Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 91.djvu/935

 Popular Science Monthly

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��A Turn in the Road ? Swing the Headlights Electromagnetically

ANEW electromagnetic device for automatically turning the headlights of an automobile so that the rays of light will follow the wheels instead of being thrown straight ahead while the car is turning a corner has been patented by a Mississippi inventor. The device may be connected up to work in conjunction with the steering apparatus or be manipulated by hand through an electric switch to vary the amount of current sent through the electromagnets and thereby vary the angle at which the lights are turned.

Each headlight is carried in a yoke at the top of a vertical shank made of non- magnetic material and inserted at the center of a hollow cylindrical case. The shank is rigidly attached to the case by a washer at the top and a nut at the bottom. The lower portion of the vertical lamp shank is threaded to mesh with the threads cut on the surface of a vertical hole of a cast-iron core carried in the bottom of the cylindrical case. This core is square-ended at the bottom and retained in an envelop- ing L-shaped bracket on the bottom of the case. At the top it is provided with two springs attached to an inverted cup- shaped collar of slightly less diameter than the main case. The energiza- tion of the magnets, which are carried in the top of the case, causes them to make the iron core move upward, since it cannot revolve be- cause its end is held in brackets. Since the lamp shank cannot move up- ward, it is caused to re- volve, turning the light with it in direct propor- tion to the lift of the iron core and the amount of current used. Springs between the top of the core and the cup-shaped collar and threads of little pitch on the inside of the collar and the top of the core prevent the light from becoming unstable through the jolting of the vehicle over rough roads.

This swinging of the headlights pro- tects the tires from puncture by lighting up the road in all directions.

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��Each headlight is carried in a yoke at the top of a vertical shaft made of non-magnetic material

��The ordinary telephone receiver is placed over a base which carries the sound to the Y-shaped tube

Must You Telephone a Secret ? Whisper Into This Device

WHILE a telephone booth shuts out all disturbing sounds, it cannot in- crease the power of the voice projected from the receiver. Both of these desirable objects are accomplished by means of the new device shown in the accompanying illustration.

The device is in reality two receivers instead of one, and yet the conventional receiver is not used directly but merely as a medium to transmit the sound to both ears. The instru- ment consists of a small base of hard rubber with a felt bottom. From this base a Y-ended tube with hard rubber ear pieces on the ends of the Yis employed to carry the sound to both ears at once, thereby doubling the volume of the sound. A flexible wire in- side the tube serves to carry the sound waves and to keep the contour of the ear pieces so that they will not drop off.

Experience has proved conclusively that most of the confusion of sounds encoun- tered in telephoning is due to the fact that only one ear is used in listening. The other ear is receiving other sound waves from the room. This is not true with this device.

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