The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-03-01

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 maticaiiy put out of commission foI
 the day.
 But that is only one feature of the
 burglar protectior system. Every al.
 ternate step on the stairways from
 basement to roof holds an electric
 mat and these mats are connected with
 small incandescent lights in the sleep
 ing room. When a burglar bold gains
 entrance to the house he is not warned
 by loud ringing that his coming has
 been heralded In his prowiing he
 uses the stairs, not knowing that with
 every alternate step he is lighting one l of the small bulbs in the sleeping room.
 As these are illuminated in the order
 the steps are trod on. the course of
 the fntruder. whether from the upper
 stories or roof downward or from the
 basement upward. is traceable as cas- | fly as though he were megaphoning | his movements through the house. Nor l does the protection system stop there. | At the head of the stairway leading to the sleeping floor of the house Is i! fixed fifty candle power light that may be flashed full In face of the thief. l Flashing a light of this brilliancy in the face of a person whose eyes have been adjusted to the darkness renders him utterly sightless as to objects back in the light. The pressing of dist ant button turns on this flash light so that were the burglar to jump at the conclusion that the househoiders were behind the light and see it to shoot at 1t. he would be many feet wide of his supposed human target. Moreover. as though these devices were not suf- ficient. the contyiver of them believes that the modern burglar, familiar as he is with the wiring of houses for lights and telephones. must be met with an equal amount of skin. As your accom- plished burglar usually makes it his business first to cut the wires by which telephonic alarm might be given or the lights turned on. in the house at No. 325 West End Avenue there is an emer- gency auxiliary system of lights sup piled by batteries of which the burg lar can know nothing. Any burglar that cares to run the gantlet of these protective devices is welcome to his loot.
 Clock Controls Devices.
 As has been said. the burglar alarm Is attached to and controlled by clock. So also are all the other la-s bar saving devices that form a part of this mechanical servant scheme. AL ways on the Job in the lookout for burglars the clock has other duties before the family arises. The first of these has to do with the heating of the house. Of course. the person
 
 fire and closed the drafts at night. There are two electric circuits. both operated by the clock. One of these closes forty-fve minutes before the other. By a method of connection to be described presently the drafts are opened at the hour desired say o'clock. By @ quarter to o'clock the house has been heated to the point desired. unless it happens to be unus- uaily cold. Tn the latter event the ac- tion of a thormostat, also connected with the clock. is such that it causes spark to be made by an induction coil in the grate. The window has been closed and the shades rolled up automatically fifteen minutes later to make rising an easy matter. thi& .in- auction coil spark lights a match which. in turn. sets fire Co the fur mace heat. But if the weather is not so cold that the temperature in the house is reduced below the desired point the thermostal will not allow the clock to start the additional fire. All there Is to do is Co determine how warm you want the house when you arise and what time you want Co get up. The rest is done for you. and your dreams need not be disturbed either by visions of thieves who break in and steal or by that even worse enemy of sound slumber--the subconscious irrt- tant of gaving 10 set up in the cold and stir the fire.
 Mechanism Easy to Arrange.
 There can be only one objection urg- ed against the automatic toys of this West End Avenue residence. and that is that they are too good to be true. which is no objection at all, for they are in perfect operation every day. and have been for a long time. Further more. the scheme and its details of operation are so very simple that if re- auires only half an electrician and Q few dollars to install them anywhere. There are no patents to interfere. no deep mechanical technicaiities involved. The fundamental principle is gravity. l and the most complex mechanism used is the door opening device that is used | in apartment houses for opening the | street door by means of a push button | in the apartment. Then, for part of | the work. there is used the ordinary door cheek. or device seen at the top | of virtually all street doors to prevent | their slamming. Both of these devices | are purchasable at any hardware store | for small sums. Then there is the | clock, and any reliable eight day piece will serve the purpose, except as to the dial which requires some special ar 
 Attached to the drafts fin the furnace
  vents when the weights are dropped from the hooks on which they hang.
 These hooks are attached to a door opener. and by the same light touch r that opens street door the hooks ,an be released. the weights dropped md the drafts opened. This could be lone by pressing a button. but it is done automatically by the clock. as he hands. at the time set. rub over screws that are fastened in the dial, | hus forming the contact that is made y pushing the button when a door g opened in an apartment house. Of course. when the fire is banked at night he weights have to be replaced on the hooks in preparation for the. next morning.
 In closing the windows the same principle but an additional device is used. To the floor under the window Is fastened door check, the arm or lever being set in such position at night that 1t allows the window to be up. Connected with the door check the furnace. When the hands on the clock rub over the screws set in the 1iaI for that purpose at the time 1t is desired to have the windows lowered. a contact Is made. the door opener re- eases the eaten that holds the check and the arm of the latter slowly but with considerable force pulls down the window.
 The induction coil used to start the yrate Ire is small and inexpensive device and Is connected with the clock n the same way the other devices are bat Na |