The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1885-01-16
The Chicken Machine.

Yesterday we sailed forth to visit our
energetic townsman, John II. Peterson,
and inspected his incubator now in opera
ton. We found Mr.. Peterson in a small
out-building with a glass roof over a large
portion of it, which he uses for his young
chickens in the spring. 1t was comfortably
heated to a temperature of GS degrees. Vt
one side stood the incubator Eureka pat
ent which may be briefly described as a
square box or case mounted on four legs,
a little above the height of m ordinary
table, and about 1S inches deep. , feet wide
and 3 feet long. Underneath is 4 coal oil
lamp which heats to 1870 degrees a light
reservoir of hot water, which in turn com
municates a temperature Of 1914 degrees to
the air surrounding the eggs. On top Of
this reservoir is an evaporating pan which
serves to keep the hot air at a suitable de
gree of moisture. Over this, two trays.
with slat bottoms, are filled with eggs
The open bottoms allow the hot air to cir
culate freely all around the contents of the
trays. On top of the machine is a clock
which keeps time the same as any other
time-piece, and runs for four days without
winding. In the case is a powerful spring
requiring considerable strength to wind.
which, at intervals of six hours. operates a
lever attached to the partitions in the egg
trays. (the eggs being laid in a particular
position i'll nests of six each) and the lever
pushes the partitions, all at once, about five
inches to one side, moving the eggs with
them and rolling them completely over i'll
the trays. At the end of six hours the
movement of the lever is reversed and the
partitions drawn back, giving the eggs
another t;irn. The heat is regulated by a
sensitive curved brass strip inside the ap-
paratus, which, expanding outward with the
heat, operates against a delicate lever con-
neeted with a spring on top OF the machine.
opening a valve in the top. The same
spring at the same instant operates TO close
another valve connected with the lamp I'M
derneath, cutting off the air from the flame
and reducing the heat. When the heat
falls below a certain point, the operation of
the spring is reversed. the valve i'll the
top closes. the lamp valve opens, admit
ting air to the flame. which Immediately
rises and the temperature is at once in
creased. So sensitive Is this apparatus,
that a change of temperature not percepti-
BILE III an ordinary thermometer. will open
or close the valves, thus keeping the heat
as nearly uniform as possible. 1t will thus
be seen that the machine is entirely auto
matte, requiring no attention beyond keep
ing the lamps trimmed and supplied with
~ oi.'o ~ ny - -
Is not regulator " RAISING anu ioHellhS
tle WICK as III ordinary lamps pat Wy ao-
,1lttlhS OF cutting on the supply oi ar.
MT. peterson mas ooV egg III tle ih"ehlhe'
OIL winch, II all goes Wen, ap0at oV per
cent. are expected to hatch. This seems
like a large '%ssettin' of eggs. Tne room
where the machine 10Y stands will be APP
propriated TO the young chickens when
they make their appearance, and the incu-
oatof put ON her nest IN an ADJOINING
apartment away from the aust Oh the
pfoouihs HOUSE,