Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1896-10-08
A Current motor.

The name Current motor" has been
applied to q new mechanism that util-
ICES the power Of stream, or the cur
rent in such way that it can be used
to operate machinery. This machine,
which is anchored in river or stream,
consists Of pontoon carrying two end
less chains, to which are pivotally at
tached at suitable distances reversible
paddles having floats at the upper ends
that buoy them up in theeir course
through the water. By an ingenious
device these paddles enter and leave
the water in such way that instead
Of reducing the efficiency Of the ma
chinery they add to it. To the wheels
put in motion by these chains is at
tached an elevator carrying large buck
cts. When these, in revolving, enter
the water to fill themselves, they add
to the generation of power. They are
then hoisted up, and discharged into
a gutter which leads the water to the
shore, and empties it into reservoir,
whence it can be distributed through
canals and lateral bitches. The motive
power, Of course, is the current of the
stream. The first outlay for the motor
is comparatively small, especially when
the enhancement in the value Of the
adjacent land is considered. The cost
Of running the motor Is nominal. 1t
works night and day without an at
tendant, save for the occasional oiling
of bearings, etc. 1t is believed that the
current motor will find employment in
many districts where water has to be
raised for. irrigation purposes:
Electric Current Waste Preventer.
A combination has been made, con-
sisting essentially of clock and
switch, to prevent waste in the use of
electric current. The apparatus in
cludes lever SO arranged that when
with the mechanism of the clock and
stops it; when the switch is on the
lever frees the clock, which will then
record the hours and minutes during
which the lamps controlled by the
switch have been in use. In many
work shops the operators are more or
less careless in turning off the electric
light. Where such lights are 'immedi-
ately under the eye Of the manager a
check on the undue consumption of
current can be maintained. Otherwise
the waste preventer, when connected
to any lamp, will give record of the
improper use of the light by definitely
enumerating the number of minutes or
hours during which the light is turned
on. A large saving in the quarterly
current bill may thus often be effected.
Arrangements can be made by which
a connection can be made at any mo-
ment with any one Of the lights
throughout the house, or the instru-
ment can be SO adjusted that no lamp
in the place can be turned on without
the fact being made manifest on the
face of the indicating dial.
Aluminium Sign Letters.
One Of the fields in which, Of late,
aluminium has made most noticeable
progress is it's use for signs. Letters
and numbers on show windows were
heretofore usually painted or gilded or
else made Of glass or enameled letters
attached to the panes. These are now
being superseded in many cases by let
tiers and numbers Of aluminium, which 1
metal has many recommendations,
making is specially suitable for this
purpose. Aluminium letters are light
and strong; they keep their color and
their silvery luster makes them stand
out boldly, especially at night. More
over, they do not crack and are re-
markably durable. They can be read
lily attached to glass, marble, brick,
stone, wood, metal, or, in fact, any
substance, and their lightness obviates
tho difficulty often found with metal
or enameled letters, whose weight
causes them after time to become
detached and to fall of the window or
other object to which they have been
fastened. The manufacture Of these
goods has now become quite an import