“It is a poor Irishman that cannot light his pipe when the wind is blowing,” but the sketch shows a device that will make a “Paddy” out of anyone, with a great saving of matches. It is made from a small piece of brass tubing, or drawn shell, ¹⁄₂ in. in diameter, and about 1¹⁄₂ in. long. The open end is placed in the bowl of the pipe or over the end of the cigar, a match inserted through the slot, and a quick stroke on the threaded portion ignites the match. The small holes provide air. The top is soldered in place.—James H. Rodgers, Montreal, Canada.
Electric Counting Glass for Thread Fabric
The intelligent housewife and shopper, as well as persons professionally interested in the structure and quality of woven fabrics of various kinds, can make good use of a counting glass for close examination of such material. In its simplest form the device consists of a cigar box with a ground-glass top and a small electric light inside. Where larger pieces of goods are to be examined a small table with wooden legs and wooden frame for the glass may be made.
Woven Fabrics are Examined under the Magnifying Glass and the Number of Threads to the Square Inch Counted
The diagrams at A and B represent the threads making up the cloth as stretched on the rollers of a loom. The lengthwise threads, or warp, are shown at A, and the cross threads, or weft, at B. By magnifying the material with a glass exposing an area of ¹⁄₂ or 1 in. square, the threads may be counted or closely examined and the quality determined. This also enables one to identify goods as being the same.—F. Ball Pinkus, La Crescenta, California.
¶An inexperienced workman broke eight curved window panes on a lake steamer by attempting to cut them on the inside, instead of on the outside of the curve, in fitting the glass.
Clock Device to Record Time of Appointments and Other Events
An ordinary clock, fitted with an electrical device to record the length of telephone conversations or appointment hours, or indicate when a door is opened, is shown in the illustration. The record is made by the hands in contact with brass rings attached to the face of the clock, the front of the rings being covered with white paper, dipped in a chemical, on which black dots are caused to appear, at each contact. By examining the dots and noting the items corresponding to them on a memorandum, the length of conversations, etc., may be observed.
