Those in the habit of shutting their poultry houses at night to prevent disturbance or loss by night-prowling animals, will be interested in a contrivance that makes this unnecessary. The principle of the mechanism, as illustrated is that the opening to the poultry house is closed after the fowls have gone to roost, and in the morning when they descend from the roost, the door automatically opens, and they are free to go out. The spring door opens inside with hinges at the side, and a suitable bumper. The spring has just sufficient tension to cause the door to open when the catch is released.
The roost is fitted up as shown in the detail. One end is held by a bolt, while the other rests on a coil spring compressed by the weight of the fowls on the roost. A cord is attached at the spring end, passing through pulleys to the door, where it is fastened to the end of the bolt catch. The door is closed after the fowls are on the roost. The spring end is compressed to a level position, by their weight. The instant the birds leave the roost, it rises and pulls the cord, releasing the catch, and permitting the door to open.—George S. Brown, Norwich, Conn.
A Child’s Bell-Ringing Hoop
In making this useful toy, first, a wheel from an old baby carriage was stripped of the tire; then two laths are fastened together at one end, and the wheel inserted between them, at the other end, and held by a bolt. A strong cord was passed around the groove in the wheel, and around a spool, nailed so as to turn on the side of the lath when the wheel is rotated. Driven into the rim of the spool are three nails, which strike against the old alarm-clock bell, fastened as indicated.—W. F. MacGregor, Toronto, Can.
Emergency Camp Stoves Quickly Made
Boys at a Summer Camp Kept Themselves Busy during a Cold Spell by Making These Stoves
While conducting a boys’ camp in summer we experienced a severe sleet storm. Our tents were not equipped with stoves and I faced a double problem: to keep the boys warm and to keep them contented. The difficulty was solved by having them construct emergency camp stoves, as shown, using iron stovepipe, and other material at hand. One length of pipe is laid under the side of the tent about 4 in. in the ground, as in Fig. 1. An elbow mounted in sod connects with the chimney. A stone at the front of the stove regulates the draft, and stones placed upon the pipe hold the heat. The arrangement diagrammed in Fig. 2 is built with one length of pipe or a stone conduit. A hole is dug into the ground, about 10 in. deep. Over this is placed a pan, and an opening is made at the front for the fuel. The chimney is made of stones and sticks picked up around the camp, and plastered with mud. Coffee may be boiled or small cooking done on this stove.—William H. Leach, Alden, N. Y.