The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-08-13
SALT LAKER |NVENTS
NEW SAFETY DEVICE
Can Be Attached to Locomo-
tive Windows and Will
Clean Away Snow.

Another Salt Lake Inventor has beer
recognized by the United States patent
office as having produced something orig
inal and useful He is A. j. Adams. whose
home is AT loo West Sixth South street
and his device is an automatic window
cleaner specifically intended to clean snow
from the lookout windows of locomotives
and trolley cars and the glass shields
OF automobiles, and for which letters
patent arrived yesterday.
Safety first is the publicity slogan
OF one OF the big railroad systems Of this
upon its employees IT has caused to be
posted conspicuously In all its shops pla-
cards bearing the admonltlon. Get the
safety habit Mr., Adams has been en-
that 1t was his appreciation OF all meas
ures looking to increase Of safety In train
operation that brought TO his mind a
solution OF one of the most annoying diff
flcultles experienced by locomotive engi-
neers, trolley motormen and drivers of
automobiles. Speaking yesterday concern
Ing his device, Mr.. Adams said:
One OF the safety mechanisms gem
orally adopted by railways all over
the world is the block signal system
BY means Of these signals placed
along the line and operated electrically
or otherwise, the engineer Of train
is given instructions concerning his
own movements, as well as being no
tilted OF the locality OF another train
ahead. This mechanism has prevent
ed many destructive and fatal acct
has always been one annoying and
dangerous dra whack. In the progress
OF a train rain or snow is blown
against the lookout windows In the
engineers cab. obscuring and some
times entirely shutting off the view.
The engineers only recourse is to
open and wipe off his windows. In
the meantime he may have run past
IN important signal. endansering the
lives OF passengers and crew. not
withstandng he be exercising his best
diligence. In this way the effective
ness Of the block signal is impaired
and sometimes temporarily destroyed.
My device Is a simple mechanism to
be attached to the window and to be
operated by the train or car air pres
sure. IT is almost completely invisible
and even then there is very little
10 be seen. In the event that the
train runs into a snowstorm. for In
stance. the engineer has but to turn
valve and the mechanism automat-
ically cleans the snow off the look
out windows al intervals as close as
may be desired In this way The
glass is kept constantly clear and the
engineers view OF the track and sig
nails is never obstructed. This adds
TO the safety efficiency OF the block
signal system and gives another point
or sa1etX In assuring d clear track
View 10 the engineer and fireman, The
device Is equally adapsed to trolley
cars and automobiles. and may also
be applied to the windows Of watch
mems towers, whether on railroads
or steamships: or at seashore life
saving stations
Mr.. Adams has constructed a working
model OF his device with which he will
make demonstrations for the information
or railroad officials and others. EIe also
intends to bring the mecha nism TO tLe
attention of the safety device commit
tee OF the Interstate commerce commits
sion.