Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 88.djvu/905

 Popular Science Monthly A Fender for London Omnibuses

THE darkening of London streets, in the presence of hostile Zeppelins, has given rise to a new danger — that of being run down by automobiles. Many such accidents have already been suc- cessfully averted by a new device which is attached to the front of the automo- bile. Two heavy arms project forward from the axle and support a piece of wood two feet long and one foot wide, placed on end, face forward, directly in front of the wheel.

At the base of this guard is a rubber attachment, consisting of a short length of large rubber tubing, the axis being horizontal. Above is a similar piece of rubber of smaller diameter, its axis placed perpendicularly. These rubber pieces are further strengthened by curved metal pieces on their inner surfaces next to the board.

Whichever way the wheels turn, the guards remain in the same relative posi- tion, since the projecting arms are at- tached to the rotary portion of the axle next to the wheel. This attachment, simple as it may seem, effectually pre- vents running over a pedestrian by pushing him out of the way.

The exigencies of war have given rise to many such safety expedients. The dan- ger from darkened streets is only one of the many problems to be dealt with. Even more serious difficulties have to be met on the continent.

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���A magnet tied to a string picks up clips and pins and thus saves money

���The rubber guards strike the body and gently tosses it to one side away from the heavy wheels

��He Did It With His Lit- tle Magnet

GATHERING up the fragments, as the Bi- ble tells us, is a sure way to a life of plenty. Even so elusive and ephemeral a thing as the soap bubble is being conserved in these da}'s of scientific manage- ment and office efficiency. Even the office boy has heard the call of thrift, and has answered it by attach- ing a string to a magnet and pulling it over the office floor and pushing it into inac- cessible corners, the result of which has been an ac- quisiti(ni of pens, pins, paper clips and numerous office accessories which would otherwise be lost.

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