Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1906-05-26
MACHINES WHICH THINK.
Tbi,gs which Arc Accomplished ~
Delicate Mechanism.

II 10 said that when the inventor or
the tvpesetting machine first endeavor-
cd to demonstrate the practcability OF
his mechanism 1t was laughed at ana
poohpoohed by old printers. In OF
der" said they, Ito make macnlne
that will set type you must invent
thing that will think" But the invent
or triumphed, says the Philadeipnla
Record. and today the result or MS la.
bor Is one Of the most valuable Oh
mechanisms. And each year ADDS 70
the long list of machines that 90 tne
work of brain workers. From tne corn
mi,ler's little bell that sets up terri
hla amount of tinkllng the moment the
homer runs empty up to the comph-
Gated calculating machines seen IN eV-
ery bank there are so many mechanic
nj substitutes for the brains that II Is
really difficult at times for one 10 rear
Inc that after all these machines are
machines and not things OF inteiil-
gence.
In screw factories one will see ma
chine that. taking hold of rod OF met
al will pull 1t rapidly along, giving
the end of 1t the general shape Oh d
screw. cutting the thread around II anu
tho slot In the head, finally turning out
perfect screw. So far the process
does not strike one as being anything
SO very remarkable In this age OF "on-
derful inventions, but when lhe ma
chine exhausts It's material and emits
a sharp. impatient ring OF a Dell u
summon an attendant to bring more
metal then one does experience an
esrie sensation that the conrivance
| really does think.
There Is a machine for printing rail-
wav tickets that affords an amusing
Instance of a thinking invention. II
Ia interesting to watch this machine uo
| It's work.
The tickets that 1t turns out are not
"a might be supposed. printed In large
sheets and then cut up. On the contra
w the cardboard Is first cut Into lick
ets which are printed afterward one
by one. 100000
These small blank cards are inserted
into what might be termed perpen
dicular spout, being arranged IN a piie
The machine slips piece OF metai oe
meath the bottom Of the spout an'
pushes out the lowest ticket In the PHI
TO be printed and consecutvely mum
hered There Is no chance to "foor' IN
machine by offering a bad ticket, 10
IN nm instant the mechanism detect
tho ,mnerfect blank. with which 1t Ut
terlv refuses to have anything to 90.
A great many other references migh
no made to the thinking" machine
that do their work with 80 much COZ
sc,entiousness. But to complete III
LIST II will suffice to notice the remarH
able performance of certain machine
used in the Philadelphia mint In COZ
nection with the weighing of coins.
The new coins are found sometime
70 be under or over weight, ana IL "
comes necessary to sort them unde
the classifications Of Eight, heavy an
good" This delicate business Is don
with unerrlng precision by long TO
Of wonderfully clever little machines.
Into these machines are inserted sii
ole piles of bright, new coins. Auu
matically the mechanism takes eaC
coin, puts it into the scale and IN
fraction over three seconds weighs
If the coin be eight" the machll
, nushes it into its proper receptacle,
: .heavy" into another, and If the Co
? he of correct weight it Is pushed In
4 q third receptacle.