Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 89.djvu/850

 836

��Popular Science Monthly

��A Mechanical Printer for Fac-Simile Letters

SOME years ago H. P. Hansen, of \\\v York city, was the pub- lisher of a newspaper. He had occasion to mail large quantities of far-simile let- ters ad\-ertising his publication but he found the printing (jf the letters ex])ensi\e. Finalh- he invented an instrument that appears to be as revolu- tionary in its line as the Mergenthaler Linotype is in the newspaper field. He calls his creation Autotype.

It is a machine about six feet in height, provided with a magazine that contains the type, which is released by means of a universal keyboard. There is a great advantage in this, since the office ste- nographer can compose the type without any previous experience. The composed type is transferred directly to a printing device by an operation that resembles the movement of a typewriter-carriage When the matter to be printed has been composed and transferred to the printing device, the printing is done directly from that mechanism.

When the process of printing is over, that part of the device which holds the type and re- rembles a portable seg- ment is removed and placed on top of the machine. The slots in the printing device cor- respond with those in the distributing mechan- ism so that the tyj^es slifle by gra\it>- from I In- former down into the latter. The dislrii)UliMg mechanism is o|)erali'd by means of a one-tenth horsepower electric mo- tor. The current is taken from a lamp socket.

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DISTItlliVTi; Vt^lA) TVJ'E

��TVI'K MAC.AZINE

��The printing device at left is placed on top of the machine for diGtributing

��An Automatic

Safety Fender

Which Sets the

Brakes

THE Public Safety Commission cf New York haa approved a nev/ safely fender for use on street cars, motor-trucks and motor- buses. The fentlcr consists of a life-guard hanging vertically in front of the bumper of the car, and an apron extending horizontally at any required height above the pave- ment, and projecting CHUTE twenty-six inches in front of the bumper.

The apron is set and held in normal position by means of a simple trig- ger de\ice that securely lf)cks it. When the trigger is released the apron is instantly thrown down- ward and backward to the pavement and is held there by strong springs.

���Above : When the fender comes in contact with an object it drops automatically and sets the brakes

��At right : The apron rests against coil- springs which give a cushion effect un- der a solid impact

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