Mesa free press., 1897-12-31
NEW USES FOR ALUMINIUM.

The latest novelty in the trade are
aluminium baby rattles.
Chemical laboratories are using alum
mum extensively for various purposes,
such as dn water baths, air baths, Bun
sen burners, tunnels and condenser
tubing.
Aluminium bronze is being used very
extensively for fittings on trolley roads
This work requires q strong, stiff metal
and aluminium bronze fills the require
ments.
Aluminium is the principal metal used
for religious medals, and Chicago
drm finds that the churches are partic-
ularly partial to aluminium badges and
emblems.
Helmets for military, theater and cir
Gus use are being manufactured by q
German firm. The helmets are made Of
hard aluminium alloy and are proving
entirely satisfactory.
The covers of record books are now
made Of aluminium sheets, well round
ed on all edges, to prevent the subsc-
quent wear on the leather used in con-
nectiOn with the metal sheet upon the
backs.
A Bridgeport, Conn, foundry recent
ly cast several thousand aluminium
mouthpieces for graphophones. These
were formerly made of rubber, but it
has been found that aluminium, being
more resonant, gives much better re-
suits.
An important use of aluminium which
has just been started is for parts Of fur
niture. Bookcases, rat and vermin
proof, have been neatly made in this
manner, and are receiving favorable at
tention from various public Libraries.
The Aluminium Novelty Works. Paw
tucket, r. l., have an aluminium basin
which has been used every working day
for five years, and yet has not hole
in it. In view of the rough treatment
basin gets in workshops it looks as if
aluminium basins were rather durable.
Undertakes are using this metal for
burial caskets Of various kinds, but as
yet only in the more expensive kinds,
such as have retailed at $500 apiece, al
though, according to the best authori-
| ties, the metal in them was not worth
more than $50 at the present prevailing
prices.
Aluminium bonbon boxes are a recent
novelty. Another speciality made by
the company manufacturing these ds
an ornamental fern dish. This is made
with an inner perforated pan holding
the plants, which fits in a small chased
receptacle containing water to moisten
the roots Of the plants.
Lithographers have been much inter
ested in the experiment with aluminium
plates for color printing. A New York
firm now uses aluminium plates entire
ly on number Of presses which were
built for printing with zinc. A litho-
graph company of Chicago is also be-
ginning to use aluminium plates.
Aluminium is being tried for grain
buckets by the India Wharf Brewing
|; Company of Brooklyn. The buckets
are attached to an endless chain and 1t
is thought by making them Of alumni
mum that the decrease in weight would
result in a saving of power, and expe-
rience has proved the correctness of
the conclusion.
Aluminium has replaced another met
al in the manufacture Of chemical cru
cibleS, tOngs, etc. These are light and
handy and are not attacked by acids.
A pair of chemical tongs, which, ac-
cording to the manufacturers state
ment, have been in constant laboratory
use for five years, are as bright as
when first made.
A camping outfit made entirely Of
aluminium, consisting Of 115 pieces,
weighs but fourteen pounds. It is pack
ed in box, which measures 12x11 inch
es on top, 9x12 inches on the bottom
and II inches high. Even the inclosing
box in this outfit is utilized, for the
body Of 1t is used as a baking oven and
the cover as bread pan.
The latest novelty in the bicycle line
is aluminium lacquer, which is a prep
aration for giving the spokes of bicy.
cles a bright aluminium finish. The
spokes of the wheel are first cleaned
and the lacquer is then applied with
brush. The lacquer can also be used
for stripping and decorating any ma
chine or article, and upon nickel, enam-
ell, steel or wood.
Troop e Of the United States cavalry
recently made a twelve-day's ride of
about $50 miles on emergency rations.
For experimental purposes their cook
ing utensils, cups and canteen were
made of German aluminium. Captain
Brown, Of the First cavalry, writes
that the aluminium articles proved sin
every way superior to the regulation ar
ticles Of timed iron."
Several countries, including the Uni
ted States, India and some South
American States, have started to inves-
tigate the relative merits of aluminium
alloys for use in minor coinage. A
committee of the Fifty-fourth Congress
was appointed to investigate the rela-