PLATES The District of Columbia issues auto- mobile number plates like any state, but as the whole domain is only 1042 miles An Auto Carrying Both District of Columbia and Maryland License Plates, Required by Law in Some Cases long and 5!» to 8'5 wide, few cars re- main long within its boundaries. Those which cross the line frequently are re- quired to take out a license in the state of Maryland, and to carry two number plates. The same is true of Maryland cars which often cross into the District of Columbia. These two-number cars are common sights in the national cap- ital. DESERT BATHROOM PATRONIZED BY TRAVELERS TO SALTON SEA Everyone who travels by automobile from Yuma, Ariz., across the desert to the mysterious Salton Sea, seat of the mullet- fishing industry described last month in this magazine, knows one group of shan- rs a eal ae * ty de> eee At This Desert Shack the Motorist Usually Interrupts His Journey from Yuma to the Salton Sea in Order to Enjoy a Refreshing Bath

MECHANICS ties encountered en route as “the place where you can get a bath.” One dollar is the price; but lured by the prospect oi parting with a prickly coateng of alkali dust, few hesitate to part with this amount. The desert bathroom is inclosed by walls of rough boards, and measures five feet square. Upon the roof is a wooden barrel. Having paid the price, the motorist is permitted to clamber to the roof, bucket in hand, until he has tilled the barrel. Then he steps into the room, disrobes, and pulls the valve string. His dollar’s worth of water runs out quickly; so quickly that most conceive the need of a tub to catch and retain the last 50 cents’ worth. This tub the pro- prietor furnishes—for an additional 10 cents. LENS AND MIRROR SEND SUN’S RAYS DOWN DISEASED THROAT In several tuberculosis sanatoriums of the United States there is now being used a little instrument of glass and steel that reflects the sun’s rays down the patient's throat and larynx, and so hastens the de struction of the bacilli. The instrument consists of a glass tube, 31% in. long, to

The Action of the Ingenious Germicidal Instrument is Ex- plained by the Drawing. The Operation is About to be Demonstrated at the Right one end of which is fixed a double-convex lens. Projecting from the other is a 4-in. rod carrying, at an angle, a small circular mirror. To use the instrument, the pa- tient faces the sun, and places the tube between his lips, lens outward. The mir- ror is now located just in rear of the epi- glottis. Concentrated by the lens, the sunlight strikes the mirror, and is re flected downward into the throat. The rays do not burn the mouth, as the focus of the lens is within the tube. @A labor-saving method for waterproof ing sea walls and relining tunnels, lately tried in the East, involves the use. of “atomized” concrete. From the drum of an ordinary mixer the concrete is poured into a steam blast. Borne along by its now atomized plastic ingredients, the con- crete is discharged as a creamlike spray.

ne Pate

Wika:

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GEOLOGICAL SURVEY MAKES MAPS IN MOUNTAINS a Photograph and a Contour Map of the Same Region, a Wild and Rugged Portion of Yosemite Valley, alifornia, in Which State the United States Geological Survey’s Work, Carried On for 13 Years. is Now Nearing Completion. In This Kind of Country the Contour Lines on the Map Represent 50-Foot Elevations, and Even with This Allowance, the Rises Often Are So Precipitous That the Lines Run Together. Every Fifth Line is Marked with the Height in Feet Above Sea Level. In This Case the Photograph Gives an Interesting Interpretation of the Map CANADA The Black Patches on the Map Represent the Ter- ritory Already Covered by the Geological Sur- vey. It Embraces about 40 per Cent of the United States, and has Occupied the Surveyors for Neariy 40 Years. The Labor Involved in the Under- taking Is Enormous, and the Cost for the Single State of California is Estimated at $1,000,000. Each Map Is a “Quad- rangle” Which may be Joined with Others to Form a Huge State or District Map GULF OF MEXICO ~ of Me GB arcas coveren By TOPOGRAPHICAL SURVEYS aa oe ee

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ee TOPOGRAPHERS FIND ADVENTURE IN THEIR WORK A Surveyor Using His Plane Table and Alidade in the Dense Swamps and Brakes, Where Wide Pathways have to be Cut for a Clear View of the Distant Scale On the Snow-Covered Brink of a Rocky Ledge High in the Mountains, the Topographer’s Plane Table with Its Alidade is Anchored with Ropes While He Plies His Pencil in Less Security i? yh eo oe One of the Adventurous Features of the Here, on the Other Hand, the Position Is So Work: The Topographer and His Instrument Low That the Plane Table has to be Raised Are Out on a Tree Limb Overhanging a on Stilts, While the Umbrella Keeps the Sun Precipice of Hundreds of Feet Out of the Alidade

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it POPULAR STORM REMOVES LUMBER FLOOR FROM CONCRETE PIER PILES Concrete’s superiority over wood as a building material is clearly illustrated by the remains of a storm-wrecked pier on a A Storm Tore the Plank Floor from This Pier, but Did Practically No Damage to the Con- crete Piles of the Structure the western coast. The waves completely removed the lumber floor of the struc- ture, but did not disturb or damage the concrete piles underneath. When _ the hoards were torn loose, the protruding iron rods, used to fasten the planks to the stakes, were bent and twisted to some ex- tent. but were not rendered worthless, and plans have been made for utilizing the metal when a new floor is placed on the quay. ROLLERS OF NEW BEARING ARE STRUNG ON CHAIN In machine design, where ball bearings of adequate strength would be undesir- ably large, engineers are now beginning to give consideration to the merits of a bearing of new type, called the “chain roller bearing.” This bearing is small and The New Chain Roller Bearing is Shown in Side View, in Cross Section, and as_Disas- sembled for Inspection or Repair MECHANICS compact because of its simplicity. There is none of the usual bulky parts for sepa- rating and guiding the rollers; instead they are hollowed, and are strung on the transverse members of a lightweight chain cage. The two ends of the chain cage, which now resembles a short length of bicycle chain, are brought together over a channeled steel ring, or race. A second ring encircles the rollers. MINERS KILL MOUNTAIN SHEEP TO MAKE “SPOONS” FROM HORNS The American mountain sheep, or bix- horn, is facing extinction, it is declared, because the laws of most western states permit a traveler in mountains or desert to kill, for his own sustenance, any wild animal, even though that animal is ordi- narily protected by law. The mountain sheep are being killed, however, not for food, but for their hollow horns. From these the miners and prospectors fashion what they call “hornspoons” for the dry panning of gold-bearing gravel. The horn of the mountain sheep is not smooth within, but is overlaid with a maze of One of the Prospector’s Hornspoons, Made from the Horn of the Mountain Sheep, is Shown in Exterior View at the Left. The Interior is Seen at the Right hony cells and ridges. So, as the gravel is shaken about in the spoon, the dirt, sand. and pebbles are caught in the cells of the sides. The gold, being heaviest, remains in the bottom of the spoon. PORTABLE CLINICS TO CARE FOR CITY’S YOUNG For the first time in its history the city of Philadelphia, Pa., now has a compre. hensive system of portable health clinics for the children of the poor. These clinics are held once each week in eight of the city’s recreation centers under the di rection of the Health Council and tlhe Tuberculosis Committee, and with the cooperation of various charitable, medical, and dental organizations. The progran: calls not only for physical examination of ailing children, but also for the instruc tion of parents in the values and prepara- tion of food.

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eT Sea agp POPULAR MECHANICS 115 OPYRIGHT, KADEL & HERBERT PHOTOGRAPH FROM DIRIGIBLE CATCHES SUBMARINE AND BLIMP’S SHADOW AN interesting photograph was snapped by one of the crew of the “C-10,"" the United States Navy's newe dirigible, as during recent maneuvers off the Atlantic coast the airship was passing over submarine *'R-8.’ The underwater vessel is seen to be cruising on the surface and at high speed Members of the crew can be 1 istinguished on the deck. Close to starboard of the bow is seen the fishlike shadow of the “C-10"" itself VENEER OF ROCK AND STUCCO mental, lean to =roohng ol colored 1 re, REHABILITATES EYESORE The walls ot tl top floor disappeares behind several applications ot stUCCO \n ugly building of red brick once de- whale the root, finally, Was re-coveres jaced the “flatiron” corner tormed by the with more ot the artistic tile. intersection of two harply inclined streets in Cincinnati, Ohio. Though he building was an odd- ity, because it stood three stories high on one street ind only two on the other, it was nevertheless in eyesore. It is now a tructure of considerable architectural dignity however, as a result of ilterations made not long ago. These. alterations were virtually additions, in that they consisted in veneering, or incasing, the weather-beaten old building in new walls ind roof. The walls of the first and second stery on-one street, and of the first on the other, were hidden behind new sur- faces of cement and prai- rie rock. Surmounting This Peculiarly Shaped Building, Formerly a Weather-Beaten Eyesore of hi . laced at re Red Brick, was Rehabilitated Recently by the Application of a Ve this was piaced an ofTrma- neer of Prairie Rocks and Stuccc Colored Tile Covers the Roof

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£16 POPULAR SHOCKER FOR GRAIN FIELDS SAVES MUCH FARM LABOR Actuated by the growing dearth of field labor in the great wheat region of west- MECHANICS NEWSPAPER SOUNDS CURFEW FOR MOTORISTS Because of the congested traffic condi- tions of downtown Los Angeles, the city recently passed an ordi- nance which prohibits the parking of vehicles for longer than two min- utes between the hours of 4 and 6:30 p. m. In the short time that this ordinance has been in effect, so many motorists have been arrested that a Los Angeles newspaper has come to their aid. The majority of the vio- lators of the no-parking law have pleaded care- lessness, or oversight, in By Attaching the New Ma- leaving their machines on pe the Binder, as the streets during the Above, the Farmer is En- forbidden hours. Accord- : abled to Cut and Shock His : ly | lail 4 has ; Grain Simultaneously. The "gly, the dally has ar- Conical Basket is Seen in the ranged to sounda power- Foreground. Below, the Ma- - “ . , ] chine is Seen in Side View (ul siren which can be heard throughout the business district at 3:50 every afternoon. This warning, 10 minutes be- fore the no-parking law becomes effective, is a signal to citizens to get vie their cars out of the con- "S— gested district before ey co abane 66 vat sagnarees STAR they find a tag on their ern Canada, a farmer of that district has designed a machine which, attached to a binder, automatically forms and deposits compact shocks of grain in the field. A large ground wheel furnishes the power. Sheaves from the binder pass up a con- veyor inte a hopper, and then, head down, into a conical basket with spring arms that adjust themselves to the size of the shock. When the driver pulls a lever, the basket turns over, and the shock is de- posited, base down, solidly upon the ground. AMERICAN SHIPYARD PREPARES FOR BIGGER BUSINESS There is cheer for those who fear that American shipyards are about to revert to a state of rusty inactivity in reports from the city of Chester, about 10 miles down. the Delaware River from Phila- delphia, Pa. Here one company is hiring 3,000 more men, and is spending $3,000,000 for improvements and additions, among the latter an enormous wet basin. steering wheels ordering them to report to police headquarters. AUTO-RADIATOR DRAIN COCK CANNOT BECOME CLOGGED Probing the drain cock of an automo- bile radiator to start the flow is a familiar operation, and frequently it clogs up again, and the draining process is not com- pleted. A new form ot cock has a tubular body extend ing up into the radiator with an elongated aperture at one side, and a conical passage, a con struction that is declared to elimi nate all clogging and to assure fre« flow and complete drainage. Though designed for automobile radiators, the drain cock is well qualified for attachment to other liquid containers. gO) Cik Sawin te oo 7.

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eg Mews | Lit Baie 4 08 a POPULAR MECHANICS 112 In the Background is Seen the Ridge Which has Given the Name “Backbone” to the 1,200-Acre Tract Which as Recently Dedicated as the First of the State Parks to be Established in Every One of Iowa’s 99 Counties IOWA TO OPEN STATE PARKS IN EACH OF 99 COUNTIES \ beautiful, wooded tract of 1,200 acres, called the “Backbone” because of the straight, narrow ridge which dominates it, ind located on the Maquoketa River, near lanchester, was recently dedicated with full ceremony as the first of the parks to he opened by the Iowa State Conserva- tion Board as part of their newly adopted program. This program calls for the es- tablishment of at least one state park in every one of the 99 counties of the Hawk- eve state, and of others as seems desirable. lhree kinds of public playgrounds are to he acquired and opened. The first group vill embrace parks of peculiar scientific and historical value, like the “Backbone” mentioned above; the second, small parks near communities and fit for the use of picnic parties, and the third, parks along the shores of lakes and rivers. Purchase of these shore areas will give the public access to many bodies of water which it can visit today only by violating the state’s trespass laws. SPECIAL HOIST LOWERS MOTOR INTO NOSE OF AIRPLANE For the delicate work of lowering into place and alining airplane engines, an en- gineering officer of a western air-service station has contrived an unusual hoist. It consists of a sturdy, boxlike frame, about 10 ft. high, with one side left unbraced to permit the intrusion of the airplane nose. The frame is mounted on four rubber-tired wheels for easy conveyance about the hangars and shops. Across the top of the frame is a crosspiece from which depends the hoisting cable. As precision of alinement as essential, the windlass, fastened to one side of the This Hoist, Made Especially for the Work of Mounting Airplane Engines, is So Geared That the Engine can be Moved the Tiniest Fraction of an Inch frame, is so geared that the mechanik must turn the crank séveral times to Pro duce any appreciable movement of th:

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118 POPULAR MECHANICS suspended engine. In consequence, the operator, in the last stages of the work, is able to elevate and lower the engine by the tiniest fraction of an inch. SEMIAUTOMATIC ARMY RIFLE DESIGNED BY OFFICER All tests so tar made have been suc- cessfully met by a new type of semiauto- The New Semiautomatic Army Rifle, of Standard Weight and Shape: The Mechanism is Ac- tuated by a Cap over the Muzzle matic army rifle, designed by an eastern officer to accord with the weight, lines, and balance of the present-standard army small arm. The automatic mechanism, devised some years ago but never success- fully applied, consists of a cap fitting over the muzzle, with a center opening for the bullet’s exit. A hollow rod containing a spring extends from the cap to the breech, Upon firing, the expanding discharge gases, following the bullet, press the cap forward. The rod releases the breech mechanism, which recoils, ejecting the shell. The spring then raises the maga- zine clip, inserts another cartridge, and returns the breech to position. The gun thus fires at each pull of the trigger, without further effort, at the same time allowing steady sighting for each shot. The recoil is reduced 20 per cent, and the weapon is as accurate, and balances as well, with the automatic feature as with- out it. EIGHT-TON BOILER CARRIED SEVENTY MILES ON TRUCK \n engine boiler weighing 16,200 Ib. is no ordinary load for a motor truck, with- out trailer assistance, even on city streets. Carrying such a burden over 70 miles of country road is something of a transpor- tation feat, and the ease with which an Ohio hauling concern disposed of the job testifies to the reliability of the modern truck. The one used, far from being new, had already seen three years of the hard- est kind of service. The boiler, of the horizontal type, was placed directly on the truck plattorm without special prep- aration, and finished the trip in good order. Loading and un- loading the boiler were the hardest part of the work. Without Preparation This Eight-Ton Engine Boiler was Placed upon the Motor Truck, and Carried over 70 Miles of Country Road. Far from Being New, the Truck Employed had Already Seen Three Years’ of the Hardest Kind of Service ——

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oP ie POPULAR MECHANICS 119 At Each Corner of This Floating Dry- dock for Seaplanes Is a Large Air-Tight Pontoon. The Water Level in These is Controlled by Means of Valves and an Air Compressor in the Deckhouse at the Right. Upon Each Pontoon is Seen a Cylindrical Tank for Gasoline or Oil FLOATING DRYDOCK DESIGNED FOR HANDLING OF SEAPLANES Phenomenal as has been the develop- ment of the seaplane since Curtiss first rose from and landed on water, in 1911, little attention has been devoted to the incidental but important problem of mooring and handling these craft. Dur- ing the war the planes were usually launched from small cars, pushed from the hangars and into the water by brawny mechanics. This involved a wetting for the men and, sooner or later, rough hand- ling for the plane. Recently, however, the problem has been attacked by a prominent British airplane manufacturer, with the result that patents have been issued for an interesting floating drydock. The dock consists basically of tour air-tight pontoons which form the cor- ners of a flat, rectangular steel frame- work. Hereon is built a wooden floor to receive the hull of the seaplane. \long the sides extend elevated platforms for the convenience of the workmen and air- men. At the bow is a deckhouse con- taining an air compressor, and a_ high canvas wind screen. When the floating dock is to be used, it is towed to the loca- tion desired, anchored, and sunk two or three feet by admitting water to the pon- toons. The seaplane is warped into posi- tion. The air compressor is now started, water is driven from the four pontoons, and the floor of the dock rises clear of the water. @ Ten films depicting American methods of breeding live stock and handling meat have been purchased from the U. S. De- partment of Agriculture for educational use in the Argentine. LARGE TREE ON ROOF REMOVED WITHOUT DAMAGE TO HOUSE The expense of removing a towering cottonwood tree which had fallen upon a two-story house in a city of North Dakota during a recent windstorm was, oddly enough, far greater than the dam age done. This was so because the tree broke about 15 ft. from the ground, and having fallen, remained like a massive girder from the stump to the roof of the house. Hasty removal of the tree in the obvious way would have entailed dam age to the house. Accordingly, a cradk of four-by-fours was erected beneath the trunk, while the foliage and small branches were hacked off and throw: from the roof. By means of block and In Order to Remove This Fallen Tree without Damage to the House, the Heavy Staging was Built beneath the Trunk tackle, then, the trunk was raised clear of the house. The heavy branches were now sawed off one by one, making it possibl at last, for the workmen to lower trunk to earth.

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420 POPULAR CONVERSION TO OIL BURNING TRANSFORMS SHIP’S FIREROOM The surprising statement, made re- cently, that coal fuel on large vessels will soon be as obsolete as wood, takes on These Photographs of the Fireroom of an American Coastwise Steamship MECHANICS the really revolutionary nature of this change, there are printed herewith two photographs depictirg the fireroom of an American coastwise steamer before and after conversion. The eye gets the con- trast at once. Yet the vanishing of the grime of the old-time stokehold is only an inci- dental result of, and ar- gument for, the change. The more important ad vantages of oil over coal are the ease with which it is transported and stored, the facility with which it is bunkered, and the elimination of a frac- tion at least of the oper- ator’s labor difficulty. FAMOUS ENGLISH GREENHOUSE DEMOLISHED WITH EXPLOSIVES The celebrated horti- cultural conservatory on the ducal estates at Chatsworth Hall, near Manchester, England, collapsed with a roaring of high explosives a few weeks ago—as surely de- stroyed by the world war as any French or Belgian structure on the western front. It was demolished, in short, because the ti- tled owner felt himself unable to maintain it, much less to pay the bur- densome post-bellum tax now levied by Britain on all such luxuries. It was the post-bellum cost of labor, likewise, that com- pelled the use of explo- Illustrate the Change Wrought by the Substitution of Fuel Oil for Coal. “Sives for the work. The Below: The “Black Squad” as It Toiled in the Clinker-Strewn Inferno. glass house was erected Above: The One Fireman Who Now Maintains the Same Number of Fires o plausibility when one hears of the una- nimity with which steamship operators are now abandoning coal for oil. An ofh- cial of a company engaged in this conver- sion of coal-burning ships announced a few months ago, in fact, that his organ- ization had already installed nearly 700 oil-burning systems on American and other vessels, and was in possession of or- ders for similar work on ships of all the big American companies. To convey to the reader unfamiliar with the operation of large water craft in 1836-40, and served as a model for the great Crystal Palace still to be seen near London. It was itself of no mean size, measuring, as it did, 277 ft. long, 123 it. wide, and 67 ft. high. Forty thousand panes of glass formed the arching walls and roof. The architect was Joseph Paxton, known to English school children as the humble gardener’s boy who achieved professional renown, knighthood, and a seat in parliament. At the time of the erection of the Chats- worth-Hall conservatory, he was superin- tendent of this and other ducal estates.

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POPULAR \

MECHANICS 121 ii

The Housekeeper is Ordering and Paying for Her Ice, at the Left by Means of the Odd Cash Box. Havin; Delivered the Ice, the Iceman is Opening the Box, at the Right, to Obtain the Money, and Then Closes It ODD CASH BOX IS GO-BETWEEN FOR HOUSEKEEPER AND ICEMAN A small boxlike mechanism which, when fastened to the wall of the kitchen porch, serves both as a signal and as a cash box, is now finding favor with house- keepers and ice companies in the South. In appearance and operation it is not un- like an ordinary letter box. When the housekeeper desires to replenish her ice chest she causes a metal plate to fall into ‘iew from the bottom of the box. This inetal plate displays the number of pounds desired. Into a slot she then drops the proper coin or coins. Observing the plate, later in the day, the iceman stops his wagon and brings the amount of ice requested. With his master key he then opens the box, so retracting the metal plate, and pockets the housewife’s money. Pressure on a vertical, plunger at the top closes it. COLLEGE PROFESSOR CONDUCTS CLASSES BY WIRELESS Temporary separation from his classes by 110 miles did not prevent a college professor, recently called from Iowa to Missouri, from assigning lessons as usual and receiving daily reports from his stu- dents. On the campuses of both his own school and the one he was vis- iting wireless stations had been erected, in charge of ex-army men, and the professor experi- enced no difficulty in communicating his in- structions and keeping the classes properly busy during his absence. HEAVY GRUBBING PLOW CLEARS LAND OF ROOTS AND STONES Drawn by a tractor of 12 to 20 hp., a heavy grub-breaking plow, now offered by a Wisconsin concern, is declared to be remarkable for its ability to remove all roots and stones from rough land. <A 24-in. clearance between the plow point and the double steel-channel beam pre- vents clogging, even in tangled marsh bottoms. To strengthen the plowshare, a second ‘share is bolted to it and welded to the landside. The plow is lifted, front and rear, by a power connection, con trolled from the tractor by a cord, but is equipped with a hand-lift lever to be used in Case OT emergency.

Grubbing a Tangled Swamp Bottom with the New Plow and a Tractor

A Side View of the Grub-Breaking Plow, for Removing Roots and Stone: from Rough Land: By Means of the Cord at the Right, the Plow may be Lifted, Front and Rear, by Power from the Tractor

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32 POPULAR MECHANICS TREE OF GLACIAL AGE DUG FROM ASPHALT PIT A cypress tree, exhumed from a small asphalt pit in southern California, has lately been identified by the curator of a Los Angeles museum as a relic of the Pleistocene or Glacial Age. As such it was contemporary with the mastodon, the saber-tooth tiger, and the giant ground sloth. The find is consid- ered the more remark- able because no _ living specimens of the cypress are to be found in the vicinity. The tree isin an excellent state of preser- vation, too, thanks to the action of the enveloping tar. The bark is intact in many spots, and is un- changed except for the discoloration incident to long contact with the bituminous matter of the pit: The tree lacks its This Tree was Dug from the Asphalt Pit in the Background, and has Lately roots and smaller been Identified as a Relic of the Glacial Age. The B ark Is Intact in Many Spots and is Unchanged Except for Discoloration Incident to Long branches, but two of the Contact with the Bituminous Matter of the Pit larger are still to be seen, re of Rock in Which the Shells of Live ysters of Curious Form are Imbedded. They were Discovered in Coos Bay, Oregon OYSTERS IMBEDDED IN ROCK ARE PACIFIC CURIOSITY Edible oysters that live with their shells imbedded in solid rock, like the fossils of some extinct creature, have been discov- ered in Coos Bay, Ore. The fact that they are fairly abundant makes these strange mollusks no less a curiosity, and the university of the state is now engaged in a study of their origin and mode of life. Because they are considered an ex- ceptionally delicious food, the investi- gators are also examining into the pos- sibility of their propagation for the market. BEACH SHELTER COLLAPSES COMPACTLY AFTER USE \ beach parasol, or tent, of new design is in use this summer at sev- eral, beaches along the Pacific coast. As rented from the proprie- tor, the tent is seen as a bundle of slender, hinged poles, about six feet long. As these are unfolded, it is found that four of them are legs, which sup- port between them a ridgepole. On either side of this ridgepole is a spring roller on which is wound a canvas awning. Pulled outward, and braced against retraction by The First Step in the Erection of the Collapsible Beach Shelter is Portrayed at the Left. The Awnings are Pulled Out to Form the Roof, at the Right their wire supports, these two awnings form a roof which offers ample protec- tion against the sun,

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STEEL-DISK AUTO WHEELS MADE BY WELDING Steel Plates for the Outside and The Welding Machine, in Which Inside of Double-Disk Auto the Two Disks, the Rim, and the y, DY Big _ ooo Finishing 25 Wheels a Day Inside and Outside Views of a Finished Wheel, Ready for Mounting The Final Operation in the Manufacture of Auto Inspecting the Finished Wheel, Mounted on an Wheels from Two Steel Disks: The Ma- Axle-Hub Assembly: It must Have True Bal- chine Finishes 50 Outer Hubs a Day ance and Perfect Alinement to be Accepted = = > SE EE

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124 POPULAR MECHANICS KNITTED ONE-PIECE GARMENT IS NEW FASHION FREAK e-- —— —— The most hard- ened boulevardiers batted an eye re- cently when a Pa- risian mannequin appeared in the bizarre costume illustrated on this page. The garment is composed of a single piece of knitted wide- meshed fabric. Brought together in the back, it forms wide, ki- mono sleeves. These are trimmed with heavy fur; another band of fur encircles the garment at the height of the knees. \ close- fitting turban com- pletes the costume, FORMS TUBES AND MOLDINGS FROM FLAT METAL STRIP Kither tubing or molding of any desired shape may be made at the rate of 50 to 200 ft. a minute, from flat metal strip up to 13 in. wide, by a machine now manu- factured in Ohio. The shaping operation is performed gradually by a series of eight pairs of roll dies, all of which are driven by gears. A large vertical adjustment of the upper-roll spindles is possible, accom- modating various sizes and shapes, and allowing for regrinding of the dies. Open- joint, lock-seam, or welded tubing can be produced, and provision is made for elec- trically welding one flat strip to the end of another, to assure continuous opera- tion without interruption. Slight gradua- tion of the roll sizes maintains a tension that prevents buckling of the stock, and a set of straightening rolls at the end finish the product by smoothing out any possi ble kinks or irregularities. DISPENSER OF BOTTLED GOODS MEASURES AMOUNT SERVED he customer's drinking glass receives a definite and measured amount of grape juice or other bever- age, when it is filled at the faucet of a counter dispensing machine invented in the Kast. The origi- nal bottle .of liquid is inverted in the top of the dispenser, and a measuring chamber below holds the charge of refreshment for each glass. A pis- ton with a_ hollow graduated stem ad- justs and indicates the capacity of the cham- ber. @ Approximately 4,000 Parisian taxicabs are now upholstered in American army olive drab as a result of the proprietors’ discovery that the cloth could be purchased more cheaply than French material. Left: Front View of the Machine for Forming Tubing and Molding from Metal Strip, ing Rolls at the Near End. Right: The Gear Side of the Machine, Showing the Driving Motor with the Straighten- antl ETE

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POPULAR MECHANICS Motion-Picture Advertising Truck, Carrying a Large Screen and Projector, and Remarkable for Its Two Huge Flood-Lighted Billboards, One on Either Side of the Body TRUCK CARRIES BILLBOARD AND MOVIE APPARATUS One of the national advertisers of soft rinks utilizes a unique motor truck ad- ertising campaign. This car visits the leading cities of the country and puts on demonstrations before thousands of peo- le each day. (he motor truck carries two 4 by 10 ft. billboards on either side of the body, flooded with light at night to attract at- tention. On these billboards are pictures f various plants of the company. Their truck is equipped with an electric light- ng system, and the brilliant lighting oi the billboards, together with their size, color, and general appearance, attract at- ntion both day and night. lhe truck is also completely equipped for giving outdoor motion pictures, which, while their fundamental purpose is to ad- vertise the products of the company, are of a nature that entertain as well as in- : struct. On the top, across the front, is j in iron frame supporting a transparent screen 6 by 8 ft., and as the projector is lower down and at the rear, this gives a two-way view of the pictures. @ The occupants were killed when an air- plane struck the high-voltage wires be- side a San Francisco airdrome, recently, and crashed in flames. ol nT K CAST-IRON PIPES ARE SQUARE IN EXTERIOR CROSS SECTION In the construction of yard buildings for one western railroad, the builders are now using an unusual type of water pipe. The pipe sections are of cast iron and are fitted together in the usual way. The ex- terior is square in cross section, however, in order that the pipe may be incorpo- These Water Pipes, Square in Exterior Cross Section are Used in Construction like Any Structural Element floors like any struc- tural element. The thick walls of the pipe will carry safely any ordinary load im- posed on walls or floors, into which they have been built. rated in walls and

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126 POPULAR MECHANICS RAILROAD DITCHING MACHINE SETS HUGE BATTERY WELLS A curious use for a railroad ditching machine was developed when, on a recent The Railroad Ditchin Sinai Running on Portable Rails on the Flat i a 5,000-Pound Battery Well from the Car by Means of an Oak Block Wedged in Its Neck ars, is Seen Li occasion, a number of the huge battery wells used for block-signal installations had to be unloaded from flat cars and set in place. By removing the bucket from the ditcher, its boom was converted into a derrick, an oak block being wedged into the neck of each of the fragile 5,000-Ib. jars for a hoisting grip. The ditcher then moved along the flat cars on its own port- able track, lifting the wells out of the way as it progressed, or hauling them within reach from a distance by means of a loop in the cable. In 10 hours a total of 32 wells were unloaded and set. CHICAGO TO HAVE CENTRAL PARCEL-POST STATION A large building designed solely tor the handling of parcel-post packages is soon to be erected a few blocks from the central post of- fice at Chicago, IIL, in order to relieve the con- gestion which now over- whelms the old building. The new structure will be four stories high, will cost about $650,000, and will be occupied by the government under a 10- year lease. At the end of this term, it is hoped work will have been com- pleted on the magnificent = post-office building con- ceived with the new Union Railroad Station. NUMBER BRITISH PATENTS NOW BY DIFFERENT METHOD Adoption by the British patent offic« of a new system of numbering patents and abandonment of the old method of using the same number for both application and. patent appear to have created some confusion among American inventors. Un der the new arrangement the number of the appli cation is not to be used in describing or marking the patented article, only the actual patent num ber, of a series which be gan with 100,000, being so employed. The old system started with |] each year, and the patent when issued took the same number as the ap plication, a method which left vacancie- in the list when applications failed of completion. TRAVELING CONCRETE MIXER HAS TANKLIKE TREAD \ concrete mixer that follows its worl about is now being marketed by an Illi nois concern. Endless-tread tractio1 members, in place of ground wheels, en- ible it to negotiate rough ground, and 2 swinging boom with traveling bucket which may be quickly replaced by swivel chute, permits the concrete to bi delivered at any desired point. The ma- chine has only 11 gears, and is controlled by four levers and four handwheels. It is light enough to be hoisted readily t ihe upper floors of buildings. A Concrete Mixer That Travels with Its Work on Endless Treads: The Swinging Boom and Bucket may be Replaced by a Swivel Chute, and the Whole Machine may Readily be Hoisted into a Building. It is Controlled by Four Levers and Four Handwheels wis

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POPULAR MECHANICS Ey CANON ROAD ON OLD RAILBED HAS TWO TUNNELS When the railroad removed its tracks from Salina Cajfion, in cen- tral Utah, it left as a legacy to the people of the region a most desirable wagon road. The ex- isting road along the cafion side was little more than a twisting mountain trail; but this railway bed runs comparatively straight nd level, going through obstruct- ing hills, not over them. Salina Cafion’s makeshift highway goes through two tunnels, in fact, one f them several hundred feet in iength. Care is always taken to prevent head-on encounters in mid-tunnel, as both bores are only nine feet wide. = Pog ba Auto ~~ f ” 2 = « “ 7" , , nA . - sng This Is One of the Tunnels Found along the Cafion Road. For merly the Rather Narrow, but It Is Much More Convenient than the Old Bed of a Single-Track Railway, the Highwav I Mountain Trail ANGLING SCENES IN MOVIES USE TINTED RUBBER FISH Movie sportsmen who stalk into the picture carrying fly rods and strings of trout, apparently so freshly caught that their tails still wiggle, are not necessarily lucky fishermen. Until recently, film directors who needed angling scenes in their pictures were dependent upon the notoriously unreliable moods of living fish. But modern efficiency demanded a method more certain and less wasteful of time. A California picture concern there fore engaged a manufacturer of rubber to produce a string of accurately fashioned rubber trout, and an artist completed the verisimilitude by tinting the elastic fish, with oils, in nature’s colors. The result is so satisfactory that only a close ex amination reveals the deceit, which defies discovery on the screen. The same fac tory and artist are now busy upon an order of yellowtail, tuna, and other salt water fish for a series of sea pictures now in the making. RELICS OF VERDUN MADE SPORT FOR HUNS Near Verdun, are many curious cells of clay, each France, little per- haps a foot or 15 in. square, with an _ oddly designed window in the ornamented and in- scribed front. In each cell, peering through the opening, is a human skull. These strange sarcophagi were made to the time away by the German soldiers who laid such long siege to the city. They did not lack for filling material. Within an area of two square miles about Ver- dun lie the bones of hun- dreds of thousands of French and German _fighters—literally enough to pave the town. It is estimated, Pass Behind the Window in Each of These Curious Cells of Clay, Made by German Soldiers, was Placed a Human Skull. Garnered from the Battle Fields about Verdun indeed, that approximately 1,000,000) sol- diers died in and about the cits

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GLIMPSES OF BEAUTIFUL AND UNUSUAL FEATURES COPYRIGHT, PUBLISHER This Apartment House Differs Pleasantly from Its Neighbors in Design and Ornament. Over the Entrance are Suspended a Dozen Concrete Flowerpots . we ~ The Rubbish Cans in One of the Parks of Pasadena, California, are Camouflaged by Covers of Woven Twigs and Branches. The Top can be Lifted Off When the Can must be Removed The Gardener, and Not the Sculptor, Designed the Monumental Lions That Guard the Portals of This Home. The Con- crete Faces were Fixed to the Wooden Frame- work of the Bodies. Over These Ivy was Trained + A om “Se ~e Simple and Far from Ornate, the Little Footbridge Nevertheless Harmonizes Well with the Informal Beauty of This Japanese Garden. The Structure Con- sists of Two Arching Logs over Which has been Laid a Floor of Rough-Hewn Crosspieces

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TO BE SEEN NEAR HOMES AND IN PUBLIC PARKS

As the Garden Seems to Achieve tes Completest Beauty When It Serves as the Setting for a Gemlike Pool of Water, So the Pool is Best Loved When Spanned by a Graceful Little Bridge of the Owner’s Design. This Structure was Built Entirely of Logs and Branches from the Grove in the Background ,

/ i a — > a > Age be = mR <i :

‘i, 4 | “The Oriole’s Nest,” as This Cozy | Retreat is Sometimes Called, is Hidden in a Clump of Pine Trees at the Edge of a Great Lawn. Climbing Vines have All but Hid- den the Lattice Framework e*

—— ; — In This More Formal Garden the Mason’s Trowel has Replaced the Carpenter's Hammer and Saw in the Building of the Ornamental Bridge. Con- crete and Heavy Uncut Stones Were the Materials Used

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POPULAR - * s Left: of the Machine. TEST PAVING BRICK QUICKLY WITH TUMBLING MACHINE Specimens of paving brick may be tested for wear so effectively, in a simple machine devised by students of a western agricultural college, that an hour's trial Tumbling Machine for Testing Paving Brick, with Panels Removed for Insertion of Samples: The Brick to be Tested is Weighed and Placed in the Drum with a Quantity of Large Steel Shot gives the results of 25 years of normal use. The machine operates like a tum- bling barrel or drum, with easily remov- able side panels for inserting and removing the samples. The specimen of brick to be tested is weighed and placed in the drum with a quantity of large steel shot. The proportional weight after an hour’s run determines the quality. NEW UNLOADER TYPE IN USE ON OCEAN DOCK A portable cargo-moving machine now in use at one ocean terminal contrasts with the ship’s crane, which dumps a slingful of cargo upon the dock at inter- vals, in that it keeps the cargo moving without intermission from ship’s deck to dock. The decks of the vessels using this dock are usually at dock level. The un- loader is thrust acrass the ship's rail, ac A Three-Quarter View New Cargo-Moving Right: View of the Chute or Dock MECHANICS A Side cordingly, with one end on the deck and one on the dock. It is of the steel-framed endless-conveyor type, with a 10-ft. chut or apron at the discharge end. Here, too is the electric motor. Sacks, boxes, and other cargo placed upon the conveyor are carried to the chute. Down this they slide to waiting longshoremen. FOREST RANGERS FIND TREE BLAZED BY EARLY EXPLORER Four blocks, sawed from an ancient Douglas-fir tree, were recently sent by for est rangers to the forestry Portland, Ore., where they h installed as permanent exhibit They are considered worthy of this dig nity because each bears a blaze, or sear. made—study of the growth rings has shown—approximately 150 years ago. | was at this time, in 1774 and 1775 to be exact, that the Spanish navigators Juan Perez and Bruno Heceta made the real explorations of the Oregon coast Knowing this, and that the tree stood on a high point of land Pacific, it seems not improbable that the musenm at ave sinc: been first overlooking the Study of the Growth Rings Shows That the Blazes on These Blocks of Oregon Fir were Made at the Time of the Spanish Exploration Approximately 150 Years Ago blazes were carved by the knives of a landing party from one or the other ot these expeditions.

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« POPULAR MECHANICS 431 COLLAPSIBLE MOLD INVENTED FOR MAKING CONCRETE TUBS A mold which is rigid when assembled, vet is quickly removable in sections from the dried cast, has recently been invented for the construction ol within the foundation frame, with its edges resting upon bolts which project from the frame. The outside form is placed upon the frame, and the concrete poured into the space between core and frame. When the concrete is dry, the concrete laundry tubs, bathtubs, sinks, and sim- ilar fixtures. It consists of three major parts: a core, an outside form. and a foundation frame. he core consists of two side plates, with pro- iecting cleats, a front ind back plate with pins for corresponding holes in the cleats, and a bot- tom plate which rests. hen the core is in- verted, upon lugs pro- ecting from the upright members. The outside form is of simpler con- struction, involving only four sides, which are latched together. To se the mold, the inverted core is placed The Core of the Colla at the patte Mold is Seen at the Left. The Cut-Away View, ight, Illustrates the Use of the Mold frame bolts are withdrawn, permitting the withdrawal of the core, piece by piece. FOLDING AUTO-VALVE LIFTER CARRIES IN TOOL KIT Tools that fold are likely to gain that desirable quality at the expense of rigi- dity. A folding valve-spring compressor and valve lifter for autos now on the market is so constructed, however, that it retains the positive alinement of a solid tool. It is made of cold-rolled steel, weighs 3 Ib., and is strong enough for heavy work. The sliding yoke is adjust- The Valve Lifter is Seen in Two Positions at the Top and Folded for the Tool Kit in the Lower View able to valve stems from 41% to 9 in. long, and the valve fork is self-centering. The adjustment is made by shifting the fulcrum pin of the lever to different holes in a pivoted bar. There are 10 holes, one for every half inch, The folded tool is 1415 in. long. AUTO DEALER PROVES CLAIMS OF “MILES PER GALLON” Since economy has become so strong a factor in the sale of motor cars, an lowa dealer, determined to offer more than mere talk of “miles per gallon,” has ar- ranged a simple device to prove his claims. On the left windshield post of his demonstrator he has fastened a glass con- tainer, holding exactly one pint of gaso- line. With the supply from the regular tank shut off, he fills the glass, and runs until it is empty, and the speedometer tells the figure of engine efficiency better than words. @Channel lights maintained by the United States Lighthouse Service were inspected from an airplane for the first time recently, when a keeper flew along, and close to the surface of, a long estuary in North Carolina. Though the day was bright, he was able to see whether or not the lights were burning.

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432 POPULAR WATER BENEATH GRINDING WHEELS CATCHES DUST A new tool-sharpening machine is dust- less in operation, thanks to the designer’s The Mechanism of the Grinder, at the Left, is Seen in Detail at the Right. Dust is Trapped by Water beneath the Wheels inversion of the usual construction. The two grinding wheels are mounted, not in the ordinary way, but on a head which is suspended from the top of a globe-shaped casting. The globe is cut away enough to give convenient access to the wheels. The bottom, however, is left intact in order to hold the several quarts of water that catch and hold all particles thrown off during the grinding. Grinder head and globular casting both swivel on vertical axes, making it possible for the operator to work under the best possible illumina- tion. NOZZLE MIXES TWO FLUIDS OR LIQUID AND GAS A complete and yet practically instanta- neous mixture of two fluids is accom- plished by a new form of nozzle, designed primarily for the chemical trade. The The “Mixing Nozzle, with Its Spiral Vanes, is Seen in Section Above, and in Perspective Below MECHANICS mixing chamber is in the head of the nozzle. The two liquids enter separately at the rear, one passing through an inner tube containing a spiral vane, the other traversing the annular passage around the tube and going through a propellerlike section. The whirling motion thoroughly combines them in a single spray. A liquid and a gas also may be mixed. PANES IN WOODEN WINDOWS GIVE PEEP-SHOW EFFECT Unable to procure plate glass for the two display windows, yet unwilling to de- lay the opening of his new quarters, the manager of an automobile agency in Brooklyn, N. Y., recently astonished the neighborhood with an odd makeshift. In the great window frames he had the car- penters place wood-paneled partitions. In the middle of each was then set a small glass pane. The curiosity of the passer- by seldom failed to draw him to one of the panes. Peering through the aperture, Unable to Procure Plate Glass of Sufficient Size, the Owner had the Carpenters Construct These Wooden Windows, with Small Panes Inset as through the orifice of an old-time peep show, he was surprised to see a spacious showroom, crowded with exhibits. Complete reconstruction of Chicago's present congested produce center, planned to begin in the early future, will give that city a food market asserted to be the largest and most modern in the world. The work involves moving all the build- ings along South Water Street’s river front, the double-decking of _ that thoroughfare, and the construction of huge railroad terminal, into which prod- uce cars will be brought directly. The improvements are expected to reduce local food prices and increase trade with other towns: re Seng

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ee, POPULAR ARIZONA DESERT REGION GETS SOLAR OBSERVING STATION \top the Haqua Hala Mountains in the heart of the desolate desert region of \rizona, the Smithsonian Institution is now establishing another solar observing station. The work carried on here -will be similar and supplemental to that of the institution’s existing station at Calama, Chile, which for the last few years has heen furnishing daily reports to the Ar- rentine government. Like its Chilean predecessor, too, the new station is lo- cated in a practically cloudless area. This ‘part of Arizona is believed, in fact, to be he most consistently cloudless region in he United States. The labors of the Smithsonian scientists it this lonely spot are certain to prove ‘ruitful. Already the observers have ‘found that the amount of radiation from he sun varies not only from year to year, hut also from day to day. Plotted, as by ihe Argentine government, the curves representing these daily variations are ‘en to resemble closely the curves depict- ng daily flugtuations from normal of the weather conditions. t CARBURETING SYSTEM DRAWS AIR THROUGH CRANKCASE \n odd carbureting system, recently patented for a well-known low-priced au- tomobile, is said to increase mileage per gallon, while prolonging the life of the engine. The system draws air through a tilter on the left side of the engine. Thenee the air is sucked through a hole in the transmission cover plate; goes for- vard through the crankcase, and passes into a special cylindrical chamber over the breather. Here the air is mixed with INF T TUBING wm eS en eee & CRANK CASE “~~ PN han nh ae HEATED AIR ——_ Fas IR ANO —— £ Ct tx FILTER

GAS TO_CARBURETOS | ‘ a jam, = - P | | a — OVERFLOW | a FROM RADIATOR The Arrows Indicate the Action of the Odd Carburet- ing System, as Applied to the Engine of a Well-Known Low-Priced Automobile live steam from the radiator overflow. pipe. This mixture then passes over the exhaust manifold, which heats it further, and finally enters the carburetor. MECHANICS 45. a) CIRCULAR FIREPLACE MIDWAY BETWEEN FLOOR AND CEILING In a house of the Civil War period, in western New York State, is to be found a fireplace that breaks every architectural

The Strange Fireplace Is Circular in Elevation, and is Built into the Wall Halfway be- tween Floor and Ceiling convention. The wall aperture is not rec- tangular, but circular. The fireplace itself is not built at floor level; instead, it pierces the wall just halfway between floor and ceiling. There is no mantel piece. The wall surface surrounding the circular opening is faced with gleaming white tile. Despite its form, the fireplace is declared to draw, and throw the heat surprisingly well. SIMPLE AUTOMATIC WIRELESS FOR RAILROAD SIGNAL Wireless transmission of the simplest and most elementary type is being put to effective use on French railroads for au- tomatic signaling to the engine crews. An insulated antenna wire some 33 ft. long is stretched alongside the track at signal points, connected through a spark gap to an induction-coil secondary. The primary of the coil is connected toa length of insulated rail, and to ground through a battery and a_ signal-control switch. When a passing engine grounds the in- sulated rail, completing the circuit, the resulting waves are received by another antenna strung under the engine. A sim- ple coherer, connected to a_ solenoid which operates the whistle, completes the system. The engineer is required to re- cord his receipt of the signal by a special mark on the running record,

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SOME NOVEL AND LITTLE-KNOWN ACCESSORIES The Traveling Case at the Right is Made of the Army Olive Drab and Has Pockets for Clothing, Towels, Toilet Articles, and Other \§ Camping Necessities The Ice Shaver Above Has an Adjustable Saw-Tooth Blade, and being Made of Aluminum, Is_ Nonrusting and Light The Collar Button Seen Above in Side View and Cross Section Has a Rubber- Covered, Spring-Mounted Back lectric-Light Fixtures of a New Type, Illustrated Above, are Designed Not Only for Long Service, but for the Exclusion of Dust, Which in Two Weeks, It is Said, will Lessen the Efficiency of a Reflecting Surface by 45 Per Cent The Inside of the Cover of This Wash Boiler is Provided with a Soap Shaver This Overgrown Tea Ball Is an Enameled Kitchen Utensil for the Boiling of Rice. The Cooked Grains Come Out Unbroken This Artistic Revival of the Old-Fashioned Night Light Uses Little Wicks Which Float in Oil. The Flame will Boil an Egg This Movable Inclosure, or Pen, for the Baby Has a Removable Folding Floor, and can Itself be Folded to Small Compass Composed of a Heel and a Toe Block and Two Screws, This Shoe Stretcher will Lengthen an Uncomfortable Shoe

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onl RT INTENDED FOR THE HOME AND ITS MEMBERS ° ene tal A Safety-Razor Blade Forms the Cutting Edge of This Paring Knife. Potato Eyes are Quickly Removed by Means of the V- Shaped End This Bread-Cutting Set Com- prises a Board, a Knife, and a Rack Which can be Folded own This New Heel Attachment Is Simply a Wedge of Rubber That is Nailed to the Worn-Down Leather Heel This Bottle Cap, Used to Close Wood-Alcohol Bottles and Sim- ilar Containers, is Provided with an Ingenious Lock and Key Slipped around a Thim- ble, This Thin Band of Genuine Shells, Meant for the Use of the = Steel Serves to Cut American Army in France, Form the Ped- \ Thread with Its Hooked, estals of Parlor Lamps Now Made by an Sharpened End American Company. The Shade Is of i Painted Parchment Screwed to the Bed- room Wall, This Gas Burner will Heat Water or Warm Medicines. It is Finished in Nickel- plate and White Enamel With Only One Jet Burning beneath It, This Boxlike At- — tachment for the Gas or Oil Stove will So Retain and Distribute the Heat That Three Pots can be Boiled Simultaneously When the Muffins Are Brown, the Pan is Inverted on the Table. As the Finger is Pressed against the Disk in the Bottom of Each Tin, the Muffin Falls to the Table

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WET MAGNETIC CONCENTRATION IMPORTANT By F. H. MASON AGNETIC concentration of minerals, particularly of iron ores, has long been practiced, but until recently it always has been done on dry ore. To the metal- ELECTROMAGNET <<“

_ NARROW BELTS { | EXCITING COILS 7 CONCENTRATE

through the furnace. The mixture of fine and coarse ore is then cooled rapidly in a revolving steel drum, the bottom oi which is immersed in running water. This method of cooling seems to play as impor- tant a part as the heat- ing in improving the magnetic properties of the pyrrhotite, for it has been demonstrated that, if the ore is allowed to cool naturally, there is little improvement, while if it is dropped directly into water, those prop- erties are almost en- tirely lost. = The heat treatment | makes the ore friable, so that it is easily pulver- ized in a ball mill. The

CHUTES TO | CATCH / pulverized pulp is passed CONTENTOF over the _ concentrator One j wet, as it comes from the Rees ball mill. In the earlier experiments dry magnet Diagrammatic View of the Concentrator: The Magnetic Particles are At- tracted to the Narrow Belts, and Passed to the Chutes, While the Non- magnetic Portions Go to Separator Tables at the End of the Wide Belts ic concentration was at- tempted, but no notable success was achieved. lurgical staff of a Canadian mining com- pany belongs the credit, it is believed, of being the first to adopt wet magnetic concentration in the dressing of ores. The method was evolved after a great deal of experimentation, extending over a period of more than 10 years, in an effort to find a satisfactory process for the treatment of the ores from one of the company’s mines. These ores are dense sulphides, and consist of an inti- mate mixture of zincblende, marmatite, galena, pyrrhotite, and pyrite, with from three to six per cent of gangue. The pyrrhotite, which is the principal iron mineral, is only feebly magnetic as it occurs in the ore, but it has been demon- strated that its magnetic properties may be greatly improved by a preliminary heat treatment. The ore, therefore, after it has been crushed to pass a 2-in. gauge, is passed over an electric screen, where the fine material is separated from the coarse. The latter is passed through a revolving furnace, where it is heated to a temperature of about 1,000° F., while the fine ore is carried by a belt conveyor and is mixed with the coarse as it leaves the furnace. By this device, the fine is heated to the required temperature, but not overheated, as it would be if put 436 The magnetic particles of the wet pulp, on the other hand, are separated readily by the magnet. The magnetic concentrator, which was designed by the metallurgical staff in col- laboration with the makers of the ma- chine, consists of an endless belt running on rollers. The two terminals of a pow- erful electromagnet, excited by a _ 15- ampere current, cross the full width of the belt at right angles to its length, and divide the belt into three roughly equal parts. A narrow endless belt runs on rapidly revolving pulleys between each terminal of the electromagnet and the main belt, and extends well beyond both the main belt and the magnet. The wet ore is fed evenly on the main belt, and is carried by it in a thin layer underneath first one and then the other terminal of the electromagnet. The mag- net attracts the magnetic particles oi the pulp, and attaches them to the underside of the narrow belt: which carries them toward a chute, into which they drop immediately they leave the magnetic field. Any ore particles that pass the first ter- minal of the electromagnet are picked up by the second, and the unmagnetic portion of the ore, consisting of zinc- blende, marmatite, galena, pyrite, and

.

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DF rien POPULAR gangue, passes into a chute at the end of the main belt and is carried to separator tables, where the zinc and the lead sul- phides are partly dissociated. The mag- netic particles, which still carry some ga- lena and zincblende, owing to the inti- mate mixture of the original mineral, is reground and repassed over the machine. The wet magnetic-concentrating plant referred to is at present treating 600 tons of ore per day, and, by means of the sub- sidiary treatment on the separator tables, is producing, besides iron, a satisfactory concentrate from which zine is obtained by the electrolytic method. WINDLASS ON SIDE OF TRUCK MAKES LOG LOADING EASY A small winch which attaches to the automobile truck and that makes log load- ing easy, has recently been invented. It is used with two or more timbers which are inclined from the ground to the side of the truck floor. The winch is fastened to the frame on the other side, just be- neath the floor. Gears connect the winch to the engine transmission. To raise the log from the ground to its position on the truck, a chain is passed beneath it. One end of this chain is secured perma- At the Left of the Frame is Seen the Winch Which, with the Chains and Inclined Timbers, Pulls Logs to the Truck Floor nently to the truck frame, the other passes over the winch. As the winch clutch is thrown in, the chain is wound upon the drum, and the log rolls up the inclined timbers. NEW TELESCOPIC SMOKESTACK FOR USE ON LARGE SHIPS With inland cities becoming seaports, and rivers made into mere arms of the sea, ocean-going ships must meet new problems. In this connection, an im- proved form of telescopic smokestack, in- vented primarily to reduce visibility in war time, may find use. The upper half of the new stack slides between the double walls of the lower half, raised and MECHANICS 437 lowered by four vertical threaded rods operated by electric motor or by hand. The rods also are between the walls, and protected from both smoke and weather, Right: A_ Section through the Tele- scoped Stack, Show- ing How the Upper Part is Nested be- tween the Walls of the Lower - n , Which Tells ; e Operator the Position of the Stack tJ) ie—") The Smokestack is Shown Both Extended and Tele- scoped, the Sectional Portions Re- vealing the Mechanism They may have a travel as great as 20 ft. An indicator that tells the operator the position of the stack at all times is a feature of the invention. DOLL OPENS LIPS AND CLOSES EYES AS IT ROCKS ON BASE A doll whose unusual accomplishments the children will find most fascinating is soon to make its début in the toy ---— market. Standing upright upon a heavy, curved base, it will be seen, the doll closes its eyes and opens its mouth every time it is inclined from the vertical. This ac- tion is effected by the pivoted, weighted arms, which are held vertical by grav- ity as the body is moved. The arms are carried on a transverse shaft to which a short crosspiece is fixed. «

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(o 4) POPULAR As arms and body are relatively displaced, one end and then the other of the cross- piece tilts a horizontal plate, and so moves the chin element, attached to the plate. The pivoted eyeballs are linked to the plate. TUBE AROUND SHOULDERS IS NEWEST SHOWER BATH A bathing apparatus now being intro- duced by an American manufacturer might be called a “vest-pocket shower bath” with but little depart- ure from the literal truth. It is composed of a metal tube which fits snugly around the shoulders of the bather. When the tube is worn in this way,a shield of rubberized cloth, or similar ma- terial, encircles the neck, and deflects the water downward, over the body, as it is sprayed from perforations around the inner side of the tube. Water is supplied to the tube from the bathtub faucet by means of a rubber hose of suitable length. VENTILATING-PIPE CUT-OUT IS NEW PLUMBING FITTING The house owner can now avoid the occasional necessity for ripping out floors and walls in the search for plumbing stop- > _ pages by installing a new fitting, called a vent cut- out. This is a simple valve which replaces a short length of the vent, or venti- lating pipe. When a stubborn stop- page develops, the nickelplated handle of the cut- out is operated to close the vent. This done, water or air pressure can be applied through the fix- ture, which in the illustration is a wash- basin, and the stoppage blown out. The cut-out is so devised that it is open.at all times, except when actually held closed. i + BASEBOARD FLOOR ~ STOPPAGE - — on —) MECHANICS NEW PROCESS TAKES GASOLINE FROM HEAVY HYDROCARBONS Not only the heavy liquid hydrocar- bons, but bitumen, and the residues of distillation, are made to serve as bases for the extraction of gasoline by a newly patented European process. The material is heated in contact with hydrogen at some 300-lb. pressure, the temperature gradually rising from 140 to 750° F. This results in complete saturation with hydro- gen, and the production of gasoline of good quality. In one test, using 22 lb. of heavy oil from Galicia, hydrogen was in- troduced at 1,500-lb. pressure, and in 12 hours of heating, 2115 lb. of gasoline was produced. SIMPLE VALVE REGULATES WINDMILL TANK SUPPLY Simplicity and reliability are features of a new ball valve designed to fit the supply pipe of a windmill water tank. The valve screws directly in- to the pipe fitting in the tank, and is normally kept open by gravity, the ball hanging below its cup. A stem on the ball slides in a hole through the per- forated top, having an eye at its upper end. A copper wire equipped with a float, such as an empty jug may be attached to the eye, to close the valve at the desired water level. AUTO-VALVE GRINDING TOOL FITS ANY MAKE OR SIZE Since the spanner sockets in gasoline- - engine valves are not all alike, a California inventor makes a grinding tool adjust- able to fit all of them. The movable spanner legs are held by a wing nut, and may be turned clear out of the way so that a metal blade located between them can be used in- stead. This fits the type of valve with a slot in place of holes. rs. en ee ee ee we

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ont POPULAR MECHANICS 439 BLOCK OF MANY GRADES SUGGESTS ODD GARAGE There are few locations in the world where a seven-story building could be provided with a street-level en- trance to each _ floor. Los inspired by the city’s rapidly growing difficulties with its auto-parking problem. Angeles, however, has a city block which possesses that curi- ous characteristic. On this unusual plot it is proposed to build a seven-floor concrete mu- nicipal garage, 300 by 260 ft., with a first-floor entrance at the front; second, third, and fourth- floor doors at the side, and fifth, sixth, and seventh-floor doors at what would normally be the rear. The basement and roof also would be accessible. With repair shops and gasoline supply on each floor, the garage would accommodate, it is estimated, 500 cars to a floor, including the basement, and 300 on the roof, or a total of 4,300. The plan was Lad hid ejia alia ’ - =~ ~ 44 Seales jragee iL Hf: sasre ul y ° L7e fod Mt LL ae haalie cee see ge Garage with Street-Level Entrances to Every Floor and the Roof, Made Possible by a City Block of Unusual Grades: The Estimated Capacity Is 4,300 Cars WINDLASS ON BARREL SUPPORT SERVES TO LIFT CASKS A labor-saving feature of a recently in- vented movable barrel support is a wind- lass for lifting the unwieldy containers to a convenient height. Two metal arches, mounted on casters, and connected by braced side bars, form the frame of the contrivance. The windlass comprises a crank-equipped rod, which turns in bear- ings on top of the arches, and serves as a winding drum for two rope slings, de- signed to hold a cask. Movable Barrel Support: The Crank-Operated Wind- lass on Top of the Arches is Employed for Lifting and Holding Casks SIGNIFICANT FOSSIL REMAINS FOUND IN WEST INDIES The question of the origin of the West Indies will be decided, scientists aver, when the indigenous animal life is found to be related indisputably to that of the South and Central American mainland. 3ut mammals, which, being wingless, could not have flown over the interven- ing seas, are unfortunately the most poorly represented group of the higher life of the Antilles. For this reason much scientific interest attaches to a recent ex- pedition to Jamaica, backed by the Amer- ican Museum of Natural History. Be- lieving that the West Indies once had a much larger mammal inhabitation than today, the expedition concerned itself with the excavation of fossil fauna from the island’s limestone caves. Many fos- sils were found, several of them new to science. It was learned, in particular, that Jamaica was formerly the home of one or two gigantic rodents, larger than any living today. These were of a slug- gish, heavy-bodied type whose nearest ae ages ago on the Santa Cruz formati6n of Patagonia, in southern South America. A few more discoveries of this sort will tend to establish as a fact the assumption that the West Indies are only the unsubmerged remnants of a once mighty continent, probably con- nected with South America, by way oi Honduras, on the west.

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CHILDREN’S PICTURE STORY DEPARTMENT 433 “3 YL eh tee The Beautiful Moana Valley, About 18 Miles from the Hawaiian City of Honolulu, Was Re- cently the Scene of a Kite-Flying Contest That Drew Youthful Contestants and Spectators, Old and Young, from All Parts of the Island. The Asiatic Influence Was Discernible in the Design of All the Kites, Particularly of the “Centipede” in the Foreground The Small Boy, Desiring a Side- walk Speedster, Now may Choose from as Large a Variety as His Father in Choosing an Auto- mobile. This Latest Type is Pro- pelled by Hand Cranks and Steered with a Foot Bar —; Democracy Is the Rule at an Infants’ Home in Bedford, Eng- land. For the Afternoon Airing, the Babies are Loaded into Cart- like Perambulators Which Hold Six. A Nurse Is in Charge of Each Vehicle - — ———$ —$—— _ 440

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OF MODERN ACTIVITIES AND INTERESTS A New Toy That Instructs as It Entertains Is the Drawing Board Shown Above, Both as a Table and as an Easel. The Child Reproduces the = Picture at the Top of the Board by Means of the Pantograph, Then Colors ¢4 His Drawing rf “Orphant Annie” Is a Rag Doll with Fo © Metallic, Radium-Painted Eyes That § "2 Glow in the Dark like a Cat’s. Annie "> Is an Unusual Doll, Too, in That Her * Skin Is Waterproof, and So Emerges Clean and Undamaged from a Soap-and- ; Water Scrubbing ——— — The Manual-Training Students of a School in Portland, Oregon, Built This Miniature Play- ground for Display at a Recent Exhibit. Tiny Dolls can be Seen at Play on All the Accus- tomed Apparatus, Including Slides, Rings, Trapezes, and Ladders. In Addition There Are a Ferris Wheel, Wading Pool, and Sev- eral Drinking Fountains 441

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£42 TINY INDIVIDUAL HOTBEDS PROTECT EARLY PLANTS Little greenhouses just large enough for a plant or two, or for a single row of them, made of oiled paper with either A Miniature Greenhouse Made of Oiled Paper, with Glass or Cheesecloth Windows, for Protecting a Single Plant or Row from Wind and Cold glass or cheesecloth top, constitute a val- uable contribution to gardening made by a Minnesota inventor. The tiny hotbeds, shipped flat, are set up, after folding, by pushing stakes through slots in their sides into the ground, notches being pro- vided for propping them up with a stick when ventilation is needed. With this protection, crops may be planted three or four weeks earlier than usual, and less seed is needed, because of the protection from wind and cold, and the conserva- tion of moisture. DISTINCTIVE BUTTON WORN BY DEAF IN HOLLAND For the protection and greater ease of deaf persons in Holland, a society de- voted to their interests has introduced a distinctive button to be worn by those afflicted. A small white disk is bisected by a vertical red stripe, the white ground at the sides bearing the letters “S” and “H,” Left: The Button Worn by Deaf Persons in Holland. Right: The Marker Attached to Their Bicycles POPULAR MECHANICS initials of the words “bad hearing” in the Dutch language. Widespread advertising has given the mark universal recognition, and strangers who address a wearer of the button regulate their voices accord- ingly. Deaf bicycle.riders are supplied with a similar attachment in two parts, connected by a yoke. which is hung over the front mudguard. HUGE AMMUNITION MAGAZINE TO BE BUILT IN IOWA On the site of the old artillery-proving grounds at Bellevue, Ia., according to report, the government is soon to con- struct a monster magazine for the storage of ammunition reserves. Scores of rail- road sidings and numerous connections to near-by railroad systems will be built in order that supplies from the magazine may be rushed on short notice to either coast. But most of the government ap- propriation will be spent on the 81 new buildings required. Of these, 74 will be built of asbestos and concrete, and will shelter the shells and high explosives. GAUGE MEASURES CYLINDER BORES DIRECTLY A new and simple gauge for the meas- urement of cylinder bores is now gaining the approval of garage me- chanics as a substitute for the internal micrometer. It consists of nine steel blades, or strips, each of determined ‘ and indicated length, and each differing from the next by a few thousandths of an inch. That the set may not be broken, all the blades are fixed to a single pivot. To use the gauge, the mechanic selects the blade he believes to be nearest the size of the cylinder bore, turns it at approxi- mately right angles to the rest, and thrusts it into the cylinder. If the blade is too long or too short, others are tried until a fit is found. As the ends are not squared, but are arcs of the same circle, the blade may be used at a little more or less than right angles with the longi- tudinal axis of the cylinder, with no loss of accuracy. >, 2 - é

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! t , Cs (HHH : - ol J Mil - VM SD D0 te aA | Hii wii : = J, Bio WI af 1 sa CS 0 RASS \ x 1> FF i Ph: \ (2) ‘es za - yh I in tb | } lh bu Intormation as to where to obtain any specified ii) materials or parts for making objects described in A the following pages_may be had, on request, —maa from our Bureau of Information.—Editor. Combination Sawhorse, Desk, Table, and Easel By ARTHUR SAWHORSE can be used for little else but supporting work, and it re- quires considerable imagination to use it for anything other than its commonplace duties. However, a few simple changes, easily made by anyone, will convert it into a combination of sawhorse, desk, table, and easel. After the horse has been made, a strip is nailed to the bottom crosspieces, as shown. This strip supports the easel-post holder, which is made to accommodate a 2 by 2-in. upright of any length desired, although 6 to 8 ft. will meet most re- quirements. The legs of the sawhorse are drilled with °4-in. holes, J. KELLY holes and pins, two signs or drawings can be placed on the easel at once. The boards for the table top are cut the same length as the horse. The holder is made as shown, to fit on the projecting ends of the horse. When a table is to be made longer than the horse, the holding arrangement should be made as shown in the insert drawing. To make the desk, or drawing board, the same ar- rangement is followed, with the exception of the blocks which hold the table to the sawhorse; these will vary in slant, to accord with individual requirements. The small angle strip is nailed the full length of the table, __— so that the © chit ap tee As a Piece of Furni- ture, a Sawhorse Is a Distinct Disappointe ment, but with a Few Simple Alterations, It is Converted into a Combination Desk, Eas- el, Table, or Drawing Board USED AS A TABLE for wood en pegs to support the center will ~ | not sag for lack of support, easel. By providing all four legs with and to aid in alining the battens. 443

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444 POPULAR A Homemade Foot-Power Shaper A shaper, which, when mounted on a heavy bench, is capable of handling a °o i: iT GUIDE SCREW ny SCREW SLOT | Set- (SCRE i. PIPE TEES CUTTER £ PIPE. FLANGES BAR f=". 2 = : x ay —S vv A vw = WORK BENCH \\\\\\] toOL-Post CROSS- 2 FEED, PART OF hoe | LATHE : We NN || Lervor or wainit BENT PIPE FULCRUM ee FLATTENED TUBING T READLE A Foot-Power Shaper of Considerable Rigidity may be Constructed of Materials Which Are Usually Available in the Small Shop great deal of surfacing for the experi- menter, is shown in the accompanying illustration. The cutter bar or ram is a heavy bar of cold-rolled steel; it is slotted near one end to receive the tool, and a hole is drilled and tapped for the clamping set- screw, as shown. The guides are made of pipe tees, sufficiently large in diameter to hold a shell of babbitt to form bearings for the ram. The front tee is drilled and tapped to hold a screw, which, running in a groove machined in the ram, serves to guide it. A spring is placed back of the front tee, and this, bearing against a pin driven through the ram, provides for the return stroke. The foot lever is of bent pipe, in the upper end of which is riveted a U-shaped yoke, which works on a pin in the end of the ram. A flat plate, with a lip on the edge, is riveted to the other end of the bar to serve as a pedal. The vise, if a suitable machine vise is not handy, may be made of angle iron and a long screw. Keeping Rats from Stored Apples The fondness of rats for apples seems incongruous, considering their better- known appetite for grain, yet it exists, and in the case of stored fruit, is often costly to the orchardist. A_ practical means of protecting apples, applicable to vegetables as well, has been tried and rec- ommended by a commercial apple grower. This man had a storage cellar in which the rats were playing havoc. Several methods of prevention had been tried un- successfully. He at last tried dusting the apples lightly with sulphur. The results MECHANICS were instant and spectacular. The rats made no more fresh cuts, and even let alone apples already bitten. When it became time to ship the apples, it was only necessary to wipe off the sulphur dust. The apples are not injured in the least by this treatment. Having an op- portunity to select, rats will invariably attack sweet apples before others, but the sulphur method is as_ practical with these as with others—John T. Bartlett, Boulder, Colo. Laying Out a Regular Hexagon with a Carpenter’s Square A carpenter’s square can be used for laying out a hexagon if either the long diameter, the short diameter, or the length of one side be known, by one of the _ following methods: Vacx at First: Long TSO diameter known. a lf." ~w\oe Lay out a line —*f-07———SN equal in length ©//./ : AS to the diameter, Yi an fii? as AB, Fig. 1. eS ey Place the square tS, ae in the position ll shown, with AC ™ rN equal to one-half ne of AB. The point C is at one angle of the hex- agon. The other ¢ }™ three unknown ‘ /) angles are then = — located in the ; . / same manner, Fic.2 and the points connected to form the complete hexa- gon, as indicated by the dotted lines. Second: Short diameter known. Let the line AB, Fig. 1, now be the short diameter. Place the square in the same position as in the first case, and draw the line BC; then reverse the position of the square, as shown by the dotted lines, and draw the line AD. The intersection of the lines BC and AD at E is one point of the hexagon. Then, by placing the square on the line AE and making EF and AG equal to AB, the points F and G are located. The angle H is located, in a similar manner, from the line BE. _ Third: Length of side given. Lay off line AB equal to twice the length of a side, and proceed as in the first case. Or, lay off line JK, Fig. 2, equal to the length of a side. Place the square on the line as shown, with KL equal to one-half JK, and draw line LMN. Make

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i POPULAR MECHANICS 445 the line KM equal to JK; the point M will then be at one point of the hexa- gon. Other unknown angles may be lo- cated in a similar manner.—R. C. Hard- man, Balboa Heights, C. Z. Iron Pipe as Gear Puller One way to get a gear off a shaft is to find a piece of pipe a little larger than the shaft, file off the end to a very nearly true surface, and clamp it to the bench. Then slam in the shaft and let the gear strike the end of the pipe. If the gear is hard, it will not be damaged by the blow against the pipe, and if the pipe is faced off pretty accurately there will be little, if any, ten- dency to damage the shaft. Truing Up Gas-Engine Valves Owing to the hardness of the metal now in general use for the valve heads of internal-combustion engines, about the most satisfactory method of truing them up is by grinding on a universal or other grinding machine. On removing the valves from the en- gine, the valve stem should first be trued up, if found necessary. These valves generally have a center hole in the head end only, since a center hole in the stem end would cause the stem to wear down rapidly under the continued striking of the valve tappet. It is, therefore, rather dificult to hold the valve between centers. As it is desirable to have such work sus- pended between centers, a false center was made, which enabled better and faster work. This false center is made, necessarily with considerable care, from cold-rolled steel, and consists of a sleeve to fit over the valve stem. This sleeve is threaded with standard pipe thread, and is then slotted to permit sufficient compression to hold the valve tightly when the nut is turned up on the tapering thread. A center hole is drilled into the solid end of The Lack of a Center Hole in the Valve Stem is Overcome by the Use of a False Center the sleeve, and the work is then taken to the grinding machine and the face ground, the valve revolving between centers dur- ing the operation—M. L. Lowrey, Liver- more, Calif. Hinge for Heavy Doors and Gates The drawing shows an _ extra-heavy hinge that was designed for use on all railroad and teaming gates, and heavy OIL SLOT, FILLED WITH COTTOM WASTE —OiIL CHAMBER A SECTION AT (x) — “—screw A Rusted Hinge on a Heavy and Expensive Gate Is Dangerous and Costly. his Specially Designed Hinge, for Heavy Gates, Is Proof against Sticking doors of a large industrial establishment. The principal parts of the hinge are steel castings, provision being made for oil chambers in the butt, to keep the pin lubricated and prevent rusting; the pin fits loosely in the butt hub, but must be driven through the strap to which it is rigidly attached with a pin, as indicated. Dirt and water are prevented from enter- ing the hinge bearing by a tight-fitting copper washer forced on over the project- ing upper end of the hinge pin. The oil chamber is provided with two screws, for filling with lubricant, so that the hinges may be used for right and left-hand doors, the upper screw being removed for filling. The oil slot is packed with waste before the hinge pin is inserted, and after the in- stallation has been made, the oil chamber is filled with heavy lubricating oil; this keeps the waste saturated with lubricant and prevents the pin from rusting and sticking —M. E. Duggan, Kenosha, Wis. An Emergency Lap In replacing a set of worn wristpins in a new set of automobile pistons, it was found that the new pins were a trifle oversize and would not enter the hole. No reamer of the right size was at hand, so one of the worn pins was placed in the chuck of an electric drill, and coated with valve-grinding compound. By hold- ing the pistons on the pin and turning on the power for the drill, the holes were soon ground out to the desired size; this method was found to produce a perfect- fitting job.

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416 POPULAR MECHANICS A Comfortable Crutch The crutch shown in the drawing is the invention of a man who is compelled to ENAMEL OR CELLULOID WOOD ARM- REST COMPRESSION SRRING METAL STRAP } DETAIL OF METAL STRAP An Improved Crutch That does Not Heat or Chafe, and Provides Comfort to the Crutch User through a New Form of Spring Suspension for the Armpiece use crutches continually; he has obtained a patent on the manufacture of this crutch, but appreciating the discomforts of the usual crutch he has given permis- sion to other crutch users to make a pair for their personal use. This crutch has a specially designed armpiece which is devoid of angles, the entire surface being rounded and finished in special enamel, or celluloid, to prevent friction, wear of clothing, and chafing. In the underside of the armpiece, holes are bored to contain the compression springs shown in the drawing; these springs are suited to the weight of the user. The openings also serve to receive the ends of the crutch staffs which rest against the springs, the combination act- ing as a cushion, or shock absorber. A metal strap, which is attached underneath the armpiece, is held to the staffs in the manner shown in the drawing, and retains the parts in movable relation. The arm- piece, being entirely independent of the crutch staffs, adjusts itself to the various movements of the body, and the curved surface does not change its form through pressure, which would be the case if it were padded or upholstered. The proper distance from the arm to handpiece and the correct length of the crutch are readily obtained by sawing off pieces from the ferrule and upper ends of the staffs to the required length. Ammonia as a Fire Extinguisher Ammonia pistols are effective against either. man or animal, and as weapons of defense are carried by many motorists. They are also quite effective, under cer- tain conditions, for extinguishing small gasoline fires. The ammonia fumes being heavier than air will quickly extinguish the flame, especially if it is confined. A quart bottle of ammonia, carried on the car, makes an effective fire extinguisher to carry on tours, and besides, it is good for cleaning glass or polished metals. Also, an “automatic” fire extinguisher, for the ga- rage, may be made by suspending bottles of ammonia from the ceiling with inflam- mable strings, which are burned by the flames allowing the bottles to drop and break. The ammonia fumes in the confined garage would be of assistance in checking, if not entirely extinguishing, the blaze.— G. A. Luers, Washington, D. C. Constant Level for Filtering In filtering liquids, such as oils that are to be recovered, or other liquids that run through the filter very slowly, the ar- rangement shown in the drawing will keep a constant level of the liquid in the filter. A short piece of pipe is soldered over an opening made in the screw cap of a 5-gal. can. on roee! The oil, or liquid, "5° to be filtered is Z placed in the can; [fy the cap is screwed ET on, and the can inverted over the C filter, as shown in the drawing. When the level of i the liquid in the 2 w= || filter reaches the 7 — end of the pipe, a YW the flow from the can stops until the level falls below it, when more of the liquid is released. This arrangement, in the case of oils, which filter slowly, is automatic and allows the filter to be changed. Adapting Saw Vise to Sharpening of Band Saw When attempting to sharpen a band saw in the common saw vise, it is difficult to prevent the saw from slipping down too far in the vise while shift- ing it along. SAW VISE By drilling a row COTTER PIN of holes at each end of the vise, as shown, and putting two cotter pins in the proper holes, this trouble is avoided, and ee

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Meow li toe POPULAR MECHANICS 447 there is no danger of destroying the set of the teeth, or injuring the newly sharp- ened ones.—C. M. Graham, Waterloo, la. Blueprinting Part of a Tracing Very frequently a print of only a por- tion of a tracing is desired, without white spots showing where the unnecessary parts have been blocked out by covering with paper. A paper negative, having white lines on a brown or black background, is made from the tracing. Unnecessary lines are blocked out on this negative by using a red crayon, or ink. From this negative, a black-line positive is made, which pro- duces black lines against a white back- ground. From the black-line positive, blueprints are made in the usual manner. This method can be profitably employed when it is desired to make separate de- tails of a drawing, without reproducing the whole job. Ratchet Wrench for Tight Places The ratchet wrench shown in the draw- ing is particularly adapted for drawing up iuts and bolts in tight corners and, as indicated, it can be made for use in a bit brace, or with the familiar rod handle. The ratchet consists of two sections of steel tubing with sawlike teeth cut on ¥ : FOR USE WITH i Z one end of each hy A 4 piece, so that . vA the teeth on - DOWELS H both parts en- _- STEEL TUBING. j gage. The 7. pin ; wrench socket GROOVE of | 1s formed from RATCHET TEETH § a bar of cold- CUT IN ENDS iH rolled. steel via eee jm . KEY y | with a groove WZ at its upper end ve jj//p to accommo- date a pin, which holds it to the upper tube without interfering with the rotation of either. In assembling the wrench, a stiff compression spring is slipped over the shank of the wrench, which is then inserted into the tube, where it is secured with the key and pin shown; by provid- ing an assortment of wrenches of differ- ent capacities, but with the same size shank, it is possible to make the same holder take any of them by removing the pin and key, and inserting another wrench, END MADE TO FIT OVER NUT OR BOLT HEAD Ground Detector for Light and Power Circuits When the ground lamps at the switch- board of a building show a leakage on ci . 1 TEST JLAMPS i WATER PIPE { » GROUNDED \ LIGHT With Two Test Lamps, a Ground on the Lighting or Power Circuit will be Readily Located the line, some clue as to its location can often be found by quickly opening the switches which lead to the various depart- ments or floors. But when a trip is made to the department indicated, with no de- tector handy, one may search a long time for the ground. The illustration shows a simple ground detector used in a large mill for years. It is small, cheaply made, and accurate. Connect two 25-watt lamps in series with the two outer terminals of a_ circuit switch, at the dynamo or “live” side, with flexible cord long enough to clip over the blades. From any point between the two lamps, extend a flexible lead to the near- est ground, water or steam pipe. With a switch in the panel closed, light all the lamps in the room, and see if a ground is indicated by a dimming of one of the test lamps. If so, open the switch and see if the ground is removed. If still present, shift the connections to another switch, trying all in succession till one is found that will clear off the ground. This will then prove the grounded conductor to be on that circuit. Now look along the line of lights in this room till a flexible cord or socket is found in contact with a water pipe or machine frame. Leave the test lamps connected to the panel switch, and when the ground is removed, both lamps will glow’ dimly alike. In every test see that the ground detector is connected to the dynamo side of a switch, and not to the lighting side—H. S. Rich, Cromwell, Conn. @Oxalic acid (poison) dissolved in water is excellent for cleaning tarnished brass.

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448 A Motor Lawn Mower and Roller By a clever combination of an early “one lunger” automobile and a_ horse- drawn lawn mower, the students of a r y + {The Driving Gear is Here Shown; Also the Method of Driving through the Jackshaft trade school evolved the gasoline lawn mower and roller shown in the photo- graph. As an automobile, the machine had long been abandoned, and a few dol- lars kept it from the junk man. The mo- tor and other parts ot the machine were in good condition. The running gear, tires, fenders, and other parts were re- moved and discarded, with the exception of the rear axle, which was mounted over the engine cylinder and serves as a jack- shaft to transmit power to the rear roll- ers; these driving rollers were attached to the frame with specially made cast-iron brackets, and each roller is driven inde- pendently of the other by a chain. The jackshaft, with the original differential, eliminates the tendency to slip when turning corners and making short turns, The Lawn Mower at Work, Showing the Seat and Cover, and the Convenient Control POPULAR MECHANICS Idler sprockets were attached to the frame, as shown, to allow the chain to clear other parts of the mechanism. The steering gear was_ successfully worked out by an application of the fa- miliar rack and pinion principle, the rack being cast into the specially made mount- ing bridge. A cast-iron bracket, with a crotch bearing at its lower end, was bolted to each end of the mounting bridge, as shown, the crotch fitting over the ends of the roller shaft, the weight of the ma- chine holding them in place. This ar- rangement permits the mower to oscillate slightly as it follows the irregularities of the surface. A heavy set of rollers was also provided for rolling the lawn in early spring, before th mowing season ope The change fro: mower to roller, o1 reverse, is made b: simply elevating the front end of the ma chine to clear the crotches in the mounting-bridge brackets and rolling the one part out and the other in place, and lowering the machine again, with the crotches over the shaft ends. The original horse-drawn lawn mower was not altered in any way, with the ex- ception of removing the shafts and driv- er’s seat.—E. H. Krieder, Lancaster, Pa. Babbitt Packing for Steam Joints Everyone who works in steam engineer- ing, whether marine or stationary, finds that he could at times use a good metallic packing to advantage. Most metallic packings on the market are manufactured for a certain size of piston rod, or valve stem, and are not available for use else- where. They consist usually of brass and babbitt rings, so made as to fit into each other, and form a steam-tight joint. High-pressure steam packing, of woven linen, asbestos, etc., while easily procured for any size stuffing box, is not as lasting as metallic packing, nor does it always prove as satisfactory. The packing de- scribed below has the lasting quaiities of the metallic packings, and at the same time is as easily applied as the high- pressure packing. It can be used on any size rod, or in any stuffing box, from a high-pressure piston rod to a low-pressure radiator-valve stem, and it can be made by anyone having the use of a lathe. Melted babbitt metal is poured into a cylindrical mold, of any diameter or

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ee ncn POPULAR MECHANICS 449 length, depending upon the size of the lathe to be used. When cool, the babbitt cylinder is placed in the lathe, and light chips taken from it, until the stock be- comes too small to work longer. These chips or ribbons should be about ¥% in. deep, and not more than .005 in. thick; they are gathered in a box as they come from the lathe, and need no further atten- tion until required for service. Usually 3,000 or 4,000 ft. of babbitt ribbon should be kept on hand, and the packing made up as required. When ready to use these ribbons, stretch them over two nails, placed about 3 or 4 ft. apart, running the ribbon back and forth about the nails until, when grasped in the hand and squeezed tightly, the bunch has a diameter twice that of the required packing. The ends of any two ribbons are joined by twisting together, and short as well as long pieces can be used. The mass of ribbon is then removed from the nails, and the two ends are twisted in opposite directions, until the diameter is reduced to packing size. Be- fore twisting, paint the ribbons with a mixture of cylinder oil and graphite, for lubricating. The rope of twisted babbitt ribbons is then cut off in desired lengths, and ap- plied just like any high-pressure packing, care being taken to allow for the expan- sion of metal at the joint, when the stuff- ing-box gland is taken up. A _ liberal amount of oil is applied to the piston rod or valve stem the first few days, until the babbitt works into place. If care is taken when placing this pack- ing, it will last indefinitely; the rod or stem will soon take on a high polish, and all leaking will stop; the packing needs taking up very seldom, and a new turn of packing can be put in at any time. The writer found it particularly good for high- pressure feed pumps, and has used it on such a pump with no attention, other than an occasional tightening of a gland, for 19 months—L. E. Fetter, Ports- mouth, N. H. Tire Boot Made from Old Paper A motorist, unfortunate enough to find himself in the country with a blowout and no patch on hand, was able to complete his trip by using pages from an old maga- zine. Seventy-five or 80 of the pages were torn out and placed inside, over the hole in the casing. When the tube was put in and inflated, the patch was held firmly in place, and the repair shop was reached without trouble. Tool for Removing Woodruff Keys A tool which will remove a Woodruff key from a shaft into which it is tightly fitted is shown in the drawing. The tool is made from 42-in. square machine steel, bent and formed as shown; ROUND EDGE SLIGHTLY TO PREVENT CUTTING KEY HIT FLAT WITH HAMMER AND KEY WILL RIDE OUT $-SQ.MACHINE STEEL SHAFT WwooD BLOCK | | | fey 1 H STRIKE SHAFT WITH } es MALLET AND KEY WILL COME OUT mamantatates BLOCK THIS END OF PULLEY A Simple Tool That Makes the Task of Removing Woodruff Keys Easy on an exposed key it is used as shown in the upper half of the sketch. The lower sketch shows the tool in use where the hammer cannot be used directly. Small blocks of wood, of the proper thickness, are placed behind the pulley, which is slipped back until the blocks come against a shoulder on the machine, leaving just enough space between the pulley and key to insert the tool. A few blows on the end of the shaft will then remove the key. —F, K. Ladd, Bellows Falls, Vt. Spring Holds Pliers Open A simple little fixture that expedites work with the pliers consists of a wire spring attached to the handles for holding the jaws apart, as shown in the drawing. The spring is made from a piece of spring wire and thecoils are formed around the handles of the plier it is to be used with. Such an attachment permits of easy manipulation and simpli- fies working in close quarters. BEND AND SLIP OVER PLIER HANDLES SPRING HOLDS JAWS OPEN

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450 Machine Bends Wire Mesh for Contractors and workers in reinforced concrete are aware of the difficulty in- volved in bending wire-mesh reinforcing for square columns. The machine shown in the drawing provides a convenient and VIDE HANDLES ~~ “. . Stee al ~ 3 Sete * me, ANGLE | ¢ ie” E : ‘ Su! LOWER B _———— |) upper BEAM BOLTED TOUPRIGHTS ~~ : ~* : A Convenient and Economical Method of Bending Wire Mesh, for Reinforcing Square Columns, is Afforded by the Use of This Bending Machine economical method of bending wire mesh into square or rectangular forms of any size. As shown, two wooden beams, about 6 in, square and of any convenient length, are supported between substantial up- rights at the ends, the upper beam being permanently attached to the end supports with bolts. The lower beam slides up and down on guides, which are bolted to it at each end in the manner shown; the POPULAR MECHANICS Concrete-Column Reinforcement height of this vertical movement is regu- lated by wedges inserted between the crosspieces at the top of the guides and the upper beam. A heavy lever is mounted between the left end support, with a long bolt, in such a manner that the end of the lever will bear against the lower beam and press it against the upper beam when the lever is pressed down. The brake con- sists of a smaller wood beam which is attached to the upper beam with hinges so that the lower edges of both are flush; handles are fitted to the brake, and the lower edge is faced with a strip of angle iron, to prevent wear. In use, the wedges are inserted under the guides in such a manner that just enough space is left for the strip or rein- forcing mesh to be inserted between the upper and lower beams, and when the lever is pulled down, the reinforcing ma- terial will be tightly gripped between the two beams. The wire mesh is pushed through the opening between the upper and lower beams from the back of the machine; when the proper length has been pushed through, the lever at the end is pressed down, gripping the reinforcing mesh between the beams; the brake is then pulled downward, and the material is bent at right angles to the strip. This operation is repeated as desired, and the finished reinforcing form is cut from the strip with a bolt cutter. Steel-Ball Circular Level A level for horizontal work, which is so simple that it does not have to be ‘‘made,’’ consists of a piece of smooth plate glass, with a good STEEL BALL steel ball placed on it. The rolling of the ball will RIM SOLDERED CURVED indicate the low AROUND BASE SURFACE side instantly. A better level can be made by accurately finishing a piece of sheet brass on a sur- face plate, soldering a brass rim around it, and putting on a glass cover. If a lathe is available, a still better job can be made by making a disk that is very slightly concave, so that the ball will tend to remain at the center if the surface tested is level, but will roll out otherwise. The depression must be exceedingly slight, and should be of a spherical cur- vature, as nearly as possible. The best way to produce it is first to get the plate true, and then work down the center a little in the lathe, with fine emery cloth, taking care to make the deepest depres- sion at the center, and taper off gradually to the edges, where the surface is left untouched.—Howard Greene, New York, New York. Testing Automobile Generators It is often desirable to test automobile generators when removed from the car. In such cases, it is usually difficult to drive the generator from a motor or other source of power, on account of the gear, or sprocket, with which the generator is usually equipped, without removing the gear and substituting a pulley. However, the gear can be converted into a tem-’ porary pulley without difficulty. Take ordinary friction tape and make small rolls of it, just large enough to go

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a area POPULAR MECHANICS 451 between two teeth; this is repeated until the spaces between all the teeth have been filled. Then wind the tape over the teeth in the direction the wheel is to be driven. Carry the tape around five or six times and then cover with a single layer of stiff paper, lapping the end and gluing it in the direction of rotation. Of course, with such a pulley, a narrow belt will be required—B. B. Brackett, Brookings, South Dakota. A Combined Scale and Protractor for Topographical Draftsmen The combined scale and _ protractor shown in the drawing is made from a piece of transparent celluloid, and will be tound especially useful for plotting the to- pography for highway and railroad loca- tions, as it does away with the use of two instruments. This instrument, it will be noted, is a simple protractor with a quad- rant cut out, as shown, the scale graduations be- ing marked off along the edges from which the quadrant has been re- moved, The drawing shows the plotting of a structure located at an angle of 55° to the left and 100 ft. distant from _ station 3+ 30. Place the center of the protractor at station 3+ 00, with the zero edge along the center line, and locate station 3+30 with a pencil. Holding the pencil at this point, slide the protractor along the center line until the pencil strikes the center, and turn the angle, then go out along the scale 100 ft. and locate the point of the structure; the protractor may then be used for drawing in the building. Aid for Painting Window Sash To prevent paint from getting on the window glass when painting the sash, a useful tool for the amateur painter is made from a strip of tin, about 1 ft. long and 4 in. wide. This strip is slightly curved, and is held against the glass underneath the sash, in the man- ner shown in the drawing, med WINDOW SASH STRIP OF TIN Regulator for Steam Water Heater Operates by Mercury Expansion A low-cost temperature regulator, for steam water-heating plants, which de- STEAM PIPE { | Qn STANDARD VALVE“ ry ee Y= NIPPLE PACK! BUSHING Up HEAVY IRON PIPE $STEEL ROD PISTON WATER TANK nny, An Easily Attached Regulator, Made from Simple Materials, Controls the Flow of Steam to the Water Heater MERCURY LWELD pends for its action upon the expansive force of heated mercury, can be easily installed on the average heater. As shown in the drawing, a piece of heavy iron pipe, about 18 in. long, is inserted inside the heater. An iron piston is made, as indi- cated, to fit inside this pipe, the latter being partly filled with mercury before the piston is fitted in place and the bushing and packing that guide the piston rod and prevent the mercury from overflowing are added. The outer end of the piston rod bears against an arm, that is attached at one end to a standard, bolted to the fur- nace, and at the other to a gate valve in the steam line; the position of a suitable weight on this arm determines the point at which the valve opens and closes. The operation of this regulating device re- quires no attention, aside from adjusting the weight on the regulator arm. As the mercury in the pipe becomes heated, it expands and forces the piston up, closing off the steam supply, and in cooling, it contracts and allows the piston to drop and open the valve. Substitute for Screen Door In places where it is impossible to hang a screen door, its place can be taken by hanging a full curtain of mosquito netting over the door opening. A wide hem is provided at the bottom and small weights or a metal rod are sewed inside to keep the curtain taut.

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452 POPULAR Sliding Garage Door Opened by Car The drawing shows a simple attachment for a sliding garage door that is opened automatically. A counterweight is at- TRACK) sai sai 4 perme SASH corp) FIXED PULLEY PUSM ROD Fah | m RELEASE | = | |» ‘H AY HINGE” BUMPER A Sliding Garage Door That is Opened Automatically by Pressure of the Car against a Simple At- tachment Which Releases the Latch tached to the door, the weight of which serves to draw it back when the catch is released. The catch itself is a simple ar- rangement requiring pressure from the outside to unlatch. A piece of plank is hinged, at the bottom of the door, in an upright position, its length being such that the wheel, frame, or bumper can push it forward. A rod through the door frame pushes back a simple spring-retained latch and disengages it from the catch on the edge of the door. A Test for Fountain-Pen Ink If a fountain pen chokes and “balks,” examine the ink used before blaming the pen. Put a drop of ink on a blotter. If it spreads evenly, and looks like Fig. 1 in Fiac.| - GOOD Fic.2 POOR This Illustration Shows a Simple Test for Fountain- Pen Ink, Which Explains Why Pens Sometimes Refuse to Work MECHANICS the illustration, one may be sure that it is all right. But if it leaves a very dark center surrounded by a lighter area, like Fig. 2, it contains a sediment, and is not fit to use in a fountain pen. The sedi- ment will not spread out through the blotter like the more finely divided mat- ter; hence it will appear only in a small spot, as shown. Regrinding Monkey Wrenches After a monkey wrench has been used for heavy work for a long time, the jaws become worn to such an extent that they are not parallel and their gripping power is greatly reduced. A simple way to rem- edy this is to grind the gripping surfaces of the jaws until they are again parallel. Obviously, after this treatment, the jaws will not close tight unless the wrench is taken apart and the metal removed all the way around the shank of the wrench.— Everett W. Howe, S. Berlin, Mass. Poison Sirup for Ants A poison sirup recommended by the Department of Agriculture for combat- ing the Argentine ant is made by dis- solving 15 lb. of sugar in 7 pt. water, with 1, oz. crystal tartaric acid, and boiling for 30 minutes. After the mixture —--i.— has cooled, *4 oz. ¢ :' of sodium arsenite ———NDENTATIONS (chemically pure), — dissolved in 1 pt. of hot water, is [++ tl — SPONGE added to the sirup P*++ and thoroughly Silla stirred. Finally, SIRUP 114 Ib. of honey is stirred into the sirup. In administering the poison, use an old can; make deep in- dentations on opposite sides, as shown in the drawing, and after filling with as much of the sirup as desired, insert a fairly large piece of sponge, and set the lid on top of the can. The openings made by the indentations in the can provide sufficient space for the entrance of the in- sects, and the surface of the floating sponge permits a large number of the pests to feed at one time. The cans are placed where they will be found by the ants who are attracted to the sweet mix- ture; in a very short time, the ants will have disappeared.—Allen P. Child, Kan- sas City, Mo. @A cheap mahogany stain is made by dis- solving powdered dragon’s blood inalcohol.

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cs aT AA wee ae POPULAR MECHANICS 453 Keeping Vermin from Seeds Hung on Wire Where seeds are stored by hanging them on a horizontal wire, it is often a problem to keep the rats and mice from getting to them, as these pests seem to be able to run along the wire as easily as anywhere else. Procure several tin disks, such as or- dinary sirup-can lids, about 4 or 5 in. in diameter; punch a hole in the center a little larger than the wire, and string two or three on each side of the seeds. The rats or mice cannot pass these, as, if they attempt to cross over them, the lids will revolve and throw them off.—S. Van- aken, Port Ewen, N. Y. Automatic Quick-Acting Lathe Dog When a large number of shafts of the same size are to be turned in a lathe, the output can be increased by the use of an automatic, quick - acting lathe dog, such as the one shown in the drawing. The body of the dog may be made from a steel cast- ing, or worked up from the solid. The Ae | hole is made STEEL CASTING wi J Me in. larger than the shaft to be turned, and dogs of different size will be required to accommodate shafts of various sizes. The gripping dog is made of hardened tool steel, and provided with teeth at the lower end, which is made eccentric, so that the heavier the cut the greater will be the holding power.—R. F. Martlin, Dun- das, Ont. } || TENSION SPRING Detecting Pinholes in Camera Bellows A convenient method of detecting pin- holes in a camera bellows, or a changing bag, is to place an electric lamp inside, and examine the bellows, or bag, from the outside, in a dark room. The smallest gleam of light issuing from a pinhole can be easily detected by moving the light around inside. The back of the bellows should be covered, to prevent the escape of light which would interfere with the detection of the pinholes. Wing Bolt is Used to Fasten Timbers to Hollow Tile It is not possible to use expansion bolts or anchor bolts in hollow tile, as the pres- PLASTER 3"x6" TIMBER NUT || ||_-WASHER + #§X1I3 THREADS, la) nut & U.S STANDARD | oN SECTION THROUGH TILE WALL . J ae . Ff \ Ly Oi LOOSE-FIT RIVET wine? h—'g —+ 3 4 For Fastening Timbers to Hollow Tile the Wing Bolt Illustrated Is Better than Expansion or Anchor Bolts sure necessary to tighten the bolts will crack the tile, but, by using the type of bolt shown in the drawing, studding and timbers, may be fastened to the wall with- out damage to the tile. A hole is first drilled through the tile, about 14 in. larger than the diameter of the wing bolt used; the wing of the bolt is then set parallel with the body, and pushed through the hole, when the weight of the long end of the wing will cause it to fall, and span the hole, as shown. Bolts of varying proportions should, of course, be used for different sizes of work, but the size shown in the drawing will be found suitable for general purposes. The rivet connecting the wing and bolt ‘ must not bind too tightly. Joining Rawhide Belts Rawhide belts have been found by one company to have a longer life than the endless cotton ones they had been using formerly, and their method of joining RUNIN ms the ends is shown Pg in the engraving. A slit is cut in one end of the belt, and two notches are cut out of the other end. The SLIT notched end is forced through the slit and pulled tight. This method eliminates dangerous rivets, and when the belt stretches, it is the work of a moment to pull the end through the slit, cut fresh notches, and pull the belt tight again—S. Guy, Chi- cago, II. NOTCHES;

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154 POPULAR MECHANICS Burglar Alarm Designed to Confuse an Expert The burglar-alarm circuit shown in the drawing is novel as a butglar alarm be- “APPARATUS , pawn ALARM LOOP eS eT onne [RESETANCE ee ee CONTACTS RING ; J t ALARM IF CLOSED , ' ! ' - ' A = ~ a ‘ =a ve | me: Gata, ) l | | ig T x ‘es J © ih Me a ol \! ear \ \ h ™ CONTACTS RING ' — 44 ALARM IF OPENED a ! . {: ) , ‘CLOSED-CIRCUIT 4 BATTERY ~) : af ‘|1|-—trw ‘ee See ee be” ona 1000 OHMS EACH, BATTERY -” BELL DIFFERENTIALLY WOUND The Porch Climber and the Sneak Thief are Circum- vented by the Ingenuity of This Burglar-Alarm Cir- cuit; They cannot Cripple It by Cutting the Wires cause of its certainty of operation, and because it cannot be put out of order without giving an alarm. It is an ideal circuit for installations which include out- buildings. The main feature is the relay; this may be a reconstructed telegraph relay, and should have two windings consisting of the same number of ampere-turns and wound on the core in opposite directions. The two inside ends of the windings should be spliced together, and_ this middle lead from the relay is connected to one side of a closed-circuit battery. The outside of one winding is connected to one side of a variable resistance, and the other side of the battery is connected to the resistance in the manner indicated; this same side of the battery and the free end of the second relay winding compose the alarm loop. The alarm contacts can be arranged to either open or close this pair of wires, or both open and closed contacts may be installed on the same cir- cuit; this pair can be run to any location desired, but must have a fixed resistance shunted across the end, as shown. When the circuit is completely con- nected, the relay armature should be ad- justed very closely to the core, and then the variable resistance adjusted to a point where the armature will not be attracted; this operation is explained by the fact that the resistance, battery, and one relay winding form one side of a bridge circuit. The fixed resistance, the contact loop, the battery, and the other relay winding form the other side of the bridge circuit. By adjusting the variable resistance, a point is reached where both relay coils receive exactly the same amount of current from the battery, and because they are wound on the core in different directions, they neutralize each other, and no magnetic, effect results. If one side of the bridge becomes in the least unbalanced, one coil of the relay will receive more current than the other, overcoming the effect of the other coil and causing the core to become magnetized. When this happens, the armature is attracted and closes a local circuit which rings the alarm.—C. M. Crouch, Minneapolis, Minn. Taking Up Backlash in a Gear Aiter considerable use, the teeth of some gears wear away, and allow a cer- tain amount of backlash when the gears are running under a varying load. Where anew gear is not easily procurable, this excess play can be eliminated by the following method: Remove the gear and split it in half with a ma- chine saw. This must be done carefully, to in- sure that the parts be of even size and thickness. File away all roughness, and grind off the faces cut by the saw. Then place the halves together again and clamp firmly, offsetting the teeth just enough to bring them in mesh properly with the other worn gear. Then drill three holes through the gear, at equidistant points, and tap one-half for machine screws. Screw them together, and the gear is ready to be replaced on the ma- chine. If desired, the holes in one-half the gear can be elongated, so that any fur- ther wearing of the teeth will be taken up by unscrewing the machine screws and further offsetting the teeth. The method is of course only for temporary use, but it is possible to make such gears run for quite a long period.—L. B. Rob- bins, Harwich, Mass. SCREWS ~ Hand Grinder can be Used in Lethe When I took some forgings to the lathe to turn them down, I first tested the head center and found it ran out badly. When I inquired of the foreman for the electric center grinder he told me that the only one they had was burnt out and that I would have to shift as best I could without it. The center was hardened, and I did not want to lose the time required to have ae ie eee = thaw Tet. -

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j > POPULAR it annealed and turn it. On inquiring at the tool-room window, as a last resort, whether there was no other grinder avail- able, I spied a small hand-operated grinder clamped to the vise bench. Taking this small grinder, I clamped it to the com- pound rest, which was set to the 30° angle, and by turning the grinder by hand and running the lathe, I was able to grind the center without trouble—Joe W. Romig, Allentown, Pa. Tapping Holes in Sheet Metal In order to obtain a firmer hold for machine screws, when used in threaded holes in sheet metal, drill the hole with a drill somewhat smaller than the tap to be used. Then use a drift of the proper di- ameter to enlarge the hole. If the tap is then used, it will be found that quite a few extra threads can be cut, on account of the drift raising a bur on the metal. Box for Holding Tape Reel People who have frequent use for ad- hesive tape of paper or cloth will find the arrangement illustrated to be a_ great timesaver, as the . ADHESIVE - FIXED BLOCK end of the tape is TAPE REEL % always in sight sidiadias — and cannot be BOX pulled back into the box which ease protects the tape \ g from dirt and _ dust. It consists << : merely of a —S wooden box with a hinged lid, which may be mounted on a wooden base, if desired. The end of the tape is held between a fixed block and an eccentric, which per- mits the tape to be pulled out freely, but clamps it immediately when pulled or pushed backward. A light spring should be used to keep the eccentric in contact with the tape.

SPRING ECCENTRIC BLOCK Straightening Tubular Radiator Fins A very handy tool to have around the garage and_ radiator-repair shop, for straightening the fins on water-tube, or tubular, radiators is made by welding two pieces of 4 by 1 by %-in. steel at right angles to the nose of a pair of blacksmith’s tongs, so that the faces of the steel pieces will be parallel. Such a tool will do a very nice job of straightening, no matter how badly the fins are bent. MECHANICS 455 An Improved Cotter-Pin Puller The tool shown in the drawing will save many minutes, and prevent many cuts and i STEEL ROD FLATTENED END WITH

KNURLED STEEL DISK 25 OR 3” DIAMETER MH WiNII 6 ii TIT Hh I Ai MUR LL

DIRECTION OF STRIKING ) LAYING THE ENDS OF COTTER PIN A Device for Pulling Cotter Pins, Which Combines Several Tools in One, Is a Useful Addi- tion to the Mechanic's Tool Chest REMOVING COTTER PIN bruises in removing cotter pins from places that are difficult to reach. A steel rod, of the diameter shown, has one end drawn to a taper, and a hook turned on it; the opposite end is filed flat for a short distance, leaving a shoulder for laying the ends of the pins. A knurled steel disk is drilled through the center so as to slide easily over the rod, and two small collars are pinned to the rod about 2 in. apart. The manner of using the tool, which com- prises hammer, screwdriver, and puller, is obvious from the illustration.

Jig for Bending Eyes in Wire The simple jig shown in the drawing was designed to turn eyes at the ends of short lengths of wire. The wire is held securely by a toggle lever and prevented from bending dur- ing the formation of Q— ——©O ~ sf -

the eye by a series — pisneo piece ? of staggered a ee i set into the base, cever ~~“ The bending lever is made from a piece of flat iron with a hole at one TOGGLE CLAMP end to fit over a of < substantial peg, as shown. A _ bending pin is secured to the lever at a distance from the hole, this distance being gov- erned by the thickness of the wire to be bent. In use, the wire is inserted into the jig and held tight, with the end against the gauge. The bending lever is then put in place and turned, on the pivot, forming the eye.—Chas. M. Greer, Buffalo, N. Y.

/ BENDING PIN

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456 POPULAR MECHANICS Auto Hub as Lathe and Drill Press A number of tractors, sold by an agency, started to pump oil in the cylinders after the machines had been in use but a short CONE CENTER PISTON REAR-WHEEL HUB CENTER SETSCREW NO.30 DRILL- EYESOLT Two Tools, Made from Wheel Pullers, Convert a Tractor Service Car into a Lathe and Drill Press for ‘“‘Porting’’ Oil-Pumping Tractor Pistons “CLAMP LUG THREADED END TO FIT WHEEL HUB ) CONE CENTER time, and in these cases “porting” the pistons was resorted to as the only effect- ive remedy. This operation consisted in drilling from four to eight holes, with a No. 30 drill, in the previously beveled lower edge of the bottom piston-ring groove. Whenever possible, the tractors ‘were brought into the shop and this work done on a lathe, but as most of the ma- chines were from 5 to 25 miles from the shop, it was necessary to send a service man into the field to do much of the work. The agency’s service car, a light automo- bile, was equipped with two special tools made from a common type of wheel puller. One of the wheel pullers was centered in a lathe and the outside smoothed down as far as the clamp lug. A steel disk, about 114 in. thick, was then bored to make a press fit over the top of the puller; this was pressed on and brazed to the puller, and a taper was turned on the outer circumference of the ring, as shown in the drawing. The cen- ter setscrew of the puller was removed, and its place was taken by an eyebolt, having an eye large enough for the trac- tor piston pins to be inserted. The sec- ond puller had its setscrew removed, and a drill chuck was firmly fixed in place, care being taken to have it accurately centered. When the service man was called to a job, he jacked up one rear wheel of his car and removed the regular hub cap. The puller with the eyebolt was then screwed on the hub in place of the cap. The piston, with the piston pin through the eyebolt, was then placed over the puller and screwed on, holding the piston tight and centered on the taper, as shown in the drawing. sy starting the engine and throwing the car into “high,” the piston was revolved rapidly on the end of the hub, and the edge of the piston-ring groove was beveled by holding a file against it, as in a lathe. When all the pistons had been beveled, the puller was removed and the one with the drill chuck substituted. By running the engine as before, and holding the pistons against the drill with the hands, the service man was able to do a quick and satisfactory job.—Vernon Orr, Po- mona, Calif. Sanitary Closet of Vitrified-Clay Sewer Pipe The accompanying drawing represents an improved type of surface closet, espe- cially designed for use in rural districts, where sanitary sewers are not available. This closet is suitable for either the home or the school. Ary number of seats can be provided by using another sewer-pipe tee for each additicnal seat. The system should be used only where a satisfactory disposal field for tile drain is conveniently located. Existing surface-closet buildings can be used to house the system, which is installed in such cases in the same man- ner as in a new structure. The necessary material can be obtained from any dealer in drain tile and sewer pipe, as all the pieces are of standard size. A box is built around the vertical pipe that projects into the building from the tee. On top of the box is placed a wooden seat, which is provided with a hinged IRON STRAPS } *#—— VENT STACK: 4"SEWER y PIPE - 24” JOINTS HINGED COVER WOODEN SEAT we CURVE m—"Y" BRANCH: 4”0ON 12” JOINT 1@"BAFFLE WALLS WITH 6” HOLES ? . et ocr i" i oat 2 ‘ fas sewer PIPE: 24” ~. ¥ LONG —50 PIECES 18” SEWER PIPE 4” DRAIN TILE: 24”LONG 18" BAFFLE 4 WALL ea 4 SEWER-PIPE TEE Surface Closet of Sewer Pipe and Drain Tile, Suit- able for Homes and Schools in Outlying Districts Which Lack Sanitary Sewers Soman = an

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POPULAR MECHANICS 457 cover. The vent stack, of 4-in. sewer tile, is connected to the Y-branch of the ver- tical pipe by means of the 45° bend; this stack serves to ventilate the system. The tee and the plain 18-in. sewer pipe are placed end to end, with a perforated baffle wall between. A plain baffle wall closes the opposite end of the tee, while the other perforated baffle wall is placed at the opposite end of the plain pipe, and serves to admit a 4-in. sewer pipe. To the latter are connected 30 pieces of drain tile, which are laid with open joints to permit any overflow from the system to seep into the ground. The chamber formed by the installation of baffle walls at the end of the tee temporarily holds floating matter. Liquid passes into the plain pipe through the hole in the baffle wall which separates the tee from the plain pipe. To put the system into operation, dis- solve 10 lb. of caustic soda in 20 gal. of water; each month 1 Ib. of caustic soda should be poured into each closet. The contents of the closet should be agitated periodically with a rod inserted through the hole in the seat, and toilet paper only should be used. If necessary, the contents can be pumped out of the closet—E. G. Eggert, Austin, Tex. Groove Plowed for Screw Heads Replaces Countersinking It frequently happens that numerous screws must have their heads countersunk in cleats, strips, drawer slides, and other pieces that come in contact with moving parts or against which other parts are to be placed. In such cases a considera- ble saving of time and labor is ef- fected if, instead of placing each screw head in a separate counter- sink, a narrow, SCREWS — shallow groove, or when the screws are to be staggered, two such grooves are plowed in the stock. This saving is particularly pro- nounced where many such pieces are reg- ularly used, because it is possible to have the stock run at the mill ready to be put on, leaving only the holes to be drilled. In addition, the screws are alined without the necessity of making further marks. - GROOVES Special Shears for Use on Anvil A pair of heavy shears suitable for cut- ting bars, bolts, or plates is shown in the USE EITHER HANDLE OR SLEDGE th cin O:: J Wun NAMI a AMEN NTH A LATA ; “Tut ' " O =~ per?) lem) Low DETAIL OF BLADES © ER ! UPPER Sl Ss A Convenient Substitute for a Regular Shear is Made from Materials to be Found around Any Shop illustration; it is used either with the handle or hammer, depending upon the material to be cut. The anvil is used as a base, and the stud attached to the fixed cutter is put through the hardy hole, and tightened by a nut. The upper and lower members are forged steel; the inserted cutters are of tool steel, hardened and tempered. A piece of pipe, of such size that it can be slipped over the shank of the upper mem- ber, is used as a handle, and the pivot is an ordinary bolt and nut. Gas-Engine Exhaust Rids Building of Rats The manager of a grain elevator was troubled by the constantly increasing horde of rats that made their homes un- derneath the floor of the building. Every effort to rid the building of its destruc- tive tenants was a failure until he con- ceived the idea of “gassing” the rodents with the exhaust from the gas engine of the elevator. The exhaust pipe was run under the floor of the building and fitted with a muffler. A screen of fine wire was placed over the muffler outlet to prevent fire being blown through. After this in- stallation was put to work, the rats speed- ily sought other and less odorous quar- ters.—Chester C. Cook, McMinnville, Tennessee. CA little wad of fine steel wool makes an excellent eraser for removing ink lines.

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458 POPULAR MECHANICS Sensitive Relay Operates Alarm When Brushes Spark Where storage batteries are used for operating telephone plants, the charging ee TO BATTERIES ~ AND SWITCHBOARD GHARGING | (GLASS TUBE ALARM BELL~4 GENERATOR ~_ (ELECTRODES ~ | Ce- BATTERIES ) INDUCTION A — PRIMARY ——1 SECONDARY \ RESTORING } [ TUBE - P SWITCH METAL ELECTRODES TAPPER TO LOOSEN FILINGS An Unusually Sensitive Relay is Provided, So That Small Variations of Current, Caused by Spark- ing at the Brushes, will Operate the Alarm generators must be watched very care- fully to eliminate noise. Any slight spark- ing of the brushes, or dirt on the com- mutator, will cause all the telephones to hecome noisy, and will impair the trans- mission or talking quality of the circuits. The sparking brush causes this by making slight variations in the current flowing from the generator to the batteries and telephone switchboard. When this hap- pens, it is very important that an at- tendant be notified immediately. To do this automatically, the circuit and appara- tus shown was devised. The primary of an induction coil is con- nected across the generator terminals. As long as the generator is producing a steady flow of direct current, it is evident that there will be no current flow in the secondary of the coil; the magnetic field produced by the primary winding must be either interrupted or varied to pro- duce this result. A current thus produced is, however, so weak that it is not capable of operating any ordinary piece of appara- tus to notify the attendant that the trou- ble exists. A sensitive relay that will operate on this small margin can be made in this manner: A small glass tube, about 2 in. long, is fitted with two electrodes, as shown in the drawing. The space be- tween the electrodes, inside the tube, should be made adjustable, and filled with iron filings, or a mixture of iron and nickel filings, like the early wireless-tele- graph coherer. Around the tube is wound a coil of many turns of fine wire. The two ends of this coil are connected to the secondary of the induction coil. The two electrodes are connected to still an- other circuit, consisting of a battery and bell. The operation is as follows: As long as no current is flowing through the coil wound on the glass tube, the relay will not operate, because of the high resistance of the loose iron filings between the elec- trodes. But if the magnetic field of the induction coil is varied in the least, the induced current in the secondary will flow through the coil on the tube, producing a field which will affect the iron filings Within, causing them to become magne- tized and to cohere closely. This reduces the resistance of the relay circuit, causing the relay to operate. The alarm circuit is thus closed and the bell rings. To reset the circuit after it has operated once, it is necessary to tap the glass tube con- taining the filings, in order to loosen them up. This can be done by mounting a bell so that the clapper will strike the tube gently when the restoring switch is op- erated, Flour Bin on Cupboard Door The sketch shows a flour bin which was constructed in a recess in the wall, which originally contained a cupboard; the shelves were removed, and the space was used to hold the bin, which entire- ly filled it, 14 in. clearance being allowed on all sides. A cleat nailed along the floor of the recess took the weight of the bin when it was pushed back into the wall. In this way there was no strain upon the hinges, except when the bin was swung out vard. It had no top, so that the flour could be reached from above. Removing a “Frozen” Valve Stem The removal of broken or “frozen” valve stems usually presents a problem to the repairman whose equipment is limited. In such cases try this “kink”: Cut a heavy nail to the proper length, and insert eee ow Soe nae

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Vemeneastiere ee oe POPULAR MECHANICS 459 it in the valve guide, with its head rest- ing against the top of the push rod. As the engine is turned over by hand, the cam forces the nail up; this operation is repeated as necessary, and a chisel, or some other spacer, is placed underneath the nail to keep it against the end of the valve and exert pressure against it. Copper Wire Set in Piston Rings The fact that copper, when heated, ex- pands considerably more than cast iron, is used to increase compression in an engine cylinder, prevent oil pumping, and, at the same time, indi- rectly check the formation of car- bon by keeping oil out of the combustion chamber. As shown in the illustration, one or more rings on each piston are chamfered to a depth of about %4 in. and dovetailed a trifle, so that a piece of copper wire, about No. 18 gauge, can be inserted and pushed into the groove to the other end of the split. The wire is then cut off and filed flush with the cast iron. This idea will also be found useful in cases where the cylinder has been scored or is out of round, COPPER WIRE tt —__, SECTION SHOWING DOVETAIL GROOVE Clamping Together a Split Pipe The drawing shows an emergency repair for a burst pipe which makes a practically permanent job and provides means for further tightening, if necessary. This re- pair consists of a spiral clamp of iron rod, the ends of which are threaded pre- vious to bend- ing it around the pipe. A flat plate, drilled to re- ceive the ends of the clamp, is provided and screwed down tightly with nuts on the threaded projecting ends uf the rod. By this means sufficient pressure can be ex- erted to close the split. Before applying the clamp, a patch, consisting of a piece of sheet rubber, or packing, and a metal plate bent to the contour of the pipe, is placed over the break as shown. a Automatic Caliper Shows Oversize The caliper illustrated will be very use- ful in the modern shop, especially where . ‘ THUMB I~ ~~ i SPRING ey _Fore === FINGER SECTION AT QUADRANT A Caliper Which will Show Any Variation from z Standard Size, can be asily Made from a Common Caliper there is a limit of tolerance on the work, for oversize or undersize. One leg of the caliper is made in the ordinary way. The other leg extends down beyond the ordi- nary one, and instead of a caliper point, has a hole in the end. A rivet through this hole acts as a pivot for the indicating arm, which is the feature of the tool. The indicating arm has a _ projection which forms the other caliper point, meeting the end of the other leg when the caliper is closed. The upper end of the indicator arm moves over a graduated quadrant, and indicates oversize or under- size. To use the caliper, say, for gauging a shaft being turned or ground to a diame- ter of 1 in., set the caliper to a distance of exactly 1 in., using an inside microm- eter or gauge block. During the setting keep the indicator arm at zero by holding it with the index finger. Now force the caliper over the shaft being turned; the indicator arm will swing out to a point which indicates the excess of the shait diameter over 1 in. Noting this, it is readily possible to set in the tool the proper distance to get the required diam- eter. In making the tool, several precautions must be observed; the spring used must be a light one, otherwise the friction joint of the caliper may be forced to work in- stead of the spring. The special caliper leg must be of fairly heavy metal, to avoid the possibility of springing. The amount by which the actual excess of the diameter will be magnified on the scale depends on the length of the indicator arm, and the length from its caliper point to the pivot. If the arm is 5 in. long, for instance, and the pivot center is 1 in. from the caliper

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460 POPULAR MECHANICS point, then a distance of 40 in. on the scale will indicate an excess diameter of 150 in., or .020 in. If it is desired to use the caliper for showing variation from a standard diameter, the zero of the scale can be placed at the center of it, and the arm should be held or clamped at the zero point while the caliper is being set. The use of the tool as described above will then indicate whether the work comes be- tween the required limits. Steam Prevents Carbon in Gas Engines The benefits of admitting moisture, with the fuel mixture, into the cylinder — NEEDLE VALVE — WATER FEED i VAPOR OUTLET TO CARBURETOR —. \ CLAMPING STRIP 8 | SHIELD y~ CLAMPING sTRIP~ & A Device for Generating Steam Which is Mixed with the Fuel and Admitted to the Cylinder of a Stationary Engine, Increases Operating Efficiency, and Also Pre- vents Accumulation of Carbon of an internal-combustion engine are gen- erally recognized but seldom taken ad- vantage of in practice. These benefits are particularly noticeable in stationary en- gines using kerosene for fuel, and the de- vice shown in the drawing can be readily constructed and fitted to the engine for introducing moisture. A metal shield is made and attached to the exhaust manifold with a clamping strip, as indicated. One end of this shield is left open, and an opening is provided in the opposite end for the attachment of a flexible pipe to the air inlet of the car- buretor. Another opening is provided in the top of the shield for the insertion of a needle valve, which is connected to an elevated tank or directly to the water pipes. In service, the engine is started, and when the exhaust pipe has become hot, the water valve is opened, and drops of water begin falling on the heated pipe; the. water vaporizes instantly and is sucked into the engine cylinder. It will be necessary to adjust the needle valve so that the water will be vaporized as fast as it is fed onto the exhaust manifold. The operation of the engine should be noted meanwhile, and the carburetor readjusted, if necessary. It is advisable to connect a valve in the water line so that the water can be shut off without disturbing the needle-valve adjustment. Moisture so introduced into the fuel mixture has a decided effect on the engine at open throttle, but on closed throt- tle will cause it to miss, so due allowance must be made. It increases the power of the engine and makes it run cooler. The heat of combustion increases the temper- ature of the steam and increases the pres- sure on the piston. The moisture further prevents the accumulation of carbon. Screw Plate as Auger Handle In the absence of a handle for turning large wood-boring augers, a screw plate can be used for the purpose. A set of worn-out dies is inserted in the plate, to grip the auger shank; the handle of the screw plate is turned down tight. The teeth of the old dies prevent the plate from slipping on the auger shank. Charts Insure Correct Meter Readings Very often, through carelessness, in- complete training, or ignorance, impor- tant meters in and around power houses, pumping stations, ete., are incorrectly read, causing trouble and inconvenience in keeping complete records of operation. To overcome this trouble in one Mis- souri plant, facsimiles of the dial faces were printed on a daily-report sheet, the upper part of which is shown in the illus- tration. The sheet measures 8'2 by 11 in., and there is a separate division for day, evening, and night shifts. The operator in charge on each shift was required to To Avoid Errors in Reading Meters, Operators are Required to Mark the Position of the Hands on These Charts mark in pencil on the printed dials, the exact location of the meter hands, thus eliminating any possible source of error. —R. H. Poston, St. Francois, Mo. ea »> conse

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(Timer ee Se i Bacon Rind for Pump Packing After having much trouble with the packing in a pump head, used in connec- tion with a gasoline engine for pumping water from a well, the owner hit upon the idea of using strips of bacon rind for the purpose. This novel packing proved en- tirely satisfactory and outlasted the com- mercial product that had been used.—S. G. Parks, De Leon, Tex. A General-Purpose Hod A hod, slightly different from those used by hodearriers, will find a variety of uses around the farm. It is made from 1,-in. material; as shown in the drawing, +”BOARDS it has a handle near COVER IN PLACE the center, and a cleat under the open end, so that when it is hung over a stake or wagon box it can be filled easily. A cover is provided for the open end, to pre- vent the contents from falling out. This cover is made \RonHooxs «4+tO fit the open end of the hod, and is held in place by four iron hooks, which are secured to the hod with screws in the manner shown. As the weight of the load comes where it is easy to carry, such a hod is very convenient when a load of loose material has to be carried on the shoulder for any little distance. HANDLE cL SLIDE FOR COVER—.~ Binding Post Adapted to Cord Tips Electrical instruments that are fitted with ordinary binding posts afford,an in- secure connection when used with cords that have round metal tips for terminals, as they pull out easily. To overcome this con- dition, a piece of cop- per, or brass, is cut to the form and dimen- sions shown, with holes at the ends for fitting the adapter over the binding-post screw after it has been bent to the shape indi- cated in the drawing. In use, the adapter is slipped over the binding-post screw, underneath the thumbnut.—Thos. W. senson, Philadelphia, Pa. POPULAR MECHANICS 461 Automatic Testing of Steel Balls A factory received an order for a large quantity of hardened steel balls, the con- NEO wereee PLATE " go STORAGE BOXES. Py *. E CA ‘ hv a) 4 rtd ~ rs Correctly Hardened Balls Bounce into a Chute; Im- perfect Balls Bounce Too Far or Fall Short of the Hopper tract specifying a certain degree of hard- ness. As the time was limited, it would have been impossible to run each ball through a testing machine, but after a little testing and experimenting with per- fectly hardened balls, the device shown in the drawing was rigged up, and the balls were tested automatically as they came from the machines. The finished balls ran from the machine to a funnel-shaped spout, the outlet of which was slightly elevated, and just large enough for one ball to come through at atime. The ball, on coming out, naturally described an arc in falling onto a hardened steel plate un- derneath the spout, as shown. On strik- ing this plate the correctly hardened balls bounced off into a tray, sunk flush with the bench, but, if they were too soft, they would not bounce far enough to enter the tray and, if they were too hard they would bounce too far. Thus, only the perfect balls fell into the tray.—J. H. Moore, Toronto, Ont. Leaks in Automobile Intake Cause Cylinders to Miss One source of automobile trouble, which is very difficult to locate, is the “missing” of one or more cylinders. When the explosions are noticed to be irregular, the driver usually examines the carbure- tor and the ignition system, but often fdils to correct the fault. This trouble is sometimes occasioned by the faulty con- nection of the intake pipe. Leaks at either the carburetor or cylinder end will cause “missing.” The trouble, however, is more

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152 POPULAR MECHANICS often at the cylinder end, where the gas- ket may be damaged or the nuts on the studs may be loose. In either case, the extra air drawn through the leak causes the failure to explode. When the gasket is renewed or the nuts tightened, the trouble is usually cured. Bicycle Motor for Grinding An itinerant cutlery grinder has adapted a motor-driven bicycle to meet the re- An Itinerant Cutlery Grinder has Adapted a Motor- Driven Bicycle to Meet the Requirements of His Calling by Attaching a Grinding Wheel quirements of his business by adding a grinding wheel. As shown in the engrav- ing, the engine is mounted directly above the rear wheel, to which it delivers power through a chain and sprocket. When the grinding wheel is to be used, the rear wheel of the bicycle is raised from the ground by lowering the stand, and the en- gine started. Insulators Made from Broken Phonograph Records A detail worth remembering when in- sulating washers are required in electrical repairs, where none of the usual insulat- ing materials are at hand, is that the material used in making phonograph records is a very good insulator. This material is especially useful to the amateur automobile mechanic, for replac- ing lost insulation, such as the blocks which keep spark-plug wires from resting on the cylinders; for placing under termi- nal screws; in fact, any place where small pieces of insulation are required, this material can be used. Box for Developing Motion-Picture Films Under certain circumstances, it is necessary to develop short lengths of mo- tion-picture film immediately after ex- posure, in order to obtain samples of the camera’s work. When a laboratory is not close at hand, as is often the case, a portable dark room, or developing box, designed by a western camera operator, is a great convenience. This device con- sists of a hardwood box, 15 in. long, 12 in. wide, and 6 in. high, fitted with a hinged cover that can be fastened down with hooks and eyes. In the front of this box is a hole, 10 in. wide and 6 in. high, along the edges of which is tacked a piece of light-proof cloth, sewed together in the form of a box. At its unattached end, are two sleevelets, designed to admit the forearms, around which they are held by elastic bands. Inside the wooden box are two wide-mouthed bottles, one con- taining a developing solution, and the other a hypo bath. The box cover is lined with velvet. To operate the contrivance, the film magazine is placed on top of the box and the end of the film pushed into it through a slit in the velvet lining. The operator thrusts his hands into the sleevelets, grasps the end of the film, and places it in the bottle containing devel- oper. When sufficient time has elapsed for the development of the negative, the film is placed in the other bottle, where it is allowed to remain until the fixing process is completed. This requires but a few minutes. The cover of the box is then unfastened and the strip removed. A Compact Dark Room for Motion-Picture Camera Operators: Inside the Wooden Box Are Bottles Containing Developing and Fixing Solutions 4e

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Information as to where to obtain any specified materials or parts for — objects described in the following pages may be ha ——— from our Bureau of Information.—Editor. on request, Cheap Portable Phonograph for the Camp BY H. E. MENDE ROUND the camp fire, or drifting down some moonlit stream in a canoe, the lover of outdoor life feels the need of music to complete the enjoyment of his outing; if he is not a player of some instrument, he must depend upon music of the “canned” variety, and it is the pur- pose of this article to describe the con- struction of a portable phonograph, small and light enough to be easily carried. \nvone who is at all handy with tools can build this machine, and while dimensions are given in the drawing, they are merely suggestive, as it is quite possible that some departure from them will be re- quired, owing to the variation in size of the mechanical equipment. The first consideration is the cabinet. This may be made of any kind of wood, although whitewood is suggested on ac- count of its lightness. If lightness is a prime consideration, %4-in. material is advisable, but if lightness can be subordi- nated to strength, %-in. material will, of course, be better. As shown in the draw- ing, the inside corners of the cabinet are reinforced by square posts, which also serve as supports for the motor board, which is attached with screws, SUITCASE BOLTS CARRYING SIDE VIEW, CLOSED READY The necessary mechanical parts, such as a spring motor, turntable, reproducer, tone arm, crank, and other accessories, may be taken from an old machine or bought from a dealer in phonograph sup- plies. If this equipment is purchased, the cost will be somewhere around $5. Make a l-in. hole in the motor board for the turntable spindle, and place the spindle so that the crank side of the motor is at the right; then, with a pencil, mark the loca- tion of the motor bolt holes; after drill- ing these, bolt the motor in place, using one or more rubber washers on the bolts between the motor and the bottom of the board. The height of the upper edge of the turntable from the top of the motor board should be about 1% in., washers being added or removed to obtain this height, which is just sufficient to allow proper clearance between the turntable and the motor board when the former is in place on the spindle. Cut a hole at the left rear corner for the tone arm; this hole should be so located that, when the tone arm is in place, the needle holder on the reproducer will be just about in line with the turntable spindle. The speed regulator and turntable stop are located SOUND CHAMBER THIN WOOD METAL CORNERS FOR USE RECORD BOX Many Times the Lover of Outdoor Life Feels the Need of Music to Complete His Enjoyment of Nature's Charms; If He Is Not a Player of Some Instrument He must Depend on “Canned” Music. This Phonograph Is Light Enough to Be Readily Portable and Strong Enough to Withstand Considerable Rough Usage 463

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464 on the motor board with reference to the construction of the motor, although the location shown will be found to represent average practice. After a hole has been drilled through the right side of the cabi- net for the winding crank, the motor board and its attached equipment is com- pleted and ready for installation. As shown in the drawing, the corner posts of the cabinet are short enough to permit the motor board to come flush with the top. The sound chamber, or “horn,” is shaped according to the space occupied by the motor, and may be made from two strips of thin wood, heavy card- board, or metal. The bottom strip curves upward from about the center of the box to the rear, the side strip being curved to clear the motor; these strips are at- tached with glue and small screws. A small door, as indicated in the drawing, is provided at the front of the cabinet, and since some backing is required for the door when closed, an ornamental grill serves the double purpose of adding to the appearance and preventing the door from being pushed in. A small metal but- ton holds the door when closed. Owing to the variation in the height of various tone arms, it is quite likely that some deviation from the dimension given POPULAR MECHANICS for the height of the lid will be required, and it is therefore best to delay making the lid until the motor board has been installed, so that the exact amount of space can be determined and an addi- tional 4g or 14 in. allowed for clearance. A metal clip, such as the one shown in the drawing, is attached inside the lid, for holding the tone arm when the lid is closed. As the machine without records would be useless, a record box, made from cardboard, thin wood, or metal, of suffi- cient depth to fill the space between the turntable and the lid and wide enough for a 10-in. record, should be made. A small block attached inside the lid, as shown, prevents the record box from shifting; such a box will hold a dozen or more records. The machine is completed by staining and varnishing as desired, or by covering with leatherette, and by the addition of a suitable carrying handle, suitcase bolts, metal corners, and such other fittings as the taste of the builder may suggest. Such a machine, properly made, will weigh about 10 Ib., will be strong enough to withstand considerable rough treat- ment, and will be found one of the most valuable and entertaining adjuncts to any outing party. Making Gummed Stamp Photos Gummed stamp photos that can be ap- plied to stationery, business cards, etce., are easily printed from any small film negative and, as a dozen or so prints can be made on one 4 by 5-in. sheet of paper, the cost per print is slight. Two card- board tubes will be required, one of them being small enough to fit snugly inside the other. An opening, the size and shape of the prints to be made, is cut in the outer tube, to the un- derside of which the film is attached with strips of gummed paper. A sheet of single- weight, sensitized paper is attached by the corners to one end of the in- ner tube, sensitized surface up. To make the prints, the tube to which _— INNER CARDBOARD NEGATIVE ATTACHED TO UNDER SIDE OF OPENING SENSITIZED PARER ON INNER TUBE the paper is attached is inserted into the tube containing the negative, so that the film will be over the upper left-hand cor- ner of the paper. Expose in the usual manner, and then turn the inner tube to the left just enough to protect the expo- sure previously made; this operation is repeated until the opposite edge of the paper is reached, when the inner tube is drawn out and another row of exposures is made. When the prints have been de- veloped and treated in the customary manner, they are allowed to dry thor- oughly, in preparation for the gumming operation. The gumming, or coating the backs of the prints with adhesive, requires a sheet of celluloid; this is thoroughly cleaned and the backs of the dry prints are given an even coating of thin mucilage. The gummed prints are placed against the celluloid, mucilage side down, and pressed into contact, but not enough to squeeze the mucilage out around the edges. Allow the mu¢ilage to dry and strip the prints from the celluloid. The celluloid sheet should be larger than the paper and may be used repeatedly by cleaning with warm water, and drying, each time it is to be used. The completed prints are

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+ aaa POPULAR MECHANICS 465 separated with a pair of shears or on a trimming board.—Wm. Underwood, Tun- nel Hill, Il. Making Lawn Mower Cut Easily It often happens that a lawn mower, even when newly sharpened, chokes very easily and requires to be backed up and run forward again several times when cutting, especially in heavy grass. This can be cured by taking a heavy triangular file, and deepening the grooves in the traction surface of the driving wheels, causing them to take a firmer grip, and forcing the barrel to revolve; this imple remedy will save much back-break- ing work on the part of the operator. Alarm Prevents Overflowing of Ice Box An effective alarm that can be attached to or detached from the drip pan of an ice hox without danger of affecting its opera- tion is made as shown in the drawing. An ordinary tin can is obtained and one end is cut away, close to the edge, and the bottom and lower part of the can are BRASS perforated to CopreR permit water isn ones toenter. A CAN | Suibes | large, flat cork, pe 0-3 SkK.corK . : bese Seem, of smaller Sie at diameter than 4 a te PERFORATIONS IN SIDE AND BOTTOM | the can, 1S ob- wihacniss | tained and given a coat of shellac, or melted paraffin, and four wire brads are inserted at diametrically opposite points, as guides. A brass or copper disk is made as shown, with four or more points around the edge, which are driven into the cork. The top of the can is closed by a disk of wood that has heen waterproofed by dipping in melted paraffin; this disk contains the binding posts, the lower ends of which establish a circuit, when the water level in the pan floats the metal-surfaced cork to the proper height. A metal clip, to hold the device to the side of the pan, may be soldered to the side, as indicated, or it may be merely set in the pan. This alarm is intended to be used in connection with the simple bell circuit shown.—Geo. E. Perkins, S. Bound Brook, N. J. Goldfish Travel from Bowl to Bowl An interesting and entertaining arrange- ment, that permits goldfish in one bowl An Arrangement That Permits Goldfish in One Bowl to Swim to Another through a Glass Tube to travel to another, is effected as shown in the drawing. An extra fish bowl is provided, and filled with water to the same height as the one containing the fish. Then a piece of glass tube, of large diameter, is made into an elongated “U,” by heating where the bends are to be, and slowly bending. This U-shaped tube, after it has cooled, is filled with water and one end is placed in each bowl. The water will remain in the glass tube, even though above the level of the two bowls, so long as the water in both is kept above the ends of the tube—H. M. Bixby, St. Louis, Mo. : Carrier for Heavy Barrels Barrels of fruit, or other commodities, that require careful handling by two men, being difficult to handle by gripping the chimes, the holder shown in the drawing provides a convenient means of mov- ing such con- tainers. The iron frame- work, as well as the handles, can be made by any black- LEATHER STRAPS smith, from light stock. The handles are attached to the frame with iron straps of convenient length, and adjustable straps are provided for holding the barrel in place when the carrier is in use, as indi- cated. If desired, the upper side of the FRUIT BARREL ) on as BOL a {RON RODS —— horizontal part of the rods can be flattened to prevent slippage.

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466 POPULAR The Motorization of an Old Buggy The illustration shows the “Gastro- poda,” as it has been termed by its build- ers. This novel vehicle, which appears to be, at first glance, a hybrid of the “one- hoss shay” and the early automobile, is The “Gastropoda,” Seemingly a Hybrid between the ‘‘One-Hoss Shay” and the Early Automobile Is Really Nothing but an Old Buggy Motorized MECHANICS nothing more serious than an ancient buggy which has been motorized by the addition of a single-cylinder motorcycle engine. The strange-looking vehicle is driven by a belt from the jackshaft under the seat, power being transmitted to it from the engine by another belt. The steering gear is the com- bined product of several junk piles and consists of some gas pipe, an old bicycle sprocket or two, and some chain—but it works. Fifteen miles an hour is claimed as the “Gastropoda’s” speed record. The motoriza- tion of this relic of the pre-gasoline era was ac- complished by the youth- ful designers at insignifi- cant expense and without much alteration to the ve- hicle itself. Winding Hollow Wireless Coils The radio fan’s enthusiasm for making his own apparatus does not begin to suffer until he starts winding coils on hollow cores. With the assistance of the winder shown in the drawing, coils of al- most any length and diameter can be quickly and neatly wound. A piece of old broom handle makes a suitable shaft, and grooves are cut about 3 in. from each end to fit into the end- pieces of the support. Two tin funnels are obtained, and the tips are cut off so they will slide onto the shaft; one of these funnels is nailed in place on the end WOOD DISKS CLAMP TO BENCH A Coil-Winding Machine That Simplifies the Wire- less Fan’s Job of Winding Hollow Coils: The Ap- paratus Is Inexpensive and the Results Satisfying where the crank, or pulley (if power is to be used), is to be attached. The other funnel moves freely on the shaft, and can be removed entirely. A wooden disk with holes at the center is attached inside the large end of each funnel, for rigidity. A simple support is made, such as the one shown in the drawing, with the endpieces a suitable distance apart. In use, the mov able funnel is slipped off and the spool is put on; the funnel is then replaced, and pushed up until the spool is held firmly in place between the two funnels, as shown. The movable funnel is held in place by wedges, or by a wrapping of tape around the shaft, and the winding is proceeded with in the usual manner—James Bb. Keller, Alexandria, La. Tanning Rabbit Skins Rabbit furs can be made up into gar- ments or used for garment linings, as well as for the trimmings on muffs and other fur pieces. Most attempts at tan- ning these skins have not been very suc- cessful, but the following process has been found to give satisfactory results: First, the flesh side of the hide is gone over and all possible flesh is removed by scraping, great care being’ exercised against cutting through the skin. After scraping, rub in salt, roll up the pelts, and put them away for 24 hours. A solution of 1% oz. of sulphuric acid, 2 lb. common table sait, 4 oz. powdered alum, and 5 gal. a large container. water is mixed in

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id yn on al. er. SS Sr a POPULAR After the ingredients have been thor- oughly dissolved, the mixture is stirred and the hides placed in it. The container is covered and set away. The hides are allowed to remain in the solution for nine or ten days and should be stirred around two or three times a day during this period. When the hides are removed, they are washed with warm water and soap, this process being repeated two or three times. The hides are then tacked out and stretched, and the flesh side wiped dry with woolen cloths. When dry, the flesh side is gone ever with fine sand- paper, using care against rubbing too deeply. This completes the process, and the hides are ready to be cut and worked as desired.—Robert Page Lincoln, Minne- apolis, Minn. Producing Intermittent Lightning With the assistance of a small jump- spark, or induction coil, the effect of lightning flashes can be obtained in the following manner: A _ shallow tin lid, containing about half a teaspoonful of kerosene, is connected to one wire from the coil, in the man- ner shown; the other wire from the coil is ar- ranged over the oil, with a small gap for the spark to jump across to the oi. When the switch is closed, the snark passes between the oil and the wire above it, volatilizing the oil which ignites with a flash, and as sud- denly dies away; as long as the switch is closed this intermittent flashing continues. A good, hot spark is required, and the spark gap should be very short.—K. Mc- Lean, Caledon, S. Africa. IN DUCTION coIL TINLID 7 KEROSEN SOLDERED Cutting Large Saplings with Penknife Saplings of considerable size can be cut with an ordinary penknife if they are bent over and cut where the bend is sharpest. Either the edge of the blade or the point can be used, the knife being worked back and forth like a saw in the former case, while in the latter the cuts should be made in the same direction. The wood will part in threads, leaving small splinters sticking from the cut ends, MECHANICS 467 A Light Roof for a Portable Engine A removable roof, for protecting a portable engine from the weather when A Removable Roof for Protecting a Portable Gasoline Engine from the Ravages of the Elements When the Rig is Left Exposed on the Farm left exposed, is used as in the engraving. This roof is made of tin, over a light, but strong wooden frame, which is designed to rest on top of the engine when in place. Such a covering provides shelter and pro- tects the engine from the elements wher- ever it may be on the farm.—Mrs. Ruth Darling Shultis, Grand Junction, Colo. Pail Concealed under Sink In order that the garbage pail may be kept convenient, and at the same time out of sight and away from flies, the arrangement shown in the SE ieee ome drawing was seme installed un- derneath the sink cabinet. The revolving post is provid- ed at each end witha bearing about 1 in. long and these fit into holes drilled in two blocks, which are nailed to the y nal ) ) : \ PAIL inside of the f « | ‘suet = Nl in in bal \ BRACKET the manner Sy” 2x2" PosT shown. A bracket and shelf for holding the bucket are attached to the post with screws, and a handle is provided at a convenient point near the top, so that the device can be turned to bring the bucket from its place of concealment.

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468 POPULAR Making a Lawn Sprinkler The owner of a well-kept lawn exhibits a pardonable pride in having it referred to as “the nicest lawn on the street,” and he accomplishes this largely by keeping the grass well moistened during warm ZPIPE CAP CROSS WITH 4 SIDES acta ——-+ 4 PIPE CAP : & enna | HOLES IN PIPE CAP FILE OFF THREADS 3 PIPE COUPLING HOSE CONNECTION: ° MOLALLLE Senn LES 120 HO! APART = BASE CONSTRUCTION USED WHEN SPIKE IS NOT PRACTICAL ROUND IRON .,, THREADED FOR § PIPE Whirling-Spray Lawn Sprinkler Made from Small Pipe and Fittings: No Machine Work of Any Kind is Required and All Parts are Easily Obtained weather, otherwise it would dry up and assume a hopelessly “burnt” appearance. One of the simplest lawn sprinklers may be made from a shallow can provided with a thin slit in the side which extends about one-fourth of the circumference, as shown. On the opposite side of the can a hole is cut and a piece of tin tube, or pipe, is soldered to it for attaching the hose. Under ordinary pressure this spray will moisten an area of about 150 square feet. Another simple sprinkler is made from the bell of an old alarm clock; some sand, cement, and a female hose coupling being also required. The hole in the bell is reamed out to about %% in. and a notch is cut in the edge to accom- modate a piece of tin bent into a cyl- inder over a bolt. A small box form is partly filled with a_ half - and - half mixture of mois- tened cement and sand. The bell, nozzle, and hose connec- tion are set in place, and the form is filled level with the cement mixture. A hole MECHANICS will have to be cut in the side of the form to allow the hose coupling to project. A more ambitious effort is the whirling sprinkler made of pipe and pipe fittings. No machine work is required and the parts are readily obtainable. The ‘sprink- ler head consists of a %g-in. cross, with 1-in. side outlets, having the threads filed out with a round file until the cross slips easily over a %4-in. nipple, which has also been filed until it is round and smooth. The nipple is of such a length that, when it has the cap screwed on and the other end is screwed into a sleeve, the cross will just fit: between them. Three %-in. holes are drilled in the nipple, as nearly as possible 120° apart, on the center line of the side outlet pipes, so that one hole will always be open to each side of the cross. The holes in the outlet pipes and caps are drilled with a 14s-in. drill. If possible, it is suggested that the holes be made with a smaller drill, but unless extraordinary care is ex- ercised, or a sensitive drill press is avail- able, the size mentioned is about the — . smallest that can be used in a hand drill, and even then considerable care must be used to prevent drill breakage. If a lathe is available the cross is held in the lathe chuck and bored to “142 in. and its ends turned true. A piece of 7-in. cold- rolled round steel is then turned to fit the cross, being turned down far enough to project through the cross and leave room for a collar; a %-in. hole is then drilled in the other end to intersect the three 14-in. holes that are drilled in line with the horizontal openings of the cross and 120° apart, as described. This end is then turned to %4-in. pipe size and threaded with ™%4-in. standard pipe thread. A collar is then made to fit on the end of the rod projecting through the top of the cross; this collar holds the sprinkler together. TIN TUBE : HOSE +—4-B COUPLING ™~ Jove @Clear glass (or celluloid) on a photo- graphic negative indicates underexposure.

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POPULAR Making Polishing Wheels Wheels for polishing metal parts are easily made by using a_leather-faced wooden disk covered with abrasive of the desired grain. A hardwood disk of suit- able thickness and diameter is provided, and a central hole is drilled through it to fit on the shaft on which it is to be used. A piece of leather belting is soaked in water until soft, and after it has been stretched until some of the water has been removed, it is glued to the face of the wheel. The leather is made a trifle longer than the circumference of the wheel, and the ends are tapered, or scarfed, so that when they are made to overlap, a smooth joint will be obtained. The polishing wheel is completed by giv- ing the leather surface a thin coat of warm glue and covering it evenly with the abrasive powder while the glue is still wet. The wheel is then hung up and allowed to remain until the glue has dried —R. C. Liebe, Goldsboro, N. C. Device for Sharpening Scissors Assures Correct Bevel When sharpening scissors, the amateur often has difeulty in discovering the cor- rect angle at which the blade should be held on the stone, and in keeping the blade in this posi- tion during the whole time of sharpening. A piece of sheet iron, bent as shown, and having a slot cut at the proper angle, will be of great as- sistance in getting a proper edge on the shears or scissors. If other bevels are to be used, other slots can be cut in the same gauge. Rope Handle for Suitcase An emergency handle for a suitcase or handbag is easily made from a short piece of rope. The ends of the rope are tied together, to form a circle. Catch up the rope on opposite sides, leaving the ends to form loops, which are slipped over the ends of the suitcase in the man- ner shown in the drawing. og (a ie cr aes MECHANICS 469 A Motor Wheel as a Power Plant Only a few minutes are required to re- move a motor wheel from the bicycle on FAM PULLEY 2xi2"k42" PLANK Wheel A Bicycle Motor Operation of Various Light Machines, Such as a Feed Cutter or Washing Machine Provides Power for the which it is used, and set it up to furnish power for operating a washing machine, feed cutter, or other light machine. A substantial wooden frame is built, and securely assembled with nails or bolts. Two pieces of strap iron are bent to form brackets and bearings for the cooling fan. The cooling fan consists of the rear hub of an old bicycle, to the sprocket of which the sheet-metal fan blades are attached. The bracket, for attaching the motor to the frame, is made by fitting a piece of sheet ,iron to a hinge, and slipping the other end of it over the attaching bolt on the motor. The pulleys are made by cut- ting a number of disks from a 1-in. board, and nailing them together, so the grain will be at right angles. These pulleys should be faced with several layers of canvas, tacked and glued in place. A piece of 34-in. pipe forms the shaft, and should be supported on metal or hardwood bear- ings, as shown. The pulleys are attached to turn with the shaft. An easy way of doing this is to cut a mortise on each side of the pulley, to fit a large-size nut, which slips over the shaft and is held in place with a setscrew through one of its sides. When ready for use, the bracket is slipped over the attaching bolt of the mo- tor, which is lifted to its place in .the

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a 470 POPULAR MECHANICS frame. The bracket is bolted to the frame. The tire of the motor wheel should be in the center of the wheel, and exactly in line with it. The motor is lifted at the rear, and started by hand. If not allowed to overheat, using the motor for power purposes should not injure it more than normal usage on the road. from Escaping Poultry kept in an inclosure sometimes form the habit of walking up the braces

WIRE GUARD _7 ~~ Pt 4

A Piece of Wire Fastened to the Braces of Corner Posts in the Poultry Yard Makes It Impossible for Fowls, That have Formed the Habit of alking up the Braces, to Escape at the corner posts, and flying out. A sim- ple means of preventing this is shown in the drawing. A piece of scrap wire is fastened to each brace and to the top of the post, so that the chickens are thrown off when they attempt to climb up the brace. Quieting a Phonograph Motor Many phonograph motors, after being in use for some time, develop strange noises which can often be heard above the selection being played. Aside from improper oiling, one of the main causes of these noises is wear at one end of the governor _ shaft; this wear permits so much end movement that the slack in the worm gear pro- duces an annoying clatter, or hum. A factory “dodge,” to eliminate this back- lash, is to insert a piece of oil-soaked felt between the bearing stop and fhe end of the governor shaft. The bearing FELT FINGER SLIDING | GOVERNOR

OIL-SOAKED FELT bal te SPRING BEARING - stop is loosened and pushed to one side, and a piece of oil-soaked felt, about 4 in. square, is set against the end of the shaft; the bearing stop is pushed back to its original position, to hold the felt in place, and tightened up. The pres- sure of the springy felt against the end of the shaft takes up the backlash in the shaft, and causes the motor to operate quietty—L. B. Robbins, Harwich, Mass. A Cheap Radiator Cement While the application of radiator ce- ments which are mixed with the cooling water is generally frowned upon, there are times when such a cement can be used without injury, for stopping very small leaks. A cheap and effective radiator ce- ment of this character can be obtained from almost any druggist in the form of water glass, or sodium silicate. A pint of the water glass is poured into the radiator, which should be filled with water; then start the engine and let it run for a few minutes until the cement circulates to all parts of the cooling system. Allow the water to remain in the radiator overnight, drain off and refill with clean water in the morning. Deflector Improves Cooling System of Automobiles Automobiles equipped with thermo- siphon cooling systems overheat rapidly, when traveling through mud or f: — sand in “low,” and in hot wea- : ther. This over- heating can be largely reduced by increasing the circulation of air through the radi- ator and around the engine, and the simplest way of doing this, short of remov- ing the hood, is to cut an opening in the latter and at- tach a deflector over it, as indi- cated in the drawing. With such a deflec- tor mounted on each side of the hood, the draft caused by the movement of the car insures good cooling. The deflectors are partly concealed by the mudguards and are not unsightly.— Thos. W. Benson, Philadelphia, Pa.

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wae! ee Ata Peete Pa ae POPULAR MECHANICS 471 Tobacco Humidors Make Cookie Jars The glass jars in which several popular brands of smoking tobacco are packed, make fine containers for candies and cookies, but without the clamp and rub- ber gasket with which the jars are usually fitted, they are not air-tight. By using a medium grade of valve-grinding com- pound the covers can be made air-tight with little trouble. Proceed as when grinding a valve; spread the compound thinly on the top lip of the jar and rotate the cover, applying light pressure, lifting it occasionally and giving it a quarter turn. After grinding a few min- utes, wipe off and examine the grinding marks. When they make a continuous trace around both the top of the jar and the cover, finish with fine grinding com- pound.—C. S. Bartless, Corinth, Miss. Boat Seat Made from Chair A comfortable seat for the boat, which is readily attached to or detached from the regular thwart, is made as shown in the photograph, from an old chair. Iron clips are made and _ securely attached to the bottom of the chair seat with screws or, better still, with round-headed bolts. A seat of this description is par- ticularly convenient when fishing or hunt- ing. The same kind of seat can be slipped onto the ordinary board seat of a farm wagon. Pot Scraper Made from Saw Blade A scraper for cleaning kitchen utensils, such as pots, kettles, pans, and the like, may be made from a piece of broken buck- saw blade attached to a short wooden WOOOEN HANDLE handle, as shown in the drawing. The steel being thin and flexible, it is easily made to conform to the curved sides of a vessel and reach every part except sharp angles. The saw teeth may be filed off or left on as desired. However, both edges can be used. = SCREWS ~— saw BLADE Switch for Battery Charging on Motorboat To prevent the storage battery from exhausting itself- through the generator o+, ** . GENERATOR sToP Po4y A Di; | seoments 4-0" / 1 — —————-+-6 jf -----@ - CONTACT WOOD OR FIBER BASE SPRINGS SPARK-COIL { 4 PRIMARY / tf - CIRCUIT BREAKER SEGMENTS ———_ DETAIL OF SWITCH Simple Switch to Prevent the Storage mnog from Exhausting Itself, for Motorboat Circuits here Both Generator and Storage Battery are Used GROUND windings when the engine is stopped, the simple switch shown in the drawing will be found to work successfully on motor- boat circuits where the combination of generator and storage battery is used. The switch base is made of wood, fiber, or other nonconducting material. A switch lever is pivoted to the bottom with a small bolt, and wired to a bind- ing post at some convenient point. Two segments of copper, or brass, shaped to follow the sweep of the lever, are fas- tened to the base with countersunk screws. Each segment is connected to a binding post. The storage battery is connected to the upper segment; the gen- erator, or dynamo, to the lower one, and the switch leyer to one side of the igni- tion circuit. The wiring is completed as shown. Light spring-brass fingers are riveted to the underside of the switch lever, to bear against the segments and insure good contact. When the switch is placed at A, all circuits are open. At B, the battery is thrown into the ignition circuit so the engine may be started; at C, after the engine is running, both battery and gen- erator are in the circuit, and the genera- tor will charge the battery. When the battery is sufficiently charged, place the lever at D, which cuts out the battery and runs the engine from the generator alone. To stop the engine, push the lever back to A; this not only cuts out the ignition circuit but disconnects the gen- erator from the battery as well, and pre- vents the passage of current. A pin stop at each side of the switch base prevents the lever from dropping over too far.

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Community Radio Stations for. Amateurs By Samuel l) Peach T takes a neat sum of money to install a good, substantial radio-sending: set, and its upkeep demands unceasing ex- penditure. Many have not the funds to buy a sending set at all, while others must content themselves with sets so naked of essential appliances as to be in- capable of proper adjustment, and radiat- ing waves so coarse and broad as to inter- fere with all receiving stations within their radius of action. The principle of remote control for radio transmission, as used aboard battle- ships, and between many commercial and naval shore stations, suggests an excel- lent remedy for these conditions. By the use of such a system any number of sta- tions may cut into the same control cir- cuit; that is, messages may be sent from distant points by the use of a relay cir- cuit, similar to those commonly used in wire telegraphy. For simplicity, a line with only three sending stations will be here described. A radio remote-control system ordina- rily requires two distinct circuits: one for the actual operation of a distance-trans- graph sounders, in order that practice in using the communication circuit may be of benefit in receiving radio messages. There are a number of possible “hook- ups” suitable for the purpose; two of them are shown in the illustration. Both cir- cuits make use of the type of key which is commonly used for telegraphy all over the world, except in the United States, and is particularly adapted to short-dis- tance work, requiring no battery power when at rest, and no switches to bother with. This type of key has three wire connections instead of two; when the key is at rest, one circuit remains permanently closed, this position corresponding to the ordinary telegraph sounder when _ its switch is closed. When the key is pressed, the circuit through the rear contacts is broken, and another circuit is completed, at the same time, through the front con- tact. An ordinary Morse telegraph key can be altered for this use by providing a back contact; to make this, bend a short piece of sheet copper into the shape of a miniature doorstep, and fasten it so that the step overlaps the key base, from which = | GROUND = DIAGRAM 1 CONTROL CIRCUT ie, le —. I HH} | STATION A STATION 6B STATION C COMBINATION rr CIRCUIT f q owen = 7 @ KNIFE 4 : h i tia A Good Radio-Sending Set Is Not to en “] be Had without the Expenditure of Considerable Money. n View of = This, It is Suggested That Three or More Radio Amateurs Combine Their Funds, Purchase a Good Sending Out- fit and Use It Jointly by Means of a Simple Remote-Control Circuit. The Cost of Such a Circuit Is Not Great, - There Is Nothing Difficult about Its Construction =. 20-OHM BUZZER RADIO-CONTROL KEYS BUZZER CIRCUIT exon COMMUNICATION KEYS > STATION 8B STATION A) DIAGRAM 2 20-OHM RELAY STATION C mission apparatus, and the other a simple wire-telegraph circuit, by which the several stations communicate with each other. For the latter apparatus, it is, how- ever, better to use buzzers instead of tele- 472 it should be well insulated. A makeshift key like this was used successfully for some time in a circuit in France, which controlled a great Franco-American radio plant during the war. pte ! ne

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a on ee: POPULAR The simpler circuit is illustrated in Dia- gram 1. Only one wire of copper or iron is required to be strung connecting the three stations, and but one set of battery cells at each place. This plant is economi- cal, but rather unsatisfactory, inasmuch as there are switches to throw; if one of the three operators neglects his switch, then his friends are out of luck. Diagram 2 shows a circuit which requires no switches, but which, on the other hand, requires two connecting wires from sta- tion to station, and in addition two sets of battery cells at each station except the one where the sending apparatus is lo- cated, this being marked Station C on the diagram. The operation is nearly the same for both circuits. When A wishes to send a radio message, he first switches on his buzzer and depresses the key, and sends along to C the signal agreed upon as in- dicating that he wishes to send a message. As the buzzer switches are normally closed, the buzzers at the other stations respond to this signal, and operator C is thus requested to start his generator. When the set is ready, C tells A over the buzzer line to go ahead. A now throws his switch to form a circuit between his key and station C, if the circuit is con- nected like Diagram 1, or merely turns to his control key, if Diagram 2 is used. The impulses sent by the key operate the radio-sending circuit by means of a relay. This instrument may be an ordinary tele- graph relay, or an old telegraph sounder patched up; the main requirement is that the local contacts shall be extra-heavy. These local contact points of the relay are connected in parallel with the main radio- sending key, as shown to the right in the drawing. Thus, when the relay contacts are closed by the current coming from A’s key, the effect is the same as that of closing the radio key itself, and, in conse- quence, a radio signal is sent out. When the message is finished, A tells C over the buzzer wire to close down his generator. In selecting a type of buzzer for this purpose, it is wise to buy the very best and strongest; the winding should be of at least 20 ohms’ resistance. Receiving practice by means of this buzzer line has the advantage of creating no disturbance in the neighborhood, either in the way of sound or radio waves. The batteries used may consist of either dry cells or ordinary sal-ammoniac cells: The number of cells required should be determined by experiment. Build the con- trol line first; then try one cell at sta- MECHANICS 473 tion A or B, and add a cell at a time until the control relay at station C responds with a snap. Whatever number of cells is found to be required, an equal number will probably be required at the other re- mote station. It should be remembered that C requires no battery for the control circuit in case Diagram 2 is used. Wire up the buzzer circuit, and test it similarly; it may not require as many cells as the control circuit. There is no reason why radio remote control should not become quite popular with amateurs, as it is already in high favor among professionals, Luggage Carrier for Auto Made from Pipe and Fittings A neat and effective luggage carrier can be constructed very cheaply from iron _-—— FENDERS PIECE CUT OUT OF TEES 2 pe SLIDING FIT A Neat and Effective Carrier for the Tourist’s Bag- gage and ~~ on the Running Board, can be Made from Pipe and Fittings pipe and fittings, as shown in the draw- ing. The smaller pipe, which is preferably 14 in., slides easily in the larger one, and is adjustable to any length, while the slotted tees can be turned to conform to the angle of the fenders. Trowel Made from Hoe An old hoe, that has had its corners worn round, can be converted into a substantial gar- den trowel. The wooden handle is removed, and the hoe straightened out, the corners being cut off with a cold chisel; the edge is ground off straight and sharp on a_ grindstone, and the blade is curved to form the trowel. A short wooden han- dle completes the tool.—J. G. Allshouse, Vandergrift, Pa.

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474 POPULAR MECHANICS Concealed Cellar-Door Lift The usual unsightly, exposed counter- weight for relieving some of the effort necessary to raise a heavy cellar door CELLAR DOOR CELLAR DOOR CLOSED OPEN SHELF BRACKET The Usual Exposed Counterweight, for Relieving Some of the Effort in Lifting a Cellar Door, can be Easily Hidden from View can be easily hidden from view, without diminishing its etfectiveness. As shown in the drawing, a wooden arm the width of the cellar opening, is placed at right angles to the underside of the door, near the edge next the hinges, a shelf bracket being used in the angle, as a brace; on the wall directly opposite, and just be- neath the door, a pulley is located. The rope is attached to the outer end of the arm and is passed over the pulley, the other end of the rope having the counter- weight attached to it—D. G. Barnett, Mt. Summit, Ind. Reducing Culls in Apple Orchards The owner of a large number of apple trees is forced by business reasons to acquire a thorough knowledge of the or- chardist’s lore; he becomes a professional. The owner of a few trees usually remains an amateur and knows few, if any, of the kinks of apple culture that are common- place to the experienced grower, but these little kinks count even when only a few trees are owned. It was so with the man who had two big, thrifty apple trees in his backyard. These trees always set fruit well, but summer hopes always gave way to harvest disappointment; the ap- ples never colored well, and a large por- tion of them dropped off before the time for picking. Instead of taking these de- ficiencies as a matter of course, the “back- yardist” consulted a professional fruit- grower, a man who had several thousand trees and had grown old in the business. He received suggestions which, taken to- gether, solved the problem for him. Thinning was one of these; the idea of picking green apples in summer and throwing them away, is hard for many orchardists to reconcile themselves to, but veteran growers declare there is hardly any orchard operation that pays so well. Picking the “runts” and culls by hand in summer, cuts down the percentage of culls in fall, and vastly increases the size and quality of the remaining fruit. The pro- fessional grower suggested at least two pickings, better still, three; this would check the dropping. The apples picked the first time would be the ripest and best colored; leaving them in small piles on the ground, in the sunshine, would help them to color more. Still another sugges- tion was pruning; “let more sun into the tree,” he advised, “open up the top. Be- fore ripening time, prune out some of the small, leafy branches.” The windfall problem is always accentuated by tall limbs which whip. Cutting these back tends to reduce the number of windfalls. Following these suggestions, the home orchardist converted trees which had been principally an aggravation into trees which gave real satisfaction—John T. sartlett, Boulder, Colo. To Make a Watchcase Galvanometer A convenient galvanometer and pole tester may be made from an old watch- case. A strip of brass, about 44 in. wide, is bent to form a narrow rectangular frame, the ends of which are soldered BRASS CONTACT PLUG after two ~. PAPER punch marks have been made as bear- ings for the needle. A short crosspiece is soldered across the bottom, as shown, for soldering to the watchcase. Wind the NEEDLE frame with from four to eight turns of No. 18 gauge bell wire. The needle is made from a strip of %4-in. steel, which is drilled at the center and soldered to a short piece of an ordinary sewing needle for a pivot. When finished, the needle is sprung into place with the ends of the pivot resting in the bearings made by the punch marks. One end of the needle is painted red and the other Sean ets

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seston 6 ee. —————— ~ POPULAR white. The winding stem is removed from the watch, and its place is taken by a tight-fitting brass plug, insulated from the watchcase by a paper tube. The brass frame and one terminal of the coil are soldered to the bottom of the watchcase, the other terminal to the brass plug. Test the instrument with a dry cell and, underneath the glass, paste, at diametri- cally opposite points, two small pieces of paper marked with the conventional posi- tive and negative signs, as indicated by the side to which the red half of the nee- dle turns. The first passage of current through the coil will magnetize the needle. Sudden. application of current, or heavy currents, without suitable resistance between the source and the instrument, are likely to reverse the polarity of the needle and make readjustment necessary. Top Spins by Whipping A top that will keep spinning as long as it is “whipped” is easily made from a piece of hard wood by following the di- mensions shown in the drawing. For a whip, use any piece of soft cord about 2 ft. long, tying one end of it to a stick of about the same length Wrap the cord around the top and carelessly toss it out, to make it spin. \When it has almost stopped, “whip” it gently; the cord will wrap itself around the top, and drawing the whip away gives the top a new start. Pouring Liquids from Cans In pouring var- nish and other liquids from cans of the type shown in the drawing, many people waste a large part of the contents or at least spill it over their hands. By turning the can so the outlet is at the top of the can and then tilting it, all spilling and mess can be avoided.— Iloward D. Wildman, Schenectady, N. Y. MECHANICS 475 Children’s Adjustable Pushcycle Boys between the ages of five and ten years hate to do “girlish” things, such as BARS } 2"x 30” BOARDS BLOCK BOARDS "BOARD. ~NAILS -eeaeet & =? ,e° Lees | & PY ADJUSTING Ji BABY-CARRIAGE WHEELS Qe ay OETA OF SEAT DETAIL ATA A Pushcycle will Furnish Sport for the Small Boy and Teach Him to Balance, in Anticipation of the Day When He will Own a Real Bicycle riding three-wheeled velocipedes, and their chief ambition is to own a bicycle, which few boys are allowed to do, owing to the dangers of the streets, and to the fact that they soon outgrow a bicycle suitable to their age. The pushcycle shown in the drawing will fill the gap, and can be readily made from a pair of wheels from an old baby carriage and strips of wood. As shown in the draw- ing, this cycle has all the features of the regular article with the exception of pedals, chain, and sprockets, the device being pushed along by the feet ef the rider, As the owner grows older, and larger, the height of the seat is read- justed by removing the bolt at the center and putting it in another hole; for smaller children, the seat is brought nearer the ground in the same manner. Acetylene as Camp-Fire Fuel An enthusiastic automobile tourist car- ries with him on his trips into the virgin timber a tank of acetylene gas, a 10-ft. length of rubber hose, and a burner from a gas range, with a hose nipple attached. When meal time arrives, the outtit is placed on the ground, and if rocks are handy, the burner is elevated 2 or 3 in. and other stones are piled around the burner to support the cooking utensils. The valve of the tank is turned on, the gas lighted at the burner, and the meal prepared.

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476 POPULAR MECHANICS Attractive Designs Made of Seeds The remarkably “real’-looking flowers shown in the photograph were all made xe RED AND YELLOW POR one DIPPER GOURD GRAPEFRUIT CANTALOUPE © & © FLAXSEED WATERMELON GRAPE PITS AND RAPESEED COFFEE RED-DENT CORN APPLE ET SEED A Collection of Flowers and Ornamental Designs Made by Gluing Various Seeds and Grains to Cardboard from various seeds and grains. The star is made from grains of wheat and was especially difficult to make because many of the grains on the points of each layer and the top were mitered. ‘The cross is made from apple pits and beet seeds, the soft brown tones being peculiarly pleasing. In making the flowers, a disk is first cut from cardboard and the seeds are applied around the edge with glue. The center is then built up with one or more layers of cardboard and the layers of seeds are applied until the design is fin- ished. Beautiful effects are obtained by combining seeds of varying colors in the same design, and as shown in the photo- graph, quite faithful reproductions of such flowers as zinnias, dahlias, asters, and others are possible. Wire stems may be fastened to the back of the disks to form bouquets.— Clark Cooper, Cafion City, Colo. Growing Colored Wood Some interesting experiments have re- cently been conducted to show the possi- bility of coloring wood, so to speak, “on the hoof,” the wood being colored through the absorption of aniline dyes before the tree is cut down. A slanting hole is drilled completely through the tree with an auger, and the lower end is closed with a plug. A very strong solution of aniline dye and water is poured into the hole and, as the mixture is absorbed by the tree, it is replenished from time to time. The amount of dye solution de- pends entirely upon the kind of tree; in some cases about a gallon a week is taken up and in others almost as much in a single day. The outer layers of the trunk are soon tinted, but a few weeks must elapse before the wood is colored to the heart. When the tree is cut down, it is found that the wood has been permanently and evenly dyed in the shade that has been employed, and is ready for use. In- asmuch as the dye has worked into the cellular tissue of the growing wood there is no possibility of cuts and scratches showing. This experiment is best con- ducted in the spring, when the sap is ris- ing in the tree—S. Leonard Bastin, Bournemouth, Eng. Building Model Boat Hulls The amateur naval constructor speedily learns that a boat hull is no simple thing to make, easy though it may look. How- ever, by carving the bow and stern from blocks of wood and using tin, or other sheet metal, for extending the hull, a very satisfactory piece of work is obtained. After the bow and stern have been com- WOODEN STRIPS MORTISED TO BOW Pst AND STERN SHEET OF TIN An Easy Method of Building Model Boat Hulls will Find Considerable Favor among Amateurs pleted, they are joined together at the desired distance apart with wooden strips; one at the bottom and one at each side, a eel ORM is

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a POPULAR MECHANICS 477 as shown in the drawing. These strips fit flush into mortises that have been cut in the blocks to receive them. The open space between the stem and stern is closed by tacking a sheet of tin to the strips and wooden ends, with strips of rubber between to make _ water-tight joints. A wooden deck may be provided, and, if desired, masts, funnels, gun tur- rets, and other gear, may be added, de- pending on whether one is building a bat- tleship or a merchantman, Weatherproof Plant Record To keep the name, purchase record, etc., of perennial plants, trees, and shrubs con- nected with the right plant is a difficult matter, and the record is generally more or less illegible. However, by making the record on strong paper with India ink and slipping it, right side out, into a small glass vial which is corked and attached to the plant or shrub, the gardener knows that the name and record of his plant can always be found. Walking up a Rope Attempting to salvage a cover that had blown over the edge of a bridge, a truck driver fastened a rope to the bridge rail and descend- ed, so rapidly that his hands were badly burned, and he could not climb back. The driver’s helper, on the bridge, was unable to pull him up, but in the face of the situation, the helper took the rope, which was of ample length, and made loops in each end; both ends were lowered to the man below. The middle of the rope was wound once around the bridge rail, and held by the helper. The driver placed his feet in the loops, and raised one foot at a time, as though walking. As each leg was raised and the weight taken from that end of the rope, the man on the bridge pulled it enough to take up the slack. This operation was repeated until the driver reached the bridge—F. McKissick, Te- hama, Calif. Tricks with the Typewriter A common typewriter, besides its use- fulness as a writing machine, can be made ®) EALESSASAASA SERRE EERB RRR —— ; whet ete a eed dl fe ead Be Be ~- se ee™ 7 ran ee SELLE LAID ss s* oe a © ~ sf se se. —_—_— * 60 eee AAARAEAERAEAA RADA DAE ARAAS *s se ee —_— . © —_— ee ef oo so == - SSA BEEEAAARAAAMAARALA RR AMRAA ~ —=——4 . ss ~ ates on HRTOETEITEN ET EMONN ONO —_— —_—™ ~——o a —o a ~_— —_—™ ~—~— as ~~ ~—— ~—_ Ce OS So eo ——_—™~ ~~ on $ $ i ... tte! S3S358$ $ ° ‘ A $$ $4388 & $$ $3 $ $$$ Among the Designs Which can be Made on an Or- dinary Typewriter Are the American Flag, Lines of Soldiers, and Various Kinds of Fancy Lettering to produce various artistic and comical designs. A few of these are shown in the illustration, which was _ photographed directly from typewriting, no other means being employed for drawing any part of it. The characters “X” and “$” are the most useful for designing fancy letters, samples of which are shown in the illustration. These are made with the dollar sign only, and regular single-line spacing is used to give the vertical distance between the characters. The representation of a flag is also produced almost entirely by char- acters with regular spacing. This will be apparent if the picture is turned on its side. It will then be seen that each char- acter is directly under another, as neces- sarily produced on a typewriter. For the straight lines, and the small “o” which forms a knob at the top of the flagstaff, the machine must be set so that the car- riage turns free, and lines are then drawn with the underlining key. The stars are made by the asterisk of the typewriter; machines which are not provided with this character are therefore not as well adapted for flag drawing, though the small “x” may be used for the purpose. To the right of the flag are illustrated the successive steps by which a row of soldiers carrying guns is represented. For this, the carriage must turn free, and a little practice will be necessary in order to set the carriage so that the various characters will fit together properly.

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478 Those used are, in their order, the “&,” the diagonal line, the small “o,” the small “w,” the quotation mark, and the under- lining key. Various other combinations will occur to the typewriter artist, and by sufficient practice pictures of almost any object can be drawn in this manner. Camera Tripod Makes Artist’s Easel A drawing or sketching easel is readily made from an ordinary photographer’s camera tripod, or stand, and two pieces of fairly heavy wire, each about 1 ft. long. Each of the wires is bent to form an S-shaped hook, one end of each being inserted in the opening in which the extension legs of the tripod slides. The bottom of the sketch board is held by the hooks, and the top is sup- ported against the tripod legs. The board may be tilted at any angle by ad- justing the third leg of the tripod, while the height is regu- lated by lengthening or shortening the extension legs, as when used with a camera.—Rev. A. Schaal, Red Cloud, Neb.

Strong, Light Anchor for Rowboats The majority of anchors used for small boats are of the rock variety—a heavy stone tied to the end of a rope; this form of anchor is

¢ , $ FLUKE, anything but bean. _. tenn. satisfactory,as i _¥g IRON ROD ° NUTS after it has des , il been useda eee rope stretches, BE fame FSD and the rock A | | drops out. To St a Sead | eliminate this. FLat = PATTERN ' ' annoyance, or pute’ YL =

the anchor shown in the drawing was designed. One end of the shank is threaded, and the other is bent to form an eye. After the iron-plate flukes have been formed, a hole is drilled at the center to accommodate the shank. To assemble the anchor, a nut POPULAR MECHANICS is screwed onto the threaded end of the shank as far as it will go, the fluke piece is placed in position, and another nut is turned up tight against the bottom; the end of the shank is upset to prevent the nut from backing off. Such an anchor, although small and light, will take a firm grip on the bottom, and will be found much more satisfactory than the rock type.—Frank W. Harth, New York, N. Y. Removing Molded Letters from Bottles It is sometimes desirable to erase molded letters from commercial bottles, and an easy method of doing this is sim- ply to lay a sheet of rather coarse emery cloth on a flat surface and to rub the let- ters over it. A few minutes suffices to remove the letters, and in addition, a frosted surface is left on the bottle, which can be written on with pen or pencil. Printing on Leaves Leaf printing is an interesting pastime for early fall, the printing being done on plants that have a highly colored au- tumnal foli- age. The printing is done by past- ing letters or designs, cut from rather thin paper, on the leaves to be printed while the leaf is still green, or before it has shown any great change in color. When the leaf has colored to the desired degree, the paper shapes are removed by soaking in water.

Applying Poultry Netting Properly To the unexperienced, nothing seems to be easier than to build a chicken run and inclose it with mesh poultry netting, but the job usually lacks neatness. The proper way to apply the netting, accord- ing to an expert poultryman, is to attach the top wire first, in a perfectly straight line. When this is done, begin at the bottom of the center post to fasten the lowest wire, and work out to one end. When half of the netting has been se- cured, the other half is similarly attached, working out from the center,

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POPULAR MECHANICS 479 f x POPE PE rn : ae J VLAN «Ws - i i a > d * &*% a w A a arnt rN GO! Mot we fp GOO EE yee r =—— se he “=” »* & os le OS a Uo he fin, Dé lid es ao a . is ee Za at da Ln BM te») MINING TOWN SPREADS HAPHAZARD AROUND HILL I* would be hard to find a better illustration of the influence exerted by terrain on unguided city development than this photograph of a mining community near Pittsburgh, Pa. The slopes of the dominating hill in the background are girdled by irregular roads, and along these the houses have been built. The result is a mazy layout that is as offensive to the eye as it is inconvenient to the inhabitants. The ugliness of the scene is aggravated by the crowding and dreary similarity of the dwellings. OPPORTUNE ANNOUNCEMENTS Whee eve rT prize competitions mentioned on this page are con _ ted by a pul lie institution, the name and address will appe the announcement Industrial addresses will ” publishes | it 1 ybtained from our Bu iu of Information by request, mentioning the title of the artic le and date of publication Ei litor POSITIONS IN GOVERNMENT SERVICE wherever possible. The messages will FOR HIGHWAY ENGINEERS oy yemom, Towenees shy Sessions: | amateurs equipped only with crysta Highway engineers under 35 years of age are needed by the government, and application for exam - - ination may be made to the U. S. Civil Service AUTO, PLANE, AND POLO CONTESTS Commission or one of its local boards up to closing IN WESTERN PRIZE CARNIVAL time, September 9 Che salary at appointment ranges trom $2,100 to $2,700, with a temporary allowance Auto races up Pikes Peak, receivers. of $20 a month for those appointed at $2,500 or less. it, and polo contests in its t Applicants are to be rated 45 per cent for education inusual program of a huge « rts to | and preliminary training, including at least six years ny in Colorado the week of A $5,009 in civil engineering, and 55 per cent for experience cup of gold and sil r and i e the and fitness, as indicated by sworn statements and prizes ottered for the 13-mile auto race, from Crystal evidence submitted. The work includes superintend- Creek to the su it of the peal The polo cha ing road construction, inspecting roads, materials. pionship west of the Mississiy is to be decided plans and specifications, and coéperating with state among 12 or more nationally known teams from all road departments. parts of the country, and many valuable trophies ar: fered. The airplane races, from Denver to Colorado NAVAL RADIO STATION SENDS SCOUT Springs and around Pikes Peak, are expected to MESSAGES TO AMATEURS NIGHTLY spectacular in the extreme and, with the polo « , . ts, will occupy several davs Official messages from the headquarters of the Boy Scouts of America ar now being sent out every night EX-SERVICE MEN OFFICIALLY DEAD by wireless from the New York naval radio station, FORM NEW LIVE CLUB beginning about 9:30 eastern standard time. Ama- teur receiving stations with vacuum-tube detectors [Two ex-service men of Alabama, both of whom and amplifiers are able to receive these messages at had been reported dead | the War Department, are practically any point in the country, and a dozen responsible for a n ement to organize a new and stations in California are finding no difficulty in trange club of World War veterans. The chief taking them. They are transmitted by the sparl requirement is that each membet hall have rr system on a 1,500-meter wave length, at the rate of included in some ficial list of fatalities during t 10 words a minute, preceded by the call, “OST OST war Of these men, practically all of whom escaped OST de NAH NAH NAH Amateur Broadcast.’ ind their reported tate only by imprisonment ort m the number of the code, if any is wus sed. Scout or other udventt ure, t e are declared to be about ) ganizations are being urge d to take full advantage of in the tirmingham district alone, and the firs the new privilege by setting up vacuum-tube receiving ganization will be form d tl ~ £4) AZJSCLILS

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480 POPULAR MECHANICS MOVABLE SANITARIUM VISITS PATIENTS AT HOME ib the endeavor to supply sanitarium facilities to tubercular patients in the Extreme simplicity marks the construc- tion and equipment of these little one- rural districts, without the expense of a room cottages. the cost having been kept down to about $180, with an additional $75 for fur- nishings. The outside di- mensions are 8 by 12 ft., the inside being 6 in. less each way. At one end are a door and two win- dows, and in each of the other sides one window, the rear one being 42 in. from the floor to keep the bed out of a draft. All openings are screened, and wood covers, hinged at the top of the windows, act as awnings and rain shields when propped open. A standard hospi- tal bed, a side table, a serving table, a_ stove, and a rocking-chair fur- nish the room. The house is painted white, and the The Movable Hospital Room at Rest and Ready for Service, with Its Stairs asbestos-shingled, over- et Down, Its Window Shutters Propped Open to Form Awnings, and the Visiting Nurse on Duty large central building, a society that is fighting the white plague in Jay County, Ind., has hit upon a novel and highly ef- fective method. The plan amounts virtu- ally to equipping a hospital room with Interior View of the Little Sanitarium on Wheels, Showing the Standard Hospital Bed and the Simple Table, Chair, and Stove wheels, and drawing it from place to place by a farm tractor, each patient’s yard serving as its temporary site. hanging roof green. The four wheels have tires of 3'2-in. face, to avoid road injury. Plain and inexpensive as it is, the portable hos- pital room has the inestimable advantage that it permits the patient to remain in his own dooryard. It has been found use- ful, too, in handling certain quarantine cases without removing the subject from the home influence. Estimating six moves a year, the little structure is calculated to be good for at least 10 years of service. TWO NEW VARIETIES OF RICE DEVELOPED IN SOUTH As the best of 2,000 varieties studied, two kinds of rice, known as Acadia and Fortuna, are now being grown for the second season at the Louisiana station maintained by the Department of Agri- culture. Last year, from a 48-acre tract planted to Acadia the workers at the sta- tion obtained an average yield of 5,155 Ib., while from 35 acres of very “old” land an average of 2,775 lb. of Fortuna was har- vested. IN accordance with the editorial policy of this magazine never to accept compensation in any form for what appears in our reading pages, and also to avoid all appearance of doing so, we are obliged to omit the name of the maker or the seller of any article described. This information, however, is kept on file and will be furnished free, by addressing Bureau of Information, Popular Mechanics Magazine, Chicago, | Editor.] ~~