The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-06-16

terrible velocity may excite electrical oscil-
lations through ethereal space of such q
frequency as to influence our terrestrial
circuits. 1t may thus become possible for
US to hear on earth the electric storms of
the sun.
AN ELECTRIC INCUBAToR.-The idea of
Matching eggs by electricity may appear
somewhat far-fetched, but electric incu-
baton is not only being carried on in Ger
many, but is growing into large industry.
A Strasburg electrician, who has been ex-
perimenting for three years, proves that
with the electric incubator 80 chickens can
ordinarily be counted on out of every 100
eggs lncubated. His apparatus is made
for 90, 100 and 200 eggs, and not only obvi-
ates many of the difficulties connected
with the ordinary form of incubator but
makes the process of Matching surer and
quicker than it has ever been. The
manipulation of the apparatus is
brought down to very simple phase,
the main feature being the maintenance
of carefully regulated and uninterrupted
supply OF current. An automatic attach
ment keeps the temperature within a
tenth of degree of the normal heat of in
cubation The degree of saturation of the
air is similarly maintained. The quantity
of current required is very small After
the chickens are Matched they are turned
into an electric mother" the upper part
of which is devoted to the freshly Matched
birds only, while the lower part is arranged
so that the chicks can run around on the
ground and at the same time find heat and
protection when they desire it, The cleo
trio incubator has been found of great ser
vice for winter work.
FINISHING CLOTH AND PAPER BY ELEC-
TRIcITY.-An electrical journal gives a new
method of finishing cloth and paper by
electricity. In the finishing of certain
kinds of woven fabrics and obtaining MORE
and figured effects it has been the practice
to use hydraulic presses and heated plates.
The plates are heated in furnaces and
subjected, after the fabrics or paper have
been placed between them, to hydraulic
pressure. The difficulty with this system
is that during the operation the plates cool
ana the action IS not regular. The
adoption of form of electric heating gives
exactly the required regularity and
consistency of temperature and makes the
process perfect. The plates are made hol-
low, and the heating wire is wound within
1t IN the shape of a spiral, impedded in
su1ncient resistance to produce the neces-
sary heating effect. A flexible cable
passes from each plate to a switchboard,
where electrical connection is made. AS
the current is turned on in any of the
cables the plate to which it is attached is
raised to the required heat, which is main
tanned undeviatingly until the process OF
finishing is completed. The invention
comes from Germany, but it is such man
lfest and radical Improvement on ole
methods that it is certain to be applied
largely by American manufacturers OF
woven fabrics and paper.
APowER LOOM RUN BY ELECTRIC MoToR.-
The running of textile machines by cleo
tricity is gradually but certainly suppressed
ing the old costly and troublesome shaft
ing, pulleys, etc. A German firm have put
upon the market power loom actuated
entirely by electricity. The loom is of the
Bradford" form, which is much used in
Europe for light wooden and cotton weaves,
and has 6-drop box motion on one side.
The medium size has a breadth of reed OF
Cd, and makes in the neighborhood of 145
picks. per minute, using something like
one-third of horsepower. The electrical
connections are so made that the stopping
and starting of the loom are regulated
| automatically, and should the filling break
or the spool become empty, the loom
ceases work in the usual manner. There
is by this arrangement great saving OF
| labor, and the weaver can superintend a
large number of looms.