Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1908-07-17
MACHINES WHICH THINK.
Shfnss which Are Accom- pltshed by
80 Delicate Mechanism.

'..-- Delicate Mechanism. t-..,
1t is said that, when. the Inventor OF
the typesetting machine first erdeavor-
ell TO demonstrate the practicability OF
his mechanism IL was laughed at and
poohpoohed 10y old printers. I'm or
| der" said they, Ito make machine
that VIII set type you must invent a
thing that will think" But the invent
or triumphed, says the Philadelphia
Record. and today the result OF his la
Dor is one OF the most valuable OF
mecbanisns. And each year adds to
the long list of machines that do the
work Of brain workers. From the corn
millcr's little bell that sets up terri
bic amount OF tinkling the moment the
hopper runs empty up to the compli-
Gated calculating machines seen In ev-
cry bank there are so many mechanic
al substitutes for the brains that 1t Is
really difficult at times for one to real
lie that after all these machines are
machines and not things OF intelli-
gence.
In screw factories one will see a ma
chine that. taking hold of rod OF met
al. will pull 1t rapidly along. giving
the end of II the general shape of a
screw, cutting the thread around Ii aud
the slot In the head. finally turning out
perfect screw. So far the process
does not strike one as .bo - any thing
so very remarkable in this ..ge of won
derful Inventions but when the ma
chine exhausts its material and emits
sharp. impatient ring Of bell to
summon AN attendant to bring more
metal then one does experience an
eerie sensation that the Continuance
really does think. ~ go -, .',ii -
There Is u, machine for printing rail-
way tickets that. affords an amusing
instance OF thinking" Invention. It
is interesting to watch this machine do
its work. ai:i t,i .,-.lrr,s,,.i .,sasa,i is,is 4
The tickets that 1t turns out are not.
as might be supposed, printed In large
sheets and then cut up. On the contra
ry, the cardboard Is first cut into tick
cts, which are printed afterward one
by one .,ss -, ~
These small blank cards are inserted
into what might Toe termed a perpen-
dicular spout, being arranged In e pile.
The mRchines slips, a piece of metal be-
meath the bottom OF the spout and
pushes out the lowest ticket In, the pile
to he printed and ,conseeutiyely aum-l
bereds There Is no chance to t..foolv the
machine' by Offering a bad ticket. for
In an instant the mechanism detects
the Imperfect blank with which Ii ut
terry refuses TO have Ilhy'e'ifng to do. I
A great many other references might
be made TO, the .thinking'' machines;
that do their work with so much con-
scientiousness. y But to complete the
listit will suffice 10 notice the remark
able performance of certain machines
usedln-t the At'h; Iadelp hi6 mint In Con
neetion with the weighing of coins -
The new coins ale found. sometimes
TO be Under or over weight, sand..i be-
comes necessary to sort them under
the cIassifeations OF slight, heavy and!
good" This delicate business ID done.
with unel1ing precision by long row.
OF Wonderfully clever little machines.
INTO these machines are Inserted SIM
gle pilesspf sbrislst. new coins Auto
matically the. mechsnism takes each
! coiA,. puts 1t into the scale and In a.
fraction over three, seconds wsighsri
IL the coin be Eight" the machine.
pushes IL into its proper receptacle, II
heavy into another. and II the coin
be OF correct weight 1t Is pushed into
a third reeeptacie.--<---~