The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-06-07
FREAK PATENTS.
Curious Inventions Filed for PrOteC.
ton by Law.

Crank Ideas and Useful Discoveries
Are Not Easily Distinguished in
Some Applications - Some Speci-
mems Given.
From the Washington Star.
American invention has given birth TO
no end of freaks, which have been en-
halmed at the patent office in order that
they may not perish. Some of the queer
| est of them are devices for entrapping
! beasts, bugs, fishes and even human be-
ings
/ What, for example, could be funnier
than the notion of using imitation flowers
4 with poisoned honey to attract noxious
! insects! The artificial blossom, each con-
tanning a small quantity of sugary LIQUID
properly prepared, are to be fastened
! to twigs. Moths of destructive species
| sip the deadly nectar and die. A
4 more elaborate device of a similar de-
/ scription is intended for the protection of
| apple trees. IL is a tin can covered as to
! its upper half with luminous paint. On
/ the outside of the lower half apple bios
SONS are represented with the same sort
/ Of paint. Inside of the receptacle is
a small quantity of cider. The can is to
] Dc uUuR on q UIduCl OF an apple Tree at
night. Insects attracted by the pictured
flowers light upon the can. The smell of
the cider induces them to enter through
holes provided for that purpose; they
drop into the cider ana are drowned.
DIFFERENCE NOT EASILY SEEN.
It IS not always easy to distinguish be-
/ tween a crank idea and a useful discov-
cry. The poisoned counterteits of flowers
above described are said to work very
well. Many years ago man got patent
! Tor method of killing bugs on trees by
inclosing the whole tree In a sort of bal
loon of canvas, into which an asphyxiat-
| ing gas was to be poured for the purpose
of sUtfocating the insects Every body
thought he was lunatic. But now that
his patent has run out, the merits of the
plan have suddenly obtained appreciation
and its adoption is alleged to have saved
the orange-growing industry in Cali
fornia
Several kinds of luminous bats for fish
have been patented. One of these is a
minnow of hollow glass coated on the in
side partly with solution of gold or sill
yer and partly with luminous paint The
| result is very brilliant object in the
water, calculated to attract any preda-
ciOus creature with fms Another inter-
| esting continuance is for making frog
bait more seductive. The jerking of the
line equipped with this device causes the
frogs legs to move as if he were swim
ming.
Contrivances for catching insects are
more numerous than any others. One of
them is furnace for Strengthening potato
bugs. To begin with, a deep and wide
furrow is to be plowed all around an in
tested field. Through this trench a
smooth log is dragged to make the sur
face hard and smooth. The bugs in mi
grating 10 other grounds are unable to
scale the trench, and the furnace, which
is q cylinder of iron filled with fuel, is
drawn along the furrow and DESTROYS
them. Other odd devices are cartridges
intended to be inserted IN the mouths OF
the ant holes and to be fired, thus com
municating sitting vapors to the subter-
rauean chambers; also many kinds OF
lamps for attracting and burning up the
moths of various worms in cotton fields.
There is toy pistol for insects, which
sucks them in when the trigger is pulled.
TO CATCH THE HORN FLY.
An ingenious westerner has invented a
trap for catching the horn fly, which is
such an enemy to cattle in some parts OF
the country. 1t consists most Importantly
of a great frame, to which brush is at
tached in such q manner that when the
| beasts walk through, eager, as they al.
ways are, to scratch themselves, the flies
will be scraped from their bodies by the
branches. Finally the frame is closed up
by means of doors, and the captured in.
sects are destroyed. Nearly everybody
has heard of the gold tapeworm trap
which the patient swallows Bedbuq
traps are of several varieties, all of them
being intended to afford attractive hiding
places for those bloodsuckers, and to be
burned or scalded out atterward.
Much in genuity has been expended in
rat traps Some of them are 50 elaborate
that no full-witted rat would go near
/ H. A..., A
through door, which drops behind him
and makes him prisoner Seeing q
bright light above, he ascends flight OF
little steps and trots across small plan k
that's so nicely adjusted as to balance that
his weight causes 1t TO tip and throw him
into tank OF water Another contriv-
ance consists of a double chamber One
chamb Der has glass end, through which
Mr. Kat sees two or three imitation rats
having a nice time with Bit of cheese.
Wishing to Join them, he runs around the
. box, gets into the other cham Oers, and is
caught.
There are number of devices which
employ mirrors for the purpose of Turing
Mr.. Rat 10 his fate. He mounts on top OF
barrel ana sees a toothsome piece of
cheese. AS he approaches it, he beholds
another rOdent-iu reality his own rellec-
tion, in piece of looking glass-coming
for the cheese from the opposite direc-
Ilon. he makeS,d daSh TO get there flrSt,
and pivOtted board drops him into the
CASH, which is half-full OF water. Rats
will swim for a long time, so one humani-
tartan has patented a water trap with
little shelves around the edge and lust
above the surface. On the shelves are
placed small lead weights with fish hooks
hanging from them. The captured rat,
IN trying to escape, grasps one OF the
hooks, gets it fastened in his mouth dis
lodges the piece Of lead and is carried to
the bottom by the latter.
TO CATCH THIEVES.
Sparrow traps are of many different
kinds Most OF them invite the birds to
walk in through a door which drops be-
hind them, making them prisoners
When next seen, in the restaurants, they
arc reed birds on toast. OF greater inter
se ri e.,