Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 92.djvu/380

 364

��Popular Science Monthly

��Let Em Come— This Outpost Will Account for Itself

IT is innocent-looking country, isn't it — that shown in the illustration on the right? Might be New Jersey flats, or a sec- tion of North- ern Indiana, or a piece of Mid- dle-western prairie. Yet a few hundred yards ofif to- ward the hori- zon are the enemy lines, and the Ger- mans are in them. The country isn't as benevolent- looking or as calm and peaceful as it seems. Such outposts as this may soon be occupied by our boys in great number. Because the country is flat, a machine gun is effective over a wide area.

���IQ) Kadol and Herbert

A French outpost close to the German Unes. Mud- soaked sandbags form the low parapet

��the button, this electromagnet pulls down a lever. The lever winds up a coil spring. The coil spring runs a clockwork. The clockwork runs until the spring is un- wound again, meanwhile permitting the

lever slowly to move back to its old posi- tion. This takes about three minutes, and during that interval a switch, mounted at the lower end of the lever, has been "o n." This switch caused the elec- tric lights to light, and the three- minute

��Weep No More, Landladies. The Light-Wasting Roomer Is Checked

THE reason land- ladies are wary about having lights in the halls is, of course, that it costs money to burn lights. Now John H. Jor- dan, of Scranton, Pa., would come to the rescue. Land- ladies need worry no longer about what the meter is doing. Moreover roomers may have light any time they want it.

The how of his plan is this. The contrivance consists in part of an electro- magnet connected in series with a push- button lamp-switch. When the roomer comes in and pushes

���interval they stay lit is sufficient for the roomer to get upstairs or wherever else he is going. Simple, isn't it? The land- lady knows that the roomer will have to get up at three-minute intervals and punch that switch if the hall light stays lighted permanently. This is unlikely. Therefore she rests in peace.

The contrivance may may be applied equal- ly well to attic or base- ment lights. Forgetting to turn these off is a com- mon habit and a machine that will do it automati- cally saves on the month- ly lighting bill. Closets and storerooms also need the device.

��Clock workr,

��No longer need the roomer come in'and fumble for the socket this way. He simply pushes a but- ton in the wall. The lamp is lighted for just three minutes. The push button energizes the solenoid. It pulls down the core, winding the spring, closing the lamp circuit. It later opens

���Solenoid

�� �