Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 91.djvu/858

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��Popular Science Monthly

���Pivot-w

��The cradle complete. The framework is hinged to- gether so that it is easily collapsed and stored away

Pressure on- the treadle bar causes the cradle to tilt forward. The weight of the child brings it back

��Rocking the Baby Fore and Aft

WHEN William F. Walsh, of St. Paul, Minn., finished reading all the litera- ture he could find on the subject of the harmfulness of rocking babies to sleep in cradles, he was convinced of only one thing — that the harm lay in the direction of the motion, not in the rocking itself.

Therefore he gave his attention to con- structing a cradle for William, Jr., which would have a gentle motion forward and back to equilibrium, rather than from side to side. The result of his effort is shown in the illustrations above. One of these shows a detail drawing and the other the perfected cradle in miniature. Being a plumber by trade, Mr. Walsh used gas pipe for the frame of the first model, but later resorted to band iron in order to make the cradle collapsible.

The basket of the completed cradle shown in the illustration is sus- pended between two side standards braced by the base framework. A chain extending from an arm of the pivot pin at one side of the basket is connected with a treadle.

���In operation, a light pressure on the treadle bar will cause the basket to tilt forward slightly. When the foot is raised from the treadle the weight of the child in the basket restores the cradle to equilibrium. A gentle motion is secured which is neither a swing nor a roll and which the in- ventor believes will not affect the nerves of the most susceptible infant. The parts of the framework are hinged together so that they may be easily disconnected to be stored away when the cradle is no longer needed. There is room for indulgence of personal taste in the choice of the material and design of the bed portion of the device. It may easily be a basket which may be used for other purposes later. Or the shape shown in the detail of the design may be used, made up in metal or wood. Rods may be attached to the framework for curtain supports.

���Steel strips and a handlebar on an ordinary motor -wheel make a pull- motor to whizz you over the ice

��The Pull-Motor: It

Takes All the Work

Out of Skating

HAVING motorized about every other sport, the engineers have turned to skating, and by making a motor-wheel pull instead of push, they have taken all the physical effprt out of the sport. With the motor-wheel all you need do is to steer with the handlebar and hold on, paying your respects to your friends as you scoot by them. To make the wheel useful for ice work, strips of steel are fitted to the wheel to form a handle. A wooden crossbar, about fifteen inches long, fitted across the top, serves as the steering apparatus. The control wires are at- tached to the wooden handle. Murray Fahne- stock, of Pittsburgh, Pa., is the man who conceived the idea of putting the wheel to work on the ice. According to Mr. Fahne- stock, the sight of a big collie dog pulling a girl over the ice gave him his inspiration for the motor- wheel.

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