The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-01-01
NEW INVENTIONS.

An improved holding device for overshoes
is formed of a pair of pivoted arms sur
rounding the top of the heel, with a spring
pawI on the pivot which locks them ik
place after they are gripped around the
shoe heel.
Electricity is used to fire the powder in a
new fashlight apparatus, a sparkling device
being operated by pushing a button at the
end of q grip held in the hand, which closes
the circuit and sets fire to fuse running
to pile of the powder.
An Englishman has patented a bicycle
tire which has double row of air-tight
tubes overlapping each other inside the shoe,
with a valve for each tube, the advantage
being that in case of puncture of the outer
tube the inner takes its place.
In a newly designed vest one buttonhole
edge is shorter than the other, the longer
edge being arranged for double-breasted
front. BY turning the vest the other side
out the shorter edge is brought uppermost
and forms single-breasted vest.
In a newly designed buckle the tongue is
carried by a bolt set in a cylinder at one
end of the buckle with a slot in end
of the bolt for the insertion of a. key by
means of which the tongue is locked after
the strap has been drawn tight
For use in holding the work while sewing
a Kansas woman has invented a new device
which has pair of spring jaws to grip the
work, with screw clamp al the rear to be
attached to the edge of table or sewing
A Canadian has patented a new fire alarm
system for houses, comprising a quick-burn-
ing fuse strung through the walls at inter-
walls, all the lines leading to canister con-
tanning explosive fireworks, which are dis
charged az short intervals TO give the alarm.
Cuffs are securely attached to the sleeve
by a new holder which has two parallel
plates pivoted in frame, with clamping
jaws at either end, one set of which IS held
normally closed by a spring, while the other
set is closed by a lever on the side of one
plate.
A handy adjusting attachment for bicycle
handle bars is formed of a pin with ring
at one end by which it is pulled out of the
head to allow the bar to be raised or low
cred until another OF the series of holes is
in alignment, a flat spring holding the pin
in place.
safety attachment for scaffolds has been
patented, consisting of two auxiliary ropes
to be fastened in windows above the highest
point of movement OF the scafTold, the OPP
posite ends of the ropes being fixed around
the scaffOld to support its weight if the main
ropes break.
A Texan has patented a folding bed which
is suspended from the ceiling by four
pulleys, the ropes running to central shaft,
which is turned by pulling q rope wound
on a wheel carried by the shaft, thus draw
ing the bed up to the ceiling and holding it
out of the way.
In acknowledgement flag cane the upper
portion of the cane is hollow and contains
tube having socket on one side which
can be attached to the tip of the cane the
tube carrying a central rod turned by
thumb wheel, to wind up the flag through
a slot i'll the side.
An improved prospecting tool for miners
is formed of a central auger, fixed on a
handle, with tubular auger surrounding it,
which can be detached while the hole is be-
ing bored, and replaced to form a pocket
into which the borings are drawn to remove
them from the hole
A Westerner has invented a brush for
cleaning euspidors, having the scrubbing
surfaces carried by hinged arms attached
to a handle, the plates being folded up to
allow the SCrubber to enter the cuSpldOr,
when they are unfoIded and revolved to
cleanse the interior.
Two New Zealanders have invented
buckle which viii he found useful where
there is no means of sewing the strap in
place, T-head being formed on the end to
he permanently attached, to be inserted in
slot cut in the end of the strap at right
angles with the head.
Belts are automatically frightened by
pulley which is carried at the end of
pivoted frame and rests on the upper side
of the belt, with an auxiliary pulley held
in place below the lower side, the swinging
pulleys being drawn toward each other 10
tighten both runs of the belt.
A Rhode Island woman has patented
neat skirt litter, having pins arranged in the
under side of the skirt, with loops on the
pins, to which are attached strips of tape,
threaded back and forth from the loops 10
the waistband. so that pull on the endS OF
the strips gather up the skirt
The mouths of bags are held open for fill
! ing or emptying by the use of neat device,
formed Of a single piece of wire bent to
form two parallel spring arms, which are in
serted in the bag, the central portion OF the
| holder being bent into ring tor supporting
| the bag in an upright position.
Bicycle chains can be easily cleaned by
q New York mans device, consisting of
vertical chamber, to be flied with cleaning
fluid, with wheels suspended at the top and
bottom, over which the chain is passed, a
crank being attached TO the top wheel to
reVolVe the chain in the liquid.
Pictures can be easily adjusted on the wall
by a new hanger, formed of d fiat strip of
metal, with curved ends, to be attached to
the back of the frame with teeth in the I'M
der side of the strip, which engage a. sliding
ring suspended from the wall, each tooth
! changing the angle of the picture.
To prevent wagons from twisting the
wheels and breaking them in car tracks
new attachment is formed of curved bar,
lying close to the rim of the wheel, with the
upper end held by a shaft. to be depressed
| by the foot and throw the bar down into the
! track to allow the wheel to turn out.
| Fermented malt liquor is changed into a
mountaineering beverage by a new process,
consisting in removing all the alcohol and
| carbonic acid by heating. after which the
| liquor receives small proportion of kraeu-
| sen and is fermented to restore the taste,
| appearance and effervescence of beer.
| A Pennsylvania woman has designed
new game board, in which a spiral runway is
formed on the surface of the board, with an
opening at the edge of the board into which
a marble is driven to pass around the run
way and drop into one of a number of holes
in the center having different values.
In new thread-cutter, designed by an
Illinois woman, a steel ring of the proper
size to slip over the thimble carries a
notched plate on one side, with a cutting
| blade set in the bottom, a short projection
! being placed on the inside of the ring to en-
gage one of the indentatons of the thimble.
In new cake turner the shaft carrying
the fiat blade is journaled in the handle and
has toothed wheel at the inner end which
meshes in a toothed rack carried by
| push rod at the side of the handle, a slight
pressure with the thumbs on the rod re-
volving the turner half way and dropping
the cake.
A ribbon has been invented for use on
typewriters which will print in two colors
several layers of fabric being used in form
ing the ribbon, with the two outer faces
charged with different colored inks, the inner