Popular Mechanics 1923-09: Vol 40 Iss 3
The text was read from the page scans by machine (OCR), so it has mistakes and its columns may run together. See the pages · About this title · At the Internet Archive
Page 1
PTEMBER AUG 1 1 1923 25 CENTS POPULAR MECHANICS MAGAZINE WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE ILLUSTRATED WORLD WRITTEN SO YOU CAN UNDERSTAND IT REGD. TRADE MARK.GREAT BRITAIN. No. 410426 REG. U. S. PAT. OFF. bn SEE PAGE 359
Page 2
sure Your Future Now! SAVE “100% GET IN THE BOOKKEEPER TT. you ambitious men this
_ OWN YOUR GARAGE announcement presents a worth- | EARNINGS UNLIMITED while opportunity—a chance to get ; ATE ( —FUTURE out of the poor paying jobwith no future, in- to work where the big money is being made. The Rahe Auto & Tractor Schools, the first and largest in the world, make this real money-saving, income-increasing offer to you. Get away now from the tiresome FARM HAND grind of a poor job into a big paying $60 A MONTH position in the biggest business of today. You need not be a mechanic now. Thou- sands of men from all walks of life, even ex-doctors and ex-lawyers, are today enjoy- ing fine incomes in the auto and tractor business because they took the RAHE training. You can do the same FOR HALF PRICE if you act NOW. Realize your biggest dreams; be independ- ent and have no fear of the future. Regular tuition price >2OQ — ; sad Cut »* OO Remember this offer is good SEPTEMBER ONLY. Because of our two big schools our operating expense is less. You get the advan- tage of this—a present of $100—if you ACT NOW. After October Ist it will be too late. Our method of teaching is practical. You learn in the best equipped schools in the country under ‘ the personal instruction of experts by actual work | _SUCCESS—does not require un- usualability. Itdoesrequire TRAIN ING—CONCENTRATION on one
$25 A WEEK —
Luck has nothing to do with SUC- e pie ee bigot . , CESS, THOROUGH TRAINING | On all the various types of engines. You get a isthe thing that COUNTS MOST thorough knowledge of all parts of all motor thing and STICKING-TO-IT until . . ° ° YOU WIN Start on your way today to get athor- are — » ¢ ste e , . < < ors, ana stationary eng Ss. oa ough training A RAHE TRAIN- cars, tractors, an tat lary engines Begin—Right Now—Today! Get IG only ” 8 GHT : . into this tremendous Automotive SHORT WI mare bs our PRACT This year we actually expect to turn men away Field—AND WIN. You ean do it CAL-JOB-METHODto get this val- | fromOctober to March. Pack your grip. Come to | Sit) oun JOB METHOD. earn uable training. Then you can step school right now or write today before it is too BIG MONEY for the TRAINED right into a big paying job in the | late. Let us show vou how vou can save $100. MAN RAHE training means unlimited Automobile Field | . J Learning with YOUR HANDs and an T KI y NOT BOOKS A REAL JOB at Insure your future now the | Fill out and mail the coupon today. START NOW on REAL PAY is watt ting g for vou The RAHE WAY—Iit PAYS your way toa better job with a better income; a more ‘“RAHE WAY’ J.H. MceSWEENEY. | comfortable home, with more pleasure in years to come. \ R.C. CARMEIN RAHE AUTO & TRACTOR SCHOOLS Tt MAIL COUPON TODAY— _-escshpacmnyeoh capratnggh tached You) Dept. ove Let us show you how you can save $100 and Without any obligation, send me your big free book and all - ’ information about your limited offer. The Rahe Schools get the valuable training in 8 short weeks. have no facilities for colored men. (Print name and address.) i cieieatnisnsisede tition Rahei Auto Chools ADDRESS....
Ninth and Walinut Dest. 800 CHICAGO CITY Re ey ee eee STATI a ee CINCINNATI nee Se 4445 Grand Bivd.
Page 3
“Zw o> “A POPULAR MECHANICS ADVERTISING SECTION If 9 Cam Yor Yo OOS Weer dnd Hp, I will take on 1000 more » this season and train and agent salesmen develop them myself and | can almost guarantee each one of these men will earn this one season at least $2500—or at the rate of $5000 and upwards a year. | want these men to show our beautiful samples of Fall and Winter All Wool Goods and take orders for Men’s Finest Made-to-Measure Suits and Overcoats, customer to have his choice of any material in the entire line, all at the one low price of $31.75, guaranteed equal n every way to suits and overcoats that sell generally at from $50.00 » $60.00. hey sell like hot cakes. Orders come easy. Men never saw such ilues—$60 All Wool Made-to-Measure Suits and Overcoats at $31.75 perfect fit and satisfaction guaranteed—choice of more than 100 different All Wool fabrics, and all at the one low price. Itisa gh-class, permanent business. Your customers are so well pleased they tell their friends and your income grows from season to season. M th 6 tend Styl You get your pay the minute you take the order—the cash goes in ae eee ae your pocket. You get the order almost as soon as you show Models similar to the above, but your samples—people never saw such values. printed in full colors—just one of the many features of the Only 1000 more agencies Goodwiik Line thet helps to be established this season—then all our sample lines will be you to sell it so effectively and placed. If you are interested, don’t delay your application. Write me today sure. No money or experience is needed Foe en es oe ae big money who never took an der before. We furnish everything necessary and explain about taking measures which is simple and easy! We take all the k and guarantee the customer perfect fit and satisfaction or refund the money. lw will f urnish each Goodwear agent this handsome, compact sample case and outfit as illustrated, with large 6x9 inc ch 8 swatcl nples, beautiful portfolio of fashions printed in colors, business cards, price lists, stationery, sales manual, (a real course in manship), etc., etc. The most effective selling ou fit ever put out. And I will give my men co-operation and assistance make every man a sure-fire money-making success. Even your spare time will do. Full time is_ better, but even if you have just spare time to give this work you can make fine profits. I will be glad to send you full particulars TAILORING AGENTS EVERYWHERE No matter what line you now have, write me and get the full facts about the wonderful money making, quick selling, one price Good wear line. Other salesmen and agents, you who are now selling groceric books, magazines. toilet goods, raincoats, shirts, kitchenware —no matter what you are working at—I advise you to write me at once and see how much better proposition I can offer you. —don't put it off, you can start off ck Write today sure you set your outit, Send me a letter or a postal, just say, ““Write me full ; oat elien™ os mail the compen. Do It NOW! To LOUIS S. SCHWARTZ, Manager GOODWEAR CHICAGO, Inc., Dept. 568, Chicago Send at once, all free, all details of your proposition so profitably.
Page 4
FUP SUT TUT UT US OF WUT US UT SUT WT UT UT UI wong : =o a. Sg ” et a* > 2 rm e] =* FU FUTUPUS VIVIUPUIU USUI UU IAG LS LILIUM LIU I ty
Page 5
— Popular Mechanics Magazine REGISTERED IN U. S. PATENT OFFICE WRITTEN SO YOU CAN UNDERSTAND IT Vol. 10 SEPTEMBER, 1923 No. 3 Romance of the Typewriter Revealed on Its Fiftieth Anniversary gp bast geet it has freed the world d from pen slavery, facilitated the tre- endous growth of modern business, nd opened the doors of opportunity to omen, the typewriter is only 50. years ] While it has knit the world closer to- vyether and its influence has been felt in he shaping of language and even of uman thought, the man still in his fif- ties can distinctly remember when this new-fangled” writing machine was only n object of curiosity. Its birthplace was a little machine shop the outskirts of Milwaukee where three middle-aged, thoughtful, and hard- working men, looked upon as “cranks” by their neigh- bors, labored had been working and to pool their in- terests in a new and greater undertak ing. According to the story of one of them, the idea arose out of a remark made when the paging machine was nearing completion: “Why cannot such a machine be made that will write letters and words and not figures only?” As a result of the remark they designed the “Pterotype,”’ but it was never pet fected. Model after model was built until 25 or 30 had been turned out, and finally, in 1873, a machine was con- structed which was deemed sufficiently perfected for Actual manufacture. It wrote only capital letters and was very primitive looking affair upon pet in- ventions of their own. One of them, i printer and newspaper- man” by trade, is engaged in developing a machine for numbering serially the pages of blank books. In this vork, he had interested the second, while the third put in his time try- ing to invent i mechan- ical “spader” to take the place of a plow. Chance The carriage was returned by acurious foot treadle which, how- ever, demon strated its use lessness and was soon di placed by the now familiar hand - carriage return. Never- theless, the fundamen tal principle of construction embodied in this first typewriter stil survive The publi took to thie new inventi rather ginget | . ly. There caused the Z ; prejudice three to dro p Wits Baus EI the inventions | | ‘ First Typewriter Put on the On which they Treadle to rainst printe letters to be yin Market in 1873 with Curious Foot Return Carriage v1 ++]
Page 6
POPULAR MECHANICS —, — Mis‘ AS x D ZEIS fi : Sa x : —- Primitive-Looking Machines, the Forerunners of the Modern Typewriter That has in a Few Brief Years Freed the World from Pen Slavery and Opened the Doors of Business to Women
Page 7
POPULAR irrespondents resented them as an in- nuation against their ability to read and rite. The story is classic of the Ken- ucky mountaineer who returned his first pewritten letter to the man who wrote with the words indignantly scribbled the margin, “You needn't print no tters for me, | kin read writin’.” Lack of public interest was painfully in idence at the Centennial Exposition in hiladelphia in 1876, where two of the reatest inventions of modern times made eir first appearance—the telephone and e typewriter. While the telephone was e center of attraction, the typewriter od in an obscure corner among the <hibits and was viewed largely as a “freak” invention. BATHING MACHINE IS DRIVEN IN WATER BY PEDALS Bicycle pedals, connected by a chain ith the propeller of a bathing boat used is season in a middle-western city, de- elop a speed of six miles per hour, the nventors say. This is equal to the rate of an ordinary small motorboat. The ider, wearing a swimming suit, sits in
YRIGHT, INTERNATIONAL NEWSREEL CORP Rider Operating Bathing Boat by Pumping Bicycle Pedals That are Connected by Chain with Propeller the center of the boat as he pumps the pedals with little more effort than in rid- ing a bicycle, controlling the rudder with he hands. By changing the size of the years, he can cut down or increase speed. ln rough water the boat rides the surface ' being made stable by the weight of he bather, though tipping over does no € Estimates place the amount of oxygen n the earth’s atmosphere as 1,000 times greater than that present in the air sur- rounding the planet Venus. MECHANICS
329 AIRPLANES IN GOLF MATCH DROP BALLS ON GREEN Airplanes and field glasses are the only things needed by airmen taking part in aerial golf games, to “drive” the ball to
Ground Players Score the Holes After been Dropped by Aerial Golfers Balls have the putting green. Two men are neces- sary for a team, one, ascending in the plane, locates the greens through his glasses, dropping the balls upon them, if possible. Then they are placed in the holes by a few strokes by the ground player. As many balls are carried by the flier as there are holes on the course AUTO FENDERS ADD BEAUTY TO BODY OF CAR Entirely changing the appearance of an automobile, front fenders have been made by a western inventor that are part of the body, inclose the headlights, and serve as part of the radiator shell. The lines flow into the body of the car, leav- ing no corners to catch dirt and making it easy to clean. Distinctive in appear- ance, the fender gives beauty of line
Fender That Automobile Equipped with have been Molded onto Body Appears
Page 8
oO” ro POPULAR WHEEL BRUSHES THE SHOES OF PASSING SHOPPERS As an added attraction to his establish- ment, a California cobbler has placed a S$} Take Advantage of This Progressive Shoe- Ir Invitation to Have Their Shoes Cleaned t ne outside his show window to brush the shoes of any who care to avail themselves of it. A wheel of stiff bristles revolving on a shaft driven by machinery inside the store, is raised high enough from the sidewalk that the foot can be inserted under it and pressed against the brush, whisking the dust off in a few seconds. The noon hour seems to be its busiest time, a line of people often wait- ing for a chance to use it. SO SCALE SAVES FARMER'S TIME BY DOING HIS FIGURING If he knows the length of a field, a farmer can find with a pocket scale, recently marketed, the number of rows and tenths of a row to an acre in plant- ing any distance from 6 inches to 7 feet apart. By one movement of a sliding index in a paper cover the correct figures are obtained. The same calculator con- verts bushel prices into prices per 100 pounds. It also includes a breeding scale for cattle, sows, mares, and ewes. Another type is made for the lumberman for measuring board feet. MECHANICS HOLDER FOR ICE IN PITCHER KEEPS CONTENTS CLEAN So that ice will not into with liquids in a pitcher recently patente it 1s placed in compart- ment in the center of the utensil Drinks are cooled as effectively as if the ice were | come conta i rt floated in them and are more sanitary because melt- + iz ed ice does not mix with them \ container AUTO CHAINS IN FOOTREST SAVE SPACE IN CAR Serving as a_rigid, durable footrest kit for skid chains is being marketed one of the latest automobile acces Compact and neat in appearance, th: vice not only dds to t passenge comfort but prov les a con ed vet and handy place tor the cl ke them until needed As the « closed at both ends, there sno dane their bei It ea nstalie the fl of at ike of cat 1 in Skid Chain Kit as It Appears While being Used as a Footrest emergency the holder be used to carry water. may
Page 9
POPULAR MECHANICS 331
LIPS STRETCHING TO EYES ADORN AFRICAN WOMEN a n Africa, where many curious things e done in the name of tribal custom, ere is a province where women stretch eir lips with wooden disks, because it fashionable to have large lips. When, the age of 5 or 6 years, a native girl engaged to marry, a ceremony is held r the first lip piercing. Her future hus- nd thrusts a straw through her ere it remains for three months, v sund piece of wood is put in its place very three months thereafter a larger is used until, when the girl has be- 1i@ a young woman, the wood is as rge as an ordinary plate. After about - ——— vears ot this treatment the lips are so Prevented from Eating Solid Foods, This Woman
larged that the girl has difficulty in a oo ing. Many then take only liquid food beauty. French officials in control of lips, some so large that they can be province are making efforts to have tl lled up over the eyes, are a mark of practice stopped, it is said
These African Women Greatly Admire Lips Enlarged to the Size of Dinner Plates As Stret ing Progresses They Begin to Droop, Often Reaching Almost to the Waistline UNCLE SAM COLLECTS GEMS especially t true em | hei FOR PRICELESS EXHIBIT ee ge ual eee ct gg tar Ra equ 1s n ) ( for 40 years Uncle Sam has been col- and Ne Mexico The topaz collecti ecting jewels until there is now one of is remarkable tor it ize and the great e finest collections of precious gems in range ot ¢ O1 n While the large e world in the national museun and richest of the blue variety of the t hrough the exhibits there displayed, it comes from Ru ( shown that practically every known duced a t em is to be found somewhere in the that cannot be excelled, while the « nited States No longer need the jewel varieties I! I | ollector hie himself to South Africa for are as lovel imonds, since the diamonds are to be have ivel ! but thre und in Arkansas, North Carolina, Ken from Ne Mi » Ne ucky, Georgia, Ohio, Wisconsin, Colo- becom«e important 1 the <« do, and California. Montana leads in orld res] ter pearl me fi e production of sapphires and also ot the mussel and are found in the rivers ot tlic while others of the same family, Arkansas, Indiana, and
Page 10
332 POPULAR RIGID AUTO SHADE PROTECTS DRIVER FROM THE SUN To guard the automobile driver from the sun, rain, and wind, a rigid shade has been made that rolls up like an ordinary Rigid Automobile Shade to Protect the Driver from Sun’s Rays, Wind, and Rain curtain. Hidden between the two folds of waterproof fabric composing the cur- tain, is an extension steel arm that keeps it from shaking in the wind, and holds it tigidly in any position. Used on the driver's side of a closed car, the window may be left open, the shade giving pro- tection from both the wind and the sun, or rain. It also is made in a smaller size for a visor to shade the eyes. SAFE POCKET BLOWTORCH MADE FOR HOME USE So small that it may be carried in a pocket, a compact, safe blowtorch for use in the home, garage, and shop, is be- ing made. Burning all forms of alcohol, Alcohol-Burning, Self-Acting Blowtorch, Handy for Mending Kitchen Utensils or for Vulcanizing it generates a pointed flame of intense heat capable of soldering large pieces of metal. It has many other uses, such as MECHANICS vulcanizing tires, removing paint, o1 melting materials. A thumbscrew regu lates the flow of alcohol, and thus con trols the length of the flame. Unlike th: gasoline blowtorch, it does not have t be pumped and heated, but is self-actins the touch lighted match starting into immediate operation. A liquid sol Ot a der, dispensed from a tube, is made for use in connection with the device, though it will melt that substance i: either wire or bar form. TOWER CAR RAISES CAMERA ABOVE HEADS OF CROWD Crowds will no longer make it neces- Satv for the new Spaper photographer to climb trees and poles with his camera t get pictures of interesting scenes, if lh: is carried about by an auto equipped wit! a tower, by a daily now 1n use new Spapel a butt the driver can aut: matically elevate small platform su ported on two leg that slide through t] roof of the car, cart ing the By pressing camera m With This Tower Car, the Newspaver is Assured Good Views for Photographe: His Pictures above obstructions and giving him a clear field for his work. After the picture has been taken, the tower lowers in the same manner. FOUNTAIN PEN SUPPLIES LIGHT FOR WRITING IN DARK For writing in dark places, a fountain pen is made, equipped with a small flash- light on a clip fitting over the stem, and supplied electric current from a pocket- size battery. A push-button switch op- erates the light which casts a ray around the pen point.
Page 11
POPULAR POWER OF IDOLS STILL Great as have been the strides of civili- ition in the last hundred years, a very ge portion of the world still is inhab- ted by men in a primitive stage, who fear MECHANICS 33 GREAT IN MANY LANDS bodies, also forms part of the collection In obtaining six various-sized chalk fig- ures, the collector nearly lost life These belonged to the New Irelanders his «i nd pay homage to strange idols of wood primitive tribe of Papuan blood, wh n d stone. areée anceés- During some 25 tor wor ears of roam hipers. When 1g in out-of- i member of a e-way places, chiet’s fa Canadian ily dies, one of s gathered these image r.gether is made fro unique col- the chalk ection of found in the ese heathen Rossel Moun ities. One is tains a vooden carv- brought very of a croco- secretly to the from New chief's house Ireland, and placed in ne of the a chapel. The South Sea spirit of the islands. An- deceased is other is the then supposed deitv of the to enter the iter paid figure and re homage to by main ever aft the Solomon er Among Islanders. To other idols in it they dedi- the collection cate their are a god of canoes on ancient Mexi launching, co: three often making heads of human. sacri cocoanuts fices as part of carved in odd the ceremony. designs by na , Then there is tives of Brit | the special New Guine house built ind carvings o ior the head the rhino devil of the YRIGHT, FRANCIS DICKIE eros. hornbi Fijians and Idols and Charms Credited by Their Worshipers with Possessing made by the E , Marvelous Powers of Good and Evil so the devil sea Dvyak ind self Che head god of the Battaks, representations of a fish, the Bonito, that an aboriginal tribe in Sumatra, who is is held sacred in the Stewart oup supposed to subsist entirely upon human islands ' | INSECTS’ SENSE OF COLOR on white objects. Both fli IS SHOWN BY TESTS coes Wi l re spond to | t Colors of flowers attra While naturalists have long known that but the ore effective b ) isects have a highly developed sense of rum SO pronounce l t ‘ te mell, recent investigations have indicated ment to odors that a scie t te that they also have keen color prefer- that it could | dapted to | ( { ences. For instance, the mosquito pre- growin tat of the bo eevil pest ters navy blue to 16 other shades, and He | iggested that the male b positively shuns yellow. Flies have no weevil could be lured into b ( liking for pale blue, but will settle thickly | lucing t ( tar cert
Page 12
POPULAR MECHANICS
—< Hardy Mountain Guides and Party of Tourists Braving Hidden Perils to Conquer Alpine Peak: All are Tied Together So They may Not be Separated If Engulfed by a Snowslide
Page 13
POPULAR MECHANICS 33! SWIMMING LESSONS ARE GIVEN BOYS BY WIRELESS Guided by a voice from the air, a class of boys and girls at a public beach re- cently were taught how to swim. Just as though the tutor were present, the youngsters obeyed instructions that came to them by means of a radio set placed near the edge of the pool. Fitted with an amplifier, the commands of the ab- sent teacher carried to all parts of the big outdoor tank, although he was talk- ing to them from a broadcasting station some distance away. Preliminary lessons were given by the instructor in person, but after his charges had mastered the essentials of the sport, the wireless took his place. Guards were stationed in the vicinity to look out for the safety of the children during the lessons ooo se “8 ial “ ‘ i. Youthful Beginners Receiving Instructions in the Art of Swimming by Radio from Their Instructor Who is Addressing Them from a Near-By Broadcasting Station. HEROISM OF ALPINE GUIDES SAVES LIVES OF MANY Although they risk their lives daily amid snow-capped peaks, icy precipices, and treacherous glaciers, deeds of hero- ism by alpine guides are so common that they pass almost unnoticed. Cut off from. the outside world, they are reared from the cradle to follow their hazardous profession, a heritage from generations of hardy mountaineers. Brought up among heights famed throughout the world for their beauty and grandeur, practically their only means of livelihood is guiding the thou- sands of tourists who flock to the great Swiss resorts every year, One of the 1 greatest proofs of the bravery of the guides is that, despite the many hidden perils of the winding mountain trails, serious accidents and loss of life are al- most unknown. It is an honored tradi- tion that these climbers must always be ready to sacrifice themselves to save those in their charge, and this is a code that is never violated. Usually they act in pairs, one in front and the other in the rear, with several travelers in be- tween, all of them being tied together by long ropes about their waists. This is done, so that, even if several of th party are engulfed by a sudden snowslide, they may not become separated. Thus mountain climbing develops nimbleness and all-around strength.
Page 14
336 POPULAR CART DRIVEN BY DOG POWER IS AN AID TO INVALID As a means of travel about the streets of his neighborhood, a disabled Belgian war veteran has employed his dog to fur- Geared Handlebars Help This Belgian Soldier's Dog to Pull His Homemade Carriage nish power for propelling a cart of his own making. The animal is harnessed so as not to obstruct the rider's view of the road ahead. A set of handlebars geared to the wheels assists in driving the vehicle and at the same time serves for steering. The carriage is built of light materials, moving at a speed of five to six miles an hour without great exertion. Placed behind the cart, the animal or starts at a command stops from its master. DIESEL ENGINE FOR AUTOS TO INCREASE MILEAGE Through the use of a Diesel-type en- gine, recently tested in the West, in auto- mobiles, motorists see the hope of end- ing fuel and ignition troubles, and the attainment of long mileages impossible today While this design of power plant has been used previously on boats, it has not heretofore proved practical in small units. Its advantage is that it readily burns heavy fuel oils, and has no spark ignition [ mixture 1S ‘ 1 lovey “61 t piugs, Cols, OT kind lhe system of any ignited by the heat of the air compressed by the pl ton This temperature is so great that the fuel in- jected into the cylinder is instantly fired \t present the average consumption of “oas” in the United States is more than 10,000,000 gallons daily and the supply is limited by the fact that about 20 per cent or the crude oil is available as To supply the deficiency it has been necessary to “cra¢ k,” that is, to dis- till under pressure, some of the heavier oils into fuel. This has resulted in fouling of plugs and carbon troubles only easoline motor MECHANICS With the Diesel engine these handicaps would be done away with as it is designed to take advantage of the greater latent energy in the heavier oils. RANGE FINDERS FROM GUNS USED AS TELESCOPES Cut from the guns used in Europe dur- ing the war, small range finders are be- ing marketed for use as monoculars for bird and na- ture study. They come in attrac- tive leather cases with straps to go over the shoul- ders. Although roughly fin- ished, the places where they have been sawed from the rifles still be- ing visible, they are provided with fine lenses adjustable to the eye. WARDROBE TRUNK HAS DOORS ON TOP AND AT SIDES Doors on the top and at the sides, hangers for several suits or dresses, six drawers that slide sideways into the | ; | Trunk That Has Doors at Top and Sides and Several Drawers That can be Locked Separately trunk, and an unusual provision for laun dry are some of the features of a ward robe trunk recently put on the market There is no danger of scratching a floor when the side doors are opened, as they » swing out 2 inches above the trunk base
Page 15
POPULAR PAPER MOVIE FILMS TO END THE DANGER OF FIRE For the use in homes, churches, schools, and other places outside of the theater, a portable motion-picture pro- has heen developed that uses’ in- expensive, oninflammable paper films It is said thit this machine eliminates all danger of fire, and that it it may be wperated by a child. being used for movies, it may ‘be employed as a magic lantern, showing solid objects on the screen in either plain or natural colors without altering it in any way. This feature is expected to prove of value in teaching botany, engi- neering, and chemistry. The device pro- jects the pictures by reflection instead of, as in the ordinary projector, by pene- tration of light through the film. Rays irom the lamp are thrown. on the picture or object at an angle from the front, in- ecto! is so simple Besides also Por.able Motion-Picture Machine That Uses Paper Instead of the Usual Celluloid Fiims stead of behind the film. The object is ] eflected forward onto the screen. Light is provided from any standard elec- tric-lamp fitting. ~ SCRAP TIN TURNED INTO TOYS Out of 100 tons of scrap tin from salmon canneries of British Columbia, that has been piled in huge dump heaps in recent years, are to come armies of little tin soldiers, numbers of horses, miniature trains, jumping jacks, and other child’s toys. American toy makers re- cently purchased the waste for use in their business. MECHANICS 337 SAFETY SEAT PREVENTS FALLS WHILE WASHING WINDOWS For preventing falls while washing windows in the home, a safety seat has been made which swings on two chains —e ee Seat Swing for ing Outside Accidents to Those Wash Windows Preventing Surfaces t attached to hooks in the window tf A strap stretched between the chains supports the worke1 back in cor at ! time ting S d against loss of balance, leaving the body free \ e1 equired 1 the cleaning ANIMAL SO SMALL IT LIVES INA DROP OF WATER So tiny that it can be seen only by aid of a magnifving glass, an animal, here- tofore unknown, has been dis an eastern scientist. By means of whip- lash strokes of hairlike projections cover- ing its body it can move rapidly about in a drop of water. little creature feeds chiefly on germs and other animals living in the water It measures about one two-hundredths of an inch long and is less than one-fourth as wide. Coy ered bv Phe @ Tov balloons won the distance records i Paris, France, balloon in a recent race in which they were matched against real gas bags Every one of the larger craft was reported to have been greatly out- distanced.
Page 16
What the World Offers the College Man Rewards of Farming and Teaching Professions Prove Attractive to Increasing Numbers of Graduates ITH a record-breaking increase re- ported in the numbers of young men, seeking admission to universities throughout the country, the question of what the future holds for the graduate is more frequently heard than ever be- fore. Agriculture, transportation, industry, and business are all calling for trained men in constantly increasing numbers. Law, medicine, chemistry, electrical and mechanical engineering are offering a wider range of opportunities. College- trained men are being sought everywhere. And yet it is pointed out that Lincoln got all his knowledge of the law by the light of a log fire at nights at home Edison was a train “butcher.” Marshall Field clerked in a country store. One of the country’s greatest steel men began life as a water boy, and numberless high railway executives started as telegraph operators, section hands, and in lowly clerical positions. With these and countless other ex- amples before them, many persons are inclined to question the value in dollars and cents of a full college course. “Does it really pay?” “Is it years wasted dur ing what should be the period of easiest mental growth and manual training —time spent in obtaining a _ foothold on the ladder of success and the build- ing of firm foundations for future achievement ?” These were the questions put by Popular Mechanics toa score of successful executives and employers in one of the largest industrial centers of the country Most of them had never even finished high school, but when asked whether a college training was worth while, the an- swer in every case was: “Yes!” Many, however, qualified their answers by declaring that, while a deyree was de- sirable, it was not absolutely essential to success in any line except, possibly, in medicine. “It all depends on the man,” said one “Take two men of equal intelligence and let one enter college and another go into business. At the end of four years the one with the practical experience will command a much higher salary, but usu- ally the college man will advance more rapidly when he starts because he has a broader vision, greater ability to assimi- late knowledge, and more confidence in himself.” How conditions are changing in the world of industry was also reflected in a canvass of the 34 highest executives of an eastern railway. It was found that 27 of them were college graduates. Just a little more than a decade ago, these figures were almost reversed, it being the rule rather. than the exception for the executives to come up from the ranks. Inquiries regarding the salaries paid college men at the start revealed that two of the most profitable openings were for agricultural graduates and_ school- teachers. Young farm supervisors were in demand at. salaries ranging from $2,400 to $3,600 a year, while teachers re- ceived from $1,500 to $3,000. Even higher pay was offered teachers who qualified both in scholarship and ability to act as instructors and as coaches of high-school basketball or foot- ball teams. Wages Paid in One Industrial Center Occupation Salary to start Doctor ‘ Kika None Lawyer $900 to $1,200 Dentist $1,800 to $2,500 Mechanical Engine: $1,440 to $1,800 Electrical Engine $1,440 Bricklayer $1.25 per hour Plumber $1.15 per hour Plasterer $1.25 per hour Farmer $2,400 to $3,600 School Teacher 2° Musiciari ie dat oie $3,900 $1,500 to $3,000 Income after four years Education required $3,600 5 years college $3.600 6-7 years college $3,800 years college $3.400 years college $3,000 years college years apprentice years apprentice years apprentice years college years college oo DP Pp OF [These figures are not intended to represent general averages. They were compiled after a careful canvass among employers in one of the largest industrial centers of the country and the sums are given only to indicate the general trend of wages in certain lines. employes.—Editor’s Note. } 338 As far as the trades are concerned, the figures are for ee
Page 17
—- --———_ eo POPULAR MECHANICS 339 P Confetti Battle That Marks the End of the College Year at Harvard and the Beginning of the Struggle for Fame and Fortune on the Part of the Graduates On the other hand the voung doctor, who entered a hospital as an interne after his graduation, received nothing but his board and room for the first vear, while dentists who went to work as assistants received an average of about $1,800. In the engineering lines, many of the larger companies have apprenticeship courses. Students begin these during the summer vacations while they are in school, thus cutting down the period re- quired considerably. This svstem also is be many of the great « tions in training exe being made to add pr ' le erience to the the retical know led V ‘ ed 1 | lege. In picking men, emplovet have ¢€ pressed considerable preference tor tl who have worked their way thr school, believing that this training is ré sulted in greater self-reliance, and | veloped ingenuity and imaginat Mel:ing-Pot Graduation Class, Composed of Children Born in 10 Different Countries, Who Received Their Diplomas Recently from a High School in a Middle-Western City
Page 18
40 POPULAR MECHANICS EYE DEFECTS ARE CORRECTED 1,600 exercises. Each bar carries a num- BY EXERCISING SCALE ber of small bulbs that may be lighted in a variety of methods and a series of let- Exercising the eyes to restore proper ters, figures, and tiny mirrors. An elec- muscular balance and thus obviate the’ tric attachment automatically controls its operation. Failure of the eyes to func- tion properly at any angle is easily deter- mined and then the exercises are outlined accordingly. The apparatus is supported on a pivot so that it may be turned, raised, or lowered at will. RAYS OF LIGHT CARRY VOICE THROUGH AIR TO PHONE Light waves were used to carry the human voice to a telephone receiver in a recent test in Europe. Selenium, a mineral that is very sensitive to changes in light reflected on it, was the principal aid. A beam was cast on a concave mir- ror which also received vibrations from a speaker’s voice. Rays from the mirror Machine Designed to Remove Muscular Defects of saan a ae a elias ma Eyes by a System of Drills were reflected on a elenium cell con- nected with an ordinary telephone re- necessity of glasses in many cases is the’ ceiver. As words were spoken the inten- object of a machine recently invented. sity of the light changed. The mineral Consisting of two long arms and a pendu- cell carried these vibrations to the phone. lum that moves either in an arc or a_ At the test it was possible to send mes- circle, the device provides more than _ sages in only one direction, JAPANESE SHRINE IS BUILT OF GOLD AND GEMS Creative power and imagination of the the 5,000-pound shrine, of delicately most skillful artists, metal workers, and fashioned gold, silver, pearls, and coral weavers of a Japanese city recently en- on which artists worked for three years. gaged in the making of a small shrine, Built at enormous expense, it was car- called mikoshi, borne on the shoulders of | ried away after a few hours, not to re- youths on festival days. At a carnival appear for five years, when the festival young men carried through the streets will be re peated. bs. pee? 4 atnetn. Youths Bearing Sacred Burden Shown Once Every Five Years. At Right: Shrine That is Built of Gold and Gems, Including 6,000 Pearls
Page 19
POPULAR EAR MUFFS HOLD HAT ON WITH HIDDEN SPRING Ear muffs have been patented that attach to an invisible steel spring worn inside of the hatband. When not in use, they are small enough to carry con- veniently in the vest pocket. At- tached in an instant, they fit so closely to the head that the hat cannot be blown off, al- lowing the owner to warm his hands in his pockets. Made of attractive material, the muffs have proved a great convenience in changeable climates because of the ease with which they may be attached. SHEARS WITH FIXED BLADE GIVE MORE ACCURACY SCiS- Resembling an ordinary pair of sors, a device for cutting satin, silk or other fabrics has been invented that is designed to increase accuracy and deft- ness. Only one blade is movable. As the upper part of the instrument is pressed down upon the cloth, the lower section rests firmly on the table top, giv- ing the operator a solid support. Thus it may be guided easily along the outlines of a pattern. The shearing power is mul- r Shears with Lower Blade That Rests on Table, Made to Increase Accuracy tiplied by the addition of an extra joint between the thumb and the upper knife edge. It is intended for the use of tailors. @ Ice-cream making takes 3.39 per cent of the 99,000,000,000 pounds of milk pro- duced annually in the United States. MECHANICS 341 EMOTIONS TESTED BY MACHINE AND ACCURATELY RECORDED First used as an aid to science, a chine has been found of value in ing and recording emotions. It ma- test is said Device That Records Emotions was First Intended to Test and Describe Heart Action to describe all impulses accurate! Strapped to the wrist of a ; ber tube carries the vib heart beat or emotion ‘ needle, fitted with an while undergoing the test. comes unduly excited, the needle ri the fact on a revolving roll of pape RED-CROSS FIRST-AID KIT BUILT LIKE KNAPSACK From a hunter's small knapsacl a few changes in the pockets, there be- ing made a kit for workers to carry when they areat disasters. Though small and light, the pack con- tains a com- plete first-aid kit, flashlight andextra pattery, shears, pen- cils, writing paper, candle, a street guide, and other articles. In middle-western city it is now being used by first-aid workers. Because the case 1 made of a heavy waterproof material there is no danger of injuring the co1 tents by rain. American Red-Cro
Page 20
POPULAR MECHANICS i ls,” le WV NM NM MMMM MM OW | P , WOAVOVOVe r= = > WoOVaYova™: ~~, tt wo. ae we Ned ed. aa as Hand-Made Oriental Tapestries Prized for Beauty of Design and Rare Workmanship Often Rece Finishing Touches at the Hands of Children Working with Needle and Yarn SASS SASS ISIN SRR INSIEINEINGIINIGIEININGIIOE a he ee a — 7 Mreebrmaee FTL TTS SAS Nahalahs Set nectar nail al AA AWA fy _—_ & UNDERW ive Their
Page 21
POPULAR Creating designs of beauty and weav- them into carpets and rugs have been means Of earning an exist- MECHANICS 343 WEAVING PICTURES FOR OUR FLOORS Where a heavy pile face is to be put into the fabric, two wefts are needed. for many people since ear- est times. In the Oriental coun- the traveling rug weaver finds plenty to do in the way producing tapestry work for countrymen. While he sets » his weaving frame and does work by hand, the tapestry kers of the United States and urope employ huge machines that turn out strong and beauti ly ornamented fabrics that to make home cozy and ictive. machine-made rug or car- ile of the best mate- ; not quite so costly e hand-made article. Designed yy men and women who have trained in special schools, e entire fabric is carefully lanned before the materials are ven to the machine for weav- ng and finishing. Cotton, hemp, wool, and often lk yarns are used in making the different grades of tapestries. Ta warp, or _ longitudinal DF forms the main body nce ies rve The ; et, wl 1 ils, is of as een he RIGHT, 41 - ‘ thnrea d, novella” Knives Trim the Pile of Machine- Made Carpets to a Velvet Finish or background of the woven fabric. [he number of warps used determines the width of the finished article. The weft forms most of the design, serves as ground for the pattern, and determines length. Mechanical fingers pass the weft over and under the warp, knotting and looping it to give a close, durable finish. i UNC ) Besieniag a Masterpiece, hread as It is Placed in Position by His Hel pers ERWOOD & UN ERWO the Tapestry Weaver Inspects Each One of these forms the ground, while t other is so looped about the warp that a thin wire with a knife-edge quickly c1 the looped yarn, allowing the two et to rise vertically from the surface After weaving, the finished material 1 Perform Marvel yw ! Accomp] ed Art by Automatic Rug Looms N Designed for Them
Page 22
344 POPULAR rough the shearing machine, a of brushes the fibers of the pile so that the shearing knives in passing over them will leave an even velvetlike finish to the In many of the crude weaving the body is first on then run tl where series loosen surface. ot Vv forms rug by hand a wooden weaving frame which stands before the worker or is placed | woven evel with the ground. Removing the body from the frame, the weaver then knots in the design, using a needle and colored yarns to get the desired scheme. Old hand-woven tapestries are today as highly prized as the rarest jewels, and h time and study are given to their collection by dealers throughout the world. us AIR PATROL OVER SAHARA GUARDS DESERT PEACE and 1a country thre ecting travelers Prot peacetul safeguarding latives 11 } 4}, rt thou { nd | es 1 lV | ut 1 é ine squadro trolling, not one man has been lost most cases the sight of the flying machine is enough to quell any trouble, but in the MECHANICS event that it is not, exploding bomb which the airmen carry quickly settle the Until the French govern the region, the town were frequently attacked and raided warlike tribes of desert men. Strons high walls were built around the hous and cities to aid in their disturbances. ment occupied defense. ROGUES’ GALLERY OF PESTS IS KEPT FOR FARMERS For the growers, g benefit of far1 overnment .sc ts ke n compietene lent ‘ep onallery +t] gallery that criminal rogues’ rivals 1 world. There are recorded great nu bers of insects that are ruinous to plat fe. Each year the department sends out experts to hunt down “criminal” pe nd to broadcast the methods of getti1 rid of them. Recently, after follo trail that 1 | 1 Ove 1 C pe n \lexico ‘ ¢ ot thie cientist re with specimens of the little-known { fly. It someti1 spoils shipmet Mexican fruit into the United States a in some s¢ ms has done t « to crops a ig it Ss not ( much as its relative, the M Lé fly, since it does not thrive calities. It bore int iruit € the tree, causing it to fall to and rot: Its eggs are laid in the Aerial View from French Military Patrolling Plane, Showing Sahara Desert Village: have been Built around the Houses to UN ‘ High Stone ribesmen Wall Repel Attacks of Warlike T by institution in the iS
Page 23
POPULAR MECHANICS Exploring a New World Underground
Page 24
nn bey D beneath thousands of feet of | stant communication with companions ) solid earth, a new world of darkness on the surface. lhe wire connec tion ol larson lakes, enchanting gardens, rush- on the tele phone ran through the rope by ing rivers, golden minarets, and rainbows’ means of which he was lowered into the ot dazzling beauty, has been found. darkness. \iter many dangerous and futile at- Before the descent commenced, sound tempts, the dark and silent abysses, where ings were taken to indicate the depth, tor countless ages the skeletons of strange thermometers lowered to find the t nimals have iain undisturbed, have been perature. Slowly and with great caution penetrated by man and forced to yield up the explorer is lowered by half a d many of their secrets men at the mouth of the pit Chasms without bottom, cataracts of avoid the jagged rocks lining the le eat magnitude, splendid grottoes and Then over the wire comes a faint c1 rushing torrents hisper never-ending "Let ‘ef gol” tales of a weird and dead world of spec his indicates to the anxiou t< tral shapes and fantastic designs which above that he has arrived safely « tor ages has been lying untouched almost ledge or at the bottom of the pit beneath the feet of the living ready to folloy some gallery nto ft (hese wonders have at last been re eternal darkness beyond. vealed through the daring of French Silence follows. It i roketr the ientist, Edouard ringing of the tel \lfred Hartel who ha 1 tne cry I ( devoted his life for the ( t ; t torty years to sub Hold on to te nean explorations ope! Hold or His first investigations I’m vin ere at the mvstet ou re,” oles of Dargilan an \n agon Padirac, which the na | val intervenes | tives for countless gen | the bell ring é ons had main- | the distant v t ned were inhabit “7 im idjiu ( é »v the devil and s mask. Sut t the bottom of whi O1 ell itself Late en minute e organized an expedi elapsed. Si tion to enter fourteen trong jerk on ¢ eigantic crevices on the ‘Ea rd Alfred Ha:t Hhe telephone rit Plateau of Causses, into and a voice « ( hich no hum: veing ever be e pene Have lost the rope ladder! Can ent trated, although tradition has it it 1 out Have reached the bot 1 of the ts and men have disap ed therein. first pit.” One of his most fe insp experi- \ few secon: later he calls t ences was the trip into th tto of once more! Walking on dead a <abanel in France. So far as known, no carcasses recently fallen! Skeletons o human being had eve before dared to sizes five feet « eep! venture into its deptl Soon atter this hen he searches for the end of the he succeeded in charting the great sub- rope laddet \fte 1 few minute terranean river of Sorgnes, near Sarzac locates it and th e tele] pl onerings: “Let’er [t was on one of these expeditions that go! Have reached t mouth of the M Hartel discovered the lake of fire He ond pit!’ Silence The journey is taken was equipped with ropes, ladders, candles, up again and now the rope registers 1,500 ribbons of magnesium, matches, hammer, feet below. Again te lephone rin: knives, a thermometer, a barometer, a “It’s getting very cold! Damp! and gas mask and other scientific equipment. mist! 1,800 feet. IT have reached a lare Around his neck was strapped a small lake! Strange sight, burning incen telephone so that he could keep in con- The abominable odor is getting stronger.”
FACES DEATH TO EXPLORE WONDERS BENEATH SURFACE OF EARTH Scientist Finds Strange World of Darkness and Hidden Beauty
By JACQUES BOYER
Page 25
POPULAR MECHANICS 34% Blazing Lake of Fire Found Far beneath Earth’s Surface by Daring Explorer Who Risked His Life to Catc! a Glimpse of Wonders Never Before Viewed by Human Eyes
Page 26
POPULAR is taken up by means l Che explorer is out once more in the world of the living, ex- hausted and hungry for fresh air. Next lay preparations are made for the ex- 1 oration of the liscovered by the head otf the expedition. \ constructed hich holds three to four persons is lowered. | underground lake already specially canoe Ww Explorers Use Canoe Now the descent is no longer hazardous ince the first risk has always fallen on \l Hartel’s own shoulders The ex- plorers re rmed with every scientinc instrument necessary for the survey. First, the head of the explorers’ party, then fol low his assistants. One by one, they are slowly lowered down the pit with the canoe trailing behind On and on goes science, never satis- fied, always ready to risk more and more. in order to unfold to the outside world the great hidden mysteries of enchant- ing gardens, innumerable minarets of stalagmites, rainbows of wonderful col- ors, and never-ending tales that are buried underneath thousands of feet of earth. Che romance of Hartel’s underground explorations occupies 10 large vol On several occasions his lite ha in great danger. Once he and his two mpanions lost their frail boat while making a survey of the underground iver Padirac Their candles went out nd fell into the ice-cold water On another occasion he made the ex- ploration in the famous Gaping-Ghyll cave of Yorkshire in England No one dared to accompany him, so he decided to go down alone and left Madame Hartel at the telephone receiver Sitting on his ing, he began to descend. On his wav he received several baths from dripping suntains above his head, but succeeded iching the bottom. Telephone Line Fails After making a thorough examination, he came back to the phone. “Hello! Hello! No inswer r} e microphone was put out of order by the water! For almost half an hour he kept shouting to his wife and his aids Finally he was heard and was pulled back half dead. A few years later he was invited by the Russian government to make ex- plorations of an undergrot ind thermal Here he wa \ xiated s taken 1p] sulpt river in the Caucasus. out, almost asp! from luric MECHANICS fumes He has, also, made _ valuab! observations in America. In 1912 visited and explored the great Mammot Cave, Yellowstone Canon. Born at Pontoise in 1859, the futur scientist in his early life showed his a preciation of nature’s beauty. His cu: osity to strange phases of nature \ aroused when his parents took him up: a vacation in the Pyrenees, in 1866. Lat: Park, and the Gr as he studied in Italy, Switzerland, Aust and England. However, his fathe: lawyer, took him into his office partner where he practiced law for ty years. Yet this did not prevent him from 1 ing frequent expeditions for scientific « plorations in southern France and boring countries. His real work be when he made the acquaintance of famous Alpine adventurer t who, in 188 had revealed to the public, for the time, the wonders of the Tarn ne Cevennes caves Many Obstacles Encountered In exploring the uncharted innumerable difficulties are et1 unte It is necessary first to make t graphical and geological survey surroundings, at least 650 feet the mouth. of the abyss. This take é eral hours Chen soundings are t determine the depth. For this, instruments attached at the end t rope are lowered down to take t t perature he subterranean outfit c t eral ropes, ladders, large candle of magnesium, matche elep t knives, a ball raphic papers, gas masks, a1 ot instruments, firs | nammer, eter, several topog scientinc and chocolate. Each member of the explori1 must wear the following out! { laced shoes, gaiters, woolen clothe numerous pockets, wide pantaloon blouse of strong material that will 1 easily tear by contact with shar \ cap made of boiled leather, to «de I “ - . the shock of falling rocks, and a kn sack complete the outfit. In making the descent, the explorer stalls himself on a piece of board, half yard long and tied in the midd by the end of the rope. A dozen hold the rope at the mouth of th: ither unwinds 1 to the « a it as the expl ive while in nas in
Page 27
POPULAR MECHANICS 349 Telephone is Used by Explorer on Hazardous Trips into Caverns Thousands of Feet Undergr i, to K in Touch with His Companions on the Surface and Give Them Instructions
Page 28
0) POPULAR MECHANICS PICTURE TRAINS ADVERTISE COMMUNISM By sending trains of picture cars into the rural districts, the Russian govern ment is attempting to educate in the principles of communism more than 100,- 000,000 people who, heretofore, have > = re Or *# the Propaganda Trains being Used by Russian Government in Gigantic Advertising Campaign t Spread Doctrines of Communism among Country’s Great Mass of Citizens n little or no interest in politics. the blazoned cars are not the only nie I ad on thie ¢ Ot the rallt L ¢ S Ot advertising it 1s using 1n it campaign ‘ 1288 tet 1 , . pam nation ( skilled artists t though perhaps the m« GASOLINE MADE FROM COAL BY DISTILLING PROCESS of distillation of coal developed, it is now said to be le to obtain as much as 10 gallons Oot gas ne. as well as other grase and oils, irom a single ton of soft coal. Under é old meth WN \ hich require 2 400 de- ees of heat as compared with 1.050 or 1.100 necessary in the new process, little e was recovered and other gases ere destroyed. A plant for distilling coal in the new way is being erected in Canada by an automobile maker. In addition to gasoline, it is 2 mt 1 ‘eported, a ingle ton of coal will vield 3 g gallons of reosote oils, in some cases 6 or 8 gal ‘ lons of lubricating oils, 60 pounds of pitch, 12 pounds of fertilizer, and 7,500 cubic feet of gas And the left-over, 1,500 propaganda and educational designs illus trating the communistic doctrines In trying to “sell” this form of government to the peasants, the Soviets probably have become the world’s largest advertisers, a pounds of broken-up coal, may be pul verized for industrial fuel or made into briquettes for domestic use It 1 said that the semicoke is similar to anth cite coal, igh in heat V ilue, smokeles and moderate in ash. SUGAR-SOAKED SPONGE USED AS .TRAP TO KILL ANTS Soaking a sponge in sweetened wate! is an easy way to get rid of ants. Serv ing as a trap, it may be placed where the insects play, and when they have crawled into the pores to eat, it may be dropped into hot water, thus killing them As it is durable, the process may be repeated as many times as desired, making it in expensive as well as effective On the lawn or in the garden, the lure may be put near their holes
Page 29
POPULAR MECHANICS 35 RADIO ON A WALKING CHAIR KEEPS BABY AMUSED To help keep her baby amused, eastern mother has installed adio set on the child’s walk- r chair. Aerials are mounted a pole and the telephone re- eivers placed over the head in e usual way. Any station de- red may be “tuned in” and the ild left to enjoy the concert stories from the air. Mean- hile, the child is able to push lf about and be entertained, the cares of the mother are t¢ ned. ] WEALTH FROM OLD MINE Believing that all the ore had en removed, owners of an iron ne in the Missouri Ozarks ndoned it 33 years ago, and e 17,000-acre tract surrounding haft was turned into a stock Bought for a “song” a rs ago, the mine now is ucing over 1,000 tons a dav. Baby being Entertained by Specially Cons Outfit While Learning to Walk with Aid of Chair tructed Wireless WRITING IS SENT OVER WIRE the point passes over one of the raised I ! BY PHOTO PROCESS lines of the message, an electric current is interrupted. Every momentary stot exact handwriting of the sender, page of the current at the send ges are being sent over telegraph es a be of t to b ect in France at the rate of from 75 to rainst a ir cvlinde t the e1V ds in three minutes. Written on end, carrving a piece of sensitive pape kind of paper, a special ink is used When finished, the photographie | t leaves a solid deposit and a slighth removed and developed \ ed elevation when dry. This docu graphic reproduction of the ent is wrapped on a cylinder that re message. The apparatus Ives the message under a needle simi in several stations operated by thi to that of a phonograph. Every time rniment l'ransmitting Autographic Messages by Wire, Using- Photographic Process of Recording the Movements of a Beam of Light Directed against Chemically Treated Paper
Page 30
- — —— —— —— i etl a el etl ie ell i tl te le ell i Os Ay Cl etl \ AS A Sa es —— . , iia ro Cs -s BI ] paratus for 2,000,000-Volt Ar ists Ap i Mass of Electrical N Y Zz. < —_— — Y a AR in Laboratory, an Wil uced j rod POPUL ii VAUAVAAAL AVMANAAAA AWA : ; +7 That Made Possible Notable Experiment before Group of Distinguished Scient Steevie t? avi} THVTPTIEN/ teerepeery Man-Made Lightning being P
Page 31
—— — ttl et > Ft a a Ag, 5 ta = ane tee ho POPULAR MAN-MADE LIGHTNING BOLT WRECKS TOY VILLAGE With a 2,000,000-volt are of sputter man-made lightning scientists in an tern city recently destroyed a mini re village in a steel house built for test. Directing the bolts at will, struck first the miniature church er and then the store. To make the vent more realistic, the roar of thunder ent with the flash and even rain was oduced. Success of this experiment is 1 to mark a step toward the control savier charges of current than have er been handled, and also protect hu- nity and power lines and acquire a itural source of electric energy from air. With great power at their com Ii¢ ind, scientists believe they may be able make coal, diamonds, and other things found only in the crucibles of na- iporatory. \rtificial Bolt of Lightning Destroying Miniature Church and Store during Test MEDICINE FROM “OIL BIRDS” USED IN PERU WILDS \ aters that use their tails for u birds so tat that natives catcl é for their oil, blood-sucking bats, r f Inca Indians that cannot live in titude le than 12,000 feet above se el, and colony of outlaws where there ere no laws or taxes, were found in the le-explored tropics of Peru by a nat ralist and his wife who spent 14 mont! n that country collecting specimens for a useum. In the domain of the outlaws, hey visited a mammoth cave inhabited by the “oil birds” and captured some to put with their collection. Ojul from the feathered creatures is used by the natives food and medicine. Eighteen hundred pecimens were in the store that they rought back with them recently, in addi- tion to 20 live animals. MECHANICS 53 VANISHING SEATS AND TABLE FOR DINING IN KITCHEN eats and a table that vanish into tl vall when not in use have been cd to turn a kitchen alcove into a ec: rnec Folding Seats and Table Designed to T K into a Dining Room and Save Spa Ing room tor tour person \ chairs have been folded may be used tor 1roning poses. sesides saving space ipartments thie T nee ( é 7 , ‘ ++ ctive |] ‘ step Tire ] 1 é te] t CRINKLE HAIRPIN STAYS PUT AND CANNOT BE LOST One irdressing i+} t ect .eT , time | e het Ol one Ss cl « OT fT é p i ( ett he. I o { t ¢ = A ¢ r; ( 1 € \ ever en . 1 1 1 1 i l 1 1) pec ise tiie ent ¢ ction it ¢ t t ‘ ' 1 not catci oO! Nn thie
Page 32
354 POPULAR MECHANICS MOVIE OF FIFTY YEARS AGO MADE TO SETTLE BET lwenty-four ordinary cameras, placed weight pressed a series of buttons on t] together in a row to make pictures of a_ track, forming an electric contact tl running horse, are said to be the forerun- exposed the plates, one after the othe ner of the movie. To see whether a trot- These showed that at regular periods t ; ng horse at any time has all four feet in’ horse entirely left the ground and al e air, a battery of cameras was set up gave an idea that resulted in the mov a race track in the West ne irly 50 camera [he experiment was made eal ago \s the sulky passed, Its settle a bet of $25,000, it l
['wenty-Four Photos Made 50 Years Ago with Cameras Placed Side by Side, Showing That at Regular Intervals a Trotting Horse Has Four Feet off the Ground COUNT STEPS OF HOUSEWIFE “BABY” AIRPLANE ABLE TO FLY TO CUT DOWN WORK EIGHTY MILES AN HOUR a to make apple pie in eight steps A “bab airplane eighit bout 5 hole dinner in 80, was shown the pounds with its pilot and load of fuel ie in a recent test in which the periormed successfully in a recent science demonstrator wore a light, when it is reported to have cl Showed A badly ee] ide, designed to save many step an hour. With the motor throttled do ted for use < a table, the top of the the inventor believes that the machi covered with porcelain, has one can travel 1.200 miles on a ngle fill
Page 33
ar POPULAR MECHANICS 355 GEESE WEED COTTON FIELDS, REPLACING HUMAN LABOR Geese have partly solved a labor-short- problem that cotton growers in two ver-Mississippi states were facing. Due he northward migration of workers, rmers found it increasingly difficult to btain help to weed their fields. Experi- ents were made with geese, and it was und that they freed the ground of all ndesirable vegetation without harming e cotton plants. As a result, planters re now using a goose to an acre to per- m a task that was formerly done by man beings + STOVE AND ICE BOX BUILT FOR SMALL KITCHENS Designed to increase the efficiency of a il kitchen and reduce the housewife’s a unified equipment is being made consists of a refrigerator and a four- irner gas stove. They stand on oppo- te sides of the sink. Over the burners the range is a closet for cooking uten- A drawer that fits alongside the iler holds the cutlery, while directly 1 it is a compartment that may be ed for many purposes. Jars for spices 1 coffee are fastened to the back of cabinet. Smoke is carried away ough a blind flue. Additional shelves eneat Efficient Arrangement of Stove and Refrigerator Saves Space and Labor for the Housewife and a flour bin are attached to the ice chest, the top of which serves as a table or drainboard for dishes. Both units are enameled in white, and appear compact. THREAD STILL SPUN BY HAND ON AN ANCIENT WHEEL Still in use for spinning the cotton thread used in making socks, stockings, ] and other necessary household articles, Aged Woman Who Daily Spins the Cotton Thread She Uses on an Old Hand-Made Wheel an old hand-made wheel is used by a1 aged Alabama woman who lives on the land her grandfat! er bought Irom the Indians in 1829. She declares that het hand-made product is far superior to the best output from modern machines HUMAN HAIR MADE INTO CLOTH RESISTS HEAVY PRESSURE Tons of human hair are being turned into cloth by a southern tactory to suyq ply the demand of cotton-seed oil I] of that section for a fabric tl stand, for a time at least, a pressure 4.000 to 4,500 pounds a square inch. Onl that made from hair is strong e1 Formerly it was woven from camel but the price ot that product went to such high levels as to prohibit its u \fter a seri of tests, a method \ cle vised for weaving human hair 1 pe cially constructed machines. he searc] for a sufficient supply to keep the 1 tory going ended in China, where buyer found a veritable army of coolies read to sacrifice their long queues for Ameri can money. Bound in huge bal t] hair arrives at the factory ready tor weay ing, having already been inspected sterilized on the way over from the Orient Combed and carded, it is twiste into threads and fed into the loo: where it is woven into rolls of clot] thick, the bolt weighing 100 pou
Page 34
POPULAR MECHANICS
SSZNZSLSZNLNINL ALN NNN NNN NERY Y g « » é 4 2 : : ‘ » S » Vy Z \ m4 Vy y x4 . yy » < : : Vy S x Wy < : PRU PBSUIBSUIBSUIBSUBU BSB BUBB BT BS BR BBR BBB, Peering into Depths of Lake from Skies in Search of a Sunken Ship So That Its Valuable Cargo of Coal, Worth About $50,000, may be Salvaged
Page 35
POPULAR MECHANICS 35%
HUNT LOST TREASURE SHIP AIR CHAMBER SAVES DIVERS WITH AIRPLANE’S AID STRICKEN AT WORK Driven from its course by a fierce As a first-aid appliance to save the inter storm and swept by flames which lives of divers stricken at their work, a rced the crew to take to the boats, the large steel tank, in which they are amer “O'Connor” sank in the northern _ placed, is filled with compressed air to end of Lake Michigan. The vessel, of con- lerable tonnage, was loaded with hard |, valued at approximately $50,000. In e hope of being able to salvage this rich rgo, a search was begun to locate the exact position of the vessel. Yet, after o months of ceaseless effort,-the lake ld fast the secret of the ship’s resting lace. During the war, aircraft had been ed in spotting submarines. Light pene- tes to a great depth and, providing the ttom is of a contrasting color, any ob- hich comes between it and the sur- , face is clearly visible from a _ position rectly overhead. So preparations were le to use this development of science maritime salvage. Carrying a pilot and bserver, the plane circled over the lake t a height of 500 feet. Miles were cov- t \
Diver, Overcome by Long Stay under Water, Placed
] . > -ale l T T Will * : ] ] ( ts, an adyjustabie hiter tha \ nt tion necessary to prevent his « ost any lens ‘cew made, hen in use, it S. RUINS OF ANCIENT BABYLON 4 YIELD WAR GOD’S TEMPLE ‘ ; y : Z ; ; ;
Traces of structures erected during early Babylonian period ( pected to add greatly to the kn taken thi 1 } tory of that time and to riv take | ougn - . “ _t ¢] lt uit tance the discoveries in the tor b of Kit e filter require 1-1 | Tate , es - Z Putank en t Lux I pt \ Siig tly iongel j b en “me nd 7 aca , 5 exposure, but ee ee ive every detail st aaail _ S t the chou —-— wom : ‘ ° ¢ @ . 0 ( | ¢ ) ) aanks in the background. Sunsets on ‘ Sia ‘aie : » 3 ‘ (2080-20435 B. r 1 un ( e water are also most effectively repro- lat © 7 na . 1 1 Lite t t aqauced, uced ( ne thie ( AA he ( ( a ond king of that line (2211-2176 B. ¢ C Acetylene gas, purified and mixed with and the temple built by him to the v Oxygen, is reported to have been success- god Ilbaba Experts regard those pre- fully used as an anesthetic, with results liminary finds as proof that the e as satisfactory as those produced by cavators have approached strata that either chloroform or ether. It is adminis- conceal remains of the earliest Bab tered through an air-tight mask, placed lonian civilization. ihey expect to over the face. many relics of historical value later
Page 36
LS eet 305 POPULAR DISHWASHER FITTED IN SINK SAVES TIME AND LABOR small electric motor, a device is now being made that washes and Operated by a No Need for Housewife to Put Hands in Water When Using This Dishwasher LOCOMOTIVE READY TO RUN IS CARRIED ON SHIP Because the pre sident of a South \merican republic was in a hurry to re- lroad engine being made for United States, the huge loco- celve a Tal him in the tive was quickly put together and then, tracks for the and hanging from MECHANICS dries dishes in five minutes or less, wit! out the housewife putting her hands the water. Only a slight pressure on push button is necessary to start an stop the machine. Fitted in a basin at one end of the kitchen sink, the apparatu water rapidly over the dishe After they have been rinsed by a spra of hot water, another part of the machin them. As all revolving parts ar: inclosed, it lends itself readily also to the washing of light table linens, and, be cause of its simple construction, it m kept sanitary. One day’s dis! washing for a family of six to eight per sons, it is estimated, costs less than | cents tor power for the machine. A parts that are contained within the ba may be removed when not in use, thu providing additional sink space. forces dries easily be @Sand-blast dust is being used as covering for newly laid asphalt by hig! way authorities of an eastern state. It obtained from dirt arresters in iron four dries. a giant crane on a scow, it was move to the side of a ship and lifted deck. It is said this was the first ti: such a big engine had been placed « board ready to run. Usually t engines are taken to pieces before bein; sent by water. So great was the weight of the engine that the scow almost sanl while it was being carried to the ship ship he Placing 75-Ton Engine on Ship’s Deck with Crane That Carried It from Shore: Usually Locomotives ar« Taken Apart before being Shipped, but There Was No Time in This Case
Page 37
POPULAR MECHANICS 359 The ao Lu a Ta we Sal ¥ We WH ATFA Fs PUTAS AS SSE See UTA z ra . ¥ - SIAL IAL I f }! ve Wi es WIP aw wT ey . ty, ' Pe Wiel Houses being Moved across River on Barges to Make xoom for the New State Capitol at Charleston, West Virginia: They were Elevated to Avoid the Necessity of Lifting Them Up an Embankment
Page 38
POPULAR KNAPSACK WITH POCKETS HAS A PLACE FOR EVERYTHING , , With several pocket ot ch are ( ered by tf ps, a k ip ck of iter- proot material, large enough to hi ]
ick with Pockets to Separate Food from Cl and with Double Straps for Back | pe eC 1 eS 7 et € Lilie 1 i tele Dit iTe ¢ <9 , { S u r¢€ e¢ ( no ] ty of 1 til t 1 F \ traps te the | e 1 f wea lre dy | \ g beet ade ¢ | the U.S. government f ti it ( riers’ Sail ks. lhe ext! pocket pl vid eparate space tot food LENS ENDS USE OF A CLOTH OVER SCREEN OF CAMERA Id to the ground-gla screen of ( b suct i i por t iens 1 cle ( Ly th the neces- - tv OT USING a covering er t] head oO the hen viewing the ce of the pic- ture to be taken. By applying the eve to the lens,
the can be entire image BSecr ae ell as thoug! ere viewed under the cloth usually ] Is het VAT used
MECHANICS PRINTING OF ONE DOLLAR BILL TAKES MONTH AT MINT More than $20,000,000 in and $1.000.000 in United Such great care greenbacl stamps are made by t! States government every da} attends the printing o notes that 30 days are necessary to com plete the processes to which one sing bill—$1 or $10,000—is subjected \] though millions ot dollars throu: the plant daily and are leit openly o1 } guard is placed ove e money, nor are employes searched building. accounting is counted 15 stamps 10 before being sent out pass desks, not a single Me they leave the Inste id, a rig [ ced, the times and tl system oO! eniror being notes wed the alate nrint scovered the plate print¢ andled the epiace the amount of the missing a shortage be di and those who h greenbacl S are one and tf dollar notes The $10,000 note est made but there e only If them in circulation Stamp equ less attention than the bills, come f the presses at the rate of 40.000.000 a While most of them are one the government turns out some at $5 MAT FOR AUTO RUNNING BOARD SECURES FOOTHOLD
Metal-Covered Rubber Tread for Automobile Ru: Boards Offers Firm Grip to Step studded with knobs protruding throu holes in a polished aluminum plate wl attached to the running board by fot screws The nibs’ extend = sufficient above the metal to give a secure grip t the sole of the shoe, i avoiding any ice
Page 39
POPULAR MECHANICS 361 SICK-ROADS CURE IS SOUGHT BY UNCLE SAM
Apparatus for Testing Road Pavements of Vari- ous Materials To study the causes f wavy road surtaces, + the government has built a circular track, 15 feet wide and 180 feet in diameter, divided into sections, each of which is ived with a different kind of tar or phalt on a electrical foundation. An furnishes the wear and concrete device WORMS DYE THEIR OWN SILK IN UNFADING COLORS By injecting dyes into their cocoons, a French scientist is reported to have iused silkworms to spin colored threads. Not only the ordinary shades, but the nes and hues that are made from com- hbining various tints, are produced by the little workers receiving treatment by his process. Silk is usually dyed after it is been wound and twisted into floss, ut the new method is expected to grow in colors that will not fade 1 + WATERLESS COOKER IS SAFE AND IMPROVES FLAVOR Meat and vegetables may be cooked without water in an aluminum kettle now being sold. <A triple bottom of. steel aluminum, and asbestos makes this pos sible. When the cooker is placed ovet a low flame, the housewife can go about her other work without fear that het
Left: This Instrument Indicates Warping of Surface tear they would get in regular servic from traftic, wl the sun applies its heat to curl and bend the materials, afte which a machine on cables supported by wheels is passed to and fro over the surfaces to show to what extent they have sunk or risen. measuring foods will be burned, be cause they are cooked in their own juice In this way flavor and healthful salts are retained. A vent in the top al lows excess steam to escape When open it provides a way to brown the ro without heating up an ovet scorched or mineral
Kettle That Cooks without Water over Low Flame and without Attention of the Housewif
Page 40
Adventures in Asiatic Paths By SVEN HEDIN + S\ Anders Hedin, noted authority on those little-known lands, Tibet, Turkestan, Mongolia, and ‘ 1 Asia in general, |} pent a great part of his hie—he is now 58 years of age—in exploring these | strange lands. These irneys, performed at times amid extraordinary hardships and always at the i ediate risk of ngering and terrible death at the hands of savage or by sti irvatic n, have won for | him high honors ar 1 world-wide reputation and fame A noted scientist, a daring adventurer, a fluent | writer—he is aut i imerous uluable ar weighty books Doctor Hedin is an honorary or active } member of nearly ever scientif society in the world; is a member ‘of the nobility of Sweden, to he was raised récognition of his work by the king; is the bearer of honorary degrees from of the famous universities of the civilized world; is the personal friend of potentates and rulers, ; now on his way to Asia for another daring journey through the wild interior where he has found buried cities, grotesque and terrible customs, and where he has se veral times been k rced to long distances on t without water or food Edit r’s Note. bs I HAVE traveled over 24,000 miles in is evidently well built. It is traversing Asia’s beaten and unbeaten tracks, and the Caucasian province of Georgia or in doing so have had adventures without Grusia and is called the Grusinian mili- number. In what follows I will tell the tary way. It cost enormous sums of readers of the Popular Mechanics Maga- money zine a few of the things I have seen and When the czar sdicated it he said: experienced in the interior of the largest “I thought I should travel on a way of ntinent on our globe gold, but I see that it is nothing | will start with my very first entrance _ stone.” in Asia. It was several decades ago, late In grotesque curves it winds around in the summer. I was to drive from the mountain sides and passes through Viadikavkaz to Tiflis, a distance of 120 valleys and glens Up it leads and then de | a > i miles. I hired a strong- : ; down again. Inthe ly built Russian wagon, wildest rush we may which is drawn by a whisk d a pre “troika,” the repical pice; then sudd ’ Russian three-horse there comes a sharp team. Merrily the bells are tinkling in the bell co r worn by the mid- turn to the right. We cannot see where we are going dle horse, which is an uncomfortable feel trotting along, hitched ing as if horse car- in between the shafts riage, and everything on either side Over would be flung into the the horse’s neck bends a wooden voke, through the iron rings of which the reins pass. He is stray ped so close to the harness that he cannot run in a gallop. But the two horses on | the sides are galloping and turning their heads too, and we now see outward and down- stretch of the road ward, while the center Dr. Sven Hedin ahead, until the zigzag horse is carrying his course begins again. head high. The animals are accustomed In winter the traveling is done in to occupying this position, and it is a sleig] 3. but then the road 1S dangerous. george below before an- other minute has passed. But again we $pin around a corner, so abruptly that the carriage 1S resti1 the two outer Thank goodness! We have escaped this trap, truly magnificent sight to watch a troika Many spots have an evil reputation tor speeding along. avalanches. Where the snowslides are The road is level and good at first, wont to shoot down from the mountains, but soon it begins to lead upward. We © stone tunnels have been built with wall have reached the region of the moun- 10 feet thicl Over these the. s1 tains, whose dark-hued, steep walls are masses of the avalanches will glide looming up before our eyes and hem-_ out injuring the traveler ming in our way more and more on As a young student I once had mert either side However, this road with its trip from Bagdad, the city of the calip! solidly ballasted bed and its cement rails and of the Aral figl
Page 41
POPULAR MECHANICS 363
LC NY OK
UyeUxeeErr exer 19 @ 000 © 048 © #90 © 148 @ b48 Oh0e w +08 © 11
eErrrrrrarrre1t
06D 1490500 © 180G 04) © 104 © 100 O 146 © 111 @ 004 Sree @ 0 | 48) A pevestttctecteess se soetcrsteietsces:
Nature’s Wildest Moments are Experienced amid the Blinding Rainstorms of the Himalaya Regions. At Suc Times the Frightened Caravan must be Guarded against a Stampede 048 OUit GO41 GS 006S 104 441 © 600 S 040 006 S 64) G81 106 168 S 168 Git S144 S HLH s1d | 008 O 044 | 118 aH 411 | 194 000 | 616-101 S 080 @ 168] 601 S 061 S008 SI00S 104 | 108 w 008] 100 S 11 O00 Sis @ wre me EE EEEEE SxxIEKL x r: ry) +4 4 4 HE q 4 ol ry fe 4 45 bY 4) = : ‘ok ry Hi d= He , 4 > : H| H H E r : = 5 3 4 + ‘ +
che bed EF Bhd nm cial ': che a4 Be M4 i rrr <EvxxrTIT Try rxerxt Li EXXEYY EEL ITINVALA YT YIAAINTAIITITI TT PITAL IAT TY IIE | lemremiosienis! jC MOI OS TIO 1 0 11O ONIONS MOTION ONIETIONIOIN@HHNSIN OHIO! O1NeNOTHO UO 1 © 1601101 O11 ONO NTS ONES 1510 110O He 111 01h @. _ = ————— Se = ——— J
1
Page 42
POPULAR shah in western Persia. I was alone and hac no servant, and of the traveling jund there remained only 200 Persian ns,’ or $39. I was too proud to bor- money and thought | should sue ceed in pulling through without any body's aid In the baza | met an \1 an CaTavan \\ ich Was CarTrying 2 ds on to Kermansh hired from the leader i mule 1 on fourth ot all | ned | was early in June and the it \ intenst¢ so. the mer< int traveled é t night The tinkling of t Lye ha drow y etfect, and irom t e to time | fell a eep wi ile seated in the saddle lraveling this wa of course, | ( l not see anything of the landscaps and the third night 1 succeeded in pe su ng an old Arab to accompany me to K inshah in d ght. When the chants heard us talkin ibout this, they \ 1 not under n ynditio pern us to leave the caravan oO id to escape by stealth on the hired ile, t gether with the old Arab, who de inded 25 kran da ly wage One d night just as the moon had set, we 1 ahead of the caravan Aite1 C increased our speed and got away farthe and tarther from the other fhe sound of the bells gradually died away in the distance, and we were surrot ded by the stillness of the night. We advanced at a quick trot until we had reached such a distance that the others could no longer overtake us There we reposed until the morning then we resumed the path our large journey, tollowing of the caravans time to time, itinerant company is sighted, most of them being pilgrims partly living and partly dead hey are all on their way to Husein'’s grave at <erbela, not far from Babylon Che men are ridit on horseback, the women are sitting in wooden baskets, two of which are always carried by one camel or mule In such a basket, called “kajeveh,” the wi in iS squatting with crossed legs on soft cushions. She has a roof of white ywver her head, wh pheld by ed laths, and in front of her are curtains so that she can at her option hide herself from curious looks. Women of rank use of led “tak- terevan,” which are borne by two = oe 4 id 1] u ar< — 1 1 make litters called This style of journeying is more comfort able; the lady can lie down to sleep while mules are traveling And then the carried to set aside a certa the dead persons that are ! Wealthy Per im Kerbela tten
MECHANICS their wills to |] r the Holy the dome of which the n Another sum transporting man lave a Pint nea under Husein is lotted for the rich vrapped tened cords colored blankets turn bela, resting the body has died, his bo rugs with tight and around everyt!l ipl ed. are Wrap] are closed as securely | sssible witl lal but as it is more convenient and le mee ‘ | aes bodie es ; pen lve LO piace LWoO poOqdweS ON Cal I the deceased must ut until a con can be tound tor tl last journe may even happen at times that n Van oO] conveyed together to the “ bodies 1S Cc ive met several such funera in lersia lf the wind com ( ect 1 in wl cl] the VY afte al £ tiul od ll annot S i from quite distance Another sme it to become accustom«e on Pe in roads is the ead far around by rot ‘ camel] horse ( ule in the meantime I cont ( \rab the urney to Ker | 1 paid him tor the 1 e | have so much as a copper coin le pocket In the small Wa leu pean and | ha 1 Ire miles to cover before I coul rhe est ] ce \ ere live | iml\ pe irom my country However, | had heard of Muhamed H an, a re dent of Ker shal no w is doing busines over all Near East I directed my steps to house and was admitted in the |] room where he was sitting on pre rugs and casting up his count his a istant It was not easy to 1 clear to him where Sweden was situa but when I said that I was from country of Charles ALk, Aga Ha : rightened and he said Phen face b nust : guest thanked him for his lained to him that I had ourney, after havi days A m stay as my for cont I I { in ] house placed at my di tion; I was given two gentlemen ants and two servants who were stantly sitting to wait f¢ my ordet was offered the finest Pe n dishe rice and chi ken oTape nd Iil¢ wine and tea nd at night | ept in gel kindness, but 1 1e ul Mosque in Ker ( n ly I r ¢ t] 1 it} 1 r } er ¢
Page 43
POPULAR MECHANICS 365 IK MUO I I eS I YK I A MM SE ME xx 1@ 10h @ W004 TTI IIIT IE II » Bad @ 188 14'S 1] S 1 O10! YeExYrrrrrrrrr 1O 081 @ ter Sv @t Doe Le 19 0018e pe ne a pa ye piee@ieee pm O18 O18k S10 O10" 4 4 @ sts Oss Sis Ono mrt ie wd ne a CUREACEAY EA EALNREUET EES UMACR ERE SEAALETLARARAL ULE 15 XC AEEAES EEK LEMKE SELEREL SS SOE LSEEASALS SELLS EEA CENT ELS LEST KSEE LIS ES EAE EES oh a LIL pi Tye pie! EOREELULELT ELIE TT TEE ETT e ELL EET EeE 1S tne Gres Sine! Bt © 1200 118 0 1 9118 SHS HL SINSIomeomes Ix (RO an exduuxTeura sir 149 © 040 © 196 @ 149@ HH @ 098 108 @ 0046 © 1411 Ot O HH OW OF 0 @ £08 © 041 O10 @ wei [YEE ee ge eee ET TTT ET ETAL E TAY EEE ETE ELIENIT " rurr OOO xr TXULKITII rr TAILALUXEIELELI IIIT SxxUrorrrrrrn TNESS YY AU EYES YY TENTIAL ALE WUL LTE LTVEEER TT EELESTITTEOTY TITTY YT rerrrrrrrrr z + INT IOTIr TICOIOUOTo Os © 141 © HHO 1410111 0 11) © HF @ OH BNDIN O 111 OF D1 OINDIN © 114 @ HHT @ 181 O14 O10 O O89 Ot Ore IN OO HH O18 1H OHO: Camel Train Passing an Old Signal Tower That Once Warned Peaceful Caravans of the Presence of Fierc Desert Tribes Infesting the Barren Wastes of Central Asia ~}
Page 44
POPULAR murmur- ng in marble basins, where fountains transpar- as gos- VW ere Yaks, Animals Resembling the Buffalo, Mountainous Transport mlight, and where rose and lilacs were luxuriously Spreading t r tragrance. In the stable there stood precious Arabian thoroughbred horses, ready to carry me to the villages and at uities I wished to visit. tig [| had no money! | and had all tl But was a beggar, a tramp 1e trouble in the w ¢ 1 to keep up the appearance of a gentleman as long as possible. This mas- querade could last only so long. One \: the ith would surely bec ; qaay Lic truth wouid su ely eCOME known. So I made a virtue of necessity and told one of my gentlemen attend- ants that I did not own one cent. He was taken ‘ra moment, but ered: You may aba k ‘AT ansv Jioney have as much of it from Aga Hassan as you wish,” and when the hour of parting came, he presented me wit of silver which ] into my saddle bag, as I, h a pouch full carried stuffed on a newly hired coins, horse, continued my journey both day and night towards Teheran, the capital city of Persia. In this way I once cov- ered as much as 90 miles in one day, which is the speediest ride on horseback I have ever this became possible only by changing horses five In 1906 | traveled 1,400 Bactrian camel through all of eastern Persia to the border of Baluchistan. [I had bought 14 and | six Per- Sian servants. easterly part of the country vast desert, called Kevir and loam. made; times. miles on a camels ad In the there is a n which cor sists of salt MECHANICS th Countries of Central Asia. 1 most of th level, but the lar texture. it Over is plain, the surface loamy ground has a granu In this part of the country will often rain in the winter, and the loam will then become soft like soap the camels will limp, fall down, and fina refuse to rise again Heavy Burdens of the Tibetan Traveler Rude Rock Cairns Mark the Way across the Many caravans have perished in tl Notwithstanding this danger, I v tured upon crossing Kevir. I had wit me two men and four camels Just as we were about to start from the southern edge, it began to rain, so we had to wait The loam dried only slowly. A caravan of merchants came along, and we decided to continue in the trail trodden out by it camels.- The distance across the desert is 84 miles. When the expedition has been started, it is necessary to proceed without camping until the northerly edge has been reached. In all this ma- licious tract there is no shrub, no YTass- blade. We had covered far over one-half of the road when darkened and the sky aga it started presently once more to rain. We speeded the camels and their bells sounded briskly—almost like a churchbell sounding the fire alarm. path was to be seen; what faint trace of it may have existed for a brief while was quickly blotted by the next and then tramped up again by out shower, the next caravan It was drawing toward eve ning. ‘The sky was clear only in the west lhe sun was just setting: it glowed like a cannon ball. The entire western horizon was burning red, as if a steppe fire were raging, and the fiery gleam was reflected bv the b n. level ground. The long lines of « r f the merchant caravan proceeded oO laden with their bales of merchandise
Page 45
—_} tid - = = aan aneaeee saa dada @pdah dh bas ended ane @ 001 0@00b@ 1004 IIT OT YT I CryorTy reer Y vory ~ r ry memeiiemeiie pb Ort OHO 144 « TL p wr Ons © 6 Hor @ 04 O11: © Utt w Sts oh OFF Ion IrITring - z RRRLESESEREESALLE ExxEi SEAL LEEERE SeSELLSLEESSELAL I CEAEASULSEEESAAASASECAIES aLiLEE XEEEEXEXISECL ECL CLLE bruit rrurariz1111 asarickas x x z x
omer
le a Jos iat ht ore “2 bang 4 aig a oe 2s Png Be s Z_ nm io fae ‘ ; HF i >¢ ~ |e H) ta 7 sf | es =< |B fa] = & ek f | Pétion — " As en @: fo] «tt ; z Al ee “ fH} : qe] i) 4 Ms oll) = & aad F EG = ZZ os < ZZ. $ ~ $i: f co 7 e 'H 2 bo —_— = 4 c oe ° fs ~~ r 4 4 _ ; 3 Pa 2 Ay @} H i 3 I a Valley of the Himalavas
® ¥ ‘ B |: ‘4 B q f is] = : E i io oA dz ne : Li: hh Sond i: Peis Ae rs sat ti ry = ip z EUSTECEULEELIOCCE SESESEEEERESERSSESSSSCESSS r TITIIITIT TIVY LEVY SUCTEETIT ITS Terr 7 £ELEEA TET ey ee ee ees eee eee ey rer Pee ses SSSte tees te seeses sins ss sess -3] o Hot OHS SIH O 1S tH OF 188 © 194 S181 OI SHeh ont @ toons jomeowmenn Pie S tO 1S 111 @ 146@ 118 OID HF OIE S101 SINS 181 HEDIS HS HSIN SIH OID 104 O 004 © 44 © F14-D 141 © 144 9 484 O 100 48s w 108 © 1488 198 © 091 © 0091 cant p 984 © 144 © bbe @ 16s @ON @ 101 DOH) @ O04 4 } 5
a —- cme —_ —
Page 46
368 POPULAR they offered a fantastic sight. Their red outlines presented a striking contrast to the threatening background in the north. We hastened northward so as not to remain sticking in the loam, which was softening more and more from the rain. According to a Persian superstition, the desert is the mansion place of evil spirits. Whoever remains behind, falls a victin to these fiends. Such a one listens and hears the tinkling of the bells, but be- lieves that it comes from the opposite side. He turns there and is lured tarther and farther into the desolate tracts, drawn irresistibly onward, with the sound of the bells in his ears all the time, until at last he falls dead from exhaustion, amidst the scornful laugh- ter of the ghouls. But I, too, was about to be inveigled by such a specter: black-winged sleep was fluttering around me, as | was sit- 1 ting benumbed, half unconscious, on my riding camel. What a night! Would it never come to an end? The bells are ringing as if they wanted to announce a morning service, and still no dawn. The rain continues splashing against the ground. The gait of the camels be- comes more limping Thump! There JUNGLE REVEALS BURIED CITY LARGER THAN OLD ROME Buried for years in the jungle fastness of the island of Ceylon in the Indian Ocean, an ancient city, a contemporary of Rome but much greater in extent, has been unearthed by explorers. The found- ing of Anuradhapura, as the royal city was called, was in 43/7 B. C., according to decipherable characters that cover some of the ruins, and its desertion took place te in the ninth century, about 1,200 vears later. Excavations have revealed that the splendid structures of the city proper covered many square miles, al- though its actual boundaries have not yet MECHANICS one of them is lying in the mire; he must be raised But another falls We urge them on frantically. The bells are ringing with a weird sound, like knells when a funeral procession passes To keep sitting on the camel is too try- ing for my nerves; I alight and start to walk. The night is pitch-black. The rain con- tinues coming down. The loam continues underneath our feet The treads of the camels continue sounding their dull measure, the bells their rhyth mic play. If the bells stop, we are the prey of the desert spirits. We have to free the camels from their burdens; we must sacrifice the goods and seek to save the animals. If the rain keeps up any longer, the camels are lost and the men must seek to save their own lives. However, the genii of the desert relent With the night still hovering around us the caravan stops all of a sudden. “What has happened?” I asked. “We are at the Devil's Gutter,” answers a voice in the darkness. We stumble over a bed filled with salt water. On its other side, tama risk is growing and the ground consists of sand. The longer limp soon one loosening camels no We are saved. been reclaimed from the jungle. Through- out the parklike domain, now the feeding ground for hundreds of cattle, were found remnants of the culture of the period— marble bathing pools, towering monu- ments, and thousands of fallen columns, hand-hewn and hand-placed, that one: supported canopies and upper floor Some still rest on wide marble platfori One of the interesting features of that vanished civilization is the memorial structure, evidently inspired by the worship of some religion. Four of “d ivoba,” a those rival present-day skyscrapers in height. One, probably the highest, tow ers an estimated 280 feet in the at from a base 252 feet in diameter
Page 47
POPULAR SAND NEEDED FOR GLASS MINED WITH WATER Hydraulic mining for sands used in glassmaking has almost entirely replaced hand labor. Manufacturers of glass re- quire hard sands usuaily found in rocky hills and cliffs. Along the Mississippi River banks in Iowa, the diggers direct streams of water at the rate of 1,200 gal- lons a minute against the stony ledges, vashing them away and carrying the and into settling tanks where it quickly passes to the bottom. The water is then lrained off, and the sand dropped into large bins for shipment. TINY FOLDING STOVE HEATED WITH CANNED ALCOHOL About 6 inches square and, when folded, almost flat, a small stove is being made for camping, motoring, and yacht- ing, as well as for use in the dining room, kitchen, bedroom, nursery, or | porci of the home. Small cans of denatured alco- Small Folding Stove, That Uses Canned Alcohol for ieat, Handy at Home or in Camp heat. To shut off the plate is placed over the For quickly heating the hol furnish the flame a metal top ol the can baby’s milk, water for shaving, almost any kind of cooking, the stove can be set up anywhere. It is light and also inexpensive. RADIO MESSAGE SAVES SHIP Stranded for eight days on an island in the Mediterranean, a steamship was dragged out of the sands by vessels re sponding to a distress message sent out by an amateur radio operator. The ves sel was on its Constantinople, when way to it ran aground. MECHANICS 369 WAY SHIP BEHAVES AT SEA STUDIED BY MACHINE Every roll, pitch, rudder movement, course steered, and the time made by a ship at sea, are automatically recorded How Every Movement of a Ship by Moving Pencils on Rolls « at Sea is Recorded ) Paper by a recently invented machine. This will enable marine architects to study a vessel's behavior under all conditions and to better designs of hulls and rud- ders. In a test over a 6.000-mile course, a complete log ot a big freighter’s action Was kept. Electrically operated set down the rudder movements. The roll and pitch recorders depend on the opera- tion Of a gyroscope that maintain ts position regardle ot the movement of the ship. All of the records are made on rolls of paper moving over dru under a moving pencil AIR-FILLED RUBBER TOYS FLOAT AND KEEP NEW Gaily painted toy fish, turtles, frogs, ducks, clowns, and dolls are be ng 1 ide of rubber so they can be b 1 to any size de sired. As they float in the water, they can be used at the beach, in the bath tub, or about the house The size can be changed by blowing more air into them, provid- ing an almost endless ft: - cination the children \\ e1 ie Carri¢
Page 48
POPULAR MECHANICS BLIND TAUGHT TO FIX SHOES ON MACHINES For teaching blind men shoe repairing, turn out a good quality of work, they are a training school equipped with modern permitted to go into business for then electrical machinery has been established — selves, or enter the employ of other shoe by one of the state institutions. After repairers. The instructor, who is blind, the students have completed the course, teaches his pupils to operate the various which takes about three months, and can machines used in the work. a 3. Teaching Operation of Modern Shoe-Repairing Machinery to Blind Students in Vocational Training WHOLE LABORATORY IN BOX own motor to haul it on metal rails FOR AMATEUR CHEMIST charged with electric current, wood blocks for toy houses have given way Playthings having a practical value are to steel girders and beams that erect in demand by young people, who want = small bridges and buildings. Youthful students of chemistry may now look into its secrets with the help of a small chem- ical set having retort, pestle, glass tubes and vials of salts and acids for mixing into gases and liquids, that change form and color as their different parts are added. Knowledge as well as pastime is issured the young amateur possessing it FLOOD OF BOGUS ANTIQUES ii BROUGHT FROM EUROPE | * i | | For years past museums and art col . lectors have been made victims of clever a imitations of valuable antiques, some- times made by modern workmen plying their trades within short distances from where the articles are put up for sale, —_——__—_— : — . - according to the testimony in a trial in and Amusement are Offered Young the East recently Old-style furniture, by This Chemical Laboratory Set patterned atter that in use two or three centuries ago, is given appearance of gen to do the things that interest grown- uineness by aving its surface treated . have its with chemi ar to create the color of age
Page 49
POPULAR PACIFIC’S BOTTOM IS CHARTED BY TIMING SOUND WAVES Charting the bottom of the Pacific ocean between United States and Aus- tralia’ is the task of a navy cruiser using delicate apparatus to measure the time uired for sound to pass from the sur- e of the water to the ocean's bed and return. Records are taken every five les while the boat is moving. Knowing the speed of sound through water and he time elapsing between sending and turning of a signal serves to compute f depth. CAR WASHER FITTED TO HOSE REGULATED BY TRIGGER Attached to an ordinary garden hose like a nozzle, a device has been made for ashing automobiles and other machines that ejects either a spray or jet of wa- ter through a heavy bristle brush. With- out screws or bolts, the force of the water 1s con- trolled by a ‘ trigger fixed to the fore- part of a ) ribbed i handle. B Vy | pressing half- N way down on SP it, the stream forced through the cup-shaped top of the ap- &; paratus and t changed into - a fine spray for washing’ windows. Another attachment throws a 50-foot stream that cleans mud from the wheels. RARE BIRD’S PICTURE TAKEN What is considered to be the first pho- edged by scientists to be one of the rar- est birds in North America, was obtained recently in northern Michigan, the only spot in the world where the bird is known to nest. It summers and winters on the Bahama Islands. Only one nest is re- ported to have been seen before by naturalists. MECHANICS 371 PIPE SHAPED LIKE A CIGAR FOR OUTDOOR SMOKING Made in the shape of a cigar, a pipe has been designed tor motorists. and sportsmen. gyoirel Tobacco 1S placed in a Pipe Shaped Like Cigar to Protect Tobacco ¢ i Wind and Rain bowl, where it is protecte d from the wind and rain. It may be lighted and kept going even in a strong gale. As it is sep- arated into several pieces, it is quickly taken apart for cleaning The mouth- piece is of amber, but the pipe resembles a cigar both in shape and color, although it is long enough t ire cool oke Lacking the curve of an or pipe it is easily ¢ n the pocke STAR FINDER TRACES COURSE OF FAR-OFF PLANETS Costly devices are made unnece for the amateur student of of a constellation finder havin mounted over a circular chart to lo- cate Star groups seen with ordinarv field glasses. A slide, wit! an Jpening through which read ings are vi ible, is move around an upright dial, printed wit] the names of the planets to the day and turning the arrow telescopes and other expensive of the group shown by the « pointer al he the actual 1 t by the p! et nm tiv ¢ sky Vite
Page 50
7 Twenty Years Ago “Comforts” of Ocean Travel in 1902 ? | | Former “Queen of the Desert”’ in Popular Mechanics I € lert stea ) t i about every cor € € and it i | tion tl t is possible to provide O | finest ese vessel the iss¢ t | the freed f t mense d t r e ve € ae sa 2 t v we re. € | | Comment of Two Decades Ago “Umbrella Sail” Used it 1 1903 WENTY years ago according to the files of Popular Mechanics, engineers were discussing the possibility of joining the Atlantic and Pacifi oceans with a canal in ither Panama or Nica gua. Nine days were required hen by the fastest liners to make the voyage fro New York to London that now take considerably less than a week. Of these old boats, it was said that, “It seems though the modern steamship of tod offers about every convenience and commodation that it is possible to pro vide.” That ocean vessels would be built wit! fast passenger elevators, swimming ] tiled baths, massive, pillared dining rooms, daily newspapers, was never even conceived as a possibility in 1903. That opera music and concerts by notable art ists given hundreds of miles away on the shore would be enjoyed by ocean trav- elers, was not even dreamed of by in ventors. Two decades ago, the discovery of the X-ray was being hailed as the latest mar ( 1 ! el O00 vel of science, electric headlights were being tried on some of the fastest 1 way express trains. The 100th birthday of the first locomotive was being ob served in all parts of the country. Cl cago began the use of i ] the tube being 100 miles long anc de signed for freight only. Forecasting the coming triumph of the radio, Swedish engineers announced th they had succeeded in sending wirel c ) messages for a distance of 28 miles, and 4 a Belgian inventor exhibited a device de signed to transmit the picture of the per 11-2 —_— 1 1 . , son talking over a telephone wire The possibility ot telepl oning wires was considered but idle speculation
Page 51
Contrasted with the Luxuries of Today “Radio concerts, daily newspapers, banks, Pompeian swimming pools, sumptuous libraries, luxurious dining rooms, fast ele- vators, tiled baths, comfortable cabins, vast expanses of promenades, hot and cold cunning water, and all the conveniences of a first-class hotel or club.” What Liners Now Offer A» a graphic example of the 4 increase in speed and safety f travel during the past 20 years, a trip around the world in 1902 required 54 days. Just a few years before, how- ever, Jules Verne had written of what was then considered an impossible feat, “Around the World in Eighty Days.” Just recently this trip has been made in 34 days, and this time is ex- \ pected to be further reduced / with the growing use of air- planes. With the automobile in its i infancy two decades ago, a L- queer craft running on wheels — and propelled by sails was built to “skim the difeless sands of the dreaded Mohave Desert.” It was declared to be capable of carrying several persons at a speed of from 50 to 80 miles an hour, and plans were made for it to supplant the camels used in the great Sahara. With the coming of the tractor, this strange ship on wheels has been forgot- ten, its place being taken by an automo- bile attached to a so-called endless tread. Another strange craft was the boat fitted with an umbrella, or cyclone, sail. This was expected to increase the speed and to remove the danger of capsizing as the wind pressure did not tend to tilt the craft. Although the device attracted wide attention at the time, it also has been forgotten with the coming of the fast motorboats, many of which have run at a speed of more than 60 miles an hour. And yet within the memory of men now alive it took longer to go from Kansas City to San Francisco than it does now to encircle the globe. During the days of the prairie schooners in °49, this journey took over three months, while recently an airplane flew from New York to San Diego in 24 hours.
Page 52
THRILLS OF POPULAR MECHANICS OBSTACLE GOLF RIVAL REAL GAME Playing obstacle volt on the lawns offers all of the delicate problems of ordinary games with more hazards and less driv- ing. The plays have no limit of variety, as more difficult obstructions than the usual coursesare equipped with can be built into spaces of smaller area. 3alls simi- lar to those now used on the regular green are driven to the obstacle by lightweight clubs, and there, lifted, or knocked, to carry them above a hurdle or through a keg having no bottom. Small bridges may be built over pools for the players.
Page 53
POPULAR MECHANICS 375 FUTURIST ART GIVES WEIRD EFFECT TO BUILDING high, lend apartment Bulging outward at the sides of the building serve shield for the windows wisting walls, six stories ntastic appearance to an lding in Europe. 4] Moor, i sun below _# ad and also keep off the rain. The roof is covered with tiles of various colors. This unusual style of architecture is called “Catalonian.” It is used somewhat in southern Europe Fantastically Designed Apartment Dwelling, the Sloping, Twisting Walls of Which Serve to Protect the Windows from Sun and Rain While Many-Hued Roof Tiles Add to the Weird Effect LIONS TAMED BY ELECTRICITY INSTEAD OF WITH WHIP \s a more effective means of training ns that eventually perform in the rings of a circus, lion tamers are reported to vor an electrically charged wire instead of the whip. When a beast has just begun ts education, it often attempts to attack he instructor when his back is turned. Formerly the trainer’s security was in keeping a sharp watch over his shoulder nd striking out with the heavy piece of leather when the animal jumped at him. But now a charged wire is stretched | ross the and when the _ beast touches it, care, it receives a lesson that leaves deeper impression than a blow. FIRE MAKES COTTON SPROUT MORE THAN INCH A DAY How plants will grow even in seemingly hopeless spots was recently demonstrated when fire partly destroyed an eastern warehouse in which 200 bales of cotton vere stored. Heat from the flames re- placed that of the sun and instead of rain there was water from the fire hose. For a week the blaze smouldered, and during that time firemen continuously played a stream of water over the 50 bales burst their strong bonds and, from the seeds contained in them, plants débri Phen Nature in Bales of Cott Fire Duplicates Feat of to Sprout from sprouted Within reached a height of three davs, they more than 3 inches.
Page 54
POPULAR SIPHON CARRIES WATER MECHANICS UNDER RAILWAY TRACKS Inverted Siphon, Connecting Opposite Ends of Flume, Carries Water beneath Railroad Tracks, as Height Curved Shell did Not Provide Sufficient Clearance for Crossing above Ground To irr of thousands of West, water is being igate hundreds acres of land in the appear on the other side of the tra Here, tapered ends at the inlet and brought for 2 miles over a reinforced- let of the tube give an increased vel concrete trestle, 60 feet high to the flow with but a slight total At one point, the rushing torrent is of “head.” There was no interrupt carried down into of traffic vw the ground through the flume was a siphon to enable it to cross the tracks of a railway at a speed of 12 cubic feet per second. Hailed asa re- markable feat of engineering, the aqueduct is a curved shell sus- between eavy girders pended ing constructed building the ac duct approximat: 25,000 cubic of concret € 4.000.000 pound reinforcing st « were used at cost of 650.000 lars. It carries v from Lake N« across a valley tween the Bow Red Deer river the Bassano irr! lwisting like a huge snake across the landscape, it suddenly vanishes intothe eartl only to re- Huge Aqueduct of Irrigation Project, Supported by Con- crete Trestle across Surface of Two-Mile Wide Valley tion project east "Sees . re Calgary, Canad SILVER FOXES BRED ON RANCH TO OBTAIN RICH FURS Because of the killing of fur-bearing animals, a silver-fox ranch has been es- tablished on Long Island within sight of New York City In a five-acre inclo- sure, rigidly guarded, are kept 100 pairs of the beautiful animals \ number of their offspring are marketed yearly. Some are sold for breeding purposes while others are killed, painlessly, for their pelts Protected from the dangers life in the open and carefully attended, the animals develop furs of better quality, it is said. in { Ol Mother captivity, often nervous disown their foxes, frequently young and then their places are tak by cats, but dogs rarely seem willing “mother” young foxes. The industry grown to such an extent that most of t skins that now find their way to mar! come from ranches that are scattered over the United States. While ihe av age prices paid for skins last season ran from $150 to $370, a single fox for bre: ing purposes, with fine pedigree, so1 times sells for as much as $2,000. @ Energy equal to the muscle work 5,400,000 men employed in three eis hour shifts, it is claimed, will be g erated by a steam turbine now bet made by an American firm.
Page 55
POPULAR MECHANICS 37% GOLDEN COLD-LIGHT FILTER SEA SCOUTS USE COLUMBUS MAKES MOVIES SAFE CARAVEL FOR TRAINING == vated with pure gold, a filter has been Sea scouts of a middle-western city are le that removes 90 per cent of the heat using a reproduction of the old Columbus light rays used in projecting motion caravel “Santa Maria,” as their flagship — ires, thus eliminating the danger of \lade thirty vears ago ' vhen the machine slows down or sud- | 1 for an expo ition. it is ] stops By its use it is possible |} an exact model of the iit the unwinding of a highly inftlam- |} ship in which Colun " ble film and throw “still” pictures | bus sailed to America the screen. The device consists of , | more than four cen mall glass disks, with the gold- ~ turiesago. On the ved sides cemented tos ng a single lens Fitted above the old boys study nav Ya ~ a ection aperture while a reel is being gation, the manual 1 ether, thus decks 15 and 16-veat ff, it automatically drops into place en the machine loses speed or halts le it reflects objects as readily as an ; ry mirror, it is transparent when to the light. Rays filtered through ive a slight greenish cast, but not ient to blot out the picture. For ientists have been searching for ins to take heat from light rays. DIAL TELLS HOW HOT IT IS ‘“ WITHOUT MERCURY Without the aid of mercury, a recently sed thermometer works from a coiled etal spring expanding and contracting SO ————— —— under changes Replica of Ship in Which Columbus Discovered of tem per- America, That is Now Used for Training Sea Scouts ature, revolv- arms, seamanship, and other subjects in ing a dial the sea-scout program The old caravel horizon- js q picturesque contrast to the modern - | tally behind 4 motorboats and yachts that surround pointer I he Its rigging is kept in repair tor pract scale, printed exercises during the scouts’ drill S in large fig- I$ ures, may be . 7 ‘ oa ae te ROMANS PADDLE INDIAN CANOE con sider- ON THE HISTORIC TIBER able distance, a4 .- as making a From the streams and lak , : arty Aes ae North American continent, which it k convenient plied for centuries. the American Indiat article for 5 Ses ' 5 ea ea 2 ee ee 4 i k , canoe has recently found its way to the Gcesk & oT - ‘ 1.7 P ’ ‘ I ae ha waters of the historic Tiber of Ita walls ‘na- 7 A : t to Within recent months canoeing has be mental de- oar : rl] are come a favorite sport of the Ri | nnd. Syn afitRe on Sunday many of the frail craft, guide = S nye y — by the descendants otf the founders ore 7 @e Oo us Ro e. mingle wit] power! — “ require- ie cee eel ae “ts 1 ———— ments waters ot! t] eC TIVeT \] | 1 as vet have not attained the pertect n o1 € To make pictures of wood in a catalog the Indian in handling the canoe, the de re realistic, publishers in a middle- mand for it has become so great that tern city have printed them with var a factory near Rome is turning them out re nish, giving the exact coloring of various by the scores, using a dozen A il E11 tains and shellaes advertised made conveyance ; model
Page 56
POPULAR MECHANICS SPIRITS OF DEPARTED SPEEDED WITH WEIRD RITES NE of the most interesting subjects afforded a traveler in many lands off the beaten path of civilization is the — ponte ies DicKis Resurrected after One Year, This Native’s Remains Repose Aloft near His Old Home COPYRIGHT, FRANCIS various ways in which primitive people honor the spirits of the departed. Tribes living within a few miles of each other are often found to have practices totally at variance, while races separated by thousands of miles do things almost in the same way. Among the Eskimos, when a man dies he is wrapped in his best furs and laid upon the tundra or prairie at some selected spot. Then a cairn of stones is built over him. Upon this is placed all the cocking utensils, weapons, and the boat he used in life. For three days after death, the spirit is supposed still to remain within the body. During this time the deceased’s nearest relative, usually his eldest son, comes for a short time each day and le spirit to keep it from getting \ tall pole is also erected over the grave from the end of which blow in the breeze bits of cloth, skin, or that keep away evil spirits. At of the third day all the dead man’s sions may ‘be sold to white men or Indians, it such be in the vicinity, but on no account to In } North in the eart] 1 talks to tl lonely moss the end posses- other Eskimos buried Over each grave is erected and neat little house in which are placed the possessions of the particularly the believe the world to be Borneo, the dead are a substantial deceased, Dusans clothes, as other on top of a near-by high mountain wh: it is cold. Until recently these peo, made human sacrifices of slaves at tit when living relations wished to send message of importance to a dear ¢ parted, the soul of the slave suppose carrying the message. Missionaries now trying to stop this practice. In another part of Borneo, the bor of the dead are taken up after year and are carefully laid beside 1 things the most cherished life. The gathered whole is then pla in a beautiful little house, six by f feet in size, which is a mass of very | carving. The house is then reared in the air on the top of a stou which is made firmly fast in the grou near the dead man’s home. Although separated by thousands miles, the Dusans and the Eskimos bury their dead somewhat in the manner, while the Dusans and the St ans, living near each other on the island, have not thing in in their burial about deceased } one custom conil 5 MELTS a 4 COPYRIGHT FRANC Natives of a Borneo Tribe Protect Graves wi Houses Containing Articles of Clothing FOREST OF FOSSIL TREES MILLION YEARS OLD What is regarded as the. earli recorded fossil forest has been unearth: in New York State. Experts estimat that it is about 300,000,000 years old, a1 that it belongs to the Devonian peri Already 40 of the stone-tree butts moved from the excavation have b« placed in the state’s museum. Stun were found in the rocks at two levels, o1 60 feet above the other. Only a s! distance below the lower forest, the roc] are said to bear true marine fo Authorities now believe that the wester Catskill Mountains f millions of region was tforme years ago,
Page 57
POPULAR MECHANICS 379 CITIES OF RARE BIRDS FOUND IN GULF-COAST WILDS Miles from human habitation, in an olated and wild section of the Gulf coast lexas, enormous cities of birds were found recently. Some were of species not known to exist anywhere in the United States, except in limited numbers. Among hese was the white-face, glossy ibis, the \merican cousin of the sacred bird of Egypt, whose gorgeous bronze plumage as used as a decoration for women’s its until laws were passed forbidding Living in another colony ere the wood ibis, commonly called the \merican stork; the rare white-face ibis, suught by naturalists for years; and the sseate spoonbill, noted for its brilliant feathers the practice ELECTRIC HEAT IN FURNITURE IS CONVENIENT AND SAFE Electrically heated screens, mirrors, panels, and hangings for theaters have been designed recently. Low-temperature elements are used so as not to injure the furniture in any way or to mar its ap- pearance. In one instance a_ tapestry screen with four wings, each 5 feet by 2 feet. was equipped so as to give a tem- perature of from 75 to 105 Efforts are being made to adapt this system to Electrically Heated Screen in Which Hidden Elements Raise Temperature to 105 Degrees domestic purposes generally, as it is claimed that it is safe and convenient. CANTERING WOODEN HORSES RACED BY CHILDREN Combining amusement and healthy ex- ercise, a wooden horse that canters has been made in Europe. It is strong, tlex- PHOTO BY COURTESY OF THE SKETCH Wooden Horses That Canter being Raced by Children, the Latest Sport in London Parks ible, and compact, and can easily be car- ried when not in use. The toy has won wide popularity among children, who may be seen with it in the parks every day, holding amateur races FLY MOVES TOY PIG’S EARS IN TRYING TO ESCAPE In attempting to escape, flies, which have been imprisoned in the body of a toy pig, cause its ears to move [wo fisges are necessary to work both ears atthe Same time. One ofthe rubber legs may be with- drawn to pet mit the en trance ofa live fly that has been ¢ ip tured The ears immediately respond to the activities of the prisoners \s the flies are in visible. the movements ot the legs and ears cause much curiosity
Page 58
Thrills Made to Order in the Movies at the Risk of Life and Limb Stars of the Silver Screen Often Called Upon to Face Death as Result of Demand for More Realism in Pictures ANGING by the heels on a 6-inch ledge with the street cavern yawn- ing 12 stories trick at all— in the movies. Missing a foothold on the edge of a tall brick precipice and being caught by the hands of a clock 10 floors above the earth, however, contains almost as many thrills for the actor as it does for the spectators. lor these are the days of pictures, the result of on the part of to seeing below is no realism in a ceaseless demand a public long accustomed automobiles plunge over steep cliffs, death-defying leaps into a raging surf, more thrills. While only a few years ago most of the “stunt” pictures were the result of trick photography, double exposure, and splicing of the film in the cutting rooms, today the highest-priced stars of filmdom are often called upon to risk their lives. In othe “doubles” are employed to take the place of the star for the more hazardous undertakings. Dressed and made up to resemble the actor, they brave death in from trains to airplanes, jump over cliffs, and _ ride into locomotives with no chance of winning either fame or glory for themselves. They are the unsung heroes of the movies. Many risks, however, are taken by the speeding and airplane crashes, for Cases loa- . leaps speeding motorcycles stars. In one instance, during the film- ing of a western melodrama, the heroine was called upon to plunge into an icy downstream toward a cat- aract. Camera men and the director trailed along ina boat behind SO that a up of her face in the water could be obtained It had been found by ex- periment that the current would carry objects to a sand bar just above and a watcher was stationed and fioat mountain torrent close- there to pull her from the water as sh: swept past. But, instead, the current swept her to the other side of the strear and she would have the f been dashed ove talls to certain death had not her secretary managed to grab a bit of her dress and draw her to the shore. One of the strongest bits of realism ever shown onascreen probably, was the sion of hope- less horror on the face of the victim as Chis boat. Considerable hazard often is eliminated by the use of wires that protect the actor against falls. These cannot be seen whet the picture is shown on the screen. In the comedies, also, many other tricks are employed. One is a rest at the back of an automobile that holds the actor out parallel to the road and makes him appear to be stretched out like a ribbon. To do this two pictures are taken and spliced together. In the first, he chass after the automobile and catches the rear seat with his hands, throwing his feet into the air. Then the automobile goe back, the actor takes his plac. on the rack and it covers the same course. Later the films are cut and joined at the point where he first leaped into the air. In making a picture of a man climbin: the side of a building and doing appar ently perilous stunts many floors above the street, a real building selected and a circus performer employed t double for the actor in the “long shots Then a fake building expres- danger camera in the realized her was caught by the she was was built on toy of the real one. The “set” was built in far enough so that the roof would break any fall and also would provide a platform for the camera. By “shooting’ at a proper angle, however, the drop to the street looked straight down
Page 59
ilt ild to
BATTERIES OF CAMERAS FILM MOBS IN ACTION
~~ -_ v YW “Vv NOSSO — 1 ~ == r~ , >, | ae « | Lf 4 \ ce ; eS A ASA k AOA ARORA AACA AS A A Ne el ll Nl a cl el ~~
a RR RR PO ROR AS AT AAC A RCAD =\ . Neel aoa) oeool oho I NO, fe In Making the Great Moving-Picture Features, Whcle Armies of Actors are Called into Motion, the V the Director being Carried tc ihem by Radio-Magnifying Devices
Page 60
WHERE A MISSTEP WOULD HAVE MEANT DEATH Rear Seat of an Automo manded in the Movies High-Salaried Stars Leaping from a Balcony into the Just One of the “Stunts” De- from bile Is Real Athletic Ability and Con- stant Training on the Part of Stars is Required to Meet the Demand of the Public for More Speed and Thrills
Page 61
MAKING DARING STUNT PICTURE FOR THE MOVIES
A RO A A A a 2
em ee Se 2 eo eR eo FP DP © eS 2 *,
| “ ro Q the Scene was “Shot 4 | < A 7 g a | | 5 mes . . - Pd 2 O} . ? ye , ha gh | ; ; , eo Mas < q| = i r ee em 8) } Bia. sane oe Ixy (FFF Dp ee aa a a ALO e aa Aaa a ATA Ae all 2)
Page 62
FACING REAL DANGER ON THE BRINK OF WHIRLPOOL Although the Lives of Movie Stars are Carefully Guarded, They Often are Called Upon to Risk O. Death in Response { elt to the Public’s De- ie) mand for Realism, : 7 Accidents Upsetting i I the Best Planned | Precautions “ig .
Page 63
CAMERA MEN AND STARS SHARE IN SAME PERILS Se While the Camera Men Never Appear on the Screen, y Ofen Take the Réle : of Unsung Heroes in the Taking of the Pic- tures, As They Have to Follow the Stars and at the Same Time Carry Their Heavy Tripods to Obtain Effective Views
Page 64
pa32e39q = Alfensp) ore Aayy ieyy sa.ustpny oO} Jee OG sUIDDEg SABY SODTAZqT BS9Z, Se ‘pes, WOPTeS ore sinsodxy s1qnoq pur AydelZ0}04g ANY *S3e9q BWqissoduy A[Zurmseg ulsojiaq ©} SJO}IY FIQeUy usjO ‘useI9g Jag 24} UO UMOIY] St IJ UIYAA FIM Ig pajeduoD oy) UI Jeeddy JON OP IeY] SION pur Som ouTy (LL LN LE ele ee a lt ad a Oa arava ar, nant Nel Nihari Yel Yee =) \ a a o_O _ a a a a A AT jo tn Nene Mit. Mirth a Meth Yr» OO waa aw awe Oe OO ee eee ee
Page 65
MOVIE CAMERA’S EYE PENETRATES OCEAN’S DEPTHS
FEFETERE a cet ll al A. aa he Bil Ne A A Dd a A I a, ee eS SPIT =
Sp a a = ~*~ WN NW OVE OO (= PTT 2 OOOO. O.. = =F a”, (a A A AA, 0 0 A A A ne A a at, “ << —
A A
(= Pa Clam »
iy} Saar, PID TTT TS a AA) Sav =) oooh nao oP aaa oe’ hahoohhole
In Long Tubes Swung from Boats, Operators Film Scenes Far beneath the Surface of the Sea, Elect: Lights Supplying the Necessary Illumination for the Actors in Diving Suits
Page 66
POPULAR MECHANICS SUCTION CUP HOLDS RULER that can be instantly attached by a suc- AGAINST BLACKBOARD tion cup, from which the instruments swing on a pivot, permitting the use of For teaching classes in subjects that protractor, divider, T-square, rule, and require accurate drawings, a blackboard angles. The force of the suction is suf- has been provided with a drawing set ficient to hold the set to the surface of the board for 15 minutes, when the out- fit may be removed or replaced at the same point Being vertical, this device may be seen from any part of a room, and makes it easier for tl illustrate his subjects. ie lecturer to NELSON'S SHIP TO SAIL AGAIN Work of reconstructing and restoring Nelson’s famous flagship, the “Victory that successfully led the attack on the ships of Napoleon in lratalgar Bay in 1805, has been started at Portsmouth, Eng. It was on the deck of this vessel that Nelson, mortally wounded by a shot from an enemy gun, issued his memorable command: “England expects 7 . : every man to do his duty.” He died a Drawing Set Attached to Blackboard by Suction Cup » ‘ ‘ to Aid Teachers and Lecturers few hours before the battle ended WATER BICYCLE SAVES DROWNING PERSONS To aid life guards in rescue work, a working pedals with his feet, traveling at floating frame supported in the water greater speed than swimming would per- between two air tanks, enables them to mit. The body of the victim may be eas reach danger points quickly Halt sub ily thrown across the front of the tanks merged, the rider drives a propeller by and carried to shore. ae Guard Making Rescue from Life-Saving Device Driven by a Propeller Worked with Pedals: The Victim is Placed on the Floating Tanks and Rushed to Receive First Aid
Page 67
POPULAR MANY SEA LIONS ARE SLAIN TO PROTECT FISH Armed with machine guns and rifles, a ship sent out by the Canadian govern- ment destroyed several large colonies of sea lions which fed on fish inha‘iting the waters around a group of islands. By launching small boats, the vessel’s crew were able to surround numerous herds of the monsters, driving them on to high rocks where heavy gun fire killed them. It was estimated that every one of the animals shot meant a saving of several hundreds of dollars’ worth of valuable fish each year, FOOT POWER CARRIES WATER TO CHINA’S MILLIONS Because labor in some parts of China is cheaper than gas or electricity, the an- cient method of drawing water by foot pumps is still practiced. Treading coolies provide the motive power for raising buckets of water, two men by working Two Men Who Walk All Day Long, Never Moving Forward, Merely to Draw Water all day without rest supplying a small vil- lage. Despite modern ideas in many of the large cities of China, this crude way of pumping water is generally used throughout the country. SKELETON OF DINOSAUR FOUND Practically a complete, fossilized skele- ton of a dinosaur, a huge animal living thousands of years ago, has been found by an expedition traveling through Asia. Working in what is believed to have been a river bed, the searchers discovered the bones at a depth of three feet. MECHANICS 389 HEADS CARVED IN DIRT BANK SHOW SKILL OF SCULPTOR Carvings of life-size heads on the side of a mud bank show the skill of a west- Work of Sculptor in Mud Bank That He Paints White -So It will Stand Out in Relief ern artist who has made some remarkably realistic reliets of noted persons. Many of his figures are larger than life size. These were made while he stood on a large steplad- der. Painting the figures white with an ordinary brush makes them stand out in relief and visible from a long distance. SPRINGS ON JEWELERS’ LENS HOLD IT ON SPECTACLES So that jewelers’ lenses conveniently by those having to wear spectacles, they have been fitted with springs that attach to the glasses. In- stantly detachable, they do not interfere in any way with the ordinary vision may be used Also, they require no effort to hold them in place. To l watchmakers and other Jewelers’ Lenses Made to be Attached to Spectacles by Almost Invisible Spring Clips whose work has impaired their eyes, the attachment has proved a great conven ience, besides relieving them of the st caused by holding the glass in position
Page 68
rae dV FOUNTAIN MANICURE STICK CARRIES OWN POLISH - “7 For supplying its own liquid nail polish & 3 or cuticle oit, a ; patented manicure t i stick with a hollow stem, opened and bed closed by a small t . : spring device on the } side worked by the thumb, feeds any de- f sired quantity to re- movable orangewood ; points having holes j drilled through them r\ Interchangeable tips with screw threads may be attached for ditferent kinds of 7 work, to the end of the barrel, which is about the size of the ordinary fountain pen and may be carried in the vest pocket or purse, or kept on the dressing table. RICH MINE OF PLANT ROOTS YIELDS PAPER AND FOOD France a deposit On a river in southwestern there was discovered recently of almost 1,000,000 tons of fiber made from roots of a plant called “molinia,” which, when mixed with molasses, makes good cattle food. When dried it replaces POPULAR MECHANICS wood wool for packing fruit, and is also used for paper making. The fiber pro- vides bedding for animals, Sixteen feet thick and spreading over 32 acres, the deposit is said to be one of the largest in the world. It is removed with pitch- forks to the cars on a small railway, built haul it away. Under the bed are 5,000,000 tons of pottery and tiles. too. specially to valuable fiber plastic clay for X-RAY IS AN AID TO STUDENTS IN STUDYING ANATOMY In order that students may receive practical experience, instructors of an eastern college this year will use X-ray photographs as an aid to their anatomy classes. By studying the human frame work directly from the pictures, the pupils will learn the subject more quickly and in addition gain a more thorough idea of the practice of surgery. Experts assert that the X-ray gives a positive re- production and thus ts a great aid in diagnosis of ailments. Modern methods have virtually eliminated the danger of burns from its rays. @ Although well-preserved wood was taken from the tomb of King Tutankh- amen recently, supposed to have been sealed about 3,000 years ago, scientists believe that modern preservatives are equal in effectiveness to the substance used by the Egyptians. = . Removing Fiber of Roots of Plant Used for Cattle Food, Paper Making, and Fruit Packing
Page 69
POPULAR HUMAN “CHECKERS” USED IN GAME ON BEACHES Exciting sport for both the spectators ind the players is provided by a game nown as “beach checkers” that has oved popular on the Pacific coast. ‘sually girls are used as the “checker- en,” but men may play it also. In many MECHANICS 391 ways it resembles leapfrog, the con- testants being forced to jump opposing who is holding them back. The action takes place on a huge checkerboard laid out on the sands with white squares of cloth Over any play er Vs Me. Human “Checkers” being Used in Game Played on Beaches with Squares Laid Out in Sand: The Contestants are Required to Jump over Opposing Players as in Leapfrog LONG-LOST MINE IS FOUND but that has long since vanished, only IN THE MEXICAN WILDS the crumbling walls and fallen stones ot its houses now remaining \ youn Hidden for centuries as a result of a Spaniard, who went to Mexico to forget cave-in, the main ore body of the famous Bondora mine of Mexico, reputed to have produced millions of dollars’ worth of silver and lead in the latter part of the 18th century, is said to have been re- discovered by an American prospector. Records indicate that it was first found in 1/66 by goat and sheep herders, and that it was worked until 1786 when the shafts collapsed, causing the rich vein to be lost from sight. A city of 16,000 jn habitants had grown up around the mountain where the riches were stored, disappointment in a love aftair, 1s said to have been the first owner of the prope WASHINGTON ELM IS DYING America’s historic elm, under whose branches George Washington accept command of the army of °76, is reporte to be dving and bevond ving | many years, tree surgeot ve strenuous efforts to prolong its life stands near Harvard Universit t ( bridge, Mass
Page 70
POPULAR MECHANICS RAINBOW’S COLORS MADE ON BUTTERFLY FARMS F \gee the magic colors of the rainbow are being made to order on butter- fly farms in France. From the invisible eggs and crawling, pillars to the marveiously tinted speci- mens treasured by collectors, they are bred and cared for as painstakingly as the almost ugly cater- Many-Hued Specimen rarest plants or the most valuable race horses. Seeking to turn out shades that will scientists are now a way to determine the butterfly birth experiments in crossbreeding already met with partial suc While previously only a pastime for amateurs, the study of the butterflies has now work of rival nature’s wonders, trving to find color of the through that cess before its have become the serious scientists. Often a single rare specimen has been $3,000, the delicate body and wings being preserved with a varnishlike substance and used as a a hat or dress by women. in great demand by collectors, and enable experts to study the formation and shading of colors. Farms devoted to the cultivation of the insects provide plenty of such as apple and pine, with abundant leaves, sold for decoration for They are also trees, which form the chief food of che cater pillars. Great care is taken when the eggs start to hatch. They are placed which are stuck in vases filled with water, while a protecting gauze prevents the feeble young insects drowning. As soon as the leaves are devoured, fresh branches are provided. The room in which the eggs are hatched is well ventilated and an even tempera- on branches from ture is maintained. After two weeks, they are removed to the open. air. There protection is provided against birds, a sort of sleeve being placed over the branches. When full- grown caterpillars, the protecting sleeve they reach the size of is removed. At this from birds is remote, treme fat of the stage the dange: due to the ex caterpillars, which is disliked by their feathered enemies. Soon the insects retire in cocoons or w raj themselves up in leaves. These later are collected and stered in well-ven tilated receptacles, and the evolution into a. beautiful butterfly is the next stage. It has been found that a _ butterfly may change its coloring because of the action of heat and cold and, perhap electricity in the air. These change are as follows: from light to dark brown, turning almost black. Other changes are due to the way in which the = scale are arranged, tawny yellow sometimes turning so pale that it will look almost white. Red, yellow, white, brown, o1 well as blue and arranged that they are capable ot dis playing many shades. Generally it has been found lighter sl! indicate feebleness, whil the darker forms show physical strengt With these lessons in mind, experts tur to their laboratories and apply in man ways a practical, both of breeding and of To the eye, the wv be covered with black, as violet, are so that the ades knowledge colors ith seem to minute particles of « that rub off on the slightest touch. But observation shows that ther coated with thousands of tiny scales, tl ings of a mé -] . ciose! Female Silkworm Butterfly : overlap one another in the fashion of shingles on the roof of a house. In those are the pigments, that together make tl gorgeous colorings. Nature has designed the colors to make the butterflies almost invisible while they are feeding or resting on flowers or trees, to protect them from their enemies, the birds. 1¢
Page 71
-< POPULAR MECHANICS pe as Joie Joes Jp Joe Joa Joe Joie Jee BNY BN ANY ANY ANY ANY ANY lat hat
Selecting for Study | 4
L Tee) Pressing the Wings
iw , ON OS OO SE OE De OES Gor a Zola Zp ws Jot Jp Jp Spi pi Jei Jee
a geously Winged Female of the Peacock Moth Depositing Its Eggs on the Tender Leaves Furnishes Food to the Young When They have
WAT eA? ~~
Page 72
POPULAR MECHANICS NAVY TESTS GUARD LIVES OF AIR-CRAFT CREWS To protect the lives of airmen, the navy puts every scrap of material used in building its airplanes and dirigibles to many tests. Hundreds of inspectors are constantly employed in this work and many special machines have been made to insure accuracy. When the great dirigible “ZR-1” was being built at Lakehurst, N. J., every wire was tested by pressure gauges before and after being installed, to insure its strength and that Naval Dirigible being Given Finishing Touches in Preparation for Its First tanks. Any excess of heat would cause undue expansion of the Govern- ment experts also are seeking to produce helium gas in quantities at a low enough price to render it satisfactory for air- craft use. Facilities have been perfected for making the same quality of helium gas that was produced during the World War in limited amounts, at a cost of $1,500 a cubic foot, for 7 cents a cubic foot. Hydrogen gas costs 44 cent a cubic gas. Flight, While Guide Wires ar Tes-ed to Safeguard Lives of Crew the tension put upon it was not too great. Chemically treated linen that stretched over the steel ribs of the craft also was tried in special machines before it was put in place. Realizing that hidden flaw may result in was some loss of lives, every effort is made to assure the sound- ness of the material used In testing cloth, strips are suspended in a wooden framework and exposed to the weight of one load applied in a lengthwise di- rection at the same time as four variable loads are also pulling on the same sample in the other direction. An aluminum preparation is painted over the cloth to give it a surface that will reflect sunlight and thus eliminate the penetration of objectionable heat into the gas-storage noninflammable ga highly cm Helium is a hydrogen is foot. while CHAIR IS TURNED INTO BED FOR SMALL APARTMENTS For use in bedroom space is small apartments, where limited, a luxurious chair that may be turned into a full-size bed, has been made. Concealed frot view in the back rest, are the box spring and soft mattress which pull down in few seconds when it is desired to use them for sleeping. The bottom and arn slide out and support the footboard, giv- ing it stability. Combining the feature of both in a single piece of furniture, results in a great saving of space.
Page 73
AE Ret are POPULAR MOISTURE-PROOF POWDER IS ALSO SMOKELESS Damp-proof, flashless, and smokeless, a »wder for use in small firearms and artil- ry has been developed recently by the rmy experts. Possessing all the driv- power of the old type, it will do ay with a great portion of the care taken to keep ammunition dry under onditions of modern warfare. During tests, it was completely submerged in iter without harm. FOLDING CAMP STOVE COOKS MEAL FOR TEN PERSONS When cooking on a small folding camp ve recently invented, the sportsman eeps cool because he is shielded frem e heat by a metal plate. The stove, ugh large enough to prepare a meal 10 persons, is folded flat when not in being an inch thick, a foot wide, and trifle longer, and all parts are attached » that there is nothing to be lost. Be- use the screen over the fire is made of dozen separate sections, it is not neces- Camp Stove, That Is Enough for 10 Persons, but may be Folded into Small Space ary to lift the entire top when putting in more fuel. Attached to fhe stove is metal plate which can be set up as a table top for warming dishes. WOOD GLOVES TO PROTECT HANDS FROM WRINGER To protect the hands of women who use a wringer, wooden gloves have been made so that the fingers cannot be drawn between the rollers. The gloves fit tightly over the fingers.and a double rub- ber cap with flexible, water-tight finger holes, keeps the water out, preventing scalding. They also enable the clothes to be handled properly, without the usual danger, so that buttons are not torn off r the fabrics injured. MECHANICS 395 SWING IN AUTO FOR BABY ALSO MAKES HIGH CHAIR Folding into a small compact package, a baby’s chair has been patented recently that may be used as a swing in an auto- Folding Chair Combined with Swing, for Baby’s Use in Auto or at Home mobile, on the lawn, or in the house. By fixing a hinged wooden arm to the car door, a tree, or between two table cl it may be suspended only a few inches above the floor or the ground It can be used for a high chair, as it may be utilized as such simply by clamping it to the backrest of anv ordinary dinin: room chair. A small drawer, underneat the part that locks the chil and also serves as its table, fork, spoon, and napkin. CONCRETE ROAD “BLOWS UP,” WRECKING AN AUTO Due to expansion caused by intense heat of the sun, a piece of concrete road is reported to have “exploded” recently just as an automobile was passing over it, throwing the car into the ditch. Several other similar incidents are attributed to differences in the top and bottam ma terial, resulting in unequal expansio1 The force exerted may be so powertul a to hurl broken blocks of concrete into t air, leaving large holes much lil made by charges of dynamite case the upheaval left a gap 3 in the highway. Brick and paving, also, have been known to ¢ pand from heat or moisture, buckli with a sudden upward movement @ Heat is measured in British ther units, known to engineers as “B. T. U.” One of these is about the amount of heat given off by a match in lighting
Page 74
396 POPULAR MECHANICS SKIMMED MILK MADE INTO FLOATING AIR-CRAFT DEPOT ARTICLES OF BEAUTY IN MIDDLE OF OCEAN Combining beauty with utility, a ma- Linking of the sea, air, and land terial is being made from skimmed milk seen in a proposed depot, far out at s¢ by a process recently brought to the where airships and planes may pause fi supplies and passengers during tra atlantic flights. Under the plan, the st tions would be made like floating pla forms with masts similar to those of ship to which lighter-than-air craft mig] be moored. Anchored in position, but free to swing with the wind, platfor: would be provided for the arrival ai departure of airplahes plying between United States and Europe. Such a de; it is urged, would serve as a place refuge in case of severe storms, 01 emergency repairs or supplies. In ad tion, powerful lights would be provid for the guidance of sky travelers ( WINDOW WIPER GIVES CLEAR VISION FOR MOTORMEN Articles of Great Beauty and Worth That were Made from Skimmed Milk ; J : Cleaning the window as it swings United States from England \s it 1s automatic device is being made to noninflammable, odorless, and can be street-car motormen a clear view drilled, glued, and dyed, it has a multi- stormy weather, thus lessening the dan tude of uses as a substitute for ivory, of accidents. Operated by compre ebony, amber, tortoise shell, horn, and air, a long arm, fitted with a rubber b other similar products Besides, it may rests against the window pane and be used as an almost perfect imitation in a wide are across the glass, sweet of many natural products of great price, away either snow or rain. It is ope: among them being Chinese jade and lapis’ by air supplied from a tank underne lazuli. A brilliant polish is easily ob- the car and is similar to an autor tained and it can be bent, pressed, and, to some extent, molded, or machined. As it is a nonconductor of electricity, it ] mav be used in making decorative radio and lighting fittings. Also it has been found valuable for ships’ cabins, hand- rails, automobile fixtures, and in the making of beads, buckles, buttons, jewelry, fancy ornaments, cigarette hold- ers, combs, brushes, carriage handles, irts of furniture, pencils and penhold- ers, organ stops, and piano keys. SICK CURED WITH GASES FIRST USED IN WAR Deadly vases developed during the wal Automatic Window Cleaner, Operated by Air, Gi are now being used to cure disease Motorman Clear View in Stormy Weather Grip, colds, and the “flu” are quickly checked by chlorine gas, say army chem- ists. Mustard gas is being used to com- bat tuberculosis, while paresis, and other liseases, are being treated with some success with “lewisite,” a gas of arsenic Grief, poverty, and business failur and acetylene. This was invented for use are given as the chief causes of 80.0 by American troops. suicides in Germany last year. automobile-windshield cleaner nov general use. The cleaner is expected reduce accident claims. (
Page 75
AR (Ht)
POPULAR MECHANICS 397 FAP RD FAVA Are = e © > ws ANY ANY ANY ANY ANY fe te 2 2V aN AN a ANY ANY ANY ANY aN a 4 oon tle AS » - K4 2: a4 x x my “4 2; “4 : | > a4 2 “ ARMORY Va Mapp Wp ww tp Sh twit Shr ti rd pry VATA : CONV AN2IY ANY ANY ANY ANY MANY BNP AN AAR C/o Yas . we * a Battleship Designed to Serve as a Supply Station in the Middle of the Ocean for Transatlantic Aerial Voyagers, and as a Carrier for Dirigibles and Airplanes
Page 76
398 POPULAR MECHANICS MAKING FLOOD OF MONEY KEEPS MINTS BUSY With the value of paper money so low in many European countries that some- times a basket full of it is needed to make an ordinary purchase, printing presses and engravers have been known to work overtime to turn it out. The material on vhich it is printed does not last long under the wear of handling, and the sup- ply must be replaced regularly. As the face value becomes less, a greater amount is necessary, requiring more speed on t! part of the printer. Throughout tl countries of North and South Ameri plenty of gold, silver, and copper coin are in the hands of the people, althoug! many banknotes and bills are to be seer Mexican Government Mint Working Overtime to Produce Sufficient Silver and Copper Coins to Dislike the Use of Paper Money Needs of the Citizens, Who NATURE’S TRAP YIELDS BONES OF PREHISTORIC MONSTERS Death traps of nature, as the asphalt pits of a western state are known, have iven up skeletons that have enabled sci- entists to add to their knowledge of pre- historic animals. Ages ago stra and beasts that long since have vanished, in seeking to cross what appeared to be solid ground, would become mired in the sticky substance. Floundering about in an attempt to pull themselves free, they would attract the attention of an enemy Both then would become trapped, and, in time, would stowly sink from sight. Thus nature has provided scientists with a rec- ord, although perhaps incomplete, of creatures that no longer exist. Working in the pits, experts have uncovered many well-preserved skulls of the saber-tooth nge birds Supply tiger. The teeth, from which the anima was given its name, extended about 5 inches below the lower jaw. In those pits, many skulls have been found, among them that of another member of tl family, which measured 19 inches throug the cheek bones. Skeletons of the sloth, buffalo, horses, and wolves also have been taken from the deposits. 1e « STRAPS ON STEPS OF AUTO KEEP LUGGAGE SAFE To secure baggage on the running board of an auto, small reels, containing straps, are fastened to the bottom of the When not in use, the straps are wound up in the reels, which protect them from mud and water. Besides, they leave the running board clear and are always ready when wanted. step. ~~ ea
Page 77
U6“ ~ i ieee eS 208 ive Lys Oe a = POPULAR AIR MADE FRESH BY OZONE SUPPLIED BY MACHINE Machine-made ozone, that invisible quality in the air that gives it freshness and life, is being used to aid in solving ventilating problems in schools and other places where large nutabers of persons are brought together. Breathing robs the air of its healthfulness. Ozone, which is “concentrated” oxygen, supplies that element. By recent experiments in two schoolhouses of equal size, investigators determined that by generating this sub stance by electric motors and adding it to the air supply, health is guarded. In schools where the regular system of ven- tilation was employed, absences because of illness were three times as great. WOMAN PAINTS STUFFED FISH SO THEY APPEAR ALIVE Painting every spot, stripe, and fin of tuffed fish in colors rivaling those of na- ture, is the work of a woman scientist employed by the government. When placed in exhibition jars, the specimens outdo their living brothers in beauty. In Other Water Creatures for the Government addition, this artist makes drawings of ilmost invisible water creatures magnified many hundred times, and paints shells, queer dwellers in the ocean depths, and specimens of deep-sea life. @ Weighing 2034 carats, a diamond of a rich brandy shade, has been found in an African mine. It is said to be the largest of its kind in the world and is valued at 50,000 dollars. lv, in specially designed cor Dp rt ent 1 1 at en Co lat 12 ti 1 the ent ber ot | kerchiet nd ] MECHANICS 399 TRAVEL CASE KEEPS CLOTHES FIT ON LONG TOURS Smart in appearance and easily handled, a travel case is being made with special compartments for everything needed by the traveler ecial | ‘ to ke two men its in pertect pre ( ered with ck-e1 eled canva t reinforcement trimming trips of t leather, the inside is lined with black-at white-checked linen. Br n straps | the different ticie O1 { ng ap] ( in p é Thou g smaller t 1 ny suit cases, it pac systematical undergat ments, two pairs of pa iamas, a bath robe, and a pair of shoes Owing to the systematic way in w evervthing is stowed away, and to tl shape of the carrier, clothes are kept perfect condition.
Page 78
POPULAR MECHANICS AY 7 Te SEPT Be i eve I yS os + a. es, baa “ mm NE) A . . C Gig 4 aa 4H _ } ‘ , NS Cee” OW i ay, as > - : ih eM nea OL Sih he Fo ; J 2 ¥ e F % 4 ? 4 A 4 bn ee ms eS SPSS SStS SSSA esses esssess Sssstssse sores sents ssesstss$ Pagoda, Known as the Leaning Tower of China, That Flouses Strange Idols and Treasures of Painters’ and Carvers’ Art Representative of an Ancient Civilization
Page 79
ee POPULAR MYSTICISM OF THE FAR EAST IS BUILT INTO PAGODAS In Asia, where life is a never-ending drama of contrasts, a strange blend of shops, slums, and palaces, out of which rise, like tall, tinted flowers, numberless pagodas, blue-tiled as the sky above and capped with gold, stand as monuments to a civilization that was old before Rome was born. In their shadows kings, khans, emperors, empresses, and priests have feasted and laughed and whispered and died for a thousand years. From walls 14 miles long and 100 feet high so that good spirits, who all fly at night at the 100-foot level, may not be inconvenienced in getting into Peking, may be seen the ‘Little Tired Pagoda” that lived far ay in the north until it started to walk to the city, but grew weary just outside the gate of its dreams. Near by is a tower vith a bell that harbors the soul of the iker's daughter, who jumped into the blazing metal so that her father should be saved from the emperor’s’ wrath, leaving her embroidered shoe in her nurse’s hand. And, “Hai!” say the others of Peking, as a low moaning follows the deep boom of it, “Hai, there is Ko Ngai who cries for her shoe!” ELECTRIC LAMP KILLS FLIES, MOTHS, AND OTHER PESTS To kill flies, moths, and mosquitoes, an electric lamp has been made that takes lvantage of the strong attraction light Electric Lamp Designed to Attract and Kill Insect Pests and Retain Them possesses for these and other insects. lhe device is made in several forms, each providing a container to prevent the dead insects from falling. to the floor. When filled, the trays are easily removed for cleaning. Fluttering about the hot globe until they come into contact with it and are killed, the insects are caught in the container beneath as they fali. The trap does not interfere with the illumination. MECHANICS 401 FEAR OF KNOTS IN TIMBER CAUSES MILLIONS WASTE Knots have little effect upon the carry- ing capacity of timbers, according to gov- ernment experts. Tests are said to have proved that builders in the past have Giant Testing Machine, That Exerts Great Pressure, Determines Strength of Heavy Structural Beams wasted millions of dollars by excessive use of lumber in underestimating the strength of wooden columns For in stance, a piece of southern yellow pine, 30 feet long and a foot square, will hold as much as 432,000 pounds, while the same-size column of Douglas fir will su tain a maximum of 406,300 pounds. T) foot chunks of wood were used in the knot experiments that are said to have demonstrated that those impertection the research is powerful enough to ex ert a pressure of 1,000,000 pounds. Pres sure is applied by two vertical screws, driven by a 5-horsepower motor rhe pressure exerted is measured by a weig! ing beam, after the fashion of an ordinary pit scale. have little relation to the column strength. Forty-five feet high and weig! ing 150,000 pounds, the machine used in @ For scouring and cleaning aluminum dishes, cakes of soap mixed witl } cter i “iC wool are being made
Page 80
POPULAR MECHANICS PASSENGER AIR LINERS HAVE PRIVATE CABINS With furnishings equal to that of the best hotels, the de-luxe models of planes for between Berlin air- service and Passengers in Cabin of First Passenger Plane to Run between Berlin and London: London have been completed, and pas- sengers are now passing through the air between the two capitals with all th comforts of home. Though: not as large as those on ocean liners, the airsh cabins have all the appointments to be found at sea. It is estimated that savy ing of time in the trip between Londor and Berlin by air makes the trip actual] than it route. cost less land and water does by the Though Service in Europe Started Early after Armistice, the German-British Route was Not Opened Up until Recently DOT OF LIGHT TELLS TIME FOR PHOTO EXPOSURE By turning a scale until a dot of light is seen, the exact time and shutter open- ing for taking a photograph is given on an expo- Sure meter so small it may be slipped into the vest pock et. No figuring is neces- Sary, and nothing is left to thé judgment of the user, as the device is almost automatic. It eyes, and the light until a blue spot is The figures at the top then give the time for the exposure. is held between the and scale are turned seen on the glass. HELICOPTER STAYS IN AIR FOR FIFTEEN MINUTES Rising 20 feet from the hovering in the air for 15 British helicopter is declared to have proved a success in recent tests. Al though the details were closely guarded by the government, it is known that the machine carried passengers and a “mili- tary load” weighing 1,000 pounds. Ef forts will be made at once to adapt tl craft for lateral flights as well as vertical. ground and minutes, a COLD ROBS FROGS OF CROAK Thousands of croakless frogs are mat keted annually by a man in a middl western city. He rears and fattens them in his back yard, in water-filled concret: trenches. By fitting the ditches with a refrigerating plant, he fools them into believing that it is winter and thus stops their croaking } obtained New stock is from near-by creeks and marshes
Page 81
POPULAR PLANE REFUELED IN MID-AIR THROUGH RUBBER HOSE Refueling an airplane in the air has been successfully accomplished. It was done in two minutes while two planes were rushing along, one above the other, at a speed of 90 miles an hour. Flying 40 feet above, the supply craft with its load of gasoline dropped a steel-wire- incased rubber hose to the one beneath it, through which the fuel passed into that machine’s tank. Because of the hazards, the feat was not attempted until after the airmen had practiced it many times. A few drops of gasoline on the hot exhaust pipes might have re- ulted in a disastrous explosion. X-RAY USED FOR EIGHT HOURS IN CANCER TREATMENT In seeking a sure cure for some forms of cancer, German scientists have applied powerful X-ray to the patients for con- tinuous periods of eight hours. It is ied that this long exposure kills the while the healthy tissue re iins unaffected. Only one treatment is iven, during the length of which the ufferer is kept on a surgeon’s table while the physician from behind a screen. Lead glass, or shields, that rays will not penetrate, afford protection the attendants. A current of 200,- OOO volts is employed in the treatment. Clall cells, germ watches MECHANICS the 103 AUTO LIGHTS UNDER FENDERS REMOVE STRONG GLARE $y having all of its rays strike directly on the road ahead, an automobile lamp attached by a single bolt to the under- side of the front fender inside the wheel, does away with blinding glare of dinary hig h- powered headlights that frequent- ly annoy oT- those driving at night. Its shaft of light, thrown for 300 feet, is low enough to avoid the eve of approaching motorists and cyclists and clearly shows the road from bot! directions, preventing many _ accidents and making dimming unnecessary. \ bracket allows the level of the light to be raised or lowered with ease. ° @ With a mixture of half sawdust an remainder chalk and chemicals, a sciet | tist is reported to have made arti! wood by subjecting the combination heavy pressure. It can be used nary lumber, and is said to be as tou as oak, and rot-proof. It also withstand more heat than real timber. Cancer Victim being Exposed to the Action of High-Powered X-Ray during Single Eight-Hour Treatn sed to Combat the Disease by Scientists in Europe
Page 82
104 POPULAR BOAT BUILT OF OLD SCRAPS IS MOVED BY GAS Curious-looking junks in Chinese ports re rivaled by the River Po, \pennine some of the boats plying between the Alps and mountains, in northern Italy. One such craft was built by a fisherman from metal and boards found in a scrap While in appearance it is a small motor pushes it along at that seems a crude, } i speed rapid pace in parison boats 11 rae @ \ 7 1 x Tiel mit in / oO fis] ( met! ire ke tf const ntiy on the alert \t some points though, where high bank contine the channel, its bed j abov Cc the surface of the surround- ing land. From fart along the ver the roughly made boat resent ap- pearance 1 as they move back and forth with their cafTr- roe There ‘ eT é Strange Boat, Built are Still evi- dences oft canals and roads built along the winding Po in old Roman days, but save tor the occasional use of an engine, there is lit- tle ditference between the types ot boats used on this stream then and nov SWIMMING POOL IS WARMED BY A HEATING PLANT By the installation of heating system, has solved the problem of keeping its municipal ming pool sufficiently warm for even on cool days In a recent test, the plant raised the temperature oft the pool 11° in 10 hours. As a result, it is ex- large a mid-west city [ swim bathing pected that the swimming season will be lengthened considerably from Scraps Propelled by Small Motor, Used in River-Fishing Trade MECHANICS BLOND RACE FOUND IN SAHARA BY DANISH SCIENTIST Preliminary reports from a Danish sci- entist, now on his way home from an expedition to the central and western parts of the Sahara Desert, tell of | visits among the Tuaregs, whose rule has his headquarters on the Ahageat mountain plateau in villages of these nomadic At Morocco In t tbs he found on d race, lose eX rent tor a 1 tine | IS per ple bears eve I rk ot bein 1remnant northert tribe that 1 have Afric lon before histori times. Che Se1e€0 ti 31 describes thet — both met Some invade and women- aS possess- ing great beauty and be ing very ¢are ful of thei fair ion. The he says, complex men weal dark veils for this purpose use rouge and powder, and bedeck them selves with o1 The women, on the contrary, zo unveiled and do not seem to be as vain as the men. Agriculture, goat and sheep herding are their occupations, but the women do not work, having black serv ants even for household duties live in mud huts and are fond of “pat ties,” at which music, singing, and story telling form the chief entertainment Found on Junk Pile and naments. They @ Cancer is not yielding to research and radium treatment, according to compiled recently by pany. The mean average of cance deaths, throughout the United States, according to this report, is more than 90 per 100,000 Eighty-five per cent of those are persons over 40 years of a: hgure an insurance com o€
Page 83
nN p d ~ ree POPULAR VICTIMS OF GAS ARE SAVED BY RESPIRATOR MASK To save the lives of persons overcome by gas, a mask has been made so that a constant stream of fresh oxygen is fed into the lungs and then exhausted into the air, the process being similar to that of breathing. Lung and heart specialists, after tests in France, declared that the apparatus seldom will fail in bringing an asphyxi- ted person back to life, unless the victim already dead. \lthough chiefly intended for use in factories, where the danger from suffoca- tion is often encountered, as in illuminat ing-gas, carbon-dioxide, and electric-bat- tery plants, the device also is being used in mines and on beaches. Prompt application of artificial respira- tion is necessary when a _ victim is tricken. First aid is of great help in retarding the poisonous effect of the fumes on the blood. This usually re- quires stretching the patient flat, rub- bing the spine, and moving his arms and egs vigorously until an oxygen tank can be applied. Under the method now in general use, wever, inhalation and exhalation by the MECHANICS 105 patient is done through a single connec- tion with the tank. The result is that, when pure oxygen enters into the lungs by inhaling, it becomes at once stale by coming into contact with the poison in the patient’s system. This impure air returns and mixes with pure oxygen by the action of exhalation, and is taken back and forth into the lungs. This is prevented in the new apparatus, as the mask is fitted with two valves and a pneumatic rubber cushion, attached to the face by a strap. The cushion creates a vacuum, preventing the oxygen from leaking through facial irregularities. One of the valves is connected wit gen tube, while the other discharges im- pure air thrown off by the action of exhalation. Both valves open and close automatically. While the patient inhales the first valve opens and lets the oxygen flow into the lungs, at the same time allowing the other one to close, thu: shutting off outside air. In exhaling, the former closes and the latter opens to let impure oxygen escape. Since tl victim breathes nothing but pure oxygen, the chances of reviving hin more than 50 per cent, it is claimed by those who have conducted many tests o1 victims of gas and smoke the OXY- 1 l- i 1 A . , l1are increased NISAKOee | Mask Used to Save Lives of Persons Overcome by Gas: Insert Shows Valves through Which Oxygen Enters and Impure Air is Discharged from the Patient's Lungs
Page 84
CHANICS ME AR POPUL LOG
Heavy
Hauling a
Bengal, Men Look On
of Northern up a Steep Grade While the
Working on the Mountain Roads
2 °° % .% 3 ~ > oe >= =O ? o uv ont <
+ Se ATS : 4) CH a ———— ______——__
Women of India,
Page 85
POPULAR TRADITIONS OF INDIA HOLD NATIVES IN SLAVERY Bound by traditions handed down for countless generations, the natives of India prefer the methods of the past to the comforts of modern civilization. Held in heck by their religious beliefs and the iste organization of society, they bat- tle against every effort to introduce labor- saving devices. In one instance, the ef- fort of an English company to install an incline railway to carry passengers and reight up a steep height almost caused revolt. “What can we do if there is nothing for us to carry?” demanded the natives, who had been acting as beasts of burden. Even after months of argument, hey remained unconvinced that the ob ject was not to rob them of their means livelihood, and so today the road, that was built despite their protests, carries only passengers, while freight is_ still transported on human backs. Women re often used to carry heavy burdens 1 in the making of The men eldom engage in roads. manual labor TOY DUCKS SEALED IN GLOBE HALF FILLED WITH WATER For the amusement of children, cellu- loid globes are being made in which toy ducks float about lhe balls are halt filled with | water and are decorated in fantas- tic tints and howery fig- g ures. They are sealed in the middle | aoa wit 4 Se tand consid- erable abuse without breaking or leak ' ing. They come in many different colors nd some have fish inside instead of the ducks, MOVABLE JOINT WON’T LEAK y Having but four parts, a flexible pipe joint has been made of brass. The greatet the pressure of water, air, or gas on its rubber seal, the tighter it becomes and the less the opportunity for leakage. As the seal is inflated and not expanded, it automatically takes care of either high o1 ys low pressure SO ee MECHANICS 107 OLD MORMON CASTLE KEPT AS FRONTIER-DAYS RELIC One of the few remaining relics of the vanishing frontier in Utah, the famous old Windsor Castle, built many years ago Mormon Castle, elic of has been Marked as Frontier, That Historical Site Vanishing by Brigham Church, is to be preserved. This tial structure oft a fortress, siege. sandstone was in reality strong enough to withstand a Loopholes were provided in the walls at strategic points. In the valleys round about were quartered vast herds of cattle, and naturally the castle was the headquarters for the interests of the church. Now the tract of it stands has been set aside by the y ernment and will be known as the Pipe Spring National Monument. All features of historical interest will be preserved land on which ray TWO WHEELS SHARPEN KNIFE AND SCISSORS BLADES Sharpening of knive ind consist aevice Ing Ot tw made easy by a gyrinding wheels placed close t o- getherona small holder The blades are moved back and forth be- tween the two, giving them a razor like edge. Protection is afforded tor hands innot slip while be ing ere as the blades « rund
Page 86
408 POPULAR TURNING ‘‘IVORY NUTS” Buttons are made from the “ivory nut” of a palmlike tree growing along river banks in South America and Panama. After be- ing dried, the shells are cracked and the kernels cut into slabs. Sometimes tons of nuts must be cut up before there is even a small supply of pieces large enough for overcoat but- From Left to Right, the Slow Evolution of an “Ivory Nut” into Buttons MECHANICS FROM TREE INTO BUTTONS tons \ makes blanks of turner them for various- sized buttons and then holes are drilled by machine To open the pores for coloring mat- ter, they are first softened in water and then dyed and polished by ivory waste and chalk in a moving cylinder. Bright, dull, satin, and polished finishes are given » a wets LIGHTS MARK STOLEN AUTO AS WARNING TO POLICE As a warning to police that the car has been stolen, lights on the front and rear license plates have been made to burn when the car is in motion unless they have been shut off by the owner’s By pressing a pedal at the driver's system is key. seat, the ignition locked, a Red Cross over License Plate That Is Warning the Auto is Stolen; Only Owner’s Key Removes It large red cross appears over the license plates, and these are each marked by two small lights. The cross cannot be re- moved until unlocked by the driver’s key lf a thief breaks the motor lock and drives away, the flaming red marks over the license plates give a silent alarm. GROUND PHONE TO HELP SAVE THE LIVES OF MINERS From a war-time instrument, the geo phone, a sound-ranging apparatus, | been developed by government expert into a peace-time device that may be used effectively in entombed locating mine! mine-fire areas, and to reduce accident resulting from blasting. It was first vented by the French to detect ene underground operations ments have increased its sensitivene and tests have indicated that under cet tain conditions it will register the pound ing of a sledge hammer through 3,000 Later improve feet of solid rock; 2,000 or more feet through coal; 500 feet through mine “cover,” and 300 feet through clay Built on the principle of a seismograph and mechanical in action, the machine consists of a flat iron ring, from the cen- ter of which is suspended a lead weight fastened with a bolt through two metal disks. A rubber tube conveys the vibra- tions to the ear.
Page 87
——e * POPULAR MECHANICS 109 BEHIND THE SCENES IN A GREAT MUSEUM Priceless Treasures of Art and Nature Brought from All Parts of the World are Prepared by Skilled Artists and Then Carefully Guarded By J. T. EDWARDS JONES greece away behind the priceless treasures to be found in a great eum are the workshops of the skilled rtists who restore to lifelike form speci- mens of strange beasts and birds gathered om all parts of the world. While hardy dventurers are risking their lives on ungle trails and at outposts of civiliza- tion gathering material, these scientists, vorking with microscopes and strange tools, reconstruct a prehistoric monster from a single bit of fossil, and give a emblance of reality to a dried piece of fur that would almost deceive Nature erself. lawny lions, striped tigers and zebras, potted leopards and jaguars, giraffes, lack, brown, grizzly, and white bears, antelopes of all sizes and colors, buffaloes, nd toxes of many hues, are represented a veritable Noah’s ark of exhibits ithered together by explorers so that ld life may be studied in the midst of vilization and without the hardships of erilous trips to strange lands Under the skilled hand of the hidden rtisans, these treasures in furs, made to ssume the appearance of life, are shown in their natural surroundings, stalking heir prey, guarding their young, engaged n mortal combat with an enemy or in he endless search for food Animals seen in a zoo generally are poor prisoners ho have adapted themselves to a hope- less level of an inane and artificial exist ence, while those in a museum have beet so skillfully restored that they actually seem to live and breathe, with all the sleek strength and beauty of life To obtain these results requires that the worker be something of a_ wizard an artist, a mechanic and, of course, a zoologist. While the methods employed are generally those of a sculptor, the modern taxidermist is rigidly confined to the exact lines laid down by nature Absolute accuracy in every detail is re quired, nothing being lett to the imagina tion In form, color, the arching of neck, the raising of a cautious foot, and in the background, bits of trees and brus] all as nature, and not man, planned it First comes the tanning and prepara tion of the hide, an art in itself. Ma chines known as “kickers,” consisting of two huge, mechanical legs worked by electricity, dance a jig on the tough pelt until it is softened and turned int leather It is then placed in a cleat machine, containing a quantity of sa dust, and revolved until it is thorough! cleansed Then it is placed in where it remains until the time when the taxidermist is ready to resurrect the ani mal to an appearance of lite The old-fashioned process of “stuffing is a thing of the past, and the replact ment in the older museums of spe
Page 88
POPULAR MECHANICS Under the Sculp- turing Hand of the Taxidermist the Plaster Mold (| Grows toward the rf) Animal's Natural Form N : : (Ap. , if ~~ 4A ; Papier-Maché and White Cement Sup- ply the Fe-oci Selecting Among Thousands to Fit the Expression of | the Finished Specimen | Before It is Exposed to Public View
Page 89
POPULAR by the iderable a sculptor, the modern taxidermist gen- new item ol process represents a annual expense. con- Like erally experiments and crystallizes his ideas into a small clay model before he ventures on the actual work. Having complished this, he prepares a “core” on which to model the beast. lf available, the leg bones and skull are used to insure exact proportions. If not, e builds up the clay body in character- tic attitude to measurements taken in he field. After the model is finished, it ust be reproduced in some lighter and ronger material. For this purpose, a laster mold in several pieces is taken and a cast made by building it up, layer » by layer, of burlap ¥ and plaster or fine wire netting Priceless Furs and mache Each worker has his own favorite methods, but all result in a light, strong duplicate, called a manikin. Over it, the skin, that first has been poisoned against moths and ver- min in a sealed room, is drawn and per- manently adjusted. Lastly, the muzzle and nostrils carefully molded in papier-mache and the eyes are set. It now remains to mount the animal, to do which a study must be made of its anatomy, habits, and characteristic atti- tudes in the wild state. A _ klipspringer assumes its natural poses only on rocks A sloth cuts an impossible figure apart from its beloved tree, and bears, for must be represented as they papier- are instance, really appear on their native heath, with a proper background. lor this work the taxidermist requires MECHANICS Kept age for Mounting 111 the services of the artist who adds realis tic accessories in the form of vegetation, ~ trees, and rocks which merge into the background. Having thus secured a natural scene, the case is ready to take its place in the exhibition halls. Bird taxidermy is an art by itself. The skin is first relaxed by a thorough damy ing, and then cured with chemicals An artificial body is made of cork or wood wool with a neck of wrappe to fitted into the skin. The head, are securely wired, and the bird made to adopt the position it would assume This part is purely mechanical, the dif culty lying in the proper adjustment of the feathers, the pose, and the ex- —L pression. ot . ~ be In the case of A reptiles, a cellu- ot in Stor- loid reproduction has been perfected which gives an amaz- in g ly lifelike pearance to the mode process of ap- tails of the process ar¢ kept ecret. the plaster mold plays a prominent part in the operation The resuit tically unbreakable model Fishes placed in the exhibits also plaster casts, taken from mold su the natural fins and tails are utilized. 1 greatest difficulty is in the f artist being forced to reproduce thi finite shades and lors ot n F After the specimens h beet on exhibition they e ¢ ¢ ’ ‘ fully as the crown jewels ot a lout yp kingdom In manv cases, they are played only under artificial | ht has been found that daylight rays have a destructive influence
Page 90
POPULAR MECHANICS
On Plaster Casts, the Artist's Brush Cre- ates Tinted Scales and Silver Skins That Graced the Living Fishes in Their Deep- Sea Homes
Baie i hea et 4 a } ; i ¥ d cage” — en te ;
a ; fe Accurate Copies ~ Sj of Their Bony e | — Frameworks must hig {| be Made Before || | Plaster Casts of be Ce: | | the Animals can 4 2 | i| 4 be Built in Life- pt | : like Poses : ||| ra / ¥ < \ J | | a at ‘ay | 1 f : / - ) 7 Z Preparation of Feath- ' ered Subjects Pre- sents Difficult Tasks ~ in the Arrangement
of the Plumage, Characteristic Expres- sions, and Attitudes of the Birds 4
ea Ni sl <7
Page 91
POPULAR MECHANICS 113 Shaggy Forest Beasts Taken from Their Native Haunts and the Lap of Nature, to Repose, Serene and Life- like, in a Museum, through Skill of Taxidermists \s the furs are almost priceless, glass The glass cases in which the mounted - cases in which they are kept are con- specimens are kept are tightly sealed, and stantly guarded, day and night, against there the animals remain in their natur thieves and fire. In addition, they are surroundings, posed in characteristic put chemically treated to protect them from — suits, so lifelike that the visitor pauses moths and insects. to watch the next act in the drama GEAR WITHOUT COGS HAILED of a steel ring, slightly off center. As the AS ENGINEERING MARVEL inner rollers turn on the high-speed shait the outer ring becomes the driving gear Defying many of the known laws of Difference in the diameters of the parts mechanical engineering, a small piece of establishes the rate of reduction in speed steel mechanism was tested recently at and increase in power an eastern technical school. Without a single cog or tooth, the apparatus, which OLD AUTO TIRES ARE BURNED in the form of a shaft, was connected TO SAVE GRAPE CROPS 0 a 5-horsepower motor and speeded up t to 17,000 revolutions a minute. The other Worn-out auto tires are used end, however, was turning only five times western vineyards serving the mie an hour, but was able to lift a weight pose as smudge pots, which prevent d of 10 tons. Simple in construction, the age by frosts Tires bought fr device consisted of the driving shaft that dealer for about $30 per ton ; fitted into the end of the driven shaft, rated on the inside with oil. They turning freely in it on ball bearings. In- placed about the vineyard in pil stead of resting on a journal, the outside, three or four and, when lighted, they or driving shaft, turns between three or nish enough heat not only to wa four rollers, one or two of which are frost but also to save the grower trou! larger than the others. These run inside and expense of a second prut
Page 92
POPULAR MECHANICS **LOST CAUSE’’ MEMORIAL WORK IS STARTED After seven years of planning, the carv mounted before the work could be ing of a huge memorial to the Army of started. One was the placing of a guid the Confederacy, out of the solid granite ing design on the steep weather-w: Bald Face of Granite Mountain Top in Georgia from Which is being Carved Out the Heroic Figures of the Former Leaders of the Confederate States side of Stone Mountain in Georgia, was side of the mountain. That was finally begun recently With appropriate cere accomplished by the use of a large m: lantern, the pictures of models, great! enlarged, being projected on the surface that had been coated with a _ sensitive ubstance which reproduced them Chose llustrations were then made permanent by chemical bat! Suspended hundred ot feet above the ground in harne chairs, the artisans will chisel out the Governor Delivering Address at Ceremonies That Marked Start of Confederate Memorial monies, a well-known sculptor applied the chisel to the figure of Gen. Robert E. Lee, which, with that of Jefferson Davis, “Stonewall” Jackson, and other Confederate leaders, composes the first . . How Sculptor is Swung from Chair So He can Work section. Many difficulties had to be sur- on Side of Mountain
Page 93
POPULAR huge figures, using power-driven cutting nstruments for the less delicate model- ing. Tons of rock must be cut away be- fore the first group will have been com- pleted. Stone Mountain, 1,686 feet above sea level, was the scene of many hard- fought skirmishes during the Civil War. In the territory surrounding it, one of the most remarkable campaigns of the war, in point of strategy, was carried on in 1864. It ended in the battle of Atlanta in which General McPherson, one of the most capable Union commanders, was killed. GUN SHOOTS ICE CREAM INTO SHELL HOLDER With a gun-shaped filler, worked by a trigger, ice cream is shot into crisp, tasty shells covered with chocolate, a product recently introduced as a soda- fountain novelty. The cylinder container, wrapped in wax paper to prevent leak- ing in hot weather and to keep the fingers clean, is held in one hand, while the other dips the gun into ice cream, presses the barrel close to the filler, and then shoots cake * Plunger of Gun Pushing Ice Cream into Cake Shell Covered with Chocolate the cream by pulling the trigger. A » 5 di plunger pushes the ice into the cake, thus packing it firmly. TAXI METERS USED IN ROME Before the time of Julius Cesar, ancient Romans were called upon to travel about in hired chariots for which they paid by a crude method of counting distances, according to recently discovered records. The “taxicab” had a device like an hour- glass, by which a pebble was dropped into a bowl for about every 5,000 feet traveled. At the end of the journey, the driver would count the stones, thus arriving at the amount of fare to be paid by the passenger. MECHANICS 415 POCKET KIT COOKS MEAL FOR TWO PERSONS In a pocket mess kit recently made are a frying pan, kettle, pail, cup, and grid Mess Kit That Fits in Pocket, Containing Frying Pan, Kettle, Cup, Pail, Grid, and Broiler for cooking over an open fire. This set is large enough to prepare a meal for two persons. For picnics, ; larger, but containing two cups, two fry ing pans, a kettle holding four a grid big enough to hold all kettles, has been devised set, slightly ~ cups, and pans and LIES SHORTEN SIGHT SO DEVICE DETECTS THEM By examining the eye with an tus, called the retinoscope, an easter scientist seeks to show whether a person is telling a lie. He bases the test or theory that lying is a mental strain re sulting in temporary nearsightedn Whether Person is Telling Falsehood The detector indicates whether the ject’s vision is changed by questioni
Page 94
SCIENCE RIVALS NATURE IN MAKING EYES Artists, Working from Painted Copy, Bring Out Thousands of Tints and Shades So as to Almost Defy Detection By A. N. MIRz AOFF O's: of every 300 people in bares United ing of the colors. Enameled gold was States, it is said, one is wearing an_ tried later, but proved too heavy to be ificial eye, but, owing to ianeens ments held in the eye cavity. Pieces of leather in their manufacture during the past few on which artists reproduced the iris and vears, they are diffi uit to detect, per- pupil on a white background, attaching them to velour-covered wires that fas tened over the ears, also were tried. At the beginning of the 18th century, the perfectly shaped glass eye, having the brilliancy of the natural organ, made its appearance, resulting in the present ar- ticle that does everything but see. These are blown out of glass by art- ists, working from a painted copy of the natural eye, so that every detail may be exact. The workbench of the eye maker is a riot of colored glass tubes and slen- der sticks of crystal, from which he gets the thousands of tints that combine to make up the shades. 1 1 For the eyeball, a white or opaque tube Hollow Crystallike Stems are Attached to Melted Glass for Inflating the Bubble g fectly matched, and are moved by the miuscles of the eye so ket. The first glass eyes are believed to have been made and sold in the city of Venice in the year 1580, by a Florentine jev eler, who painted olass balls with enamel, covered with a thin sheet of pol- ished lead to prevent irritation and fad- Ground Shades for the Iris are Traced from Sticks of Brightly Colored Glass is selected, and from it a small globe is blown by means of a torch and blownipe Tipping and revolving the ball downward in the flame, tends to cause the molten glass to flow toward the bottom, forming a thicker, tapering wall at the front, where the ground tone of blue, gray, or brown, is traced in a circle from one of the colored sticks of crystal. Into the cen- ter of this the pupil is inserted. Few natural eyes are of solid colors, Globes Blown from Tubes of Opaque Glass Form the the iris generally being made up of slight Balls of Artificial Eyes brushlike lines and dots, radiating out-
Page 95
EYES OF THE ANCIENTS With Striking Naturalness Missing and Lashes are Supplied Artificial Eye ere Above: Funeral Mask with Artificial Eyes: Also Orbs 2s Follows: No. 1, Wood: 2, from Mummy: : 4, Lead; 5, Early Chinese; 6, German; 7, Enamel; 8. Old Glass; 9, Seventeenth-Century tian; 11, Marble; 12, Silver
Page 96
118 POPULAR ward from the pupil. These the worker imitates with threads of glass he has first drawn out over the torch, touching their ends to the globe as he slowly revolves it to insure evenness, afterward putting in the tiny veins so often seen scattered over the white of the normal eye. Shap- ing the “reform” eye, as it 1 and coating it with a covering of clear crystal to blend the and give it natural brilliancy, must be done before the stem is withdrawn for sealing the shell at the back, finishing a task that requires less than an hour. In a is Cc illed, 1 colors a well-equipped establishment an artificial eye can be fitted with as much and in the same space of time, as is required for a pair of some dealers carrying from 50,000 to 100,000 in all the ordinary color combinations. For those that are made to order, not more than two or three days is necessary to turn out a perfect match, for although most of the materials are imported, as well as the stock eyes, a scarcity of them rarely happens under normal conditions. Many manufacturers keep one or two duplicates of the eyes of their customers constantly on hand for emergencies, their delicate construction exposes them to frequent breaking under the handling of the and the action of the acids of the body. Instances of artificial eyes exploding are known, but seldom with any injury to the socket, the ease, , shoes, since wearer, STEERING JERKS AND SHOCKS LESSENED FOR AUTOISTS To make small automobiles easily as large cars, a device made to increase the leverage. in preventing acci steer as has been It helps dents by giving ' | (oa bd ts: Small hocks and Operates in a Bath of Oil Steering Device for Cars That Eliminates MECHANICS vacuum on their interior drawing the broken pieces inside the shell. Loss of the eye is often accompanied by destruction of all or parts of the lids which are now reproduced on the artifi cial eye in glass, colored to match the skin and worn as a spectacle. A droop ing or paralyzed lid can be supported in normal position, by a small shelf of clear crystal built across the eye. After a natural eye has been removed, temporary globes are inserted into the cavity for a period of two months to enlarge it for the regular one that follows. Accounts of the ancient peoples show that as early as the days of the Egyptian emperors, attempts to reproduce the human eye in mummies and statues were made by embalmers and artists. From buried tombs along the banks of the Nile there have been taken having crudely made artificial eyes, formed of plaster or wax and precious stones, cov ered with white-enameled shells of si ver and other metals, pierced by holes to represent the pupils. Many, found in the same locality, had eyes of baked and painted clay, o1 rounded out of marble, studded with col ored gems. A funeral mask made in the first century contained a pair of per fectly shaped eyes in imitation of nature's work, evidence of man’s untiring efforts to produce by his own hands the master pieces of creation which surrounded him bodies 1 the driver bétter control under all con ditions, as it holds the machine to the road and will follow ruts. Fitting directly into the steering post, it acts as a stabi lizer and equalizer, and all vibration is absorbed before it can reach the hands No dirt can get into the moving parts, which operate in oil. MILLIONS OF GOLF BALLS ARE USED IN U.S. Because of the growing popularity of the game, experts estimate that 13,200,000 golf balls will be bought this year in the United States compared with 12,006,000 in the preceding 12 months. About one quarter of the supply comes from Eng land and Scotland. Between September, 1922, and April 30, 1923, American dealers imported from those two countries 1, 927,697 of the little white pellets, valued at $792,641. With those figures as a basis, trade authorities judge that the total of importations this year will be 3,140,000 balls, with a value of $1,297,000
Page 97
POPULAR MECHANICS 419 TEN TONS OF HANDS BUILT FOR SCENE IN MOVIE Plaster Hands, Each of Which Is Larger than a Man, That were Made for Giant Sphinxes, Used durir Taking of a Motion Picture in the West lo complete a motion-picture scene on viewed through the eye of the came the sand dunes of California, 10 tons of on the silver screen by audiences hands were made. They were attached cannot be distinguished f thie to 24 giant sphinxes as large as any of imnals from which they were de the original statues to be found in Egypt When the picture is completed, the great Although mere. skeletons in outline, = setting will be wrecked by dynamite PLANE FOR SEA OR SKY HAS DETACHABLE WINGS for aviation school or pastime pur- the plane. Turning poses, a seaplane, seating three passen- the body withdraws eight b gers, is changed in 32 seconds to a_ the wings, which are two _ piece ground-landing machine, by replacing the sockets at the sides. T: pontoon floating frame with a wheeled = six men can convert the undercarriage. Only two fastenings are’ land craft to a water plane in 6 necessary to hold the lower structure to The cockpit covers are r Convertible Seaplane That can be Dismounted from Pontoon Float and Equipped with Wheeled Undercarriage for Land Maneuvering in Little More than a Half Minute
Page 98
POPULAR
MECHANICS DE-LUXE MOTOR BUS BUILT LIKE CHAIR CAR
Steel Motor Bus That is Fitted with Luxurious Chairs lux Pullman, built of steel are being used in Upl olstered as uriously as a motor busses
the East. Instead of ordinar y seats, the coaches are equipped ith cushioned chairs, fastened securely to the floor. ing and comfortable, these c
asy-rid- said are
At Left: Inside View Motor Bus with Pullman Comforts to be strong enoug! to protect their pas- sengers in almost any emergency. They were built to compete
CHALK MARKS WIPED AWAY WITH VACUUM CLEANER Chall moved trom school
Vacuum Cleaner for Blackboards That Electricity and Prevents
blackboards Stirring Up < and grease marks are quickly re- with a
Operates by Dust with electric railway in suburban ser\ ice. Heated by the motor exhaust in winter, the coaches are cooled by opening the broad windows combined electric grinder and vacuul When a board looks gray, it is not the slate but an accumulation of for- eign matter, such as chalk and grease, that gives the effect. The machine puts on a new surface in a few minutes with- ] ° cieanet out filling the air with dust. To catch foreign matter removed, a dust bag is provided. The machine will clean a board with one operation better that amount of scrubbing any FOOT ON AIR BULB IN AUTO ENDS JERKING OF CAR So an automobile will pick up speed evenly and smoothly, an air cushion has Laan made ~wolare the « | acceler peen made to repla e usual accelera- supply ot eas working of a motor is tor pedal that controls the Often uneven caused by slight Jars on this pedal As air is more flexible, sudden changes of pressure of the foot on the rubber pneumatic bulb do not affect the carbure tor to the same extent, resulting in a more velvety flow of power.
Page 99
POPULAR MAN-MADE NORTHERN LIGHTS ARE CREATED BY A GAS With a gas, called krypton, the flaming display of the northern lights was pro- luced on a small scale by European ientists in a recent test. They were tudying the aurora borealis to learn why is present only in the polar regions Krypton was thus discovered. It was found that the characteristic green lines this gas were the same as those of the aurora, and it was suggested that the lor of the lights is due to this gas in e polar regions. How it collects in the rth is unsolved, but scientists believe may result from the difference in the temperature of the gases that make up the earth’s atmosphere. COTTON SHIPPED BY AIRPLANE IS WORN THE NEXT DAY In a test recently made, a bale of cotton veighing 500 pounds, carried by airplane from a southern city, reached a mill in New England state the same day it was hipped, in time to be started through the achines. Woven into cloth, and sep- arated into pieces, sewed and trimmed, t was sent to another distant city where it was worn by guests of a convention the next day. LUMINOUS DIAL TELLS DRIVER WHEN FUEL IS SHORT With the condition of his oil and gaso- line supplies clearly shown at night by a gauge in front of him, the motorist does not need to guess at the amount in the tank or leave his seat to read the register at the back of his car. The new recorder consists of two tubes of glass filled with the liquids placed upright against a white scale, hav- ing a phosphorescent glow at night. The levels of the fluids correspond to those existing in the supply tanks of the car.
@In September, 1864, the first Bessemer steel was made in America at an experi- mental plant in Wyandotte, Mich.
MECHANICS 421 FARE BOX PRINTS TRANSFER AND REGISTERS COIN Transfers are given passengers as they pay tares into it by a c cently designed for box re- that can “Tae illecting street cars
With a Transfers Single Operation Fares are Delivered by This Taken and Machine be operated by ‘hand or electric motor Paper tickets are separated from other fares, canceled, and carried into a locked box, while coins are totaled and metal checks counted, before passing to a drawer where they may be reached by the operator and used for sales or mak ing change. By the same movement that records the fare, the nster < 1 be cde livered, stamped in large figures with the hour and date of issue, conductor's badge number, and street-car lines ove it is to be used. Number of transter issued, collections for each trip totals are shown on different side of the box. WAX OF WEEDLIKE SHRUB TURNED INTO VARNISH Selling wax from a weedlike shrub that grows wild and needs no cultivation becoming a thriving industry of the Sout] and Mexico Large shipments are being made to foreign countries Factorie that refine it from the stems operate t full capacity the year around and cannot get enough plants to fill the demand. It is used as a base for varnish, fillers, p: talking-machine records, and waterproot ing materials. The cost of very small the shrub 1
Page 100
MECHANICS ad eo a ‘ — — ~ — ~~ ~ ~ a
AAA = ~~ paar
NMNVEVE ~ =
SOV OVO:
LP LTT TT OT ©
~
aa) Mow, woe SET he dS _—— dk nd ed
A eT == ~ = nd
> v nk Nk el et ed av > WAC RZ >
pun Vn nV nw Ja Ja
= ETT
STITT TT LL IL LLL I DD AL OIA, PT AAALAC
rl
Shells to yuntain of Kiln Me Shoveling Shells into Small and Adding Them to the Belt Carriers Taking Shells from Fishermen’s Boats Insert: Fertilizer ; [Then Ground into Powder for and Burned be
Page 101
POPULAR MECHANICS OYSTER SHELLS BRING RICH CROPS FOR FARMERS Burning and grinding oyster shells a powder to make plants grow, is wing industry of the South. A re- scarcity of nitrates forced farmers ik for some other fertilizer, and adopted the oyster. To use some- that lives at the bottom of the sea, | of a starfish, for improving land impossible at first, but in the ered shells were found qualities that ed the soil and so they are now idely used. The shells are burned rate over a roaring fire. They are by wheelbarrow. to a conveyor carries them to the place called izer, where they are mashed and into fine dust, ready for the This recently developed indus- brought oyster hunting to a state is said to be more profitable y other kind of fishing Removing Shells to the SPARKS CAUGHT IN WATER industry—the atu PREVENT FOREST FIRES sparks as they are shot ; forces them through live m eliminating forest fires started by tank of water, without impairing tl from logging engines, a device is gine’s draft. Simple in construction, ide for use in large lumber camps arrester is supported on the roof structure covering the engine, p1 being made for cleaning it hen it comes clogged with cinders. PLAGUE OF LOCUSTS RETURNS AFTER SEVENTEEN YEARS With a plague of locusts sweeping Africa, many sections of the United have reported a retur pest After 17 yeal bing among roots, t leaving milli curious fact in the life the way in which 1 coming from tl tree, on whose and, fixing itself for the I] being Used on a Logging Engine in 1 Big Lumber Camp hazards are great Fitted a donkey engine—the st commonly used in the logging
Page 102
POPULAR MECHANICS TRADE GUNS FOR IVORY IN AFRICAN MARKET
Ivory Market of Central Africa RECORD-SIZE LACE CURTAIN BIGGER THAN CITY LOT art, a cur- feet wide | at a famous mill be tl made. ler than modern iker’s 50 Showing the lace m tain 150 feet and been made in one piece in England. It curtain ever lot the long las ie largest Che aver- this big workers is said to is smal skill of COPYRIGHT, UNDERWOOD @& UNDERWOOD Where White Men Bargain with Natives for Elephant Tusks in One of the most picturesqu sights in central Africa is tl] ivory market, where white me: barter with natives for elepha: tusks, giving in exchange gun and other things the native fancy. Traders sell them makers of pool and billiard ball toys, models, and wor of art Piano keys are made of ivory n only from the elephant but fro certain whales, walruses, and tl hippopotamus, too. An idea \ the enormous number of phants killed so that ultimate the white man may play pool shown by the fact that only thr of these balls can be made f: the average small tusk. Some them ot huge size, weighin 150 pounds and being 9 feet length. The skilled hunter oft: gets tusks without the danger shooting an elephant, because knows where to find animals t] have died a natural deat! Shrewd business ideas of tl trader, and the native’s long for what the white man offer have combined to make the ivo: market of the chief indu tries of central Africa. ks ot e] IO0 are one at a trade that is many hundreds of ye old. In the hall where it hangs, the: was placed more than 100 one of the first machines la making, an apparatus that turned < bobbinet, opening a new era intl craft. At first the products were cru but today there is said to be little diff ence between tl handwork factured pieces. ; years for ie
Lace of Skill Modern Craftsmen in Ancient Curtain, One-Fourth of City Block in Length, Said to Be Largest Single Piece Ever Made, Art
Page 103
ive t 7 ne c antiquity have ed at once the protection of the cold and the insignia of id power. They have been the ransoms for royal captives, the and kings, and the badge of the power of govern- loday they hold the same valua- vecause of the spread of democ ughout the world, they are no possessions of the rich alone abundance, and the cheapness of ds, furs in the last hundred come within the reach of the moderate means. ry of furs can from remote emperors be read in the ls of Marco Polo, as when he grows quent in describing the marvelous furs Khan of Tatary; in the lament of ly churchmen who that the n of furs into the life of Rome rantium evidence of “bar- depressing luxury’; in the istory of the French occupa inada; in the tale of the early {| America; in the records said was } ts of! dson’s Bay Cempany, and in the the trade of today. many misconceptions by the general public as to the There are many strange itions afloat which need correction an example, many people believe of the unborn Persian for the trade. Thi is is an pelts would be entirely are en e SK Ins sed such three articles by curious and inter the market Mr in the third of a series of they come from, ire prepared for store His By T. WINFIELD THACKERY too delicate to be worked uy to well vinters, broadtail—as_ the called—are born prematurely such pelts come into the marl all the “secrets” of the fur not be described i a large library, a few of the esting facts may not be out of With the exception of Alas} and some other fine furs, the ma: pelts are treated in the same way the animal is killed. The m: fur bearers are trapped or snared, ing them usually spoiling the When the have been car moved, as after death they out, most ot outwards, and, without being the sun, allowed to dry ately warm, shady place. ceptions alreddy mentioned, come to the marl manner. In preparing the fur furrier or skin mercha for cok > to the Occasionally, 1 wear more inter afte jority of shoot coat skins | soon are tacked are , 7 cet dried cve Mr sting r art
Page 104
POPULAR MECHANICS After the Removal of the Blubber and Some of the Long Hairs, the Skins are Washed and Then Put on These Light Frames So That in Drying They do Not Shrink. They are Then Placed in a Heated Chamb cowhide, are prepared for the market. In prepared, but other pelts of less valu the latter case tannic acid is used. On are generally placed in an alkali bath a fur skin this process would destroy the the first step, then, working by hai fur itself and harden the skin. In a with a blunt wooden instrument, tl moment we shall see how sealskins are moisture in the pelt is worked out Skins are Received at the Rear of This Room. They are Then Passed On to the Sorters Who Judge tl! Value, Determining the Price Paid the Trapper
Page 105
POPULAR MECHANICS 12° the superfluous flesh removed. Special erease is then rubbed in and the skin is run through a series of machines from vhich it emerges in condition to be cut up and made into garments. A _ great natural furs have to be dyed be- fore being made into scarfs, wraps, and the like. For example, the many caracul lamb, and lambs, are naturally a rusty lack, brown, or white in color and, with few exceptions, are dyed a jet-black in manufacture. It may surprise many to that most so-called Hudson Bay es are llva me- brown iny are llow indeed a rious eases hich =a Isk i n »s from methe lis killed, far-off { f is de- 1 this f ar- hereto- until the beautiful fur is lisplayed in shop win- l ws, exceed nore than 100 in number and inter- esting, both to the women who eventually wear the skins and to the men who ultimately pay for them. As will be recalled, we found the barrels of salted sealskins leaving the Pribiloff Islands by boat f Seattle, Wash. From there they shipped by train to St. Louis are placed in cold storage at tely low temperature kins must be kept in a wet, salted State until of manufacturing, for they contain a great deal of oil which would burn the ins through evaporation if allowed to are very SK | t dr 1 vy out The first thing that is dofe in a dress- ing operation is to grade the raw skins iccording to age, quality, length, and Skins and Working Tools of the Trapper Stacked Up by His Lonely Cabin in the North Woods they are put into the process thickness of the fur and the condition of the skin itself. On the living seal, as on most animals, the fur is the soft silky hairs close to the skin. It is protected by what is called the “overhair,” really longer stiff bristles. This overhair serves to protect the downy fur and keeps it from becoming matted down on the ani mal. For commercial purposes this over hair must be extracted from the skin, for it is not pleasant to the touch and, in most cases, is not very beautiful. fore, one of the first steps in dressing sealskin, after the surplus oil and blubbe: here is removed from tl and fur cial w: rrea and fine judgment on the part of the workmen in 1 out damaging the soft “un derfur,” or the skin itself The skin next moves to the leatherin; department where, afte: being worked into condition seal oil—whic! is made fro the blubbe: that was take off the skin i1 plied to the iole is put into a transforms the raw pelt int: the first place—is the pelt and the vw chine which leather. p back | a | i Scientists have been b: to discover exactly why merely kicking the skin abou into leather Some sort « change takes place, but just wl is, or how it comes about, is not know: When the white man first came Am ica he found the Ind | skins into | natural grease them up 1ans
Page 106
YQ POPULAR pounding them in amortar. When the explorers went to the Far North they found the Es- kimo women put ting the seal blub- ber onto the skins and then chewing the latter in thei1 mouths, thus pro- ducing leather. Many of the older women’s teeth even today are worn down to the gums from this constant ch oO! I iS. Taking their cue [from thas. the white men at first used to throw skins into a big tub, and after add ing enough or oil, jump up and down on them with their bare feet until made Krom this it w: to make machinery which, even today, simply kicks the skins around. Of course, it should be understood that FE grease Scraping the Long Dull step ‘ Fur Buyers at a “Floor Sale’: So Expert Are They That a Glance Tells Them the N IECHANICS every furrier doe not use this kick ing process. Man still use acid. The processes here and later describe dd are those used by the Fouke Fu: Company of St Louis, which hay dles all the Alas! sealskins for the ount ot the United States Gov ernment. After the has been tut into leathes surplus oil dirt is rémove from the pelt | tumbling it ab: in sawdust | 1 he 011 is absorbe dust Hairs from a Sealskin Knife now ‘ complicated requires from three to four during which time the skins are ¥ 1 every day. Phe dve is put on by n This requires ver ing. This is and with a scrub brush. ‘ we . a i ae 7 . _ - . : ; ww Value of the Pelts
Page 107
POPULAR MECHANICS Tiger Skins Are among the Most Prized cf Possessions; Tall Jungle Grass Makes Hunting Them Dangerous Pursuit
Page 108
430 POPULAR great skill. As it is known, the natural color of the seal is a very light, unclean- looking brown. In putting on the dye, the workmen are so expert that they are able to color almost exactly half of the depth of the fur a rich chocolate brown the top half another shade ot brown so deep that it looks jet-black. Anyone familiar with the appearance of fur when it is “soaking-wet” will appreciate the kill of a workman, who, with a heavy scrubbing brush, can put on the dye so that it sinks in exactly as he wishes it \] his art 1s ide the greater in that the 11 s, of course, not equally deep all ove! e skin. For instance, under the flippe of the seal the fur is only a frac- tio1 ; long as it is in the middle of the iD et a sealskin expertly dyed will the hairs evenly colored throughout. \iter being dyed and again cleaned the kin is cut down to the proper thickness. (his is necessary because those who manufacture the skin into garments find that natural variations in thickness make » and sew together. used t skins hard to match u method former t \ Oo accomplish this was “hand-shaving,’ but a machine has been invented to do this Next comes a most interesting step As might be supposed, there are small guard hairs growing out in the skin of the animal when it is killed These are short, stubby bristles hidden by the fur itself. If they are allowed to remain in the skin they interfere with its soft, even appearance and the silky “feel” of the fur. Because these hairs are covered by the fur they could not be removed at the time the first stiff guard hairs were taken \ wonderful machine been in- which actually runs in through and cuts off the stubby has .e bristle This teat 1 accomplished by an ingenious arrangement of air blowers, combs, and knives, and is a secret process lo prepare the sé kin for the market requires four months, and from start to fit 1 the skin is worked on nearly every ( nda gor d many ehts | tra care must be taken in certain step yecause if the skin is allowed to remain damp ort wet it is liable to rot in a single night No one can see or feel the exquisite fur and dainty, soft, light-finis out sensing its charm he skin ally is just lke chamois and a big one may be drawn through a man’s good- sized finger ring. skins to \fter preparing the skins for the mat ket the Fouke Fur Com is allowed to kill th It takes an average of 1 $1 make one coat tor a woman. alone Pribi- which e seals on the MECHANICS sell auction, loff Islands, must them at They then go to the manufacturer wh: makes them up as he sees, fit. The art of the furrier is an old one and Man the workers must really be artists. factors go into “Wrapping the World urs.” For instance, it is a recognize law among high-class furriers that fur simply should be arranged, that is, tl an article of wearing apparel should c sist of only one fur, or of two furs of suitable contrast. Illustrative of this may be explained that a brown fur, su as sable, marten, mink or beaver, match well with a black fur, while tl of a white or gray nature, such as e mine, chinchilla, blue or silver f gray squirrel, will look well when set seal or black furs, such as Persian lat astrakhan or caracul. For a long period of years, furs into garments were most imperfect] lored. It is only comparatively recent that new methods, in which Ame the way, have resulted in fur as accurately and gracefully fitted vet or other cloth. Fur-sewing é have been on the market since lt here are, however, certain parts of ments, such as the putting in of sleev: which are best sewn by hand Another branch of the fur busine that which has to do with hats, clot! and shawls. The best felt hats are 1 from beaver and muskrat wool and t cheaper VW ools. «cl kinds of nutria, hare, and rab For weaving, t e taken from Angora Fur skins do not always appear a were in Most gt on the streets come after the g the squirrels are mz . 1 ‘oO ne most Va pieces ar if , " re lite. ay squirre from Russia, whe: the backs ot up separately fro dressin process, ide the under and thinner parts of the sk The smaller and uneven pieces of he and legs are made up into linings The most of the odd-shaped piec: from the heads, legs, sides, ang pav all animals are exported to fcountri where cheap furs are in the biggest mand. A good many other skins, su foxes and « nes and others having s cially handsome markings, are iced 1 and the manufactured neckpiece often be in several-pieced sectio1 ( together. In all, there are more than 100 kine skins known to the fur market; t ( course, does not include varieties of t!] same species of animal Even the hou cat 1s prs ssed into service The best these latter come from Holland, but though in color, weight, and wat
Page 109
POPULAR MECHANICS are very good, the fur is apt to become loose and fall off. They are used mostly for coat lining. Dog skin also is used, though the only ones used in civilized countries are those imported from China. These are heavy nd coarse and only used in the cheaper trade, chiefly for rugs. All kinds and onditions of goats give their skins to the rade. The Chinese export thousands of kins in black, gray, and white, mostly le into rugs of two skins each. \lost monkey fur once belonged-to the lack monkey taken on the west coast 4 Africa. The hair very long and right, with no underwool, but having the hair. It is white belt at the base of interesting to learn that monkey fur is in great demand and very fashion- ble in England back in 1850. Also it ppeared in fashion marts in America in 1890. For the next 30 years they were bought in Germany, but we see, they are again in fashion in this untry. lhe kangaroo is another animal whose is acceptable to the trade. The best the lighter weights of kangaroo fur re often not strong enouth to stand earing in a coat. <A variety, however, from a species of the animal, is known in Australia the vamp wallaby, is dyed to imitate skunk skin and looks very well. he very limited number of musk oxen iy be one of the reasons why these not in greater use stly as ing hich as kins are he ani-
Dyeing Sealskins mals have a very dense coat of fine, long, brown wool, with very long dark-brown hair on head, flanks, and tail, and in the center a peculiar pale, oval marking There is no other fur so thick, and were it not so scarce it would be greatly used for robes and greatcoats. Most people being used to seeing the brown of the muskrat fur probably do not know that a very few thousand skins of the Russian muskrat are annually im- ported. This is a very pretty silvery-blue and silky fur, which, did it not have th: odor of musk, would probably be one of our most valuable skins. Raccoon furs are a common sight, but perhaps it is not generally known that the animal itself is a kind of wild dog, and whil ving a close relationship to the bears, is not more than a cousin many times removed A word or two in conclusion may well have to do with the care of people do not know how to their furs. Sunlight encourages velopment of moth eggs and to bleach fur; therefore, furs. Most best preserve the exposure to strong sunlight, espe the warmer months of the year, avoided. When furs are wetted rain they should be allowed to dr current of without exposure or fire; this after they are well shake Where cold storage is not available when one wishes to put up furs for tl mer, they should ell sha conti air be w packed in linen and kept in cool, dry place by Brushing on the Color with Ordinary Scrub Brushes: Note How Skins are | They are Not Allowed to Rest Otherwise
Page 110
POPULAR MECHANICS Catastrophe to Sailing Craft Awaits in the Least Suspected Waters, as This German Schooner, Which Keeled Over at Calcutta While being Cleaned, Bears Mute Witness SAILORS FEAR PERILS OF PORTS MORE THAN SEA in crowded sailors gener- hazards of the sea. When far from land, the seaman may avoid many mishaps by skillful handling of his vessel or by fleeing before storms too But tied up to a dock or at anchor in a busy bay where there no room to maneuver, the constant menace from fire, collision, sudden shift- ing of the that might upset the ship at its dock, and other perils that cannot be foreseen or provided against, must be faced. Anchors may drag or mo lines part under the strain put Hidden dangers lurking ports are more feared by ally than the severe to be faced. is cargo upon them by strong winds, setting the vessel adrift to smash itself among othe shipping. Unexpected sand bars in and harbors are another danger by mariners. In_ tropical waves, swept before terrific far up the rivers and invade the crushing everything in their path leaving the piled high vw wreckage. As a result, sailors the over never feel safe as when their ships are at sea with land far in the distance. Aided by warning devices, the approach of bad weather is known hou ahead, nearness of icebergs floating from frozen seas is foretold, while hidden reef shoals, and rocks are shown on the cap- tain’s chart, enabling him to avoid them rive! dread t beaches \\ or] | SO S > ee v=. Ts Hold a Neighboring Salvaging Cargo from of Ship That Capsized in the Harbor: Its Tangled Rigging and Masts Struck Steamer, Thus Preventing a More Serious Accident
Page 111
MUSIC NOTES DEFY MECHANICAL TYPESETTING Little-Known Trade at Which There Are Only 75 Workers in the United States By GEORGE BARNARD N° one has yet succeeded in perfect- a ing a machine which will set up type sheet music. Newspaper stories oc- isionally laud an alleged success. But ‘cording to that rare survival, the music typesetter, the trade is still waiting for mething practical to supersede its old- shioned but effective methods. here are ways of reproducing musical without setting them up in type. n fact, lithography and engraving have practically supplanted the old method. certain classes of work the old le is still supreme, and is putting up gallant fight against extermination. musical notation in most hymn 1S produced by means of movable The advantage of the use of type this connection is that the words are idle to coincide more exactly with the tes to which they are related; and as e hymn-book page is smaller than an rdinary sheet, it is difficult by eans of engraving to inscribe the words ficiently clearly in so small a space. But hardly any song sheets are printed he movable-type process nowadays, nd as the demand for hymn books is all, in comparison with the total pro- luction of musical the survivors old musical-typesetting industry and far between. It is estimated hat there are fewer than 75 men in the hole of the United States who ores hut for Song scores, n the re few + — — V At Left, an Analysis of the Individual Pieces of Type Indicated in the Diagram at Right etent to set up music tvpe There are perhaps 10 shops in the whole country in which this kind of work is done; and throughout the rest of the world the lusic-type printer is proportionately ire. In New York there are probably only two or three concerns which set up music type. In Chicago there are two. Cincinnati still claims one, and there are two or three elsewhere in America The art of the music typesetter will probably die in the not far distant future, unless some one comes along One Hundred and Sixteen Pieces of Type in These Two Bars of Music were Used with a machin —that will gi vantage over tl music-typesetting are no apprentices—a Boys do not rush in to leat Apart from the fact that uncertain and the opportunities work itself requires tion and is difficult to learn Some of the troubles whicl mar who strives to pertect ifte: the fashion of the linotvp music notes, will be sideration of the task before In the mechanical sett each considerable seevt] tvpe line is set sef people know, and one line (so tar as the exact pt dividual letters is concert above or below it (one read in its lat
Page 112
POPULAR MECHANICS best explain the intricacy of the task An ordinary printers’ “composing stick ol setting music type. A page of music, is used by the music compositor. O composed of music type, 1s a mosaic course he has to set the type from rig] made up of little pieces of metal which to left, as it will reverse in printing. But singly are meaningless. A single note whereas an ordinary compositor merel ith its stem is never merely one piece of | places pieces of type side by side, th: type. It is usually made up of three music compositor has to build in tw pieces, and sometimes of more. The lines directions at the same time. must, of course, be set up, as well as the A font of music type is contained notes and other characters, and they must. cases very similar to the printers’ alp! all fit together exactly. betical case, but the number of charact« The number of pieces of type ina given in a font is considerably greater. A fo ill vary according to the intricacy of music type usually contains over 3,00 he musical passage Three hundred characters. Some of the characters diffe tinct pieces of type in a single line of only slightly from others, some sectio1 usic is a fairly low avérage, or 3,000 in of “line,” for instance, being just a hair a medium-sized page of a hymnal. breadth longer than other sections. Yet \ music compositor’s output will vary so expert does a music compositor be ccording to the copy. On average copy, come that he cannot only set music ty] * \\ the setting of two pages of hymn-book as easily as another man can manipulat music is considered a fair day’s work for the alphabet, but he can distribute tl man type into the proper departments of tl Music type is of standard type height “case” with the greatest facility Its other dimensions are not measured As the dernand for music type is vy the “point system” known to printers, small, each printer who handles this cla but one kind is distinguished from an- of work has to supply his own matrice by names which formerly were used when ordering from a type foundry connectron with ordinary type before now costs about $7 a hymn-book her page 1 int system came into vogue: “ex- setupmusictype. Yet,inthe long run, it * “agate,” “nonpareil,” “diamond,” cheaper to produce music by this met] forth than it is to work with engraved plate = & C~ — A BCoDEFHE GRA AGFEDC¢CBA S ‘hese Strange-Looking ‘‘Notes’’ Find a Place in the Music Setter’s Type Case Used in the Not Generally Understood by the Rest of the World outh, and are VOLCANO IN FRESH OUTBREAK fore one wave of lava cooled, anoth« DESTROYS MANY HOMES and greater one was pushing it forward ' , Mount Etna’s recorded eruptions, nut tive since 1911, Italy’s Mt. Etna pering over 80, have resulted in tl rth anew in violent death of+ more than 100,000 person of molten lava Sixty thousand were killed in 1693, wh and across the an unusually severe earthquake occurre trom five new mouths. at the same time as an eruption, ousand persons were made * az roperty was de- GRAPES PROTECTED BY BAGS wn signs of Heavy paper bags are being used active. Through that period, hield grapes from birds, harmful insect ls of smoke poured from its and damaging rot during the growin accompanied by heavy rumblings. season. Thus the yield and quality at Familiar with the disasters that have at- increased. Slipped over the bunches, tl tended past outpourings of the fiery protectors are fastened securely to th isses, the natives fled in terror. Sun- vines, and remain until the fruit obscuring clouds of black smoke filled ripened. While thick enough the air for miles, and white-hot lava moisture, the material of which they ad over the surrounding territory, made does not exclude air or the ‘loping everything in its path. Be heat.
Page 113
POPULAR LUMINOUS CLOUDS TO LIGHT BOTTOM OF THE OCEAN Luminous clouds of artificial light are used in experiments being made to find a method for taking photographs and mov- ing pictures of the ocean’s floor, where the “Lusitania” and many other ships, some laden with treasure, lie buried out of the reach of divers. By spraying the water with a chemical designed to re- produce the phosphorescence of waves, a cientist believes it may be possible to light up the sea sufficiently to take pic- tures of objects, many fathoms below the urface. At present, beyond a depth of 50 feet, it is virtually impossible to see more than 10 feet in any direction. ELECTRIC LANTERN IS CLEAN, SAFE, AND CAN’T BLOW OUT Resembling in form the old oil type, an electric lantern is being made that is safe, and can't blow out. The bat- tery is car- riedinthe bottom and the lamp re- places the usual wick, being pro- tected by a heavy glass globe. Al- ready for use, it is not affected by jolts and jars, and will burn steadily for a long time. When ; the battery is exhausted, it can be replaced in less time than it takes to fill the old-style lantern. clean, Ways NIAGARA FALLS TO BE LIGHTED BY SUBMERGED ELECTRICS \dded grandeur to the play of water over Neagara Falls is expected to result from the installation of submerged elec tric lamps to replace the system of flood lighting now used to illumine the falls at night. Built after the fashion of a depth bomb, metal containers, with white or colored water-tight electric globes set in the tops, will be anchored by cable underneath the cascade. The bulbs will point ypward so that the colored rays ill be reflected upon the tumbling water. MECHANICS 135 FIRE FIGHTERS SHOOT WATER THROUGH LOOPS IN TEST During a recent field day held by the London fire department, target shooting with streams of water was one of the Shooting the Target with a Stream of Water during a London Contest popular events. A strong was used, making it difficult the nozzle and direct the stream thro a small hoop at a distance. With practice, firemen become as_ skilled handling a high-pressure hose as does the marksman with his rifle, difficult with heavy streams of water, even in the face of winds. Perche at the tops of long ladders, balancing t!] weight of the hose, many veteran direct water onto distant parts of often reachin;: spots RADIO IS TAUGHT IN SLEEP BY PHONES ON EARS Teaching the novice receive radio code 1 udent puts ay in the begin1 er munications him during words taster committed ture flashed
Page 114
POPULAR MECHANICS Wf Wf: wie a Oe if + wi WAT + wif + wif wif: elf WI WIS Wi - LSU SS mL USN SIU LVS LS — ——__—¢ __ | We f WIT AS SWI Ws Ve POEL EL ESA LSA TAU Batteries of Searchlights ayed on Its Dazzling Lacework of Crystal 1S , v-hanging Color Effects from This Electri
Page 115
POPULAR MECHANICS FAIRY CITY OF FUTURE FORECAST AT EXHIBIT Dreams that the builders and architects of today hope to see realized in the city of the future were displayed at an ex- position in the East recently. Over- head thorough- fares supported on great arches between towering sky- scrapers, double - decked streets, moving sidewalks bor- dered by a maze of show indows, stores con- nected by rtistic bridges and covered promenades, ill serve to wwd the lives he citizens. \irships land- ing at lofty sta- tions will carry the business man and the hopper to the down-town dis- trict, where they will be lowered to the 2A LOGE LLORAS HOM - ~ = Soe . Artist’s Conception of Cities of the Future How Traffic will be Handled in American streets by speedy elevators. Electrified railroads will enter underground and un- load passengers at subterranean depots from whence cars traveling through wide subways will take them to different poi of the cit) Radio equip- ment in ever) otlice and h 11 ae lita ye
powerful hi den bulbs, make the nig] as bright day. One «
1 exhibit attracte much attenti was a jeweled electric foun tain of elabo rate design at beautiful effect
VANISHING RACE OF INDIANS VISITED BY EXPLORERS In the southernmost inhabited land, Tierra del Fuego, lives an almost extinct tribe of Yaggan Indians, called “Fire- landers,” who speak a rich, beautiful lan- guage containing 32,000 words, and who orship only one god, whom they call “Watauinourva,” signifying “The Ancient in Heaven.” For more than a century ‘lirelanders” have been pictured as rbarians, without education, moral religion, and as cannibals who their aged parents. But two priests, 10 spent months with them and were made members of the tribe, have returned cently to contradict those reports Their *investigations also have enabled them to make a valuable contribution to science on the habits of the people.- Like most primitive races, the Yaggans reach their educational heights in religious functions, which often last for weeks. During those ceremonies the young mem- <e. oF bers are initiated into the tradition the tribe.~ For the last 30 cause of the ship, only one part of the the “Coxans,’ the second portion, the “Kina formed for the two years, their ranks have decrease: 2,000 to not more than 70 few plants thri h years rapidly di crea has been obser t Xp Te! natives obtai ing and fi “WORMHOLES” SOLD IN EUROPE Exporting wormy oak for into “antiques, may a thriving and profitabl ing to government e signment of taultyv ti abroad recently was offe manufacturer mium because t inated the nece ] read t<
Page 116
POPULAR Diver Wearing Queer Suit in Which He through Dark Realms under the Sea Walks AIRMEN FIND CYCLE RACE HARDER THAN FLYING Although their sense of balance had trained by years of flying, 100 French airmen recently found cycle skat- ing was more difficult than piloting an airplane when they took part in a race been MECHANICS TREASURES OF SEA SOUGHT IN STEEL-CLAD SUITS To explore the depths of the sea, a queer-looking apparatus with an ais chamber that the diver regulates has been made in Europe. It is intended for use in entering sunken ships and will allow the wearer freedom of action at a depth of 1,000 feet, it is claimed. In -the dark- ness found far beneath the surface, an electric light guides the wearer, and a telephone keeps him in communication with the boat from which he is lowered Search for hidden treasure lying at the bottom of the sea will be made by use of this diving suit NEW YORK TO CHINA FLIGHT BY PLANE IS PLANNED Plans for an airplane flight from New York to Peking, China, were announced recently. To avoid flying over the Pa cific Ocean, the route would be by Alaska, as only a comparatively small expanse of sea separates that territory from the eastern hemisphere. Thus the hazards of flying over open water would be et eatly reduced in Paris. Many accidents resulted though all of the fliers were ardent b cycle riders who, despite their air duties, have never wholly forsaken their training on wheels. To the majority, the sport was new. .Yet the contest was close enough to be exciting, and it attracted great crowd of spectators Although Untrained in the Sport, French Airmen, Carried the Contest Taking Part in a to an Exciting Close Novel Cycle-Skating Race in Paris,
Page 117
POPULAR MECHANICS 139 These Are for Everyday Use ; But— Can You Name Them? = to help you, the use for which the articles are intended is as follows: No. 1 in a profession and for painful work. No. 2 on the farm. No. 3 in the home. No. 4 for out-of-doors. No. 5 by men. No. 6 in the home. No. 7 in the home. No. 8 on clothing. No. 9 in the home. No. 10 as a part of men’s attire. No. 11 anywhere, but especially in the home. No. 12 in the home. No. 13 by women. No. 14 in a business. No. 15 on clothing. No. 16 in the home. Popular Mechanics Magazine offers no prizes for correct answers to these problems, but offers them for the interest it believes its readers will find in at- tempting to determine the nature of the various articles shown. If you think you have the right answers you can find out by comparing them with the correct list which will appear in Popular Mechanics Magazine for October.
Page 118
440 POPULAR TOY PLANE HELPS TO TRAIN ANTI-AIRCRAFT GUNNERS fo teach aiming with = anti-aircraft a miniature airplane on a 30-foot rm Model Plane, Mounted on Tower, at Which Student Gunners Aim during Indoor Practice about the floor of an The target is raised and lowered by the driver of the electric truck on which the tower is mounted. Iffective practice in aiming is thus pro- vided the student gunners, who try re- peatedly to get the range, but never fire. Not until they have passed rigid tests are they allowed to quit the indoor les- sons for some aerial warfare on the field. Night practice is made more realistic by plaving searchlights on the airplane. tower is moved eastern armory. GATE AND WINDING STAIRS LEAD UP TO GARDEN In solving the problem of how to reach his home and garden, which are elevated about 12 feet above the street level, an eastern man has built a winding stair- way leading to a platform. The top over- looks the sidewalk and highway, and is on a level with the house. It is supported by iron pillars and is reached through an attractive gateway. MECHANICS TENTED CITY IN DESERT BUILT FOR MOVIES movie based i During the filming of a on a bible ern desert w sand actors tory, a tented city in a west as the home of several thou and 4,000 animals, including camels, elephants, lions, horses, dog mules, and pigs. More than 600 tent were occupied by the cast, said to have been the largest ever assembled. women, and children of all classes min- gled in the mob scenes out on the sand 200 miles from the city where they had been recruited. For several weeks clerks, bankers, attorneys, butchers, club women, and scrub women lived together in the desert colony, all engaged in the same task of acting before the movie camera Men, MOTOR WHEELS DO WORK OF SWITCH ENGINE For railroad sidings where there are more cars to be moved than can be han dled with a crowbar, and yet not enoug! to keep a switch engine busy, an east ern inventor has brought out a jack mounted on two wheels, placed one be It may be driven by a run by hand will hind the other. small gasoline with a crank. motor, or The machine work Freight Cars being Moved to Shipping Platforms without Small Bars or Locomotives on either of the rails, and may | tached to the end of any kind of a « in a few seconds. It gets its hold « the track from the pressure caused by screwing the top upward against the load, and can be made to travel at of from 14 to 10 miles per hour 1 speeds @The Popular Mechanics’ Bureau of In formation offers its free i readers of our magazine. Names and ad- dresses of manufacturers and dealers in articles described, and any other details in our possession, will be promptly fur- nished by addressing the bureau service to all
Page 119
d- in ils POPULAR MECHANICS 14] ONE-MAN FISH NET SPREADS LIKE A HUGE FAN Throwing a net at fish ; cs. ; and catch- Fans, ; ing entire ad Os os chools of 7 “eS hem by clos- i \ ing it with a cord is anew water sport in the South. The net is held in é one hand by the sportsman, ho wades into the water. It is thrown over a school of fish. Down over the water the net spreads like a huge fan, the weighted edges quickly sinking. Pull- ing of a cord closes the bot- 4 Ps f Pe —~ eee —_—__—_— —_—— 4 Throwing Net into Air, Where It Spreads like Huge Fan and Then Sinks around School of Fish CHANGE GOLF-CLUB WEIGHT TO SUIT THE PLAYER To enable the weight of a golf club to be instantly adjusted to suit the player, one manufacturer has inserted removable pieces of lead in the head of the stick. As changes may be made during the game, this does away with the need of carrying several drivers or brassies in the bag so as to have a variety to select from in meeting various. situations. Slight Golf Club with Removable Weights in Head So That It may be Changed to Suit Player changes in the weights of the clubs also have proved useful when the player feels out of form. tom so that the fish are un- able to escape Thenetis lragged to shore, where the catch is taken out by rele asing the cord. Skill is required to use this net because the fish must not be alarmed by the approac { man. If prop- erly used, the one-man net will catch as 1any fish as can be lured into the ordi- nary one seined by two person PENCILLIKE SCALE SOLVES ENGINEERS’ PROBLEMS In a few seconds, with the movement of two sliding tubes scarcely larger than a pencil, a rapid cal- -ulator has been made to solve engi neering problems Easily carried in the pocket, it will do the work of a 66-inch slide rule and will give the roots and powers of all numbers with- out limit, even of fractions. Also, it will answer many ot . mathematical cal tions, proving of value to all who have figur- ingtodo. When solving a problem in- volving the volume of cylinders, only one movement of the tube is needed, and it will also figure the costs for various weights. like a watch charm and when folded The scale is n be carried in the pocket like a nice
Page 120
POPULAR MECHANICS STAMP EXHIBIT TO BE SHOWN IN LONDON Assistant Postmaster- General Glover sailed for London recently, bearing with him a priceless stamp collection pre- pared by the Bureau of Printing and Engraving. The collection is ar- ranged on a huge plaque, and consists of rare stamps laid out to repre- sent the American shield. The trip was being made for the purpose of enter ing tl he collection in the International Stamp Ex position, to be held in the Royal Horticultural Hall in London TRADE-MARKING A CITY Red and white labels attached to commercial and municipal station ery, are being used to help stock growers dis tribute their cattle. Busi ness boosters devised the labels, which are adorned with the picture of a top, on which appear the words “Watertown, Wis consin,” while a legend above reads, “On the Top,” and another be- COPYRIGHT, UNDERWOOD a UNDERWOOD kk WwW “it will N ever Assistant Postmaster-General Glover is Shown Pointing to the Die Proof c ” of the Famous 24-Cent Stamp, Made in Error with an Inverted Airplane otop. HOTHOUSE BUILT ON ROOF OF BUILDING Hothouses are usually low- lying structures, built at a dis- tance from the business section of a city, but one enterprising florist has erected his on the root of his business’ establishment, where it is reached by an ele- vator. In addition to the adver- tising value of this arrangement, the feature possesses the advan- tages of economy and conven- ience, saving additional lot space and combining his business in one structure. The hothouse is 20 by 92 feet, steam-heated and storm-proof, and is accessible to customers. Curved glass windows are used on the side edges. > Psddbed? «5585, Te ARR ey, EE shui thas ut + ie RRs tae put AR This Shows the Attractive Appearance Which the Hot- house Gives in Topping Off the Rest of the Building
Page 121
POPULAR CIVIL-WAR VESSEL FOUND BY DREDGE IN RIVER Rusted shells recently pumped from bed of the Mississippi River by a vravel dredge in* Louisiana, are believed to be the remains of a federal war vessel commanded during the Civil War by George Dewey, later Admiral Dewey. was disabled in an attack on Port Hudson in the river fighting . of 1863. Struck by a volley of shells, it floated down the river and finally burned and sank. The ship was attached to the feet of Admiral Farragut. The vessel MODEL HOUSES ARE MAILED TO POSSIBLE BUYERS Sending little “sample” houses to home builders, is the plan of salesmanship be- ing used by London architects. These odels are complete in every detail and re designed to inspire pride of owner- ship in the person to whom they are iailed. Facing a housing’ shortage, rivaling that of any American metropolis, nany residents of London have bought me sites in the city’s suburbs and are nfronted with the problem of select- ing the type of home to be built. To PYRIGHT, UNDERWOOD 4 UNDERWOOD One of the Model Houses Architects Mail on Approval to English Home Builders help them, the architects have started the new industry of building models that are mailed to possible buyers. AUTO FUEL FROM SAND Automobile fuel and other valuable products are being.taken from tar sand in Canada. Besides the gasoline, parat- fin, lubricating oil, and asphalt are ob- tained. Nearly all gasoline and oils used in the Dominion have been brought in from the United States. MECHANICS 113 SWIMMING GLOVES WITH WEBS LIKE A DUCK’S FOOT By using the principle of the duck’s webbed feet, gloves are being made that make swimming much easier. The web Gloves, Patterned from Duck’s Foot, That Help in Making Speed through the Water between the fingers spreads as the hands move backward, viving a greater pre sure against the water. On the forward stroke, the fingers are closed and the glove offers no more resis naked hand. Besides giving more speed the gloves afford greater secu is easier for the swimmer to keep because of the additional leverage ELECTRIC HOUSE OF FUTURE TO BANISH DRUDGERY In a home fitted with every kn electrical appliance that was shown cently at a southern exposition, houss wives saw the coming of a new era « comfort and convenience. Iceless re frigerators, dishwashing mac] tove that could be set to start cooking at time desired and which would aut cally shut off the heat and keep the warm when the meal was done, odot incinerators in the basement connecte with the kitchen by a chute, and vacuu cleaners, all operated at the touch button, doing, as if by 1 | would require hours of bacl Walls built on the principle ot a vacuum bottle would keep the ro ‘ summer and save heat in wintet Wid expanses of windows abolished the d corners that so often are breeding plac for germs. Beautifully tinted walls and were made of cement nd con durable that with a hose. fi OTS crete, so cleaned
Page 122
444 POPULAR HAIR KEPT FOR GENERATIONS MAKES A “FAMILY TREE” For centuries families have prided themselves on the completeness and his- torical value of their records. With the Family Hair Wreath Made Up of Locks from Heads of Nine Generations MECHANICS same pride, a Russian family in a west- ern city regards its “family tree,” which, however, is a wreath of family hair, in- stead of the usual documents. For al- most 200 years the wreath has been in the process of weaving, each member of the nine generations born during that period having contributed a lock. Thus the wreath will continue to grow in length for another 300 years, when, it is estimated, it will have been completed. CURE FOR TOADSTOOL POISON IS SOUGHT IN SERUM To cure persons suffering from toad- stool poisoning, a French physician is ex- perimenting with a serum which, he be- lieves, will do much to lessen the number of such cases. His tests are being made on rabbits and white mice that have been first fed the juices of the toadstool When they show signs of sickness he uses the serum. Many deaths have re sulted from the eating of toadstools in the belief that they were mushrooms. HEAVY ROOF CRUSHES AUTO, BUT DRIVER ESCAPES When her auto crashed into the con- crete support of a woman driver station, a almost certain gasoline escaped death by only 2 feet, the distance be- tween the hood and the steering gear. The heavy roof fell, but came to rest a few feet above the seat and the woman stepped calmly out, unhurt, although she could have touched the roof. err tia, e e e / Ny Petipa: Automobile Struck by Concrete Roof After It had Wrecked Supporting Pillar at Although the Car was Severely Damaged, the Driver Escaped Unhurt Gasoline-Filling Station:
Page 123
POPULAR MECHANICS BOLTLESS FOLDING STOVE TO HELP CAMPERS For the camper or hunter a cast-iron stove that can be folded into a space only 4 inches deep is now made. It has no bolts and cannot warp. Driftwood, branches, coke, or charcoal are burned equally well in rain, wind, or fair weather. Although so small that in a canoe, mo- torcycle sidecar, or auto it uses little space, still it is big enough to do the cooking for a camping party. When folded, the stove comes apart readily, but when in service, the wind cannot af- fect it, the makers say. CLOCKS INSTEAD OF POLES TELL WHEN TO SHAVE Not so long ago every shopkeeper and tradesman hung a sign above his door to guide the seeker after his wares or copyment, UNDERWOOD & UNDERWOOD Barber Poles, Displaced by Clocks, Join Cigar-Store Indians among Relics of Past services. These markers were usually large wooden or metal imitations of some article he sold or tool he used. Most of them have gone into disuse and have given way to artistically painted lettering on the plate-glass windows of store fronts or office doors. Among the last of these once familiar tokens to be discarded is the brightly colored pole before barber shops. Instead, a queer- looking clock is being used, on the theory that it will remind customers that it is time to get a shave or a hair cut. WIRES ARE MADE TO SING BY ELECTRIC FORKS After five years of effort an expert has constructed a machine that tests musical- COPYRIGHT, UNDERWOOD & UNDERWOOD Adjusting Master Fork Tests Wires for of Toning Machine That Musical Instruments instrument wires for tone in the factory A set of harmonic moves by elec- tricity. The largest one vibrates 108%4 times per second, and the smallest one moves twice as fast. By use of these forks, experts make wires that will have any definite vibration rates desired and, therefore, give out the exact tone wanted On a small scale, the piano tuner does the same thing when he raises or lowers the tone of piano strings with the aid of a hand-tuning fork forks COAT HANGER AND BRUSH ARE COMBINED IN ONE Combining the advantages of a coat hanger and a clothes brush in one pt a folding device is being made in the East. Fastened to the underside of the hanger on each side are bristles, which are out of the way when it is in use. When folded it may be used as a brush. So compact that it may be easily carried in a handbag or pocket, the device i. cf special service to the traveler.
Page 124
446 POPULAR MULE, AS CADDIE, CARRIES BAGS OF GOLFERS Because of lack of caddies, a mule being used on one golf course in the South to carry the bags of the players. is gh ES Golfers Using Mule to Carry Bags Because of a Shortage of Caddies One of the mule’s advantages over the human caddie is the fact that he can carry aS many bags as can be strapped on his back. Then, too, he works with- out tips or pay. When off the links, the mule performs many other duties. SEALS SHOT FROM “BLIND” CARRIED ON SLED Seal hunters are now using a light sled ch supports their rifles and conceals them as they approach for the shot. The “seal blind,” as it is called, is made up of a pair of wooden runners carrying a frame gun rest. Lying at full length, the hunters push the blind before them. A white canvas screen, having an opening for the gun and permitting view for aim and guiding, is set upright at the front. whi MECHANICS CLAMPS INSTEAD OF NAILS USED IN SCAFFOLDING To enable random lengths of lumber to be spliced together for scaffolding with- out sawing or the use of nails, a metal clamp being that results in a great saving of material. Fitted about the posts, the metal bands are wedged into position by a hand lever which also re- moves them when desired. In this way, short lengths of timber may be used and dismantled more quickly than if they had been joined by bolts or screws. is made LAWN MOWER IS SHARPENED LIKE A RAZOR BLADE Without removing the cutting bar, roller, or handle, a lawn mower may be sharpened by being placed in a machine developed by a western concern. The entire lawn mower is set in the device, which is operated by a pulley, and the blades are sharpened at one operation. ] | i Machine for Sharpening the Blades of a Lawn Mower without Removing Them from Wheels It is said that this takes less than 15 minutes and saves much of the time that would be required to do it by hand. . ae “Blind” on Sled for Stalking Seals Gives Added Concealment When Blending with a Snow Background. Knowledge of Their Habits Is Necessary to Approach These Animals
Page 125
POPULAR MECHANICS 447 FLAMING BEACONS TO GUIDE FLIGHT OF AIR MAIL In the nonstop flight of the air mail from coast to coast, the hazards of night flying will be lessened by five huge, flaming, moving beacons of 500,000,000 eandlepower each, placed 200 miles apart, to guide birdmen on their plunge through the dark- ness between Chicago and Chey- enne, Wyo. Trips are so arranged that they will fly in daylight east of Chicago and west of Cheyenne. Revolving on 25-foot pillars three times per min- ute, these blazing lights will flare up into the dark sky so they can be seen for more than a score of miles. They will be the new milestones of the air, guiding the mariner of the sky in his swift flight through space. Airplanes racing through the night over the great central plains, with en- gines throbbing and _ propellers whirling, directed by blazing . lights, are declared to mark a lL — — — new era in the history of aerial navigation. One of the Giant Lights to Guide the Flight of the Night Mail over the Great Central Plain “ROUND-YOU-GO” MOTORCYCLE 6a single wheel that forms an endless track RUNS ON SINGLE WHEEL for two small, inner wheels to which are attached the rider’s seat and the ma- While most motorcycles run on two chine’s engine. Driven by electricity, the wheels, one recently invented travels on machine, called the “round-you-go” mo t torcycle, because ot its unusual method of operation, is reported is capable oO! attaining al fair rate ol peer PADDLE TENNIS IS PLAYED IN ANY-SIZE COURT Indoors or where suthicient space not available tor irge courts, tenni may now be pl under the same rul S e used te e ordinary ime | ball is 17 ed vetween tl player b means ot paddle inst 1 of racket Chall paint, t p iny the 1 te | suites to tir 1 ice \ ie us¢ to mark out the boundaries and cross lines laid off in the gymnasium, on the deck of a steam ship, or on the sidewalk or street. Stand are made to hold the net, but it may be fastened to chairs or sticks. Any num ; ber of persons up to four may take part == — in paddle tennis in the usual single o1 One-Wheel Motorcycle Attains Fair Speed double sets. re Any small-size court
Page 126
148 POPULAR WOOD-TURNING LATHE HAS MOTOR IN HEADSTOCK Power-wasting belts and counter- shafts are done away with in a new wood- turning lathe of unusual design. The Wood-Turning Lathe with Motor Built into Head- stock, Dispensing with Belts and Countershafts motor is a part of the headstock, and has four speeds, from 570 to 3,450 revo- lutions per minute, controlled by a sim- ple lever conveniently mounted on the front of the bed. No regulators or rheo- stats are used, the four speeds being ob- tained by the use of four different wind- ings in the motor itself. The rear end of the motor-headstock is fitted with a faceplate for pattern work, and many attachments, such as a band saw, saw table, jointer, and planer, can be fitted to the head end of the bed. The carriage has an automatic feed. CONTINUOUS-LIFT JACK WORKS EASILY Using a common jack, it is necessary to block the object lifted when the jack has been screwed out to its limit, then to run the screw in and block the jack to a new height. All this is rendered un- necessary by a continuous - lift which per- mits a new foun- dation to be built under it while still sustaining the load. The jack resembles a com- mon bell jack, with a larger bell height, but carries, at the lower ° s | JACK, of low end of the screw, a cylindrical thrust cap, MECHANICS which is drawn inside the screw is turned outward. slocks are first placed under the rim of the bell, and the jack screwed up until the bottom of the thrust cap is inside the be A block is then placed under the cap, and the screw backed down until the load taken off the bell, which can then be run up the screw until it is close to the jac] head. Additional blocking is now placed under the bell rim, and the screw operate again until the thrust cap is within tl bell, when the blocking operations are repeated. bell as tl PENDULUM INSTRUMENT TESTS HARDNESS OF METALS Working on an entirely new principl an instrument for testing the hardne of substances ranging from lead to phire has recently been put on the En lish market. The instrument pivots o1 a hardened-steel or ruby ball, held in a chuck at its center; this is placed o the piece to be tested and the instru ment tilted so that the bubble in a curve tube at the top of the instrument come to zero on the scale pri vided. When released, the instrument swings like penduluni, t! swings grad ually decrea ing in lengt] owing to tl ex penditut of energy noel the point ‘ E where the ba rests on the work. The position of the bubble at th: end of the first swing shows the wort done by the ball on the specimen, an measures its hardness There is another method of instrument, by means of “time” tests, which the time for a certain number ot swings is taken, and used as a using t] measul of the hardness of the piece being teste By “reversing” the pendulum, it claimed that minute differences of har ness may be determined. The instrument dispenses with all microscopic measure ments, and the tests take only a few seconds. Heavy loads are not used, the instrument may be used on thin o: fragile articles without risk of breakag j ] or defacing surfaces, which cannot easily instruments. be done with other
Page 127
POPULAR DRILL COMBINES STRENGTH AND ACCURACY High-speed twist drills have in the past been made by two processes, forg- ing and milling. The ferged drill was ed wherever great strength and pene- trating ability were required, while the illed type was used when accuracy was of first importance. Each type had ad- vantages over the other for certain classes of work. A single type of drill, combining the advantages of both the forged and milled drills, is now available. fhe drill is first hot-forged, to insure trength and toughness, then machined in the same manner as a milled drill, to produce an accurate central web. The cutting quality is thus equal to that of thie forged drill. FLOOR-MARKING MACHINE WORKS CLOSE TO WALL Aisles, safety zones, and stock spaces in factories may be marked off quickly by means of a machine recently placed on the market. The machine is different from the usual type in that the marks can be made close to machines, posts, or side walls, and the work done as quickly as aman can walk. The paint container has a capacity of 6 quarts; the flow of paint is controlled by means of a hand lever, and, when ence set, is maintained automat- ically. The wheels are lined up rigidly so that the machine will run straight without effort on the part of the operator. A 2-in. marking pad is sup- plied for general factory use; where rough usage is expected, or for marking pavements and streets, a 4-in. marker is furnished UNIVERSAL DRILL JIG SAVES TIME IN SHOP Two types of universal drill jigs, de- signed to take the place of the common leg-and-box and screw-bushing jigs, re- spectively, are now available. The first type consists of a square base with a post at each corner, carrying the plate that contains the drill bushings. MECHANICS 449 The work is set under the plate and locked in position by a plunger, which is forced up by a handle and locked by means of a simple latch. The latter type is similar, except that there are two plungers, carrying the bushing plate, and vy — Left, Bushing Type of Jig, with Work in Place; Right, Plate Type on Drill-Press Table working downward against the work These jigs are much more convenient to use than common jigs, as it is merely necessary to place the work on the lower bushing, in one type, or on the plunger in the other, and to pull the handle down, thus locking the piece securely; there is thus no need of removing the jig after once placing it on the drill-press table, and loading and unloading is rapid. Any number of different parts may be drilled by changing the bushings or top plate. HAND SHAPER AIDS LIGHT WOODWORKING For rounding corners up to “6-in. radius, and for cutting beads and fancy edges on the inside or outside of curved or straight pieces, a small shaper that may be held in the hand has been developed. The tool is elec- trically driven, and is suitable for use on either alternating or di- rect current Bead cutters of almost ny ae- sign, and us cutters, ranging acinar iit. from 146 to 416 in. in size,can be furnished, making the tool a most flexible one. The shaper can be fitted with a chuck for drills, and with a shaft extension for emery wheels, thus further extending it range of usefulness. The motor is pro- vided with an insulated, knurled casing to provide a cool, easy grip, and an ef! cient ventilating system is built into it
Page 128
150) POPULAR GUT STRINGS FOR RACKETS POLISHED BY MACHINE Sheep-gut strings, used for tennis rackets and musical instruments, may be twisted and polished by means of a ma- Twisting and Polishing Gut Strings for Tennis Rack- ets in One Operation chine maker. lhe machine is 40 feet long, enabling it to tennis-racket strings at full length. The polishing is done by means of pumice-stone blocks, and, as_ the strings are twisted while the polishing mechanism moves back and forth, they are polished all around in one operation (he machine does the work hitherto re- quiring five men, and polishes six gross of tennis-racket strings per day A rather interesting point about this process is that the pumice stone used is imported from Italy, where it is quarried on Mt. Vesuvius, and in the Lipari Islands, invented by an _ eastern string 1 take HEIGHT OF TRACTOR DRAWBAR QUICKLY ADJUSTED Tractor drawbars are usually attached it fixed heights, which vary, according to the make of the machine, all the way from 10 to 22 inches. An improved drawbar, which has the same side ad- justment as the fixed type, can be ad- justed to any height from 8 to 23 inches, thus enabling the farmer to “hook” any implement to his tractor at the best drait height. The adjustment only requires a few seconds, and as the height of the drawbar has a decided influence on the efaicient working of implements such as plows, harrows, etc., this drawbar is de- cidedly practical. MECHANICS By means of a simple derrick arm, at tached to the rear of the tractor, plow can instantly be raised or lowered, when entering or leaving a furrow, when back ing, or to allow them to pass over ob structions PIPES LINED WITH CONCRETE BY MACHINE With the object of avoiding incrusta tion, it has been American practice for some years past to line metal water pipe¢ with a thin coat of cement, applied by means ot a brush, cement gun, or |! hand. During the course of some experiment in England it was discovered that tl machines used in the centrifugal-castin process of making concrete pipe cou! also be used for lining steel and cast iron pipe, the resulting coating being very dense, and attached very firmly to the inside of the pipe. In large pipe the lining is made about '% inch in thic! ness, but this may be increased to 1 inch where desired. Using this process, new pipes, whi are considerably lighter than standard cast-iron pipes, have been made in size ranging from 4 to 72 inches in diameter POWERFUL ONE-MAN WIRE STRETCHER While not new in principle, an improve wire stretcher, with specially made chain and claws that hook onto the heavy link \ |. e i ~ ~ #\ i PS — N v =e ‘I ryt] * Wire Stretcher Operating with a Chain Insert, C! Up of the Claw Arms of the chain, deserves mention as 1g very powerful in action. It will stretch 40 rods of wire in one operation. It ma also be used instead of block and tackle to raise heavy trees, to pull automobiles up embankments, or to draw spreading walls of buildings back into place being
Page 129
All Shop Notes published in 1922, in book form—Fifty Cents—from our Book Department. A Portable Electric Forge By EDWIN M. LOVE PORTABLE forge, large enough to take care of any ordinary automo- bile or wagon work, is a great conven- ience in and around the small workshop, and will also be appreciated on the farm. The one shown in the illustrations has proved its usefulness in the shop where it was built, as it can be moved about easily. The blower is operated’ by electricity, which is available in cities and towns, and also on most farms. The frame of the forge consists of the rear end of an automobile frame, cut to a length of 4% ft. and covered with a DETAIL OF TUYERE HANGER Fic.2 BLOWER ON % SHEET-STEEL RACKET DETAIL OF TUYERE =. * -P ~~ 3 : > p> 2, tRON BOTTOM is 7 4-6 SLITTED AND BENT | DOWN TO TUYERE 1 fe PART OF : 4 PLAN AUTOMOBILE FRAME ----------- sf Fis.! oo _— DETAIL OF UPPER AND f bail J b LOWER AXLE BRACKETS ae Fic.4 SHEET-IRON BOTTOM COVERED WITH CEMENT } ___ REMOVABLE / PLUG \. TUYERE OF \ ~. 3"IRON PIPE 4 | ; 4 2’ LONG VA | Q 1 8 = SIDE VIEW Fic.5 \ ] 4 P Figures 1, 5, and 6 Show the Plan, Side View, and End View of the Forge. Figures 2, 3, and 4 Give Details of the Tuyére Hangers, the Tuyére Draft Ouilets, and the Axle Brackets
Page 130
452 POPULAR heavy dished sheet of iron; over this a 3-in. layer of cement is laid, to protect the iron from the intense heat of the fire. To this frame is attached an axle with two steel wheels and two legs, as indi- cated in the illustration. The axle is a 1'.4-in. iron pipe, bolted rigidly to the frame by means of four flat-iron brackets, The as shown in Figs. 4 and 6. wheels ] } 4 Electric Forge That Is Use in the Shop Rear View of a Portable Very Convenient for themselves are the kind used on farm im- plements, and can be found in most junk heaps. The legs at the tront ot the forge t are angle iron bolted to the Supporting Long, Thin Bars The support shown in the drawing will be found very useful by anyone having a variety of bar work to do on the lathe, especially when the bars are long and small in diameter. Centering does not work very well in these cases, the diameter not being large enough. ee — \ piece ot %-in. cold- rolled steel rod is bent owveras shown, one en d fitting into a holder that is turned on the shank to fit the tail- stock sleeve. r W hen these two parts are finished so far, they are fitted together, and a hole is drilled through both. Three other holes in line with this one are similarly drilled, then all are reamed for a taper pin. The pin is driven tightly into the holder and the first hole in the rod, and a hole for one MECHANICS corners of the frame, and supported b flat braces, attached as shown. An ele tric motor and a small blower are se curely bolted to a “%e-in. sheet-steel bracket, which extends over the left wheel and is bolted and braced to th: frame. A 3-in. sheet-steel blower pip extends from the blower to the tuyére which is made of the same-size iron pipe and is located underneath the front end of the forge. The tuyére is suspended by hangers from two lengths of channel iron running lengthwise underneath the frame and is bolted to it at each end, as ind cated by the dotted lines in Fig 1. Eac! hanger, as shown in Fig. 2, consists ot two long bolts and a cross plate, drilled to slip over the ends of the bolt and held by nuts. The open end of the tuyere ; closed with a removable wooden plug, that the ashes that sift through the draft outlets can easily be removed. The drai outlets of the tuyere, as shown in Fi 3, are simply holes and cuts in the pip they are made by drilling four %-in holes and slitting the pipe crosswise, | in. on each side of the holes, with a cut ting torch. At the point where the draft outlets are located, the iron botto: of the forge is slitted; the slits are 4 i long, and the flaps thus formed are ber down to the tuyere and cement-lined size of bar is then drilled and reame through the opposite end of the support using a drill held in the lathe chuc! The taper pin is then driven into tl next hole in the support, and anoth« size of hole is drilled and reamed, and on. When in use, the support is held i an upright position on the tailstock, t! taper pin being inserted in the hole line with the hole required for the worl which is held on the other end by a collet or a three-jaw chuck Etching Glass Most of the processes for etching o1 glass call for hydrofluoric acid, which dificult to obtain and to store, and is violently poisonous that it is even dange ous to health if inhaled; it intense irritation to the hands. However a dilute solution, for immediate use easily made by dissolving 20 gr. of sodiu fluoride in 10 oz. of water, and addi1 15 minims of hydrochloric acid (poison This solution should be used with the hands being protected with rubb« gloves and the solution handled in rub ber or wax-covered trays. also caust care
Page 131
POPULAR Combination Dowel and Bolt Bolts, studs, or capscrews cannot be depended on to prevent lateral shifting assembled machine parts, their main function being to hold the parts closely together To prevent lateral shifting, taper pins or dowels are usually used, if there are no machined male and female interlock- LEZ 7 ing sections wits provided. In cases where there is little room for dowels, hol- low dowels can be used, the bolts then passing through the dowe as indicated. The holes are taper- t bored, or taper-reamed, and a taper bush- ing is driven in, then the bolt, stud, or capscrew is passed through and _ tight- ened. Ii a taper dowel is impracticable, parallel! hole is drilled, and a cylindrical bushing driven in. The bolts should fit freelv in the bushings PER BUSHING CYLINDRICAL BUSHING { at Homemade Horizontal Tool Grinder A horizontal tool grinder is often more convenient than the common _ vertical kind. A novel tool grinder of this kind for the home workshop is shown in the accom- panying pho- tograph. A carborun- dum or em- ery stone ts attached tc tlie mech- anism oft an 8) | d cream separator by fastening a %9-in. bolt to the bowl, and allowing the threaded end to ex- tend above | the latter far ‘ enough to take the em- ery wheel, washers, and nut. The advan- tages of this grinder are its substantial hase, high gear, and convenient working id z * > re ato 3 = MECHANICS 153 Live-Stock Frame for Farm Scales The photograph shows a frame for farm scales, mounted on rollers and a track, so that it can easily be pushed ove r ——— - Convenient Live-Stock Frame for Farm Scales: It is Mounted on Rollers Running on Tracks the scales when needed for weighing live stock. It is substantially built and well braced at the top, a feature that is not possible with a frame that must be taken apart in order to move it off and onto the scales. This kind of frame saves consid erable time and much lifting, as it only takes a few moments to push it into place over the scale platform and to open the end gate—J. ( Allen, LaFayette, Ind T-Slot Cleaner When equipped with a tool like that shown in the drawing, it 1s an easy mat ter to clean out machine ‘T-slots thor oughly from end to end A piec e of round steel is used for the han- dle. and a flat piece, shaped to fit the slots, is fastened to » tached to tl . a scraper so tl] t the fo ( rests on the surtace oft the table when the 7] piece is in the slot. By making it tl way, the tool an be drawn along forcib! gin the slot. When usin the tool, the straight part run throu, the slot first to break up the cuttin and then the other end is turned dow1 and run through it to finish t tion
Page 132
POPULAR Rafter Design for Semimonitor Laying House In the simple rafter design illustrated, cross braces are dispensed with, thus elim- inating undesirable roosting places for the
4 = eS . = = nx- - SS
A Semimonitor Laying House with a Simple Rafter Construction Having No Cross Braces fowl, and permitting a much lower roof construction than usual, which makes for a warmer house. The rafters are joined in pairs, a bolt being used to fasten them at the point of junction, as shown; washers are used on both ends of the bolt so that it will not tear through the rafters. One rafter is extended a few feet beyond the bolt, and a vertical brace is attached to it near the end, and to the other rafter below. Windows are fitted between the vertical braces as shown in the drawing. Rafters for spans not greater than 12 ft. may be made of 2 by 4-in. material, but for spans between 12 and 18 ft., 2 by 6-in. stuff must be used—Edward R. Smith, Walla, Wash. Floating Nut and Washer for Arbors Walla An ordinary nut and washer, used to tighten work on very well a threaded arbor, serves when the with the ms when the work 1S there are not face of the axis, but work is occa- square or 1 q 2 -- ] ¥ the tace 1s lett WASHER —, ROUND Cc rough. Some oo TT emretercen, ( CORNERS j ] ; . ] po i } method of “float- PY ARBOR ~ ‘ ie: ) : ” es = y the washer — ing a Kian must then be
—— < tried, or else the weastate sain ecaeeeeeeee arbor willbe A\K Z bent when the | SS Wen nut is tightened. i The nut and woRK— RUBBER GASKET - washer shown were designed to be used on work having one face milled angle, off at an the pieces -being after-
MECHANICS ward finished off in the lathe on a thread ed arbor. The shouldered nut is turned to a radius on one end and the wash turned to fit it. The bore of the washe: should be larger than the diameter o} the arbor shank, in order to allow for th necessary “float.” To keep the nut and washer together to facilitate handling and also to exert a slight tension to keep them both in line when off the ‘arbor rubber gasket is fastened to the back of the washer by four screws, as indicated A thin sheet-metal washer underneath the heads of the screws will prevent them from cutting into the rubber. With the floating movement shown, the nut al Ways tightens up in line with the shank of the arbor, and thus there is no dangei of straining and bending the latter. Blowing Soapstone through Conduit Soapstone is generally used by electri cians to facilitate pulling rubber-covered wires through conduit, but it is not an easy matter ‘to force the through long lengths of conduit. On large jobs where compressed air is avail able, the soapstone can be blown throug! with the device shown in the illustration It consists of a tin compression-top can, with an inlet for the compressed ait andan outlet for the soapstone The inlet, which can be located conveniently on the cover, is fit- ted with a union on the end for connecting to the air hose, and soapstone
STOPCOCK STREET ELBOW, RUBBER GASKETS
a stopcock Tor controlling the supply. The out- Ra LL let vhich e ‘ % et, which con UNION FOR an D : ° AIR HOSE COMPRESSION sistS of a street ‘oP CAN
elbow, is fitted on the side as indicated. Rubber gasket are used to make the connections on the can air-tight. To use the device, a hand ful or two of soapstone is put in the com pression can, the street elbow is inserted into the end of the conduit through which the wire is to be run, and the air pressure is then applied, which will blow the soap stone through with considerabie force and will prevent it from accumulating in the pipe. Very little air pressure is neces sary; and as any high degree of pressure will blow the top from the can, the stop- cock should be opened gently. —W W Parker, Lead, S. D.
Page 133
p POPULAR MECHANICS 155 Increasing Capacity of Acetylene Generator A welder who uses a popular make of etylene generator found that it did not enerate rapidly enough to supply a eavy welding tip for a _ considerable ength of time. To remedy this, he cut asection from an old hot -water tank, welded the two re- maining pieces to- gether, and connected the resulting tank with the generator, as illustrated in the drawing. The regulator was put on the auxiliary tank. The generator was thus enabled to store a larger quantity of etylene, and the feeding mechanism perated with greater efficiency, with the result that a large tip could be used with- ut difficulty. An Emergency Elbow When installing a large overhead-irri- gation system, we found that an addi- tional 3-in. elbow was needed, and as it was necessary to finish the job at once, we resorted to making an elbow rom a piece of pipe. A 4-in. length was hreaded at both ends and a V-notch cut out of the center as shown, the cuts being (Qiadaeaall made with an acety- lene torch. The back of the pipe, which vas left untouched, was heated to a cherry red and bent as indicated, so that the ends of the pipe were at right angles to each other, a carpenter's T-square being used to test the accuracy of the angle. The seam was then welded, with a heavy fillet; this completed the elbow, which served the purpose just as well as an ordinary one—A. S. Jamieson, Springfield, Mass. HEAVY - FILLETED WELD @ When making finishing cuts on a mill- ing machine, use a fine-toothed mill. Car Inspector’s Tack Hammer and Journal Hook The combined tack hammer and jour- nal hook shown in the illustration is simple to make and has proved to be of considerable usefulness tor railroad-car o- —[— A Combined Tack Hammer and Journal Hook That Greatly Facilitates Railroad-Car Inspection inspection, as it eliminates the necessity of carrying separate tools. This tool al- lows the inspector to do his work without getting oil on his hands, and as a result the record books and “bad-order” cards will be clean. The tool can be made from a scrap coke fork. One end is bent over to form a hook for “feeling” the journal to detect cuts, etc., and a hammer head and claw are formed at the other end. The tool is strong enough to be used for prying doors open. The measurements of the tool are given in the detail, but can, of course, be varied as desired.— T. B. Aldridge, Jr., Denver, Colo Novel Method of Lowering Tank into Pit An ingenious method of lowering a large steel fuel-oil tank into its pit, i1 e absence of suitable derricks or tackle, was adopted in a small British Columbia gen erating plant \ll the tank outlets were plugged, the pit was filled with water and the tank simply rolled into it It naturally floated on the surface of the water, which, when pumped out, allowed the tank to sink into position gradually —G. R. Dyment, Hamilton, Can
Page 134
POPULAR Supporting a Long Discharge Pipe . @ Soom. \Whe , Hy yw nen nstalling a ‘ centrifugal pump to furnish water for the screens at a gravel-washing plant, it was decided to un the discharge pipe so that no bend
TO SCREEN CABLE LOOPS—~ -. if / i xy j 7 « is | “a bP: Hash " f A =F PUMF ~. 2 rh ; P| "ae TI fi 4 ‘ oi a ELEVATOR TOWER 10° msi 2 GROUND LINE AF oe Pa TURNBUCKLE * ae PIPE sé BURIED ANCHOR Efficient Method of Supporting a Long Discharge Pipe at a Gravel-Washing Plant 5 . in order to would be much as eliminate The pipe elevation and Was Ca Sou it greater than 45 friction a was run trom the pump to an about 10 ft. above the ground, rried for a distance of about at-this elevation, three tripods being used to support it. A 45° bend was then made, and the pipe run up to the top f a 60-it. elevator tower. The pipe was strong enough to support itself while be- ing erected, but sagged about 2 ft. in the middle, necessitating additional support. \ %g-in. run from the top of the elevator tower to an anchor in the ground near the pump. A _ turnbuckle possible. 11 cabie Was was fitted in the cable near the ground, so that it could be reached easily Two oops were clamped around the main shown, turnbuckle, the lifted arrange! timber ror two ve; cable and the pipe as and, by rewing the middle of until it was straight. ent, which eliminated supports, has been in use irs and has held the pipe quite pipe Was securely. The ease of erection of this support is one of its commendable features. The anchor was fixed first, and the cable was then run from the top of the tower to the turnbuckle, and then attached to the anchor, being drawn tight by means of blocks before clamping it to the turnbuckle. To get the loops of cable round the main cable and the pipe, a natch block with a hand line rape was at-
MECHANICS tached to the main cable at the top. A was attached to the hook snatch block so that a man could rid down the cable. <A set of rope bloc! were hung on the main cable wit! a sliding sling around the pipe. As the man was lowered to the position of the lower loop, he slid the set of rope block along with being used to draw the main cable and pipe togeth« before attaching the cable loops. After the lower loop was made and clamped to the main cable, the process was re peated at the upper loop, and the mar then pulled back to the top of the towe: The turnbuckle was then screwed up few turns to straighten out the pipe— A. W. Burg, Lake View, Ia. seat ot the onc also him, these Holding Belts for Cutting and Punching The drawing shows how a belt repair man utilizes his tool box as a holder fo: the ends of the belts while measuring them for cutting and punching. One end e ‘ . o¢ . °« ot a teather Strap 1S nailed to one side of} the box; the other end of the strap leit loose and has a number of hi punched in it \ slide catch, made « stout wire, is
used to hold the strap. This wire is bent to a hook shape at one end, so that it will enter the strap holes and a hole in the box, and is held to the box by means of a couple of staples, as indicated The ends of the belt are clamped by pla ing them between the box top and t strap, the latter being pulled tight and t hook passed through the strap into t hole in the box The belt 1 curely, as the weight of the holds it down while it
STAPLES
the held se content is unrolled. Filing Crosscut Saws The work of sharpening crosscut sav is greatly facilitated by marking off the correct tooth angle, which is 30°, on the top of the saw clamp at 1-in. interval If the file is kept parallel to the mark while filing the saw, the of tl teeth is sure to be Page, Winfield, angle correct—Fred W Kan
Page 135
A Reboring Fixture for the Garage By: J. V. ROMIG Ww == the automobile engine is be- : ing thoroughly overhauled, all con- necting rods and pistons are refitted. Oversize wristpins are usually fitted where the original ones are worn enough to warrant it, the wristpin holes being reamed to fit. The reaming process is not a very ac- curate one, and many pistons so fitted either stand “cocked” in the cylinders, causing excessive wear and unsatisfactory operation, or, if the connecting rod is twisted and set so that the piston will check with an alinement gauge, the wrist- pin itself is not properly fitted, and wears rapidly. A better way to fit new wrist- pins, and one that insures alinement, is to rebore the machine is bolted to the bench. All parts should be screwed up tightly. Two slots are cut through the front of the table, as shown, for the passage of the boring-head clamp bolt, and holes for 'o-in. studs drilled and tapped in the surface of the table. Holes for %-in, screws are drilled and tapped in the back edge of the casting, to hold the braces. The boring-bar head is a bronze cast- ing, 914 in. long over all, and is machined as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 5. The arms are bored and threaded for the 1%%-in boring bar; this job is best done by clamping the head to the faceplate of a lathe, after shaping. The arms are then drilled and tapped for the adjusting screws and holes, and to ; use the reamer merely to size them. The fixture described in this article will do this job perfectly and quickly, a nd can be used for a multitude of small bor- ing jobs where accuracy is re- quired; for in- Stance, con- necting rods can be rebored, after babbit- ting, by the ad- dition of two ~~ - slitted, as | shown in Fig | | ii 2. The boring bar, which is made of steel is now turned bo : ¢ d, and threaded, as hown in Fig inch, and the screw should be fitted accu rately in the arms of the head. As will be noted there are two boring bars, a main bar andan Seeuizary V-blocks to the ' one. ‘The main fixture. Any- —=— ses «Clb ar is 9% in one with ordi- Reboring a Connecting-Rod Big End with a Portable Hand long, and nary mechant- cal skill can build the tool easily, and will be more than repaid by the improved quality of the work done with it. The worktable, full dimensions of which are given, is made of gray cast iron, from an easily made pattern. The top and edges must be planed perfectly flat and at right angles, and particular care should be taken with the planing or shaping of the 2-in. side groove, and the 214-in. top groove, to insure that they are square with all surfaces. The table is mounted on a 3-in. pipe column, which screws into a threaded hole in a boss on the underside of the table casting. The base of the column is a pipe flange, by means of which the Fixture: Note How the Rod is Clamped turned down to 114% in. diameter for about %4 in. at each end At the nose end, a *%-in square hole is machined for the tool bit and at the other, a °%-in. round hole for the crank handle Che latter is made ot 54-in. cold-rolled steel, turned down to 14 in., except for the ball end and the center portion, which latter is left °, in in diameter to fit the hole in the bar A setscrew hole is drilled and tapped in this ©g-in. section for the clamp screw Che tools are clamped by means ota 5¢-in. tool pin, sliding in the hollow bat and pushed against the bits bv means of the tool-clamp screw just mentioned i ()ne end of the pin 1s potted to receive the pointed end of the screw
Page 136
Al WORKTABLE 9X 18" | “= | BORING-HEAD COLLAR SECTION AB ae
V-BLOCK GROOVE JXILIARY BAR --
, BORING BAR _o77- V- BLOCK } BORING HEAD
(Socom / | | ‘ » 4 SLIT ~-
| BORING-HEAD DETAILS L
ASSEMBLED VIEW Fic.! fe.2
Z HEADLESS SCREW -- {+
TOOL PIN ~~. TOOL ~-, COLLAR —fY) -—r RANIAAAR TVHVRRNBAN “y he hii ae 7 | —-- — . : ~ BORING-BAR DETAILS —— - : Fic.3 | | ' i oe el ee + sTAPPED HOLES | | O00 fe) -—-4"— 7 KZ | ; ié V-BLOCK GROOVE
BRASS BRACES Fig. 4
Figure 1 Shows the Fixtur
Holes;
BORING WRISTP?) PLAN VIEW Auxiliary Boring Bars; Figure 4, Braces for Auxiliary Bar; Figure 6, Dimensions of Blocks, and Fig. J HOLES
Fic.5
3" PIPE 3 PIPE FLANGE -~ SIDE VIEW WITH BORING HEAD REMOVED Fic.7
e Completely Assembled; Figure 2, Details of the Boring Head; Figure 3, Main and Figure 5, Set-Up for Boring Wristpin Reboring Connecting Rods ~ 4, Method of
Page 137
POPULAR When boring wristpin holes, it is neces- sary to use an auxiliary bar, which is shown in position in Fig. 1, and in de- tail in Fig. 3. This bar telescopes into the larger one, the main tool pin first being removed, and is locked in position by the special collar shown in the detail. The headless setscrew in the collar is run through the tool-bit hole in the main bar and tightened on a flat milled on the auxiliary bar. The tool in this bar is also clamped by a tool pin, which, in this case, is a part of the clamp screw. When boring a piston of large diam- eter, it is necessary to adjust the bar for each hole. The use of the auxiliary bar also necessitates the making of the brass or bronze braces shown in Fig. 4. These are fitted as indicated in Figs. 1 and 5, and keep the bar true and steady. The feed is secured by the action of the threaded bar, turning the crank to the right feeding the bar forward, and to the left, backward. If it is desired to cut on the backward movement, the tool, of course, must be reversed. When the work is clamped close to the head, juite heavy cuts can be taken in the softer metals. The method of boring wristpin holes is indicated in Fi 5 g. 5. To insure ac- MECHANICS 159 curacy when sizing, after the holes are rebored, a shell reamer should be used, held on the boring bar. For connect- ing rods, two V-blocks should be made, hardened and finished by grinding so as to be as accurate as possible; these must fit snugly, without any side play, in the groove in the table top. When reboring a connecting-rod “big end,” a wristpin is slipped through its bearing and laid on the V-blocks, one being placed on each side of the bearing. The rod is then clamped down, as indicated in Fig. 7, and bored, using only the main bar, with the assurance that all bearings will be square. When boring the wristpin bearing for an oversize pin, the same method is fol- lowed, using a mandrel in the big-end bearing. As the feed is 2 in., the tools used should be ground with a flat top, slightly over 42 in. wide, so that the tool marks will overlap. sushings that are too bore can be rebored by in one of the V-blocks; small in the clamping them the machine can also be used for most work that cannot be handled in the drill press because of the lack of large drills, and, as no power is necessary, it may be carried close to the work, and clamped or bolted to any convenient bench.
Suction Cleaner for Machinery A handy suction cleaner for use around machines, such as knitting and perforating machines, weaving looms, etc., is a great convenience. A cleaner of this kind can readily be made to operate on compressed air, if constructed as shown in the illustration. It is made from a discarded benzine can and a few tandard '-in. pipe fittings. The bottom of the can is cut out, leaving a margin of about 4 in., to which is soldered a piece of fine brass screen. The cap of the can is re- moved and a short nipple soldered in its place. A tee is screwed on the nip- ple, and a length of pipe, about 1 ft. long, into the tee, this pipe being flattened at one end so that the opening will be about lf It is not essential to paper-
<+-AIR TUBE SUCTION- +,
CAN ---s= SCREEN
gs or “Ye in. wide. have the pipe straight; it may be bent to any convenient shape, and its length may also vary to suit the user. Another short nipple is screwed into the tee, as shown, to permit the attachment of the air hose. from the hose through the can creates a strong suction in the pipe, and the dirt and scraps of light material are easily picked up and deposited in the can. Where fine dirt or dust is to be cleaned up, a cloth bag, such as a mailing bag, is tied over the bottom of the can to retain the fine particles. Unscrewing the connection at the tee permits the contents of the can to be shaken out.—H. I. Wheeler, West- wood, Mass The rapid passage of air
Comfortable Handles for Buckets I have found that a short length of flexible metallic tubing, such as is used by electricians, provides a comtortable handle for a bucket. It is slipped over the wire handle with which the bucket is equipped. On a job where we had several heavy paint buckets to carry, all of them were fitted with these handles which made the job very easy on the hands Pieces of waste tubing can be picked up around almost any new build ing where the wiring is being installed. —Reuben Stafford, 5. Washington District of Columbia
Page 138
POPULAR Making Window of Dark Room Light-Proof ing the window of t-proot shown in t Ving should prove ot interest t pro- MECHANICS When the shade is up, the hinged strips ire open; when it is desired to darken the room, the shade is drawn down, fas- tened by means of the lower buttons, and strips closed and cl means of the side e hinged tightly by clamped buttons NS WINDOW-SHADE BOX > ift : —_ J > y Y J P a a, ae VIEW OF WINDOW, SHOWING WINDOW SHADE DOWN ee oe SHADE BUTTONS SHADE HALF UP teur, as it 1s a very imple one. is the method use 1 in Popular Me- chanics’ dark room, and has proved en- tirely satistactory Strips of wood, % in. thick by 5 in le I s lon the indo t mit are | tened to the wall on eithet side the ndow, as own. On the outside ( the trips, °4 by 1°%4-in. strip re f nd 42 by 3%%4-1n. strips attached t C by hinge € 5 I ed 3! n. St ss are faced th felt dow shade, when down, bein vripped tig tly by the felt W oor en turn buttons e used to clamp the nged strips when closed, and two other buttons, mounted on strips ot wood fastened to the wall bel the window, are used to hold the ve! end ot the s] ide tightly cainst the wall. The shade roller is inclosed in it-tight box, as shown in the per- spective and front views. ee __ VIEW OF WINDOW. SHOWING > j WINDOW aT = — — a — CLAMP ark » *% A :. On, WINDOW SHADE FELT STRIPS HINGED STRIP FELT STRIPS -~ SECTIONAL VIEW THROUGH A-B, SHOWING FELT STRIPS not interfered with in the least, whil it is perfectly light-proof in use Soldering Tinfoil When making fixed condensers for uss in radio work, it is often desirable t older leads to the tinfoil sheets | ar ‘ ‘ 3 : iS diihcuit to do becau e the solider doe not readily adhere to the iuse t 1e foil melts so easily. This dif ficulty can be avoided by placing the f [ and using a flu aseline, paraffin, and momiac. The vaseline and paraffin, in parts, are heated and m:xed to gether. While the liquid mixture is still hot, half the total bulk of sal ammonia 1 equal is added The whole is then thoroughly mixed and allowed to cool The flux thus made 1S effective. providing, of course t} f clean.—Leroy West work is thoroughly ern, Plainfield, N. J.
Page 139
POPULAR Tail Center for Wooden Arbors The use of a wooden arbor is at times necessary in woodworking and pattern making, for special work; emery and sandpaper wheels are also +-~-- WHEEL usually mounted yoo WASHER on wooden ar- ty bors. However, “T= workmen some- | times hesitate to “—“E" use one because t CENTER? the wood around \_ BRASS NUT the tail center CENTER has a_ tendency to split open while revolving at a high rate of peed, which loosens the arbor and is, of course, dangerous. This danger can be eliminated by screwing a combined brass nut and center on the end of the arbor. The nut is made of hexagon brass stock, threaded to screw on the wooden end, and is center-drilled to fit the lathe cen- + ter, as indicated in the illustration. ‘“=- WYOOD ARBOR Pipe Fitter’s Vise Support Pipe fitters usually do their work be- fore the inside of the building is finished, and, consequently, it is often a problem to find a suitable place for the pipe vise, particularly in the basement. The arrangement illus- trated makes it pos- sible, however, to use a pipe vise wherever the floor joists are ex- posed, anchorage be- ing obtained by a pin driven into the wire- wound foot of the up- right. A 2 by 4-in. stick is used for the upright, with two BLOCK. | | pieces of 1%-in. onsuie ttn boards bolted to op- FLOOR \ posite sides, for py Eewre = clamping the device eas + to an overhead floor joist. The pin in the bottom end is made from 34-in. rod, and is allowed to project about 3 in., fitting into a small hole drilled in the joist. In the basement, a hole may be chipped in the floor, and a wood block fitted to take the pin, as shown, or a small hole drilled right in the floor. In either case, it is a simple matter to fill up the hole. IECHANICS 461 Clamp for Cylinder Grinder A mechanic, finding that the regular clamps furnished on his cylinder-grinding machine did not hold the cylinder block on | An Additional Clamp on a Cylinder-Grinding Machine to Prevent Vibration solidly enough to prevent a slight vibra tion—which tended to produce imperfect cylinder walls—constructed the clamp shown in the photograph to overcome the difficulty. It consists of a U-shaped frame, made by welding together l-in. iron bars, and hinged to lugs bolted to the grinder car riage. A hole is drilled and tapped in the horizontal bar to receive a setscrew fitted with a crank handle. When the cylinder block has been placed in readiness for grinding, the clamp is swung to a suit- able position over the block and the set- screw is screwed down against it. Since the clamp has been’ used, vibration marks and spoiled cylinders have been eliminated. A Sprinkler Guard The moving stairway in a large depart ment store ran close to a line of sprinkler piping, and the sprinkler-head links were often accidentally broken or brushed b parcels carried by persons using it, o1 4 tampered with by meddlers. To prevent this, a simple guard was made and placed over each head within of a clamp made of Ci d f i sheet met ul, fitting (Ce around the base of the 5) » head, and_ provided CLAMP with a number of U- shaped wires, soldered into holés drilled in the upper edge of the clamp, as shown Since installing these, no further trouble has been experienced.
Page 140
POPULAR Lifter for High Drawers + ores where an increase of stock it small parts makes it necessary to put in drawers above the original ones, it t floor space does not permit addi- = = = DRAWER : : = } ~WELDED SCREWEYES 4 } RUBBER iq WHEEL vy} STEEL 2 ROD --- “HARDWOOD {a HANDLE ] \ Handy Drawer Lifter for Reaching High Drawers in Stores Where a Rolling Ladder is Not Fitted nal cabinets, or it is not desired to in- stall these, a rolling ladder is commonly used. However, a good substitute for a rolling ladder is a drawer litter of the kind shown in the drawing. This even has advantages over a rolling ladder in that it does not take so much space, and as several may be provided if necessary, no time is wasted in waiting for the lad- der until some one else has finished using it farther along the shelves. [It consists of a strong hardwood han- dle on which is fitted a short length of steel rod, bent to the shape shown. A ‘rosspiece of the same size steel rod is velded first piece, and small wheels are fitted at each end, being kept in place by means of cotter pins and washers. In use, the bent rod is slipped into screweyes driven into the front of each drawer, and it is hen an easy matter to pull the drawer out and lower it. The length of the handle depends on the height of the upper drawers.—L. H. Georger, across the rubber Tnese line of Buffalo, N. Y. @ Steam, rising from water at its boiling point of 212° F., has a pressure equal to that of the atmosphere, or 147 lb. per square inch. MECHANICS An Offset Screwdriver For working in very close quarters, an offset screwdriver of the type shown in the drawing will be found very useful. It consists of a handle carrying a head that has four narrow blades formed on it. Each blade is set at an angle of 45° with the two on each side of it, so that in using —T the tool, it is only necessary to move the handle slightly betore one blade can be en- gaged in the of the screw. Where Wag ip headroom is_ limited, : = anda screwdriver can- not be used, this tool will be found to remove the screw much more quickly than the common close-quarters screw- driver, which has but two blades, set at right angles to each other at ends of the handle. gre ove 19 b opposite A Good Cabinet Scraper The illustration shows an wood scraper that has been practical for cabinetmakers woodworkers. It handle, shaped easily made found and consists of a square, very other wooden with © slightly rounded corners and edges. The head is square andhas a congue formed on it as indicated. T he scraper blade cone sists of the end of an old plane bit, and is attached to the handle by means of a LAG SCREW- WASHER ” BLADE lag screw or round-head driven into the end, a hole being first drilled in the handle, to prevent splitting. If a lag screw or round-head screw is not at hand, a nut can be countersunk to take the hezd of a flat-head screw, and the two soldered together. To protect the cutting of the blade, a short piece of round hard- wood, about 1 in. in diameter, and slotted to fit the blade snugly, is provided. This piece is used as a hand rest when using the scraper, being then attached to the top of the blade, as shown —M. E. Dug- gan, Kenosha, Wis. l SCTCW edge
Page 141
Rotary Blower Made from a Tin Can By HOWARD GREEN AS YTARY blower that will suffice for the small shop or laboratory can be made with nothing but ordinary tools, ex- cept for the wooden end disks, which should be turned in a lathe for best re- sults. However, if the disks are carefully sawed out, even the lathe will not be needed. The rotor is made from a sheet-metal cylinder, for which purpose a strong tin can may be used; if an extra good job is desired the cylinder may be built up of heavy sheet metal, using wooden ends. A 15-in. hole is made in each end of the can, % in. from the center, and the holes are reinforced by riveting or soldering on washers with a !5-in. opening; both holes should line up exactly. A piece of '%-in. shaft is fitted through the holes, leaving LEATHER FLAP RIVETED IN PLACE HARDWOOD DISKS Vg THICK 4 iW SCREWS forming a discharge passage at the top. he wooden ends must be spaced, so that the rotor can turn freely, with about MWe in. of end play. The rotor is put in place before the casing is finally assembled. The discharge opening should be curved, as shown in the section, to provide an easy passage for the outgoing air. The leather flap valve is an exceedingly important part of the blower; leather that is fairly thick, but very soft and pliable, usually gives the best results. It is attached to the lip of the discharge opening with small rivets, as indicated. It will be observed that there is a little clearance between the rotor and casing so that the former can pass the flap at each revolution without sticking The rotor should be counterbalanced DISCHARGE OPENING SETSCREW -INTAKE OPENING Le sHarr ~ — BRASS-TUBING PULLEY BEARING / - x ~ \; MOTOR “— TIN OR LIGHT ROTOR \ a GALVANIZED IRON Y KEY LEAD COUNTERWEIGHT om y “Wt: a TRIANGULAR NOTCH IN PLATFORM 7 WASHERS AND SHAFT FOR KEY WASHER?’ Where a Fairly Large Volume of Air at Low Pressure is Required in the Small Shop, a Blower Made from a Tin Can and Some Scrap Materials will do Satisfactory Work about 144 in. projecting at one end and 2 in. at the other. Triangular notches are filed in each washer and correspond- ing grooves are cut into the shait, so that a piece of brass wire can be forced into each of the small keyways thus formed; the shaft is then soldered or brazed to the can, and the outside ends of the keys cut off flush with the washers. The casing requires two disks, about 614 in. in diameter and '% in. thick; holes are drilled at their centers for the short leneths of brass tubing that form the ro- tor-shaft bearings. The bearings are forced tightly into the holes, and oil holes drilled in them. The housing is then made from sheet metal, as shown in the drawing, and screwed to the disks, leav- ing a large opening for the air intake and so that it will run has been finished, rig up the end disks of shait Attach outside smoothly. When it the casing temporarily so that the can be put in place and rotated 1 strips of lead temporarily to the of the rotor, at the point nearest the shaft, and run the rotor at a speed of about 250 or 300 revolutions pet nute to see how it balances [ry pieces of ; es aa different weights until ~~ allows the least und that seems to one is f vibration and balance the rotor properly. When the right weight has been found, melt the lead and pour it through a hole in the end of the can so that it will settle and solidifv at the point nearest the shatt The lead will stick in place if, before the rotor is assembled, the inside is cleaned and coated with a little soldering paste. 463
Page 142
164 POPULAR leather h light graphite grease on hat comes into contact with the rotor, ia coat the surface of the latter in the same way, without using too much of the lubricant. The best operating speed will have to be ascertained by experiment, and as the leather valve works itself into shape and acquires pliability, operation will be improved. Sometimes it will be found that a very light strip of wood tacked across the bottom of the leather Give the wit flap a good rubbing the side
MECHANICS will help somewhat. Such blowers « be made in any size, but if made wit a housing much smaller than 6% in diameter, the results will be hardly wort while, although it can be made a litt smaller and still do fairly good work is not intended for high speed; in fact if driven too fast it will not work we! The operating speed depends large upon the action of the leather valv which refuses to function properly be yond a certain speed.
Steady Rest for Tapered Work The steady rest shown in the drawing vill be found a considerable improvement on the ordinary one furnished milling machine, which is rather with a limited FLATS ON TOP ] Ee) V- GR F OR FLA T >.< POOVE
Machine That has been A Steady Rest on a Milling Found to Be of Considerable for Tapered Work Usefulness in its use. It consists of a truss-shaped beam, mounted on end jacks as shown, and having a recess cut on the underside to fit on the center-jack head; several center jacks can be used, and the beam made long enough to suit any length of work. A V-shaped groove is cut in the } top side, for round work, and the flats are used for flat work. The rest may also be used for grinding —Henry S. Laraby, New Ilaven, Conn. Cheap Concrete Forms By using tar paper to face forms for rough concrete work, a cheaper grade of wood can be used for making the forms, and the total expense of the forms con- siderably reduced. They are covered with a single layer of tar paper, and the con- crete can be poured in without the danger of its running out through knotholes or cracks. It is also much easier to remove
the forms, since the cement will not stic! to them as it will to wood forms in whi the joints are not tight. This method particularly adapted to horizontal floor sidewalk slabs. Micrometer Attachment for Gauge Height In checking a drill jig that had a nun ber of holes in line with each found that a quick method o errors in the location of to use a micrometer attachment on vernier height gauge. The micromete: head is fitted into a steel bracket, as shown, and clamped to the place of the regular blade. micrometer thimble is at other, f discovering the holes was shape rauge When tl! zero, the en
of the spindle is exactly in line with t top of the gauge jaw, thus eliminati: any addi- tional calcu- 4 lation. A standard pin adidas haaas HEAD is fitted in the first hole, and the height gauge is set so that the micro m- us... _ Wis 7 eter spindle i i touches the top side
of the pin. The reading of the thimble is carefully noted. Hav ing the correct height estal ) into the next hole way, the pin is set and the height gauge is slid alorg so that the micrometer spindle is located above the pin. The spindle is_ then turned down pin as before. against the top side of the If the reading is the same in both the holes are in line; it not, the amount of error is at once ap parent. In this way all the holes can be carefully Mal- colm, cases measured.—Alexander Providence, R. I.
Page 143
POPULAR MECHANICS 465 Fastening Pulley to Small Motor A small pulley that is not subject to heavy load can be held on the motor shaft without a key or a setscrew. The entire length of the shaft outside of the motor is threaded and the pulley is fitted on the shaft be- tween two rubber washers. These WASHERS are forced tightly against the face of the pulley by means of nuts screwed on the shaft. Thin steel washers are, of course, used be- tween the nuts and the rubber washers, and a locknut is provided, to prevent the other nuts from loosening. With this arrange- ment the pulley will not slip unless placed under an abnormally heavy load. STEEL WASHERS.-|- SECTIONAL VIEW ex Improving Lathe Tailstock Clamp In a popular engine lathe the tailstock is clamped to the ways by means of two bolts, which pass through the base of the tailstock and extend down through a clamping bar that bears on the lower edge of the lathe bed. As these bolts are held loosely at their upper ends, there is a decided tend- ency for the clamping bar to bind when the tailstock is moved along the ways, unless the bolts are loos- ened far enough to allow the bar to clear the lathe bed, which necessitates several part turns of the nuts. This trouble has been overcome by in- stalling a guide piece as shown in the illustration. It consists of a flat piece of steel, 144 in. thick and 1%4 in. wide, with two small holes drilled through it to re- ceive screws that fasten it to the base of the tailstock, and two larger holes which are a snug fit for the bolts. . With the addition of this guide piece, a quarter turn on the nuts is sufficient to permit the tailstock to be moved easily —Edwin Kilburn, Spring Valley, Minn. Preventing Stream Erosion Along many streams it is necessary to hold the bank back in some efficient and cheap manner, otherwise the ground will == eee a me on ae LEE], Mate. Method of Building an Inexpensive Wall to Prevent Erosion of Streams Having Low Banks gradually slump down into the stream, due to the washing away of the banks An excellent method of preventing this is shown in the illustration. A woven-wire fence is erected where the new water edge is to be made, the fence posts being driven into the bed of the stream. Brush and saplings are then deposited as indicated, the branc he nes pointing away from the water, and the butts inserted into the fencing. Earth 7 is thrown on the brush to make the wa solid, and in a short time the new bank is knit together by marsh grasses and rushes. Removing Dust from Batch Hopper During the construction of a _ large power house, the concrete foreman con structed a square sheet-metal hood and chimney over his batch hopper, to re- move the cement dust. A 1!»-in. pipe, connected to the compressed-air suppl) was arranged so that it pointed up the center of the hood, and, when the air was turned on, a strong suction was cre- ated in the chimney, which caused the dust to be drawn up. The expense of this attachment was about $10, which was more than repaid by the cleanliness of the mixing room and the incteased efficiency of the men—Aaron Evans, Rockport, Wash.
Page 144
166 POPULAR Large’ Homemade Pulleys Most mechanics in out-of-the-way places find that when they need a pulley, r WOOD SCREWS, — COUNTERSUNK LAPS SOLDERED --------- 4 my” SHEET-IRON RIM --- ad HOLES FOR RIVETING ---------- Large Pulleys That Are Light but Rigid can Readily be Made in the Out-of-the-Way Workshop they cannot wait to have it cast, or until one can be delivered, but must have it at once. One resourceful mechanic con- structs his own pulleys, when from wood and sheet the illustration. Two cast-iron flanges, specially made for this purpose, and a number of which are kept on hand, torm the hub of the pulley, wooden spokes being bolted be- tween them, and a sheet-iron rim of suf- ficient thickness provided on the outside. The flanges are fitted with lock the pulley to the shaft are beveled at the inner ends to fit to- gether properly at the hub, and are rounded at the other end to conform to the curvature of the rim. The rim is made of a strip of sheet iron, the length being equal to the circumference of the pulley, plus 2 in. for the lap. Cuts are made along the edges by means of a hack- saw, and the strip is bent along the cuts as indicated. If the sheet metal is light, the pieces cut should be made to overlap each other when the strip is bent around the spokes, but if it is heavy, the cuts shaped, and of necessary, metal, as shown in setscrews to The spokes such hould be V size that their edges will fit closely together when bent. Solder is then run over the flange to fill the openings between the laps, making the rim rigid. If this is done neatly, and the rim given a coat of paint, the cuts cannot be seen. The ends of the rim overlap about an inch, and are riveted together The rim 1s attached to the spokes by means of flat- headed wood screws, the countersunk in the rim. holes being and IECHANICS Most of the pulleys ner have been with a 3-in. flanges, 2 rims made in this man about 2 ft. in diamete: face, and for these 6-i1 by 3-in. spokes, and 22-gauge been used. Because of their lightness and rigidity, these pulleys are much preferable to those made of ca iron or wood for slow speeds, especial! when they are very large and are to be used on a light Silverton, Ore. have shaft—Jonas Byberg Bench Block for Straightening Rods For straightening brass or copper rod the bench block shown in the drawing will give excellent results. This device was used for straightening a number of '4-in. brass rods that had _ previously been used on tank work and were bent to a semicircular shape. It is made from a square block of steel, drilled diagonally, the hole being made a trifle larger than the diameter of the rods, and part of the block is cut away to halt its thickness as shown Holes are drilled in op- posite cor- ners fo fr STRAIGHTENED ROD IRON BLOCK bent rods are inserted in the hole far as possible, then tapped down with a lead liaammer and pushed throu; Le until the rod passes through the hole this form of block was made an ordinary flat block was used, but too much time was required to get the | Before straight, as they warped in different dire tions when struck with a hammer, and was necessary to go over each one se\ eral times. In the case of the bloc! shown, however, the straightened part 1 the rod remains as it is su ported in tne hole, and therefore it be quite straight after it has passé through—Harry Moore, Montreal, Cat straight, Satin Finish for Goldplated Work To satin-finish gold, first be scratch-brushed made of driven work are the articles must with a revolving fine steel wire, the brus! at high speed. The brush kept wet with bran wate brush being
Page 145
n- »Y POPULAR hich is made by immersing in a gallon boiling water a bag containing 2 Ib. bran; the bag must be well squeezed be sure that. the water is made strong.” The water is placed in a drip an suspended above the wheel, and a tin or cardboard guard is mounted above the heel to prevent splashing. After ratch-brushing, the work will show a tin or dulled finish; it is then dipped hot ammonia water, after which is plated, using a rather weak current. Bicarbonate of soda and water is after- ard used, on a handbrush, to clear the jor of the work, which is apt to become ather foggy in the plating bath. Homemade Jack for Erectors i \lachinery erectors and other machin- ts frequently require jacks smaller than e average, which are often too high to be used to CHECKERED ToR «advantage. A , a rouen set of several | small jacks . J ? SCREW, ey “egies ti 4 SSPer will make al ‘recting and t Za . ae : f— = OW HOLE pee Se. assembling fe w ork easier, b=3 ; - 4 and will =HEX NUT as quickly pay for the Le --- pipe time spe nt in making them The body of the jack SLOT - 9 i “4 PIN shown in the Zrance drawing t 1S made irom ~ a * \ 34 -in. extra- b > a heavy pipe, - such as used a for hydraulic and high- pressure pur- poses, fitted at the bottom with a floor ve. The pipe is screwed into the flange flush with its lower face, so as to ke a firm and continuous supporting surface. The elevating screw is made from %4-in. round steel, threaded to with nan inch of the head, which is checkered and casehardened to give a good non slipping surface; the checkering can be done before casehardening by making deep cuts at right angles to each other with a three-cornered file. The screw is drilled and fitted with’ a %4-in. pin, which slides in a slot cut in opposite sides of the pipe and prevents the screw from turning. A good casehardened hexagon nut is used to raise and lower the jack MECHANICS 167 Cutting Gear Teeth on the Shaper Gears that had a number of broken teeth filled in by welding were machined = og j ; “GROUND TO ye 2 FIT TEETH [sn 2 FRED | C) ) GEAR, 4 waa WELDED PART = ‘ANGLE PLATE Machining New Teeth in a Damaged Gear Repaired by Welding on a shaper by means of the method shown in the drawing. An angle plate was set up on the table of the machine, and a cutting tool was made, using an unbroken section of the year as a te mplate The welded gear was placed against the angle pl and cured by a center bolt. A pinion was then bolted to the plate, so as to mesh with the unbroken teeth of the gear to be machined, with one of the good tooth spaces of the gear at the toy Che gear was then brought up to the tool to locate the correct position of the shaper table The welded section was now set undet the tool and the cutting commenced, using only the vertical feed ihe smal pinion meshing with the larger gear was bolted solidly to the plate and was not disturbed until the work was done. A 1 each tooth was cut, the work was turned by detaching it and turning it one t | so that a fresh surface of the new met was brought in front of the cutting t Melting Sulphur Sulphur is often used to anchor bx in cement or stone floors, but catches fire so easily when melted ovet an open flame, its use is somewhat 1 convenient his ditheulty can, ho ever, be avoided by first melting some lead, and then partly immersing the sul phur vessel in the molten lead The sulphur will be melted in a short time, and there it will not catch fire, un less the temperature of the ead 18 a lowed to exceed 625 Fahrenhei
Page 146
POPULAR Facing Valves on Drill Press A novel method of refacing valves is shown in the illustration, a drill press and a hand grinder being used to do the work. A cupped emery wheel is fitted on the grinder, and the valve face is ground with the inner sur- face. This makes the face round, which, by many me- chanics, is considered superior to a flat face, as it seats more readily and uniform- ly, andthe smaller con- tact surface removes all carbon parti- cles that be- come lodged on the seat. The grinder is revolved with one hand while the drill- press spindle is lifted to bring the valve face in contact with the inside surface of the emery wheel. In grinding, only the smallest possible amount of metal is re- moved from the valve, and therefore the valve must not be held on the wheel for an any considerable length of time. VALVE GRINDER P ' Miter Nailing “Jack” The miter nailing “jack” shown in the illustration is used for holding the mi- tered end of a piece ot wood while the other end is being nailed as indicated. the object of ORK the jack be- f ing to avoid 4 bruising the ‘ s ‘ 4 beveled edge. The base of the fixture is : made of 2 by 6-in. wood, about 18 in. long. A piece : ee ) : a. a o;t The -in. / e&Xokls . wood iS then | = Ke S { cut with re- ~ HOLES cesses for the beveled edge of the work, and this base near piece is nailed the Strips are solidly to one end, as shown MECHANICS then nailed to the sides to complete the slots in which the mitered pieces are placed while nailing. Small holes, drille through the base at the points of t! slots, prevent the accumulation of saw- dust and dirt in the points. The dotted lines show the position of the work whe: nailing —F. M. Arthur, Bethune, S. C Long-Range Cotter-Pin Puller The cotter-pin puller shown in the il- lustration was devised by an automobile mechanic, and has been found to be o: considerable assistance in removing cot ter pins from places where it is difficul: or impossible to use pliers or other tool This tool can be used without the pre liminary work of straightening the ends of the cotter pins, and also without t! danger of scratching and bruising the hands. 7“, . . =x rhe body mae STEEL TUBING of the tool yan consists of a length of steel tubing [ of about 3%- | in. inside f* diameter. A %-in. steel ro d t h at Ps COTTER Ps HOOK slides freely © 3 { inside of the tubing is filed or forged to a hook shape at one end, as indicated, and the other end is slotted and drilled for a small pin. One end the tubing is cut and bent to form a su port for a handle lever, which is pinne TEMPERED Ft % ORILL ROD looselv to the end of the rod Che lev« is also pivoted on the support extend from the tubing In use, the body the tool is held against the de ot t pulls the cotter nut while the rod the handle providing a goo Locating Squares on Shaft Ends When cutting a square on the end of shaft, take a square-nose down 1 on the shaft end the lathe, ameter tool andl é - short tet until 1S equal to side of the square Thi: hle the mil This enables em ing cutter or sl tool to be fed down to the correct depth i at once, without further measuring
Page 147
tty F Ly WY ? > z Vi , 4 7 * * iT | U { ' Se & G ‘ , . ‘ oA MEWS - GY & | Shy b ~~. ~ | le ee ‘ols Lille _| “c - . 9 The “California Cooler By W. DRAPER BRINCKLOE HE “California cooler” is well known = supposed to keep the food fresh, and, as on the Pacific coast, and should be a matter of fact, does so quite success- etter known elsewhere in the country. fully. t is used to keep vegetables and other For use farther east, however, this perishacle foodstuffs fresh and sweet, simple construction must be modified; as and in the cool chmate along the sea’ the outside air is often very hot, the coast works very cooler must be ar- r It consists of i ranged to take cool | f a rs = ———— ——— | ———_ —= —-—— = WIRE-NETTING F / «\\e —————"J Left: Cross Section of California Cooler, Showing Arrangement of Trap and Screen Doors, Shelves, and Vent. Right: Detail of Shelf, and Appearance of Screen Door and Casing nothing more than a simple closet, fitted air from the cellar, and to make it | with screen-wire shelves, with a small through fairly rapidly ' screened opening in ‘the house wall, near A closet, of matched boards and of at the bottom, and another at the top. size convenient, is built in one corner « Fresh air enters the closet through the the kitchen, on an outside wall. trom ewer opening, and passes out of the the top, a sheet-metal or wooden flue i upper one; the constant current of air is run above the roof, as shown in the leit
Page 148
170 POPULAR hand drawing. This is better than merely cutting a hole in the side wall, as, when the tlue is heated by the sun, the air within it rises more rapidly, drawing the cool air in at the bottom. The vent is usually made 4 in. in diameter or 4 in. square; in the drawing, it is shown pass- ing through a low attic, but in my own bungalow it runs up through a second- story room, behind a wallboard partition. Near the bottom of the closet, an open- ing, about 8 in. wide and 12 itn. high or any other convenient size, is cut through the wall. This is cased in, and a simall screen door fitted in place with spring hinges. In the bottom of the closet, an opening is cut through the floor, and fitted with a small trapdoor, about 12 in. square. The trapdoor open- ing, as well as the opening in the vent, should be covered with tly-screen wire. The shelves are made of heavy gal- vanized = cellar-window wire netting, tacked to 1 by 2-in. wooden frames, and resting on cleats screwed to the inside of the closet. Emergency Lens Shade All motion-picture cameras are pro- vided with lens shades, which 1S the rea- son that the operators can obtain such effective scenes “shot” against the sun. \mateur photog- raphers will profit by using such a shade One can ea sily be made from a card or piece of paper of a dark preterably a piece to size and color, black. C suitable ut make a slit in the end equal to exactly halt of t circumference of the lens tube. Open the slit and slide the shade over shown lo cover the entire en wse wo ¢ aras 3ucket Used as Heater During cool weather pring and fall, when 1t 1 not necessary to use a fur- nace, but some heat is necessary to take the “chill” from the room, oil and gas cookstoves are frequently used. AIl- though these provide considerable heat, it not radiate but rises to top of the This diffi- doe pri perly - I I ok the room culty can be avoided by placing an ordi- nary metal bucket, with holes punched MECHANICS In cool weather, the trapdoor is kept closed, and the air taken from the out side. When the outside air becomes too hot, the trapdoor is opened, and the screen-door frame filled with a piece oi wallboard or thin wood, cut to fit nicel) and held in place by turn buttons. The cold closet will not do away wit! the refrigerator by any means, but I have found that for a large part of the ye it enables one to get along without very well. If milk bottles are wrapy in a wet cloth and set in the cooler, t current of air causes rapid evaporatio: and keeps them quite cold. Fresh me are put in closed kettles, and the kettl wrapped in wet cloths; fruits and tables do not require this, as the ce air keeps them cool enough. Milk and grocery deliveries can made through the outer door, and the milk especially this is a decided ad eC vantage, as it is placed in a cool pl at once, not left in the hot sun as usua All told, the constructor of a Califor cooler will not regret it in the bottom t t ) » permit air circula in an inverted position over the burne: The heat given off by the stove will t! radiate from the sides as well as the top causing a more even distribution of t warmth.—Joe H. Hudner, Bautista, | Fly Exit on Screen Door Despite shut, flies wi lect on the inside of the screen where the have no means of until the 7 RN BEF A and they are driven lf a planed along ashot length ot the in keeping screen door ain entrance, and I] I2 S escaping is opened out slot is cut SLOT tom to the top door. will 1 will cr through the slot t the outside, but as inside of the slot is not so well light they will not return. It is still better possible, to cut a tew slots where tl screen join the frame, whi in little trouble s then painted a darl Benson, B accomplished with a more The planed surface 1 color—Harold E oulder, (
Page 149
POPULAR Soldering with Alcohol Lamp A very convenient method of soldering the wire connections on radio sets, or on any other delicate work, is to use a piece of copper wire heated by the flame of a mall alcohol lamp. The lamp can be purchased for about 40 cents at any physi- cians’ or dentists’ sup- ply house. The length of cop- per wire, which should be No. 14 gauge, is thoroughly cleaned, twisted around the neck of the lamp with a pair of pliers, and bent to pass through the up- per part of the flame, leaving about %4- COPPER n. of the end projecting beyond the lame. This end is tinned in the usual way, and used as the soldering bit. Ex- periments will determine how far the tip must extend from the flame to obtain the best results. The device insures a hot point of constant temperature, and be- cause of its size, it is much more efficient than a soldering iron for small work. Saving the Gatepost Careless drivers often neglect to allow sufficient clearance between the wagon and the gatepost when driving in a large load, and a result the post is often struck and loosened, or it may even be broken. prevent a farmer .ounted n old wagon wheel on a 2 by 4-in. timber ind spiked it on the top of the fence post, sothat the tire pro- jected about 3 in. beyond the post, as shown. The wheel was bolted to the timber, a thimble from an old wagon axle being used for the wheel to turn on, and a large washer and nut on the upper end prevented the wheel from being lifted up. When a load passes through the gate too close to the post, it strikes the wheel, and the wheel keeps it clear of the post. as lo 1s, MECHANICS 171 Easily Made Wagon-Box Derrick On the average farm it is seldom that more than one set of wagon trucks is kept for the different boxes and racks, and this naturally necessitates frequent alta ast aM at Bite AAR Stall wig Simple Derrick Used for Hoisting Wagon Boxes and Racks: It can Easily be Operated by One Man changes to meet the seasonal require- ments. The task of lifting the boxes is usually beyond the strength of one man without some mechanical assistance. For this reason the revolving derrick shown in the illustration was designed With it one man or boy can easily remove a box or rack from the truck and place an- other in position. The standard of the derrick is a 6-ft oak post, set in a cement base; the post fits loosely in the base so that it can be easily turned, the socket being filled with hard grease to facilitate swinging A 6-ft. arm projects at the top and is sup ported by a stout brace [wo strong ropes are attached to the arm with ey bolts, as shown, and a windlass, made of 114-in. pipe, is suspended from the ropes the ends of the ropes being securely at- tached to holes drilled in the windlas The hooks are made of heavy tire iron, bent and sharpened at the lower ends to hook under the box, and with eves forged in the upper ends to hang on the pipe. A short length of rope vit! in iron ring is tied to one of the evebolts, and is used to hold the pipe crank, to prevent it from unwinding @ A waterproof glue is made by dissolving gelatin in hot water, to the of thick cream, and adding ful of acetic acid to each pint. consistency a table spoon-
Page 150
POPULAR MECHANICS Miniature Photography makes it possible, after an exposure, to turn the film forward by an amount [here are many cases where miniature equal to the diameter of the miniature otograplhs are better than none at all, negative and then make another exposure and i the photographer is running short for a new picture. ot films and is carrying a pair of field The illustration shows how two suc! olas a ¢ with him, he can, after an exposures were made using a film shift i of 2 in., which was larger than neces — —_o a — —— r LOCATION OF IMAGE sary. In the case of this particu] camera (postcard size), it is quite possib to take nine of these miniature photos on ‘4 Ee the 519-in. strip of film normally devoted AXIS and a -| 2 f . Dam ‘ = to one photograph. A litt 4 ittle dexter ty n holding the axis of the camera lens 1 1 tem at a slight angle to the axis of 1 ] ] € ] : ’ 1 Y 7) , L FIELD GLASS field glass, as shown in the diagram dra ing, will enable one to take three of tl CAMERA ° 1 1 | miniature negatives without shifting t film at all, one where the axis of the c Taking Pictures through the , C1 “Wrong” End of a Fic ld era lens system strikes the film, and one Glass to Obtain a Number on each side of this spot This “h of Miniature Negatives may be follow ed for ea h shift of the fil so that upon development one has thre experiment or two, TOWS oft miniatures extending trom et ; ; Se ee ia ceadh Saw ‘a naiatted, g et a considerable “to end of the film, resulting in a 1 150 exposures on an ordinary six-e> Well and Cistern Water in cisterns and slow-runni wells iS apt to bec ome more or ¢ t nant. This can be remedied by aerat WATER CHAMBER “( per lens end of the field glass directed toward he view to be photographed. The ex- s made in the , 7 Simple, but Effective Method of Aerating usual manner. Upon development the Cistern Water That Tends to Becom result will be a miniature photograph of a size proportional to the power of the a part of the water in the manner sl« field glass. All the light entering the in the illustration camera will fall upon a small circular In the case of a chain pump, a %-in area of the plate or film, on the axis hole is punched in the bottom of. the of the lens system, the rest of the film water chamber toward the rear, as indi- eing untouched by light. This fact cated, so that posure—time or snap— part ot the water wi
Page 151
| as eee | ; POPULAR escape through it and fall back into the cistern. While falling, the water is broken into drops, and these absorb some of the oxygen of the air, which purifies the water and improves its taste. A similar method can be used on an ordinary plunger pump, by drilling a hole about 4 in. below the level of the spout and screwing a %4-in. nipple into it. An elbow and a length of %4-in. pipe are fitted onto this nipple, so that part of the water will be returned to the well. Quickly Detachable Binding Posts On electric switchboards and panels where wires must be changed frequently, quickly detachable binding posts of the kind illustrated are much better than the ordinary kind, on which the nuts must be screwed down so tightly, toe pre- vent them from being jarred off by vibration, that a wrench must be ap- plied to loosen them, which, of course, consumes considerable time. The bind- ing post shown con- gists of a short, shoul- TERMINAL j dered copper rod, threaded at one end and slotted at the other. The threaded end is pushed through the hole in the panel, and a nut is screwed on from the opposite side. A washer is then slipped on from the slotted end and also a coil spring. The inner end of the spring is pushed through a small hole, drilled through the post near the shoul- der, as indicated. A brass turn button, which must not be wider than the diam- eter of the post, is riveted loosely in the slot, so that it can be turned around to either of the two positions shown in the upper details. It is then an easy matter to attach or remove the terminal of a conductor by turning the but- ton parallel to the post. The coil spring keeps the lug tight against the but- ton, assuring good contact, and as it can be compressed considerably, several conductors can be attached to the same post. a] TURN — BUTTON =a PIN @ To freshen the appearance of the leath- er chair seats, bags, ete., that are shabby from wear, rub them with the well-beaten white of an egg. ILECHANICS 173 Serviceable Camp Stove The drawing shows a serviceable camp stove that can be made at small expense, and that will give excellent service. It === A Serviceable Camp Stove, Made from a Steel Oil Drum, and Equipped with a Chimney consists of a half of a metal oil drum, the head being used as the stove top. A square hole is cut in the side, near the bottom, to serve as a door through which the fuel is supplied. Just below the top, and opposite the fuel opening, a 4-in. hole is cut, and a sleeve is welded on so that a 4-in. elbow and a length of stovepipe can be added, thus providing a chimney —C. K. Meller, Fargo, N. Dal Improving Auto-Door Straps The leather or fabric straps used on automobile doors, to prevent them f1 SW inging open too far, - ;' sometimes cause trou- j ——— ble by bending the wll y» wrong way and jam- CHE ming between the “\ ae door and door frame, thus preventing the doot from be ing closed and also straining the ; iy hinges or loosening \ the screws. To over- } come this, fold the Ze i strap and sew a hem _— seweo at its center, as indi- CAR DOOR cated in the illustra- — a, tion This will cause the strap to be bowed outward, and prevent any further trouble. The hem should not be so lat that it will shorten the st
Page 152
POPULAR Photographing Objects Full Size \Vhen it is desired to photograph small ictures or other objects in natural size, a hort-focus lens can be used, but, as this gives greater distortion, it is much bet- ter to lengthen the bellows, which should e double the focal length of the lens used; a camera with a 7-in. lens is used, the bellows must be ex- te n ded 14 inches in or- der to record the image in latural size. The best method of in- that is, if creasing the focal length is to use a “cone,” which is merely a tight - fitting box attached to the lens board, the lens being removed from the latter and fitted to the cone. he cone may also be fitted to the lens- ard opening; if fitted to the lens board tself, the latter should have as large an
as possible, so that the rays from he lens will not be cut off from the edges of the plate. If the uihicient!; long, objects ling cone 1s made can even be
hotog aph ed enlarged.—J. G. Pratt, Waste. a. < “Pushmobile” Brake On a tov “pushmobile,” the usual lever, operated by hand nd pressing on one wheel. An in
Iprove- ent upon this, consisting of two brake evers, with leather-faced blocks attached at the ends, a and a pedal to operate ie them, ts / \ shown in the illustra- . eciias leeeee tion. The pc: + TURNOUCKLE brake levers a f+ pivot at their a ay centers on a h-1 .®©636 block at- I tached to the ae WIRE underside of the car. A coil spring, connected to the inner ends of both derside levers, and attached to the un- of the car as shown, holds the outer ends away from the wheels. Two
MECHANICS wires are attached to the brake beams at the same points as the coil spring, and are connected to the pedal. Turnbuckles are used on the wires to take up the wear of the brake surfaces. Pressure on the pedal applies the brakes to the wheels, and the coil spring disengages the blocks from the wheels the moment the pedal is released.—Harold E. Benson ’ Boulder, Colo.
Broken Windshields Make Plate-Glass Shelves Pieces of plate glass, cut from broken vindsh ields and mounted on made of P pe and fittings, form attractive and s ry The brac kets shelves. grok is cut to the desired pro- portions and the edges are ground down Three holes are drilled and countersunk in the glass to receive flat-head screw The holes are drilled with an old thre cornered tile, held in a breast drill, a mi ture of emer, and water we ing used as an abra- sive. The ] ] are
FLOOR FLANGES aOUiLCS eceounte fre sunk by means ofa x2 piece of steel ground to a 60° point, ame abrasive. It is
used with the surprising how drilling is accomplished. course, be taken to feed the drill lightly, so as not to break the The bracket consists of two floor flanges, two short nipples and an elbo all n ickelp! nial and arranged as shown The glass is screwed to one flange and the other flange is attached to the wall When attaching the shelf to the a piece of thin felt tween the flange uneven pre b1 icket should be used _ be- and the glass to absorb ure of the screws aiiy Insulating Paint iposition found on age batteries makes a good insulating paint. If placed in a container and set in hot water, it will melt readily, and can then be applied with a paintbrush. Nearly every car has an old tery available for this purpose, but if not, the composition The sealing con stor- owner storage bat can be obtained from a battery-service station at small cost-- C. M. Wilcox, Torrington, Conn.
Page 153
Building a Four-Passenger Hand Car By GEO. A. LUERS HE four-passenger hand car de- 1 in. thick. The exact length will depend scribed in this article will provide a to some extent upon how long it is de- creat deal of healthy exercise and fun for sired to make the baggage compartment,
the boys building it, and as most of the and whether or not a headlight is desired, parts are made of wood, and are designed but the plank should not be less than o be made with simple tools, a group of 9 ft. long. Four 3 by 5-in. slots are cut boys should not encounter any great diff- along the center line of the plank, as culty in its construction. shown in the detail of the board, and a The main member is a 12-in. oak plank, hole to fit a %4-in. pipe is bored at the — ee = ae — 4 it i ad ———- SS + | | a 5 Y eae — _S -, BOLTS © T BRASS 2 4 ” SAW CU BUSHING / —— F Manca ene eS I | | ROK —-+ | L } iy i. a - — — — — < i -
DETAIL OF BEARINGS Full Details of Front and Rear Axles Bearings, and Perspec
of Hand Car,
CONNECTING ROD
F FRON 4 AXLE Construction of Connecting Rod, Method of Mak tive View of Car in Action
Page 154
aoe Siedcentaaieieiicaindidiadl nore ala Fe — BAGGAGE. COMPARTMENT BRAKE-LEVER SLOT : Vx2°xX12" oe ‘\ >. CLEAT * \é . 3X5" LEVER “> = , ‘ ’ OPENINGS , were Tigi — ; + : H ; eM +4 4 a “Ss : — => — ea \\ " \ as ' m- = a ~J)} SN - > a 2b - i 4\ . » ad a = 4 \ SS BRACE ~. |} & —_— ' “ ) -_ (i : ~ \ A Yr ~ - . CENTER > Se a 4 ' BOARD ~ v , > ae CONTROL-LEVER BEARING 7 7 - wae DETAIL OF SEAT | AK B obo gee eee} 4 dh ie 3 rt 12 ~ CENTER BOARD > =" 19" »! a : FOOT REST, 4 REQUIRED J —- ‘4 ain ‘ « \ 1 : 7 | - 24 . 24 - whe} « a LEVER ROD, OAK | = ] fo) 8S eP4 ~ > ( ) | 1 1 g | #) 3 y — Q } Zyl >) ii . 4 \s/ J if Kooy CONNECTING ROD “ — a | > 2 J } DETAIL OF BRA BUSHING L_ Veree. wine ry--- FRONT POST ‘+ + qzP PE CENTER BOARD LEVER DISK BRAKE = FOOT RESTS =] BEARINGS FOR H 4 : AND BRAKE LEVE OAK HANDLE j 10° LONG S\5 | FLANGE . } e a a GE C PLAN ‘ ‘ facil i taf 9) DRIVE GEAR ~~~ -- BICYCLE WHEEL y DETAIL OF HAND LEVERS SPRING 7 Top, Details _of Main Board, Showin; Baggage Compar.ment, Me‘hod of Bracing Seats, Sizes and Details of Lever and Connecting Rods and Their Bush ngs; Centcr, Cross Sections of Front and Rear Axles. and De- tails of Steering Post, Brake, and Lever Bea ings; Below, Plan and Elevation of Car and Detail of Hand Levers 476
Page 155
} } | | | } of Je- POPULAR forward end, on the center line of the front axle. The axle centers are 8 ft. apart. The axles are made and attached first; it will probably be beyond the skill of the boy to make his own axles, but any blacksmith will turn them out if given a copy of the drawings. The rear axle is made from %4-in. iron or steel, with a crank of 3-in. throw, 24% in. wide, forged in the center. It is turned down at the ends to Y in. diameter, threaded, and fitted with the cone nuts that hold the wheels firmly in place. These nuts can be obtained from any cycle-supply house. The axle runs in bushings made of brass tubing, which are held to the wooden axle frame by U-bolts; these bolts are also best made by the blacksmith, as well as the flat-iron axle braces. The front axle is made of 54-in. round steel, fitted in the same manner as the rear axle, but the front wheels can be allowed to run freely on the axle and provided with regular bicycle ball bear- ings, if desired; in this case, no brass bushings will be necessary, the axle being tightened firmly against the axle bracket. On top of the axle bracket or support, a 6-in. disk of wood is fastened, and a brass ring screwed to this, as indicated. This ring bears against a similar one screwed to the underside of the main board. This arrangement permits the front axle to be turned easily if the rings are kept oiled. The method of pivoting the front axle should be closely studied. A piece of %4-in. pipe is threaded into a floor flange, which is bolted to the main board; the end of the pipe passes through the hole in the board. A %%-in. pipe passes through the %4-in. pipe, and is split at the lower end, drilled, and bolted to the axle support; this forms the steer- ing post, and is fitted with a collar that bears on the end of the %4-in. pipe. The upper end of the post is fitted with a tee, and the handlebars, also of %-in. pipe, e 1 i are screwed into this after being bent to shape. The drive arrangement is very simple, and all parts are made of oak, bushed with brass tubing for bearings. The pieces of tubing are sawed at the ends to form ears, as shown in the details, drilled, and the ears bent so that they can be bolted to the levers and connecting rod. The end of the long lever rod fits between the ends of the connecting rod, and is attached to it by a %-in. pin, fitted with washers and cotter pins. The hand levers are connected to the lever rod in a similar manner. The construction of the brake is quite MECHANICS 177 clearly shown in the drawings; as the brake is only used for emergency stops, all ordinary stopping being done by gradually slowing up on the hand levers, the brake disks may be omitted, and the brake levers allowed to act directly on the rear wheels. If brake disks are used, they should be turned and fitted with floor flanges, setscrewed to the shaft. This will necessitate lengthening the shatt by an amount equal to twice the thickness of one disk and flange. The rear-brake levers may be connected to the hand-brake lever by light rods, in which case a spring on the hand lever will release the brake, or by heavy stee] wire, which will require a spring to be fitted to each rear-brake lever. The de tails of the bearings for the hand and brake levers are quite clearly shown they are bolted to the main board shown in the plan and side elevation. Where greater speed is required that can be obtained with the direct drive a gear drive can be fitted. A small piniot gear with about 15 teeth is keyed o1 pinned to the rear axle, the crank being omitted, and a gear with about 75 teet! ay is mounted in bearings in front of it so that the teeth will mesh. This gear should be provided with a 34-in. pin screwed into it 3 in. off center, and the connecting rod shortened and fitted on the pin. This will give a much greater speed than the direct drive. The seats should be padded with bur lap, stuffed with excelsior, and tacked to the board. For long trips, an acety lene or electric bicycle headlamp and an oil tail lamp should be carried, fastened to the main board by simple brackets A Three-Piece Mattress An ordinary mattress, cut into three equal pieces as shown in the drawing and with the cut edges rebound with can vas and strong waxed thread, will be found of advantage in the sick room. Each piece is very eas- ily handled, mak- ing the job of airing the bed much less laborious than with the full-size mattress. In addition to this, if the three pieces are inter changed often the tormation of lumps ot hollows is prevented, as the weight is evenly distributed over the mattress, thus ] adding greatly to the comfort of ¢t patient.
Page 156
POPULAR MECHANICS
Making a Diving Springboard Using Badly Worn Phonograph Records
\ springboard for the swimming pool Some of the older phonograph records the “old swimming hole” that actually in every collection have become concave, “spring” to it, is made by connecting and, from constant use, much of their original quality has
[ a been lost. One of these aw = = | ] ] ~ —p = SS ——e can be used to a . | improve the play- / | CLAMP * | — \- | ing of other rec- | ° J} Lon 1 rT | i | ASN ords, however. To SS Trays ' : (eee ee) the convex side Ps ——— of the record py ee Sas — Vs) J : ’ FELT WASHERS ae —GROOVED \ cour felt of oa o* 7 VED ; OLD RECORD Fee nn € fe leather washers, : just thick enough
apts 4
} to keep the rec- ra } 1 » ietr , ora out ot con- ge 4 a ri i Suite! . Pe mess 6tact with the k } turntable, are glued at equal distances. The record, so fitted, is then placed on the turntable. and t} e record to be played placed on top of it. This arrangement ound and also bring out the low tones more distinctly —James E. Noble, Portsmouth, Ontario.
i ne atte, “) Wwe igi Y Fa, 3 . a Plug-Type Aerial-Ground Switch A Highly Satisfactory Diving Springboard Made by ; s 3olting Three Planks Together in ordel »use a radio set wi out run-
s somewhat after the manner from the aerial, an arrangement similar
1 which the leaves of an automobile to the one shown in the drawing can be ing are assembled. In this way the’ used. The lightning switch, which is of spring obtained is much greater than that the single-pole, single-throw type iS oduced by any single board opened or grounded as the plug is at The top board is the longest, the next tached or removed. The switch is ar- is about 3 ft. shorter, and the lowest one ranged on the outside of the building is about 4 ft. shorter than the second A hole is drilled through the window The inner ends of the boards are set flush, casing or wall, in nd all three are fastened togethe 7 line with the : ; : y | . , roughout with screws, and at the points witch blade; this lustrated with iron clamps, which should Leao—~/ | ole should be be as unvielding as possible and made on f 4ein.in diameter ith sufficient space between the ends so bent and a 34 in. por- : P "Nal , ‘ PORCELAIN Ls ‘ » t the boards can be clamped togethet TUBE 3 celain insulating htl Theclamps are fitted into grooves hy tube inserted into q - i | . ut on the underside of the bottom and rm x =a? it. A second tube, Idle boards, but the upper surface is OSE ae } | 3Q in. in diameter ot covntersunk.—Robt. P. Lincoln, Min- . s and 2 in. longer ] Mise hh; he fir , yolis, Minn. ha ) st. 1S I — TO INSTRUMENT} | cRSH SNe wre, | k | fitted with a ° byt Z ad cy T “4 cy Turf-Cutting Tool SEALING WAX #/°7* | strong spring LJ switch clip small \ single-bladed chopping knife can be enough to pass See a , a GROUND ——> , ee made into a turf cutter for edging lawns L | through the larger around walks and flower beds. It is only ee .< | tube. The wire necessary to remove the wooden handle running from the vith which the choppe r is provided, and clip through the smaller tube should he to drive the tang into a longer handle, regular high-tension automobile-ignition
which may be the handle from an old cable, and a flexible cord, which reaches le, or similar implement. to the instruments, is soldered to this. It 1 ( pa
Page 157
POPULAR ll be seen that when the inner tube is ushed through the outer one from the nside, the clip will make contact with the switch blade and at the same time push it out, breaking the ground connection. Upon pulling the plug in, the aerial is automatically grounded, but there is no metallic circuit into the house. A stop is provided to prevent the switch blade from being pushed out too far—Edwin J. Bachman, Fullerton, Pa. How to Make a Bed of Boughs Thousands of men who camp in the oods sleep on twig beds, but it is safe say that comparatively few know the sper way of making such a bed, so that can be slept on comfortably. The mere utting of a mass of branches and covering vith a blanket does not make for that iable comfort so much talked of by d campers. A single thick branch will se a sleepless night, not to mention 1 armful unevenly distributed will re only one way of making a twig bed that is worth while. Thetwigs selected should have stems not thicker than 1, in., while smaller ones would be still better. Takea canvas or blanket, go to a tree, cut off a supply, and bring it in. Two men working at the job will the bed ready for the night. e head of the bed should be higher an the foot, and the drawing shows how he twigs should be arranged at an angle, th the butts of the stems resting on he ground. In this manner the thick atting of the twig tops will keep the hody from coming into contact with the ticks. When completed, stretch the cov- ering blanket over the boughs. It should be mentioned that it is a good idea to fasten straps or cords at the four corners { the covering canvas or blanket; these ‘an be tied to the tent pegs and drawn tight. Balsam-fir and cedar twigs are the best materials to use for the purpose; branches from most other trees are prac- tically useless. MECHANICS 479 Basket on Pole Hives Bees Safely A Wisconsin beekeeper, whose gen- eral farm work allows very little time for capturing the swarms that escape his An Effective and Timesaving Device for Hiving a swarm of Bees That have Escaped apiary, has found the method both easy and quick Che for the work, he claims, him many hours of labor as well as numerous painful stings. The device is simple to make. It con- ists of a circular rim and a supporting fork made of 14-in. iron rod, and a cone- shaped screen-wire basket attached to the rim as shown. A stout cane fishpole is used for a handle, making the device light and easy to handle. When the bees swarm, they usually alight in one of the trees of the orchard, and often at such a height that it is almost impossible to capture them. As as the swarm is located and fairly settled, the basket is raised under the swarm and shaken so that most of the bees will drop into it. Of course, many bees escape but they will return to the swarm and cluster on the outside of the basket. When all is quiet again, the basket is lowered in front of an empty hive and the bees are induced to enter their new home without much trouble. —G. E. Hendrickson, Argyle, Wis. illustrated device used ] has aved soon CA wastebasket, fastened to the side of the desk chair, keeps the basket in one place and prevents upsetting.
Page 158
{80 POPULAR Thermostat Control for Carburetor Needle Valve By adding a simple thermostat, the needle valve of an automobile carburetor may be regulated automatically without END OF THERMOSTAT SECURED TO EXHAUST EXHAUST MANIFOLD LINK —_ INTAKE NEEDOLE__ MANIFOLD VALVE SHIELD TO PROTECT THERMOSTAT FROM FAN PACKING NUT, LOOSE EXTENSION TO NEEDLE VALVE , THERMOSTAT oo oo pee ey RASS _- EXTENSION TO NEEDLE VALVES 7” i! ef STEEW SHIELD, BENT TIN, THREADED 4 DORY-BATTERY NUTS HS, EXTENSION COTTER-PIN HOLE | = APPLIED TO NEEDLE VALVE MECHANICS rule will apply to similar types of carbu- retors. With a heat-controlled regulator of this type, the thermostat must be shielded from the direct blast of the fan by means of a shield, cut from a piece of tin and fastened under the thermostat Breaking Force of Water from Hose A great disadvantage in irrigating hose is tl turro garden with an washing away of banks, owing to the force of the water as it issues from the hose. This trouble can easily be over- come by taking two cans, one somewhat smaller than the other, and arraneing them as shown in the illustration. A hole made in the bottom of the larger one, to re- ceive the end of the hose, and the ordinary the ditch or iS An Automatically Controlled Carburetor Needle Valve That Opens and Closes as the Engine Heats or Cools attention on the part of the operator. The thermostat operates an extension on the needle valve, opening it slightly when the engine is cold and closing it when the engine warms up. The thermostat is made by riveting two pieces of dis- similar metals together, in this case strips of and Metal, about ¥% in. thick by 42 in. wide, is suggested. Owing to the fact that one of these metals ex- pands considerably more than the other when heated, the thermostat will form the are of a circle. By fastening one end of the thermostat securely in the manner shown, the opposite end is made to op- erate the carburetor. On a common type of light car the upper end of the thermostat can be fastened underneath one of the manifold and the lower end connected to he needle valve by an extension rod, fit- ing into an adjustable extension fastened » the top of the needle-valve wheel. making the connecting link adjust- various settings can be tried until best effect is obtained. With the light-car engine, the needle valve should be opened a quarter turn for starting, and then turned back as the engine be- comes warm; and approximately the same steel. brass lips, 1g ~ ere the small can is placed inside the larger, wit its open end toward the hose. Bot cans are fastened together by means of wire, run through them as shown. In u the arrangement is placed in a ditch, t hose is fastened in place, and the wa: is turned on. The water strik’s the e1 of the small can, is deflected back, and | sues in a slow, broad stream from t! opening between the cans. Nonslip Feet for the Tripod | Those who d | much phot graphing in t! home experien considerable trouble in keepi: the trip od fr | slipping on lin leum or hard wood floors. f pushing an ord! nary fuller ba from a faucet over the point on each leg of the tripod, no furthet trouble will be experienced, as the rub- ber balls will hold the tripod securely 0: any surface —K. H. Hamilton, Chicago, |
Page 159
rbu- lator ; be - fan r1e( S Stat ose y t Tro
Increasing Wave Length of Receivers BY F. L. BRITTIN HE National Radio Conference re- cently held in Washington has made lical changes in the wave lengths on hich the various broadcasting stations re permitted to operate, with a view to learing the air for public benefit. The new wave lengths allotted to broadcast- ing stations that are now operating below 3.150 meters, can be divided into three namely: Class A, which includes lasses, +
to enable them to receive stations operat- ing on wave lengths greater than those for which their sets were originally de- signed. Most receiving sets now in use were built to tune to wave lengths from 200 to 500 meters, when using the aver age type of aerial, and in these cases it is only necessary to make minor changes in order to enable the operator to tune to maximum signal strength.
ose stations not using more power than If a very short aerial is used, an in- 500 watts and which are to operate on ductance is necessary in the aerial ci: wave lengths between 288 and 300 cuit, controlled by means of a variable eters; Class B, which includes stations condenser connected in series with t} | 7 cou 50 carn DET. TUBE UV. 200 it fe) P RC.30 7 .-75-TURN HONEYCOMB COIL | — “tt poi. aN DET. TUBE UV.200 WW ural | PHONES ) -—— -001-MF.COND r OR C.300 bs J /GRID LEAK : Mh ‘ 50-TURN ‘ ' los zh Mf = COIL t —— as E> — = . 44 py 7 t 26 TUNING; A } 7 — 4 | 4 / 2 LAO COND. | = — wom sone | aoe (@) 3 U) c ~~ — =F = 4 K- / i = r —s —+“_. TUNING COND., be —s =4 - a 7- .0005-MF eS x P eS 5 SEC | ; ifs — - | > A-BAT.” |* 7 fsb i = > a Th Co + ——4fajajafe}ijayt | ~~ | | *6-VOLT A-BAT. *~ VARIOCOUPLER + |. Ss a \d B-BAT. <—— - = — } <—— D5 | i ~~ - + | ae — ~._ BBAT. 224 VOLTS = DOUBLE-CIRCUIT TYPE 23-PLATE var.{o = GROUND *..0005-MF.COND. | COND (FEEDBACK) =~ DDED | GRID PLATE o- eens ee 7 —_ VARIOMETER VARIOMETER — {| &, = G& | SPIDER-COIL TYPE ‘ 7s7uRN “ee GRID es soTURN | x” COIL Se, LEAK ms oo ~ Sess y 2 ‘ <p | | ae a. = ek a = 1S 201 --~- Th HW Swe AL, UV. 201 OSE RAS vane. (RN E|lE~roans. (Mil £ < ‘ote Mey } & |e. $s ; <= S < 3) E* TRANS ;™ | CSS ADDED HERE ‘TRANS. \\ | a EH \ SS DADA + lr | LAww \3 2 STEP x Seo JACK } i} | | 2M-STEP | [ | r—t | | apie y . .001-MF ] | | | 7 43-PLATE ao os = j VAR. COND. +0) $$ Sh A-BaT..6voLTs ~. PUI (8 VOLTS ake a ood lilitililil ty]; -d&-- 60 TO 90-VOLT B-BAT. = GROUND mM nal STANDARD REGENERATIVE TYPE The Addition of Honeycomb Coils and Variable Condensers to the Common Types of Radio-Rece Instruments Allows Them to be Tuned to the Longer Wave Lengths That are Now Used using power from 500 to 1.000 watts, to aerial Honeycomb coils are excellent use wave lengths from 300 to 545 meters, and Class C, which includes stations that are operating on a 360-meter wave length and that will be permitted to continue using this wave length. On account of these new rules, many mateur radio fans are confronted with the problem of making the proper changes in their receiving instruments, inductances they are small, stall. Another antenna circuit to longer wave lengths to place a variable condenser across the tuning inductance. The condenser shou have a capacity of .0005 mf., whicl generally known as the be of the vernier type. to use for this purpose compact, and easy to method of adjusting the | 1 1.1 23-plate size, at
Page 160
182 POPULAR On the double-circuit type of receiver, using a variocoupler, a 75-turn honey- comb coil is placed in the aerial circuit between the aerial and the primary of the variocoupler, and a 50-turn honey- comb coil is connected in the secondary circuit, this coil being placed in the lead running from the secondary tuning con- denser to the y winding of the variocoupler, as shown in the upper left- hand diagram. A method of switching out this coil must, of course, be provided in order to permit tuning to the shorter wave lengths. In the case of a single- circuit receiver, using a tuning coil and a variable condenser in the aerial or ground circuit, a 75-turn honeycomb coil is placed in the aerial circuit. With a regenerative receiver of the spider-coil type, the wave length can be increased by placing a 75-turn coil in the aerial circuit between the aerial and the coil, and a 50-turn coil in the secondary or grid-coil circuit, between the switch secondary
MECHANICS and the variable shown in the upper A .0005-mt. variable placed in the ground tuning. In the case of a standard type of re generative receiver, consisting of a vario coupler and two variometers, a 75-turn honeycomb coil is placed in series wit! the aerial circuit, and a 50-turn coil in series with the plate variometer; a 23 plate condenser is also connected acro the grid variometer and the secondary winding of the variocoupler, as shown in the lower diagram. The circuit diagrams show exactly where to connect the honeycomb coil and condensers. Switches must be pro vided for cutting out the coils when they are not required. These switches can be mounted on the panel in any convenient position. Single-coil mountings are now on the market, and they can be attached to either the front or rear of the condenser, as right-hand diagram condenser is lead to tuning also assist in panel
Doorstop Made from Hook It is frequently necessary, when sweep- ing, scrubbing, or moving pieces of furni- ture in and out of the house, to provide means of holding the screen door open. A sim- ple and effective stop can be made some
SCREEN DOOR
from aé_escreen- door hook. The hook is. straight- ened out as indi- cated and screwed into the lower part, of the door, a screwhook be- ing driven in near
SCREEN - DOOR HOOK it. for the hook aes to rest in when not in use. When it is desired to hold he door open, the hook is lifted from its place with the toe, and allowed to drop down so that the point digs into the floor. el Blackening Metal Parts of Camera Interior metal parts of cameras must be colored a dead black to prevent light reflections. Brass parts can be painted with a solution of copper nitrate, fol- lowed by an application of nitrate-of- silver solution, after which the metal is heated until the color is deep enough. Zinc is placed in a fixing solution of hypo- sulphite of soda and chrome alum, which
will turn it a dark green. Both metals can be lacquered by heating and applying shellac or hard-drying varnish, if used o1 the outside of the camera. Combined Oil Funnel and Container A combination funnel and containe: which is of considerable convenience, shown in the illustration. Any ordinar metal funnel can be used for this pu pose, providing it is large enough to hold about a quart of oil. A strip of
BOLT A
flat spring steel is riv- a eted to the ) : ‘RIVETS side and bent over as indi- cated so that the loose end comes over the center of the funnel; a hole is drilled through this end. <A short length of round wooden rod, and a cork that just fits into the wide part of the neck, are both drilled lengthwise to receive a long bolt, then at tached to the end of the handle as shown. Pressure on the handle forces the cork into the neck of the funnel, clos ing it, and allowing the funnel to serve as a container or carrier for the oil When the liquid is to be discharged, the pressure on the spring is released, and the cork is pulled out of the neck FUNNEL CORK
Page 161
im lso In = # > POPULAR Handy “Built-In” Shoe-Polish Box venience and usefulness are com- ed in the “built-in” shoe-polish box vn in the photograph. It provides ‘e for keeping the polishes MECHANICS 183 room, bringing the inner edges of the casing flush with the inside of the box. It has been found that the most con- venient height for the box is about 1 ft. from the floor, measuring from the bot- brushes, and when opened, rves as a footrest as well. Be- ¢ small in size, it can be in- lled in any suitable place in a as it slips between the uls, which are usually spaced in. apart. suild the box of 1-in. stock. by 18 in. inside measurements, ng the top and _ bottom eces into the jambs. The h should be such that after back, which is made of panel suitable thin ock, is nailed on, the front of frame will be flush with the ster when the box is set in ice. The shelves and parti- ns indicated in the photograph uld be set back from the front neer or other lee of the frame %¢ in. so as form stops for the door, which easures 14 by 12 by 18 in. The door pivots on a piece of 4%-in. is pipe, 1354 in. long. The ends are rried in holes bored in the side jambs, 2'5 in. from the bottom and 11% in. m the front. Ordinary pipe straps rewed to the inside of the door act hinges. A stop must be so placed in- de the frame that the door, when open, pes forward at a convenient angle for Pe toot Case the box to match the trim of the Homemade Ink-Bottle Holder \ serviceable ink-bottle holder that can isily be made from a block of wood and me ordinary pencil erasers, is shown in e illustration. A block of 34-in. wood, bout 4 in. square, is obtained, and a cir- cle, a trifle larger than the bottom of the ink bottle, is scribed on one side of the block, in the center. Then another circle, with a radius 4% in. ‘larger and con- centric with the first, is scribed on the lock. The circles are divided into four ual parts by scribing diagonal lines m corner to corner of the block. At WOODEN BLOCK ; PENCIL ERASERS ~ - — V- ERASER Convenient Box for Shoe Polish and Brushes: The Door Opens " to Scrve as a Footrest While Polishing If the box is to be inst illed in a house lv built, cut out the a ready pilaster in laths between two. studs until the height of the opening is 20 in. Cut two lengths of 2 by 4-in. wood and _ nail these between the studs, above and he- low the opening, so that the casing nails may be driven into them the p¢ ints where the lines intersect the outer circle, punch marks are made, and holes, a trifle smaller in dian than the rubber tips of pencils, are drilled with the punch marks as centers The large hole for the ink bottle is then drilled to the desired depth. Pencil erasers are forced into the four holes drilled tor them As is apy they serve to hold bottles of slightly \ ing diameters snugly. erasers are attached to the underside of the holder with small brads to serve feet and prevent marring of the finish « the desk or table Two coats ot black a good finish Pieces ot pel shellac give the holder @ To test turpentine, place a drop or two on a piece of white paper. If pure, no trace or stain will be leit
Page 162
184 POPULAR “Propping” Pear Trees with Twine \ successful California fruit grower has found ordinary binder twine a good substitute for the wooden props ordi- Binder Twine as a Substitute for Wooden Props Ordinarily Used to Support Fruit-Tree Limbs narily used to support heavily loaded branches of pear trees. The twine i wound around the tree if it were a huge bundle of grain. This is done after the fruit is well set on the trees, but be- fore it is large enough to bend the limbs. The work of tying up the is con- veniently done by two One carries a ball of twine and a forked stick to hold the twine at any desired height 15 as trees 1S persons. while moving around the tree, and the other, mounted on a stepladder, ties up th 1e branches. to eral t] It is frequently necessary wind the twine around the tree times at different heights.—W. Beaumont, Calif. Sev- Lee salvage, Saving Radio Tubes After completing a radio set and hook- ing up the batteries, it is highly advisable to apply a voltmeter to the filament ter- minals of the sockets before inserting the thes, with the rheostats first off and then turned to operating position. If the meter indicates more than the fila- ment voltage of the tube, look over the wiring and see if the B-battery lines are connected the filament lines, and make the proper changes. Under no con- ditions should the tubes be subjected to a higher voltage than that for which they are designed, the filaments will burned out very quickly. across as be MECHANICS top for Garage Doors The usual method of “propping” t! garage doors to hold them open may dispensed with by providing an autom stop of the kind shown in the illust: t10Nn. A short post is —_—_—_—— - it a s WOODEN sharpened at one end STRIPS SPRING and is driven into the wince ' ground near the open position of the door, and two short strips of wood, about 1 by 3 by 8 in. in dimen- sions, are hinged to- gether at one end as shown. A coil spring is fastened between the strips to raise the free end of the upper strip, the ends of the spring being stap! down. The lower strip is nailed to post so that the hinged end points t ward the door when the latter is openit ¢ + When the door is swung open, the bot tom strikes the inclined plane of t upper strip and, after depressing it, slij over the end; the spring then lifts t strip and prevents the door from closit A stake should be placed beyond tl stop to keep the door from swinging ope too far. When driving the post into t! ground, care should be taken that the p is sunk deeply enough into the groun so that the door will be sure to slip ov the strips. Convenient Drying Rack for Negatives The drawing shows a convenient ra for drying negatives. It made sheet zinc or brass, and can be hung the wall, or placed ( the bench or table is made of metal, cut to with the wide et! formed to make shallow tray, whl the long strip is be at right angles to t Cuts is shee shay tray. are mad in the strip as ind cated and the part so formed bent out t an angle of about 45 A small hole is drill! at the top of the rack so that it can hung on the wall. Plates must be pla in the rack with the emulsion side the film surface will be scratched, ruin ing the negative, and all sharp edge must be rounded off smooth. up, |
Page 163
Musical Instruments from Cigar Boxes By W. F. CORD tr. AR boxes, which may generally be obtained for the asking from any to- bacconist—who will be glad to get rid of them—can be used to make very passable violins and mandolins. Of course, it is not expected that a “fiddle” of this va- riety would possess the tone of a Cre- mona or Stradivarius, but, in the hands of one knowing how to play such an in- strument, very creditable results may be attained. The drawing shows the dimensions and appearances of the various necks in case it is desired to make them at home However, if the best results are desired, it is recommended that these, as well as box, to make it stronger. When the neck has been completed, drill two or three holes through the block and box into tl neck in place, and screw it on tight. Next fasten the fingerboard in place, drill a hole in the rear end and rear block, and glue into it a small peg to hold the tailpiece. The bow is also made of pop- lar, and the hairs can be obtained from a long-tailed horse or bought from a music store; ordinary thread can even be used, where it is not pos hair, or to purchase a bow For the mandolin. a box about 514 or 2 6 in. wide, 2°4 to 354 in. deep, and 914 e neck for screws; then glue the sible to obtain horse-
the bridges, tailpieces, strings, and simi- in. long, will be best. The lid, as in the — == t | “i - bene # | — S ~ € = + + —~ | | foes | a i 5 : ee i a | Q 3 | ~ F Ca - 6 - ' 4 | { 1 ' | ——4— _ 6! . “ A | +> A ao + - z z ~ ae | a i] 9: > 5 = ——i | Iss cy | v LIN NECK . 115k T Ews OF 20 OR 24 VIOLIN BOW
Violin, Mandolin, and Guitar That are Made from Cigar and Cheese Boxes by the Additior and Fittings: Anyone Who can Play a Standard Instrument of Either Kind can Produce 1 lar fittings, be purchased from a music- supply house. If made at home, poplar should be used. The cigar-box violin should be made from a box about 3 in. deep, 5 in. wide, and from 91% to 13 in. long, according to the person for whom it is made. Let the lid form the back of the instrument, but do not nail it down until the work has been completed. Glue a block, 3¢ in. wide by 215 in. long and. the same depth as the box, in the end to which the neck is to be fastened, and a smaller block at the opposite end. Cut the F-shaped sound holes in the top and then drive in a few more nails around the edges of the violin, 1 the back nd is not tened down until the remainder of the work 1 done. The sound hole, which 1 bout at the center of the box, is 1! { by 1 “4 1n in size. Glue a piece of wood, 4% by %% in. in dimensions, across the box, midway between the sound hole and the end ot the box, to keep the bridge an board from pressing in the top. A block, 32 in. wide by 3 in. long, and the same height as the box, is glued inside at the e neck end The neck is made in the drawing, and is attached to the box as described for the violin The guitar is made from part of a cheese box instead of a cigar box. A box
Page 164
LS6 POPULAR made from a single piece of wood, instead of one made up from three-ply veneer, should be selected. Cut the rim down to 344 in. in width, and attach the neck at the point where the ends meet, after fas- tening a %4 by 34% by 34-in. block on the inside. The neck, when in place, must stand above the rim a sufficient distance so that, when the top is applied, the neck will be flush with the top. After the neck has been fitted, as described above, the top and bottom can be put on; these pieces may be sawed from pine, poplar, Homemade Hog Oiler An easily constructed hog oiler, made from a wheel taken from an barrow, is shown in the old wheel- photo. The Effective Hog Oiler, Made from an Old Wheel Cov- ered with Burlap Sacking wheel, covered with burlap, is mounted in its original bearings on the wooden base that contains the oil trough. The wheel turns as the hogs rub against it, thus con- tinually taking up a fresh supply of oil. This treatment keeps the hogs free from lice and other vermin. Making Sparrows Useful If a small quantity of cracked corn is thrown on the heads and under the stalks of cabbage plants, the sparrows. will gather up the corn, and, while getting down through the leaves after the small grains, will also eat the cabbage worms Some corn is first scattered near the patch to attract the birds, and the grain is then thrown in and around the head of the cabbage plants about every two days; if the patch is a large one, every three or four days will do. The sparrows will not eat the cabbage, but will get the green worms.—Joe Dunn, Meyerdale, Pa. MECHANICS or almost any kind of lumber, about 14 in. thick. The sound hole is a little abov: the center and is 234 in. in diameter. The top is glued and nailed to the rim and is reinforced by three 44 by %4-in. strips that are glued edgewise across the underside of the top to prevent it from being pressed in. It is also advisable to glu two or three such strips on the bottom before it is attached. A lug, 14 in. long by 1% in. wide, is left on the bottom cover, and fastened to the underside of the neck. Vacuum Cleaner “Blows” Organ In a church where an ordinary reed organ with pedal-operated bellows was used, it was desired to install an electric blower. As the reeds of such an organ are sounded by suction, the air being ex hausted from the wind chest by the bel lows, it was found that a common vacuum sweeper could easily be made to do the work. A small hole was cut in the wind chest, and the end of the vacuum-cleane: hose inserted, the connection being made air-tight. The cleaner itself was set in the basement where it could not be heard while running. The result was entirely satisfactory, the cleaner doing the work just as well as an expensive electric blower.—Phil H. Brehmer, Rutland, Vt Attaching Caster to Oil Stove The addition of casters to an oil stove, which is ordinarily not fitted with them, increases its convenience considerably, as it can then be moved about more easily. A piece of 1-in. hardwood is cut to a circular shape and a hole is drilled through it as shown, so that the leg of the oil stove fits inthe hole snugly. The bot- / o'7. : HOLE tom of the hole is t= FOR closed with a LA LEC cardboard disk, a flat-top caster is placed in posi- tion underneath it, and the caster screws pushed up through the cardboard Melted lead is poured into the hole in the block from above, and this, when * WOOD BLOCK cool, will hold the screws securely.
Page 165
I d n dl N wr POPULAR MECHANICS 48} Using Camera Finder as Range Finder 4 \ny small camera finder, having a und glass, can be used as a range ler by marking two horizontally con- rying lines on the ground glass as vn in the illustration. Distances of 10, 25, and 50 feet from the camera e marked off on the ground, and, with a person of aver- age height stand- ing at these points succes- sively, his posi- tion is marked on the ground glass at the points where the images of head and feet the upper and lower lines. Ver- lines are drawn between the points us located and the distances marked If the finder is too small for many cures, the lines marked can be the ie as those on the focusing scale, and e numbers dispensed with. Thereafter, hen making a snapshot, it is only neces- ry to find the line corresponding in eight to the person to be photographed order to know the correct distance to et the scale. SROUND GLASS Package Fasteners When it is necessary to send a pack- ve at unsealed-mail rates, and a supply {f rerular parcel-post package seals is it on hand, per- ectly satisfactory - Ss nes can readily lA e made from oummen;} (> ° . BPER ... o 4-in. strips "AP l-in. gummed ites... sedi iper, such as is ed for sealing BRASS PAPER ickages. Fold ver about %4 in t one end of ach strip and nserta flat- eaded brass iper fastener, as hown, in one of e strips, and a’small piece of cardboard the other. Then stick the ends down » hold the fastener and cardboard in position. Punch a hole or cut a slit through the piece of cardboard for the fastener to pass through, and then fasten the strips to the package as shown, so that it can be opened for inspection by the postal authorities—Leighton Powell, San Francisco, Calif. Temporary Wire Fences The photograph shows the construction otf a temporary fence for “hogging down” corn or other forage crops on a Temporary Wire Fence That can be Set Up or Taken Down in a Very Short Time farm. Each stake is made from a lengt! of pipe, which is flattened at one end so that it can be easily driven into the eround. A number of holes are drilled in the pipe, in pairs, at equal distances apart and a small loop made of wire is inserted into each. The wire fence is. then stretched in the usual way, and a long straight piece ot heavy wire is slipped down through the small loops to hold the fence in place. With this arrangement the fence may be put up or taken down in a very short time When Felloe Bolts Become Loose Bolts that are used to hold demountable rims in place on the felloe have a tend ency to loosen, partly from screwing them up tightly, and partly from running stresses. A simple repair is as follows: Remove the bolts, and plug the holes with wooden dowels, then drill new holes hal way between the old ones. The size « ; these holes should be such that the bolts must be driven in.
Page 166
POPULAR Combination Window Boxes and Sills in Concrete When remodeling owner included the window boxes and his building, an concrete combination sills shown in the il- 7 : ic ~CONCRETE { KY WINDOW BOX TZ STAPLES WIRE-MESH REINFORCEMENT Combination Window Boxes and Sill in Concrete That Is More Durable than the Wooden Sill lustration, adding considerably to the ap- pearance of the house, and insuring per- manent sills. The construction is simple and durable, the concrete being reinforced with wire mesh, doubled as shown, and stapled to the plate under the sill. A wooden form was made, 6 in. deep at the front, 10 in. wide and as long as the win- dow frame, lightly nailed in position, and the concrete, a mixture of 1 part cement to 2 parts sand, poured. The interior was cut out and troweled smooth while the concrete was still plastic, and 14-in. drain holes made through the bottom. The form was not removed until the concrete had set, and the sill was kept wet for a veek, before any weight was placed on it. When the Crankcase Oil Runs Low Owners = automobiles provided with splash system of oiling will appreciate the kink given below, when a low supply of oil in the crankcase threatens to “freeze” the pistons and burn out the connecting-rod bearings. Pour a quart or two of water into the crankcase. As oil is lighter than water, it will rise to the top, and will be splashed up by the crankshaft and connecting rods as usual. By doing this the car can be run to the nearest supply station, where the crankcase can be drained and refilled. the MECHANICS Special Wrench for Removing Grease Cups The wrench illustrated was devised remove grease cups of the screw-cap ty; such as used on automobile axles, the threads on the outside of the cup prevent ing the use of a pipe wrench becau of the dan agetot!] thread,a the hexago1 on the lowe parts bei: usually much or so BENT AND THREADED ROD 2 Wo! place , as not to al GREASE CUP --- ' a wren Low to be use The tool co: sists of tw parts: | a short length of pipe, tapped through its enti: length with the same thread as the cup, and a rod, threaded to and bent as shown, In use, the pipe is first screwed onto the grease cup, after which the rod is screw down tightly against the cup, thus loc} grea fit in the pij to facilitate turning ing it securely in the pipe. A pipe wrenc is then used in the manner indicated unscrew the cup. Mirror an Effective Lure for Fish While the bait shown in tion makes use of a mirror, of a fish that leads to its than its vanity, for, tractively -reflected in as the image of what seems to be another } fish, it becomes a » + “ ; hom question of which one vets the worm first. While glass mirrors can be used they are open to the objection the illustr it is the gree capture rathe seeing the bait the mirror as we — HOLE FOR LINE that applies to all dis SSW are—they brea Consequently a . 9 CONCAVE a concave mirror MIRROR made of polished metal, such as the bow! of a silver table spoon or large measuring spoon, is bet ter, and the results equally satisfactor the convex side being blackened. The hook is fastened on a line passed throug! a hole in the edge of the mirror and drops to the center, where it can be Matley. baited in the usual way—J. W. York City. New
Page 167
POPULAR MECHANICS ADVERTISING SECTION
79 Buckwalter, ident, the FOR AMBU MEN behind the ” f lauto tr . ‘ erkable in- . i i cur in tl tion which And t astonished i teaching pro- 10 . »n and which ble h ‘1 - 1 ers wide- and ri sy p ke men a 50- Au : | A ‘ short-cut to uch big de i he earnings. Makes 4 Times His pam Salary I was making aw Find it easy to geta price | bare Clearing « rs *y Se to mployment service helps you to get the very “pick” of such posi- a ee ee ns. See facts and figures in my free book. xplains all about i yf FREE BOOK ! x) eins stan Experience Not Necessary ei ptt oy EO You don’t need to know about Automobiles or Electricity at the : rt. Nor do you need any more education than the ability to read mple English. We give you all the knowledge you need—teach 1 completely—in 50 days. My book explains everything free. . . Amazing New Way to Train n the government needed Auto-Electrical Experts for the war there was no to waste. Men had to be trained 100‘) right and sent out almost overnight in who invented the 59 day method was the man to whom Uncle Sam went Results were amazing. Never before had such a thing been accomplished me. A complete practical thorough training in 50 days. So remark ib] fter the war and atagreat cost it was made available to An bu students only u has even improved on the original plan by not admitting m« than 20 mer lass. No other school does this and the smaller the class the more you learn. Get Out of the Grease ny graduates are masters of their profession. And they areso enthusiastic over U ; vav in W hic h they've stepped from their former poor-pay PTT TTT i ee pa s into this delightful, big-pay profession that I am glad to e you write them. I'll give you their names. They will uu how fine it is to get out of the grease int» big m on Please send me ive a most remarkable offer to make for a short time to those send for my free book at once. It will be a revelation t So be sure to mail the coupon at once, while this offer
rece Write me personally Name .... c. J. BUCKWALTER, President © address AMBU ENGINEERING INSTITUTE :... Dept. 110 2632 Prairie Avenue, CHICAGO = iaace Cc. 3. Buckwalter, Pres., Ambu Engineering Institute, Dept. 110, 2632 Prairie Ave., ew Illinois os ywded f Unusual Short Time Offer pur cuumneti qhore tine etter. : 1 LJ { } Re
Book and complete informatior lof Aut
ome Study sident Cou Seccuscccses tscccucesceccece
Page 168
> I - 0 VV SV m\_ [a i OVOVOVavVS ~Ir v , C2 VI NEN NEN ~y 7 yw ores Adventurers Courted Death at Hands of Fanatic Worshippers and Ill-Fortune, Said to Follow Those Who Desecrated Sacred Temple to Steal Blazing Gems from Foreheads of Idols—See Page