The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1893-02-09
SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY,
WHAT INVENTIVE GENIUSES.
ARE DOING.
Engraving IN Glass byElectricity--
A New Mode of Producing Elec-
trical Energy--Antiquity Of
{ the Saw--The Making Of
L Scissors.

the Saw--The Making Of
Scissors.
Engraving on Glass byElectricity.
Electricity is now applied to the or
namentation of glassware. Electrical
glass engraving was introduced about
fifteen years ago by the celebrated
CASTOR Plante, but has not been
turned to any commercial use. The
principle is nov revived under the
name OF ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. The
tool used for engraving is a brass
tube lightly packed with shredded as
bestos, through which pass two con
ductors which terminate in two bind
ing posts. To each OF these binding
posts is attached the end of a piece of
platinum wire, which is moulded in
the shape OF an ordinary pencil point.
When a current OF fifty amperes and
five volts is sent through this wire, it
is heated to incandescence. AS it is
supported by q piece OF slate pencil,
moderate pressure can be applied to
it without injury. The operator
holds. in one hand the object to
be engraved upon, generally some
piece OF ornamental copper-hashed
glassware, and in the other the en-
craving tool. The film of color on
the glass is so thin that the least
scratch will expose the clear glass,
and all marks thus made on the sur
face stand OUT transparency against
a colored ground. The principle of
the operation is as follows; The
heated platinum wire, as it touches
the glass, causes the part Immediately
underneath it to expand and chip off.
AS the wire is passed over the sur
face somewhat rapidly, the chips are
very minute. Under the microscope
they present q peculiar appearance,
being triangular in shape and curved
on the surface. Some of these chips
are melted by the incandescent plati-
nun wire, and as the tool is lifted the
fibers OF glass are drawn out, which
ing the surface Of the glass with q
piece OF sheet copper.
Anew Mode of Producing Electri-
cal Energy.
An English electrical paper is res
ponsible for the statement that the
nickeli2-the-slot principle IS to be ap.
piled to the production OF electrical
energy. Hitherto the public has fed
the automatic machine with coins in
return for value. In the latest plan
the process has been reversed. The
public is now to receive money instead
OF paying it. To theperson who turns
a crank 100 times the machine will
deliver up &c. The crank is connected
with a dynamo, and the 100 revolu-
tons OF the handle manufactures a
quantity of electrical energy, which is
eventually to be retalled by the own
ers of the machine for purposes of H.
Elimination and power. The plan is
we'll spoken of in England, where there
are now. thousands of persons
out of employment, but whether
it would answer equally we'll
n this country, where paupers
are not SO plentiful, is questionable.
The plan has, however, one advan-
tage; no man need go in want of a
meal who can apply himself to the
electrical. automatic machine. The
popularity Of the scheme would seem
to depend on the time and degree OF
force it would take to do the 100
turns, and it is presumed that fair
wages could be made at the rate fixed.
It is suggested that the invention is
capable of wide application. Why
should not every household be, pro-
vided with one? Every member of
the family might take a turn at the
crank from time to time by way Of ex-
~ercise, and thus procure health and
remuneration at the same moment.
It would certainly be a most satisfac-
tory ARRANGEMENT if the energy hither-
to expended IN dumb-bell practice
could in this way be made to contrib
ute to the expenses of housekeeping.
Antiquity Of the Saw.
The saw is an Instrument Of hiph