Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 92.djvu/125

 Popular Science Monthly

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��One Quick Pressure and the Cork Is Out

THE corkscrew has at last found a rival in the cork-puller, invented by John Sheridan, of San Francisco. Two thin scissors-like blades, hav- ing upwardly inclined ser- rations, are thrust into the cork body. When you close the blade han- dles, the serrated mem- bers open in wedge shape, and the cork can be pulled instantly. The inclined teeth draw the sides of the cork inward, making it smaller than the bottle- mouth, so that it is easily drawn out. The puller can be easily withdrawn by again separating the handles. It leaves only a small hole.

��A New Automobile Sig- nal. It is placed on the Left Rear Fender

���The blades are thrust into the cork, the handles pressed to- gether and the cork extracted

��ANEW signal, mounted on the rear fender of an automobile, flashes a red light by night and a red flag by day, to designate a change of course, with regard

��to direction. This does away with all the complications of oscillating hands or with the words "right or left", which are some- times incorrectly manipu- lated by nervous drivers in emergencies.

The signal consists of a pressed-steel box with a red metal flag on the re- movable cover and a red bull's eye light at the rear. The device is mounted on the left rear fender and is operated by means of a push button.

In operation, the push- ing of a button lights an electric lamp inside the box, and simultaneously energizes a solenoid which automatically causes the red flag on the top of the box to rise from a horizon- tal to a vertical position, transversely of the car. The current for operat- ing the signal may be had from a battery. The sig- nal box is weatherproof, to prevent possible short- circuits, although these are further provided against by a fuse block and a ten-ampere fuse placed near the negative pole of the storage battery to prevent the solenoid from burning out.

���A push button conveniently located on one of the steering wheel spiders, operates the red flag by day and flashes the red light by night. A battery supplies the necessary current

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