Popular Mechanics 1923-08: Vol 40 Iss 2
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ugust JUL 1 6 1093 25 Cents OPULAR MECHANICS MAGAZINE WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE ILLUSTRATED WORLD WRITTEN SO YOU CAN UNDERSTAND IT
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It takes only 8 weeks | to get a big job In the Auto and Tractor Business Read what these men are doing —here is your big chance to get “on easy street.”” Come tothese great shops on the biggest FREE offer ever made. O. H. Justus owns a big agency Big Firms Need Trained Men : and repair shop at Parkersburg, The Auto and Tractor Business is on the boom. Thousands of W. Va. He says “that my schools trained men will be needed during the next few months. I get anaes put calls every day from. Garages, Battery Stations, Auto Repair, en Welding Shops and other successful concerns for Rahe men. When the big fellows need high grade men they know where to come for them. They want Rahe trained men. MY TRAINING UNUSUAL Scientific tool training—that’s the secret. You do things here accord- ing to the latest engineering standards. Thousands of dollars have been spent in modern tools and equipments. That’s why my men are at home in the biggest shops in the country. If you want to succeed the way Beimer and Justus and the rest have—qualify by the same method in only eight weeks or stay as long as you like. I'll Pay Your . - Emanuel Rushfeldt, Alberta, R 1 d F says: “Earning $10 a day and only ali roa are 20 years old.” and Board You In order to fill the openings that now exist, $ $ I am making an offer no one has ever made 0 before—Free Railroad Fare, Free Board for eight weeks. You Save Big Money by acting now. Pack your grip—get on a train— Come to school right now before it is too late OR WRITE TODAY. Send tor FREE Book My big illustrated train- ; , ing book tells how others are succeeding. It tells many things you ought to know about Autos and Tractors. Write for it and my short time offer NOW. It soon expires. W. W. Peace gets $250 a month Auto & and expenses operating a tractor @ e in the oil fields. Tractor CHICAGO Dept. 906 CINCINNATI 4445 Grand Bivd. Ninth and Wainut FOSSSSSSSSSSSSSsSSoss esses sssssssssesssssesesesseosossasoooases : RAHE AUTO & TRACTOR SCHOOLS, Dept. 906 : {address school nearest you) * 4445 Grand Bivd., oe Ninth & Wainut, Chicago, Illinois Cincinnati, Ohio. Without any obligation, send me your big free book, ““The Evolution of Transportation.”” Also information ae ng special temporary offer. } EE RS ea pec et Se a EL WN ME hae Amer aes Louis Beimer at 24 was made c foreman over men many years \ Aish Gn bcihancindatens hens bik abeb retirees cuhelsvcdieesbeees older. That’s not luck—it’s Rahe NE training. Le Teen OH dsc nccousdnni
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POPULAR MECHANICS ADVERTISING SECTION Dont En | Tom Perkigg
-do do what he did! ed the good things of life—he t attend the theatre; he liked to wear the he liked to have a nice home and HeSiked all these—but that rot. He did not have the money the good things of life too—she pgs and sealskin coats; she liked iv a cozy little home of her own; she i the things that make life worth living. liked all these—but she had to depend on 1, and Tom couldn't earn them for her.
tried. He always had a job of one kind « another—and he always gave an honest day's k for an honest day's pay. What more could jo? Was it any fault of his that he could r earn more than just enough to buy him- and his family the bare necessities of life? turning point in Tom's career came quite pectedly. A boyhood friend, who had 1 in the same town several years before, e back for a visit and told Tom what a great ess he had made in the garage business as result of taking practical aining at the 5. A. 8. in Detroit, the automobile center. n and there Tom decided to investigate the ibilities in the automobile field himself—and was greatly surprised at what he found. A Wonderful Business found, among other things, that the auto- industry is the third largest business in today. He found that there are elve million cars and trucks in use in the ted States alone and that the automobile tories are adding to this number at the rate about ten thousand every day. He found as the number of automobiles increased, and more work was piling up for automo- mechanics to do. And, most important of © far as he was concerned he found that the who had trained themselves for this work among the highest paid men in any line of Ss
re, then, was a line of work that offered a real ce to get ahead in the world. There were enough and to spare for all the men that the tomobile training schools could turn out for rs to come And there was no chance of re—unless people should some day stop ing cars, and he couldn't imagine anything that happening. struck Tom that this w: 7a good business to into. Within two weeks he had gone off to Detroit and to the M. S. A. S.—and it seemed only a short time until he had cgmpleted his training and had received his diploma.
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a a | YO | < hee are ™ y TPS 3 me : Mica Os
~ $40 per Week to Start “maga ee Neyer fay ber
Q ur ) When he returned home he went to the lead expenence at all in automobile wor l . garage in the town, app! ed fo: | r int « drive nh aut t at $40 a week, more than he had ever earned time and, as he himself says, he d before. For the first time in his life he f t fere elwer a iretor a 1 » he was really on the road to success base—didn t even know a car had At the end of a month, his pay was raised to $55 ane re ey ference between him a r and, in another morth, it was again raised—t young tehows in Dis town who a! $75 a week. Tom was truly getting uy the at 31o $25 a weel that Tom r ten world . to better himeelf He got off th ‘ 4 7 ¢ . ’ t wa ‘ ur That was three years ag Today Tor the 1 ul! ladder where tl was ro owner of his own garage i , ca I working for him. Beside secure I —_ agency for Chevrolet cars and Willard Storags Any ing mat an start climbing t! t - lottor and has | M% or ne af + . . t sider that leads to mone ar 2allerTies and ha pu ul € ) f A ¢ what Tam did enns . auto electric service stations in his sect f th / wi : lid. A i country. He has won for himself t , aKINE Of of knowing his business us a ‘ ; ’ wastec 1 : he gets not only the bulk of auton repair Ce - work in his own town but also a great d of . . work from car owners in neighboring towns Start Climbing where there are no first class garage T d Tom's earnings now average $600 a month from Oo ay the garage’s repair work—and several times that D - ‘ as amount from his sales of automobiles and bat- - : . racing teries -._ D liars a erres. cour A } etod ll out ¢} ourse ‘ ill ou No Experience ont el i a we eave Se tion without charges Necessary The day’ that Tor Sst hea But, you may say, Tom must have been an ex- may be ceptional man—he must have known something Mail the coupon today!
pT MICHIGAN STATE AUTOMOBILE SCHOOL | 308 Auto Bidg., 3729 Woodward Avenue, DETROIT, REICHNIGAN eee <opeaee at SS i t ‘ use send Out U { r Uo | sail tall aro choct nen She Tom } ri n automobile exp. | + rR } ) [ ( | Do you wish to start y r course at Home or at r Sct |
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"ail viaTinty ann ~Y ea Z O am Ay ea) — a) ms n ”n ea a) — = o oO H 4 = O = O 84 em O E, O : O {i eo gg gg and, Apparatus ““Machine Switching” Automatic, Part of the Above, Small Section of Old-Type Switchboard with Operators Who Tell Users How to ‘Work New Dials;
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—— | 28 eaemhanretnew aR i arent “DEF.” “GHI.” ete Popular Mechanics Magazine REGISTERED IN | PATENT OFFICE WRITTEN SO YOU CAN UNDERSTAND IT LATEST MARVEL SCIENCE AUGUST, 1923 No. 2 OF TELEPHONE IN USE Phone Wonder Is Achievement of Hundreds of “*Unknown” Minds YOR e of the first times in the his- + tory of invention, a marvel of science been developed as the work of hun- ~ minds, rather than by one ius. This is the new system of teleph- machine switching. Chicago was the adopt this wonderful sys- 15,000 telephones to the T city to inging less” plan, but it will eventually be use throughout the country. At the oke of midnight a workman in grimy threw a switch, and in 26 sec- 7 ds nearly 3,000,000 residents of the city ‘re given the result of the codéperation hundreds of engineers, inventors, and entists. [he new telephones are similar to the ld automatic, which, strange to v, the small town is more niliar with than the big city. o each instrument a dial, th a movable top having series of 10 finger holes, attached. Under se holes are placed he numbers “1” to ” and the “0,” and in Idition 24 letters of e alphabet arranged series of threes hese run “ABC,” itting “QO” and “Z.” he letters are in black, dthe numerals in ] lo make the description ear it is best to illustrate ow the subscriber calls his number. Suppose the num- ber wanted is Central 1470. On taking he receiver from the hook a subscriber listens until a faint buzzing sound is This is the automatic’s “number, ; heard lease.” He then places his finger in the hole in the dial which bears the black “ABC” and proceeds to pull the OV Ne Tt »to the ri t 1 ¢ hes a Sl | hoe \ tops l On easing | finger the t eturns to t pr tion 1] the ] g the same operation 1 EK” at On completing these three he a registered on the machine the first three lette of the word “Central.” He now proceeds in the same manner to call the number “1470.” If his call is completed he, of course, gets his party, but if the line is busy he gets the usual signal. If he has made a mistake the operator in the cen- tral station immediately informs him of the fact. Each call, as will be seen, re- quires seven movements of the dial, three to obtain the exchange and then the four numerals making up the » number. How this marvelous works is of intense interest. In its simplest outline it 1 be de lye s fol- lows: \\ he e sul iber b« n t \ the ( Las e cent t » | 3 " to place : eat cae 1 é ( 1- racy tl a y me «€ es ) t thie can e 1 1 I the } r¢ es the dial « ¢ = + t pu ¢ to u t | ( VV en r 1 é down the \ Be hole, fe n- ance, the n line 1g to register the letter that is to b e- lecte but by cievel tudy of 1 es those \ » perfected the svstem vi chosen titles for the exchanges \ h permit the machine to select the de ed letters When the. subscriber pulls lown
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164 POPULAR the three holes corresponding to “ABC, “DEF,” and “MNO,” the only possible exchange he could get would be “Cen- tral,’ as the combination of other letters made with the holes marked “ABC,” “DEF,” and “MNO” do not form the first three letters of any other exchange. Of course, after the exchange is obtained, the number, such as “1470,” can only re- fer to one subscriber's telephone in that exchange After the exchange is registered on the machine, moving parts of the very com- plicated electrical switchboard pick out the line at that MECHANICS almost to a vanishing point. Former! long-distance wires were as thick as pencil; now they are about the size « a thread. A _ single cable of this ne type may carry as many as 2,400 wir and because of the light lead and a1 timony mixture used to cover the cab! the same telephone poles which used t be able to carry only one or two cable can now carry a great many more. This is only one of the many ne things these scientists have discovered Since beginning to work on the fine points of machine-switching telephon more tha point. Now, in obtaining ‘a6 “1476,” when the fig- are. “i” 16 pulled down : the phone is automat- ically con- nected with the 1000 group in the “Cen- tral” exchange. When the “4” is pulled the sub scriber is then con- nected with the 400 group and so he now is in the 1400 group. When he pulls down “7 7” the ma- $11,000,000 ha been saved th: telephone co: panies of the ec¢ount r through ne metals alone Then, too, the discoverie have been ap plied to the automobile in dustry an others, mak ing for another enormous sav ing. The chang of€ 15.60 | phones is, of course, just beginning on the Chi- chine selects the 70 group and when he pulls down the final “OQ” he is connected with “Central 1470.” As may be imagined, the solving of the problem of such an intricate system has taken many years. The general re- search staff of the telephone companies, numbering more than 2,000 experts and scientists, have had to develop all sorts of new material and new electrical appli- ances. Because of the great number of switches and other devices, which re- quired, as a rule, the use of the very expensive metal platinum, the cost would have been prohibitive had not these research men developed new metal mix- tures. They also had to produce a light combination of lead and antimony to cover cables in order that the capacity of local and long-distance lines could be made greater. Within these cables the size of the wires has been reduced Operators are Still Needed to Transfer Calls from the Old to the New System cago _ system, which no numbers 654,008 su b- While the change is being made, the numbers not equipped with the dial system will be obtained by the op- erators as heretofore. In making long- distance, emergency, and company calls the subscriber obtains service by simply pulling over the “operator” the dial. The greatest difficulty which the tele- phone company now faces is in educating the public. in the way in which to use the system. First it was necessary to teach the telephone user to identify the exchanges by the first three letters of the name given them. Of course, each of the 654,008 subscribers could not be talked to personally and told how to do it, so the company for the last year has been printing in its telephone directory the first three letters of the exchange in capitals, as “CEN trl.” scribers. opening on - 4 :
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~ Se mata PN iS. POPULAR The idea of automatic telephones is almost as old as the switchboard itself. In the early ‘90s there were such systems, but they were not practical. For in- stance, Chicago had one, but could not run its wires overhead on poles, conse- quently it had to run its cables under- ground. This confined the use of the system to the down-town business sec- tion, and since everybody did not have RADIO SPEEDS UP TAKING OF MOVING PICTURES Radio carried orders of the movie di- rector to 5,000 members of the cast in a big scene in a western studio re- cently. Where, usually, the megaphone used to shout instructions, while cam- era men are turning the cranks, this director, standing at a point from which he had a clear view of all the actors, spoke his orders calmly into a sending in- strument, which made it heard clearly all over the lot. The directing, somewhat difficult because of the number of people employed, was simplified by use of radio, and the movie man predicted that it will be repeated in other big scenes. The same system was used to increase the carrying power of broadcast messages and concerts at the receiving end. Use of radio in this case not only spared the director’s voice, but it produced better results by making it possible for all the actors quickly to go through with the scene without frequent stops. NO GLARE TO AUTO DRIVER BEHIND NEW SHIELD Auto drivers who use a new type of protector, attached in a few minutes to the top of the windshield, can smile at oncoming glaring head- lights, for this new device tones them down to nor- mal. It also gives protec- tion against danger of sunlight in the driver's eves and the glare of snow on the road. A small plate is fitted to the top of the windshield and, with a swivel joint, can be turned up to the roof of the car when not in use MECHANICS 165 one of the automatics it was hard to per- suade a subscriber of the old system to adopt a new one. Consequently, while the machine worked almost perfectly, the company was unable to continue because of financial troubles. Also, when the number of subscribers ran to much more than 20,000 the entire equipment had to be duplicated, for the switchboards broke down very quickly. POISON-GAS TEST IS MADE IN THREE MINUTES Simple tests to find the degree of poi- soning from a gas known as carbon mon- oxide are now possible with the inven- tion of an instrument that shows how much a person has been affected within Girl being Tested with Instrument That Quickly Detects Poison Gas in Body three minutes, where formerly it took from 24 to 48 hours before this could be accurately determined. The apparatus may be carried in the pocket and 1 expected to prove of particular value in mines, where this gas is a much-dreaded menace. Because of the compactness of the new instrument and the fact that it can be applied to a patient by one wl has had no special training, it will be o broad service, it 1s Government experts, who tried it on a rvenel!l al young girl, assert that it is the quickest method. known to detect the gas. @ Transmission of radio signals of stand ard irequency has been begun by the Bureau of Standards, the range of wave lengths used being 600 to 300 meters It also is planned to use higher frequencie to include the waves used by amateurs The general call is given at 11:00 p. m eastern time
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166 POPULAR TENNIS COURT IN SQUARES TO TEACH ACCURACY Looking like a great checkerboard, ex- cept that each square has a number, a tennis court has been devised to teach
+ ” ~ » 4 ae \. . < , : ~~ Pa | < 2 ys ” | me i Ji Tennis Ball in Numbered Space Called by Teacher Player Improving Aim by Trying to Place accuracy. While an instructor calls out the numbers, the player is required to place the ball in the required section. The practice provides training not only for the hands and feet, but also for the mind, because of the quickness with which the numbers are called. FOLDING CHAIR AND TABLE AN AID TO CAMPERS For the convenience of vacationists, campers, motorists, and apartment dwell- ers, a combined chair and table has been made which folds flat into such small space that it may be easily carried. Built of metal, there are no parts to warp or break. After being used for a game of cards or a meal, it is quickly converted into a comfortable chair. It can also be
Changed or Folded Up in an Instant used as an extra seat in an automobile, or packed with camp equipment.
MECHANICS ICE-CREAM CONE HOLDER MADE OF CARDBOARD Ice-cream cones may be easily carried in a new holder, made of cardboard and designed by a New Jersey man. Holes are provided for the cones, and the sides may be used either as legs for supporting the device after it has been filled with cones or as handles for carrying it. As it is inexpensive, it may be given to every purchaser of a few cones, FOLDING FENDER FOR AUTO SCOOPS UP VICTIMS To prevent the front wheels of an auto from over the body of victim, a type of life net attached to the front bumper is being tested. It is carried, hidden from view, behind the bumper. From the driver’s seat it can be quickly spread. The bumper drops to within a few inches of the street, spreading a canvas cur- tain, which is also raised at passing new — - — —
the same time to a height opposite the tops of the mud- guards. This net is strongly built and will not tear, even if the unlucky. walker is hurled into it with great force. It scoops him up and carries him along, frightened but unhurt, until the driver stops the car. The fender is worked by a mechanical device which either person in the front of the car can operate. Safety councils are testing it. ARMY OF ANTS MARCHES BLINDLY IN CIRCLE In watching the march of an army of ants, seeking a new home, a naturalist recently noted that, in many days and nights of constant moving, the insects had blindly tracked a circle more than a thousand feet around, and ended at the starting point. Urged by blind in- stinct, each one following the ant in front, bearing eggs and food for a new nest, they tramped along in a strong col- umn, six lines wide at some _ places
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nae Pr a ee ae POPULAR MECHANICS 167 \long river sand, through a dense under- brush, up the bank, through a hollow ig, they passed. Across a light jungle, round a small shack, and up to a large illen log they continued in the insane arch, ending in the very spot where iey had started. Along the route many id weakened and dropped their burdens. he pace was slackened the second day, ut on they went through sun and cloud, ght and darkness, hour after hour. At ist a half-dead ant broke ranks and oved away toward a beach, throwing line behind him into confusion. followed and the lines were losed. The small army moved behind he new leader to a home. Others GROWING GOLD WITH HELP OF BUGS IN WEST With the aid of the ladybird beetle California is growing a golden fruit crop the total value of which far exceeds the tate’s output of yellow metal. When thousands of adventurers braved the dangers of the west- ern plains in 49 at the beckoning of a fortune to be wrested from the soil, none realized that in a few brief years farming and not mining would be the goal of their dreams. Although or- anges were not grown in California until 1873, the total value of the crop last year was t estimated at $100,000,000, while the gold output amounted to only $14,829,100, so that the wealth from the or- ange trees of the state was greater than the gold dug from the soil. The big results have been due to intensive study. For instance, a scientist, watching through a microscope, saw a beetle no larger than the eye of a needle pounce upon a newly hatched bug of a kind that was threatening the orchards with destruc- tion, and devour it. Immediately, an importation of lady- birds, the name of the beetle, was or- dered, and ever since they have been at work protecting the fruit crop. LEGS ON CLOTHES BASKET AT TOUCH ON HANDLE Four sturdy legs have been put on a clothes basket by an inventor. These supports, normally, are folded away Right: Legs of Basket Unfolding; Left: Release Spring in Handle L under the basket, but at a touch of the finger tips on springs near the handles, hey let down, giving a solid table sup- port for the heavy hamper. When it is raised, they automatically fold up again. It is claimed that this does away with tiresome stooping, spoiling of clothes from setting the basket on dusty ground, or the carrying of mud and snow on its bottom into the house. KEYLESS AUTO LOCK ACTS WHEN CAR IS STOPPED Sesides automatically blocking the ig- nition when the car is stopped, a keyless automobile lock positively holds the steering gear There are no keys to for- vet, as the device is fit- ted to the steering post and operates with 10 but- tons. It may be set with any number up to 10, and the combina- tion may be changed as often as desired When a button is touched to shut off the ignition, the car is automatically locked and can- not be operated again until the combina- tion is worked.
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POPULAR MECHANICS = 90000000 0E S050 DO (Sane eee el WE) * . Pa } rs a Loh x { x x tsi” x reel | P| |] = x r | = x) =| x a B" eww OOOO OOOO) If There Were Any Inhabitants on the Planet Jupiter, This Picture Shows How the Night Sky, Ablaze with Silver Moons and Stars, Appears to Them
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iw OH hy [ [ A how M eC Fiore. POPULAR JUPITER’S NIGHT SKY ABLAZE WITH MANY MOONS While the people of the earth have only one moon, inhabitants of the planet Jupiter have five or six silver crescents hanging in their evening sky simul- taneously, and spectacular eclipses are frequent. In all, the planet is surrounded by nine moons, but the number visible at any one time depends on their posi- tions, as they travel very quickly in their orbits. Since the law of their movement has been established, it has enabled sea- men to obtain their longitude by observ- ing the positions of the moons. OLD-TIME WOODEN WARSHIPS LIVE LONGER THAN STEEL Though built of steel the battleship of today does not last half as long as the wooden ship of a hundred years ago. The old-time frigate was made of sound oak fastened together with copper, and lasted for 40 years if no bad accidents happened to it. The iron-clad warship of today -goes to the junk heap in less than 20 years from the time it is built. There are four stages in the life of the armored vessel. It takes about five years to build it. Then, for five more years, it is classed as a great fighting machine. After that, new ideas put it out of date and back to the rear squadrons. For a few years before target practice sinks it, this floating fortress is given special duty, which takes it out of the battle line. MECHANICS 169 ALLIGATORS RAISED ON FARM FOR SHOE LEATHER Raising alligators has become an in- dustry, their hides having been found suitable for making shoes and other Alligators on Farm Where They are Raised to Provide Supply of Valuable Leather leather articles. While in the North they are to be seen only in zoos, in several of the southern states entire “farms” are devoted to their care. Although the teeth of these creatures and their power- ful jaws look most formidable, those who handle them dread most a blow from their powerful tails. When provoked, they first seek to strike and stun their victim before attacking with their teeth. 4 Electricity is now supplying about 65 per cent of the industrial energy used in the United States, engineers estimate. BEST WAY OF TYPING SHOWN BY TESTS In working out better and quicker methods of typewriting French scientists have used an air tube attached to a moving drum which indicates the force, time, rapidity, and rhythm of the touch on the keys. It also shows which letters are the most fre- quently used. The apparatus on which the record is made op- erates by electricity. After a careful study of the results ob- tained, a new system of arrang- ing the keyboard was worked out, whereby letters, which for- merly required more time to strike because of their position, were brought closer together, and other slight changes made. “ beeps Air and Electric Apparatus, and Record Made in Seeking Quicker Typewriting Methods
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170 POPULAR AIR FROM TANK ON BACK USED TO SAVE LIVES For miners, firemen, and others who sometimes are cut off from fresh air, small tanks with a two-hour supply of TY | COPYRIGHT, UNDERWOOD 4 UNDERW 0 Helmet So Light That ily Carried by a Girl Oxygen Tank and They may be Eas oxygen are be ing made. Weigh- ing 36 pounds, they can be carried on the back. Due to its light weight and com- pact form, the miner can wear this breath-giving tank with ease while he vorks. There is no network of tubes and pipes to be disarranged and nothing to interfere with movement of the legs and arms. A fireman using it may enter a smoke-filled building without fear, as it will provide a constant supply of pure air. A number of the tanks in various parts of a mine provide an element of safety for the workers in case of accident. In a recent test the tank was used for nearly two hours by a young woman who felt no discomfort. RADIO ON TOP OF THE ALPS TO GIVE WIDER RANGE Instead of building steel towers, a radio firm is planning to stretch a wire cable between two lofty peaks of the Alps, in Bavaria, with which to receive and send wireless messages. Water power will be used to furnish the electric cur- rent. Because of the great height and the length of the aerial, its ends will be attached to devices like wagons weighted with stones. These heavy weights will take up and balance the effect of wind pressure. The peaks are easily reached from one side, but next to the valley they MECHANICS are almost straight up and down, which is supposed to make the location a good one for the experiment. wave lengths will be used, a short one for near-by points, and a longer one with which it is hoped the station will reach places now out of the radius of the great est wireless plants of the world. With fair weather the builders expect to have this giant radio finished in a few months and be able to set new distance records. ‘| wo LIFE-SAVING SUIT TO KEEP EIGHT PERSONS AFLOAT Made of rubber, a life-saving suit which, it is claimed, will support eight persons besides the wearer in the water, has been devised by Capt. George Bray, who “shot” the Niagara Rapids in 1897 He says that the suit can be donned, ready for use, in one minute and with- out the removal of shoes or clothing. ARM REST FOR MOTORISTS FOLDS INTO SEATS Dividing each seating compartment in an automobile into two parts when de- sired, a folding arm rest reduces fatigue by providing support for the arms of the driver and passengers. When not in use, it disappears from view, folding back into the seat cushions. Although most car owners prefer a seat without divisions for general service on long tours, the lack of support for the right arm of the man at the wheel has been found to be tiring. Rest for Auto Driver’s Arm, Which Folds Back into Cushions When Desired With the disappearing rest, motorists may enjoy the advantages of both the single and double seats.
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ch od ve or th ch it- th ve ls. ito Ly le POPULAR MECHANICS 171 ‘ U. S. KEEPS TAB ON HEAT INSIDE BAKING BREAD Heat inside a loaf of baking bread is carefully noted by government experts in one of numerous cooking tests. Through a series of such experiments, the tem- perature at which bread is properly baked is being sought. With a complex elec- trical apparatus, scientists watch progress of baking as heat is increased. An end of the recorder is thrust into the loaf. To find the correct cooking heat for va- RADIO EYE SENDS MOVING PICTURE THROUGH AIR In a recent test before government scientists, pictures of a moving hand and other objects were transmitted by radio when they were held in front of a device known as an “eye.” Witnesses declared they saw reproduced on a small card- board screen in an adjoining room, the movements of the fingers as the inventor or his assistants “wiggled” them before the transmitter. The reproduction was Electrical Machine Made by Government Scientists to Record Exact Temperature inside a Baking Loaf of Bread for the Information of the Busy Housewife rious other foods, similar methods are used. Dialing of thermometers for stoves, that shut off the gas or sound an alarm when the desired temperature has been reached, depends upon such tests. ANTS HELP BUGS TO STEAL MAN’S SUGAR SUPPLY Man’s continual battle against harmful insects that destroy his food supply is seen in a curious plotting between ants and the mealy bug, a tiny pest, to con- sume the cane-sugar crop in the South. So serious is the menace that a poison campaign is being conducted by the fed- eral and state governments to kill ants that assist the bugs. The mealy bug feeds upon tender parts of the sugar cane and kills or weakens the young shoots. Enemies, known as parasites, kept down the number of the bugs until the ants ar- rived. Then trouble began. With their taste for the honey-dew secretion of the bugs, these ants became defenders of the pest, building mud barns to protect them. said to have been somewhat indistinct but unmistakable. Improvements now in course of completion will bring out sharply the transmitted “movie,” it is expected, and the prediction was made that the near future would see radio mo- tion pictures in the home become one of the most popular pastimes of the world The distance to which the pictures may be sent is said to be limited only by the capacity of the sending station. GUM TURNED INTO RUBBER IN THIRTY MINUTES sy the use of two different gases, raw rubber has been vulcanized in about half an hour. As the work is carried on at ordinary temperatures, it is possible to utilize filling materials and _ coloring which will not withstand the high tem- peratures needed in the ordinary vul- canizing process. At present the process is being applied to the manufacture ot materials for boots and shoes, and for bookbinding and upholstery.
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a lca CULLULULULUULOULOUODOOUOOUILILICIILALALRAR RR RR CULIULOLLLALA ARR a 5 way L UIEAA 0} MAI] 319M OYA $193k a. : L . -dads peyii0H 4s OF HRG si 91H PIARM Mad ¢ ‘ *s e . ! diuy, @ uo uoNr2IIqQ Bu01M e ul pauiny pey Aoy f JUL jO sitmeus) ‘:spicey ur syI0y ; | Aq sjjeq eiese IN 19A0 aSun[q pedessq Ajsieg FILL Cy ween oan ie eee ry M ee JOUIULOIDOUDODODODDOLILIULIOI LA oe eee JOO be ew TO RmmmmmaeeReenoen mmmacc .e eo - _ mommrec SOOO OOOO OOO Aaa HEHE HRN YY YU a HHH MYER Ry mmo 100 Cc | LJ . a o . be L) fe! r) ) if i
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A RR a ee Oe +S se Si -4) _{, ‘Ea pnippe rie. Da EE Sa, Re ~ aa POPULAR “EAGLE BOAT” IN CLUTCHES OF NIAGARA FALLS Few thrilling escapes from death in go- ing over Niagara Falls equal that of the crew of the “eagle boat” “Sunbeam,” which landed on sunken rocks recently when heading straight for the Horseshoe Falls. It had been purchased from the government by a western man, who in- tended to use it as a yacht, and was be- ing taken from New York to Chicago, going up the Hudson River and then through the barge canal to the Niagara River. Here, instead of turning to the vest, the boat’s owners, mistaking the av, headed straight for the falls. Un- aware of their danger, those on board the crait were swept along in the strong cur- rent toward the falls. People on the shore made frantic efforts to attract the attention of the crew. Whistles were blown and every possible warning given, but the eagle boat plunged on into the upper rapids. It was only prevented from going over the falls by lodging on the rocks, and the voyagers were rescued by scows and boats attached to the bank by ropes. Later the boat drifted farther down the river and hung on a rock just back of the brink. CONCRETE CATTLE GUARD CAN’T BURN OR BEND To keep cattle off its tracks a western railroad is using a guard made of con- Spiked Cones on Heavy Concrete Slab Keep Cattle off Railway Tracks crete. It is a flat slab with small cones on the top. Through the cones are passed spikes. When cattle step on these, they quickly get off and decide that the meadow affords a more pleasant place to walk. The pointed ends of the spikes are exposed about ‘2 inch above the con- crete. Being of concrete, the guards, of course, cannot burn or bend, nor can they be torn up or carried away because of their weight. MECHANICS 173 STOVE CUTS OFF THE HEAT WHEN FOOD IS COOKED Just a glimpse of the future is given the housewife by an electrical stove that, in appearance, is just an attractive cabi- Ze Electric Stove Which Automatically Reduces the Amount of Heat as the Cooking Progresses net raised on four legs. After the food 1S prepared, it is placed in the stove and the covers closed. A touch of a button starts the cooking. After the food partly done, an automatic control shuts off the current and the cooking con tinues, only a trifle slower than when the current is on. The control device is said to save watching and waiting, and to govern automatically the amount of cur- rent needed to cook any article of food, shutting off the electricity according to the kind of food being cooked. MILK-BOTTLE CAP LIFTER SANITARY AND USEFUL To protect f the contents of a milk bot- tle and to en- able the con- tents to be easily poured, a cap has been devised which fits over the neck of any bottle. There is a hinge and spring on the cover so it may be easily lifted with the finger.
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174 POPULAR LETTERS SORTED BY MACHINE DIRECTLY INTO BAGS Labor of a large number of mail clerks is saved by use of a machine which sorts letters and places them into the correct HT, UNDERW & UNCERW Machine That Does Work of Several Clerks in Sorting Letters into Bags by Cities and States bags tor shipment The machine, now veing tried by the post ‘office at Wash- ington, D. C., separates letters‘and routes ‘ks much more quickly than is done in the old way and pense Five men, them into sa ; vith less ex- before key- boards like the typewriter, run the sorter, pressing two keys to send a letter directly into the outgoing bag. Use of the in- vention means almost no handling of mail and a savit [ seated ig OL space. RARE STAMP FOUND IN ITALY AFTER A LONG SEARCH One of the States rarest of early United issued in 1845, recently was discovered in Italy where it has been hidden for more than 75 years. It is valued at Made in Balti- more in 1845, when James M. Buchanan stamps, $7 500. wa postmaster, it preceded government issues of 5 and 10-cent stamps. So far is known, there are onlv six specimens of I this issue in existence, and at a Paris sale is bought for $6,600 by an American. The stamp found in Italy is said to be distinguished from all other known copies because it shows all of the four outside border lines. It has been cut from the original en- velope, but a large piece of the cover has been retained and it is canceled with a small ink mark and the last two letters of the word “Paid.” ist vear one of these stamps w MECHANICS MOVING TRAFFIC IS WEIGHED BY SCALES IN THE ROAD To show the worth of improved high- ways, government experts have made an automatic device for recording traffic, which shows not only the number of vehicles passing over the road, but also their weight. When installed, there is no delay in traffic, as the machine is hidden under the road bed and is covered with concrete slabs, over which the vehicles pass. In this way it is hoped to obtain a comparative record of the cost of mov- ing vehicles and commodities over dirt and hard roads. SAND SPRINKLERS IN INDIA RIDE ON THE ENGINES Among the many queer customs in In- dia, the land of contrasts, is that of hav- ing natives ride on the fenders of the locomotives in some sections to sprinkle sand on the tracks Lifting the heavy bags of sand under a blazing sun 1s suc] strenuous work that they have to be changed frequently, but they object to having the automatic i and declare this would nothing to do. sive in India, the railroads have con- ‘rs used, lem with \s labor is so inexpen- cor nOERW & UNDEF Primitive Way in Which Sand is Sprinkled on the Railway Tracks in Parts of India tinued this primitive method instead of installing machines to handle the sand as is done in other countries. : : i > i wan
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A ea TE a ll ios oe a Z : s POPULAR MECHANICS 175 DAZZLE-PAINTED AIRPLANE CONFUSES THE EYES Having its wings painted in queer cir- a poor target for an enemy, either in the ir designs on the order of bull’s-eye air or on the ground. Previously army rgets, makes the sight of a flying ma- air craft were covered with silver foil so ine hard onthe eyes. This new camou-_ that they would appear to fade into the e was tried out recently and was said clouds, and, in addition, tinted with be a big improvement over that used brightly colored squares and triangles to ——— Airplane with Its Wings Covered by Dazzling Circles Which, by Bewildering the Enemy's Sight, Enables It to Escape Unharmed in an Aerial Encounter the late war. The circles are grouped hide them when not in fl Sometime uch a way that they cause the eyes’ the under parts were painted to concs become confused because of their tend them from watchers lool ney to follow the scrolled lines insteal the top would have an entirely different taking in the airplane as a whole. It kind of design in order to deceive the med that it would make the shit hostile flier above MEN COST LESS THAN GAS FOR PUMPS IN INDIA Labor in In- ; built. One of dia costs so lit- j the poles is tle that instead balanced f putting in on an upright evices that with one ot its require steam or gas to keep them going, atives are hired to do the carried ona ork of belts rope. Two and engines. men walkin Near Madras along thi here w 8 beam give it the weight Be¢cessary to raiset ¢ water well vhich is called upon to give a great amount bucket l} of service to method of s¢ passing trav- curing water elers. Notwith- has been used standing this, in India f the water is itted by man pow er Ov er the well a rude countless get erations, t he natives oppo ing any new derrick of , “ rc ideathat y a=. 1 — —————— - ~ % 1, P } ough-trimmed mig . ¢oo MS 1 Labor Is So Ct! 1 ¢ ° POICS as been Used in Preference to Machinery and Modern Devices them of OTK
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Twenty Years Ago in Popular Mechanics N all the millions of years since the coming of man—ages spent in struggling up from the sea to the sands, fleeing before glacial drifts, bat- tling ferociously against strange mon- sters and the terrifying forces of nature —no other period has seen such great advancement as the last 20 years, ac- cording to scientists. In these two brief decades, human beings have cast aside the shackles ; binding them to earth and have pen- | Making Mile in 68 Seconds etrated into the sky above and the sea Alan beneath. And yet, in 1903, Langley, — , - now known as the “father of aviation,” —_ Fe - e = a Pe ee ee ee - Se b was being derided as an impractical ' a _— comes |G dreamer following the failure of siic*itaiee dead des Gk a a b first airplane and its fall into the 4 adding cork, would make a’ good Potomac River. - a ie wae cities Ti : During the same year, according t erist fish.” ? the files of Popular Mechanics, an P electric automobile established a recor 1) ed FES 1a A ee ee a ee ee ee re ees be _ bd by covering a mile in 63 seconds, big hotels just began to install 1902 Comment on First Plane telephones in their guest rooms “to — t ( hicago supplant messenger boys.” In addition, the British navy was ex- perimenting with its first submarins and a “terror of the deep,” a submers ible, operated by one man who worked the propeller with his feet, was being tested in the United States. “Latest Terror of the Deep” in 1902
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to an rd big tall “to pie rie ones oe rg REE. Seen as Promise of New Era of Wonders IRPLANES able to lift tons, like the giant “bomber” just built for the United States Army, were not even dreamed of, and automobiles able to maintain a speed well over a hundred miles an hour, were years in the future. Although the French navy _ had drawn the plans of a submarine run by steam on the surface and by electric motors when submerged, inventors and marine engineers in 1903 never even contemplated the possibility of cross- ing the Atlantic Ocean in an under- water boat—a feat successfully ac- complished during the war. And yet the seed of the tremendous achievements which were to mark the next few years was there, for Popular Mechanics, in referring to a “sky cycle,” a combination of a balloon and a bi- cycle, designed to carry one man, said: “It is by no means improbable that within the next ten years vehicles for aerial travel will be as common as automobiles today.” Viewing the future in the light of the accomplishments of the past, scien- tists are predicting a new era of even more wonderful achievements. Per- fection of the submarine, airplane, and automobile all offer fresh incentives to the inventor. Racing Automobile of 1923 8 Sele eal elo loaliallielila-ltal* Eee yal br - l tS - ay el A el DZ QQ Te TO | TF Se Se | Ts | OO eri Forecast of Future Motor Car 47 eg > | Vision of Sub-Sea Travel of the Future
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nd @ } 78 POPULAR BABY MOVIE CAMERA TAKES FULL-SIZE PICTURES Moving-picture films of the standard size are used in a small camera now on | } ' t ee Y | Film Rolls That may be Carried in Pocket are Used in This Camera the market. Phe n agazine holds nearly 100 feet of film. That is enough to make several s] Extra film, in rolls not much larger than a watch, may be easily carried. The exposed film can be removed and replaced with an unused roll in open daylight. To obtain the best re- sults, the camera should be placed on a tripod. It is net necessary for the user to have a knowledge of developing and printing of film, because in most large cities there are studios where this is done at small cost. This movie camera, like those used by professionals, exposes the negative film. Before being shown on a it must be printed on a so-called ort scenes. ICELESS BOX KEEPS FOOD COOL FOR THE MOTORIST 4 \utomobile travelers and campers who re far away from any icehouse can sup ply themselves with cold water and keep foods cool, if they have the flax-covered cooling chest now on the market. Bags made of flax have long been used by the desert people to keep water cold. The flax allows tiny beads of the water to seep out through its pores and pass off into the air. This robs the wall of the chest of heat, and thus lowers its tem- perature. The cooling chest has a steel box inside a flax-duck cover. There is enough space between cover and box to MECHANICS hold 4 gallons of water which is cooled by the evaporation. Food placed in the box will be kept cold by the water around it. Clamps are placed on the chest so that it can be fastened to the running board of an automobile MAKING TEN-FOOT CANDLES FOR USE IN CHURCHES Though vas and electri Is erally used throughout the civilized world, the candlemaker is still busy at his trade. There is a shop in Europe where 1 large force of men and women is engaged all the time in making huge candles for use in churches and cathe ( s and where great quantiti of Christmas candles are made wit] chin- ery Some of the se church candles are 10 feet high. Although more than halt a century has pas sed since candles for the home were made in kitchens, prac tically the same process is still used this big shop. In some of the work of the candlemaker gas and electricity are % Where Gas, Which Replaced Candles in Home, Serves in Making Them f Cathedrals employed where formerly everything was done by hand. @In order to estabiish closer contact with its outlying provinces, the Dominion of Canada may.erect six radio plants in western. Canada. The sites receiving favorable consideration are Forts Smith, Resolution, Simpson, Macpherson, and Norman, and Dawson City.
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POPULAR MECHANICS 179 e ENGLAND’S KING AND QUEEN VISIT THE COLOSSEUM it onuments to the engineering skill of pressed the royal party. Bound by metal d ent Roman builders—structures that clips, instead of mortar, many sections of defied the destructive processes of the ruins stand as firmly today as when : through more than 18 centuries— they were built. Ruins of the Baths of iewed by the king and queen of Caracalla, the Temple of Castor and Pol nd during their recent visit to lux, the Palace of the Vestal Virgins, and The majestic Colosseum, begun other buildings that constituted the old [;:mperor Vespasian and dedicated by Roman Forum, bear mute evidence that in 80 A. D., the greater part of ancient engineers knew how to build ina is still standing, particularly im- way that would defy the ravages of time. . Oe ae neta ee as | ] MAIL ne’s Colosseum, Which was Built About 80 A. D., So Strongly That the Greater Part of It is Stull § Viewed by the King and Queen of England on a Recent Visit to Italy BURNING GAS TO MAKE ICE operation of the machine is automatic WITHOUT MOTOR there are no moving parts, and it is per- fectly silent. Once set at the t era- Burning gas to make ice sounds im-_ ture desired in the ice box, it requires no ble, but that is what a device de- more attention. Besi for use in connection with small tion is perfectly dry, it prolongs the life trigerators does. Placed in the base- of the ice x indefinitely and keeps l ent, it will furnish refrigeration for pure and sweet for a longer period than hree flats. The gas flame under a tank is possible with ice. As there is practi- iporizes a chemical that passes through cally no loss of the chemical us¢ everal coils and extracts the heat from machine cot 1es to operate as long ie refrigerators. Then it passes back the flame remains lighted, and there are to the tank, where it is again vaporized, no parts to oil or adjustments of any kind nd travels the same route as before. The to be made by the user
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PIG’S BRISTLE TO WATCHES IS PROGRESS OF TIME marvels of civiliza- tion, the watch become so familiar that its perfection passes almost un- noticed by those who fail to realize that it is one of the most extraordinary the has Like many of things made by human hands. Since took a of grass, the first caveman rope tied knots in it at equal dis- tances, set fire to one end and meas- ured the pass- ing of the day by the burning from one knot to another, the d evelo p- ment of time- telling de- Ze 4 V 1 ces h as . been full of First Watch ; fascination Centuries later, time was told by can dles notched at regular intervals. In the thirteenth century a rude clock was evolved, taking its name from the bells (“glocken” or “cloches’”’) used to strike the hours. It was 300 vears more be- fore the first watch came It was as large as a saucer, varied more than an ur a day, and sold for about $1.500 in ir honey Several generations then went by be- e the next radical innovation. This s the-in ention of a « ude | pring ide ot pig's bristle Today tl pring terally 1 { fine as a hai ind { le bv di ing steel wire ‘ ugh a hole in ] | it looks like a thre } let S web A pi steel used for this wire five or six dollars and make miles of hairspri 62.000 dollar ° 7 ==> t requires 59//35 opera- ti ms to t make a watch con taining 211 pieces, about one-third « Screws. t which are Some of the e screws are so small that 20,000 will gx into a thimble. Laid on a piece of paper, they look like gold dust or grains of pepper. Half a million of them will not weigh more than a pound. Scales to measure these screws are so delicate that they a pencil mark on a bit of tis- Ancient will weigh sue paper Jewels used for bearings are cut from 180 rubies. begin with. Then they are pieces thinner than ordinary paper, shaped into circles the si pinhead, and a hole is the center of each. The pivots cut yA x drilled tl] gears turn in these pierced rubies, withstand 18,00 150.000 beats are required to an hour and from the which is tock.” over 1 audible as All of the driving force of the lays in the mainspring, whicl 2 teet long, and yet, if suddenly it can strike a blow strong en put out the eyes of the person it [lf a spring breaks, the stop at once, but just why it is a good deal of a mystery St enough, the best springs are the familiar movement of the balance to breakage, while a comparative spring, which will not keep will, last almost indefinitely Che the morning it is less sensitive I should be wound in night, as then jars it encounters during the « Many curious super up about watches. One is that tl should never be turned bacl | perts say, however, that this will injure any timepiece except e strikes. Another concerns the big wooden watch which often titions ave sign in front of jewelers’ st: hands almost invariably point 18 minutes past eight. Some persons believe that thi because that was the hour Lin shot Others say time he died. Neither « tion is correct In tl lace, he was shot the evening than 8:1 died at 7:22 in the | he real reason for sides giving ippearance to the In cleaning watch oil is used which co1 y] if kfi Cod fishermen bring in pol poise or the a well-b: a cavity in the jawbone | tom is that this positi the hands leaves spa the store owner’s nat it. To be tested, the oil is up into Vermont, wh mercury goes far below zero in The best grade is that which practically unchanged peratures. A single drop of thi enough to lubricate a watch for res at these low They are just rough pebbles a ee
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’ ‘ I t} I 4 ' O i "e lee ‘ ite] { out sec A to -f é hy] ; t + t ec) ae t : ‘ $ ed e ‘ ! T)é ‘ en e ns POPULAR MECHANICS Cave Dwellers, go, Burning of a Knott
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182 POPULAR It required years of experimenting to de- velop this lubricant, as it was first used only in crude lamps. At one of the great American watch factories, the time is kept on two master clocks sealed in air-tight cases. They rest on concrete piers to protect them from jars and are regulated by astron- omers, who measure the time it takes the earth to turn on its axis. This turning is so regular that it does not vary even a hundredth of a second in a thousand years. In Switzerland, long known as the watch center of the world, the making of timepieces was early developed as a household industry. Families special- ized in making the different units, which afterward were sent to factories for ad- justment and assembling. Now there are eight large factories in the United States, one of which alone turns out 1,000,000 watches yearly, approximately 8,000 timepieces daily, and the years output is valued at about 15,000,000 dollars. The most extraordinary MECHANICS indication of the accuracy of adjustment required. In the rim of the balance wheel there are 26 holes. They are so small they look like mere black specks: yet each one of them is accurately grooved in a spiral thread to receive screws so small they are hardly visible to the naked eye. At first, six of the little screws are put into six holes on each side of the wheel, twelve altogether. Then the wheel must be poised. To do this it is suspended between two small uprights with thin blades of garnet on top, and is made to revolve. If the wheel stops dead, the girl making the test knows that th weight of the wheel is evenly distributed around the rim. If it does not stop dead, but settles a trifle one way or the other, there must be a little extra weight some- where, so other screws are substituted of slightly differ- ent weight, and this is con- tinued until the wheel poises perfectly. This process gives idea of the accuracy neces- sary, but the process does of all the marvels ina modern watch is the bal- ance. It is the heart of not end here. the parts ot the watch are the watch. The adjustment of the balance wheel, and of the hairspring inside of it, is what makes a watch “keep time.” Most watch trouble comes from some derangement of the balance. After being wound into coils, the threadlike wire of which the hairspring is made is put into a chem- ical bath, from which it emerges looking like fine, brown hair. These coils are then ter mpered, or “blued,” by being laid on a ae iron plate for a few seconds. t! go to girl workers, who pick up ami one with delicate tweezers, and fasten the end with a pin which is itself scarcely larger than a hair. \s to the balance wheel, the rim is formed by welding a circle of brass to the outer side of a circle of steel, the brass part being twice as thick as the steel part. This is done because brass expands more rapidly under heat than steel, so the brass is put outside and the rim is cut in two places, leaving open spaces. Then, when the brass expands, the steel draws the free ends inward, keep- ing the wheel the same size. As there would be a variation of only a few thou- sandths of an inch anyhow, this is an Time assembled, and the ‘“move- ment” is ready to run, it tested in various ways. A watch is expected to run the same, both summer and win- ter, so one of the tests is for temperature. The completed Ball movement is kept running for 24 hours in an oven at a tem- perature of about 84 degrees; and then for another 24 hours in a box packed with ice. If it is found to have gained, say two seconds at one temperature and to have lost five at another, that is considered total error of seven seconds. The man who is “rating” the watch, takes out a pair of the little screws in the rim of the balance wheel and moves them to a hole or two farther along. Each of the twelve holes in the two sides of the rim has a number The watch rater may move the screws in the number eight holes to number five, and make a note of this change in his record book. Then he repeats the 24-hour tests at each temperature to se¢ whether he has corrected the error. [1 he has not, he makes another change in the position of some of the screws, and tries the test again. But he keeps on un- til the watch runs the same at every tem- perature. some Aiter all of
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POPULAR MECHANICS Cnighthood Was in Flower, the Time wz to Represent the
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POPULAR MECHANICS COPYRIGHT UNDERWOOD Above: Natives Watching a Seaplane They Thought Was a Strange God from a Different World, When It Visited Their Shores for the First Time. Below: Queer Grass Cos- tumes Priests in Papua. Ground in . ground Is a Roarer,’’ a Device to Scare the Natives & UNDERWOOD | pe EER ES TT ee Wee wns es
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POPULAR MECHANICS 185 SKY VOYAGERS GREETED AS GODS IN PAPUA N [IVES of Papua, in New Guinea, where they dwell for a long time hopin 7 A ho were recently visited by air- to throw their enemy spirit ff the trai t enem| | ott t thought the machines’ were On certain occasions priests don we e gods, and so, to pay their re- grass creations made to rest rie they solemnly carried pigs in ito ith open t $ é to the floating seaplanes and they make roaring sounds, believed | them as an offering upon the broad the terrorized people to be the voic« 1 dreaded spirit. These noises are 1 5 are a very superstitious folk who duced by swinging so-called “bull- ‘ these days of scientific wonders still ers,” pieces of wood attached to stri1 to magicians, rain makers, and and swung round and , i 4 1 amulets. Thunder and lightning, Boats made by the Papuans are mu . storms are the fury of evil spirits like modern airplanes, the great outri ive been insulted and must be ap- gers resembling somewhat the wing : ed, they believe. Fearing the dead, Some of these boats are 50 feet long, Zier ae oe. Naot ee e Fish, Striped Like Zebras, Fleeing from Camera in Coral Bed: Remarkable Under-Water Picture M by Scientist Visiting Papua pathways through miles of jun en ( togetnel 2 i the open sea, so that the depa te t . én TOCT \\ e! ( . Kee : a an reach the water to bathe. Amu- a moder ty reached | re worn to bring success in war, i1 they ere surprised t ee ; t ¢, hunting, fishing, or love apartment uses, rudely made ; ese simple people believe that it teet lor nd ‘ : ra e. , . : ee . them dwells a spirit that oiten go¢e scores Of tamuies \ uses are i. 1 a6 8 “1 eeege o> 1 Od at night while they are sieepil | (iit t ‘ ‘ ‘ ° 1 | ‘ +] that always roams the darkness aitet from the s¢ [In tror yt ( the ive died. This ghost has great the women cook \ the men j power over men, and at any time may r hunting turn to plague those who have done it Most of the heavy work is done ng When there is a plague, the women, who get their re 7 27 +] lee the colony to the forests, ind other bright ly l ent a oS
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POPULAR 186 men wear very little. Sexes do not eat together. When friends meet, they do not shake hands, but they touch noses. In some parts of Papua acquaintances greet each other by pouring water on the head. The hair is bound with roots in tiny bunches; sometimes a young man has 700 such bunches on his head. They are called “frizzled-headed,” which led to MECHANICS the ceremoniou occasions name of Papua. On Papuans show their fondnes for music, using Pan pipes, flutes, a1 drums. Rarely is there singing. Living in ignorance of the outside world, the still use the bow and arrow in hunting yet develop a race of men who are talle: stronger, and healthier than the averag: in civilized lands. FIVE-STORY OFFICE BUILDING ONLY TEN FEET WIDE On a strip of ground only 10 feet wide, a London railway company has built one of the world’s strangest structures—an office build ing so slen- der as to have the ap- pearance of a blank wall. Standing as one of the architec tural curiosi- ties of the British capi- tad. ¢ building is five ‘stories high. Bound- ed on one side by the Office Building Which Looks Like a Wall, Built in London on Strip of Ground Only 10 Feet Wide street and on the other by railway tracks, there was no possibility of obtaining a larger section of land, and yet the nar- row strip was so valuable that it could not be allowed to lie idle. Located near London Bridge, thousands of sight-seers visit the structure, which is filled with business offices. Usually the impression is that it is a “spite” building, but, in reality, it resulted from the owner’s desire to find some way to help pay his taxes. LIQUOR PLANT NOW SCHOOL FOR TRAINING BAKERS Machines once used to test liquors are now, with a few changes, teaching bakers how to make bread and pastry in a trade school in the Middle West. The three story building used by the liquor testers has been changed into a _ school for: bakers, scientific devices in the labora tory formerly used for work with alcohol now serving students of the che baking, and the 5,000 books in the old liquor library being of value as texts on yeast and other products used by With very slight changes t] mistry o1 1e re-tyt yiT)1 1€ pre Dronip tion plant made a model college bakers. In other parts of the count many similar incidents have result f the change of industry froma “wet” t basis. a “dry” LAMP-POST DIRECTORY MAKES HANDY GUIDE Condensed city d lamp posts at irectories, Cla convenient source of men, who troubled many times a day by pet sons =) num bo similar to a fire - alarm box, and con- tain upward of 59 alumi- num pages, each 6 inches wide by 20 inches = i —= deep. The printed matter ad , the pages is weather- proofed. A spring hinge keeps the door closed when the direc- tory is not in use. LE ——— . i ; al , = on pa ee Te on Lett
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POPULAR MECHANICS 18% MODEL OF MOUNT RAINIER IS EXACT IN DETAIL Complete in every detail, even to small wild flowers and stunted evergreens, is a model of Mt. Rainier, the tallest peak in the United States, which has been finished by a The model stands 14 just artist. and is Pacific-coast high feet and hills was obtained from as were the larger everg Smaller trees were made of the blue of the ice fields and made with colored paraffin. was cast in plaster and laid
Mt. reen yarn, 1 owing ie on Rainier, trees. while 1ers Was rhe model canvas
Mcdel of Mount Rainier, Just Completed by a Pacific-Coast Artist, Showing the Smallest Details M than One and a Half Tons of Materials were the scale of one to 1,000. Two months’ work by the artist and a crew of assistants was required to complete the work. The rock used for the built on crags LIGHT FOUND TO BE ENEMY OF MUSEUM TREASURES Museums of the future will have no windows, according to a noted scientist, who claims that light is the enemy of natural-history collections. After a few days’ exposure, it is declared, the lovely Luna moth fades, feathers of humming birds actually seem to disin- tegrate, and even some minerals are af- fected. This damage is attributed to the greatest Used >< a wooden f1 f ~ = o _ lights give the effect of un moonlight when thrown against t ene cviving it lite-like fidelity to nature ultraviolet rays from the sun 1 all attempts to filter them out throug! frosted or colored-glass windows ha proved unsuccessful In many of tl larger museums, the most valuable col- lections are now closely guarded in rooms into which no ray of sunlight i ever permitted to shine [1 ection by the public is allowed only under artificial light. Abroad, sealed vaults are used t store the relics and they are sel brought forth to be shown to visitor
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= A A” AO NN A NO I NS A DB ED itists cpVOoVoOVOw OO OO NOOO ON ONES ms —s va os ‘ aa ) E an. n mo My ~~ - ns] i v S26 fl lL MECHANICS Solve the Mystery of the Race upon Whose Splendor It Gazed. POPULAR Le la La Le a al d= in Vain to have Labored & Great Stone Face on Ancient Temple Hidden for Untold Ages in Jungle Wilds:
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ae GLORY OF LONG-LOST TEMPLE RESTORED Jungle Splendor Tells Mute Story of Forgotten Race, Their Thousand-Year-Old Culture, and Wonderful Achievements By A. N. OWERING high above the sur- rounding jungle, an ancient temple has been restored by modern science to bear mute witness to the splendors of a forgotten city in Cambodia, French Indo- China. With miles of long corridors, a maze of marvelous carvings and bas-re- lief of rich and intricate designs, the tem- ple combines in one solid mountain of carved stones French renaissance, Byzan- tine, Moorish, Hindu, and barbaric archi- tecture. Who were the architects, the drafts- men, the masons, and the slave laborers who piled this gigantic and bizarre mass of peaked towers, grotesque cupolas, hundreds of somber galleries, and thou- sands of steps and windings of the origi- nal temple, is a question which has not been answered. Some historians say the Hindus, while others claim it was a peo- ple subject to the Hindus. French sci- entists, however, have traced the date of the temple to about a thousand years ago. It was near a beautiful metropolis, knowm as Angkor Thom, or “Royal City.” This town was built in the form of rectangular inclosure, nearly two miles in each direction, surrounded by walls from 40 to 50 feet high, and 50 massive towers decorated with the faces of ancient gods. For hundreds of years these structures were lost in the thick and almost impass- able tropical jungle. What was once the home of romance and Oriental splen- dor became the habitation of birds, beasts, and reptiles. Palaces in which kings had lived and died, stately columns and walls that had looked down on gorgeous gatherings, pavements which had _ re- sounded to the passing of mighty armies, crumbled slowly into dust, while those to whose genius they bore evidence van- ished even from the pages of history. After many decades of brooding silence, the ruins were discovered by Portuguese missionaries, but it was not until recent years that French scientists began delving among them in an effort to solve the mystery surrounding a for- gotten race. Slowly the débris was cleared away and the reconstruction of the temple begun. From the strange inscriptions and carv- ings covering the walls, efforts were MIRZAOFF made to learn something of the customs of the former inhabitants. It was found that, besides the first city, the ruins con- tained another, known as Angkor Wal, both being subject to the Khmer ! y Pieced together by learned men, part of the records related to the dancing girls attached to the palace of the kings Only the most beautiful girls, some of them as young as six years, were brought to the rulers by their parents. After the parents had been paid ac- cording to the age and beauty of their children, the girls were imprisoned palace and never permitted to see their tathers or mothers again. —Thev were im mediately taken charge of for training ine nIngsS by teachers, themselves former dancers to the king. Every effort was made to make the girls not only dancers but actresse ind acrobats as well. They were required to express not only music, but sentiment of their bygone glories, while burdened down with a load of from five to six pounds of gold, silver, jewelry, and long pointed helmets, emblematic of the great temple. In preparation for this they were re quired to endure a long and paintul pe riod of training, the object of whic! to make the body supple and to a steadiness of arm and leg movements in order to follow the rhythm of tom-t music. Sitting opposite each other, one girls would turn back the fingers companion until all of the joints cracke and then bend an arm backward knee as a branch is broken. The this was to obtain suppleness of the joints These rites and the training that goes with them are still practiced by the Cam- bodian court. With the restoration of the temple, the French scientists are continuing their e cavations in the hope of more exact de tails of life in this mysterious kingdom, and the fate of the original race whic! flourished there. As many of the products of these ancient builders are the result of lost arts, it is hoped that a more thorough search than has yet been possible I] prove of great advantage to bot! ence and the study of the human race
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POPULAR MECHANICS o, Lv, ~/ Vv 7, o, , iF, ie, TV VY rr I~ — - 7 GENE ON NNN NESS NINN NNN NIELS NSE ae ' | | AAA -— ALA — - C5 Ere hth RAR AS ARORA aa a A EVEN VN NEVE v a” pe = VV Oo OV a v Wows WS 1 2. . cst esi ne tt OX —— — ST WEES ESTE pa Naha PaahahataMaNe Dancing Girls of Khmer Kings Who Never Gaze Again upon the Faces of Their Parents after being Given to Their Ruler, When Mere Children, for Years of Rigorous Training in Preparation for Careers
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MECHANICS POPULAR
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Ag red by Scie ies been Partially Rest has h Mute Evidence of the Splendor and Power of a Race That Vanished Centur Ruins of Temple in Forgotten City of Ancient Cambodia Whic
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dur rm W its Ruler s being Presen‘ed with Jeweled and Golden Ornamen of Bygone Glories before Their orts to Express the Spirit Eff z Dancing Girls of the Khmer King Their ne ung Yo
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awe A TR POPULAR “OLD GLORY” TOO LONG, ITS SIZE IS CHANGED ‘Old Glory” is to be changed. Science d art have tested the old flag and have lecided that it is too long for its width. It is to be trimmed 1 inch for every 8 inches in length. This makes it bout the same size as the one that was irried by MECHANICS 193 STRANGE MYSTERY OF THE SEA IN SINKING OF STEAMER What is regarded as one of the strang- est mysteries of the sea resulted from the sinking of the steamer “Seaconnet” in which several members of the crew lost their lives. Survivors declared that the vessel did not hit the bottom, nor have a collision, but ankee troops the Ameri in Revolu- on. Itisthe | rst change adeinthe ag since \rizona and New Mexico ere admitted o the uni_n 1ore than a lecade ago. ests by art experts and overnment officials hav e been made on flagstaffs | various eights. | The starry field of blue nd the seven red and six hite stripes have not been changed, hough. Except tor the addi- teaeet. © ee FO that it sim- ply sprunga leak, which they could not explain, and eventually foundered ‘| hey asserted they had seen no evidence be for e oO! weakness in the ship, and had every con- fidence in it evens ws wa \ ’ AN ages aCross the western ocean in the “Sea coan- net,’ which was formerly namedthe “Tuckahoe,” . | cm, onone otw!] ] | | ——____________—} ional stars, it is the same emblem hon- ored by the nation since the days of Washington. What is thought to be the largest correct flag in the country is at he post office in Washington, D. C. his hangs from the roof of the inner square and spreads over six stories. The — length is 70 feet 4 inches, and it is 37 treet wide. TREE OLDER THAN ICE AGE MOVED FOR BUILDERS One of the oldest living things in the vorld, a ginkgo tree, was recently up rooted and moved in a middle-western city to give space for a modern hotel he tree was again planted. Two years go when a large house on the lot was 1oved, the owner ordered that the build- pra , United States Flag at Post Office in Washington, Said to Be 14 davs of Largest Correct Emblem in Country - : without evidence of any leakage. Seamen and naval experts have interest in the case, but have been ut able to offer any explanation. On tl books of the underwriters it has been entered as one of the unsolvab! teries of the deep, as the examinatior1 he survivors failed to yield any « ing be cut into two sections so that tl fe of the tree would be spared. Tre: experts say that the ginkgo is a living f sil, the only member left of a family of trees that lived when terrible winged lizards roamed the earth, long before an ice floe destroyed them. ‘Today the tres is no longer to be found in a wild state, but it is grown in gardens in China, churia, and Japan.
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POPULAR MECHANICS GERMS TURN CHINE GRASS INTO STRONG FABRIC
At Top, a Pile of Grass being Dried in Preparation for Put- ting in Tanks Great armies germs, inhab- itants of a world invisible to the unaided human eye, have been put to work turning out cloth and fab- rics of various grades and tex- turesforthe use of mankind, according to the announce- ment of a fornia scientist. After three days and nights of work the germs become so tired that they must be given a period of rest and food before they can con- tinue their labors For hundre,< vears these germs have + Ol Cali- 1 been used in the proc- ess of changing flax and similar plants i cloth, but it was only recently that they have been intensively culti- vated for this purpose alone, which has re- sulted in a great saving in time. Way to Looks Afterward Previously, it required from three to six weeks to prepare t ing, but with the help cerms, this m 60 to 96 hours. he flax for time has been cut weav- armies of down to The germs often of the Rollers and as It
Above, Machine Break- ing Tough Fiber Grass So That Germs may Penetrate It number as many as 2,000,000.000 to the cubic inch. Under the old method, the flax was simply placed in tanks and the germs were slowly formed by fermen- tation. By the new process they are bred separately in tanks and then put to work in vast numbers convert- ing the flax, being returned to the tanks for rest when they become tired. The work of the germs is to rot the tough fibers of the flax or Chine grass, which is brought in great bales from China, until it is suitable for weaving After the germs have finished, the fiber goes to the looms, from wl it comes forth as dress goods, table-cloths, towels, and other hig! grade products. It is leclared to be of supe- rior quality and capable of withstanding the most service. Rotted material remaining in the tanks has proved of value as food for cattle Preparations are being made to apply the new process to the manufacture of cotton fabrics also. severe
ee OST RE mean
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POPULAR CLOTHESLINES KEPT IN POST UNTIL THEY ARE NEEDED By using a hollow iron post, a clothes- ne holder has been made that keeps the ne out of the way when not in use. ich post carries four ropes which pull ut and automatically return when re- sed. The lines are easily pulled from e post and attached to any ob- ct. A tightener on the post prevents eging. Always ready for use, the ropes re kept clean and out of the way, noth- being visible except the post. Less n a minute if needed to stretch the nes. Besides providing a clean clothes- ne, the holder adds to the neatness of ird. When necessary, new ropes may put in by removing a cover plate. solid : TORPEDOES TIED TO PLANES, LAUNCHED IN FLIGHT 1 Loading the seaplanes of the navy with ant torpedoes is a work calling for the itmost In transferring them to the flying machines they must be floated to spot under the wings of the plane, from here they are lifted and tied to the : framework. If the loading should take Care. ace in a rough sea much damage might ve done by improper handling. The . mechanism which causes the torpedo to 4 - - 1 y= ee — Passing Big Torpedoes to the Planes Has Excitement Enough for the Nerviest Sailor explode when it strikes, is not fixed in P| position until it has been securely, and is launched ' fastened, ready to be rom the moving airplane. ‘ € Authority has been granted the regents of the Smithsonian Institution, by act of Congress, to prepare preliminary plans suitable fireproof structure, with granite fronts, for housing various valu- ible museum collections. The building is intended to hold the National Gallery of \rt and the historical collections. ior a 195 MECHANICS GIRLS’ FACES “DONE OVER” SO THEY LOOK ALIKE So-called “contortionable masks” have been used in the East to make 12 chorus girls look exactly alike. While every — Faces Fitted Chorus Girls having Theis with Flexible Masks to Express Different Emotions face appears similar, the masks are flex- ible so that anv normal emotion may be expressed through them. In repose they may be made to represent beauty, - row, joy, or some grotesque character | ich one is molded to the face b i engthy secret proce MYSTERY RADIO STOPS LINE OF AUTOS Wireless aves coming fro1 in wun known station have been used to halt a large fleet of automobiles in Ger \ll of the cars were equipped with 1etos, and started out togethe rhe | is made at night and reached far out into the country. After traveling some time, a short halt was made at a ttle \ é Starting 1, the é i chines suddenly came to a dead very dt € believed S( { 1 \ r with S cal id uc] hand as a signal to those in é It soon bet e known that of the 1 ies in the ne | s ed l by id cx ot be é S Lore ent to b n h = he ng e trom big » §s n whose cation was kept secret \t in appointed time it had sent out the special waves that were caused by a por erful apparatus of new _ invention hese waves interfered with the magneto, which stopped the cars The mysteriou test will also be applied to airplanes, electric trains, and even submarine boats
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POPULAR MECHANICS
(een 4 — AS = S and Va =— = LAX WSs 1 ; i] if — - - = i _ | ae a | — i] i] |} = | = | —
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Traveling over the Barren Plains of Australia Still is Done by Means of a Strange Combination of Vehicles. The “Ship of the Desert’”’ and the Old-Fashioned Stagecoach Have Their Part in It
By te ecneiteealll ee £ t s
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REET mom eS a8 PPP IS POPULAR STAGECOACH AND CAMELS USED IN AUSTRALIA The interior of Australia covers so vast area that only a small portion of it can be reached by those who prefer to travel only on railroads. In the early 50s an American started a line of hes from Melbourne to Castlemaine. (his was soon aiter gold was discovered. Since that time a network of coach routes is been built up, covering a large area. [hese link up the coast cities, situated on ilroad lines, with the interior—the “back” country. A journey by coach is not lways a pleasant experience in Australia. South Australia lays claim to the doubtful onor of what is called the “dead finish” n coach travel. This is a trip from Had- don Downs to Farina, some 404 miles, and the fare, one way, is $50. It is not a “de luxe” journey, as may be judged from the time-table, which states distinctly that “Female Passengers are .Not Carried.” Nor is the coach used at all times by the One coach line notifies its pas- sengers that they “must be prepared to travel the latter part of the journey on 1 cCameis. an travelers. SHEARS AND RAZOR HEAVIER THAN THEIR MAKER To draw at- tention to his store, a maker of cmttees has turned out a pair of ae he 2 Se weighing 156 pounds and a azor that 1s almostas heavy. As in the regu- lar articles, an oe oe 2 le issors can be opened nd closed. The cutting edges have been finished off by grind- ing. Although they are only intended for exhibition purposes, both instruments are complete in every detail. MECHANICS 197 SIZE-FINDING DIAL HELPS ARTISTS AND PRINTERS If a drawing is 7 inches long and 3%, inches wide, and the artist, or advertising Size Finder That Tells, by Turn of Handle, Correct Figures for Reductions or Enlargements man, wants to reduce it to a two-column newspaper cut, a size-finding dial recent invented will give the correct new dimen sions by merely moving a handle on the scale. Correct proportions are found almost instantly with the dial. In the old way of figuring them out, much time required. To make it easier to read the dial, measurements from ¥@ inch to 1 inch are shown on a green curve; fraction between 1 and 10 inches are found where the red curve strikes the outer runner f the dial, and black diagonal ines at the edge of the big circle are read for sizes between 10 and 100 inche here is a special edition of the finder for printers, who often need to proportionate dimensions under an THREE DISHES FROM ONE FOR KITCHEN OVEN One dish that serves three one sa fy ry } we r é ( er—is nov being é rf ea\ tinned e€ \ told 1 space in the oven. For t | the base of the ne utensil is use make , «4 role the Ippe ] cover is taken off the pan, and double roaster, the frving-pan b the casserole di the handle being folded out of the
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198 FIRE FIGHTERS IN AIRPLANE SOAR OVER FORESTS Carrying chemicals and emergency fire-fighting apparatus, an aerial fire truck is now in use in a west-coast city. Be- cause of the speed and wide range of ac- Two Aerial Firemen Ready to Answer an Alarm in Their Fast Airplane tion of the airplane, it has proved of service in reaching distant places and POPULAR MECHANICS in soaring over forests to locate blazes that might develop to dangerous propor- tions. It may also be used along water fronts and to reach burning vessels. Only two men are in the plane—the pilot and an observer. Where a landing is pos- sible near a fire, they use the apparatus aboard the aircraft in fighting it. If this is impossible, they carefully mark its po- sition on maps, and report back to some point from which proper equipment can be sent. In addition, the airplane is of assistance in directing the work of fire fighters on the ground BRUSH FOR SUEDE SHOES PICKS UP NAP Wire bristles in a new shoe brush for which a patent has been sought, are set in a curved fiber on a canvas base attached to the wood handle at both ends. These wires are all set at an angle, making their pull stronger one way than the other. This is being found of value in cleaning suede shoes because the bristles pick up the nap better than the other tvpe of brush does. CAR WRECKS BIG BUILDING WHEN BRAKES FAIL ie ater wes | Su Ba 6 #? When the brakes failed on a steep in- cline, a street car in an eastern city re- cently plunged downward almost a mile, gaining speed as it raced along beyond control of the one-man crew, and finally sped across a sidewalk, killing a child and wrecking three stories of a building before it stopped. Five passengers leaped from the coach, but none was hurt seri- ously. The motorman-conductor. ex- plained that the power stopped when he was halfway up the hill and that the brakes failed to work. Dumping sand on the tracks was useless. | > Building Wrecked by Street Car Which Plunged Almost a Mile down a Steep Incline After the Power had Failed and the Brakes Refused to Work See te
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le eS Lee “serges
POPULAR MECHANICS 199 RADIO ON MOTORCYCLE USED TO CATCH BANDITS Radio-equipped motorcycles have been into service in the East to cope with ymobile bandits. Aerials in the form a loop are attached to a sidecar which ) carries the receiving apparatus. Two re detailed to each machine, one drive and TIME AND BUGS ENDANGER ROOF OF WESTMINSTER For many centuries a little wood-eating insect known as the deathwatch beetle, has been doing its best to destroy the large oak beams which hold up the roof of Westminster Hall in London Mil lions of these tiny bugs were found in the inside of the tim
other to Wwe as radio Y erator. KX ; \)\| the use if P \\¢ the fa hy yolice ‘hi | ua>®&r M | rs are able — eep in uch with ch ma ine and rect its vements. I ee 1 It has also 4 been found advan- \ tage to fit up the auto- A A Ae mobiles used by law ———— officers with wireless. Where their work re- often neces- 9 } sary that | | they be kept WA lvised re-
bers when they were removed Te- cently to be replaced. Only a fey of the beams were harmed. Al- most all of ‘the wood work is still in roo d condition, though the joints which were held by oak pins instead of iron nails have weak- ened from the drying zal a ee ee te eo
Nee | as ATA itl <\ = \ ican = -~ Ny yt year \\\| Steel plates, bolted to theim- mense beams, now serve to give them FS SS
rding the | the stren ! happenings | necessary to in several SSS eee — =~) hold ior neighbor- Radio Outfit Mounted on Motorcycle Sidecar for Use of Police in many more 1oods at the Eastern City to Catch Criminals ve: Tie ime time. ft steel fire and police bureaus employ this have also been thrown across the high eans to report or send in alarms in arch to keep it from saggin: ises of emergency. Where river and water-front patrols are used, the radio erves to get needed information from ore officers in the event that their aid is needed in locating the point of trouble TANK FOR TOY BALLOONS Pressure tanks used to fill toy balloons with gas are so simple to operate that any boy can use them. Hydrogen is used instead of air, which gives the balloons greater buoyancy. TOOL WEEDS FLOWERPOTS A new garden tool is well adapted for work around rosebushes, small shrubs, and delicate plants [It is declared to be especially useful to florists and others in loosening the soil in the hothouse bed and is small enough to weed a flower- pot. It has an extension handle, and, by lenethening ( adapted to the hand of a man or a small child. " . ’ or shnortenine it 1) he
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9 R00 ART OF ANCIENT MASTERS RIVALED BY WOMAN Binding rare, old books and ancient manuscripts in covers specially made to correspond with the period of the book, Fastening the Leaves of a Rare Volume before Placing about Them a Binding Made to Match is the occupation of an eastern woman, who is thus preserving some of the world’s most valuable manuscripts. After having determined the time when a work was done, she studies bindings of that period, and then makes a similar one. Recently she bound the “Book of Mar- riage, a hand-painted parchment volume done by nuns many centuries ago. So carefully was the binding made that few could detect any signs of modern crafts- manship. To properly rebuild the vol- umes requires intensive study of archi- tecture, heraldry, art, and letters. MAILMEN SLEEP IN PLANE AS RELIEF CREW WORKS Two crews of mail carried in a giant airplane now being built in Europe. While one group works, the other men will sleep in comfortable beds as the ship races through space far above earth, a new giant of speed used to carry the post. It is said that this air- ship is to adopt every new idea of value that has been discovered in four years of commercial flying. When flying at night and in fog or cloud, an automatic sorters are to be POPULAR MECHANICS device will keep it in balance. Builder say that it will travel about 2,000 mile in a nonstop flight of 24 hours. In the mail chamber, under electric light at night, sorters will go over the mail a readily as they do on trains. There wi be three shifts of men to run the plane it is proposed. MONSTER’S TEETH ARE FQUND IN A ROCK QUARRY Workmen in a rock quarry on the bank of the Missouri River, in Iowa, have found what is believed to be the jawbon: of a huge animal that lived before the stone was deposited there. Several gigar tic teeth were still in place when the fos- sil was picked up, but the long burial has caused the bony matter to become soft and easily crumbled. IVORY CARVING IN ALASKA BECOMING A LOST ART Strange shapes and figures carved in ivory tusks taken from the walrus and other animals of the northern seas, have This Is Kugruk, One of the Last Eskimo Ivory Carvers Left in Alaska been highly prized by art collectors Much of this ivory work was done by the Eskimos of Alaska. During the past few years the artisans who did this carving have almost all passed away, and very few of the others have taken it up ; Among the Eskimos who still make these odd carvings is Kugruk, who lives in Alaska. Though not a young man, he spends his time cutting queer-looking pictures into such tusks as he is able to get from the sea animals he kills.
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POPULAR MOTHER’S HEAD IS BABY CART FOR-AFRICAN FAMILY Leaving their arms free for other work, iny of the native African women their babies about snugly tucked way in small baskets balanced on their heads. In going through the bramble- covered paths of the wild country, there carry is less danger of having the child scratched by the tough briers and branches which the woman pushes from her path as she passes along. In their childhood these women are trained to balance heavy loads upon their heads, and long practice gives them the ease and grace of bearing for which they are known The men, too, are taught to ‘ ® RIGHT NODE A 0 & UNDERWOOD African Mother Carrying Baby on Her Head So Hands Are Free to Defend It bear heavy burdens in the same way, and can transport tremendous loads for great distances without tiring AIR ROUTES TO TROPICS Airplane service between a city on the southern coast and points in the tropics to promote trade and to furnish a rapid carrier for passengers, is being con- sidered. Quick delivery of goods would result, it is pointed out, and mail planes would save several days for merchants placing orders. IECHANICS 201 KING TUT’S WEALTH SORTED IN ARTIFICIAL DAYLIGHT To protect the treasures found in the tomb of King Tutankhamen at Luxor, Egypt, an electric-light shade has been COPYRIGHT, UNDERW & UNDERWOOD Shade That will Shed Artificial Daylight over Treas- ures Found in Tutankhamen’s Tomb devised that will permit amine fragile fabrics them to the harmful effects of open air or sunlight. The shade diffuses an arti ficial daylight that gives the correct color value. A series of reflectors throw the light in any direction. At present, the delicate fabrics and jewels are being ex- amined under the light from ordinary electric bulbs, which makes it almost im- possible for the examiners to distinguish the shades and experts to without exposing CXr- colorings SUB AS BIG AS LAKE SHIP LAUNCHED SECRETLY The recent launching of a submarine in England, said to be the largest in the world, was done privately, all approaches to the docks being guarded by special po- lice. About the only fact that has been made known concerning the boat is that it disp] is f than any other one launched, the giant large as the ices 3,600 tons. This is far greater known. After being boat, whicl IS as average ike ilreiginter, was towed to an inclosed and gu led basin to be cot pleted Some ot t] e sub marines Carry 12 inch Yul l lr} iS one though, is iid to ive even heavier pieces. It can cruise across the Atlantic ocean or move anywhere around Europe without refilling its supply of oil. On the surface it will make a speed about equal to the average ocean liner. [Every provement developed in the last 20 years has been utilized in building
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202 POPULAR STICKS ARE USED IN TEST OF EINSTEIN’S THEORY Looking like a bundle of sticks of dif- ferent lengths projecting from a round plate, a machine has been made in the Strange-Looking Device Made to Test Einstein’s Much-Discussed Theory of Relativity ast to test Einstein's theory of relativ- ity. It is said that the device is the most simple experiment along this line yet made, other scientists having used costly and complicated apparatus for the same MECHANICS purpose, but without entire success. Sev- eral expeditions of astronomers also have visited various parts of the world to make observations, but have not been able to obtain conclusive results. SCIENCE IN HAIRDRESSING IS AN AID TO WOMEN Almost every advancement of science has been made use of by women in their quest for beauty. This is particularly true in the care of the hair so that it may retain its softness and luster. Both electric- ity and gas are being used in dry- ing machines and in _ per- manent wav- ing. In the olden days, hairdress- ing was con- sidered an art and occupied hours of time. Today, by means of many effi- cient devices, it is done much more quickly, and without exhausting the pa- tience of the subject. GIRLS CARRY DAISY CHAIN ON COLLEGE CAMPUS Graduation Exercises of an Eastern College are Marked by Carrying a Daisy Chain on Shoulders of Young Women, a Custom Started 30 Years Ago
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sale — cnet ree: CAN MOUNT EVEREST BE ASCENDED? By SVEN HEDIN [Sven Anders Hedin, noted authority on those little-known lands, Tibet, Turkestan, Mongolia, and central Asia in general, has spent a great part of his life—he is now 58 years of age exploring these strange lands. [hese journeys, performed at times amid extraordinary hardships and always at the immediate risk of lingering and terrible death at the hands of starvation, have won for him high honors and a world-wide reputation and fame. A noted scic a daring adventurer, a fluent writer—he is author of numerous in Savages ofr by ntist, valuable and weighty books Doctor Hedin is an honorary or active member of nearly every scientific society in the world; is a member of the nobility of Sweden, to which he was raised in recognition of his work by the king ; is the bearer of honorary degrees from most of the famous universities of ‘the civilized world; is the personal friend of potentates and rulers, and is now on his way to Asia for another daring journey through the wild interior where he has found strange buried cities, grotesque and terrible customs, and where he has several times been forced to travel long distances on foot without water or food when his parties have met with catastrophes.—Editor’s Note.] URING the summers of 1921 and 1922 geographical and quite espe- lly, mountaineering circles followed th intense anxiety the reports from o British expeditions, which, equipped the most painstaking manner, consist- ng of expert leaders and trained assist- nts, strove with admirable perseverance o conquer the highest mountain on the earth and reach its summit. Nobody has been able to watch this plendid expedition with any greater in- ‘rest than I, who have myself for sev- eral years been doing active work in fibet. At this particular moment an nistice, of brief dura- surveyor-general of India, and after try- ing in vain to learn its Tibetan name, Waugh gave it the name of his predeces- sor, and up to this time the peak has borne the magic name of Mt. Everest. Soon thereafter, however, the learned British resident in Nepal, Brian Hodg- son, made the statement that Waugh had made an error; that the mountain had indeed a native name, Devadhunga. But later it was found that Hodgson, himself, had been mistaken about the peak. Her- mann von Schlagintweit, when visiting Nepal in 1855, recognized the top which Hodgson had identified as Mt. Everest and: learned from the tion, exists concerning onquering Mt. Ever- est, but it is interesting to make a brief survey of the situation and forecast as to the pros- pects of expeditions inning their way to he top of this great ountain. In solitary majesty Mt. Everest raises its now-topped brow on e border between ribet and Nepal. From the south it is difficult to get a full view of this silent giant, as it stands partly hidden trom the eye by a maze of mountains, them- selves covered with eternal snow and _ ice. When the celebrated ; latives that the actual Pibetan name was Gau- risankar. This native name was also intro- duced into geographical literature and for sev- eral years Gaurisankar and Mt. Everest vere thought to desig- nate the same top. Only in 1903 did, Captain Wood succeed in prov ing that the two names stood for two different mountains, which are 36 English miles apart. This correction was made in 1904 on all European and American maps covering Asia We have also learned since that the Tibetan name of Mt. Everest is Chomolungma, or “The botanist, Sir Hooker, in 1849, made his explorations in Sikkim, it was _ be- lieved that the Kanchanjanga was the highest top of the Himalayas. But there- after, in 1852, the trigonometrical survey of India discovered a peak higher than the rest and named it “No. 15.” As this top had been identified during the time when Sir George Everest was Joseph Dr. Sven Hedin Mother Goddess of the Mountains.” For more than 40 years the daring project of an ascent of Mt. Everest has come up again and again. Douglas Freshfield and Lord Curzon had been en deavoring to. realize this aspiration, but the expedition as planned had in 1905 been made impossible by the govern- ments of Tibet and Nepal. When I, in 203
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MJfia@iitsS ale evysemtewvil evw YS 75° POPULAR MECHANICS 205 February, 1907, was at the Pass Ta-la in e trans-Himalaya district, 17,826 feet bove the sea level, I was indeed able to ee the chief chain of the Himalaya from fhe year before I had met Rawling in Simla. He then expressed a keen desire o try his strength on the monarch of e mountains. However, his wish, at that time and later, was coldly received by the government of India. After Raw- ling had fallen in the eleventh hour of the World War, Captain Noel in 1919 laid before the Royal Geographical Society a project to send out an expedition, in ommemoration of Rawling, and to reach the top of Mt. Everest; but he also was unsuccessful in carrying the matter through. A little later Colonel Howard-Bury, of he Royal Geographical Society, began to dvocate the equipping of such an ex- pedition. The heads of the society ap- plied to the government of India. The nswer was unclear, yet not absolutely re- fusing, and the permission of the Dalai Lama to enter Tibet was at last obtained. Moreover, there was appointed a com- mittee consisting of three members from the Royal Geographical Society and as many more from the Alpine Club. The chairman was Sir Francis Younghusband, who was then the president of the first- named society. Lt. Col. C. K. Howard- Bury was selected as leader for the 1921 expedition. The funds necessary, which were estimated at about $48,000 for the two years together, were raised in a simple way. As leader of the - moun- taineering party Mr. Raeburn was chosen, who had won renown in his Kanchan- janga explorations. The remaining mem- bers were Messrs. Mallory, Bullock, and Wollaston, Majors Morshead and Wheeler, and Doctors Heron and Kellas. The last-named gentleman had in 1920 climbed the Kamet up to a height of close to 24,000 feet. He died before he reached Mt. Everest. Younghusband laid stress on the im- portance of ascertaining whether human beings could live at a height of 29,000 feet; this problem had to be solved defi- nitely. A hundred years ago it was thought that the Mont Blanc (15,780 feet) was the highest limit which might pos- sibly be attained by man. Since that time the Andes, Caucasus, and some very high tops in the Himalayas were conquered, until finally the Duke of Abruzzi, in 1909, broke all former records by climbing Bride Peak in the Karakorum Mountains, a height of 24,606 feet. Between Pamir and Burma there are more than 70 moun- tain tops exceeding in height 24,000 feet, and over 1,100 tops exceeding 20,000 feet But if these Englishmen succeeded in mounting Mt. Everest, the absolute height record which is afforded by our planet would be reached, and the essen- tial spell of the record would be broken forever. For when once a man, risking ae ee) BALLOON 35433 FT. sf a ithe maaan 31.166 FT. MT. EVEREST 29.142 FT. _WOOLWORTH BLDG 7S5OFT Unconquered Mountain Peak That has Defied All Efforts to Surmount Its Top, and How It Ranks in Altitude with Other Heights Which have been Reached by Man
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206 POPULAR his life, has succeeded in climbing the highest mountain top, all others, with whatever daring they may repeat the feat, are only anticlimaxes; the grand sensa- tion is gone. In the meantime the 1921 expedition carried through the preparatory work. Kxcellent maps were drawn, the finest photographs were taken, and many speci- mens of the flora of the mountains were collected, but 23,000 feet was the greatest height the climbers could reach. They arrived at the conclusion that the climb- ing would have to take place in May or early in June, before the southwest monsoon i storms had Hi broken out. It Hi would be nec- H essary to start 4 fromthe Rong- [it buk Glacier at H the northerly |i foot of the |i mountains and I from there go |ff up to he FE . 1H Chang-la or iH northern pass; i this was to be the starting point of the climbing, prop- erly so-called. The report brought home by Colonel Howard- Bury {Loo DooT eet MECHANICS their maps. Younghusband _ believed blindly in success. The president of the Alpine Club, Prof. Norman Collie, ex plained the unprecedented difficulties, not the least of them arising from the ultraviolet rays from the sunlight and the lack of oxygen. After new and thorough preparations, the 1922 expedition left for Tibet, early enough so as to carry out its work before the monsoon storms broke. Now, Brig Gen. C. G. Bruce was leader and chief. Among the others were noticed Mallory, Finch, Somer- vell, and Major Norton. Un- Ha fortunately, the HH geologist of the Ht preceding year, 18) HH Mr. Heron, ii who had car- ried out the most signifi- cant work of all, was pre- vented from in the fall of H| joining thi time, so that |} the explora | tions com- menced by him ti could not be fH} carried to their ‘| close. HI The Tibetans bt} had expressed i | a desire that i} the “dragons il which are liv- Hq ing underneath the Holy 4 Mountains” 1921, was not encouraging for those who were to try their luck the following year. He expressed himself thus: “Whether the task is capable of accomplishment, I will not attempt to say, though I should think the chances are, on the whole, success.” But he did not doubt that the record of the Duke of the Abruzzi would be beaten, and he thinks that a height of 25,000 or 26,000 feet will be reached. Mallory was less skeptical; still, even from his utterances it is clear that he considers this climbing a very serious euterprise. There exists a considerable difference in views between those persons who have actually attempted to climb the mountain and those who sit at home and study Pack Animals Used in Mountain Climbing Prefer Rough Footing on the Slopes to the Smoother Pathways should not be disturbed. The Englishmen re- warded the hospitality of the Tibetans by submitting to this wish in a chivalrous manner. Thirteen Europeans thus set out for one of the most notable and inac- cessible Alpine regions found on our planet, not one of them being a geologist. Sport outdistanced science. Younghus- band himself, in his program, admitted that scientific research was a secondary issue, and that first of all the aim was merely to reach the top of the mountain. The new expedition did indeed accom- plish great things from a mountaineering point of view. On May 21, 1922, Mal- lory, Norton, and Somervell. reached a height of 26,800 feet, and had thus beaten the record of the Duke of the Abruzzi by 2,200 feet. From surveys, taken the eT TST
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IR ae POPULAR MECHANICS before, it has been decided that the calculation of 29,002 feet is too low that the actual height of the moun- is 29,142 feet. From the point meas- ed by Mallory and his associates there is remained to overcome 2,341 feet be- e the summit would be reached. \ week later Mr. Finch and Major ice reached even a height of 27,300 t. This was to be the climax for this r, and marks at the same time the hest spot to which man has ever risen solid ground. What is still to be ibed is only 1,841 feet; that is to say, quite so much as the height of two ffel Towers. But it must be remem- red that this 1,841 feet must be over- e in an air more rarefied than any- ere else on our globe. To reach the eatest height possible, Finch and Bruce | also made use of oxygen-gas cyl- \fter the return to London, some of members of the 1922 expedition de- red that Mt. Everest could undoubt- y be ascended, but that all conditions uld have to be just right in order to » successful. It would take at least four vs of uwninterruptedly good weather nd the climbers would have to be under years of age. In 1922 there were only vo successive days of fine weather. As to the last stretch to the top, Cap- in Finch said that at a height of 27,300 eet he had a fine view of it. It is a con- mountain crest which extends the very top. He is convinced that it n be taken by climbing. There exists, however, one very severe obstacle: the rawling up over the steep paths is not nly exceedingly fatiguing in itself, but t also calls for the irksome work of chop- ing out steps at a height of over 28,000 reet. On the ground of my own experience, ined by a stay in the mountains of Persia, Pamir, and Tibet, I had, even be- fore the British expedition started out, become quite skeptical as to its success. There does exist a height limit beyond which a man’s physical condition cannot possibly endure; this limit is marked by the rarefied ‘condition of the air. It is true that the limit is not sharply drawn, but changes with different individuals. Thus a trained Alpinist or airman can still continue to move around in a much thinner atmosphere than one new at climb- ing. However, it is easier to reach a height record in a balloon than when coming to the last stretch of a mountain climb. In ascents made in the free air, heights about 11,483 feet greater have been tinnon tinuous 207 gained than in those which took place on firm ground; this more favorable record is, of course, due to the fact that the mus- cular effort in climbing is enormous; in operating a flying machine, almost noth- ing. The flier is handicapped only by the immense speed with which he rises to great heights. Experiences formerly undergone at dizzy heights reached in balloons did not augur well for the Mt. Everest expedi- tions. When Gaston Tissandier in April, 1875, made his celebrated flight, both his companions, Sivel and Croce-Spinelli, succumbed to the exertion, at a height of about 26,240 feet. They were simply suf- focated through the lack of oxygen in the rarefied air; possibly their physical con- dition was not good enough, either. But the leader himself, who presumably was better trained and whose power of resistance moreover was strengthened by ambition, bore the strain for 650 feet higher. And still he turned back from a point which more than 2,000 feet lower than the peak of Mt. Everest. It is interesting to note that the record of Finch and Bruce, 27,300 feet on Mt. Ever- est, is about the same as Tissandier’s 27,- 000 feet in the air. The Englishmen, however, were armed with oxygen-gas apparatus, while the Frenchman, very likely, was not. With artificial breathing aids, it is pos- sible now to rise a good deal higher in free-air balloons than the height gained by. Tissandier. On July 31, 1901, Berson and Suring rose from Berlin to a height of 35,433 feet, which record probably has never been beaten. Notwithstanding the artificial-breathing means, both fainted long before they had reached their high- est point. The self-registering instru- ments showed an air pressure of less than a fifth of what it was at the seaside. Berson has told me that eradually returned to him only after the balloon had dropped to where the air was thicker. In the same way as miners and divers will reach rather quickly the limits below which no life can exist, owing to the excessive heat or water pressure, there is a height limit above which the breath- ing functions, with the burning process entailed by them, are no longer possible It is clear that the laver of the earth surface, including the atmosphere, with- in which man can exist, will not exceed six miles in thickness. Underneath this thin layer which proportionately is not even as thick as the peel of an apple, earth hides its mysterious interior, and was consciousness
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208 POPULAR beyond this universe layer spreads the infinite trained ists and sportsmen can, as endure att Neve rtheless, howe ver, Alpin- said, air pressure which imit of Mt. Everest. been directly proved. dur- above , © rarefied exists on the su I x the prepa tions tor the British ex- on, by air-pump tests which re- duce the air to a degree of thinnes ¢ e1 ent througn the experi- ' 1 ent eve \ at nd mounted 1 — a , > ec w e ( 1 , ‘ ‘ 1 ( r n eavine V ot t tandlil t \| the 1 St Capa- 7 » } ] ' | P ot Dt ( r€ S ‘ T ‘ TO feel ‘ , ‘ | eptica pout T f e expe ents in ! his opinion. experiments carried out in a 1.1 ¢ laboratory { an I vever 7 1 , 1 1 4 Valuable they may be tor fiers, cannot limbing, j ‘i Ody ret 1g S¢ to «¢ tes in dif- ferent rts of the | Lh 7 l I cn ad 1 P . Ve \ re hye ring on € ( ince in tor- eion = 7 | ¢ b oonist . du ng { ¢ t € men who “¢ hed the é ect he Ts ere overe erted ind , , ; wn when thev returned to closet ] t ‘+ cou no onwe F 1 ‘ 1 t é t me or the \ ( , tn ck ; ev reached d he " ( a t10Nn OT ’ te ¢ 11<¢ 1 the 1 done evel { thin the ¢ t in the top a7 ‘ VV « + t not ot Nrot mwnee them i deserving the greatest gratitude of all seographers, Alpinists, and phvsi ] them our ad- but must also express to unusual ability and miration for their courage. The greatest of all the countered bv the mountaineer at obstacles en- great nd exhaustion heights are the torments } al
MECHANICS imposed on him by the air in mot Not only is it rarefied and there severe on the lungs, but these conditi are made still worse by the violent vil tions to which the atmosphere is jected, because nothing is there to op the wild play ot the winds. The trav is, therefore, almost tifled, even ft 1 thre merely mech 1 *a] interfere} whic the wind OT es to ] S mM | is the decrease n physical ene 1 4 , 1 1 eel ero ne stead the yhner the 7 1s¢ nt ’ , ] ? 4 TT pec 1 : ¢ \t every ( 1 1 é ¢ | ( | t ecdne ' create + t t the nre ing tion dhy t t t he t stoy Te he e Tt? Vele T r not b , 1 1 ( nm ne é } S ert reached 1 , 1 ot e ust ’ It hou ] ra} he remet! bered evere nd ne ¢ ttt the attet . » must be on eve tel ere Thre TO ] ] for place It is true that t effort a é he ( t vet if engen<t ‘ a a art ne d i ers the spirit () + 1 o al Ss T é sno if ¢ vet t e mount crest ind f s out deep ] ir S tT ing peri ous pittall \ n the unevenne ot the C ound 1 nece tate C1 t ° ‘ ‘ walks, long nd tirin 1ye md desc tion, which must be taken, yet lea the gai [ sometimes indeed meaning a loss. tri the height already won. Slides covers with ice will present themselves. and mav be necessary to cut steps into t ice so as to be able to continue: all t must be done while steadily exposed the peril of avalanches which mav swee the traveler away. or of a1 dcifte wi 1 bu him All 1 tain climbs must he prepared + ot ipple t} us hostil vet the createst height +] Alns is ¢ of 9On fant bhak-a fied air will not be ne ( idal an opponent there as on Alt. Everest Another distre t t} t 1 rapid cel n the mountain sickne ll be experienced W he on Juh 1890, | ended the Ds l in Pe ience which is 7 327 feet hicher On Mustagh-ata, in ea had between \ug 6 and i ful night at a height of 20.670 feet. though T had ridden up on a yak tl entire wav And the really above this height. When the Dul of the Abruzzi on July 18, stern Pamir 1894, a frigl starts
serious wor! 1909, mounte
ell | a | —
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POPULAR MECHANICS
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Climbers, with Oxygen Helmets to Counteract the Effect of the Rarefied Atmosphere Found above the Clouds, are Forced to Hew Steps in Icy Mountain Side with Hand Axes
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210 POPULAR Bride Peak, he was forced to turn back at a height of 24,606 feet. top is only 25,028 feet and although the ie had, there- fore, come within 422 feet of his goal. This small distance of 422 feet proved to ve harder to tak the 24,006 feet Which he had behind himselt Che drives of Amundsen and Robert Scott for the south pole were almost comtortable journeys, and Alcock's flight ver the Atlantic Ocean was a pleasure ired with the climbing ot Mt | vet there seems hardly any- ung which limits man’s energy and enterprise, and his eagerness to discover t r admitting all this, | must reiterate that a limit does impose In my opinion it will not be possible to reach the summit of Mt. Everest with the means we now have at hand: but it velievable that, as new inventions are na year, as mete- orology will be better and bette under- become a guide in such undertakings, as improved « é , stood and ible, the apparatus will become = avai dream of the mountaineer may become in t can ¢ ry us up to a height Ol 31 168 feet I} e suc- eed in building a flving machine, a heli copter, which at.a given moment can rest FLAME CUTS THROUGH STEEL TWO INCHES A MINUTE \\ tT T é ley é n icetvlene tol *h 27-inch piece « olled stee is cut n two recent in a western iilroad Cutting Through a 27-Inch Block of Steel with the Flame of Acetylene Torch vard It is said that this vas one of the biggest tasks of cutting metal ever MECHANICS in the air and then slowly drop in a ver- tical direction, it will also be possible to unload passengers on the summit of Mt. Everest. Then, however, it would be no longer a victory of the noble sport which the Americans and British call moun- taineering; it wouk aviation. 1 be the triumph of From the viewpoint of a height record, it will be a trick destroying all the charm of mountain climbing In the meantime, however, the word stands: ! “Everest Unconquered [In un- approachable majesty the hero is glanc- ing down on the earth below, while the heavenly host of the monsoons are speed- ing over his brow in their whirling flight. Betore the beams of the rising sun have touched any other point within view, the top of Mt. Everest is bathed in glowing gold and the evening glow is slowly dyvy- ing away on its 1 peaks around th an mersed in deep shadows. On silent, clear winter nights more stars are visible from that height than from any other point on earth, and they are sparkling with a sharper light, as they have to penetrate only a layer of very thin atmosphere No other position on earth affords such } 1orizon and no spot on the firm or flowing surface of the globe is an extensive SO ex posed, SO solitarily grand as Mt Everest It is the outpost, farthest ad- vanced, of earth toward infinite space done with the acetylet torcl Only 15 minutes were required. Hooded men did the work at the rate of nearly 2 inches in a minute \ comfortable temperature enjoved in the United States is about 70 but this steel was subjected to a flame hot and powerful that it melted like but- ter a mass of metal strong enough to sup- port a sky scrape! AIR BUFFERS GUARD PLANES FROM LANDING SHOCKS To avoid the breaking of the under- bodies of airplanes in landing, a system of pneumatic buffers has been invented in England. Although they do _ not change thie appearance of the plane, it is said that they will prevent damage even when the machine 1 handled by an in- perienced _ pilot In recent tests, a plane was driven full speed against the ground at an angle that would have broken the ordinary machine or turned it over But, in this case, the buffers ab- sorbed the shock without even bouncing. a | 2 ee
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SIGNS DIRECT, AND PROTECT LIVES OF, TOURISTS
a eo es Boh et 9 te PLE CT Ge charm py person cowvorscip te ie ee
Monument to Victim Serves to Warn Speeders
ay LANCASTER = 27 LOGAN = 46 ATHENS 73 POMEROY = 36 o wa
Roads Marked by Sfate with Guid- ing Signs TATE OF DIO CIVISION OF HIGHWAY SS eeeeeeeean
Great Cross Tells Tourist of Hid- den Danger DEXGEROYS
14 MILES TO THE NEAREST HOSPITAL. Skull and Crossbones Help to Halt Speeders STATE ROUTE Se Route Numbers Are Aid in Using Guide Book
With the great increase in automobile-tourist travel, there is scarcely a road in the world’ or a dangerous curve or crossing which has not been marked with signs giving either direc- tions or a warning. As a result, many lives have been saved and long tours made easy for motor- ists.. Even at night, the highways have been made sate by warning lights. To eliminate the possibility of any failure of the lights, one sign has been made with a red mirror which reflects back the rays from the headlights of an ap- proaching car. This form of sign also is clearly visible in the day, and the face of the mirror is covered by a wire netting to protect it from the stones thrown by boys. The mesh is small enough to stop any ordinary mis- sile, but large enough so that it will not obstruct the light rays. Another warning sign, often used, is the twisted wreckage of some car raised ona platform. Inone case a sign was attached which read: “Look Out! Three Men Died Here!” Another said: “It’s Better to Be Safe than Sorry! Drive Slowly.” On an eastern road a monument was erected at what was known as “Dead Man’s Curve.” It carried a skull and crossbones, and the inscription: “Fourteen Miles to the Nearest Hos- pital.” Even the most heed- less motorist, it was found, slowed down when he saw this graphic warning of hidden danger. Near Cincinnati, a great white cross has been erected as a caution against reckless driving. It car- ries the name of a man killed in an accident and the offer of a reward of $100 for information lead- ing to the indictment and
‘ "es sft r Ne Some ey Semen tier BE AE aon WGA BIO: (R15 Comer Peis, Tin Agen Poor Signs Used in Europe to Mark ar Relics CAREFULLY Que
Danger to Children Called to Driv- ers’ Notice > - | Ail | Sa =. i Pm . | ‘ . . aL
Many Huge Maps Give Directions to Tourists
Road and Routes are All Plainly Marked
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aw POPULAR conviction of the person responsible for the accident. At night the illuminated. Most of the signs, however, are de- signed only to direct the tourist, mark points of interest, and call his attention to scenic wonders. Besides merely giv- ing directions and distance to the next city, many show great maps on billboards and point out camping sites. cross 1S BABIES CHECKED IN LOCKERS BY BUSY MOTHERS Due to the increasing civic demand S made on the time of women, bal ed in the new com ers have been install a ¥ ca in Which Babies are Checked While Mothers are Attending Community Meetings Lockers munity hall of a California town for the convenience of mothers. Each locker is 1S inches high, 40 inches long, and 20 inches wide, with spring bottony. Doors, made of slats, are hinged downward and re provided with latches instead of locks. The hall is the social center of the community, and the installation of the nursery has enabled many parents to at- tend dances and social functions. FREAKS OF ICE AGE CAUSE GOOD OR BAD CROPS Ice, in some places more than a mile hig! hich moved over the Middle West some 50,000 years ago, is the underlying cause of the fertility of the region, ac- cording to scientists. It is explained that the glaciers cut down the hills, filled in the valleys, and ground up and mixed the rock, thus preparing the soil for the Sections unt is declared, are those ice. Pressure ouched by coming of man. ] today less the glaciers, it fertile than ered with which were once exerted cov- by the MECHANICS Following the lead of America, mo highways in Europe now are clearh marked, so that tours may be made by motorists without guides. An example of this is to be seen at Ypres, where one of the ruins carries the following inscrip- tion: ‘This is this fabric heritage for holy ground. No stone of may taken away. It is all civilized peoples.” be ice was so great that huge rocks were ground into powder, making a fertile tor the ising of rich crops and { cattle It is estimated that the drifts « tended s tar south as the O » Rive nd that after the retreated fi ( unknown cause, much of t re covered by an inland sea I ny ye FOLDING STOVE AND TABLE FOR SMALL KITCHENS Designed for apartment where tl kitchen ‘space is s ll, there | be invented a gas stove that can be é ‘ a table, and which can be folded 1 against the wall when not in us« W he the table is folded, it extends « , inches from the wall. The stove has burners and the top is large enoug standard ovens hold any of the there will be no danger, a cover is fitt over the gas cocks to prevent them be ing accidentally opened. It is claime that the table, which has an attractive ' 7 Stove Which may be Changed into Table or Folded against enameled top, will sustain a weight 200 pound When folded against t wall, the entire device iooks like a com pact cabinet and gives no hint as to it purpose.
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MID the brilliant throng of the Answering the beauty and fashion at Deauville, france; at Biarritz; at the Paris Opera; er: along that great boulevard, the Champs KXlyseés, a sensation had been heralded. Mademoiselle Blank, the famed actress, had appeared in a coat trimmed with a “new” fur. The milliners and modistes are besieged by eager women demanding go after monkeys. by made richer but The prices suffer. Then Madame X, ple ruled by fashion, the fur buyers and hunt from dusky native belles, more The monkey fur rolls into the market are good—only the a women, They buy the furs there clothed who ire ightly monkeys the noted dancer and to be sold some of the identical trim- favorite of kings, appears in a white-tox ming. What was it mademoiselle wore? coat of novel design. The women flocl The query flashed up and down the ave- to the new standard. The coat maker, nues, in the ballrooms, at the tea tables the furrier, the trapper is left with thou Then came the answer. It was monkey = sands of dollars’ worth of monkey fur fur Immediately on his hands and the feminine cry ee _ there are no buy goes up, “Give us ers. Many firms go ’ monkey fur for bankrupt. The only ’ trimming!” With- ones to benefit are in so short a time the monkeys who as six weeks, were not killed American women during the fashion who follow the dic- race , tates of Dame Again, fashion ; Fashion are beg- does not wait on # ging for monkey shipments. A con hair to deck their signment F 61,000 q wardrobes. Soon fox skins has been F the demand is three months on world-wide. What the wav to London happens? tent steams from the native Even the cave- The Puma wilderness where : man may have the animals were ; worn monkey fur.’ Certainly the na- caught. When it finally arrives, marten ; tive women and men in savage countries skins are in vogue. Of course, the deal have worn monkey fur for ages’ as part ers are loaded up with the wrong met of their very limited supply of covering. chandise and suffer big losses. These art [This is the second of a series of three articles by Mr. Thackery, dealing with tl! hsorbir subject of furs—where they come from, curious and interesting facts about tl imals that w the skins are prepared for the market Mr. Thackery is a Chicagoan. and of the largest retail store in the world Editor.]
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214 POPULAR MECHANICS Ht Olt O04 © 101 G 111 O11! OHSS | ss Owiensoiiemeomer Oma Srmeniomeonenente 10 1910 1480 111 © 1110 101 ©1000 101 © 181 1910100 @ OI OIN@ me nie in ria e 5 : S73 or: = —S Zi ¥ = 3 B + = ~ 5e # 4 _ =I: a = ry hi 7 4 si: be ea h4 eI: 4H 4 ak 1. Hi \ H F e bd +1: ry or ® Hi b a aL aH » a2 c 4 H 4 ak tt 3 RY rid te] Miu 4 Fi § Ha 3 FA >| : i. 4 : ; peed O68 G 09s Se Oise! one D 188 © 108 @ 1h w 1 O18 148 O 108 @ 18S bo HHS IN|IN ir So N08 4 bid OI NOLO 1 SINS it O14 itt Ot xTLExE 101 © 008 @ 100 100 444 © 108 w 198 © 1 @ 110 B44 O 180 SIN SIS INO D 4) © 06 © 040 @ 148 © 01 @ 00s Gr0e © 08 O11 p++) @ 180 © 147 © 148 © 08) @ 048 Oho x= Trim ne + pe Ep RAKES EKAL LEA EEEKEEES Yad LEER EE AE AEE EEL ESE EAS CREE UES ISTEREENIE - He OT LE TLL eee eee ee aL ET EAE ELE ee ESTES ELE EEE EEE TELE SESE IN ELSIE LEE EET Eee eer Ee SUENTILLIYIITMIIIrr ees: EERALLE ioe eeeesescsessecese mremen Hee Mememomenenenemernenerieiieug eine ite mes er H@ruerner Tr nel ome on or emotmoiiemiowmenteietventenn >| Ss inoline cF Bringing Furs In from the Far North: An Alaska Scene, Showing in the Background the Ruins of One Many Deserted Indian Villages Found in the Territory ‘
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ane ; alive’ in the office buildings! POPULAR MECHANICS 215 sme of the risks the fur industry faces. Few realize the tremendous extent of e fur business today. It is estimated by Doctor Hornaday, of the New York Zoo- vical Gardens, that 30,000,000 animals re killed every year to supply furs for he world. To bring it home, suppose every fur in your city or even in your neighborhood should suddenly become with the animal that grew it, narling, snapping, running, leaping, fighting about the streets, in the homes, ! The imagination hesitates to vision what the result would be. Yet all these “live” furs were “live” ani- mals but a short time ago. Just what the animal catch is each year cannot be exactly de- termined be- cause of the time lost in ; shipments | from the wildernesses, yet at two New York auctions 3,000,000 skins changed hands within 15 months. What the St. Louis market sells is also tremendous. In Lon- don, close to 4,000,000 pelts were sold in the same period, yet this did not count 18,889 house cats and other “domesti- cated” animals’ furs sold in the period. Where do all these furs come from? is the nat- ural question. The answer is “From all over the world.” From a district surround- ing St. Louis for several hundred miles comes a great supply. From practically every state in the Union the trappers, pro- fessional and oc- casional, send in bales of furs every The season. In each case the furs coming from the northern tier of the state are ranked the best. his is because the colder the climate the heavier and thicker the fur must be to protect the animal that wears it. The heavier and thicker and _ better-quality fursthus j originate in the north of each state, and conse- quently in the north of the country as a whole. For in- stance, great quantities of muskrat may be caught in |] Louisiana, but the weather is so § generally hot The Muskrat there that the animal does not have to grow very heavy fur to keep it warm. heretfore, the muskrats caught in the northern part of the United States and in Canada are more sought after and bring better prices Then the natural habits of the animals themselves have something to do with the supply. As an instance, rabbits have a tendency to multiply too rapidly every few years. ° This develops a skin disease among the little animals which so tortures them that they come out into the open, seeking relief, and become an easy prey to lynxes, wolves, foxes, and other ani mals that prey upon them This abundance of tainted food give disease to the lynxes, foxes, and others which results in a high death rate among them. The killing of the infected rabbit and the death of their ca ptor mean only one thing —a seriou amount ing almost to a di appearance of these fur-bearers the succeeding season Thus Nature, het self, serves to keep a balance in the fur market How ever, the supply is bountiful if man, in his greed, doe not violate game laws and engage in ruthless killing When we speak of having a mild or open winter in certain sections, the raw pelt will reflect that condition, and fur « shortage, Lynx
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#16 POPULAR perts, on examining the skins, can not only analyze the severity ot the winter season, but name the district where the animal was trapped and the month of the year in which it was caught. (his seems marvelous at first glance, but it is, after all, not to be wondered at. Men who have been in the business many years—and to be a judge of raw furs one must have spent a long time in training— remember the character of the past win- ters. If they know the winter of five years ago was exceptionally warm, they know the furs caught that year will be light. Then, too, as we approach the poles, the character or color of the an- imals blends in j hite, and as we approach the h the scenery and 1S equator he tendency is reversed, and likewise heir t] ; lated yy their range and the seasons of the thickness of tur will be regu - t t | brin us to the third factor in the tu dustry, the first two being fash- ion and natural supply. The tur catch of the north, trapped in midwinter, must find its way to the world ‘markets by travel on foot, dog train, rail, and boat, ind consequently, many months, and in Ome Cases a year, W ill elap e betore col- lections trom the tar-north country are received and sold at auction in the metropolitan markets of the world. Furs in the earl ys were as valuable as money, and profits from the sale of furs reasonably assured, but of late years the fact of the long lapse of time being re- quired to deliver pelts from the source to destination, makes the undertaking a most speculative venture. 5 1 : Man, in seeking ou i y di furs, has gone to great lengths, and by so doing has ad- vanced the prices of many common furs to the point where hunters and trappers stepped in and are likely to almost ex- terminate some kinds. Thus the musk- rat, once considered as of no value onthe MECHANICS market, now is a big factor. Peak price in 1913 for muskrat skins were $1 each in our fathers’ day it was 25 cents. I: 1920 muskrat skins brought $6.80 on the open market. In the United States there are more muskrats than any other fur bearing animal. This is the pelt whic! is used for the so-called Hudson-sea coats. So, too, has the skunk come into his own. His skin is sometimes known as the “civet cat.” Twenty-five years ago he was safe. Today everybody wears hi skin. Occasionally, furs with names that were 1 not on the passenger list of the Ark make their appearance. For instance, “nutria began life as the hide of the coypu rat. Re or Siberian sable becomes “kolinsky,” a1 ilthough the European polecat may be that in lite, he passes into | | “ntch.” The curious little Australia “bear,” or koala, becomes the “wombat, and the striped skunk emerges a wl more tt ve a civet cat ihe ¢ mestic cat is completely concealed “svenet.” Now and then some unscrupu lous dealer takes a rabbit skin 25 cents, dves it rather well, and lo! is “real” chinchilla, worth $10 a pelt Among the more expensive furs we the silver tox, the chinchilla e ermil beaver, Alaska seal, mink, the ea otter, and a few others of western-hemisphere stock. ‘liger, leopard, Per an lai ib, ko insky, gray squirrel, and the like are fr: the Far East and Africa, and are al quite expensive. Rugs of tiger and pola bear used to be the fashion, but nowaday they are a drug on the market. Silver-fox skins bring f skin at’ retail. Chinchilla coats sell a high as $32,000. Alaska sealskin coats with, say, collar and cuffs of Hudso1 Bay sable, bring $2,000 and up, for from S500 up per takes six sealskins usually to make a coat. 1 The wearing qualities of these furs are Many Thousand Dollars’ Worth of Silver, Blue, and White Fox Skins Sold Yearly at St. Louis Auctions ——
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POPULAR generally known. In this connection e natural otter skin used for men’s col- rs is the best, and is rated 100 per cent | comparing this feature in all other furs Chinchilla, the delicate and the which the world. veautiful little animal from \merican high altitudes, trim elaborate coats South is used MECHANICS 217 it often saves its life in later years. For the mother is watching, and failure to d a trick or fight well in cub battles then, does not mean loss of life as it would late Beavers becoming quite arce in these days and their skins correspond ingly more valuable. The great skill of the animal as a buildet are sc evening wraps, nks, mole excepted, lowest in wearing ualities. lf itis asked how hese animals are iught, the answer is, cain, a dificult one to ake. Men all over e world make a pro- ssion of catching an- als in traps, pits, by hooting,and by poison it In the United the 5 Its ears have no States the trappers are 5 “trumpets or project n the majority. Some- § ing parts for they imes they provide ' vould be in the way their own traps, some- i when it digs through times the fur-buying Jf the earth. Its eyes are ompany or the = not of muc us¢ ‘nited States Govern- — Ton Denver they are tiny, bei bt ent gives, or loans, or one enty-fitth « them traps. The government is the inch in diameter. Its hair has not “set gest trapper, but confines its efforts to that is it does not get disordered when it itching animals, like lynxes or wolves, moves backward in its burrow, and so 1 hich destroy more game and property” easily kept clean lFurthe t can dig han they are worth as natural inhabi through hard o1 ft ground with a ' tants of the land. The government sells swimming motion of its paws, or it can its furs through one company, whose = simply push its way through soft earth perations will be discussed in the last near the crust, or it can run on the sur rticle of this series. Habits of the ani- face at about 2% miles an hour, or it cat ils also present a problem trot along a b ww large hunters. Asmanyknow, | enough It can eat it otter, aside from being weight in worms every day ‘the playfulest critter on | Though settlement of thi earth,” is a great wanderer. | country is fast curtailin He trequently travels as i the wildernesses which a far as 15 miles in a night, the natural haunts of th is very clever in foiling valuable fur- bearers, trap traps, and is hard to catch. Jf ping is still a very profitabl Foxes, due to many years | pursuit and will continue of wariness, arelikewise Jf for many vears to come ; dificult to approach. Nat- [| ll accounts from the Ca r uralists tell us that the ap- nadian northland are t parently playful romping § the effect that furs are of young foxes, while their | pouring into the trading mother looks on and guards posts at a very heavy rate them, is really a device of nature to train the cubs in the art of self-protection. This time of cubhood is the only one in which the ani- mal can safely experiment in self-defense, train itself in hunting, and learn the thousand and one other tricks by which er ee The is well known, his habit of only partly gnawing through the butt of a big tree and then waiting for the winds to blow down his leading scientists “log” _ Oo ST One to believe that he also possesses some reason ing power. Che mole, whose skin is so prized, is among the queerest of animal and this season's cate fair to eclipse the very sat isfactory one of last year Skunk a and exceptional quality, at with a continuance of the profitable pric: which prevailed at the fall sales, the tot ot peltry wil] he \ ilu hle The pelts are of excellent
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218 POPULAR MECHANICS MACHINE READS CHARACTER OF PERSON USING IT By watching hands and feet and the versity reads the character of persons sit- face, a professor in a middle-western uni- ting at an apparatus he devised to classify students. Seated at a bench, the subject is required to work a series of pedals and levers in re- sponse to signals. The idea is to : act quickly. It is a test against time. The student who becomes nervous might not be a steady hand at the wheel of an auto- mobile or as a motorman or en vineer, the inventor thinks When a person goes to the machine and sits down quickly, studies it out, and then works it right and fast, and smiles and is eager, the inventor believes such a man or woman
is aggressive and is to be trusted my Some come to the machine fee ing that it is silly. They perhaps make mistakes. They do not act quickly. They frown. They grit their teeth. They give up soon Such persons, the professor Says, ae,
<A
* a
Professor Watching a Student as He Pushes Pedals and Pulls Lie . Pee ee , Levers of a Character-Reading Machine are easily discouraged SPIRAL BRIDGE MAKES QUEER ENTRY INTO TOWN Spanning the Mississippi River at Hast- towers so that ships could pass under ings, Minn., is a bridge so high above it. The business section of town is at water that the approach into town had to’ a much lower level, and a queer-looking be built in the form of a spiral. It is a entry was decided upon to provide an highway bridge, and was built on high easy grade from the bridge floor. \
¢ *
This Odd-Looking Bridge Is on the West Bank of the Mississippi River, at Hastings, Minnesota. It was Built on a Spiral in Order to ‘“‘Ease’’ the Grade from the High Bridge Level in the Background
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POPULAR EYE OF CAMERA RECORDS RACE ACCIDENT When the leading horse in a hunters’ ise in England, tripped at the last bar- ier, a photographer was on hand and IEFCHANICS 219 BIRTHDAY OF ELECTRIC CAR FORTY YEARS AGO What is declared to be the fortieth anniversary of the first hydroelectric railway in the world is being celebrated
Pe ay ‘2 . . , , . ae
Rider Crashing to Earth as the Result of a Dramatic Accident, Which Took Place at a Hunters’ Chase at Lingfield, England: Neither the Horse nor the Ri napped the most sensational spill of the eeting. The photograph was remarkable because it caught both horse and rider as ley pitched headlong into the turf.
FEVER IN STORES.OF GRAIN TOLD BY ELECTRICITY Every year great quantities of stored rrain are lost through fire caused by the action of the air on the living cells. To eliminate this danger, a device has been made in Europe which records the tem- perature and gives warning before it be- xyins to burn. It has been found that corn left in elevators lives and breathes. It takes up oxygen from the air, which combines with the starch in the grain to form an acid. As the process continues, it results in fever and heat. Under the new plan, thermometers placed in the grain record its temperature on an elec- tric drum at some central point. ler was Injured in England. It was opened in 1883 an: the length of the line was only eis miles Electricity was generated b waterfall and was conducted to open « by a third rail. by an overhead trolley Repeated fail ures, constant breakdowns, and othe vreat obstacles were overcome before tl system became a success the anniversary, a replica of the or car. filled with a notable assemblage « engineers, made a trip over the me line MIRRORS USED AS SCARECROWS Swinging mirrors hung in have proved of value in frightening birds. Fastened by a tring the I e in the breeze, and the light of the su flashed here and there thi branches. If mirrors cannot be pieces of polished tin will
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POPULAR TEMPLE MODEL SHOWS SKILL OF ANCIENT BUILDERS Thirty years of research and study and ix years’ toil were necessary to con- ‘truct what is said to be the first accu- rate model of the famous Temple of Solomon, built -in about the year 1,000 B. C. The reproduction is the work of Dr. Baurut Schick, who has spent most of his life excavating in the ruins about Jerusalem, and it is now being shown in the principal cities of this country. The model is built entirely of small blocks A, Holy Place; B, tiles; F, Inner Court; C, Chambers of Priests; of Pharaoh's Daughter; and strips of wood, and is declared to be the best example yet shown of the architectural skill -of builders who lived in Palestine 10 centuries before the Chris- tian Era. MOVABLE ASH TRAY CLAMPS ON ARM OF CHAIR Adjustable to any angle so that it is always in convenient reach and yet never in the way, an ash tray has been in- vented which fits on chair arm, table edge, telephone, or stands alone. For use in both office and home, it is claimed that it will not spill ashes, as it cannot be upset while in use. As it is suspended from the edge, it leaves the chair arm or top of a desk or table clear. The bowl is attractively finished in several colors. @ Erection of a giant pipe organ, one of the largest in the world, is being planned for the so-called cathedral rocks in Zion National Park in southwestern Utah. Tower of Mea; H, Tower of Hananeel; I, ace; K, Throne of Judgment; G, J, Royal Pal MECHANICS THERMOS HOUSE SAVES FUEL AND HELPS KEEP COOL Suilt like ities in the a thermos bottle, walls, a system of building construction has been patented by western inventor which, he claims, will save 50 per cent of the heating cost as well as help to keep the home cool in summer. In a bungalow built on this plan there were double walls with a vac uum space between. Although it had no furnace, it was found easy to keep its Six ' rooms warm in win with cay . ™is* Women's Court; D, East Gate; E, Court of Gen- House L, Millo ter. In the summer, blankets were used in sleeping, although the outside temperature was 80 and 90 degrees. Also, a very even temperature was registered within the house throughout the chang- ing seasons. The double walls, in addi- tion, proved to be almost sound-proot The cost of the building was said to be less than in other houses of the same size, and the time required for construc- tion Fireproof shingles were used and the outside finished in stucco. less. WRITING DESK CAN BE MADE INTO TABLE AS WELL By a simple pull forward on the fold- ing leaves of a new combination writing desk, it can be turned into a solid, sub- stantial table. As well as having the fea- ture of being two pieces of furniture in one, the desk is easily folded up and can be stored in a small space. It is designed particularly for the occupant of the small apartment.
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POPULAR MECHANICS 221 MOTORCYCLES IN RACE [ - canine ABROAD TO SHOW ECONOMY Because of the high cost of va soline abroad, motorcycles with sidecars are being designed in Italy to compete with the automobile, which uses so much more fuel to travel an equal dis- tance that thus far its use has been confined to the wealthy. In Italy, motorcycle races are be- ng staged to show the economy, peed, and comfort of this form of transportation. EXPLOSIONS TO AID EARTHQUAKE STUDY Surplus explosives of the gov- ernment, left over from the war, may be used as aids in the study of earthquakes. The idea is to cause miniature earthquakes, and take observations of the rate of vibration through different lay- ers of the earth’s crust. In the case of natural earthquakes, ac- curate measurement is obviously not possible. — — Motorcycles with Sidecar Racing in Europe | MOVING GIGANTIC GAS TANK WITH HAND JACKS fe Three hundred men, each at the han- went like horses in a treadmill, moving ; dle of a hand jack, recently moved a together when ordered by he i el huge gas-tank base, weighing 250 tons. in the center. By their feat in a we The base was lowered in 40 minutes ern city these men, who moved with | by the small army of men, who were small hand jacks a tank holding 10,000,- placed with their jacks on every other big 000 cubic feet, have applied Archimedes’ teel plate on the top and rim of the _ principle of “Give me a place whereon to tank. Round and round the jacks they = stand and I will " move the eart wha shal RP * ee eee AN 4 RS Lowering the Base of a Gas Tank in a Western City with 300 Men Using Small Hand Jacks: Forty Minutes were Required to Move This Tank, the Base Weight of Which Was 250 Tons
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MOVABLE AIRDROME RAISED HIGH ABOVE EARTH TO ASSURE SAFETY OF AVIATORS Hazards of Landing on the Ground would be Eliminated by Proposed New Platform on Top of Tower, So That It could be Turned with the Wind to Allow Aviator Best Position in Starting and Descending Se ar Te oa edie
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eee. - POPULAR TURNTABLE AIRPLANE LANDING HAS 500-FOOT RUNWAY Keeping pace with the rapid progréss ade recently in the development of air- ays, a landing stage has been designed hat automatically heads into the wind and possesses other unique and practical features. This airplane landing can be et to remain stable in all light breezes, and then switch itself into automatic control at any predetermined wind speed. This feature is highly important, for the viator must head into the wind to make afe landing. Many risks are thus en- ly eliminated when a pilot has the nd to land against at all times. \nother advantage lies in the fact that he plane is able to “hop off” into the from a standing start, at any re- according to wind condi- [he plane is restrained in stays in he starting room, its engines speeded up the desired point, and then auto- re red speed, tically released. As it rushes into e air its propellers lose no power, as hey are turning at a speed which cor- responds to the required starting speed f{ the plane. This condition is not al- vs present when taking off from the und ‘Streamlining” the body has been re- oh rted to wherever possible, in order to keep the wind resistance low. In this respect the “take-off” portion of the air- embles a huge whale. Conside1 le ingenuity has also been displayed in development of the operating mech- nism The receiving controls for the nding of planes actuate a moving plat- , so that an airplane will land, not th a shock, but with a gliding motion Landing platforms are about 500 feet in over-all length, and from 60 to 80 feet ide These dimensions, as well as the height from the ground, are variable for different localities and conditions In 1 ld regions a series of brushes will be rovided to scrape the snow from the platiorm as it moves under them It would seem that this type of landing uld be put to a variety of uses. A series ‘of them along an exposed border: vould provide adequate and constant in spection service, and this application could also be made in coast-guard work Equipped with radio, each would be in easy communication with any other, or with headquarters. The landings are also In position to serve as a refuge for air- planes in case of storm Elevators in side the tower will convey passengers to and from the level to the platform. MECHANICS DEATH SHAFT IS WARNING TO CARELESS DRIVERS Names of all who were killed by autos in a middle-western city during the first four months of this year are shown on a
* Shaft Bear of T e Killed y A Er i Wa Spe ti t¢ { a xa} + ; \ 1erTe ( oT e¢ r 1.79 adailv ane e thu re nae ( the er , t< ‘ f n dt 1) 1 1 eek the ve every t I t treet ‘ cit t minutes oon an ug ounde 1 tat ror the r uto lents RUGS MADE OF RUBBER AID IN CLEANING FLOORS Lubber 99 ra . 1 n< . 1, Phe \ ( ( ( ) S¢ | ie e 4 S¢ T ( tT Ne (| t i 1 the he out d é the | and because the ]1 not e. ¢ lipper <a op The url up, and dust di t to the floor ‘J hey r be many colors.
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POPULAR MECHANICS ew wer - a - "7 _ 4 ii ome x — ~ : " RES so =i ’ = s & Colossal Monument to Express French Gratitude to America, Now being Built at the Mouth of the Gironde, Where First Troops from the United States Landed
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POPULAR FRENCH GRATITUDE TO U. S&S. SHOWN IN MONUMENT Rising 325 feet above the earth, a colos- sal statue of France, scanning the hori- zon for the American ships, is being built on the cliffs at the Pointe de Grave, on the Gironde, where the first soldiers from the United States landed during the war. As an expression of France’s gratitude, the foundation stone of the colossal mon- ument was laid in 1919, on the anniversary both of the first battle of the Marne and of the birth of LaFayette. The general design, which has been altered consider- ably sinee its first conception, has been prepared by M. Bartholome and M. Andre Ventre, the latter the architect of the fa- mous “Trench of Bayonets.” A bas-relief at the base of the shaft will represent the arrival of LaFayette in the United States in 1777. NONSCUFF HEEL GUARDS SAVE SHOES IN CAR As an aid to women who drive their own automobiles, a guard has been made of heavy leather to fit over the heels of high-heeled shoes by means of an ad- justable strap. It has been designed to keep the heel from rubbing the floor- boards of the car when the brake and clutch pedals are used. The guards are not unsightly and are easily attached. MECHANICS 2 NS) KITCHEN STOVEPIPE USED AS WARMING SHELF How to make a stovepipe more useful has been solved by an eastern inventor who has devised a metal band. to fit ; = Clothes, Pans, and Dishes being on Rack Fitted to St around the pipe. Wire holders are mounted on a ring fastened to the pipe From these may be hung utensils, fab- rics, or Dried and Warmed »vepipe articles of clothing which are to be dried. Several bands may be fitted to the same pipe to act as plate warme1 or merely as shelves. They are within convenient reach of the busy cook, and may serve to hold food removed from the stove. TWO-COACH STREET CARS RUN ON THREE TRUCKS When a number of old street cars be- came too costly to operate, the manage- ment of one western traction company increased their usefulness by lengthening their frames and joining them up in pairs. This resulted in a two-car train, having only three trucks. Two men operate the train where formerly it required four to run the two cars separately. The results of this arrangement have proved so satis- factory that the plan has been patented. Se oe ee sdb lk ils [eS teee Below, Two-Car, Three-Truck Train, Close-Up of the Coupling and Above, a
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PARKING SPACE FOR AUTOS IN SKYSCRAPER PLAN Parking space for autos, with a re- verse, double-spiral driveway that would permit motorists to drive their cars to
COPYRIGHT, HARRY H. HILL, ARCHITECT Proposed Skyscraper Cut Away to Show Double- Spiral Driveway in Center any floor in the building, is provided in a plan for a 30-story skyscraper, which has been copyrighted by a western in- ventor. Tenants of the 3,000 offices in the building could leave their automo- biles just outside their respective places of employment without fear of them be- ing stolen. Another advantage, it is claimed, is the saving of time that is now spent in looking for a place to park. A driver, too, could leave his own garage in bad weather and remain in the car until he reached the door of his office. The automobile drive to the 30 floors would be placed in the center of the building, circling with a gradual incline up to the roof, where an open-air audi- torium, capable of seating 8,000 people, would be built. The roof area could also be used as a landing place for airplanes and dirigibles. A steel observation sta- 226 POPULAR MECHANICS tion, resting on four supports, one at each corner of the building, is also in cluded in the plans. At night the towe would be lighted and would house large searchlight, to signal aircraft, an a radio broadcasting and receiving set From the street entrances to the top of the building, the driveway would be about two miles long, with an average grad of 3 per cent. In the center of th structure a sound chamber would be pro vided to eliminate noise and gases. Two cars abreast could drive up or down the spiral roadway. The entire building, it is estimated, would cost about $15,000,000 but the driveway could be also adapted to hotels and large apartment buildings POCKET GOLF SCORER KEEPS TAB ON TWO PLAYERS
All nineteenth- hole arguments over golf scores should be elim- inated by a pocket scorer recently patented. Built like a purse, it is easily carried, and en- ables a player to keep his own score and that of his op- ponent. The num- ber of strokes and holes is recorded on movable disks and numbered strips of celluloid. The proper use of the device elimi- nates many disputes caused by faulty memory onthe part of the players, and serves as a constant check during the prog- ress of the game on both of the contestants.
pon, 4 GEEGEOEN f
ts. Sain ony as eae <2 :
IRON SPRAYED WITH ZINC As a covering for iron and steel to pre- vent rust, melted zinc is being coated on these metals in Europe. While at great heat and in a fluid state, the zine is sprayed directly on the iron or steel. This is an inexpensive way to protect bars and rails from the injury done by air if they are not covered.
“ “ . :
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POPULAR MECHANICS AGE-OLD WAYS OF MAKING IRON USED IN CHINA 99" ~~
ny il the Metal from Crude Furnaces 1 What progress science has made in poor quality and it exi he making of iron or steel may be deposits, usually no ilized from the primitive methods still thick. After being br daily use in China. Beginning at the face, it is hand-sorted melted in crude ines, the only hoisting engine isa cheer- and then coolie, and the shafts are shallow. is three « - ‘ in 3 teet 4 t ea Tt) i
An Impressive Example of the Extent to Which the Small Jars Used in Making through Years of Turning Out the Metal in China
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and economy is so necessary that the h have been used are repaired and made to serve again. Some of tue ars 1114
SMALL SPRAY TURNS TUB INTO SHOWER BATH So small that it may be « ¢ n the pocket ind att iched to an iter Taucef, a socket has been invented to turn an ordinary tub into a shower, or needle- spray bath without the use of a cabinet or rubber curtains. As the nozzle turns in a rubber socket, it can be adjusted to any héight desired so the water will not wet the hair. It is declared to be of special value to tourists, traveling men, and those whose homes are not equipped with stationary showers.
MECHANICS GREAT SHIP STEERS ITS! WITH A “GYRO-PILOT” Navigated automatically and steered a “gyro-compass” and “gyro-pilot, steamer “Harry Luckenbach,” a freighter, has been used in a seri tests on the west coast. After t] i 1 has been set, the mechanical hel; holds the vessel to it for periods of an hour or more. Attached to the steering apparatus, the device is on the principle of the gyr ship deviates from the course set, it work the rudder to bring it bacl it serves as a constant chec watchifulness of the ] lot, it is cl that the device will eli the dangers of navigati KNOTS TIED BY MACHINE STRAPPED TO HAND Tying a knot in yarn by hand only a moment, and is mply quickly done that any child can k once, but science, ever watchful for quicker and _ bet- ter ways, has nade a machine to do it. It is a small apparatus, worn on the left mat hand, being held by L ot Pp, < 1S 1, 1 1n t] P top ture tarn 15S n o two 1 | 1oO ks and the thu ) | es a ’ ever, tying the knot and trim T y t] ] three lower pic- tures. With this hand machine the speed of spooling and winding is in- creased and the weaver can do more and better ork because the cnots are trimmed closely. Even the beginner always works a great deal faster with this vice than by hand. When tying is by hand, sometimes the yarn is soil but by machine this does not hap This knotter is used in India as wel in the United States.
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POPULAR MECHANICS 229 SWIMMING ON FISH BOARDS U. S. NAVY’S BIGGEST GUNS LATEST WATER SPORT GIVEN FIRST TEST imming with fish boards has given Four of America’s greatest naval gu zest to water sports. Modeled —the 16-inch long-range rifles of the various kinds of fish, the boards are “Maryland’—have just been given tl of balsa wood, lighter than cork the head on both sides are small in the board for the hands. The lies down, his head above that of painted fish. By kicking, the swim- can move along at a good rate of The boards are made in many and variously colored. It is said hey are of great assistance in learn- swim, and will easily support a ht of more than 200 pounds. FOLDING CHAIR AND TABLE OCCUPY LESS SPACE ] t ing novel in a folding chair and e combination has recently been sent his country from European shops. It Four “Aces” of the United States Navy's Long-Ra Rifles, with a “Tar” in the Muzzle of Each Gun first real test in target practice off Hamp ton Roads. The guns, which hurl a 2,450 pound projectile 38 mules. are 60 teet long, and are said to be Table Folded Away behind Chair; Right: Table the largest rifles of the British 1 in Position Ready for Use ee ae Pee ee DOUBLE-HEAD SPARK PLUG a ‘ desired the table may be readily CLEANS ITSELF ed under and back of the chair. Be- = being compact, it is of pleasing de- O1 erest | : we suitable for the porch or in- torists Is P e. The chair is upholstered in a Plug that two a 7 ends, eacl \ mE oy FR one ¢ e tl | HOME-RUN SLUGGERS’ BATS Ex pose MADE IN SMALL SHOP an inter | ‘ hat 11S¢ 1 } le F 1 ' r ec ' t the | wt of os ( ired un-dried, a eathe b A then the wood is turned on a p e to the size desired and carefully and usec ced » that the greatest amount of tion plug rece may be used by the batter in hit- In this way a spare = ng the ball. In a small eastern shop, set of plugs can be iny of these bats are made for some carried under the hood, wher 1 t the best-known players. always ready for use when
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POPULAR MECHANICS CAMERA AID TO SCULPTOR IN MAKING BUSTS Top, 3as - Reliefs, w, Elec- ri y en Drill Which Makes Them
t Only one sit- ting of a few seconds is re- quired in mak- pt I e | by the ust f a pho- t . ippa- I € t t! 1 p for a se neece vefore t port it. The leve combines the ac with the end , of sculpture, is aon ent angles, are < magic lantern t! dreds of straight ]
the photograp 1S. curves, and aid
Parallel Lines Thr on Face of I pub} That Aid in Maki
Bust in an ite fhe process '.. . Kk nh oO l a ; : p oto-scul ture” or “ca ography. [t li € the et ' . employed in su veying Et e | Less \ pon the surface of a piece y tne ect im s 1 t e or tine f llel lia oud SI} ( (| 150 to the neh | ~ p| ( ] ( é in making a the project Light f lan a throws these lines on the image or su s device ich ject from a distance of about 10 feet. racy ot the camera a solid object is placed at the point x, lifelike properties focus, the lines will appear twisted w : ‘ ot - = ote ¢ } ° 1 ] is the birt! f viewed from any position other than neras, set at differ- d at the subject. 3 an image of hun- lines on the face. hese lines appear the sculptor in making his model. Reproductions may be made occupied by the projector. Upon the di A tortion as recorded by the cameras, the subsequent operations depend, as they at In used as a guide in making the carving as This is done by cutting a series oi fur rows which are parallel in plan, but fol low the lines in the photographic recor
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——————— POPULAR MECHANICS 23 JACUUM HANDBRUSH IS RUN BY ELECTRIC MOTOR uilt like a carpet cleaner, a small handbrush has been made for ing clothing, upholstery, draperies, and furs. It is small enough et into corners and remove lint and 1g «hair. Weighing less than 3 ls, it is driven by a small electric or, and the dust is collected in a ler inside the handle DIG HUGE BASINS FOR OIL THEY CANNOT MARKET So rapid has been the development of oil industry in many parts of the West t producers have been forced to dig ge basins in the earth to hold the out- it from their wells. Refineries have en unable to take care of the supply, 1 so the liquid wealth has been allowed iccumulate while more wells are be- drilled all the time. Meanwhile, t efforts are being made to construct stor- e tanks and pipe lines to handle the eat output which means so much to ymobilists generally. have the appearance of great mir- yrs that give back the reflections of the ounding trees and oil derricks. From above, the INDIAN’S KNIFE CARVES BEAR FROM TRUNK OF TREE Using only a bowie knife, dumb Blacktoot Indian ] his carving of “The Griz Bear in 2 from a tree trunk. When exhibited various parts of the country, the piece sculpture won much praise. In making the Indian cut down a forest log and t whittled away until he had produced masterpiece. The statue has ob wide recognition for its creator COPYRIGHT, HAMIL TON MAXWELL Huge Open Tanks Holding Supply of Oil in Western Fields Where Pipe Lir and Closed Tanks are Not Built Fast Enough to Receive the Continual Flow of the Valu table Fluid
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\T os Near thickets of a tropical jungle in uthwest Mexico, where ferocious wild 1 beasts have their lair, engineers, looking r] 21 S for cement, have unearthed a prehistoric city buried centuries ago under a flow of lava from the seething caldron of Colima vi one Of the most treacherous in Am« Nooks containing strange pot- tery i very old pattern were expik ed Picture writing on the wa of several [ » the world f cou ess veal is being studied by learned men, lready believe that these veries long ago Mexico possessed CHAIR-FLOAT FOR BATHERS MOVED BY PADDLING Floating chairs, in which bathers may sit at ease and smoke or read newspapers ¢ ne. { age the ul € ire
Bather Riding at Ease in Canvas Chair Hung from 4 g I Preserver I it the ¢ es L he ire m € ] | oft b ) S rlite than cork ) . . < ( vere \ ( nva ' I the oe- i hangs a i » water 1 5 | +1 adovV S K S on the 1 1 sides € I if 1 } ortable . 1 as he é ¢ 1 al I 1 iit « , P Pad ¢ with the nd oves the float , in n ( ection desired. CA saving of 50 per cent in fuel during the cold season, and 40 per cent in the hot season, as compared with ordinary locomotives, has been guaranteed by the makers of a turbine locomotive for the Argentine State Railways.
MECHANICS CITY BURIED BY VOLCANO FOUND IN MEXICO of a remarkable civilization. Work great builders and skilled artisans found in pyramids so high that their t were not buried under a lava bed covered everything else. They are gantic structures, having an aver thickness of 20 feet and bases that re more than 40 fe veneath the g ( u he 1 Living quiet, pe il live ( ional periods d to t the I c FOLDING LETTER IS USED TO BRING BACK COINS ¢ é ( t t e | d, a fe é venter \ | ( i t t ] One tace is used tora if and three others for adv On the third fold an ordi 1 ‘ e ‘ 7 ° Sane ’ IS pasted, in whi coms 1 i\ ) sately protected by the stiff cardl backing. Phis is iddre sed back t< . 1 a ig 1 —_ original sender and may be mailed t a two-cent stamp. SEE-YOUR-STEP UMBRELLA HAS LIGHT IN HANDLE r s a4 11 No more falls ir dangerou tumble dark, stormy nights, is the oe 3 sc rceely i! that of an ordinary umbrella, and it come in sizes that are suitable for the use o women. atte. AP eaves Pe ers sa itiea UT ES ee ipa pg pa walt WET LLT Ta rT r e Pea ee ee
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POPULAR MECHANICS 233 if Asef Ny. bef Wes ef: PUI Mes WM sel UM Ul WH WS Ue Tiga a wr _ rey sal . TWH x— Pes I wT ¥ amma LIU FINI SLI u Fh West Wf ERT USNS UT WTS SUT WSU WI LM PALS rd c r le a Ie e| ce } “4 reg . = SS | rs = | R 2 } Me iS, le ; ) \ | ae, 3 ad y - CCIE TAU SA A ISU SUIS VIIA IN IAS SN SAS Colima Volcano in Mexico, beneath the Lava of Which Scientists have Found Towering Pyramids, Marve Pottery, and Traces of an Ancient Civilization Long Since Forgotter
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POPULAR MECHANICS HUGE TURBINE CASTING SETS RECORD FOR SIZE F ever made ha een turned one ofr Oo! tu b F ste m d o o inst the b] es mit iS water does gvainst the iddles ot PAN FRIES WITHOUT ODOR AND SAVES GAS Odors of irying are not noticeable and i fs per-cent aving in ga ire two tea ures of at type of frying pan, made ' en placed on the 7. Odorless Frying Pan and How It is Taken Apart for Cleaning Heat up the cells of the saving of gas is said to result ] of the fat in frying seals —— ——t t¢ r shaft. H beh il. i GOLD LURES ADVENTURERS TOWARD THE ARCTIC
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POPULAR MECHANICS 235 AUTO CARRIER IS HIDDEN MAKE CLOTHES CLOSET WHEN NOT BEING USED TO USE ON ROAD ih I tantly ready for service, but folded For rooms that do n on the running board when not closets a novel dustprooi , a rack has been devised for auto- beeninvented : iles which does not mar the appear- by a woman. ~ e of the car. Easily opened, roomy It can be rigid, it cannot be lost and may be carried about h | when needed the year round for and is large ; le cases, golf bags, and bundles. enough to : are provided so that any luggage hold hats, . ‘ be strapped to the rack, away from shoes, and of the car. When not in serv-_ other clothes it lies back out of sight and, being [lt can be y built, adds to the rigidity of the opened and ng board. hut r out RAILWAY ON TOP OF BUILDING airing. Thi TO CLEAN CORNICES fabric bod on ( t - iid in the work of changing cornice to! : and keeping clean the terra-cotta weight e of a western business block, a top has metal el railway has been installed which tasteners that ' es greatly the cost of this work and spread apart reases the efficiency of the janitors. and told e cove! -gauge tracks are laid along the the room where it u es of the structure. Upon these op-_ use, it folds into 1 cor erates a three-wheel truck which has a hort tower and a ladder which is sus- @Encouraged by the success of an all- led over the top of the building. The metal plane wl rried ¢ ot of the ladder contains a small cage’ gers, German inventors in which the workman sits. A 200-pound upon a huge airplane to weigh 1 unterweight maintains the balance of This plane will be d device. By its use two men can do sengers yurs the same work that pre-_ three | required ten. ing Cage Run about Top of Building on Track to Enable Workmen to Clean Cornice Lights More Eff ly, and How It is Lowered into Position Wherever Desired
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DEVIL DANCE CURES ILLS, ISLAND FOLK THINK Devil dancers and witch doctors certain south-Pacific islands leaders of natives in their distri at certain - t ¢ they put ( ead masks of strange de- sign to scare iway evil spir- its as they dance Ameri- can mission es are help- 1 r to ab lish supersti- tions, but in ;m Ca es t v have not been able to convince the atives that the so-called devil dancer cannot really cure sickness by hopping up and down from one foot to the other Efforts also have been made to per- suade the is- lands’ young . en not to wear rings their fingers and toes. on IVORY SIGHTS ON GUNS FOR USE IN DARK Ivory gun sights, one placed at the end of the barrel and the other in the center, are the latest im- yrovement in the buildin: “yprtge me Thi rv re T it ab | - v between the e1 ( t | rel nd the hamm«e ; the large sight at the f: combine to correct twist- ing, one of the most com- mon faults of novices in shooting. Another advan- tage claimed for the ivory is that the user can sight in the dark with greater accuracy. Hunters say great aid in teaching that \ the beginner. Strange Devil Danc Islan« > POPULAR Sea PLAGUE MECHANICS OF CATERPILLARS STOPS RAILWAY TRAINS Science trie¢ of hills -of a a cate Tpular S west 1 to battle against a plague th: at swept across the foot- ern state recently, destroy- mm ine Crops in 1 its wake and learing rail- way tracks so thickly th trattiic ganized an of stu- ts with pot- ay . rmyv 1 aen son pots, elec- tric flashlights, and chemicals, were practi il- ly helpless be- fore this. de- structive army o f SWwafrm- ing insects, and nature helped. Flies avertook t h caterpillars as > UO t! ley mounted the crest ot t he coaSt- range foothills me a battle ——~ followed. Hour by Was hour the insect host slain by the flies, while farmers aided by using se blowpipes to burn them. When the lars crossed the caterpil- plains tl marched into towns, cover- ing even sidewalks and rail- road tracks an inch deep As fast as they came, the flies laid eg ; whicl ] to] } ‘ ALC S p I that, tut ] é ott ¢ ice ] 1 1 ¢ 1 co } é (i ¢ we tinh | S ture = tice on a roller moved by a of S« thumbscrew, has been pat- ented The user turns thie dial on which is printed “Wil I Return, until the hour he chooses a
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r to tire of gazing on the long ¢ POPULAR AUTO BED TIGHT OR LOOSE AT TURN OF HANDLE ily carried in an automobile and enough for two persons, a bed has built with a canvas cover which be made as tight or loose as desired turning a ratchet attached to the e. Although designed for outdoors, ay be used in an emergency around home. When folded up, it will fit e bumper or running board of a car, 1 it weighs only 3/ pounds. JAPANESE WOMAN ARTIST PAINTS COURT LADY Under the title of “A Mad Court Lady Old Japan,” a painting by one of the t famous women artists of the land the Mikado has been exhibited re- in the East. Almost life-size, the re is worked out in all the gorgeous ng of the Orient. roved effective in drawing the at- n of the crowds, who never seem Its air of mystery ng by Japanese Woman Shows “A Mad Court Lady” of the Orient partially closed eyes, and flowing draperies of the figure. @ Under the lens of a microscope scien- tists now can cut a living human or other animal cell into two parts and study the divisions. Separating of these tiny units of life is made possible by an invention of a middle-western scientist Glass needles are used in cutting the cell MECHANICS 237 “LITTLE PRINCESS” OF CIRCUS IN RACE WITH GIANT Which is the most popular. a giant or a dwarf? Ee 1 | Yr in Z if Q ve the « he ; { TENT PEG LIKE CORKSCREW } _ 7. ] Ve ( into the g the h; | the e na t until it is in deep enoug It set, even in
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POPULAR MECHANICS Three Men Developing a Photograph about 30 Feet Long and 10 Feet Wide: The Sheets were Washed with a Mop in a Specially Built Tray HUGE PHOTO OF WILD LIFE NINETY-SIX FEET LONG What is declared to be the largest photograph of the kind in the world is being completed by a middle-western useum after more than two years of rk. At present the picture is 10 feet wide and 96 feet long, but when com- pleted it will form a panorama 265 feet one ] areas To complete the final picture, hun- of smaller were taken over a stretch of territory covering 250 miles and extending th Indiana and development, the ones rough For their in- 7 . mols Photo of Wild Museum: Panorama Years by Experts of a It will Be About Tinted in Section of Huge n Two pleted, Life When 300 Feet Long and will Natural Colors photographs specially con- structed tank, 742 feet by 5 feet and more than a foot deep. was rocked by several men, while a boy in boots spread the chemical used. When assembled, the pictures were tinted in natural colors to convey a realistic idea of the wild life of the region required a ‘his @ Barber shops in many cities of Europe do not use the striped pole, but instead a small brass bowl is hung over the front door. Most of the shops are for both men and women, the divided by sc1 sectii being ms eens ye ' Made : Com- “ be
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Scan POPULAR MECHANICS 239 WOMEN FREED BY SCIENCE FROM HOURS OF TOIL How much electricity has done in re- ng servants and saving the amount ork once done by the housewife, is some recent figures stating that an homes there are now being more than 20,000,000 — electrical d appliances. The amount of ived for the housewife by use of inventions cannot be estimated, but erted that the percentage of serv now less than half what it was re electricity was harnessed for the Seven million electric irons are in America. Nearly 4,000,000 vac- cleaners do the labor of a broom dustpan. Three million electri rs do in a few hours what, a dec- go, required an entire day’s back- ling labor over a tub and washboard ine hundred thousand owners of electric washers keep their hands out of ipy water now, and more than four that number do their sewing on lines run by motors. There are re than 100,000 electric ironers in use es. FOUR-SPRAY TAR SPREADER DOES WORK OF MANY By the use of four sprays instead of brush, the work of four laborers is lone with one road tar sprayet bi ss AKE &@ #Y Hand-Pumped Spray for Spreading Tar Does Work . VW of Four Men and Saves Material now used in Europe. The invention, made of gas pipe, simple to build, its pumped by hand and spreads tar evenly, ly, and quickly, on the same principle that a paint air brush works The four nozzles are far enough away from the workman so that he will not have to walk through the tarred surface Use of this sprayer also results in a saving of tar, it is claimed. sparing ) FALSE ARM STEERS AUTO BY NOTCHED WHEEL | Cripples who have lost an arm can run autos by use of a special steering whe« and false arm, the invention of a forme: n That Enables Crippled Motorist to D Car through Traffi LIGHT IN MIRROR AIDS IN SHAVING ple >_ —t mb mt ne
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Rides in Sidecar Board of Auto br c f ae va ti c : ° ; Giant Deep-Sea Sawfish, 26 Feet Long and Weighing 3,240 Pounds, with Its Captor joata4 AW HOW SCIENCE KEEPS ANIMALS HEALTHY IN ZOOS Gathered together from every part of the world and kept in close confinement to which they are not accustomed, ani mals in the zoo present a real problem to science. Although their health is guarded closely, the temperature of their regulated to simulate the conditions un der which they live in their wilds and their food carefully looked afte: i they often require the attention of do cages native tors and even dentists. During the winte: ; months, they become fat and sluggi So,in the spring the amount of food give f them is cut down until they regain thei | accustomed sleekness and vigor. One ot the first signs of illness is the refusal to eat This results in an immediate visit | from the doctor and often the forcible use of medicine, which all animals dis- like as much as most children. In many cases, fits of distemper and unusual rest lessness have been traced to toothache cavities Sometimes the are filled, but ; more often the tooth is extracted be- t cause of the difficulty of holding the ’ animal quiet during a more lengthy ses- with the dentist. In general, all of the animals are more gentle when young With advancing years they often become morose and sullen. Trai tempt to train a full-grown animal $10n ners seldom at East Africa: Herd of Zebras, Known as One of the Shiest Animals of the Wilds, Snapped at a Water Hole in British The Photograph was Taken at Long Range 240
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CHILDREN OF THE WILDS BROUGHT UP ON BOTTLES Guarded as carefully as any human baby, it is often found necessary to sepa- rate little children of the wilds, who are born in captivity, from their parents. In such cases they are usually fed milk from bottles and are weighed daily to be sure ‘ the diet agrees with them. In other in- tances, they are turned over to a foster parent to be mothered. Deprived of their natural surroundings, they develop a real ection for their keepers, but seldom this extend beyond their maturity, n their wild instincts become more developed. As babies, how ever, the wildest animals are safe and ten mischievous playfellows. Tiger cubs love to romp and play like kittens. Little bears, scarcely larger than rabbits, yambol about in the sun all day long then curl into furry balls in the cor- of their cages. They usually are rn during the winter months when § their mother is hibernating, and at first ire all paws and head. When spring mes, they are big enough to follow he: ibout in search of nuts to-satisfy their ferocious appetites. Because of their life in the open, they are said to be less troubled when ss young by sick- ness than human \ children, whom resemble in many ways. é ¥ § : : f f 43. OR Sait * ad One of the Most Remarkable and Savage of African An African Explorer Feeding One of His J Birds, the Shoebill, in London Zoo Pets That Lost I Parent
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9 12 CIGAR ENDS KILL INSECTS, AND ASHES AID PLANTS When the average man has finished smoking his cigar or cigarette, he throws it away But the saving person, who eorrmner CLARKE & HYDE Frugal Smoker Who Saves Ashes for Plant Fertilizer, and Butts to Kill Insects wishes to get everything of use out of the tobacco, saves the ends and the ashes. The butts have been found'to be of value in killing certain insects that harm plants, and the ashes make an excellent fertilizer, so plants will grow more healthy. Nic- otine, too, is worth saving. In a city in Europe there is a man who collects ashes and nicotine which bring a very high price. Another frugal smoker even saves partly burned matches to use in starting grate fires. POLISH OR PAINT CARRIED IN HANDLE OF BRUSH Greater economy and convenience are claimed for a brush that carries boot blacking, furniture polish, wood stain, or paint in its handl The floy is con- trolled by pressure of the finger and thus is evenly and easily ap- plied. It may be used for cleaning clothes, painting, shining shoes, furniture polishing, type cleaning, and many other purposes. POPULAR -MECHANICS RUBBER FOR SCRUB BOARDS TO SAVE MUCH LABOR On the same principle that the eraser on pencils rubs out marks on paper, a scrub board with a rubber face has been made to take out the dirt in clothes. The rubbing surface is heavy and resilient, so that it will not make the knuckles sore. It will not rust, crack, or break, and is claimed to last for a considerable time COMPASS AND GRADE DIALS MADE FOR MOTORISTS Following the trend of aviation, the compass has found its way to the auto- mobile dashboard. With the vogue of touring and cross-country driving this is an added feature of great impor- tance. An- other inter- esting device for the mo- torist indi- cates accu- rately the steepness of the hill or the decline. This not only satisfies a nat- ural curios- ity but ena- bles the driver to keep a de- pendable check on the performance of his engine. If a car that has been able to take a 20-per-cent grade easily suddenly shows a marked falling off in its hill- climbing ability, as attested by the in- dicator, remedies may be sought before the trouble leads to more serious con- sequences. It is also useful at night when the surrounding darkness hides the steep- ness of the grade from the man at the wheel. CORK WADS IN GUN SHELLS Greased cork wads are being used in gun shells to give greater speed and driv- ing power. Formerly all shells had felt wads between the powder chamber and the shot. The two advantages claimed for the greased cork are that about seven per cent greater velocity results and that the gun barrel is kept from pitting.
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6,000,000 POUNDS OF MAIL HANDLED IN ONE DAY
Mail Pouring through New Postal Station, Which is Equipped to Handle More than 6,000,000 Pound f Incoming Matter Every Day. Below: Moving Platform, Endless Chains, and Automatic Chutes, Forming Great Interior Transportation System for Handling Letter-Filled Pouches - — ra <3 wer j m ££ | \ Wi \) | ss : ' Yel : Bei é oy Fs
Every device known science and engi- ing for handling has been used in postal station at Endless belts, head carriers, mov- r platforms, and sptral hutes avoid delays 1 blockades. It is stimated that more 6,000,000 pounds of mail can be received, * 4 orted., placed in sacks, EE UUU
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244 POPULAR MECHANICS “STUFFED” ANIMALS SO REAL THEY SEEM TO BREATHE “Animal architects” is the name that should be dermists, fiven to government. taxi- for they build up, in lifelike contract but also to exploit the fast service, advertise rates, pick up sl points of origin, and deliv them for air transportation at main-] air ports. Regular commercial airpla carriers, under the plan, would fly d ments at Two Animal Sculptors at Work on a Small Model of an Antelope, Which Later will Some Natural-History Collection ; , LO wit n, the outer 1 its own fur structure and clothe it , or skin, so that it seems almost to breathe. Skill and patient labor work the miracle, for such it seems after the modern animal sculptor has turned a few bleached bones and limp bit of fur into an exact replica of denizen of the wild. ( I 1 } I some roving Although the art f mounting animals is almost 300 years Id, it has been greatly improved by the government experts, who combine a knowledge of anatomy with that of mod- eling. New methods have supplanted the old process of “stuffing,” and now the skins are put over hollow plaster figures. Several of the expert workers have been in the government service for more than 16 years. AIR EXPRESS TO FLY BOTH BY DAY AND NIGHT To carry parcels and small packages, one of the larger express companies has announced that it is planning a regular airplane service between Chicago . and New York. It was declared that this concern was not only ready to enter into COPYRIGHT, UNDERWOOD & UNDERWOOD be Enlarged for Display in re sulting in a great Saving in time over even the fastest express trains HOUR GLASS ON PHONE MARKS TIME YOU TALK Something new tor keep- ing track of elapsed time at the tele- phone 1s an hour which is eas- ily attached glass to the tele- phone post. When the glass is in- verted, it takes five minutes for the sand to run through, so that a glance while talking tells the speaker how much time remains for the conversation ne
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— ° Se ’ s,s Sv VY » POPULAR “LOUD SPEAKER” GUIDES VESSELS TO PORT ne engineers at an English port levised a voice-amplifying appara- hich, it is claimed, greatly reduces f nger of t Lents ir or ¢ ves- ; yproeach- docks busy har- igonals, sent hart d tug DY VW lers, 1s }mon Ait delay steé ers | »yme- ' 7 ‘ € suit . n t new ; ) t F super- endent may Ss voice a long etch of to the Sman l Mmmine > & ° » =@ ny 3 en ties 5a | ls are ed Ane am- Huge “Loud Speaker’ being Raised into Position by a Derrick ‘ plaint ' er 1S so So That Passing Vessel may be Hailed by Harbor Master was said. oO ¢ that a been rece ne is necessary to swing it into posi- ot als being ing so to for use. An attendant, mounted on wires that torm might cause the hoist, points the instrument in the come together with disastrous result per direction. Wet kite strings, according to tl é —- — perts, would carry enough current PUMP MAKES FIRE-FIGHTER cause a shocl nd might even start s OF ANY AUTOMOBILE ous fires by resulting in dangerous “s| circuits’ when \ pped it tl o help in fighting fires in small towns, pump has been devised which may be placed on any automobile. Operated by ie motor, it will throw between 200 and 1 +1 50 gallons of water per minute at 20 sunds pressure. The pump may be at tached to the car in two minutes and iv also be used on construction work i igating. So powerful is the de a= 3 t it will throw a stream 26 feet the ait MECHANICS KITES AND RADIO AERIALS SOURCE OF DANGER When Benjamin F ] he | nt Hat ) elec 1 the tric air all to H1TT1S ell wires to hinder him But cay the a TRAVELING SCREEN IS USED AS CLOTH ES CLOSET Made sect nN oO ft t it can folded 1 ( 1¢ iS b ” { may he used 4 et « to { part of a B hooks ins¢ round the I cle e proy l I l ing clothe The par n like ranklin flew his kite lf. There we
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POPULAR MECHANICS DISHPAN RAISED TO AID SWEDISH PROGRESS SHOW THE BUSY HOUSEWIFE AGLOW WITH LIGHTS To do away with the bending which Thousands of electric lights that lend makes dishwashing such a disagreeable a glow to every part of the grounds | task, a clever inventor has designed been installed in the Shrine of Sport and other buildings, as well as all of thi walks and drives, at the Tercentennial, « 300-year anniversary exhibition, bei held in Gothenburg, Sweden. The ple ing electrical effects bring out in relief the artistic lines and architectut beauty of the structures, and it by those attending the exhibition night view is superior to that of thr time. \ si 1 lake at the portal t] sports hall 3 urrounded by a light-fe tooned promenade kach building is «le voted to some branch of industrial, « mercial, and recreational progre by th country tor more than three turie a vy interesti Yr nie ind trophies are on display. | all of the Scandinavian countri¢ \ — , , joined with Sweden in the celebration : Removing Wire Screen from Bottom of Dishpan That Has Adjustable Legs : : F @ Extending the application of rais« an elevating device consisting of a skele- characters which enable the blind to re ton pan with a wire bottom. At each a French inventor has devised a ther corner are bolts attached to legs which mometer for the use of the sightless \ may be fixed at any desired height A pointer indicates the rise and fall of the nut controls the height. The wire screen mercury. The blind reader has only to at the bottom of the pan 1s removable to feel with his fingers in order to “read” the aid in cleaning temperature. } BRITAIN BUILDS MONSTER BOMBING AIRPLANE Built entirely of steel, with bullet-proof built. It has four propellers, any two of engine housings and cabin, a monster which are capable of keeping the 1 bombing airplane has been completed chine in the air if the other two are and delivered to the British Air Ministry. abled. The armor plate in the plane rhe huge bomber, which was assembled designed so that it will withstand ma : in secret, is said to be the largest ever chine-gun and shrapnel fire. Left: Rear View of Great Britain’s Largest Bomber en Route to Airdrome. Above: Side View, Showing Armored Engine Housings
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POPULAR MECHANICS
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POPULAR ARMY FINDS WAY TO KEEP ITS MESSAGES SECRET So small that it can be carried slung across a man’s shoulder, a combined tele- been de- telegraph set has Built by Army En- and Telephone Set send Messages withgqut Detection rs to pend vised by U. S. Army engineers which makes it possible to send messages with- out fear of eavesdroppers. Known as the “buzzerphone,” the instrument is so built that telephone and telegraph mes- iges may be sent at the same time with- out interfering with each other. When connected to a line, it is impossible for sages may Batteries and Wiring Inside of the New Army “Buz- zerphone”’ Devised to Defeat Spies anyone to pick up the telegraphic sig- nals by what the engineers call “induc- tance’—a_ favorite method of spies. Telephone conversations over the line, however, cannot be so safeguarded. MECHANICS RACING AUTO TAKES GAS AND OIL “ON THE GO” While racing along at a speed of near] 50 miles an hour to record, break a automobile recently was supplied wit gas, oil, water, and relief drivers without stopping the car during a 3,155 50 hours 21 minute run made in though three stops were made during this time, the engine roing without pause. All the ‘ plies were taken yoard ( ping the machine from ; the hich 1 on le durit the f delivery COFFEE MEASURED BY SLIDE IN BOTTOM OF CUP 1 lo use t ‘ t ount ot ee ' P . one T 0 T eF€ ( rout Cut 1 thy iine } { 1ding bottom been en When filled level with the top, ere 1S enough cof- fee for four cups. A slid- ing base, moved from t he handle, is pushed into the — — space marked } for the other amounts. As this cup 1 marked from the bottom up, the ( back and forth coffee can. does not pour measure to the AIR SURVEY OF ALL ALASKA TO BE MADE BY NAVY Aerial maps of Alaskan territory will be made this summer by two naval planes carrying a full equipment of photographic material, mapping and special high-powered lenses for distance work During the operation the planes make their home on a warship anchored off the coast. It is expected that infor mation of value to conservation and de velopment projects will be obtained in this manner from the air in territory that camer;ras, is otherwise almost inaccessible. Aerial maps will be made by the planes, which will furnish information that would otherwise take months to obtain. It also planned to make a survey of the Alaskan oil fields and of the seal herds in the near-by waters, and information of value to aviators will be sought.
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CHANICS . 4 4 MI POPULAR 7. vhail**Vaedt” “Whudl Pal f kis SUS US UT UTS US US US: MS WS UT WH VS UT US US US US US WS: be) “wi wd RA TAL PELL ELA AG ALE UIA TAU SAU IA SATA A AL IAS UI J SAU SUE SS USE SU SLI CT UT TSS UT OS UT UTS CT SUS US UL US US US UL FAST WUT UT US US CLAS UL US US US US hall UII VIPUL * mies FAL SLI and Relief Drivers Given Gas, hine, »pping put St ring a 3,155-Mile Run with Water, Oil, caking Automobile being i-Br ly Car Racing beside It du from a Supp
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TRUSTY PLOW SOON MAY BE ONLY A RELIC BY FRANK RIDGWAY Rough Soil at Bottom of Picture Shows Condition of Ground after It had been Turned Over with an Ordinary Plow; That in the Distance Shows Effect of the Use of the Rotary 8 the side of the old spinning wheel and loom may soon be placed a duplicate of the modern moldboard plow. Seed Bed after the Rotary Plow had Gone over the Stubble, Showing Absence of the Open Furrow Rusty heaps of disks, harrows, rollers, and drags will be left in fence corners, for a new soil-milling machine has been invented by a Pacific-coast engineer to take the place of agriculture’s symbol, tlie plow, and the long string of imple- ments that follow it in making the seed bed. Lacking a better term, the inventor calls his device a rotary plow, but it is more than that. In his imagination he 250 has put plows, harrows, disks, molded a single machine that does the work of all. While the ordinary plow turns up or inverts the soil, this machine strikes downward with a series of obliquely set blades or shears. These saw their way through the soil with 24 shears striking the ground at the rate of 53 every sec- ond, pulverizing the dirt so finely that the clods can all be passed throug! 14-inch mesh sieve. No combination of implements in ex- istence today, even with an endless chain of operations, could be put in a field and leave the ground in so good a condition Rotary Plow Going over Field Covered with Sunflower Stalks 10 Feet Long rollers, etc., into the melting pot, and, in reality,
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Telate. POPULAR as does this machine, it is claimed. One trip thoroughly pulverizes the soil, makes loose, aerated, and level, ready for the lanter or drill. Furrows are done away ith, the soil is powdered and piled up mmediately back of the rotary drum, and hen leveled by a trailing drag attached ehind. Vegetable matter, cornstalks, small- rain stubble, weeds, sunflower stalks, ng tough stems of grass, cane stalks, nd straw leit on the surface of the eround from the previous crop, is opped up into short pieces and uni- mly mixed with the fine soil from the top to the bottom of the seed bed. In n oat-stubble field where the ground as covered with a 12-inch layer of fresh inure mixed with tough straw, the new w chopped up the material into fine pieces and distributed it evenly through- out the seed bed, where it will ferment, Drum Studded with Shears Which Make It Possible to Plow within Five Feet of the Corner Posts unlocking the plant food that will soon become available for the next crop. SLEEPING COACH FOR AIR OR RAILWAY SERVICE Plans for an aerial Pullman which will run on ordinary railway tracks or may be attached to an airplane, are being ex- amined by the British air-craft authori- ties. A great, slim, metal saloon, like a long, tapering Pullman car, is the basis of the idea. This coach would be cov- ered with gleaming sheaths of light metal and would rest on a long framework with wheels to run along railway tracks. Hav- ing both day and night accommodations, it would be backed into a depot to re- ceive its passengers. When they are aboard, an engine would take it to an airdrome outside a city, where it would shed its wheels and be attached to an airplane body. Landed at its destination, the flying car would go through another quick change and then be taken to a city terminus on railway tracks. MECHANICS 251 WEATHER DIAL ON TOWER INSTEAD OF CLOCK On the Tae F ow — tower ofa museum in a European city is a huge barometer dial 18 feet across and with a gilded hand weigh- ing Leg pounds. If the hand moves to the right, people know that good weather is coming, put, ck ft sways to the Lect, sa 6 weather is on the way. Down on the main floor of the building are the parts of the actual baromete r, trom which the weather indications are transmitted by electricity to the dial. “SQUIRREL-CAGE” WHEELS USED FOR TRACTORS Queer-shaped wheels have been de- vised for use on a tractor, which give it a better grip in soft ground or on steep grades. They look much like huge squirrel cages, and cannot fill up, as sand or mud will drop through them. A test was made, first with ordinary tractor Skeleton-Tread Tractor Wheels Designed to Give Bet ter Grip When Moving over Soft Ground wheels, and then with the “squirrel cages,” to find out which slipped the more in heavy travel. It was found that the ordinary wheels slipped more rhe cage wheels also made better speed, both on level ground and on the slopes.
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POPULAR MECHANICS OTSVOVOYS "a VOY OV II VEE VEEN Ne v Natives of Indo-China Raising Water to Their Fields with Buckets: Modern Irrigation Methods have been Unable to Overcome the Traditions and Displace the Crude Systems Used for Ages
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POPULAR ANCIENT FARMING METHODS USED IN INDO-CHINA In a day and age when engineers of the western world are announcing plans for reclaiming millions of acres of arid lands through irrigation projects involving huge dams and the latest machinery, it ms almost incredible that in the re- mote sections of Asia human ingenuity has not progressed a single step from the crude methods used by the early Egyp- tians in raising water to flood their fields. Yet, in Indo-China, the most primitive of ll ground-watering devices — buckets, uspended on strings between laborers— are being employed, much in the same manner as by the first tillers of the soil. By means of this simple system, the tives are able to irrigate only a few cres of land each year, and this gener- ly is devoted to the rice crop. Though i great waste of labor, these farmers are content to do as their forefathers have done for generations be- fore them. While two men may operate a single-bucket device, in raising water from a river, the custom is to attach two buckets together and use four laborers, two on each side. eems there 1s a humble RAZOR SHARPENER IMITATES BARBER’S MOTION Something new for those who use a safety razor is a sharpener which strops the blade with a motion similar to that used by a barber. After the blade is in- serted, a crank is turned, causing the edge to come in contact with a revolving strop. At every second turn the blade is raised, and reversed before coming down to meet the strop again. A small lever clamps the blades firmly in the holder. Either single or double-edge Turn of Handle Strops Razor Blades with Motion Sim- ilar to That Used by Barber blades may be honed. When not in use the crank folds flat, giving the device a compact appearance. MECHANICS 253 LIFE-SIZE TOY ANIMALS MOVE BY ELECTRICITY Life-size elephants, tigers, camels. clowns, and animals that most as if they move about al- were living, are Making Life-Size Papier-Maché Animals That Move, in an Eastern Toy Sho; Putting Final Touches to Human Figures First De- signed by Artist on Canvas combined ened can- ence, art, and imagination are The animals and clowns are first des by an artist who paints figures on vas. Paintings are copied by a sculptor who models in clay; casts foll Mold are filled with,absorbent paper and paste, and are baked 12 hours at a temperature of 200 degrees. The figures are then painted several times, equipped with elec- tric motors, wires, and pulleys, and are then ready to perform. @In the early ‘30s there were steam automobile busses in regular use in Eng- land. One was called the “Autopsy,” an example of the grim humor of the tim: This would indicate that the motor cart is more than 90 years old
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POPULAR CITY OF FLAMING LIGHTS BEACON OF WEALTH Out in the Far thousands as a West today oil lures quick route to wealth, just as gold raised hopes of easy money in the hearts of those pioneers who, back in “49, made the great trek across unexplored country. Spots that three, five, or ten years ago were barren and deserted, places that were scorned as “No Man's Land,” now are the Mecca of men who see possibilities of a “strike.” Oil regions are humming with activity day and night. When darkness falls, a city of flaming lights appears, illuminat- ing the sky for many miles around, fir- ing the imagination and the enthusiasm of all who see it BINS UNDER TABLE TOP SAVE BENDING flour bin large sack, and a drawer Space for enough for a sugar, a small Sliding Porcelain Table Top Gives Easy Access to Many Bins Hidden below It for knives, forks, and spoons, are covered by a sliding porcelain table top in a new labor saver for the kitchen. The table is the average height, 33 inches; the top slides back and forth, thus enabling the housewife to dispense with the bins usu- ally placed below. HEARING THROUGH A CANE TO AID THE DEAF To aid the deaf, a cane with a fully equipped telephone system has been de- vised. In appearance, it is exactly simi- lar to an ordinary walking stick, all of the instruments being concealed inside of it. In the knob, however, is a_ highly sensitive telephone receiver. One side of the knob is flat and perforated. This is placed against the ear when sitting at a concert or talking with a friend in the street. By turning a small silver screw, the instrument may be adjusted to the hearing capacity of the person using it. Electricity is supplied by three flashlight batteries in the neck of the cane. MECHANICS 255 OBSTACLE RACE TO TEST SOLDIERS’ ENDURANCE Races form an important part of the training of Difficult soldier cadets in England barriers are erected in the Huge Iron Half-Cylinder is Used as Obstacle in ace t Train British Soldiers of the runners, who must display spec strength, and climbing ability to get ‘ them. One obstacle, used by the R Military Academy in a recent meet shaped like a half-circle, and was 10 feet high. Another, and even harder one to get over, was a series of two wooden Long Boards in Form of Tent Top Fail to Prove Real Hindrance to Racers in England gables, having smooth sides and steep angles, joined like the teeth of a saw. @ To save time, a European inventor has devised a way of tempering saw teeth with electricity. It is said a skilled work- man can temper 400 teeth an hour by this method. An increase of 20 per cent in output was noted in one sawmill where it was used.
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Bag Camel be- Dentist Right, Above: Gas-Tight Left, Neck; Fumigating a Camel to ing Treated by
Kill Skin Germs. Close-Up of the around the CHANICS Below: _ 4 4 MI POPULAR . ¥ »” ers VWs a * *, toy poe KO <a aX f4°
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POPULAR MECHANICS 2 ~2 MEDICAL TREATMENT ENABLES CAMELS TO ENTER U. S. American customs officials are vigilant in every corner-of the globe to insure that no disease carriers, human or other- wise, are permitted to embark for the United States. A striking example of this alertness was afforded recently when a number of camels arrived at Hanover, Germany, from India. These animals were consigned to an American film com- pany, for use in an Oriental scene. Upon examination, the American customs au- thorities refused to issue health releases for the animals, claiming that they were diseased. Dismayed at this turn of events, representatives of the shippers decided to consult a noted authority on animal diseases. After a thorough in- spection, he undertook to put the camels through a rigorous course of health treatment. Each was placed in a spe- cially constructed fumigating apparatus, resembling a furnace, in order to kill any skin parasites present. The long neck of the camel protruded through an opening in the chamber, and was @mveloped in a gas-tight canvas sack, to which the fumi- gating gas also had access. Some of the camels required dental treatment, and were trussed up to permit a dentist to work on their teeth. An entire week was consumed in treating all the animals. At the end of this time they were pro- nounced to be in perfect shape, and a health certificate was issued. LENS LOOKS INTO HEART WHILE IT IS BEATING Looking inside the human heart with- out halting its beating, has been made possible with a _ surgical instrument known as the cardiscope. It is a metal tube, about the size of a pocket flash- light, one end of which carries a lens. A small electric-light bulb, fitted on a carrier, is placed against the surface of the lens. This illuminates the inner lin- ing of the heart during an operation after a small opening has been made by the surgeon. By its use it is hoped to be able to cure common heart diseases. ELECTRIC LIGHTS ON MAP MARK CITY’S GROWTH Studded map, used electric a recent with small during lights, a exhibit in miniature of many of New York's attrac- tive sights, showed the progress of the Workmen Putting Finishing Touches on Illuminated Map Designed to Show Growth of City city’s growth. Mechanics spent many weeks on the wiring and placing of bulbs in order to make every detail of the work Model of Great Bridge, Complete in Every Detail, Built for City’s Jubilee Exposition accurate, and were rewarded by havi one of the most popular displays at the exhibit. A model of the Williamsburg Bridge, complete in all its parts, also was built for the show. SCIENCE IN TRAFFIC RULES EXPLAINS RIGHT TURN Why the order in traffic is to keep to the right has been explained by scientists as due to the fact that most people are right-handed and thus, because the right half of the body is kept a little forward in walking, it is natural to swing in that direction. So, turning to the left, as is the rule in many cities of Europe, is not the best way, it is reasoned. In fog, it has been found, a man is likely to walk to the right.
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258 POPULAR MECHANICS MECHANICAL-DOLL SHOWS REVIVED IN EUROPE Mechanical-doll shows, similar to the “Punch and Judy” exhibi- tions of a generation ago, have been revived in Europe and are attracting a good following among the theatergoers of Eng- land and Italy. Known as “marionettes,” these dolls are constructed in life-size and clothed to suit the production in which they are used. Wires, at- tached to the various joints of each doll, are controlled by op- erators, who are concealed above the stage. During the Middle Ages doll shows were staged by magicians, but their popularity gradually waned until in late years they were practically un- known. Whether the exhibitions will reach this country depends upon the reception they get in Europe. HOLDER FOR HOT PANS PREVENTS BURNING Cooks who fear their hands will be burned in lifting hot pots and pans now are offered a safety device for handling dishes. Into narrow strips on both sides ___ and near the top of a pan are ore an 6 placed holders with wooden Operators, Concealed above the Stage, Controlling Wires That r mrs Rese f > Cause Dolls to “‘Act’’ in Marionette Show STips These serve as handles. TWO-STORY HOUSE IS MOVED much-traveled boulevard and the moving ACROSS 20-FOOT CANON operations had to be carried out with extreme caution. It required two days, How to get a large two-story house’ the pulling being done by two mules with across a canonlike street, 20 feet deep, wire cables. A single false move would Left: View of Two-Story House being Moved across 20-Foot Cajfionlike Street, Showing Arrangement of Cribs. Right: Safely Across; Movers Bridged the Gap in Two Days without Hindering Traffic was the problem of house movers in San have toppled the house into the street Pedro, Calif., recently. The street is a endangering the lives of passers-by os toe) !)lU
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POPULAR MECHANICS 259 BABY CARRIAGE IS TURNED INTO ROCKER OR CRIB urning a baby carriage into a crib or cker by a flip of the handle is the t accomplished by a Virginia inventor. wheels which may be raised or low- used to rock a baby as a carriage, by the movement NAVAL RADIO IS CONTROLLED BY PHONE SWITCHBOARD through whic may be connected with hone operator's, Washington to ding to some distant point, government o United States warships, LEAKPROOF FLOWER BASKET flowers are watered at The water fills at the base of the flowerpot ysorbed by the flowers. A large- ds the moss in place. SPRAY OF MOLTEN IRON WON’T BURN HAND Not so many generations ago suspected criminals were forced to walk across a bed of hot coals in what was known as Spray of Molten Iron So Fine It will Not f Nhen Turned against Hand that if Providence prevented their being burned, they must be innocent. To across blazing coals seems impossible yet recently a European inventor plu his hand in a stream of molten iron out even being burned. Forced fro1 nozzle by air pressure, the white metal was broken up into such articles that it struck the flesh, cos 1,1 + ra 1] + + no injury resulted. When spraying the nozzle, | evet,. lt le rkke | | ¢ a ‘ : small piece ot fit VYOrTKS SHOOTS HOLES IN STACK TO KEEP CITY LIGHTED Tie city ont ig | nt usé¢ ( ‘ ev for three boilers so the top was riddled as gun. St e passed : . , 4 t was ¢ te the bi ¢ tinued to worl d the problem of ke ing up elect current was s man who used the gun got the f a custom of sending cannon ballst tanks of burning oil His quick tion of this idea to the emergency he faced undoubtedlv prevented the shutting down of many of the city’s industries for sev- eral davs
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MACHINE-MADE HORSESHOES IN OLD SMITHY Machine That Turns Out as Many Horseshoes an Hour as 12 Men per hour for two men. The clang of the smithy’s hammer will be heard no more. The blacksmith the t e will not have the ¢ f ind sinewy hands. Scie re g uscle with this inven ; a ean bla ith that does t the worl Ia mith and ist t One of the fe us¢ I mu lar at ni is in swinging a1 t ] es in the oe ¢ is being improved rapidly, and soon may be no more sparks from the far old anvil. HOLLOW HAMMER HANDLE HOLDS SCREWDRIVERS Three tools are placed within h e of a steel } f I e middle-western manutacturer A screwdriver reaches from the ] d hammer to the end of the handle this ewdriver is another, and inside the hollow handle of that is a third 1 hammer has both a flat and a rounded head POPULAR
MECHANICS LINCOLN AND GRANT BUSTS PUT IN HALL OF FAME As they worked during their lives, the busts of Abraham Lincoln and victorious general, Ulysses S. Grant, been placed together in the Hall of |] aa peg or pet - of New York Universit) There, in 17 ; - “ey " ‘ marbie, they tace each other as they so often during the critical davs [tel ill ry f{ ltl il la se a s | © | | ’ | Civil War. With the enesses of \ ? er 7 \ 7 le i \ é ‘ POTATO GRATER ALSO SLICES BY CHANGING A TIN » O 1) in 1 . 1 , , that can D 1S¢ lO A small ig grating IT I A I I tatoe é put ) ' + ‘ ’ t if in | ( oF ¢ I y « as ‘ ’ 2 - ing, and a small block which is use han : at “hanced Th tu Leste nand 18 aiso Changed, ihus two kitc utensils are made of one. SHOPPING BAG HAS SCALE TO WEIGH CONTENTS Thrifty housewives no longer have rely on the accuracy of merchants’ s since the invention of a ]
ot td
a < C2. 2 ee eS LX be G on Fy ty \' / . ~*~. \ ts) a\) .
<i | Sa | Small Dial Scale in Shopper's ae ' j Handbag Assures Housewife () Vy of Obtaining Correct Weig a A [
ping bag with a spring scale for ing the contents. The dia! is not and is attached to the handle of the which is made of leather or cloth, as t owner may desire.
{
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POPULAR MECHANICS 261 Portrait Busts of Noted Americans Unveiled Recently at the Hall of Fame, New York University, and Pro- cession of Notable Guests Who Took Part in Ceremony
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POPULAR MECHANICS LENS ON SUNDIAL SHOWS WONDERS OF NATURE View of Moon Garden through ens To do for the eye what the phonograph and the radio for the ear, a movable telescope attached to a sundial has been devised for gardens. Through its strong lens, always ready for use either day or night without adjustment, may be viewed an approaching airplane, a sparrow flee- ing from a hawk, or any of the nearly in- ——— do Beauty of Flower and Insect World Made isibl Dial on Pedestal Also Tel! ime visible wonders of ture. It require care or shelter. Wit the sundial attache to its base, the time is available o1 clear days. As the it strument is protected by a_ weather - proot cap, it may be made a permanent fixture in the garden or it may be detached easil and taken into the house. Besides bei: used for viewing near-by objects, the let is strong enough to watch the move- ments of the moon, stars, and planets. ex ¢€ FREAK WEATHER OF WORLD EXPLAINED BY SCIENCE Climatic conditions the world over are igain attracting attention through the efforts of scientists to determine causes of oddities of the weather. Sun spots and the late breaking up of the ice floes have been given as possible explanations of the unusually cool spring. Reports show that similar conditions have been noticed on nearly all the continents. Although weather discussed prob- ably more than any other subject, few persons realize that currents, mountain barriers, and atmospheric con- ditions may bring almost unbelievable climatic changes that violate all the ac- cepted rules of geography. These factors make frosty blasts in the tropics, a cli- 1S oceanic much hundred conditiot North that is than sections several south, and cause changing what normally the hotte and driest part of the earth, into of the wettest places in the world. For instanee, in the Congo is found contrast to the terrific dry heat oi Sahara Desert. Although seldom ri above 85 degrees, the heavy rains creat so much humidity that the air becomes veritable steam. Yet British East Afric lying in the equatorial with capped mountains, enjoys a healthful clt- i Ititude. -Baromet: changes bri rific rains of India, — in the su Cherra Punji is deluged with 300 of rain. Frost n mornings in India, but the d: mate in the Far warmer of miles is one zone, sno mate because of ng monsoon is set sometimes ivs
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POPULAR The Himalaya Mountains form climate irriers that produce varied conditions in ertain regions. In northwestern Tibet, \ugust is the warmest month, yet frost n be expected every night. In some ections of Siberia, while temperatures as as 83 degrees below zero have been ‘corded, conditions are healthful because is dry. The Gulf Stream makes some suntries warmer than other places many undreds of miles south. The Alps block ir currents in some sections and pro- de them in others, making climatic hanges. Elevations, oceanic currents, and at- ospheric conditions violate some popu- r beliefs concerning weather in South merica, where, for instance, Quito, ly- ig on the equatorial line, has a mean iperature about 20 degrees lower than the west coast of the continent. From lay to day here, in different seasons, here is less than one degree change in temperature. Weather conditions in North America re probably less affected by such con- litions than other parts of the world. TINY HOME IN MATCHBOX IS FEAT OF CARVER \s a novelty for children, tiny figures of people and furniture, whittled so small hat an enti1 ym’s furnishing can be placed in an ordinary safety - match box, are be- ing sold for charity in Europe. They are called matchbox homes. Each box contains a complete room. In a kitchen, for example, are placed a man and his wife, the woman churning butter, the man sitting at a table eating, and a dog lying at the.fireplace. The little models, made of wood and cut with a jackknife, are less than half an inch high. e ror @In the past year Canada has exported fresh lobsters valued at nearly $1,500,000 to the United States. [ECHANICS SLEEPING PORCH IN TREE HAS WINDING STAIR Like the South Sea islanders who built their homes in trees, an eastern man has constructed for himself a sleeping porch
Built in T Sleeping Porch Stairway beside the ee is Reached by Trunk elevated about 10 feet above Entrance is obtained by a wi way decorated Practically the onl the place l root from pearance, attention, al almost hi rounding the door, occupant FIVE-IN-ONE WRINGER MOP KEEPS HANDS CLEAN Combining the advantag: of stick, moj ‘loth, cru brus] scraper, and mop wringet in one is the fe it 7 cil >< Cl ] I il ul icture 1 Between » stick and the scrub a roller with a handle This carries a short ric. When covers the brus has been fitted belt of endless fal used as a mop tl bristles of the wringing it out, all that is needed turn of the handle. Thus one mop does the labor for which once five arate pieces were needed, and the user does not soil the hands. le ciot brush.
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4 POPULAR ‘“SHAVES’’ FACE OF CLIFF FIFTY TONS AN HOUR cut ( Ipose oft clay and ( ‘ ¢ which is used to rh t e s been built in a te cit 1g iachine that er a Ga” a At = Tower for Scraping 50 Tons of Shale an Hour from Face of Cliff FIVE DISHES FROM THREE IN NEW KITCHEN SET 1 e ree pans, because Of a new type ot flange, now are made to serve for five kitchen utensils. They are three sizes of deep pans, the smaller fitting into the irger by the flange on the rim. By turning a pan upside down and placing - » . } > lz cooker is ir¢gel One, a CEFCai n ie In a similar v ay, a double roaster can devised from two pat X-RAY BALKS SMUGGLERS’ USE OF HUGE BALES By enabling customs inspectors to see hrough heavy bales and boxes, an X-ray 1e recently put into use in England las proved a terror to smugglers. It also las resulted in a great saving of time, as kes it needless to unpack heavy + MECHANIC hat were buri« a of suspected contra such as liquor, being shippe: United States. So quick is its action +
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ASSLPPPPLPPPDLSD De CSLLPPPPLIPPTLDOPLAPTDLELPOLOTL ELS PD» dd nddddddlLLl esses Msssssssbbitivtts., L Y Y, tl” Mg LLL LIS IL LLEL ALLOY LLILS ET EL bY, LLL Le hc SCPLEL LLMLLAVLTUDE0 ET iy SSS 5 ( “if oe Cas @ WA a S\\\ aN @ Mi M—~ U y DUO Ldbbbbdddiddcdcddddddddddcdddcdadsdsadééa Yt 7 SILLTLELSS SOA 7 6 77 ead bbb bbdiisdddcddddddddsdddddddddddditcd SLOUTEA p RRS s N N 1 | millions of dollars depending upon mere puffs of smoke, spread with light e keeping open of the great ttans- ninglike rapidity until miles of territory tinental arteries of travel and com- are covered by a roaring sea of flames rce, western railways maintain fully that devours everything in its path pped fire departments to guard against In fighting such a fire, water is often truction of their snowsheds over the not to be found and so is carried in great \ [TH thousands of lives and untold — so small that at the beginning they seem g intains 25,000-gallon tanks on the trains, One road alone keeps four trains with can be made ready to answer an alart up, ready for instant action at any in three minutes. Besides the trains, fire of the day or night. Every device’ tugs are used to guard the terminals at n to science is used to protect its their contents. Hose is carried on s le ott CI Located at strategic engines which ars provided With water these ra iy fire fighters keep — sprinklers il over the lives and property Owing to the vigilance of these fire rusted to their care fighters and the completeness of their m vantage points in high towers, equipment, not a single case of seri telescopes, field glasses, charts, damage by fire has been reported on one other entific aids, scan the sur- great railway system in the past year ling lderness for the first gray his road has fire chiets, fire brigade of smoke ich may herald disaster. nd fire co inies. Its equipment - e such tower is located on a mountain’ cludes a fire boat on San Francisco Bay, 60 feet above the sea level. From its and several trains. In addition, fire haz- e visible scores of mile of ards are reduced by burning the old lu ting 1 p otected by the snow- ber from shed \ bru ind other ( ru sh during the winter mont vhe When the ounding forest timber fire will not spread. Every 1 nd € dt the nee is greatest lire corner in f 1 for ~~ Fire Train Fighting Flames Which Threaten Snowsheds Thousands of Feet above the Sea Level and Block Trafic: Four Such Trains are Kept Ready to Guard Miles of Track 209
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> 1 POPULATI Used t Protect are Often Valued at U: every unn ary inflammabl and when found it is destroyed or dis- posed of. Vith watchmen located in the sheds only, as was at one time the case, threat- ening forest fires could obtain consid- he fire-shed district before d Consequently h was or a point which would give a bird's-eye view of the snowshed trict. This point was the erable h t] Scovel searc 7 made f dis- top found on of Red Mountain. Here a stone observa- tory was located, four mil from Cisco, Utah, and from this point watchmen, during the season of fire danger, keep a 24-hour vigil charts, : : supplemented by t telescope and located in of 180 Che watchn n’ telescc pe i range To the indow an a bay w tele- degrees, | a scope is fastened a pointer wv hich travels over! C1 chart placed in the front of the tel ype. On this chart are lo- MECHANICS 1als in Western Met $ al The Be ter W told Mil f Dol cgi l t 1 well estab ed points in the relat to the s Ont lk is a he, tne ¢€ t eproduction of the Ol heds When the \ tc] ae ( COVE or sees a € he lool t] ig] his te scope and if the cross hair in it is on t line on the 1 nd fire at the time, he knows the blaze is in the s and with the aid of the pointer a Cc determines the nearest point esta on it. This inf ition is telep 1 to the tele iph operator at Cisco. 1 Wat | in can tT¢ t tive f) e 1S abo e below the hed nd even if the fire not in the sheds, if it is anvwhere } their vicinitv, men are sent to invest é and prevent the flames from approa ing nearer to the railroad propert In addition to the wat n \ just de ved there is an elect1 ,jarm Ss ste \ ith {? fire b xyes Be ~ —— Hut on Lonesome Mountain Peak Where Report Fires § ll That f Ab : Sma at the Watchers Keep Ceaseless Bes nnir They ginn Vigil over the Surrounding Territory Appear as Pufis of Smoke
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POPULAR MECHANICS 267 PICTURE MIND IN ACTION GIGANTIC GLOBE IS BUILT WITHOUT A CAMERA TO MEASURE LIGHT Photographs otf thoughts are being For measuring the inte f light ade by a western research society, it is a European scientist h built a huge claimed. Objects upon which the subject globe. This, he « thinks deeply for 10 minutes appear up- 4 on a hlm wrapped in a black paper, sealed in a yellow envelope, and hung 12 inches before the eyes. No camera is used. Persons holding strips of film to the fore- head for 10 or 15 minutes obtain pictures of the objects or scenes upon which they entrate, according to the scientists. In one test, recently made in the presence f several persons, a man wrote on paper thing upon which he.would think. He drew a rough sketch of the object and tudied this five minutes. Then it was e and he concentrated for 10 utes on the photo plate suspended 12 inches from his eyes He did not touch the plate, which was taken by three men to a dark room and there developed. A ross appeared. The paper written by the subject was next found to read, “I ill think of a cross.” This test has been repeated several times with success, the ociety reports. COFFEEPOT FOR CAMPERS WON’T BURN HANDS To aid campers, a coffeepot, intended to overcome some of the troublesome features of the ordinary one, has been invented. a ca a er With this . — 2 — “gs * oe utensil the “Sk of p gs hands cannot oS ae be burned be- Os 8 St er : asso OS handle, al- oS Caner OF eee thoughfolded Uncer th when the pot =|: a a naar apps ees : 7 : . locked into ne bea pein i —ae n . CC position when the Wall re painted \ te, tin 7 t the t 1 b I in use. An- “4 ; : other trouble ca =e with the usual camper's col- feepot is armen that the METAL WREATHS FOR GRAVE spout and handle sometimes melt off when used on an open fire. This is not Metal floral wreaths for g¢ possible with the new type because the keep “shape and color even spout and sides of the pot are made of posed to bad weather for the same sheet of metal. The side walls They are in variou hape are springy enough so the cover can be’ material. Clever workers with tin placed inside to aid carrying it. When some models that are excellent liken the pot is tilted, the cover cannot fall off. of real flowers
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POPULAR MECHANICS . WORSHIP MONKEY IN INDIA AS FRIEND OF MAN Monkeys are worshiped as gods in yana.” The Indian idea is that when hundreds of temples in India. Great Rama was roaming in the woods with his buildings are erected in their honor. bride, the king of evil spirits came down, Priests feed grain to them a stole away the young woman, daily. They are always given and took her to the island good care even though of Ceylon. A _ kind act there may be a great lack which Rama did for the of food for human king of the monkeys beings. This is because led to an army of the animals going to the there is a belief that long ago an army ot Indian sh ore near {er = a A | monkeys saved the Monkeys in India Fed and Housed by Priests Ceylon, building a : oY ne ; A Porshin Lem = ode *. 2 life of Sita, bride of Who Worship Them as Gods bridge of stones, Rama, who was the hero of the great crossing over, giving battle to the evil Hindu story of the gods, “The Rama- __ spirits, and restoring his bride to him. AIR STRONGER THAN BRAWN pressor on an automobile truck, concrete- IN BREAKING CONCRETE breaking hammers have been applied to opening streets and even basement walls Back-breaking hand-sledging days of Three such hammers, it is estimated, can the gas man and street repairer are pass- do in from 30 to 40 minutes what for- yr with the introduction of a new labor- merly took four men over four hours to saving device Iv using an air com- accomplish. In use, the hammers cut a 7 away the asphalt or concrete in large 1 then pound their way through the base to the earth slabs an TOOL OPENS ANY-SIZE CAN, BOTTLE, OR FRUIT JAR Any-size can, fruit jar, jelly glass, or bottle can be opened with a self-adjust- ing wrench recently put on the market. No moving of parts to fit various sizes are needed. The opener is so designed that all the housewife does is to grasp the handles, and the notched edges of the opener will fit into position at once. Air Hammer Doing the Work of Several Men in here are no sharp points or edges, and Opening Pavement for Street Repairs the grip is so firm that a child can use it.
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POPULAR MECHANICS 269 OLD FRENCH PIGEON HOUSE RADIO SECRECY IS GAINED LOOKS LIKE A FORT BY “SCRAMBLING” WORDS Avs
Homes for more than 5,000 pigeons are Radio messages can n be sent which contained in a unique birdhouse at the may be understood o1 by t person icient Tocqueville Chateau in France. for whom they are intended. 1 is the Solidly bult ft ———___ - ———— +s result il wy i l ‘ ( when required. Its use is said to result ing is said to result, makir ( ( in a saving of from 30 to 80 per cent in special value in navigating shallow and current. winding rivers
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POPULAR MECHANICS '/| — NS ad ) SS OQ MG GP > ”FDvw WW 6'§$ S peepee cea i ccedddddddddddddddddd VMMMMHHW@Mtétl HME ~ QQ K{K\)'" F."__.UvW0 _ eit higel Vy WOH WO WOO SSN \ SAAT TNT WOOT i Long after Trip is Over This Prize Head will Serve i I the Hunter as a Reminder i ii - ~ VOODOO il Wedded ec ddededee@ EM été. ee ddl CE. SX DQ ’ddonrnpnr \95J9}] 0
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POPULAR MECHANICS 71 IN QUEST OF THE LORDLY MOOSE wo the approach of fall thou- sands of sportsmen, who for 11 ! ths of the year remain lesks caught in the trammels of city life, are preparing to turn eir backs upon civilization, adopt the chained to ip-to-date version of primitive fife, and themselves back into the wilderness of the great North. From the little log cabin on the shore f t pine-rimmed lake comes an irre- call of the wild,” for the north- 1 ] — 1 1 ¢ } | ~ ] eo ls have a subtle magic all thei nd seldom relinquish their hold man, once they have placed re upon him. e 1 whe United States can niv about 7 000 moose, the ilder- ( y of Canada is the native é ( ‘ahi j ed ot t} 1 é t ms tial features the torest tast- nes 1S today the same as it wasin the iwn of his- tory. For the “toter” of rod and gun,no rarer land ex- ists. Here na- ture has left a vast nctuary untouched by civiliza- tion’s finger. There is good hunting in practically every 1 ince of Canada, and, roughly, about 10,- moose ] it has been estimated that half ar by visitors from the States, which, by way of comparison, is almost equal to the mature moose herd of the United States. entire may a heavy laughter, yet far from being a danger of exhaustion to the herds, authoritie of various hunting grounds advise that a killing of twice this extent might bs made each year and the natural increase definitely offset any tendency to the ex- tinction of the monarch of the Canadian fastnesses. By the middle of August the migration to the North is well on. At this season, 1 more truly so in early September, seem and the hardwood ridges are a riot of color The vell ow of birch and alder is relieved
here and there by the deep, rich green of pine, spruce, and balsam, plent dotted with the vivid red of crimsoned maples. The lordly moose can be heard bell ing } c } “ce “-hallenge - ’ ing his hoarse Challenge tar ; The most exciting, though pe the most sportsmanly method of hu can nm be practiced,.and the t € erie listening to a1 ing tot call last long after the k 7 been 1 T> t 7 ( t Tn ‘ ft . 17 | { f + ‘ ] - ? ce 7 +1 e , {) _ é = é 7 t a t ‘ t ( l to < { { ; ‘ inut ‘ c ; ace ; Strange { 1 } é ( bark of a « e g ; quiet] l ( € rernc — ( All is 1 it the lenct the l ie , , het 1 ‘ er. nd the « ; oe b can n | t oct T nN | 1. 1 whe le ct 1 then. to } hy ut ] i oily tle Two hou 1 the ON I - . if ) mm on t t } | é r it utline in bold 1 f ’ ver b d Phe cuide « | and ? quick ] T ( r ‘ | m c Standing full in the light of tl moon, the ni l offe plendid 1 - vet ind the f t shot I 1 d
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POPULAR
MECHANICS
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French Orchard Owner Training Limbs of Young FRUIT TREES ARE TRAINED IN MANY QUEER SHAPES To satisfy a love of beauty, weird ef- fects, and a keen sense of efficiency, a
COPYRIGHT, CLARKE & HYDE Limbs being Trained to Curve about a Post Fruit Circles without Cutting Down
PYRIGHT ARKE & HYDE Trees to Grow in the Form of Baskets and Fruit Yield trained his without Striving made the limbs assume the form of spirals, cork- french orchard owner has trees to grow in strange shapes atfecting their yield of fruit. By tirelessly for years, he has screws, pertect circles, basket rides.” heart-shaped pyramid strange s, and inverted cones Taking as his motto the saying that “As the twig is bent, so the tree is in- lined,” he has begun with the tendet ie branches, shaping them in the desired as they grew. way he This has not inter fered with the blossoms or the yield, although many of the limbs have had to be sustained with props while they were loaded down with fruit. - Other until the entire presents a _ picturesque sight, cing the beholder believe that he has wandered into a strange trees have been dwarfed 1 1 orchard WASTEBASKET IN DESK To save space in offices a wastebasket which fits into the desk has been in- vented. It hangs under the desk top in the place where a typewriter is sometimes placed. As it is made of metal, it is fire- proof, clean, always out of the way, and cannot be upset. The same type of basket is being made for kitchens, sewing rooms, bathrooms, and the home library. It is easily removed for cleaning.
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POPULAR MECHANICS NEEDLES AND FRYING PANS valuable inclosures which 1 SIZED BY NUMBERS overlooked when the em re opened. For this ibers will serve to indicate the similar to the X-ra) ( of everything from tacks to frying Before the envelop under a new system of measurement stroved, they are 1 ing worked out by scientists Many covered tobogg: ce s e ] now in use are measured as they is a powerful light which ere when made by hand before machin perfectly transparent, and became known. Nails were sized by can be detected inst eir cost back in the days when made tl They were sold by the res nd were given a size from the e hich was paid tor them A 10- 11 ~—— s called so because its price 10 pennies per hundred. Under the ( suring, a s S ll start é im num ber. nu iber ¢ ci 7¢ will } f er cent t 1 ¢ rec e T 1s | me i 16 ll sta d I the t ret > c X-RAY LETTERS TO FIND ANY MISSING CHECKS } than 6,000 letters a day are ex- ined by a middle-western gas company to prevent the loss of any hecks or I Ty ma F T = a MILLION GUNS ON nena SAM’S HANDS More than 3,000,000 big and little can- has me failure. No one, nons, ‘(len machine guns, and ot! ly, wants them, and now that Port New- : equipment won in the World War are” ark, N. J., where they are stored, is to proving a burden to the government be closed, their disposition has become Every attempt to make a wholesale dis- problem. It has been suggested t t tribution of them to towns and cities be taken out to sea and throughout the country as war memorials, propriate cet iy, Some of the Cannons Won in the War Which are Proving a Burden to the Government: It Proposed That They be Sunk at Sea
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POPULAR MECHANICS ay weir? American EGIOW POS Made of Flowers Tribute to Heroes of the Sea WATER BUFFER STOPS TRAIN WITH ALMOST NO JAR In an unde ound railroad station in London there has been placed a hydrau- COPYRIGHT, CLARKE & HYDE Water Tank and Heavy Plunger Used to Stop Trains in the London Subway Dipped into Ocean as ae q DIP HUGE FLORAL ANCHOR AS TRIBUTE TO SAILORS W hile officers, enlisted men, and civilians stood at attention on the U. S. S. “Nevada,” a 40- foot anchor entirely covered with flowers was dipped into the ocean in memory of sailors who died in war. The anchor was liited from the main deck by a huge crane and gently into the water as a tribute from former i] lowered and sail While the heavy guns boomed out a requiem and the ship’s flag were dipped, members of a vet- erans’ organization and the sail- ors dropped flowers and flo1 wreaths over the surface of the sea in memory of their lost c soldiers rades. Then the bugles sounds “taps,” and the impressive serv- ice was ended. Civilians are sel- dom allowed on board a United States fighting craft, but on t occasion the rule was violated so that both present and forme: sailors might join in the cere- mony, declared to have been one of the most impressive ever seen aboard a warship. After it over, the ship returned te with its flags still at halfmast lic, or water-power, buffer that, althoug weighing 7/45 tons, will stop a pressure 200 tons. On a recent test this buffer stopped a train running 10 miles an hour at a distance of 9 feet, without much shock to passengers or train. There is an extra-large reservoir of liquid for the giant plunger. Electric cars are used on the railway which is conducting the tests with the bumper. They sometime have eight or ten train, which must be stopped quickly coaches to the AUTO OPENS FLOODGATES BY TURNING A WHEEL On floodgates in the West, where 64 turns of the handwhee! moved the gate only one inch, a light automobile engine is now being used. The four-cyl- inder engine and a few cents’ worth ot gasoline now do the work of several men in moving the five gates weighing two tons each. The engine is put in low speed to raise, and in reverse to lower them.
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POPULAR IRON USED TO FLOAT LOGS OF HEAVY WOOD TO SEA n logging timber tracts in South erica and the West Indian islands, the vier wood, which is not sufficiently t to float, has always proved difficult move. One firm recently solved this ‘blem by using “floaters,” made of t-resisting iron, by means of which » heavy timber was rafted down a river the sea, where it went to a sawmill or loaded on waiting steamers. TEACH BABY HOW TO STAND WITH CRIB GUARD lo keep a baby from falling out of the rib or carriage, to teach the child how ) stand, to prevent round shoulders, to ike strapping needless, and to change e buggy into a bed, are some of the rposes of a new baby guard which has een invented by an eastern father. he guards are made of metal and will iny size buggy. They can be strapped the buggy and are light and strong. appearance the device looks merely all fence surrounding three sides { the carriage. It resulted from an acci- nt when one of the inventor’s children limbed to the edge of a baby buggy and to the sid but without serious jury. ea sm ewalk, MANY-PURPOSE GOLF CLUB TO SUIT ALL PLAYERS x Golfers are now offered a ORE tert which is ad- justable to four posi- tions. It can be used either right or left handed, as the player chooses. A halt turn to the left loosens the shaft for ting, FS half turn to the right tightens it again. To adjust the head to any desired face, only a turn of the hand is necessary. It then itself in place. It may be used as a put- ter, midiron, or jigger. set- and a locks MECHANICS 275 U. S. BUILDS HUGE CAMERA FOR LIFE-SIZE PHOTOS For the purpose of taking a life-size photograph, a camera as large as a car- penter’s tool chest has been devised by One of the Four Recently Built by Government Nine-Inch Camera Lenses Scientists government scientists. Six feet long, the box is 4 feet wide and 2!% feet high, and is fitted with four lenses 9 incl eter. The ies in diam- advantage of the nev chief Combined Plate Holder and Shutter of Huge Camera for Life-Size Pictures camera is said to be that the life-size photographs do not have to be retouched, as is the case when enlargements are made. The lens is left wide open pictures are made. Two cardboard ters are used. when shut- ALUMINUM STAGE SCENERY IS EASILY ERASED Aluminum stage Europe, it is wood is light and easy on them can 1 scenes are to be painted. scenery is used in reported, in places where The metal sheet ire to move, and the design 1 costly be easily erased when ne
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6 POPULAR GUARDING RAIL MECHANICS LINE OVER GREAT SALT LAKE Ma ~ ad ae = teas “e Z —— mons re: PR mw i ne CM 1: TOT — - ~* Where Operators Keep Ceaseless Vigil over the Lives of Untold Thousands of Passengers Who Ride on Trai: -rossing Trestle over Great Salt Lake One of the most important short tions to traffic. Work cars also are prt stretches of steel highway in the country visioned and equipped for emergen is the railway line across Great Salt use. These are merely safeguards, h: Lake in Utah. Although only thirty ever, since no such grave emergency miles in length, approximately 40,000 yet arisen. passenger t! carrying something Extremely low speed is required of more than 250,000 passengers, and_ trains on the trestle, since there must 90,000 freight trains or about 4,000,000 no accident or damage to this most pre cars, have gone safely over the trestle cious part of the transcontinental lin: ithout significant mishap since it was built twenty years ago. Several acres of piling and other trestle are kept afloat, while a motor ie and a pile driver are always ready timbers boat ie An electric signal is sounded in a cent! 1 office the moment a train enters or leav: either end of thetrestle. No engine 1 pass the station without permission, when they are coming too fast the oy erator blocks the tr: ie. aed, Any sudden stopping ota freight on thetrestle gives it a slight writhing motion, and the operators have become seasick lhe same thing is true regarding passengers 01 the through trains. WOOD STRIPS SAVE BREAKAGE OF DISHES To prevent. breaki: of dishes on the sink, Looking Toward the East from the Middle of Huge Salt Lake for use in case of damage by wind or flood waters to the structure. A train of cars loaded with rock, and another loaded with gravel, are under steam con- stantly to guard against any interrup- set of wood strips is be- Trestle over Great jne sold. The y are placed on the drain- board, the bottom of the sink, and on the side, where a strong support h them in position. They are made of soft wood, so there is little danger « smashing china put on them
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POPULAR ICE FIELDS MAY RETURN, SAY SOME SCIENTISTS Scientists are viewing with interest the stion of whether ice fields will again ver Canada and parts of the United ites. Some have said this land now is period between visits of glaciers. It known that there have been ages when e fields covered this land, drew back, nd returned again. This is seen by ints and animals like those of today und in rocks which show the scars ide by the ice once present. ELECTRICITY FOR CAMPERS FROM PORTABLE PLANT lo supply light and power for campers nd others, a small, portable power lant has been made which can be run nywhere without building a foundation r it. The generator is operated by a cylinder, air-cooled, gasoline motor. rage batteries give a reserve supply electricity. It will start or stop at touch of a button. Besides supply- ig light, the plant may be used tor rging radio storage batteries, operat- ng washing machines, churns, and cook- x devices. It requires practically no re except regular quantities of ne and oil, and may be run by a ithout danger. COFFEEPOT DRIP STOPPED BY RIM IN SPOUT Every housewife can tell the story of he frequency with which clean table- cloths are soiled by drops from the spout of a_ coffee- pot. In spite ofevery care, this is liable to hap- pen with ex- isting pots and _ pitchers. A German inventor comes _ for- ward, how- ever, with a patented spout that prevents the drip trom reaching the cloth. A flange catches the drop, as it runs down the spout, and turns it into a snmill reservoir near the body of the pot. When the coffeepot is again tilted for pouring, another flange leads the drop out over the top of the pout into the coffee being poured. eee MECHANICS 27 RECORD-SIZE ELEPHANT TUSKS FROM DARK CONTINENT What are declared to be the largest elephant tusks seen in recent years were taken from the head of a huge beast This Ivory Bower, Worth $10,000, Arches over the Head of Mrs. Martin Johnson, African Huntress killed in the wilds of British Ea Af i They weigh about 365 pounds, and tower : ad high above a man’s head Ivory from this section of Africa is specially valu- able, and this pair of tusks is valued at $10,000. Mr. and Mrs. Martin Johnson hunters who spent two years in the Afri- can wilderness, are responsible for the catch. GIANT CLOCK HAS LETTERS IN PLACE OF NUMBERS Of the many thousands of persons who pass it every day, few have noticed that the clock in the tower of the Wrigley Building, in Chicago, its face; nothing but 12 giant “W's” where figures are usually found. say people have become so accustomed to clock taces that all thev notice in telling the time is the position of the han At a distance, the great letters on the face of the Wrigley clock look like mere 1 veholdet takes it for granted that they represent ures. Closer inspection from the street black dots, so the average level, however. reveals the self-decept
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278 POPULAR MECHANICS HEAVY DRUM UPSETS TRAIN stand as a girder in a bridge or a rail j; AS IT ROLLS OFF CAR a railroad, according to tests at an east ern university. By this method all forg When a 50-ton drum rolled off a flat ings may be rapidly tested before th: car, while being transported from a Wis- are put into use. Several kinds of meta consin factory to the East, it upset the have been used in the experiments ar . - it was found that. squeaking, rasping sounds resulted from the grating of the molecules in the material when its break- ing point had almost been reached “TOP-O’-THE-WORLD” RACE BARS FREAK CARS Automobile enthusiasts have hailed with joy the announcement that freal cars are to be barred from the race t the summit of Pikes Peak on Labor Day No car weighing less than 1,600 pound without the driver, may enter the contest The course to the top of the mountai: covers slightly more than 12 miles an is a double-track boulevard from 20 to 50 train, snapped off a tree and telegraph feet wide. pole, and damaged other property, betore coming to a stop. The drum, which was CLOTH-COVERED FOLDING BOAT 12 feet wide and 50 feet long, started on SET UP WITHOUT TOOLS its tour of destruction as the train was Havoc Wrought by a 50-Ton Drum, Which Rolled off a Flat Car While Passing through Wisconsin City j going over a smooth stretch of track. Canvas covering that laces over spru Overturning cars smashed the sides of a and aluminum ribs, fitted together wit! warehouse and tore up the right of way out screws or bolts and without the aid « for some distance. tools, features the construction of a fold ——— ing rowboat now on the market. It cor SQUEAKS TELL STRENGTH tains no veneer or glued parts to be OF ANY METAL loosened by moisture. The boat can be quickly put together or taken apart, but Stretching a metal until it squeaks and will not fold up until the canvas is cor listening for the sound with a very sensi- pletely removed. Weighing onl ty 65 tive telephone device will give a test pounds, it can be carried by two men, ot | howing how much strain that metal can on the running board of an automobile The Upper Left View Shows the Folding Boat Covered with Its Coat of Canvas. At the Left, Cov- ering may be Seen Partially e “Buttoned,” and the View Above Shows Its Ap- pearance after “Buttoning”’ a | }
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POPULAR MECHANICS 279 ne AH i a = hs MS) | it —_ Small Dwellings Set at Angle to the Street Give More Light and Air and Greater Security against Intrusion: Heat and Elec- ity are Supplied from a Central Plant MORE LIGHT AND AIR FOR SMALL HOMES Some of the disadvantages of ill dwellings built in groups rr the sake of economy have }een overcome in Germany by placing the houses at an angle to the street to provide more eht and air for each dwelling Such groups are easily supplied ith heat, electricity, and water from a single center. Under the German plan each of the houses has a little garden, WOUNDED PLANTS ARE EASY VICTIMS OF GERMS Tests designed to find a cure for a nysterious disease which has attacked plant roots, have been made at a mid- vestern university. Described as being similar to cancer in animals, the ailment, t has been found, gets into the soil and often causes the destruction of practically ll of the plants in a nursery. So far, the only prevention found is to carefully examine all new shrubs for traces of the germs ~ to burn all infected ones. It s said that the disease either causes tumors or hairy roots to form and the plants become dwarfed and finally die luch of the trouble is ascribed to care- less handling, the germs entering throu the wounds. Constant trouble is caused vhere grafting is poor, either through VEGETABLE GARDEN secure against the prying neighbors intruders in the front and rear curiosity of and equally protected against apping or an incomplete covering ioose wt of the juncture by wax [In one test where the students jabbed tomato plant with a needle dipped in the germs, a cauliflowerlike growth formed on _ the stems. FOG FORCES PILOT TO TAKE VOYAGE TO EUROPE Dense fog over the entrance to New York harbor recently, resulted in the pilot aboard one of the great transatlantic lin ers being carried on to Europe. It was decided that ‘it was safer to do this tha risk an accident by trving to find the boat sent to take him back to New York. Pilots have been carried across the ocean be- cause of rough weather before, but thi was said to have tree the first time it had happened because of fog ~
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280 POPULAR CRIPPLE DRIVES HIS CAR WITHOUT USING FEET It sounds impossible that anyone could drive an automobile on a busy street and through crowded traffic without once Auto Equipped with Special Devices to Enable It to be Easily Handled by Man Who cannot Use His Feet using his feet. Nevertheless, it is done by an eastern man whose legs and feet have been practically useless for years. Ingenious additions to the usual equip- ment have made this possible. Crutches held under his armpits are bolted to the brake and clutch pedals. By throwing one or both of his shoulders forward those important pedals are easily op- erated. The gear-shift and emergency- brake levers have been extended to bring them easily within reach of his hands. The accelerator pedal is attached to a wire running up to the steering wheel and ending in a loop. The pedal is worked by inserting the thumb in the loop, and pulling. He operates the self- starter with his right thumb. “WHITE WAYS” HALT CRIME BY FLOOD OF LIGHT When the caveman, having cooked his supper by fire, kept the flames leaping during the night to frighten away threat- ening wild animals, he did what a city does today when it turns its streets into “White Ways.” According to recent fig- ures gathered to show the effect of illu- mination in dispersing evildoers, well- MECHANICS lighted streets are estimated to have re duced crime as much as 40 per cent Centuries there were any traffi problems, street lights were hung to pri tect wayfarers from thieves and cut throats. First the naked torch, then th candle, then the oil lamps, then gas, and finally electricity have been used. In 1810, in London, constables testified that the gas-lighted streets they patrolled were freer of crime than unlighted tho: oughfares. Forty years ago when ele tric street lighting was new, the sam comparison was made between gas an electrically lighted streets in befor e Boston. CITRUS GROWERS USE GAS TO PRESERVE FRUIT Carbon-dioxide gas, first used in the citrus industry of Florida to color fruit, is now being employed as a measure fot controlling stem-end rot. When the ga is applied to the fruit, the stems dry up and drop off, thus removing one of the principal causes of early decay. Gassed fruit keeps from 20 to 30 days longer than fruit that has not been treated. FLOATING WATER WHEEL TAPS ' CURRENT’S POWER Requiring neither fuel, oil, nor care, floating water wheel has been devised by a South African engineer for tappin power from a stream’s current. The de vice 1s simple. As the current sweep against the paddles they revolve the drum generating enough power to operate a force pump. Cables are used to anchor wes . - Floating Water Wheel Moored to Bank of River Acts as Pump the wheel to shore. The outlet pipes de liver the water 210 feet away from the water wheel and about 50 feet above it
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thi >S POPULAR MECHANICS 281 POCKET GAUGE TELLS AMOUNT OF ALCOHOL IN LIQUID Prohibition agents in an eastern state ive been equipped with a pocket appa- tus with which the amount of alcohol any liquid can be quickly determined. \nother advantage is that its size makes easy for an officer to carry it about, oncealed on his person. Tests indicate that the instrument is very accurate. For fermented liquors, such as beer, only 10 minutes are needed to find out their trength; while for distilled liquors, the percentage of alcohol can be found in two minutes. A small sample is sufficient to give accurate results. SLIDE SAXOPHONE SPEEDS UP “JAZZ” MUSIC Combining the trombone, Frisco whis- tle, and saxophone in one, a western man- ufacturer =" iit wae =p as designed an instru- ment which is much easier to play than the trom- bone. It has a range of several oc- taves, and can be trem- oloed and slurred to produce “jazz” music and speaking effects. The new instru- ment speeds up dance and jazz music, is easy to learn, and costs but half as much as the trom- bone. Anyone of ordinary musical abil- ity can learn to play it. PATTERN OF WALL PAPER INSTANTLY CHANGED As many as fifty designs of wall paper can be shown in a room within one min- ute by a device, Similar to the magic lan- tern, made by an electrical company Wall designs of various kinds can be dis- played at will by merely changing the tinted glass plate of the projector which is concealed within the room. Colors can be shown to fit the taste of any housewife. WEATHER PROPHET CLIMBS OVER 400 MILES In completing his 700th ascent from a cabin in the heart of the Canadian Rockies to the summit of a mountain, a rd Canadian Weather Prophet, Who has Climbed More than 400 Miles, Reading Instrument Records on Top of Mountain weather prophet for the Dominion gov- ernment has climbed a total height of more than 400 miles. He makes the trip every two weeks to read weather instru ments, 8,000 feet above sea level. The combined altitudes of these many ascents total several times the distance to the peak of Mt. Everest, the highest moun- tain in the world. WAR ON GAME-DESTROYING ANIMALS URGED In an effort to protect game and birds, a nation-wide campaign has been begun to keep meat-eating animals and killer birds in check. Golden eagles of Alaska, it is said, take a heavy toll of mountain- sheep lambs every year, while hawks de- stroy untold numbers of game _ bird One hawk can kill 200 quail in a season it 1S estimated. A game commissions I recently made an appeal to clubs and sportsmen to destroy lynx, bobcats, hunt ing house cats, red foxes, gray foxes, red squirrels, weasels, house rats, hawks, and owls.
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2 POPULAR AUTOMATIC TOOTHBRUSH ATTACHES TO FAUCET Care of the teeth an automatic toothbrush is rendered easier by which operates Rotary Toothbrush, Which Attaches to the Faucet, is Operated Automatically by Water Power on the the same principle as the “buffer,” used by dentists in polishing tooth sur- faces. The brush is driven by a small water motor attached to the faucet, flexible apply turn on the faucet, water does the rest. power being transmitted by a cable. All that is necessary is to the paste to the brush, and the NEW DIVING BELL WALKS ON SEA’S BOTTOM Propelled along the bottom of the sea by four long arms, or legs, near its base new type of diving bell has been de- signed by a western engineer Cylin- drical in form, it is claimed that it will l permit 750 feet Powerful lights shining through protected windows, illuminate the for many feet. and legs are operated by the diver within the bell Weighing about a ton, the chamber is lowered over the side of a boat by a derrick, and communication with the sur- face is made possible by telephone wires. It is claimed that its use will afford ereater freedom of action in working on wrecks at great depths. work at a depth of heavily water arms MECHANICS MANY STRANGE ANIMALS IN PRIVATE ZOO One of the la world is the p Drake, of Among his remarkable horses, mares and rgest private zoos in t] roperty of G. Tyrwhitt Kentish Pasture, Scotlan collection are 5 foals of famous pure blooded white stock, igin date back to the time of Queen Isabella of Spain. In addition, there are many beau tiful and rare specimens of yaks, leopard lions, tigers, jackals, hyenas, antelope and white camels. They are tended by a } whose ori: small army of keepers, and there is good-sized hospital for the isolation and treatment of sick animals. The owne takes special pride in his pet li “ ] I Poilu,” which was formerly the mascot of the 19th Army Division. “Poilu” said to have been in the front-line trenches several times during the war, be ing wounded twice by stray bullets BELLOWS IN OVERSUIT HELP KEEP WEARER COOL Something nev has been patented for the use of worke1 and sportsmen Made of tough khal the front half of the top opens like coat, only the back attached to the trousers. By the move ments of the body, the the rear acts as a bellows, stant circulation 17 1 > pDiouse Fiving a col e upp of air about tl Work Suit Combines Comfort with the Greatest Pos- sible Utility for Sportsmen and Toilers half of the body. It is hung from bot] the waist and the shoulders @ Recognizing that water pressure up- ward, as well as downward, is a source of power, an inventor with vision has d« veloped reaction-turbine units that can be mounted directly over an artesian well They range in size from 150 to 2,000 watts and are direct-connected to electric generators.
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POPULAR MECHANICS 283 | Bad - Tempered Four-Horned Ram Trying to Speak yanish to a low, Claimed Be the Small- Donkey i &
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284 POPULAR WOODWORKING MACHINE HAS MANY CONVENIENCES Many conveniences are embodied in a new woodworking machine intended for light work. Both a band and a circular saw are provided, as well asa jointer and an adjustable bedplate, for ac- curately gauging the depth _ 4g) es 2 > . } 2 Machine Fitted with a Band and a Circular Saw, and Other At- tachments feature is the inclusion spindle shaper,. suitably odate various mold- A sanding disk is also fur- Another reversible mounted to accomn ing set-ups. nished, 10 inches in diameter, accurately of cut. ota machined to a smooth finish. A wood- turning lathe attachment permits turn- ing of stock up to 14 inches in diameter. The machine can be operated from line shafting, by a engine, or electric motor, and is suitably equipped with a 14-horsepower motor, lamp cord, and switch where current is available. gas RAPID SCALE EASILY SOLVES HEATING PROBLEMS There has recently appeared on the market a scale that makes possible rapid and accurate calculations for heating and ventilating work. The scale is in the form of the ordinary slide rule and has A Slide Rule That Greatly Simplifies Heating and Ventilating Calculations two slides and a single runner with a cross hair marked on the glass. One of the features is the ease with which the amount of radiation required to heat a MECHANICS building of known dimensions can be computed. It will give values for hot water systems, steam, vapor, and vacuun and for either direct or indirect radia tion. With it, the expansion due t change in temperature of a pipe and tl heat lost in a pipe line of known length and diameter can be calculated. } MUD USED TO LUBRICATE OIL-WELL BITS One of the most troublesome tasks of an oil-well driller is that of lifting the drill every four or five hours to refill the lubricator with oil, so that the rock bits will cut more easily. This trouble will be eliminated if tests now being made in an oil well prove that the forced circulation of mud in the hole serves the purpose as well as oil. It is claimed that the experi- ment thus far shows that the bits do not wear any faster with the mud than they do with oil. SEALER AND PERMIT PRINTER OF LARGE CAPACITY A small, portable machine for printing postal-permit marks on envelopes has recently been placed on the market. The machine not only prints the permit mark but automatically feeds, counts, mois- tens, seals, and stacks the envelopes, leav- ing the operator’s hands free for loadi1 and unloading the envelopes. The ma- A Machine That Prints Permit Marks, Feeds, Seals, and Counts 12,000 Envelopes per Hour chine is electrically operated, and has a capacity of 12,000 envelopes per hour The machine can also be used for im- printing second and third-class matter, and will imprint without sealing, seal without imprinting, or merely count the envelopes, as required. It is unnecessary to send the machine to the post office to be set for a designated number of im- pressions. @ Whenever you find that you wish to know more about any article in the maga- zine, write our Bureau of Information.
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POPULAR SMALL PLUNGER PUMP USES ELASTIC RING VALVES A small high-speed plunger.pump has been designed to use elastic rubber bands of circular cross section for suction and discharge valves. These are said to be noiseless in operation, unaffected by the peed of the pump, and easily replaced when necessary. This form of valve also allows for a large port opening which en- circles the barrel of the pump, and thereby increases efficiency to a marked degree. SUB-HEADSTOCK AIDS CUTTING OF LONG-LEAD SCREWS Screws and worms with extra-long leads can readily be cut by means of a new lathe attachment. The mechanism consists of a gear reduction, driven from the nose of the regular lathe spindle, and furnished with a driving faceplate and a dead center. The frame is mounted on the ways of the bed, and is backed against the regular head- tock housing. With the regular lathe vearing, screws with leads as long as 4 inches can be cut; screws with leads up to 12 inches long are cut by means of special change gears. While the cutting of long-lead screws is the primary purpose of the attachment, it is also of value where work of extreme accuracy is to be turned, requiring the use of dead centers, and for forming cut- ters, etc., with wide tools, where excep- tionally low speeds are required. GREATER SPEED IS CLAIMED FOR SPIRAL-FLUTED TAP A staybolt tap that has proved a suc- cess after most exacting tests is machined with spiral flutes. It is designed with a taper that has proved to have a distinct advantage over the common tapers, add- ing greatly to the life of the tool. The spiral flutes provide free cutting edges, thus enabling the tapping speed to be in- creased without increased friction. The results of the tests indicate that the new tap will do more work, in less time, than any other form of tap. MECHANICS 285 AUTO PILOT LIGHT TURNS WITH STEERING WHEEL Responding to the slightest turn of the steering wheel, a small automobile pilot light provides constant illumination over Pilot Light in Position on Car: Inset, Close-Up of Pilot Light the spot where the wheels will pass. It is intended to be mounted at the front of the car near the road, and may be clamped to the bumper or frame bracket The directing rod is steering arm. 1 connected to the HEAVY GAS TANKS CARRIED ON TWO-WHEELED TRUCK Transportation of the heavy gas cylin- ders used in welding and refrigeration is greatly facilitated by the use of a new French two-wheeled truck. The truck is wheeled to the center of a cylinder, with the wheels straddling it, then the long handle is raised; this forces a pair of jaws, mounted at the front of the truck, to grip the cylinder firmly. The handle is next lowered, and a second pair jaws, at the rear of the truck, grips the cylinder. The cylinder is now suspended ae ae a ee ee te as er, from Ground with Carrier Transportation Cylinder Ready for Raising Gas and ready to be wheeled away. One qu ter turn of a small crank releases the ce inder, allowing it to slide to the ground
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286 POPULAR IMPROVED VISE THAT GRIPS ODD-SHAPED PIECES A new type of vise, which 1s adapted for gripping work of any shape, has re- cently been developed. The main jaws of Left, Vise, Mounted on Swiveling Base; Right, Plan View of Vise Gripping Curved Bracket the vise are semicircular in shape, and each contains two smaller semicircular pieces; these, in turn, are fitted with simi- lar pieces, and so on, so that finally there are eight small jaws bearing on either side of the work. As all these parts can be adjusted independently, it is an easy matter to set them to conform to work of any shape, when, upon tightening the vise, the work will be held firmly at a number of points, and with no danger of distortion. The vise may be used as a plain bench vise or fitted with a swiveling base for use on bench or machine, and will prove of great value in any machine shop, where it will eliminate many special fixtures. GAS VALVE AVOIDS DEATH AND FIRE DANGER the menace from fires and explosions caused by sudden reductions in gas pressure which extinguish the ; Because of This Valve Prevents Danger to Life Due to Pressure Drop in Gas Lines MECHANICS lights and then allow the gas to flood a building or home, an automatic valve has been designed. which cuts off the supply when the pressure drops. The valve then remains shut until it is opened by hand SLIDING CYLINDERS FEATURE NEW DIESEL ENGINE An engine that is different, in many re- spects, trom any Diesel engine now on the market, has undergone experimental tests in England. The novel feature about it is that its cylinders move with the pistons, but through a much shorter distance or stroke. The result of the tests was so satisfactory that the builders are proceeding with the construction of a much larger engine. It is claimed that the new engine has not only half the weight, and occupies about half the space of the ordinary Die- sel engine, but has much fewer wearing parts, and that the engine could replace the ordinary steam engine in a ship and permit the entire boiler and bunker space to be used for the carriage of cargo MICROMETER SNAP GAUGE AIDS INSPECTION WORK Snap-gauge micrometers, that eliminate the necessity of providing a large num ber of solid snap gauges, are the latest aids to production and inspection work The tools resemble ordinary microm- eters, but have double heads and anvils, each head being settoa standard and locked independ- ently, on inspec- tion work. On production work, the minimum- limit head can be set and locked, while the other is permitted to revolve freely, thus enabling the operator to measure the work ace it progresses, and eliminating and loss of time The tool is made in three sizes, ing up to 3 inches, and can be with a convenient bench stand ruesswork measur- furnished @A piece of clear celluloid makes a fine substitute for the glass in a slide-rule runner, should the latter be broken. A light scratch, filled in with India ink, is used as an index mark.
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All Shop Notes published in 1922, in book form—Fifty Cents—from our Book Department. Attaching Wagon to Harvester-Thresher By GEO. G. MCVICKER \ ITH the speeding up of crop pro- the farmer had hoped to dispose of whet duction, great improvements have buying his tractor, must be kept and used heen made in machinery for planting, One western farmer has disposed of thi tending, and harvesting, but many manu-_ problem in the following manner: The facturers, when building an implement, wagon that receives the grain is attached lan only for the operation of one par- to the tractor by means of a hinged arm ticular machine at a time. This leaves it fastened to the tract: ( AW Val, aS SION DRAWBAR Method of Hitching Wagon to Harvester-Thresher to Receive the Threshed Grain: Above, Photo Showing Outfit in Operation; Below, Layout of Tractor, Thresher, Wagons, and Harrow, with Detail to the farmer to devise hitches that will en- in the illustration Phe ing. able him to use several machines together. which is made from short pieces of fl Harvester-threshers seem to be built iron and iron rods, allows the arm to with the idea in mind that horse-drawn port the wagon tongue without the use wagons will be used to take care of the a tiebar. Into the outer end of the hi threshed grain, and hence the horses that portion, a large staple is driver
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288 POPULAR far enough to allow room for the wagon tongue to enter freel The wagon, when t hitched on, is connected close to the arm by means of the chain shown, the front end of the chain being attached to the tractor. This allows the rear end of the wagon to be filled; the chain is then let out a little more, allowing the wagon to fall back as +} ary ° £ gous rd 71 + the harvester n forward. his is continued until the wagon is evenly filled The empty wagons are left in the posi- tion at the lower left, and, when one is ready to be hitched on, the chain . 1 5 1 : 5 : is unhooked, the arm thrown up so as to pass the empty wagon, then dropped, and the wagon coupled on as betore 1oves shown Cleaning Drill Holes in Rock or Concrete When drilling holes in rock or concrete by means of a star drill, the dust that collects in the hole can be cleaned out
Blowpipe for Removing Accumulated Dust from Holes Drilled in Rock and Concrete with a blower of the kind shown in the illustration. The blower is merely a length of %<-in. light brass tube, flared slightly at one end by inserting a hexa- n-headed bolt or screw into it, and tap- ping the pipe with a h r() ammer, as shown in the upper detail. After dropping the flared end down near the bottom of the hole, the dust is blown out quickly and
MECHANICS In the harvesting season in the central and western plains, the crop is not only harvested and threshed in one operation but the seed bed is prepared, at the same time, by a disk hat attached to the rear of the combined machine. There is always a side draft in these large harvester-threshers, due to the cut ter bar extending so far to one side. In attaching the harrow to the rear of the machine, the drawbar or hitch should be made adjustable, so that the harrow can be set sufficiently to one side or the othe to counteract this side draft. This particularly convenient when harvesting on sidehill fields, where the machine has a tendency to creep down. TOW,
It is thoroughly. necessary, of course, to keep the eyes closed while blowing, to keep out the dust. In hard rock, when it necessary use water on the drill to keep it cool, the resulting “mud” in the hole can be picked out by gently tamping the down, which will pack the mud in the end of the pipe. The pipe is cleaned by bl ing, tapping, or by pushing a through it—Dr. G. E. Abbott, San Diego, Calitornia. 1S to blow pipe OV Novel Skinning Knife When skinning a beef two dangers for the novice: one is cutting a hole in the hide, ] value, and the other is leaving too much flesh on the hide, which causes a heavy dockage. A useful skinning tool, which eliminates much of this trouble, is shown 7. 1 carcass there al whnicn decreases in the illustration. It consists of a pair of ordinary 6-in. pliers with a hole drilled through each of the jaws, and in each handle, as indi- cated, the pliers being annealed for the purpose. A piece of spring steel, about 1 in wide, i
, ADJUSTING NUT
is drilled and attached to the jaws by SPRING means of pins riveted loosely through the hole Two. safety-razor blades are at- tached to the spring by means of small bolts, fitted with thumbnuts; the cutting edges of the blades project about \%e in. beyond
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POPULAR the edge of the spring, and the inner ends overlap, as shown. A small, long bolt, fitted with a thumbnut, is passed through the holes drilled in the handle, to com- plete the device. By slightly pressing the steel spring between the jaws and screw- ing up the thumbnut on the handle bolt, the blades will be bent in a curve to suit many parts of the carcass. The tool is manipulated with one hand, being pushed along with the protector next to the hide, and the separated part of the hide is held with the other hand. Funnel for Filling Crankcase The funnel illustrated has several ad- vantages over many other types used for pouring oil into the filler spout on an automobile crankcase, as it has no re- stricted opening, and is independent of a the measure. ees, —— A number of e”’ funnels of this type, va- rying in size, are used in a gasoline-serv- ice station in Washington, D. C. They are made of sheet metal, such as. gal- vanized iron, which is avail- able almost everywhere readily be bent to the shape The oil may be poured as rap- idly as it can be taken by the filler spout on the engine. A considerable saving of time is effected by the use of these fun- nels, and they are cheap to make; for this reason particularly they are recommended for service stations. FILLER SPOUT ON ENGINE and can shown. Collapsible Baskets Simplify Fruit Display The proprietor of a fruit store, who made a practice of changing the display in his window every day, found that the fruit could be removed quickly, and without any danger of injury, by using collapsible baskets of the type illus- trated. In addition to their usefulness in removing the fruit, these baskets also served to keep the piles of fruit intact, as the rims of the baskets supported the bottom layer of each pile. Each basket consists of a cloth bag, 1 show MECHANICS 289 tacked to a barrel hoop, to which half of another hoop is riveted to serve as a handle. These hoops are covered with a NS ae aon j PI WS Z - S at EAA a VT Collapsible Cloth Baskets Support Piles of Fruit in how Windows and Facilitate Their Removal colored crépe paper to give them a neat appearance. When the fruit is displayed in the window, the basket is folded down neatly, as indicated, the fruit being piled inside of the rim. To remove the fruit, the basket is lifted and the pile is carried away. This method of removing fruit from show windows is especially valuable during winter, when the fruit must be re- moved every evening to prevent it from being injured by frost. Curing Misfiring of Truck Engine The erratic firing of a light-truck en- gine when running at low speeds, caused by the leakage of air around the intake- valve stems, was cured in the manner illustrated. The valves and cages were removed, and the ‘od, upper end of the guide in each “LIGHT COIL cage counter- caslhonseintes bored, to a depth As of % in., with a drill bit % in. Stem larger than the valve stem. In the stuffing box thus formed, a couple of felt washers were placed, and a light coil spring put over them, and held in position by the mainspring washer and pin, forcing the felt tightly against the stem and shutting off all leakage. A few drops of oil were applied to the washers occasionally, to prevent wear of the guides and stems—Maling C. Metzer, Silver Creek, Neb.
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“IY POPULAR Vise Grinder of Simple Design The simple grinder shown in the draw- ing will prove of convenience in a small workshop, enough where there is not DEVELOPED PLAN OF HOLDER - --WASHERS zt. A/ ’ Ses i : oe | MavaudtdNauuuaueniuals y . j a a Z --NUTS- ‘ SETSCREW~ j A : NUT *_pULLEY BEARING’ A Simple Grinder Held in the Vise Is of Considerable Advantage in the Small Workshop space for a stationary grinder, ‘or where a stationary grinder would not be used often enough to justify its installation. The holder that supports the spindle is made in one piece; it is cut from boiler plate and bent to the shape shown, leav- ing two lugs to carry the bearings for the spindle, and one for holding the fixture in the vise. A V-pulley and an emery wheel are mounted on the threaded spindle, and bronze bearings are threaded into the lugs and fastened by locknuts, as shown in the lower detail. An electric motor is fastened to the workbench behind the vise, the slots in the base of the motor permitting proper adjustment of the belt. Removing Rock Coatings from Fossils The delicate task of removing the final rock coatings from newly unearthed fos- been much simplified by the research scientists of the California Academy of Science, who have success- fully used for this purpose the unusual combination of the hottest flame known to industry, and a drop of cold water. The new method not only facilitates what otherwise is a most difficult task, but it also reduces the danger of breaking or otherwise injuring the during the final step of cleaning the rock coat- ing from it. A fine jet of oxyacetylene flame, the temperature of which is about sils has fossil MECHANICS 6,300° F., is directed upon the last of the rock coating remaining on the fossil Immediately afterward, a drop of cold water is put on the heated spot. The heating and cooling takes place too quickly to cause expansion and contrac tion of the fossil underneath, so that only the outside rock cracks and breaks away, leaving the fossil itself uncovered and uninjured. This method is especially useful if the fossil is irregular in shape. If it is large, the rock coating must be broken off in small pieces. The method bids fair to become the standard practice with fossil experts, because it reduces to a minimum the risk of damaging the they are being cleaned —Roswell S ton, New York City. while srit- fossils Novel Sampler for Deep Wells device shown in the illustration improvised to obtain samples of water from the bottom of a 160-ft. well It consists of a frame carrying a burnt- out electric lamp, which is filled with water by having the tip broken off auto- matically when the device strikes bottom The lamp, and the mechanism for break- ing the tip, are held by a strap-iron frame, The was bent to the shape indicated. A_ spring mousetrap is attached to the frame in an inverted position, so that its lever, upon swing- ing around, hits the tip of the lamp, and breaks it off The trap is tripped by means of a plunger, which consists of a length of wire with a disk soldered to the low- er end, as shown; the plunger is pushed up and springs the trap when et the disk strikes the A sharp bend in the prevents the plunger from falling out of the frame, and a circular wire guard, about twice the diameter of the plunger disk, prevents the trap from be- ing sprung should the device accidentally come in contact with the wall of the 4 - .—~- LOWERING CORD FILE NICK Disk -- >. bottom of the well. wire
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ie n O e POPULAR A weight is attached to the lower rt of the frame to insure its sinking in vertical position. A coil of heavy wire, tached to the lower end of the frame used like a screw socket, the lamp be- screwed into it. After the lamp is in sition, a file nick is made in the tip localize the break as much as possible. he water is quickly drawn through the mall opening thus made, and the device then raised to the surface where the iter can be examined. Drill-Press Bolt Holder The holder shown in the illustration is ndy when using bolts in the plain slots 1 drill-press table. It not only keeps e bolts from turning when the nut is tightened, but also prevents the bolts 1m falling to the floor when the nut is noved. Some wire and a length of thing are the only materials necessary to make it The tube is bent to the U- shape shown, but before doing so, a length of wire is placed in it; after the tube is bent ~ this wire is looped over at both ends. A latch is next made of the ‘ same size wire and at- tached, care » ip BOLT HOLDER 7 | L 4 being taken to leave the eye large enough to allow the latch to ving in and out of the opposite loop When using the ‘holder, the U-shaped ire is pushed through the slot in the ble with the latch thrown back. To ck the holder, and to keep the bolt in position, the latch is swung around and pushed through the wire loop. Where it necessary to use a bolt continually in a plain slot, considerable trouble can be ided by using this holder, as with it i bolt can be held just as easily in a plain slot as in a T-slot. @ When milling operations are finished, the cutter should be removed from the irbor, cleaned and placed in a wall cabi- net or drawer, where it is kept from con- tact with other tools. MECHANICS 291 Detachable Top for Open Truck The drawing shows a simple detachable top tor an open express-truck body. It consists of a heavy-canvas covering, held CANVAS Yg Pi PE > PIPE STRAPS A Canvas Covering for the Open Express Truck: It can be Attached or Detached in a Moment by three ribs made of *g-in. pipe, bent to the shape indicated. Semicircular pieces of canvas are used at the ends of the top, and an additional flap covers the driver The top canvas is attached to the ribs by strips of canvas, sewed across them, and, when the top is erected, the flap is attached to the edge of the windshield as shown. The ribs are held by means of pipe straps screwed to the sides of the truck body, two straps being sutticient for each leg. A canvas top of this kind can be conveniently carried in the truck body. C-Clamps Support Ladder While Hanging Eaves Trough When hanging necessary to fit the ladder with some attachment that will enable it to clear the trough A simple and sati sfactory attachment con- sists of two ordi- nary 4-in. C- clamps. These are fastened on the end of the ladder, as shown in the illustration, so that thumbscrews rest against the first row of shingles—VW. B. Nicholson, Detroit, Mich. an eaves trough, it is Z : | upper end of the
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ve POPULAR Valve-Cage Puller On engines having overhead valves, a common method of removing a valve cage is to pry it out. The disadvantage of this practice is that the valve is fre- quently bent, making necessary a tedious repair job, or the renewal of the valve. — To do the work without danger of in- juring the valve, a sim- ple cage pulle ofthetype shown in the illustra- tion has been found iceable. It onsist of a short length |
SETSCREW cp. ser V-
of pip vith an inter! diameter larger than the diam- eter of the cage and a U-shape 1 steel rod, bent to form a hook for gripping the stem spring-retaining cap on the valve and fitted with a setscrew as shown. The hook is engaged with the cap and the set- steel bar placed across the pipe, releasing the valve danger ot Holding Small Screws in Lathe 1 1 Anv lathe hand who has attempted to 1 1,1 11 1 . > ¢ mn! shee rl hoid small, short screws in a Sn ill chuck or in a drill chuck, while machining them, ’ aDI eciate he cd intages ot the 1 1 cre holde 1 the d wing, which 1 | | old them y even where only two thre d ( } e 1 d to ¢ ick them. \ ort piece ot
cee OAL DELAY ( suitable di im- on ter is either lili ir gee BP ae r ss ad t lec tape on ‘ ne nd. ¢ 7 he ‘ one end, to ht the SHA 4 WORK~ lathe spindle, or straight, to be in a universal chuck; the other end is. thre ided, short length turned down toa small diameter, as shown. A knurled then made to ns the threaded end, and is drilled and t yped, at its cen- ter, to fit a standard sscaeame ale cap- and a
sleeve is
MECHANICS screw > poles of these capscrews dril led anc l tapped, along their the various sizes of screws. To machine a screw, the sleeve screwed outward a few turns, the screw placed in position, and the sleeve screws inward, when the small-diameter nose the shank butts against the screw, locks it firmly. After machining, hal turn of the will release the scr so that it unscrewed with t fingers axes, to sleeve can be
Changing Base Connections of Bayonet- Socket Lamps lo adapt a double-contact autom< lamp for a single-contact socket, first if one of tl contacts makes connect with the lamp base. If SO, well vood: if not, a connection must be which can be
A : aqaone with Op ¢ a¢ - f he or by means of a very t brass A small strip of brass is soldered to othe contact, and doubled, as shown center Of tne bDase,; t — a mic. TH ——
he 3 TRIP 4 pia ' the fole cemented place hel A s SOLDERED-- DISK contact DOUBLE CONTACT TO SINGLE iS adapte a double Pe ee ~\ = BRASS. tact so i . : by fili cente sact «a unti ~ nearly “SOLDERED with the | SINGLE CONTACT TO DOUBLE tom, and . i dering o1 T-sl ped b { » or secto is in the lower detail, care being taken the strip does not touch the base other brass strip, making contact with base, is soldered opposite this, dic: ited. A strip of mica, arm soldered to the then cemented in covering t “¢ center ( se The Se + . - 1 » : } must, of course, be arranged in- su position with respect to ‘the yroper contact wi ll be H. Parker, Oak land, Calif. @ Manganese steel is not susceptible t magnetism and cannot be magnetize therefore, parts made from this materi cannot be held on magnetic chucks.
made in the socket. a
x < |
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POPULAR MECHANICS Protecting Pipe Covering he magnesia covering used on steam pes has not much mechanical strength, it is covered only by a thin layer of loth, and hence does not offer much pro- tection to pipes passing through floors, or along walls where they are likely to be ant struck by trucks or Y material. A good, i substantial protection for the covering was provided, in one such case, by inclosing the covering, to a height of 6 ft. above the floor, with a stove- pipe-ironshell. The edges of the shell are crimped outward, so that a “key,” made om a narrow strip of the same metal id having the edges crimped as shown, n be pushed over the edges of the ‘Il, to draw it tightly around the cover- x and lock it. Keys of the same size in be used with various sizes of shells, the latter being cut to suit the diameter f the pipes and their covering. After key has been pushed into place, the ims are carefully pounded down with wooden mallet. SECTIONAL ViEWw Placing Concrete in Water If concrete is emptied loose and al- wed to sink through water, so much of » cement is washed away that the mix- ture is spoiled. In the absence of other ins of depositing the concrete, the de- vice shown, which is called a “tremie,” can be used to advantage. This device consists of an 8-in. galvanized sheet-iron pipe, reach- ing from the surface of the water to the point where the con- crete is to be laid, a funnel with a bail be- ing provided on the top of the pipe, so that it can be hoisted and lowered easily. In use, the pipe is completely filled with concrete, the bottom end being held down to prevent the con- rete from running out. When the pipe full, it is slightly raised to allow the concrete to run out gradually. As 4 Tool for Peeling Logs Peeling the bark from logs is heavy work, and any tool that will simplify it Such a tool is shown is worth making. in the draw- ing. Itis sim- ply an old hoe, with the neck straight- ened as indi- cated, and the blade formed slight- ly convex to fit the side of an average- size log; this is done by heating the neck and blade to a cherry red and then forging. The blade is sharpened, on the log side, with a file In using this tool, the worker stands erect and can peel the log with surpris- ing speed—Jos. Springs, Colo. Coyle, Colorado Wire Clamp for Garden-Hose Connections The illustration shows a simple device for clamping rubber-hose connections with wire. The device consists of a ¥%-in bolt, about 6 in. long, threaded its entire length and rounded at its end, to prevent injury to the hose. The bolt is screwed through a steel bar, drilled and tapped to fit and having notches filed around each end When using the device, a suitable length of galva- nized-iron vire is bent to a U-shape, and wrapped around the hose in the manner in- dicated, the ends being drawn up tightly and wrapped around the notches in the steel bar. The bolt is then screwed down against the “bot- tom” of the U, until the wire is tightly drawn around the hose, aiter which it is only necessary to swing the tool over thus bending the wire, and to cut off the ends about 1) in. from the bend \ pair of pliers is used to clamp the ends down.—John H. Yeakel, Everett, Was!
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TOURIST CAMPS By A.J.R.Curtis and J.Tate ,, EQUIPMENT FOR AUTOMODBILE- _ Part II—Vaults, Bath, Garbage Boxes, Incinerators, Washing Platform, and Fountain Ce Suggested Layout the Wi be shown in the camp. to health, turning an « Part I, while quite tion into a period of e llage or town camp, ous germs. Where se serve where a very not V ble a sept ist trafhe is certain vaults such as shown should be installed wn in the layout Che concrete vault P l enable a city to hig. 11, a section in Fi ber of tourists with- suitable forms in Figs. [he arrangement of lower part of the vaul vuting for recre xposure to danger wage systems tank system, « roper is shown me a nd ad Vit 15 and 19 is cast in ] mobile-Tourist Camp with Equipment for a Large Volume of Traffic: Toilet therefore likely to the bottom is placed fi is set in, braced in po 5 | ost camps are so walls poure¢ the principal ob- While the bottom pat gisonlig to the use of upper part may be ma not only keeps many molds the slab floor a positive menace is shown in Fig. 19, This also need Washing Platform, and Shower Bath may be Seen in the Background aller layout, is en- as shown in Fig. 15 Che form sho will depend almost can be made of light lumber by anyo hape of the lot. In who can use hammer and saw, and nee ans and incinerators not be at all elaborate, so long as it good distance from strongly enough braced to support tl] far that their use concrete; the layer of concrete fort rst, then the tor ition, and
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——)
BOLTS FOR 4 SILLS CONCRETE VAULT Fis.11 PREPARED ROOFING \
48" VENT --}> |] _2'x4 STUDS | a 7-6" LONG {| 2°x4 STUDS" 6-0” LONG ——-—-——_,-—--- qe ee Ee Eee
fa,
SEAT AND COVER Fic .14 - CEMENT STUCCO
FLOOR PLAN Fic.12 2 STAKES BXBXI16" ag = FOR DRAFT fi i 1 | = i | aa. = rE xii | ( } CONCRETE REFUSE BURNER SECTION THROUGH UPPER FORM hea Fic.i7 Fic .16 —————————— ee eee = = = a $$$ | s 11 to 16 Show a Very Easily Constructed Vault for Toilet Purposes, Where a Sewage System Installed, or Where No Disposal Field for a Septic-Tank System Is Available. Figure 17 Shows a Simple Concrete-Block Refuse Burn x Incinerat
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90° KIO POPULAR be elaborate, as it will only be needed for one or two pieces. When cured, the slab into position, and the joint between upper and lower parts made with neat-cement mortar. Che housing may be made of concrete, cement plaster on metal lath, brick, or wood, as convenient Che wood sills for the structure, if the latter is made of metal lath and stucco or wood, are at- tached to the vault by means of bolts imbedded in the concrete, as shown. The construction shown in drawing is Portland-cement st lath, can be moved ucco on metal with wood studs, vent, and roof, and serves well. It would perhaps be well to have this part ol the work, or at least | 1 } the plastering, Gone Dy a competent con- tractor. mix, and sacks ce 13145 cu. ft. sand, and 20 cu. ‘TT 1 . . s j , es Ba a The concrete used is a 1:2:3 ment, it. pebbles approximately camp neat and orderly, refuse burners and garbage cans should be provided. The burners, or in- best made of concrete blocks, 8 by 8 by 16 in. in size, as shown in Fig. 17. The draft openings are made simply by leaving one block out of cinerators are the lower courses, on opposite sides. A cover, ¢ bound made of heavy w with
i 4-in. round-iron bar, sl be provided, to keep charred paper from flying around the camp. lhe eyebolt ror at- into holes and filled with neat cement. Sixty blocks will be necessary burner. - cover, are sei The garbage cans, Figs. 18 and 19, are made in one piece of concrete reinforced wit wire mesh, the walls being 2 in. thick [he torms for these need no de- scription, as the method of making them The bolts for the top covers and the clean-out door hinges are im- bedded in the concrete when it is placed. A 1:2:3 mix is used here also; sacks cement, 4 cu. ft. sand, and 6 cu. ft. peb- bles being used for each container. Where running water is available, an automobile-washing platform, shower bath, and drinking tountain will be highly appreciated The washing platform, Fig. 20, is merely a 10 by 18-it concrete slab, with a low curb on three and a gutter, running to a sewer, on the fourth. Most cross-country tourists wash and lubricate their own cars, so a floor of this type will be well patronized. The f should slope 4 in. to the foot toward the gut- ter, but the curb is level all around; this, in a floor of the size specified, will make sides, loor MECHANICS the curb 1% in. high at one end, and 6 in. high at the other. The slab itself 6 in. thick. With what has been sho of form construction culty will be experienced platform. - The concrete used for floor should be a 1: 2:3 mix, while tl for the curb should be 1:2'%:4, the ' amount of material necessary being sacks cement, 66 cu. ft. sand, and 10 « ft. pebbles. The simple shower 21 is another highly desirable featur The are simply made of Portla cement mortar, plastered on both sid of metal lath, and the frame is 2-in. ans iron, imbedded in the footings and brace by 2 by 1'2-in. flat-iron bars, where ne The floor and footings are 7 7 piece, and the floor 1 ( previously, no di in making t bath shown in ] | at valls beveled f1 the sides towar the center drain pipe ; ? é' the shower compartment, while the ment is still soft The dressing com] ment is fitted with a seat and « hooks. No top is necessary on the tr ture. The floor is made of 1:2:3 crete, the footings of 1:2'%%:4, and ees ‘je eae Wallis OT <3 mortar; the materia The fountain shown in Fig. 22, not essential, will prove of convenie: The water-supply ] ice¢ d
pedest that a ste each side of the pedestal, for the conver ience of children The paneling on t sides of the pedest il is formed by mit of blocks, tacked to the form side shown in Fig. 9, Part I. For the fou ] tain 34 sacks cement, 64 cu. it. Sal and 10 cu. ft. :3 mix being pebbles 1S used throughout.
A camp provided with equipment the type described in this article will | a credit to any community, and, as e1 phasized in Part I, will attract the better class of tourists, thereby benefiting lox } business When come volume of tourists enough, it will pay an employe stationed at the sell supplies, to keep the grounds cle: and to render service of one kind or an- other to the tourists _—— } @Sand or pebbles for concrete work must be clean. If coated with clay, for exam ple, the cement cannot adhere to the sur face, and thus cannot perform its binding function. the lat re camp to
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— ———_—————————————————————————————————— — = $$ en : i] s Ste re4 / cg t ex - 3 ie ~~ 2 2 r : os i mean S| ae Bae _ At WATER SUPPLY | : i Ges y PIPE : | 2 CONCRETE . LF |2 7. WALLS WITH P 7 i I] ) WIRE-MESH — ° | | [t_/ REINFORCING ail J -_— ft *--g 4 | ¥ | | 4) I ort ae “ a oY 62, | | iy i aan . 1_¥ q | : t ej b, res 29 k—1g+-] ——397———o1 i ‘12X16 IRON DOOR 3 | 4 | --- EYEBOLTS Jf toe pis : | Fic .18 J : Sg ree Pe ti, GUTTER ge _ j ~ ai Se 6 CONCRETE FLOOR, ) or, - TO SLOPE 3"To i+ ' ¥ AUTOMOBILE-WASHING PLATFORM ~~ Fic.20 ios _-- 2'ANGLE IRON i Sh Pond ~ a et METAL LATH ~ P) | : Sn | CONCRETE GARBAGE CONTAINER h' Fic .19 | ' | i CF AT | ls i ; |, 1 PLAN | PORTLAND-CEMENT MORTAR, BOTH SIDES {iL ea OPEN-AIR SHOWER BAT f € -) Fig.21 be l4 o es \ . c=) y — + a 4 ' Fas & <2 i 7 ‘? A 4 | ‘ N f e | W ' xt 2 ie : . 7) f I ~~ } i 4 7 : . } WATER __ | ji 4 35.°.* SUPPLY i - - ! t ’ m WASTE ___ | i 4 oun - | PIPE L le - al 51” | ~~ oa 1 ELEVATION SHOWING ‘ CHILDRENS STEP | still atin } ‘ete om } } ” ae zs i} END ELEVATION | Fic.22 | i— TT = ———— —_ = : - " Figures 18 and 19: Concrete Garbage Container, of Good Design, and Easily Constructed. Where Runn Water Is Available, the Automobile-Washing Platform, Shower Bath, and Drinking Fountain, hown in Figures 20 to 22, can be Provided, and will be Greatly Appreciated
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298 POPULAR MECHANICS Planer Converted into a Shaper The method used in converting the planer to its new use was quite simple. No matter how well planned and _ The planer cross rail was removed from equipped a machine shop may be, there _ its housings and mounted on a large cast usually comes a time when the largest angle plate as illustrated. This angle plate, with the cross rail attached,
a a : a LARGE. ANGLE i {“, was then set up on box parallels CROSS RAll PLATE .. and clamped to the table. The Sat E ANI BOX PARALLELS i work was supported on heavy I- IOLDEF - : 1 as i beams which were bolted to the i. lower flange or feet of the plane: bed. Bolting the I-beams to the base of the machine in this man- ner made it necessary to remove about 3 ft. of the foundation. After the beams had been at- tached, they were leveled with tl planer table and supported on timber sills. This arrangement for supporting the large work was made flush with the shop floo and formed a permanent addition to the planer equipment. After the work had been lev- eled on the supporting steel beams, it was clamped in posi- tion. The saddle and tool |
oars wrre nm > DC = ms P by 2 bm P old collar of one end to the wall or roof, bent at the “oS =f suitable di- other end to inclose the pipe, as shown in ameter was the illustration, and fastened with a screw Zw \- obtained, and and nut. Anyone who has done the job the screw run knows how difficult it is to bring the ends into the '- of the bracket close enough to allow the in. setscrew
screw to be inserted and the nut to be as anemone hole already +- ~salie - oe - 3 arl«y COLLAR ‘ : started, especially as the operator is nearly in it. In use, always perched ona ladder. Ona lengthy the screw is 1 job of piping, using these hangers, it was turned back far enough to allow the col- found that the tool shown in the draw- lar to be slipped over the ends of the ing greatly facilitated the work. bands, and the small clamp screw is To make the tool, a long ¥4-in. screw dropped into place. The '%-in, screw is
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POPULAR run down until the screwdriver engages the slot and drives the home. In this manner the ends are readily forced together, and when the screw projects through the bottom lug, the nut is slipped in place, the final tight- ening being done with a wrench after the tool has been removed. then point screw A Good Wire Straightener The making of an odd coil spring or two, in the small shop, is always more or less of an experiment, and often several springs must be wound before one suit- able for the purpose intended is made. The tool shown in the illustration has been successfully used for straightening these scrap springs, to reclaim the wire for future use. A rectangular piece of 1-in. steel is used for the body. A %4-in. hole is drilled in the center; a %-in. hole in each side, for the wire; a %e-in. plain hole in one end, and a %e-in. tapping hole in the other, as shown. The plain hole is fitted with a sliding al 6 handle, with a 44 HOLE.| I uo Yg-in. hole aor eH ° “Vii drilled | through it gua DAD \ eee ee i } L ort Sem ar near one end l" ie 4--Ye_ TAPPED HOLE : and a thread- ed %e-in. rod is screwed in- to the tapped hole. To straight- en out a spring, one end is held tightly in a vise; the oth- er end is gripped in a pair of pliers, and the spring pulled out until the wire is as straight as possible. The handles of the tool are then adjusted until the hole in the end of the plain handle is in line with the 4g-in. holes in the body, and the tool is pushed onto the wire and up to the vise. The threaded handle is then screwed in, until sufficient tension is put on the wire to straighten it, when the tool is drawn along as shown. To prevent the plain handle from falling out when the tool is not in use, a few punch marks may be made around the inner end, or a piece of wire put through the hole and the thread- ed handle screwed tight. The edges of the holes are rounded to allow the tool to slide on the wire with- out cutting or scraping it. MECHANICS 299 Quick-Acting Miter-Box Clamps The carpenter's usual method of at- taching his miter box to a sawhorse has several disadvantages. It is generally necessary to nail cleats across the top of the sawhorse to provide a base wide enough for the legso f the miter box, which, or in turn, must be screwed or nailedto the cleats. A better method was devised by a Caliger- nia carpenter, and is shown ° BOLT in the draw- B34” HOLE ing. The mites ye WiNcnut box is screwed Yas SAW HORSE or bolted per- manently on a board or cleat is clamped to the means of two bolts, slipped through %4-in. holes drilled in both cleat and sawhorse. A slotted washer is slipped under the head when the pushed in position from below, and the wingnut on each bolt tightened, clamping the miter box securely on the horse. To remove the miter box, to loosen the wingnuts so that the washers can be slipped out, and the bolts will drop out cleat, and the sawhorse by Carriage bolt bolt 1S it is only necessary Clamp Protects Portable-Lamp Connections Trouble is usually experienced with electric extension cords fitted with porta ble lamps of the type illustrated, as the cord is easily pulled out of the socket This trouble can be overcome by fitting the lamp handle with a small sheet-metal clar the upper showing the tern of the cl and the low tail how it is bent > ‘ A small bolt is © %) fitted onthe clamp , — : _ amp, detail pat- amp er de- ee ———— — proper, so that it can be tightened on the lamp cord The other part is screwed to the end of the handle as indicated. With this in place the part of the cord inside of the lamp holder will not be subjected to any strain.
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S00 Attaching Wire to Concrete Posts A good method of attaching wire to concrete fence posts is shown in the drawing. One [) side of the | yost, as far oe = it extends 7 | : above the ground, has small grooves formed in it, about 2 in. apart. These y-raoves are made by wooden strips nailed to the face of the form in which the posts are made. The fence wire is laid in the grooves as shown, and bound in place by a short length of wire, passed around the post and twisted around the fence wire—Warner H. Ellis, Keenes, III. ~~ = pais FORM A Milling-Machine Drill Chuck In order to line up the point of a drill to a punch mark on the work held on the table of a machine, it is, of course, necessary that the TARERED _ drill should run Pemas true. To. obtain this accuracy, something more than the ordinary drill chuck is needed, for drills have a habit of running true in the shank but out at the point. This may be the fault of the drill, but is more often the fault of the chuck, which, unless it is a new one, has a tendency to throw the drill point slightly out. To overcome this, the drill chuck as designed. It is made in two pieces, the part A being turned to fit the spindle and bored out with a conical seat at the bottom. The sleeve B is bored at one end to slip over the inner piece, the opposite end being bored to the same size as the opening in A. The outer piece is bored and tapped to take four screws for truing purposes, and two setscrews to hold it to the shank. As shown in the drawing, several differ- snown Vv POPULAR MECHANICS ent drill sizes can be held in the holder. In operation, the drill is pushed into the chuck until it rests in the conical seat provided for it, and the four adjusting screws are tightened to line up the drill approximately, after which the drill can be trued up as accurately as desired by loosening or tightening the screws after the manner of a four-jawed chuck. Removing a Broken Screw The removal of a broken stud or set- screw, that has rusted in place, usually requires considerable time and patience. Before resorting to annealing and drilling, the method shown in the drawing should be tried, if possible. Invert the piece in which the screw is situated, and drill a small hole into the screw hole, as shown in the il- BROKEN SCREW lustration. Fill this hole with kerosene and insert a short rod of the same size as the hole By hitting the rod a hard blow, the kero- sene will be forced around the threads, after which it is easy to remove the screw with a hammer and chisel. Making Push-Button Switches Water-Tight Push-button switches in exposed places can be protected from water by covering them with rubber, attached as shown in the illustration. For a single- gang switch, a rubber sheet, about 4 or 5 in. in dimen- sions, should be used. Such a piece can be cut from an old inner tube. The rupber is attached to the wall around the switch by means ofanarrow frame, cut from a piece of sheet brass, and drilled to receive small brass screws. A snap switch can be protected in the same way, except that a larger sheet of rubber is required, to allow the knob to be grasped and turned.
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POPULAR MECHANICS Making Small Commutators hold the rods in place, and to serve terminal fasteners for the armature wind Drum commutators for small experi- ing, as shown in Fig. 3 ental motors and dynamos are usually A disk-type commutator can be made ade by driving a length of brass tubing in a similar manner and with le work over a fiber rod, fastening the ends with In this « the segmet ire und cop ichine screws, and then cut- ' ting the tubing lengthwise into egments. A better method is to ike up a fiber body, consider- ably larger in diameter than the finished commutator, by pressing together a number of thick fiber disks on a mandrel, the same size is the motor or dynamo shait \ Copper or brass rods are then = sia lriven into holes drilled length- ne COMMUTATOR "8.8 FLANGE ise through the fiber cylinder, : FIBER DISKS IPPER OR hown in Fig. 1. The whole Mn a ee inder is turned down until the Da ig ds have been cut away to about a! a: lf their diameter, as in Fig. 2 iving a series of segments rated by the fiber insulation, "= SCREWS TAPPED .M MUTATOR ‘ ae puree INTO ROD ENDS th a flange at each end. The Fic.3 Fig. 4 imeter of the rods used for the - — RS PM a Figures 1, 2, and 3, Drum Commutator, and Figur« 4, Disk egments is determined to a ata Commutator, Made of Fiber Disks and Copper Rods extent by the number of seg ents necessary; the larger the numberof per or brass plugs, turn for a egments the smallerthe rods. Beforeturn- portion of their leng nd « en into ng down, each rod is drilled and tapped, holes drilled in a fib sk n it hrough the fiber, at one end, and small Fig. 4; brass screws a used typ brass machine screws are screwed in, to also, to hol pli in place Holding Thin Tubes in Hacksaw Vise bod) r t center, for é } Sawing thin tubing in the power hack- a length « e is always an awkward and time-_ 1s bent to f gle, t uming job, as the material must be W his s ent to t to p ¢ ripp e d the angle iro hale ¢ : } Lea tay ee. ane. 1 e than the leng Of the enough te ob. ey crew i prevent mov- . ANGLE ine 1€ od I l € vice 1S ing, yet with- tollows The tub t pped, t out distort- S nsbssbeb ength of the ith « ing it. The oth, folded b to b » that clevice shown ceneeverninne é yVi1s on ] ( el tn in the draw- ROD the sere b ed out » that the } ing will sim- es snugly against thi the ( plify the /¥ m is pressed down tight n the tubs ork consid- nd the vise is cl l on the | erably, and tube 1 né d igly t tie ill more pre ire of the vise dire ( t than pay for lo keep it 1 1 t the time the screw is tightened spent in mak- WORK It is not necessary to loosen the vise } ing it, wheth- each tit the tu moved f e- er this iob be —— vee le sing the pressure on the | ult a “stock” one, to enable the tube to be moved. When or only done from time to time. A piece the holder is not in _ use, the of angle iron, rather shorter than the backed up t the rod —H ( width of the vise jaws, is used for the Montreal, ¢
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ee polisher and grind- sr that can be used for sawing, and for driving a small lathe, as well as for grinding, in a small workshop, is shown in the illustration. The easy run- Foot-Power Grinder for Small Shop By C. RABER The table consists of a frame, made of 2 by 4in. stuff, to which a %-in. top is nailed. The grinder head is bolted or screwed to the top so that a small V- pulley, mounted on its shaft, is exactly in line with the bicycle =) -HINGE CLAMP BOLT wheel. A belt is then passed over these two wheels, and the grinder is complete. The top should be securely at- tached to the frame, and the frame to the floor, by means of pipe straps Copying Newspaper s —— Halftones WHEEL MOUNTING an Many good photog- ey raphers fail to get suc- cessful results when try- =i} Re __ ing to copy pictures in 4 es, !; » W/ att newspapers or mag- eo ™ ° ~ . .| azines. Success is assured S if 2 dj “tj cive Le we og if the directions given be- sp , —~ low are closely followed | Place a piece of ground PEDAL-HUB MOUNTING | glass in a printing frame, = ground side up. On this, lay a thin piece of clear celluloid and place the picture face down upon A Foot-Power Grinder Used in a Small Workshop: a Buffing Wheel, a Circular Saw, or to Drive a Lathe ning of the machine, and the convenience of the pedal arrangement, enable the operator to use both hands for the work. The frame is constructed entirely of pipe and fittings, and the driving mech- anism of bicycle parts. The pedal-hub mounting i regular bicycle- pedal hub, held securely in a large tee, consists of a which 1s split and fitted with a hinge and clamp as shown in the lower detail. Crosspieces in the center of the frame- work hold the wheel in position so that the small sprocket on the wheel hub is in line with the large pedal sprocket. The method of mounting the hub is shown in the center detail. The ends of the spindle are carried in nipples on each side, and the lock shown in the upper detail is used to prevent the cone from being tightened by the wheel when the latter is turning. As the greatest strain to which this part is subjected is downward, supporting wires, fitted with turnbuckles, are con- nected to the pipe couplings and to the underside of the table, as shown > it. Fasten the back of _—— a ~ tthe drame, and. stand It is Also Used as on a table squarely in front of the camera. Illuminate the picture from the front, to avoid reflections, but do not let the light shine into the lens. Use a kind; this is “process” plate, not the ordinary slower in action, hence an exposure of about double the usual time must be made. Focus carefully and do not shake the camera during exposure. The ground glass will eliminate the grain of the halftone and paper entirely If the halftone screen is a very coarse one, it will be found better to reverse the elass, farther thus placing the ground side away from the face of the picture. (When examining the storage battery of a car to see if any water is needed, do not simply test one cell; examine them all. One of the cells may be cracked, and will require water oftener than the others. It is a good idea to examine a storage bat- tery once every two v In adding distilled water to the battery, always bring the level of the electrolyte % in. above the top of the plates. eek S.
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——— a POPULAR Homemade Metal Lath By using homemade metal lath on an outside stucco job, a considerable saving as effected. The price asked for regu- lar metal lath by dealers was about 38 cents per square yard, while the home- made kind cost about 10 cents. Lengths f No. 8 galvanized wire were first tightly stretched over the wall vertically, spaced about 10 in. apart, and nailed at both ends; 2-in. mesh poultry netting is tacked over this, then lengths of No. 1S wire were laid horizontally, spaced out 4 in. apart, and nailed at the ends he whole was stapled down well and the cement was applied in the usual way. —A. L. Neuenschwander, Miami, Fla. Bracing Chimney Extension A tinsmith who was confronted wit] he problem of erecting an extension on low chimney, without attaching guy res to the roof, braced the extension the manner shown in the drawing An iron band as bolted around the chim- ney as indicated, STEEL and stovebolts f | HOOP were fitted in
= holes drilled on md | each side, for the ' cuy wires. The jl latter were fas- tened to the top
/ of the chimne ---WIRE extension and to \ | the stove- \ Li 4 bolts, and wet ’ 5 & - C oa (a | spread apart by RON means of a steel hoop, which Was
held in position wrapping each guy wire around it This bracing made the extension so strong that it has withstood the heav- Making the Farm Engine More Convenient The problem of holding down a gaso- line engine, without resorting to the usual method of bolting it to the floor, was solved by the portable and adjustable base shown in the drawing. Two heavy wooden beams are bolted to the under- ide of the engine, their ends projecting far enough to be used as handles. Two similar beams, somewhat shorter, are per-
MECHANICS manently attached to the floor so that those on the engine will fit between them A removable rod is then pushed through holes drilled in all four beams. to lock them together and hold the engine down securely. One hole is drilled through each outside beam and a series of hol through the inner ones so that the two ” REMOVABLE ROD \ PERMANENT FLOOR v FASTENING
3ase That Makes the Farm E able, Yet Secure Wh A
base 1 he ( ( é caitterent pt S to ( | hye tension Floor be ‘ t are atta ed ne eve ¢ ¢ machine, so t t é é is only neces t ‘ p in the 1 Flatiron Coil Used in Ignition Systen A Wisconsin flour miller ¢ use of dry cells for | tension ig on his stat I 2 en é stituting t 1 heating eleme oO de neg é ) \ | t r Oot rene ng tne ce S I S ¢ to drv-cell Onitiol system { iron coil w ( lected 1 seri the 110-volt ‘ ng < < tion circuit Of the engine, on the {| tive side. The coil was suspended in tl] air, where it could not come in cont with anv inflammable substance. as it be came very hot when used for an lengt! oi time. Although a good, hot | provided with this arrangement, there \ s onl ( ent nd_ there nothing té et ¢ ( order € —Paul | ir erston, Jack- son, Michigan :
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304 POPULAR Mixing Feed for Hogs The novel method of slopping hogs shown in the photo is in use on an Iowa farm, and has been found a great time and labor saver. The iron tank shown in the foreground NE BNE GEESE Method of Slopping Hogs: Both Troughs Refilled While the Hogs are Feeding A Novel can be is placed at one end of the concrete wa- tering trough, and can be filled with wa- ter from the pipe that supplies the trough. The tankage, shorts, or other ground feeds are mixed in the tank and enough water run in to make a thin slop. Then the valve indicated by the arrow is opened, and one of the troughs filled, whereupon the valve is closed again, the pipe swung over to the other trough, and this one filled. The valve and tank, and the inner ends of the troughs, are fenced in as shown, so that the hogs will not in- terfere with the filling operation, and the are not turned into the yard until both troughs are filled, so that each one has an equal chance to get its portion of the hogs feed Lubricating Derrick Sheaves It is almost average impossible to get the operator to oil the sheaves at the top of the derrick, as it is li On an 80- ] oe) aerrick ’ imb the mast. ft. derrick we overcame this difficulty by running a %4-in. pipe along the mast to within a few feet of the top, and fitting a length of flexible metallic hose on the end to reach the center pin of the sheave. Metallic lrose comes in sizes appropriate for this purpose, together with the neces- sary fittings, which are a solder nipple on one end and a 4-in. pipe-thread nipple at the other. At the bottom of the length of pipe, an elbow, taken from one of the popular high-pressure auto-greasing sys- tems, was fitted. A good grade of grease, necessary to c MECHANICS that does not harden in cold weather, was used, the entire pipe being filled with grease by means of the high-pressure grease gun, so that at any time afterward, a push on the grease gun below forced the grease into the sheave pin. This method of lubricating has also been found practicable on all our clamshell buckets, and on the derrick engine. In places where the nipple was likely to be broken off, the old oil cup on the bearing was removed, and a solid plug was substituted for it. Another plug of the same size was drilled and tapped to take one of the grease nipples. When it was necessary to oil the bearing, the solid plug was re- moved, the one with the nipple screwed on, and the grease gun applied—A. S. Jamieson, Springfield, Mass. Enameled Ware Repaired by Brazing Enameled ware can be repaired easily and permanently by brazing, the small tip of an ordinary welding or acetylene braz- ing torch being the most suitable to do the work. Remove all rust and dirt around the hole with hydrochloric acid, or with a piece of emery cloth. Apply heat, and melt the flux and spelter around the hole, spreading the spelter over the hole with an iron wire, flattened on one end. The spelter will unite with the enamel, making a permanent repair.— M. Van Slyke, Jacksonville, Fla. A Handy Spike-Pulling Tool It is frequently necessary to tap or remove spikes and other parts so close to the ground that there is not enough room below for the head of the hammer, to say nothing of the space required for swinging it. The tool illustrated will prove of con- siderable ance in cases of this kind. The lower hook is in- serted beneath the head of the spike to be drawn, and the hammering is done on the underside of the upper hook.—H. J. Engel, New Braun- fels, Tex. assist-
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the
ordinary tools and a little are all that is required to enable y to make the animated toy shown illustration; this will not only ike a splendid toy for little brother or ster, but any boy, or group of boys, an make a sufficient number to earn ite a little pocket money, if the work well done and attractively finished Any good soft wood, 1 in. thick, and ee from knots or other imperfections,
An Ingenious and Almost Unbreakable Toy mon Wood and Sheet-Metal Working Tools Are Necessary for Its used for the body \ vertical line should be marked on. the tock first, and all measurements for lay- ing out the body made from this line It is not at all necessary to follow these dimensions closely; the body can be made as much larger or smaller as de- sired, while keeping to the same general proportions : . Each arm is made in one piece, each iO?
in two, 20-gauge sheet metal being Information as to where to obtain any specified materials or parts for making objects described in following pages may from our Bureau of Information.—Editor. be had. on request, Making a Cycling Monkey By L. R. BUTCHER used Blue-annealed sheet ste¢ which does not hold paint well \lmos any kind of scrap metal can be use strips cut from an old auto body, for e) mple, are excellent for the purpose, The wheel may e ther be made from one piece, 1 in. thick, or built up; the one-piece construction is the stronget
and should be used whenever possible This is a wood-lathe job, but if no Hf ~ 4 . { Ff J m ———y a oe . Tk — / —* ) pa 3 q ‘ | —— | ona j [ oe = _ a” L ; “hh \ — \ 4 ¢ . c 7 “<< - s F f ’ = i 4 - —_—_——_—_—————— y = ——— — That will Please Any Child: Nothing but C Construction Ss Va lable any ( ¢ one out at very slight t. The gt around the’ whee yoda wheel supports; there is no le Round iron or cold-rolled eel, V4 in diameter, 1 u d to the hee 1 ports One end of eat tened and drilled f: ‘ f tt ment to the body the ¢ , e curved to fit in the heel ¢1 ve The toy is assembled by first faster
|
1S bet- ter for this purpose than galvanized iron,
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SOG the -wheel in place, allowing a slig! between wheel and supports. Che w should be placed a joints, and the legs and body Che
Screws end of POPULAR little in front of the center line of the body. The lower ends of the legs are then pivoted to screws driven into the wheel at a distance et 3% im. from the cen- ter, so that, when one legis ex- tended, the other is raised Ordinary tinners’ riv- ets are used as pivots ror the knee the points where are attached to the ach arm is linked by a short piece of wire with an eye bent at each end, the arms to toy is pushed heavy wire, twisted together and attached to the rear of the body, the handle to push the toy may use oe scheme he ’ 1 1 should ye pleted toy i tn tf unbre ikabdie, The maker painting th ? +} to tl move toy, decides strong j ly ~ and 1e forv al d. knee joint,’ causing and down as the Two pieces ot | orm the tail and his own taste in whatever color follow, the face marked. The com- s very sturdy, in fact almost , | 1 please any { ild.
Making Headless Setscrews amateur me heads of mi screw to be slotted, and across it to ichine ~hanic
a depth
1 be made by the cutting off the or cap Crews, ind cutting the 1 rs . | . 1, 1 TS WITN a NaCK= but, unless ome method of uiding the saw is used, it is dif- ficult to make a neat job, es- pecially in the smaller sizes A fixture that elimi- nates this diffi- culty consists of a nut fitting the having a slot cut about twice that of MECHANICS the desired slot in the screw. After cut- ting the slot in the nut, it is hardened. In use, another nut is first run onto the screw; the slotted one is then screwed down against the first, and tightened, the screw head coming about the center of the slot, and the nuts are then gripped in a vise, as indicated. A number of these fixtures, made for various sizes of screws, will be found to be of great convenience. Magnifier for Close Work Retouchers, artists, and draftsmen who need a magnifier while using a_ pencil, will avoid the inconvenience of using both hands by mak- ing the simple attach- «4 L short strip oft brass to BRASS Sy ‘ STRIP a pencil holder, or to J \ a metal lead holder. Obtain a small high- ” ) Ww r magnitying A ‘ I ow eC p ee glass, and attach it to _— 7 _pouwer the brass strip by means of a screw, to allow adjustment The result is a complete tool that can be held in one hand, the mag er being in focus for the-work. nin CT always
Improving Stationery Cabinet Small stationery cabinets, used on many desks for holding typewriter and carbon-copy sheets, can be improved con- siderably by gluing a eel | =~ beveled strip ) of W ood to the inside ot the back, in each com- partment as illustrated This make
up single sheets without loss of time and without 1 1 crumpling the paper Phe wooden strips should, of course, be just wide and long enough to fit the compart- ments neatly —Dale R. Van Horn, Wal- ton, Neb
} ;
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POPULAR Renewing Scent of Cedar Chest \loth balls or other highly odorous tances destroy the natural sweet nt of a cedar chest if used in it for length of time, and they then seem ipregnate the wood with their own uliar odor, which is very difficult to ove. have found that about the only way remove these odors, and to restore the vyinal cedar-wood smell, is to sand- er the entire inside. In doing this sandpaper 1s rubbed across the grain. advisable first to use a coarse grade indpaper, and if this leaves the sur- e too rough, to use a finer grade after- rd. The treatment is effective on a old cedar chest—Rufus E. Deering, ments, Kan. Simple Jack for Cordwood When sawing cordwood, it is usually inconvenient to hold both wood | saw, especially when the lengths ye short. This difficulty can be ed by using a simple jack of the wy Simple Jack for Holding Cordwood: It Auto- natically Clamps the Wood to Facilitate Sawing pe illustrated. It consists of three ivy beams, pivoted together on a bolt one end. The two outside beams aie vung out in one direction and the cen- ral one, which is cut out to fit the logs, he opposite direction, as indicated. ins, driven into the outer beams, hold e cordwood up, and the upper end of he center beam clamps it down securely. by pushing the center beam in, the 1 slid along for another cut As the beam is released, the piece automatically clamped 1 the mcr ty be on iS again MECHANICS A Clothes Rack for the Closet The capacity of a clothes closet can, in many cases, be doubled by the addition of the rack illustrated \ triangular me, —— eet Way Increases the Capacity of the Closet frame made of l-in. material is provided with clothes hooks and uspende | ym the ceiling by means of a length of rope, strung over two pulleys screwed into the ceiling, one in the center and the other near the side This rope is attached to smaller ones running to ‘ es of the frame Che latter is held at any desired height by hitching the lifting rope to a clothes hook or nail driven into the le wall. A knot is tied in the rope at such a point that it will stop at the t pul and hold the rack in a position the hooks can easily be rea hed trom be low.—Paul L. Fetherston, J on, Mich Removing Headlamp Rims When it becomes necessary to remove rims, it will fre , be tound that they are so rusted automobile headlamp quently that they cannot re idily ve turned by hand. This is due to the fact that insut ficient “grip” is obtained because of thi high polish of the nickel or enamel Before applying tools, which may m the finish of the rims ly i strip ot friction tape around the ent outer edge and try again. In most cases the rim will readily com off \tte he rim ha been replaced, the tape is removed, and the adhesive cleaned trom the nickel or enamel sut ith ! (;e0 Aring, Dayton, Ohio
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308 POPULAR Theft Alarm Safeguards Car he drawing shows a simple theit alarm that can be attached to any car, and will, sound the horn and keep it BRAKE LEVER 7 ALARM SET |} RELEASED SPRUNG FIBER ARM BRASS STRIPS An Easily Made Theft Alarm That Sounds the Horn When the Emergency Brake is Released sounding, the moment the emergency bral is released It consists of a switch having two spring-contact blades located in shaped slot, cut in the floorboard at ht angles to the brake-lever slot, and a movable fiber arm that is pushed be- tween the the blades, after the that the is pulled back, so ends of ake lever lever cannot be moved forward without dislodging the arm and closing the tch. When the owner uses the car, he pulls the arm back, so that the brake ever may be moved past without disturb- ing it. This circuit, of course, inde- pendent of the regular horn circui Cleaning Light Silk Fabrics Georgette crépes, crépe de Chine, silk pongee, and other light silk fabrics that vill not stand washing, are frequently dry-cleaned at home by washing in gaso- line lf the soiled spots are caused by grease, oil, or other substances that are soluble in gasoline, this method is per- fectly satisfactory But when spots of sugar, candy, and ice cream are to be dealt with, as is frequently the case, gas- oline cleaning alone will not. suffice. Water must be used, but not without caution, for, when applied directly to the fabric, rings and discolorations are likely to result A method now practiced by many ex- MECHANICS imitated can be clean: perienced cleaners can be home, garments without injury, if the following directi are carefully followed. Wash the ment carefully in gasoline as usual, the rinse in clean gasoline, and, without wringing, dip two or three times int and . and the pail of clear soft water, to which been added 3 or 4 oz. of vinegar. Re move quickly, shake out the sur] water, and hang the garment wher: will dry in a short time. Do not a heavy folds to form in the fabric, as t moisture will be retained in these t long. If hung on a line out of di where the wind will aid in drying much the better lhe evaporating g oline will carry with it the moisture. Improvised Ground Switch should not be hooked switch just becat An antenna without a ground there is no_ single-pole double-th: switch at hand. A 100-ampere, or la: double-pole single-throw quite as well. The only is the removal of the handle and the sulatine } uliating switch wil change neces and the fitting of dividual knobs or handles to each b! so. that thrown ently;. co1 position cay of large bind cros bar. they can be indenet W f j / ing posts at —> / : ° ’ TO suitable fo GROUND, , ee LU ANTENNA 1 ig GAP T the bared « } ‘" of the le ~~ KO 11 5s 4 EU o ‘ (a) STANDARD Enrea as C D.P.S.T. : , a SWITCH throug 1 be > oY pivot ter nais. 3 ( _ mnad le INSTRUMENT b 9g) ground i¢ LE ~ a is broug! GROUND 1 through t | REMOVED bottom p.o opposite the free end of the lead-in wir and is extended toward the latter shown, allowing a Wg-in. gap betwee! the ends. This makes a good safety ga that will not interfere with incoming sig nals. The wire leading to the instrument is fastened to the remaining post, shown. When receiving, the groundin: blade is thrown open and the other closed: when idle, the positions of t blades are reversed.—E. J. Bachman, Ful lerton, Pa. 1
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tor POPULAR Protecting Cucumbers from Beetles City gardeners who have but a few hills of cucumber, watermelon, or musk- melon vines that are preyed upon by triped beetles, will find that a few moth lis, broken in small pieces and scat- tered around the plants, persuade the assailants to retreat to other regions.— C. M. Wilcox, Torrington, Conn. Convenient Stop Lever for Phonograph The phonograph stop lever illustrated can be operated when the top is down, eliminating the necessity of raising the top when no more records are to be played. The lever consists of a brass strip, about %4 in. wide and 6 in. long, bent to the shape shown. It is pivoted ona small screw driven into the edge of the cabi- net at the point indicated, one end SHEET BRASS, ot th e lever pro- SCREW. /f jecting outsi de >S— the cabinet, and J the other end resting against ie trip that stops the machine, so that when the lever is pushed the trip is op- erated. The lever, if made of brass, can be given a fine finish by heating, and then dipping into nitric acid (poison). Mason Jar Used as Sap Bucket Ordinary mason jars can be used to col- lect the sap when tapping maple trees, with the arrange- ment shown in the illustration. A bail to hold the jar is made of No. 8 galvanized-iron wire. This is made to fit inside the jar, and to spring outward against the neck as indi- cated. The bail is hung on the “tap” in the same man- ner asaregular sap bucket, notch- es being cut inthe tap to prevent the bail from slipping off. —Harold Jackson, Kankakee, III. MECHANICS 309 Combined Tassel and Socket Many women are making attractive silk light shades for the dining room, to be hung over the table instead of a glass Convenient Method of Attaching an Extension Cord to a Lighting Fixture Having a Silk Shade dome. It is desirable to have the bottom of these shades closed, but it then be- comes a difficult matter to connect the extension cord of an electric appliance on the table unless the cord is run over the side of the fixture. This difhculty can however, be overcome by letting through the center of the bottom a short length of portiere cord, carrying within it an equal length of lamp cord, connected to one of the sockets inside. A socket, cov- ered with a tassel to match the porticre cord, is attached to the lower end ot the lamp cord. In cases where a pull-chain switch is used to control the fixture, the portiere cord may be attached to it as shown in the upper detail, so that the tassel will then serve two purposes.—Ellis Levy, New York City. @ The most convenient place for a hand- operated horn on a truck is underneath the floorboards, so that it can be worked with the foot. An opening is cut in the boards so that the plunger will project above the floor.
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— By Ray F.Kuns PRINCIPAL, AUTOMOTIVE ‘TRADE SCHOOL, CINCINNAT OMnIO BUILDING A CAMPCAR | Part II Interior Fittings H AVING built and covered the frame, is detailed in the July issue, the i¢ berths and other in- be taken up. At the front of the car, in will be serves several 1 mm or the terior hittings may construct Fig. 11, frame; this When the car is closed up, for traveling, the back end of the frame rests on the top of the windshield, as shown in Fig. 13, pro- tecting the berth from dust and dirt. When the berth is down, the frame forms the front wall of the sleeping recess. The frame is made of 1 by 4-in. poplar, and is hinged to a stout cleat in the “nose” of the car. The hinges are firmly bolted to both frame and cleat, as they carry part duck-cov e! ed purposes, ready seen a of the weight of the berth and its occu- pants The im- mediate point that receives the weight of the berth is a cleat running t the made from a discarded bedspring, the end angle irons of the bed being screwe: bolted to the endpieces of a 48 by 7 wooden frame. The endpieces of the frame cover the ends of the sidepiec« to prevent trouble due to the pull of tl The bottom of the berth is cov with duck, which may be panel with lattice strips if desired. The windlass-and-pulley arrangement for raising the berth is shown in Figs. 11 and 13. The pulleys are the smal springs el ed oO placed T rope running to the corn bert nay be at- of %-in. pipe mounted V ooden bloc] on the frame across . and provide frame,as &@ with a gear shown in sec- and dog tora tion in Fig. 13; By: “ie eee ratchet. The and to keep ae ‘ ae ee? 2 ee en Ae ined pipe project : the berth Om Photo Showing Body Framed, Ready for the Application of the t hrough me sipping trom Duck Covering Iront panel this cleat, two board, anda iron brackets, shown dotted, are screwed crank, fitted with a pin that engages to it, and fit behind the berth frame. slots cut in the pipe, is used to turn it Most of the weight of the berth is carried The crank is stored in the car when not by the cross member of the truss, shown, in Fig. 13, just below the windshield. The duck used to cover the frame need not run below the cleat just mentioned. The side rails project below this, and form convenient handles for lifting the frame. A grooved rail on the front of the frame fits over the top of the wind- shield when the car The front berth, is closed. shown in Fig 14, is in use. The gear is pinned to the pipe just inside the front post, and the pawl fastened to the post so that it will pre- vent the gear from turning backward, except when the pawl is raised. The ropes used at the four corners are medium-weight sash cord; the rope is of the same type, but heavier. The rear berth, shown installed in Fig. 12 and in detail in Fig. 15, is made from windlass
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u “o> ae /-COOKING- UTENSIL CUPBOARD --~ WINDSHIELD ie ;7 DUCK: COVERED FRAME Ns | “WINDSHIELD _WINDLASS TO SUPPLY “RAISE BERTH Yi || CUPBOARD} i} A ‘ 2 _- LIGHT TOOLS WHEEL “ -~- HEAVY TOOLS HOUSING LEFT AND FRONT INTERIOR Fic.t1 LES, tf > BERTH L SS , [SS SS aT TANK REF RIGERATOR -—-—~- — “TABLE “WHEEL HOUSINGS VIEW OF RIGHT REAR END 12 LS ST eet a! ca “} DUCK-COVERED /fpr~ {BERTH| |HOUSED IN ROOF {| 4” FRAME ~ / ~ | t ; : i \ MN \ i WINDSHIELD FRAME CLOSED } | DETAIL OF FRONT- i || BERTH SUPPORTS | | || | | 1| ? —", “IZ ANGLE IRON =) FRONT-BERTH DETAILS “S| ° —i HOLES FOR ROPE” Fic.13 Figure 11, View of Left and Front Interior, Showing Location of Utensil and Supply Cupboards, Gasoline Stove, and Front Berth; Figure 12, View of Right Rear End. Showing Lockers, Rear Berth, and Refri erator; Figure 13, Details of Front-Berth Arrangement; Figure 14, Working Drawing of Front Berth
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—— HINGE, P wv ‘ { a § + t 2 REQUIRED “A a" “~ I ‘STUD HINGE, bier 4 REQUIRED aa H REAR-BERTH DETAIL > “ DRAIN ~ ~ Fio.15 | REFRIGERATOR, TABLE,AND CUPBOARD j - . ~ ; Fic 16 i] | —y | l] | 1 1] | i Ag } { = | \ | \ 9 1] ™ \| | { | | me XK i SUPPLY CUPBOARD ? ee Fic .17 ws rs COOKING-UTENSIL. CUPBOARD : — Fic.18 FLOOR -. SS METAL TOE — \.--- 20-GAUGE SHEET STEEL | DETAIL OF Fig .19 CHAIR, 4 REQUIRED | Fic.20 | TOOL BOX — — ———$—$—$—$ $5 $$ $$ —___— ee — J Figure 15, Details of Rear Berth; Figure 16, Construction of Refrigerator and Table; Figures 17 and 18, Supply and Cooking-Utensil Cupboard Details; Figure 19, Method of Making Tocl Box; Figure 20, Framing and Upholstering of Chair, Showing Method of Fastening Chair to Floor 312
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POPULAR o-called sanitary couch. All parts are scarded except those that can be used ake up the two light 2 by 6-ft. frames. \iter the frame pieces were cut to size ey were welded together, although riv- ing will serve just as well. The springs ere then fitted into each section, and the mes fastened together by means of sur hinges, as shown in the detail. Two other heavy strap hinges were fastened to the berth and to the rear posts, as ndicated, and hooks and studs fitted to ecure the two parts together when olded against the wall, or when used at ilf width. The method of folding is shown in the upper detail. The half mat- tresses used are fastened to the frames by means of heavy cord. Two heavy hains, attached to the side posts, sup- port the front of the berth, while allow- ing it to be doubled up when traveling. the ceiling lockers MECHANICS 313 but a single thickness of lumber, and has no connection with the main compart- ment. A table leaf is hinged to the front of the box, supported by two \%& by 1-in steel braces. The leaf itself is made from a single piece of %¢-in. poplar, 16 in. wide, and is strengthened by three cleats. The supply cupboard, shown in Fig 17, is also made of 3.-in. stock, except the top and shelves, which are made from flooring boards, to insure strength. The construction is clearly shown in the drawing. lhe cooking-utensil cupboard is built to fit the space between the supply cup- board and one of the overhead lockers Its position is shown in Fig. 11, and its construction in Fig. 18. The gasoline stove is mounted on the supply cupboard, as shown in Fig. 11. shown in Figs. 11 nd 12. There are five of these, two at each de and one across the rear. The rear one is 12 wide, 3 ft. deep, and 6 it. long, and easily con- tains all the spare bed- ng The side lockers re not so large, and are used for clothing, and other articles in constant use. The method of framing the lockers is learly shown in Fig. 6, Part I; each door is cut Im a singie prece of 3%. in. lumber, and the edges sund with lattice strips his makes a neat but light door. Thumb but- tons or catches are used Left, Car Complete, shield in Place; Right, Windshield Open, Berth Down, and Duck-Covered Frame in Position for Sleeping on the ends of each door to prevent rattling. lhe combined refrigerator and table, ig. 16, is made throughout of *%-in. soft wood. Wide boards were used so as to minimize the number of joints necessary. The entire box, with the exception of the ll cupboard, is made with a double ‘in, 3g-in. strips being used to separate ie boards. The lids are of the same ype of construction; this insures fairly good insulation. The ice is set in through the large top door, amd rests on a slatted frame at the bottom, just over the drain. The ice compartment is lined with gal- vanized iron, and the drain pipe is run through the floor. A sliding shelf or rack (not shown) is also fitted in this compart- ment. The small cupboard is built with sma t t Ready for the Road, with Berth Housed, and Wind- his is the standard type used for home cooking, but several inches are cut trom the bottom, and all joints carefully . eted. A vacuum tank is used instead o the reservoir originally furnished. Con nection from this tank to the stove made with %e-in. copper tubing; the sup ply line is connected to the rear gasoline tank, which is filled with high-test gaso line. A small vacuum pump is connected to the vacuum line at the top of.the tank and a few strok: f this will the tar with gasoline, so that no fuel é handled in open vessels to supply the stove The water tank, Fig. 12, is of 30-gal capacity, and is set on the floor
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314 rear of the car. A %-in. pipe is run, under the floor, to the rear of the car, where it is fitted with a tee. The side outlet is fitted with a 16-in. length of pipe, the upper end being capped; this is the filler pipe. The other opening in the tee is fitted with a regular faucet; both filling the tank and trawing water are done outside the car. This tank may be mad 1m) handy at sheet-metal work; it is made of 20-gauge galvanized iron, and is fitted with a center baffle plate, to prevent splashing. A pressure system, tried at first, proved to be too troublesome The tool box, Fig. 19, is made of 20- gauge auto-body steel, over a wood The rear compartment, rope, jack, etc., outside, frame. carrying spades, chains, is reached from the The front compart- ment, carrying small tools, is reached through a trapdoor in the car floor. In framing this box, the builder should re- member that it is to be swung under the floor, and make the frame accordingly. Four chairs are provided, one of which is shown in Fig. 20. They may be moved to any position desired, but to keep the driver's seat in position while traveling, as shown in the floor plan, Part I, it is furnished with metal toes on the front legs. These slip under staples or metal ats on the floor, and make the seat juite secure. When the parts are framed d glued together, the webbing is nailed to the back; a small spring is then sewed on at each point where the webs cross. F then tied in the usual manner, covered with burlap, the back padded with cotton batting or hair, and covered with material taken from an old touring-car seat. This can be secured at any car-wrecking house. It is also possible to cut sections of padding com- plete from old car-seat backs, and tack them in place. While this demands care, it is easier than building up the uphol- stery from the bottom. The seat cushions m : [The springs are made, in a manner, from old touring-car seat cushions, the upholstering material being first removed from the springs \ V be similar trame POPULAR MECHANICS the chair frame, and the old springs are fitted into this, wired, and tied in place, and the upholstering replaced. The wheel housings must be made very tight, and mounted snugly to the frame to exclude dirt They are made of 2( gauge metal, wood-covered if and all joints should be seamed, crimped and riveted. used in the floor and with gasket used to draw the metal housings are ‘x desire d Felt strips are side joints, coated cement, and screws housings tight. The quite strong enough to serve as seats, and cushions can be fitted to them Dimensions cannot be given that will suit all cars, but the housings by 15 by 42 inches. T wo gasoline mounted shown are 13 tanks are carried, bot! under the floor, outside the chassis frame at the leit front The forward tank is used almost sively for the engine, although connected so that either may be used desired. The rear tank carries enoug!] high-test gasoline for a month’s cooking, and is connected to the stove as pre- viously described. Both tanks are of 15- gal. capacity. The construction of the remaining fe fittings, such as the instrument board folding steps, etc., can be gathered eas- ily from the dr Many tings could be described, but as the neces- sity for these varies with the builder, the will be omitted. The painting and finish- ing, which is also a matter of individual taste, need not be entered into here. To those who contemplate building such a car, however, the following figure will be of benefit. The cost will vary, of course, items, not pur- main cost are included, so that the prospective builder will have a good estimate of | probable: | The tires pur- chased in this list were put on last sea- son, and are apparently good for at least another season. It will be noted that— as is to be expected—the item of cost is greatest in the case of the chassis. As this item may vary greatly, it is hard to estimate costs. The reader will under- cornell exclu- bo fl are ‘ otner fit- wings = and some small chased, are omitted; the items of expenditure. is then prepared that will fit loosely into stand that no labor charges are figured | BODY AND CHASSIS COSTS Lumber . $ 19.12 Used touring car. nee ee, Duck 50.10 New wheels and. rin 17.41") Glass 5.50 New tires and tubes. 160.00 Paint 10.65 Steel 7.60 Steel 9.30 Materials for overhaul , 28.05 Hardware 7.60 Shock absorbers ....... 33.00 Cc} 1, 1.00 | leu 14.00 : d m ta 11.00 Total £604.92 L.. aia J
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POPULAR Cutting Brass Chemically Brass can be cut in irregular shapes by chemical process that is dependent on he amalgamating properties of mercury. [he process will be useful when shears innot be used, or when dies are too ex- pensive. Pencil in the design, then make a satu- rated solution of bichloride of mercury (poison) in alcohol, and use a fine brush to outline the design, avoiding overlap- ping of the pencil lines. After drying, the design should again be gone over vith a sharpened stick dipped in nitric acid (poison). In a few moments the brass can be broken at the lines, like 1 glass cut with a diamond. Washing Machine Used for Canning The illustration shows how an electric washing machine .that has its own heater can be adapted to the canning of iruit or vege- tables by the cold- pack method. A false bottom, about 19 in. in diameter, is made of \-in. sheet iron, wooden cleats being bolted on the under- side,anda number of holes drilled through it toallow proper circu- lation around the jars. Ina tub that is 12in. deep and 22 in. in diameter —the usual size—about 30 quart jars can be accommodated at once. Soft-Focus Effects Produced with Small Camera Soft-focus effects can be produced with any ordinary small camera fitted with a single lens, by cutting out the hard-rubber diaphragm in front of the lens until it is the full size of the lens tube. This in- creases the speed of the lens about three times, and has the effect of making the rays of light strike the film irregularly, and produce a soft haziness that is very pleasing. The negatives wiil stand a great degree of enlargement. MECHANICS 315 Protecting Inner Tubes from Rim Rust Although occasional painting is an ef- fective method of preventing rust on automobile-wheel rims, and thereby pro- tecting the inner tubes, the paint soon wears off. A much better method is to use a con- tinuous 3-in. —— rubber strip, ae mr cut from a : : discarded in- ner tube, and to place it be- tween the rim and the inner tube, inside of the casing. BLOWN { INNER TUBE The ordinary 2” STRIP fabric flap is quite service- able, if avail- Uf --- SECTIONAL VIEW able, but is likely to ab- sorb moisture, and thus cause rusting. Some motorists cement a rubber strip di- rectly to the rim, and seat the casing beads against this, but the method shown is much easier to apply, and quite as ef- fective. Mending a Copper Kettle A copper kettle or pan usually wears through at the edge, owing to the con- stant moving on the stove If merel soldered, the solder soon wears off, causing an- other leak. A better method of mending a kettle is to punch small holes in the bottom, S around the _— o™ edge, as \E shown in the illustra- —A5 0} tion, and to —_* drive copper \ . \ tacks into the \o a holes from “—— the outside. After the heads are sweated to the bottom with solder, the point of each tack is clipped off and hammered down. The heads of the tacks will take all the wear when the kettle is moved, and thus save the bottom of the utensil—J. A. Stevens, East Boothbay, Me.
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316 POPULAR Nonskid Attachment for Lawnmower Where terraced fronts and other steep slopes are to be kept trimmed with the lawnmower, considerable difficulty is usu- ally experienced in getting the machine to operate without skidding, especially if the grass is tender or wet. This diffi- culty will be overcome by providing a pair of nonskid at - tachments, which can be made from heavy galva- nized - iron strips and two heavy rubber bands. Theiron strips are about 1'% in. by 6 in. in dimen- sions and the rubber bands are pieces cut from an old inner tube. Each iron strip is placed on a solid block, a V-shaped cut is made in it, as shown in the plan view, and the “V” is bent out at right angles. bent to the RUBBER BAND’ Che strips are then shape shown in the upper left-hand de- tail Eight pieces are hooked over each wheel of the lawnmower, spaced equally around the rim. l in place by a rubber band that is snapped over the ends of the pieces near the center of the wheel. With these attachments in place, the mower skid. They are hel ney are nel will not Repairing a Door Knob It frequently happens that comes a door knob that holds becomes loose or off, because the lock screw shank stripped, and falls out. If no screw that fits is available, ihe trou- \ ble can be overcome by using a short piece of a nail, held in place it on the by a narrow strip of spring brass, bent to A fit closely over the - { \ ~ ‘ a } shank of the knob. If | js | Bae \UH spring brass is not ob- 9] lle secronaL tainable, ordinary fric- ae S view tion tape or adhesive tape can be used in- stead. A pin, driven tightly into the hole, will also do the job, but is difheult to take out when it is necessary to remove MECHANICS Locking Folding Typewriter Desks Some folding typewriter desks, after a period of use, develop unwelcome char acteristics, such as closing up unexpect edly—after the manner of folding beds This annoyance can be prevented by the use of an ordinary sash lock, which can be purchased tor a few cents at any hard ware store. One part of the lock is fas- tened to the shelf and the other part to the side of the desk, so that when the desk is open the lock can be closed. The part attached to the side must, of course, be out of the way of the shelf when this is swung around in closing the desk—A. C Il Cole, Chicago Lil. Banjo Effect on Piano Many upright pianos are equipped with a practice pedal—the center one of the three—which lowers the damper rod and reduces the volume of the tone. This device, which is seldom used by the aver age pianist, can readily be converted into an inexpensive banjo attachment. A numbe Ot cuts, as 1n paper ¥ FP “pede CLIPS., |O » 10 5 er dicated Dy A AMPE : FELT! P iP ip ROD dotted line are mad in the felt strip attached to the damper 7 mamatenantied dh HM a ——Ty SEER ER _ rod. SO as to make as man HAMMERS “tabs,” or se a iilileninenitibiatasiiattinitiitaa eatin tions, as ther are groups of wires, each tab covering one group of three. A circular wire paper clip is then pushed on the end of each tab so that, when the damper rod is lowered, the clip will come directly under the hammer at the point where the latter strikes the wires. This will give the effect of a banjo when the keys are struck.—G. R. Brown, Bridgeport, Conn. Hose Protects Foal in Stall Stable space on the limited that farm is often so t is necessary to keep a mare ind her foal in the same stall. This is rather dangerous, however, as it fre- quently happens that the foal becomes entangled in the mother’s halter rope, and is strangled. Asa precaution against this danger, a Wisconsin farmer slipped a 2%- 1 1 l ft. length of heavy garden hose over the halter rope, tying a knot at the end of the
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POPULAR pe to keep the hose in place. When the pe is tied to the manger, the mare is at all inconvenienced while feeding resting, but the rope cannot loop, owing he stiffness of the hose—G. E. Hen- son, At Wis. gyle, Increasing Power of Wagon Brake
When heavy loads are hauled over steep by wagon, it is important to have ae aclequate brakes. TO DRIVER . A contrivance that ~— greatly in- * creases the power > a. pplied by the / ~ brake consists of END a strong stick at- RON tached to the brake lever, as shown, and fitted with a small pul- ley near the top. A rope is passed / through the pul- ley; one end of the rope is tied to the wagon, and the other end goes to the driver so hat it can be pulled to operate the brake In this way greater force can be applied ith less effort than usual—M. W. Lowry, Athens, Ga.
Equipping the Wheelbarrow with Shock Absorbers shox ks suffered when pushing a over rough ground can be The heelbarrow rgely eliminated by providing the wheel ith shock absorbers made from buggy- used leaves. The leaves for this purpose have evyesat the ends; each is cut toa length of about 8 in., and has three or four screw- drilled through it. The 1 1 noies
eyes are > % reamed out LEAF FROM ed BUGGY_ Jy * o that they SPRING WW . will accom- — S & modate the cases axle of the 1 : . . slay . wheel and allow it to turn easily, and the springs are screwed to the underside f the wheelbarrow frame, the eyes being turned down. MECHANICS 31% Making Battery-Box Straps When installing a new type of storage battery in an automobile, it may happe n that the bolts used to hold the box in position are too short. Longer bolts can be used, in some cass not and different but these are
| 1 - always easily obtainable. In this case, it is
best to make a couple ot new straps, from lengths mye ys a of Ye by Ye-in + strap iron. — aie They are bent » to the Sil pe REGULAR F HOMEMADE indicated in STRAP STRAF
the drawing, and holes | drilled bolts. Straps of through them for the this used when the regul: F. S. Root, Fall River, Mas a a pane : kind can also be Homemade Electric Whipper \ homemade bling those used on soda fountains, electric whipper, resem
been found useful as an egg beater, cak« batter mixer, and cream whipper It consists of a small electric-fan motor, length of ‘-in. nickel-plated pipe, clamp, and a hardwood base, arranged shown in the eouie illustration ‘J The length of pipe, which
S@rves as i —_ standard for holding the CaM motor, is fai held by a " floor flanges screwed t the base The ‘ motor 1S tas- _ tened to the ; standard ' _ Mi by means ofa ™ ~< je sheet-metal clamp, riveted to the motor, and clampec on the standard with a bolt and wingnut A short length of steel rod, of tl same diameter as the motor shaft threaded on one end nut run o1 the end of the rod riveted over, to vent the nut from unscrewing Phe is attached to the shaft by means ot brass sleeve, made of tubing and dered in place—W. J. Laubenste Cleveland, Ohio.
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RADIO- FREQUENCY ~ AMPLIFICATION as By F.L.Brittin AW | ADIO-FREQUENCY = amplification can be added to any detector-tube circuit in a very economical and efficient manner by carefully following the direc- tions given in this article. This process, as the name implies, is one of amplifying the signals at a receiving station while they are still at radio frequencies, and is therefore applied just before the signals reach the detector tube; this brings in distant stations, the signals of which are too faint to operate the detector tube. In order to illustrate the method of adding the ampliher, the spider-coil re- ceiver described in the March, 1923, issue Left, Rear View of Complete Cabinet, with Lid Thrown Back to Show Wiring been 1 selected; the same be followed, in any other tube circuit, by cutting the grid lead and connecting the amplifier as shown in the accompanying diagrams. The template for the panel of the amplifier unit is shown in Fig. 1, and a photo oft the front of the completed has method can unit in Fig. 2. Fig. 3 shows the rear of the instrument, with all connections, and Tig. 5 how the instrument is set on Radio-Frequency Unit Removed from Cabinet; Right, Top View of receiver amplifier. the spider-coil quency and audio-fre Note, in the wiring diagram, Fig. 4, the two posts marked “output,” or C and D; two posts are placed on the: detector unit immediately below these, and jumper connections are used, as indicated in Fig. 5. From the posts on the detector panel, connection is made to the grid circuit. Connections are made, from the posts on the left front of the panel, to the de tector-unit A-battery, and from a post on the right-hand side, to the high-voltage positive terminal of the regular B-bat as : tery. The connections, as may be are thus extremely simple. The 1!5-amp. ammeter shown on the panel is not essential, but is very useful for watching the amperage of the A-bat tery. Just bel lis instrument is a combination rheostat and potentiometer potentiometer was not used in this The particular circuit, but was built in tor plain rheostat 1s } 1 } I ww tt use on other circuits: a } he second tube ised on t
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OTS — eae = Se — t — a — = 13” KES / ry { } 1 - r - a4 * ‘ 3 x € - 2 ae i6 8 © 4a * Ps } | ; S ~ 3 . 6 } i6 i fol 6 a) i be 9" “ ———— = PANEL TEMPLATE Fig.2 Fic.1 TO B-BATTERY, 60-120 VOLTS B , TO 6-VOLT 15-AMP. AMMETER ---- A-BATTERY AMMETER 2 Oo “ool oO Ss, S ee ee | eee eee eee of (0) ee . . " i "ag q ‘ = 13 > & £8 > --t--- s — ———————— 6-VOLT . A-BATTERY — ' ; DET. B-BATTERY, 225 VOLTS + Z 4 t MP R-RATT c f - f N E€ . i MPLIFICATION T b R-( ’ f f EF cs. PRI. R 2RADIO F REQUENCY Fic.5 Fic.3 ~TRANSFORMER r R 3RADIO-FREQUENCY : iS’ STEP TRA FORMEE 7 c TEF mapas - ~ = i j ~~ r + is SG ( 3 = + r A Y vv E —_— ; , | | | > + + T v > + L - - A-BATTER OUTPUT © OOOS5-MF. GRID COND.- ic Dj an PLATE -----AMPLIFIER TUBES ------ c > Uy AERIA _— LIFIE a , TOI. DETECTOR a . - 5 ‘ TU ~ a OUTSIDE [7 © | gum ‘TRANS ' ay 7 ‘ f° Ss OF CON + pte OUTPUT inc ¢ OUTPUT _ ., — ames? a hed +O, Eh ens rT _ & Li * : wT 2 SEC. Lad +PR £ | a GRID SECS Y ytPRi 5 = Law —— OOi-MF *) | >} GRID | = | Siig . {| Sm) GRID Ye — — ey | | I) | Pig PLATEAt = & > PLATE-*/V = is z — FEED-BACK | } phe y ii 9 | VERNIER JTUNING7, > S = VARIABLE | + | RHEO. ~*% + \VAR COND.+ F ad CONTI |} JACK AA AP | - ; o > | RHEO | a —"RHEO een ual wy } | OOIMF = : . OQ we SF Nene a wes | j ir ir = > — a-~-| 6-VOL ; PR ‘or f =, g t p4—$§=|1|1| —F Bat — p = A\—___, — + P_—_— i 1S _ ‘) ‘h — HONES = Je + ~ — ~—— — 4COIL CUT -1| > " : + = DET. TAP, i8-V.-~ 4 HERE 7 : POSITION OF JACK _' 451090-VOLT # ‘Se 2 pf | | — ON 38° RHEOSTAT AMPLIFIER B-BAT.| ||| - : — DET. B-BAT.,225- _* GROUND*”= | CKLER | VOLT UNIT | CIRCUIT DIAGRAM OF RADIO-FREQUENCY AMPLIFIER Fic 4 Figure 1, Template for Drilling Panel; Figure 2, Front View of Complete Instrument Fig View, Showing Connections; Figure 4, Wiring Diagram of Radio-Frequency Amplific Dete and Audio-Frequency Amplifier; Figure 5, Instrument Mounted, and Connections t att :
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l Fi
B-BAT. FOR DET. TUBE, C 0 USUALLY HELD AT 18 VOLTS } AERIAL v | TO LOUD oll SPEAKER 43 0)|| —O - we Jt | \I a 5 | RF TRANSFORMERS -, ee) | UV.2 201 OR UV. 201 OR ’ | TYPE R2 __ 301, TYPERS AERIAL ; pa Pai||Sc) —_—J WW ; == t ; XK S18 A-BAT +3 +3/|/Sr 6 VOLTS f ) slag a 7 /. } | : = e on 2 EE AA SRE 4 p—J DETECTOR B BATTERY So = > — + A —{) mat Y 2STEP RADIO- ma } Fig.7 © FREQUENCY UNIT oxic the ] »-7 AF. TRANSFORMERS --.. } *"+GRID LEAK 10-1 UV.2010R C301 5-) UV-201 ORC.301 on z= ne a . ; S p A a ] [Pp =| EG > re VARIO - “a j MF“ 3) TUBE. ° 1] SHE (/.3H\ “7 SII / , COUPLER aes 7] +0005 10.00! ) YV.200 | output TO PHONES? |7% 3111 \z Hm | SIS (ys ) SWITCHES FOR -2F ee, OR AUDIO-FREQUENCY| | +) Jf SS 1F NS LOOP DG Ny DETE rec ) we AMPLIFIER © 9 ; ~» ke ¢ wy a , | ‘ > a —— 4 ye = . \S'-STED . J ee TECTOR JACK , ¢ | SFT.LOOP, 12 | lpernenmatee food | apes a = JACK __ py ieee eS ope INSULATED r — vesalaasns 2 + 24°.STEP JACK ff} + COPPER WIRE || | GROUND Somer Affi effi ee] + : ek hl Ai A-BAT * 4 | AMPLIFIER 2-STEP AUDIO-FREQUENCY 2 — 6 VOLTS ——~ B-BATTERY AMPLIFIER UNIT r¢ ISVOLT BBAT FOR DET 60 TO 90 V. METHOD OF ADDING 2STEPS OF RADIO-FREQUENCY AMPLIFICATION TO ANY SIMPLE TUBE SET AERIAL Fic.8 e Vi C D ; RF. TRANSFORMERS » ! --— ] | | \ y ae (a i | | _. TE R2 TYPE RS i} f — - oe | ey a Y 2-MEGOHM Y sr 3 || ~$h\ 3 B SRI | fas sills faz Ais | L ee, es (zd) gille ($4) gills | ow __,«+--4-" GRID COND. | Db eet ) we al rH 225-VOLT B-BATTERY | wy ot Os 4 (Sh) , ppt» t 44 | $ os — ’ — eS malt « a | sy Lt Ni : Pri sec ‘oJ C 4 eS Se ios | a VARIO-.__ al 4 | _ae SS ee “=a = | erate. | | COUPLER “3 2 — — at I *.0005 | DETECTOR ORY CELL-~ 5 S | MF | 3 23-PLATE (== Ser ] 7 SECONDARY, {| # VARIABLE onrt . 4 — | ~~ COND. | PRIMARY. yj OUTER LEAD g ; |FIX.PHONE | | VERNIER ae 3 as \ £ 001 MF COND. --| } —j TYPE jp} i 002 MF. a A | 2 . “|porentiomerea} | | 7 O | i] 1 ee j = HI | | = —O’r GROUND eo a K-11 lilly S — es J ) ¢ } 4 nat PHONES OR DET. JACK js GROUND ABAT SE BATTERY, AUDIO -FREQ - - GVOLTS 60TOSOVOLTS = AMPLIFIER 2 DRY CELLS ------+' 4+ VOLT A RY FC MPLIFI Ss CIRCUIT FOR 2-STEP RADIO-FREQUENCY 45-VOLT B-BATTERY FOR AMPLIF ERS, 2- 225-V.UNITS AMPLIFIER AND CRYSTAL DETECTOR Fic.9 Fic.10 igures 6 and 7, Connections for Regenerative ree and Two-Step ao June and July Issues, 1922; Figure 8, Connections for Instrument Described in November, 1922, and Figure 9, for That in June, 1923; Figure 10 Shows Connections for Adding Amplifier to Crystal Detector
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POPULAR MECHANICS The for their ability tations; for the nown as “R 2” e type known as “R 3.” rmer has its “peak” at a different wave used were selected to bring in the distant first step, the type is used; for the second, Each trans- transformers ngth, preventing interstage “howling.” Busbar wiring, of square copper wire, is used for the connections to the trans- formers, all leads being made as short as possible. The filament wiring for the tubes is No. 14 tinned-copper wire, cov- ered with varnished-cambric tubing. The tubes used are either the “UV. 201” or C 301”-type. When wiring, note that the lead from the B-battery positive post is taken to } both the posts marked positive on the transformers. The post marked D,on the panel, is connected to the post G on the econd-step transformer, and the post C, on the panel, to the grid terminal on the first-tube socket. The grid terminal on the second-tube socket is connected to post G on the first-step transformer; the plate post on the first-tube socket to post P on the first-step transformer, and the plate post on the second-tube socket to post P on the second-step transformer. The rheostats are connected in the usual manner, except that the ammeter is in the circuit of the first tube. The use of the combined rheostat and potentiom- eter is advised with the circuits shown in Figs. 6, 7, 8, and 10, for best results. In these circuits, an extra binding post oo must be placed on the panel of the radio frequency unit, and one on the detector unit, for the potentiometer-lever connec- tion. The potentiometer unit is connected posts, and the lead connected, through the binding posts and jumper, to one side of the coupler. Figure 6 shows the method of connect- ing the radio-frequency amplifier to the detector set described in our June, 1922, issue, and Fig. 7, a wiring diagram for the set described in July, 1923. In Fig. 8 is shown how radio-frequency amplification may be added to the set described in No- vember, 1922, with the addition of two steps of audio-frequency amplification, and a loop aerial, if the latter is desired Figure 9 indicates the method of cuttin: resistance A-battery from the lever across the secondary of the vario- g into the circuit of the dry-cell tube set described in the June, 1923, issue, and Fig. 10, how radio-frequency amplifica tion may be used on a crystal-detector set. In the circuit shown in Fig. 9, where dry-cell tubes are used, two dry connected in parallel, will be necessary for the radio-frequency unit, in addition to the dry cells already in use. The cells are connected directly to the A-bat- tery posts. In this set, dry-cell must be used, of course, instead of “U\ 201” tubes. These diagrams will enable all of our have built these sets to connect the radio-frequency a: plifier to them without any trouble cells, readers who MATERIAL LIST 1 bakelite panel, % by 6 by 9 in....... $ 1.00 [“R @ tras eS eee S$ 5.00 1 ibinet, with separate base......... 3.75 . 7 tr r! AL 2 tube s CES ccevececesveocesens - 150 2 mW) | 1 rheostat and potentiometer....... 3.00 5 | 1 OO 1 rheostat (cece ecrbenateeade« 1.10 3 1 CWB cccces 2 “UV. 201” or “C 301” tubes 13.00 2 d screws....... L —= aammnnneeemmenememmnenee — Replacing Reflecting-Camera Mirrors clean. Wipe off gently with absorbent cotton wetted with alcohol Amateurs who are unfortunate enough If the silvered surface is dull, obtai to break the mirrors of their reflecting small quantity of jewelers’ rouge and cameras find it hard to replace them, polish the. surface with this, rubbing owing to the fact that the silvering is on the surface of the glass. Few.workmen can silver these mirrors properly, or var- nish the delicate surface to prevent tar- nish. An excellent method of replacing the broken glass is to obtain a piece of fine plate-glass mirror, and cut it to the proper size for the camera. Then soak the glass in denatured alcohol for at least an hour to remove the varnish on the silvered side, rubbing gently with the tips of the fingers until the silvering is lightly until an image is clearly seen on the surface. Then varnish with collodion or dilute negative varnish. A method used by glass men to brit up the polish is to pour boiling water on the silvered surface; this c be teste: on a small piece before trying a large mirror—George Parke, Chicago, Ill @The luminous tip of an old watch or clock hand, applied to the indicator of a gasoline-tank gauge, makes the use ot dangerous lights unnecessary.
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22 POPULAR A Universal-Motor Mounting A small motor used for driving a drill press, bufhng head, and several other ma- chines, was attached to the _ portable ' ' i MOUNTING’ LOOSE-PIN HINGE’ A Portable Mounting for Small Motor That Permits the Motor to be Used for Several Purposes: Loose-Pin Hinges Hold the Mounting in Place mounting shown in the illustration. This consists of an oak board of suitable size, attached to the edge of the workbench by means of loose-pin hinges. The belt is slipped over the pulleys and suitable weights hung from the edge of the board to keep the belt at the proper tension. Wherever the use of the motor is ie- quired, hinge pieces of the same type are provided, so that the mounting can read- ily be attached to the bench or machine. Novel Arrangement of Sliding Cabinet Doors The drawing shows a nov re] sliding-door arrangement tor cabinets. It differs from 4 the usual kind in that the doors are in line with each other when closed, and thus present a much neater appearance than in the usual arrange- ment, where the edge of one door frame fits be- hind the other. The doors are kept in position snugly by means of flat springs lo- cated at the top and bot- tom of each door frame, pressing against the springs are screwed as indicated, door frame. These MECHANICS to rails running across the cabinet, behind the doors. Similar springs on the cente: rail, between the force the door that is opened to slide behind the other —Gordon H. Sears, Salt Lake City, Utah doors, Mending Holes in Aluminum Vessels A small hole in an aluminum vessel can readily be closed by mounting the vessel ona small anvil, shoe last, or some similar metal surface, and tapping gently around the hole with a light hammer. This will spread the aluminum sufficiently to close the hole. The pan should fit smoothly over the anvil, in order to leave as few marks as possible on the surface. If the pan is large enough, it can be hammered from the inside, the outside being placed on a flat metal surface. Simple Soap-Chip Cutter A handy contrivance for use in the kitchen is a soap-chip cutter of the type illustrated. It consists of a base, the con struction of which is quite clear from the drawing, provided with a sliding block to feed the soap to the knife. A stop block screwed to the head and projecting close to the knife blade, deter- mines the thickness of the chips. The whole device is made of wood, with the ex- ception of the crank and cutter head, the latter be- ing made of g-1N. cold- rolled steel, turned down at one end to fit the hole in t he bearing, and having a slot and a thumbscrew in the end to nold a paring knife; the crank is either taken from a junk pile, or made of flat iron, and provided with a wooden handle. In use, the bar to be cut is inserted between the feed block and stop, and is pushed toward the head with the left hand, while the crank is.turned with the right. The cut- ter may also be used for making potato and apple chips.—Frank N. Coakley, But falo, N Y FEED KNIFE --»)| BLOCK —)
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POPULAR MECHANICS Be: Makirig a Spoon Hook A good spoon hook can actually be ade from an ordinary spoon, with a ther small and shallow bowl, as shown the illustration. Cut off the handle itbout ™% in. from the bowl, and drill mall holes through each end of the bow], line with each other. Then push the shank of along hook through the two holes and point the barb of the hook toward the bot- tom of the bowl, leaving about 1 in. between the two. Solder a SWIVEL - - =} SOLDERED TWISTED UP
TWISTED » DOWN |
\ 7 / ‘ second hook to y 3 S > the shank of the first, inside the 7 a ee bowl, as indi- U ror sine V/ cated, the barb ofthe second upward and_ reaching to the center of the bowl. Solder he short piece of the spoon handle to he shank of the long hook and attach a vivel to the eye. Twist one edge of the vl down and the other edge up, and the hook is complete. Keep the outside of bowl polished. k pointing early
Tape Holds Inaccessible Nuts While installing a push-button switch, he writer was confronted with the prob- m of holding the small nuts in position while starting the cover screws. The switch plate itself closed the box open- ing, which made it impossible to hold the nut by hand or with any tool. The diffi- = " | i HOSE CONNECTION DAYS |i t — Yet Above, Attachment Installed on Car w of Bell-Crank Levers and Rods noticed particularly when starting the e1 gine. The higher the temperature of the engine—within safe limits of course—t] more economically and smoothly it \ operate, even with the throttle near] closed. In the greater number of water-cooled engines, the fan dratt through the ra tor 1S excessive, and causes the engin heat to be undesirably low at nor speeds. The fan, however, can be slowed down or stopped entirely with the attac! ment shown in the illustration. The b holding the fan arm is loosened slig so that the arm can be raised or lowered easily. A short length of 416-in. iron rod is hooked around the arm, and runs vei tically to a sheet-metal bell-crank held by a bracket on the hose connection \nother rod connects this lever to second lever attached to the inside of t] dash, and a short length of tl extends from the the instrument a metal flange, leve readed ri second lever throug] board, passing throug as shown. A nut is screwed threaded on the end of the rod, and used to raise or lower the fan arm, tl] tightening or slackening the belt A radiator thermometer is used in con- junction with this attachment, so that t latter can be adjusted according to tl temperature of the engine The wv will, of course, evaporate faster when t slowed down, but it is matter to replenish the radiator lan 1S
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324 POPULAR Emergency Lights for Auto Four dry cells, and a length of lamp cord fitted with a plug at one end, make
t possible to use the headlamps when \ at) _ po Ro A Wl 4 GROUND --= A DRY CELLS y HEADLIGHT
GENERATOR
_ ‘ Om __—_—_ i --s = p>
In Emergencies, the Used by Connecting Them t or to the Headlamps can be Four Dry Cells Generator regular illustra- the one-wire hese fail owing to faults in the wiring. The upper detail of the tion shows a simplified diagram for connections on a car having a electrical system. A two-wire hook-up is similar, except that both sid the battery are connected directly to the lamp. wiring will depend, es of The exact method of to some extent, on the way the headlamps particular car, but the 4 ; agit are wired on same general principle applies to all cars. Another method of providing light, ithout the necessity of carrying dry cells e connection run from ] 5 | , the generator to one of the lamps, as the trouble usually lies in the wiring, the ; the fuses, and not in the gen- erator. It is a matter of only a minute or two to raise the hood, and to make the connection to the generator.—G. A. Luers, Washington, D. C Repairing Loose Plaster Ceilings A practical and permanent method of repairing a loose plaster ceiling, without much expense or labor, is to panel it with Quarter-round molding around the corners of the ceiling, and thin, narrow strips of pine, or any other suitable lum- ber, used for the panelwork. These strips should be fastened to the joists with nails do not hold well, and jar ie ceiling when driven in. All cracks in the plaster should be filled, and the ceil- ing should be given two or three coats of paint. The panel strips may either be stained and varnished, or painted. This
vooden strips should be put sidewalls and SCTeWS,; +} MECHANICS makes a very neat-looking ceiling, and the work can be done for about one- quarter the cost of replastering—Edgar Bro ktield, Mass. W right, Campfire Photographs The most delightful period of a camp- ing trip is when all the participants gathered around the campfire telling stories. If a camera has been included in the pack, the for tuture enjoyment, with the operat: ’ included in tl puati ‘ i i t scene can be perpetuated e picture ra in position, locat in the finder by means held by an ssistant at the edges otf the field included in the picture. Set the focus at the proper distance, measuring with a rule to be sure of it exactness Then open the len iould be set for time exposure, and sit into the pi .. included should take natural and should not all face the camera. <A tea- spoonful of flash powder, or a small flash cartridge with the top off, is dropped into the fire from the end of a stick, to give the necessary illumination and to make the fire show up Too much powder should not be used, as it will too large a light, and great care should be taken when handling the powder. After the exposure, the opel itor may get up and close the lens, as the light of the Place the came the cene properly of a torch, - 1 I ¢ shutter hich sl make 1 fire is too faint to affect the film. Governing Flow of Faucet In schools, factories, and public build- Ings, i persons are often careless in the use of high-pressure faucets, splashing the floor or walls, and often leaving tl faucet turned on “full bore,’ with the result that the waste pipe cannot carry the water away fast enough, and the basin overflows. The at- tachment’ illustrated will prevent this. It is made of heavy sheet metal, cut to the shape _ shown, — drilled at the center : to fit the neck of the
then snugly, bent, and placed in position by removing taucet the faucet handle lhe when replaced, can only be turned a little more than the distance between the ears of the attachment, hence there is littl danger of splashing or overflowing é | 11 tTaucet handle,
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PRIZE OFFERS 4nn ANNOUNCEMENTS = | NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES The most important are tuition scholarships and OFFERS $250 PRIZE FOR 1923 loans, which amount, according to the scholar’s st and.- ing, to as much as 80 per cent remissior { tuition A prize, known as the A. Cressy Morrison Prize r 1923, is announced by the New York Academy Sciences for the most acceptable paper on any sci- fic subject covered by the academy, or by any of iffiliated societies. These papers must be the re- f original research, never previously published, be submitted on or before Nov. 1, 1925 must be typewritten with all drawings, dia- is, tables, and photographs, ready for publication. award will be made by the council of the acad- [he prize may be divided between papers of merit. REWARD OF $5,000 FOR PREVENTIVE OF “KLIEG EYES” Illumination experts and the medical profession in ! 1 are invited to devise a preventive for the tion known as “Klieg eyes,’’ which afflicts mo- ture actors and others subject to the intense iting effects used. A prize of $5,000 is offered e discovery. The affection takes its name from tud lamps used in taking interior views. Th light stops the natural secretion that “lubri he eyeball, causing the eyelid to rasp upon with an effect like sandpaper ELECTRIC MINE-LOCOMOTIVE PRIZE OFFER rder to bring out a safer type of mine locomo- i é 1,000 has been offered in England for of this class. It must be an electric eit storage batteries, for 11 deep and hot coal mines pen to the whole world, and working trials will 1ade of those machines selected for test } replacing PRIZE FOR LOW-POWERED AIRPLANE FLYING LONGEST DISTANCE lo encourage the development of small airplanes, a e of £1,000 has been offered for the longest sus- ied flight made in a low-powered machine. The gine rating of competing planes must not exceed 7 horsepower, and only one gallon of fuel may be ed Not less than 50 mules must be covered se conditions. The competition is Spen to world, and will take place _in England next A second prize of £500 is offered which cted to British competitors. LARGE PRIZES OFFERED FOR VERTICAL AIRPLANE FLIGHTS Various prizes, totaling £50,000, have England for the first flier who can raise ne vertically in the air. The chief condi it the machine must carry a pilot, one hou 1el PI d 150 pounds of extra load It must rise ught up from the ground for 2,000 feet, and then ne down to the starting point without damage Other tests require the machine to stay ‘ feet n the air without motion for a half h The zes are open to the whole world, and entries must e received before April 30, 1924. Only one machine barred, and that is now under constructior YALE SCHOLARSHIPS, LOANS, AND AIDS HELP SELF-SUPPORT OF STUDENTS Nearly one-third of the student body at Yale Uni- ersity is partly self-supporting In order to assist e many students of limited means to secure an edu- ition, the university provides opportunities for self- upport in various forms. These are in three classes, namely, remissions of tui- tion to freshmen and sophomores whos« work and personal references fill the ‘ high character and personality; regional or family scholarships, maintained by alumni or other local as- sociations; and prize scholarships aw: ded to upper- class men of marked scholarship ability. Other forms of self-support open to st ushering, coat checking and ticket sell games, chapel services, concerts, and lect aw eis ksell classroom requirements f surance; tutoring or ) uates; work for board, and work for r Haven; student agencies such as clubs, student laundries, student bureau of flower agency, picture agency, new l aper bureau, student typewriting i iversity also maintains i ] y t are loaned. to I wr student tree gz 2 in furniture collection, and provide f I mission of infirmary char SOAP CHEMISTS OFFERED FELLOWSHIP IN ANY UNIVERSITY Candidates who | sess the equ nt degree, and who wish to de e themselv scientific study of the cleansing action i given the opportunity of submitting t for an endowed fellowship in this w ship carries with it an allowance of $2,000 and the successful competitor will 1 work at any institution in the countr erly equipped for a study of tl will limited to the jamental 1 istry, physics id colloids ted w CONTESTS PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED Medals, Diplomas, and ~ age | Awards Ant | ‘ August issue, 1921; award hr Institute. The Franklin medal is for 1 nology; the Elli tt-Cress ! s for origina work and invention; the Howard N. Pott portant development of pr is d ver ti shy J h award sts tae 1 dit e are a a silver med ( 7 ate a Mer t award i tor merit and cash prem t t t Best Treatise ‘Regarding Immort alit ms Oe $1,000 ; announced Janu T) 1 1% _ Awards to Further Science of El ectricit y Med d pri es, 7 unting i i S20,000 unced February : 1923. For Best W: rk ‘ns ‘American Chemist: Ar award of $25,000; ar inced Fy 1 ve Names for Great i aieen teamers: rw XO each; announced February re, 1925 mes be submitted before the oy gation season in 1924 Motorboat Race, Miami Beach, Fla., t Havana Cuba: Prizes $10,000; annou 1 Marcl 12 Essay on Ec nomic Subject: Pr $1,500 I Mar sue, 1923 Pulitzer Prizes, Columbia University work various terary and irt t nounced Apt l issue, 1925; nor at must be n ade before Feb. 1, 1924 Scholarships Ser wat Hurses and Ex-Service Men N rous scl rovided at ve sitte r ug} neat “4h ‘ ; try unde ‘ 2 + late wy me N $3; announced April 1923 Most Practicable Device for Recording Mine-Shaft Signals: Prize of ; r about $1,100; a i May issue, 1923 ; closes Sept. 30, 1925 Prizes for Essays Chis y l f $2 $300, and $200; announced J i ticles on sul t lat t ] | . ] Our Bureau of Information will furnish addresses and further details
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POPULAR MECHANICS Boys’ and Girls’ Short-Story Contest: Two first nounced June issue 1923; applications r privilege to ‘ l $160 1 er | es; announce M mpete should be in before Dec. 1, 1923 su 1923 Prizes for Essays on Purchasing Power: Thres Greatest Benefit to C: rizes f $1,500, SS00 nd $500; nr inced Jur en's Club Prize, $1,000 ue, 1923; « s Sept. 30, 1923 ; 1925; close pt. 15, 1923. Students’ Essays on Municipal Government: Pri: Endurance Prize for Aerial Engine: Prize, $250 and $100 postgraduates; $100 for wunder- 1.000.000 ics (normally 1 $200,000); an- graduates; announ M 1 1925. ae ita , SCIENCE NOTES For DAILY USE DEADLY CARBON-MONOXIDE GAS FROM ORDINARY GAS RANGE CHEESE NECESSARY TO A BALANCED RATION AND AIDS DIGESTION BOILED BUTTER HELPS FATTEN BABIES Addition of boiled 1 dilutions fed babie infant than tl states. It is € d nd in fact h digest the entire ly in th iit st TREATMENT OF CLOTHING WITH ARSENIC BRAIN UNHARMED BY RAYS HELD DANGEROUS THAT KILL TUMORS he Memorial llied " KNOWLEDGE OF VITAMINES, ESSENTIAL “MYSTERIOUS” CURE FOR SEASICKNESS TO GROWTH, ON INCREASE IS SEAWATER N 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 Maga- zine, Chicago. [| Editor.]