The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-03-08
A BOON TO LAZY MEN.
An Alarm Clock Which Will Light a
Fire--A Clever Device by Butte
EIectriciun. Geo. X. Aitkem.

Fire-A Clever Device by n Butte
Electrician, Geo. k Aiken.
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be great boon 10 lazy men ana
servant girls If II comes into general
use. 1t is an electrical arrangement
by the use of which the man who
does not like to get up and build the
fire on a cold morning, may prepare
the fire ready for lighting upon go
ing to bed, and when his alarm clock
goes off the next morning all he has
to do is to press button at the head
of his bed which will light the fire
and he may lie back and snooze and
when the fire gets hot enough for his
wife to get breakfast bell will ring
to notify her that 1t is time to begin
making the pan cakes, or II he hap
pens to be ultra lazy or of nervous
disposition and unable to go back to
sleep after being once awakened, he
may connect the fire lighter with the
clock. and when the hour arrives at
which 1t is desired the fire shall be
lighted, simple arrangement by
which the hour hand closes the circuit
will set the fire going noiselessly and
he may sleep on and the bell will no.
tify the wife 1t is time for her to
arise just the same.
But perhaps the invention will be
of the greatest use to the overworked
servant girl, who finds 1T SO hard to
get up in the morning. To her it will
be blessing indeed. but unfortun-
ately for her. Mr. Aitken has not per-
fected the invention to the point that
he is able as yet to make it cook the
breakfast.
Mr.. Aitken worked his invention out
during his leisure moments, and after
having brought 1t to its present stage
of perfection. it is, after all, the sim
plest sort of continuance imagin-
able and any school boy with the least
bit of mechanical ingenuity, may, by
the expenditure OF, say IS, put the fire
lighter into practical use in his
home.
The invention consists, to begin
with, OF piece OF ordinary fibrous,
two inches square and half an inch
thick. In each of the four corners is
set small binding post. Two pieces
OF No. Ia copper wire. six inches long,
are set in two of the binding posts
and are connected together at the
other end by piece of No. 80 or So
platinum Wire three-quarters of an
inch long. The house is wired the
same as for an electric door bell or
any ordinary electric bell to be rung
by push button, with the current
supplied by three Laclede batteries.
The ends of the wires leading from the
push button, are connected with the
remaining two binding screws set in
the fibrous base The fire is made
ready 10 nght. Then wire arrange
ment for holding a match is placed
on the hearth and the match so placed
that one end Will be amongst the
kindllngs, while the PHOSPHORUS end
protrudes through the front CRATE.
The nre Hghter is then placed on the
hearth with the platinum tip resting
against the PHOSPHORUS of the match.
Then all is ready and the only thing
that remains to be done is to raise up
In bed, press the button and the fire
will be lighted. The current of cleo
tricity meeting with resistance from
the platinum tip heats 1t till 1t ignites
the match. Then as the match burns
up it lights the kindlings and the fire
is set going. There is nothing about
the arrangement that can set fire to
the house, as the fibrous base of the
lighter Is non -combustible and there
is nothing else to burn that is outside
the stove.
The device which notifies the house
keeper 1t is time TO get breakfast is a
simple thermostat. To make 1t. small
block of the same fibrous is used. On
each of two sides is screwed a spring
so shaped that they will come together
at one end, while at the other are at
tached wires connected with the bat
teries and an ordinary electric bell.
that portion of the wire which comes
in contact with the stove being COW
cred with asbestos to prevent them
from burning. After the fire has been
kindled. and the fire lighter placed in
position the thermostat is set on top
of the stove and a bit of paraffine or