Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-03-01
AUTOMATIC
WINDSHIELD
CLEANER OUT
Latest Device to Help
Motorist Driving in a
Storm
High Pressure Lubricating System
Also Makes Appearance. New
Safety Signal for Night Driving
Shows Green Hand; Many Other
Accessories Out

! Just as simple as can be, and yet
one of the most needed things a
man can have on his car--such is
the latest accessory that has been
i devised for the automobile.
1t is an automatic windshield
cleaner. Best of all, it does the
work.
! Every man i'll kennebec county
who has ever ridden in a car knows
what it is to have the rain come
pelting down on his windshield, or
to have the snow or sleet gather
there and absolutely obscure his
vision. He has either been forced
to grab u handful of waste and rub
the shield when he could or else he
has installed a rubber cleaner which
j has worked by hand.
+ But hand cleaning has always
neen precarious operation, espe-
cially while driving in storm when
the roads are bad. 1t has meant
taking one hand off the steering
wheel and making a quick dab at
the windshield in an effort to clean
it. Even then, when the operation
has been completed, it has proved
a short lived job.
! So now along comes the automat-
! ic cleaner which will save trouble.
time. patience and, OF course, dan
ger. 1t is much like the hand
cleaner in that small arm faced
with rubber comes down and clears
space on the windshield SO that
| the driver may look through. But
| it Is here that the similarity. be-
tween the new and the old ends.
The automatic cleaner is con-
nected by rubber hose with the
engine and air pressure keeps the
little arm scraping back and forth
over the windshield much as the
automatic signal at railroad grade
crossing swings. The air may be
turned on or off at pleasure and
both hands may be kept on the
steering wheel all the time.
! In these days when SO many
new things are being invented for
the car, 1t looks as If this automat-
ic windshield cleaner were about
the niftiest, handiest most needed
little contrivance that has come out
/ this season.
But this is not the only new thing
! in the accessory line that has hit
Augusta. There are barrels of 9TH
( err things, for small cars and for
big cars. pe ,
Prominent among these are sew
eral types of high pressure lubri-
eating systems. The average car
owner must do one of three things
to lubricate the chassis of his car.
He must pay a good round sum to
have it creased in a service station
Ga job on which the service station
makes little or no profit) or he
i must resign himself to a messy,
greasy half day of filling grease
cups. or he must install one Of the
| new systems.
The scheme Is simplicity itself A
grease "gun" is provided from which
the hard grease is forced by screw
pressure better than it can be in
any other way. AS high as 800
pounds pressure Is obtaiped which
squeeses the lubricant into the in
nermost parts of the mechanism. A
variety of "nozzles' are provided to
fit everyone of the parts to be lubri-
Gated and the whole job may be
done so easily and simply that
! there is no real messing around.
Some cars are carrying one of these
new systems as part of the stand
ard equipment.
A storm and glare visor for
windshields is another new product.
This goes at the top of the wind
shield and may be raised and low
cred at the will of the driver. More
than that, it doesn't interfere with
the opening of the. windshield of
raising or lowering of the top.
For night driving, to eliminate
the uncertainty arising from stick
ing out the hand to indicate which
way one is to turn in his automo-
bile. the green hand safety signal
has been devised. The front sig
nal goes on the license plate bar
and the rear on the rail light brack-
et Current is supplied by the light
ing system on the car and the sig
nal is operated from switch on
the steering column. Throwing the
switch to the left, Eliminates a
green hand pointing left and the
opposite for right. Throwing the
switch back lights both hands to
indicate Il stop.
A Warn O. Meter Is fitted to the
radiator cap or front fender and
wired to thermostat attached to-
the engine. Concealed in the in
srrument are two small light bulbs.
At normal temperatures, green
light shows but should the cylinders
become dangerously hot, the Their
mostat automatically switches on a
red light.
A new tonneau shield is attached
to the body irons which extend I'M
der the upholstery at the back Of
the front seat The position of
the shield as we'll as the position Of
the wings of the shield may be
adjusted. There are other new
types of tonneau shields.
A safety robe rail which locks
and prevents stealing of robes Is
another new contrivance and a
fiometer has been devised that
shows the hourly rate of gaso1ene
consumption at all speeds. Another
small continuance reflects the rays
of the dash light on the dial of the
speedometer. A trouble lamp with
a magnetic base SO that it can be
attached to any steel or metal part
of the car is another devise. The
current from the battery In addi-
-