New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-10-06
GRATEYARDS OF INVENTION
MODELS OF CHIMERICAL SCHEMES SEEN
IN MACHINIST'S SHOP.

| IN a oflOI.
| Among the machnists' shops on Centre-si. are
many which make specially of turning out in
ventors' models. or the innumerabie inventions
every year In fifty is successful The
majority OF them require some kind OF a model TO
illustrate their method of working and II the re-
suit is a failure the model is generally laid aside in
| the shop of the machinist. AS a consequence. the
Centre-st. shops veritabe graveyards of sha
| tered hopes.
| In one OF the shop there is usually long
! shelf appropriately called the dead shelf, upon
which are thrown the models which have proved
failures in practice They lie there until the shelf
is overcrowded. and are then broken up and de-
stroyed to make room for others. Many queer
| looking devices have lain there long that no
| human being knows for what they were originally
| intended. The machinis has forgotten and the
| inventor is dead. one of these strange machines
very likely his only monument. In the basement
Of shop lies huge machine OF intricate de-
| sign which must weigh several tons. The ma
chine was called a non-exhaust engine, and the
| idea was to utilize the waste steam which ordi-
rarily exhausts into the air by forcing it back
| into the boiler and thus employing the same steam
| over and over again. Thousands were spent on
| this chimercal idea. which any engineer can see
| at a glance is impossible 4 few doors further up
| lies another ponderous engine which was intended
by its inventor TO multiply power. BY an arrange
ment Of levers and cogs the sangune inventor con-
| tended that he was able convert force exerted
| on a handle in the machine into twenty times the
original energy transmitted to the handle. If his
| idea were possible little engine would be en-
| abed TO work all the machinery in New-York
Another queer-ookng machine was designed to
assist fremen in breaking nto buildings which are
on fire Much trouble is often experienced by fire
men in opening iron shutters from the outside. and
the invention which supposed 10 enable them
! TO do this was tested by the Fire Department II
| consisted Of q heavy circular steel saw which was
! connected with a long piece of flexible shafting.
| The shafng actuated by small turbine
wheel which was rotated by the stream Of water
| from the fire hose. 4 fireman up the ladder,
dragging the flexible shafting after him. ana APP
piled the saw to an iron shutter. The turbine
! wheel was sent buzzing round by vigorous stream
OF water and agonizing screech came from the
saw II made few scratches the iron and
| then became useless. The only be worked
at high speed and the steel speedily lost its
| temper and refused to cut. The rapid speed and
great friction take the temper out of the tool, and
with a slow speed it will not work at all
Probably the strangest invention of all was
machine for identifying the lips of woman. The
| inventor was a staid bachelor bank cashier who
had bound the machnist under a terrible oath
not 10 reveal his name His invention looks rather
| ike an od-fashioned spinning wheel on small
scae. A rapidly rotating wheel was coated with
4 secret preparation of his own and applied to the
lips The friction and the action of the com
mound would according to the inventor. give
fulness and ruby redness TO the lips which could
not be obtained by any other artificial means In
| conjunction with the machine little wooden
clamp was supposed to be used This clamp was
! 10 be fastened TO the mouth before the beauty
seeker retired and would In time shape the uglest
mouth into bowlike curve which would charm
al those that beheld H. Nothing came Of his idea,
and ruby lips and pretty mouths are still at the
| same old premium.
Models OF perpetual motion machines are TO be
found in every shop. many OF them marvels OF
ingenuity but all lacking In one little particular
they will not work Despite the impossibility OF
one man having invented no less than six entirely
| They now lie in various stages of repair on the
dead shelf. while the inventor is engaged on
a seventh. which he is confident Will prove sue
Another model is that of a sef-propelling boat
| which would cross the ocean without any motive
| power but the action OF the waves As the BOAT
rolled from side to side its movements sGtuatel
fms on the side Of the boat The rousher the water
we o tis ne 10 s all As rule the inventor Of any
scheme always contends that he Is on ne eve %, OF
success when his money gives out or his packer
| wthdraws his financial support .
IAN invention. sir which would have revou.
% pa Rf "GGf " matter ToR how
a scheme hacker seems to be always easy to
ind but his enthusiasm cools off good deal
Women rarely enter the ranks Of inventors w i19
make specially Of evolving schem.s which VIII
revoutionize the world. They conhne Their attenI
/ tion to domestic Inventions Such as small
| household articles. one woman invented A con-
trivance which supposed TO cure insomnia
An arrangement of springs and bands was 10 ne
adjusted on the loepless one and by pressing on
certain veins and arteries. thereby controlling the
! crcula Ion to induce sumber The device showed
| great mechanical skill but it useless for the
purpose for which II designed.
/ Many men. and sometimes a woman. come mo
the machnists' shops TO get machines made or
which they do tel the object. some OF these
machines are extraordinary and defy the m1chinlst
10 tell what they meant for or supposed 10 40
As a rule however, they take the machinst INTO
| their confidence and telling him the idea. look to
| him for a working model
Most Of the ideas for producing mechanical eifects
OH the stage are first worked out IN the SHOP OF
! mach!nst and some Of them are wonderfully m.
genious Playwrights frequently drop IN to Know II
such and such a railroad accident or shipWrech can
be effectively reproduced. II II can and the analr
is novel and sensational they write play around
| e. one nachinst's shop has beautiful model Of
| an elevator which is supposed to break down ana
! fall 10 the ground with its occupants ms II does
in a very realistic way coming To the ground with
| a crash The crash is not produced by the elevator
which does not quite reach TIE bottom - The shaft
| but by some ingenious machinery behind