Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 89.djvu/42

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��Popular Science Mnufhh/

���The inconvenience of stopping his machine to unlock the gate before entering his yard led this farmer to erect the overhead crossing here shown

��How One Ford Got Up in the World

FOR nine months a Florida farmer opened and closed his gate leading to his garage every time he took out his Ford for a spin. Then he built a run- way which put the gate to shame. With

��A " Shoo-Fly " For a Candy Kitchen

TO KEEP the door of a candy store open and to have no obstruction such as a screen door in the way of those entering, gives the flies full freedom to the sweetened goods. One shop keeper devised a very simple and attractive means of keeping the little pests from the goods on the shelves. The store was on the corner and only two walls were open for sheUing.

At the top end of each section two flanged wheels were fixed to turn in a horizontal plane and a ribbon band was run as a belt between each pair of these wheels.

These were connected with a small electric motor to turn at a moderate speed. The tape used for the belt nuide a ready means for attaching numerous riblions in dirt'erent cohjrs so that they lumg like streamers from the top of the shelves to the floor.

As the band traveled around the wheels these streamers were carried in a slanting position, sloping back at tin- iiodom from the direction of travel. .As the ones on the rear side were going in an opjiosile direction it i^roduced a lallicecl elfecl and the mo\ing of the

��four pieces of eighteen-foot lum- ber two by four feet, eight pieces of one foot by three feet, and some short pieces two by four feet to form the supports, he had his runway constructed in short order at a cost of a few dollars. Despite the fact that he has (>nl\- the use of his right hand he steers his Ford on the runway with perfect ease. In addition to this he doesn't worry about the gate any more; and as for the pigs and cows that former- ly played havoc with his garage furnishings, they belong to the troubled past.

The runway, as he constructed it, is strong enough to bear the combined weight of the automobile and its capacity load of fi\-e passengers. On wet, slippery days sand is sprinkleii on the runway board to keep the machine from skidding. The side rims keep it on the track.

��many ribbons kept the pests away. It produced a very attractive arrange- ment and many a passerby stopped to take a look at the moving colors.

The "Shoo-Fly" has also been used with great success to protect exposed fruit and \-egetable stands, and has even been used for soda fountains.

���These colored streamers fluttering past

the shelves of candy effectuiiUy prevent

the invasion of flics

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