Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-10-17
Am ERICAN GENIUS
Novel Contributions to the List of
Patented Inventions.
FAN ATTACHMENT 10 ROCKING CHAIR
A Michigan Mans Device for Rock
ing the Babies.
STRENGTHENING THE EYES

01RENGIHEN1N THE EYES
During the past few months there have
I been some novel contributions To the list
Of inventions by American genius While
this country always takes the lead IN these
matters there has been an Impetus given
the production Of patents during tho past
year. and America, as usual. Is on top.
short time ago a man from a western
city obtained patent for a fan attach
ment to a rocking chair adapted to fan
the occupant when the chair is in motion.
| The only difficulty with this device is thai
the man has to supply the motive power
| While the amount OF energy expended in
this particular line is never great. still II
is believed by the patent officials that the
chair will not be a great success
From the sunny south comes a man who
claims to have made great discovery In
the use OF colors for strengthening The
eyes. He calls his device an eve strength
ener. and claims to improve the sight of
weak eyes, as well AS TO rest or relieve
the Optics after they have been used for
any length Of time or exposed to sunlight or
wind lie says in all tho experiments along
this line he has discovered that all colorS
except blue. the shade Of the sky. ana
green, the shade Of the grass. are either
| injurious to or have no effect upon the
sight ~ the eve Th, shades Of grp..t, and
of blue have a soothing effect and he
claims, by displaying each alternately a
viii greatly relieve tn" sight OF strained or
tired eyes and strengthen those that are
weak With this in view he has invented
a holder for supporting cards Of Tho above
coiors In using the device the cards ar.
put in place and held directly IN front *
tie eyes, 50 az 10 admit only enough Hight
20 clearly distinguish The color The hold
er Is 10 stay In this position about two
minutes and the operation should he re-
peated every fifteen seconds for about six
| minutes.
To Keep the Churner Cool.
\ man named Foraker, living in MIssou-
ri. has obtained a patent for novel churn.
The inventor has evidently had some warm
experience in bringing the golden butter
from the cream on very sultry days. and
! he has evolved q plan whereby the churn-
er keeps cool while engaged in the process.
There is an elongation Of the spindle 10 the
paddle wheel and at ths end Of this are
placed two fans which rotate with The spin
die and keep tho churner cool
a benedict from Michigan has thought
out a plan which Will doubtless be allied
with delight by fathers of young children.
1t Is Self-rocking cradle. by the Use Of
powerful springs, and mechanism for oper-
ating tho same. the cradle WIFI rock with
out other assistance. \ fan l. also operat-
ed by this mechanism TO keep the flies OF
Of baby. II is predicted there will be A
great demand for the self-rocker.
The ladies viii be interested In a patent
recently granted New Yorker for an arti-
hciaI plume The cuttings or waste OF
ostrich or other feathers is assembled into
punches Of suitable size and then bound 10
a supporting rod. The effect of this Is said
to be highly pleasing and economical, re
Sembling in every particular handsome
plume direct from the ostrich.
Every one who has watched a blacksmith
shoe horse or milkmaid at work in the
cowpen has No doubt thought " some az
rangement which would keep the tail u ne
animal from inflicting annoyance gem
tIernan from Missouri has recently patented
an animal tail holder. which, he says, may
be readily applied to a horse or q COW. and
consists IN a construction of clamps which,
by novel arrangement, will hold the tail
in place and prevent its moving.
Antiseptic Device.
The necessity Of providing barber shops
with antiseptic appliances for keeping the
razors and other paraphernalia Of the ton
serial artist absolutely clean has long been
manifest. Several inventions along this
linz have already been granted. A recent
patent calls for antiSeptic razor cabinet
The cabinet may be OF any construction.
but provided with a vapor-accumulHting
chamber just below the razor compartment,
with means OF eKpelling this vapUr from
this chamber on t. the razors at will.
Girls who curl their hair by the use q
curling irons will be Interested in a new
idea which has just been patented. which
does the work quickly and completely.
over a small alf-'Nlltl ramp are Two ~ lltl-
drlcal compartments into which curling
irons are thrust. The CDmpartmpnfs al
ways being hot the heat is quickly trans
ferred to the metal tpngs. which may be
used at once a particular feature Of this
device Is the freedom Of the tongS from the
SCOT which invariably accumulates when "A
curling tong is put Immediately into the
flame.
A young lady from New York city has
obtained patent for an Notwithstanding
device. The object Of the invention is 10
permit ladies to conveniently carry UNI
brellaS 6r paraSols without using their
hands. To accomplish this the inventor has
provided d chatelaine which engages the
belt, and several supporting chains to hold
the bard or strap, which has a ferrule at
the end, engaging the Tip Of the umbrella.
Bicycle Street Cleaner.
From the city Of brotherly love comes
an inventor who is undoubtedly a man OF
genius and a close observer. He no doubt
has noted the ceaseless patrol OF the street
Sweepers, and thought over how the labor
could be saved and more work accom-
plished. He thinks he has arrived d
solution Of the vexed problem In his patent.
which was issued short time ago. II is
a street cleaning device built On d bicycle
In front Of the bicycle there is "a small
hopper and in front of the hopper a pillow
or scoop, which dragS along the surface Of
the thoroughfare. When this scoop is filled
with street sweepings it is tipped up and
enlptied into the hopper by means Of a
lever. II is claimed that very much more
the use of this machine than by the Old
mo hnI