The Washington times., 1925-03-09
Household Hints
Solving Electrical Gross
Word Puzzles
By SALLY E. DAVIDSON

After thirty-some odd years Of
more or less constant residence
| in this little OIL world. i have
come to the very startling conclu-
sion, that nothing Is quite so
dear to me as to be understood,
which judging from the following
has not always been my good
fortune:
DEAR SALLY DAVIDSON:
enjoy reading your articles on
electrical housekeeping. 50 much!
In fact I read them in preference
to working out cross word puzzles
and feel that have improved my
vocabulary equally as much. There
lis, however, this difference be-
tween your articles and the cross
word puzzles. The puzzles teach
me the definition OF words / will
never have occasion to use, while
your articles contain words that
1 would dearly love to use to
display my knowledge concerning
equipment but / have not the
slightest idea what they mean.
Would you therefore, for instance,
mind letting me in on the secret
OF what is "separable plug" a
portable outlet, feed through
SWITCH" a heating element" a
''heater unit" and "adaptor plug
and a convenience .outlet"2
Mrs. w. w. z.
After making inquiries found
to my establishment that Mrs. w.
w. z. was not alone in her lack
Of knowledge of electrical terms.
In many cases this lack has act
uaIly l1aMnpered housewives in the
use of their appliances. For this
reason I viii endeavor to give az
clear an explanation Of each Of
the above terms as am. able.
The Separable) Plug.
The purpose Of the :separable
plug Is to eliminate difficulty and
unnecessary strain put on the cord
when making a connection while the
other end OF the cord is attached to
the appliance. It is attached to the
end which connects the appliance to
q lamp socket or other similar cleo
trio receptacle. This plug can be
pulled apart, that Is, sem rated, and
the screw end may then be screwed
into the socket.
When this is done the other half
of the plug, which is equipped with
two knife-bIade-li like projections, is
then plugged into it completing the
connection. Also, If the lamp-socket
happens to be one which is not later
required for lighting, the screw half
Of the plug may remain there per-
manently which further eliminates
the bother Of having to screw it in
every time the appliance is used.
The Portable Outlet.
The portable outlet has been de-
signed to eliminate the annoyance of
having to rise or stretch every time
a table appliance is to be connected
or disconnected, and also to make
possible use of two or more small
table appliances from one wall outlet
or lamp socket. 1t is a brass disc
in appearance not unlike the usual
wall receptacle. is mounted on a
small pedestal, and is equipped with
cord.
They are obtainable in single, du-
plex and triple outlets. Ali one need
do with one Of these portable OUT
let's is to connect the plug of the out
let to a wall receptacle or lamp
socket and thereafter use the port
able outlet for attaching such APP
pliances as are being used at the
table. Care must be taken, however,
not to overload the circuit by attach
ing several high wattage appliances
at one time.
A Feed.TrOugh Switch
The feed-through switch is a
clever device invented for turning
on and off electricity in using small
appliances and thereby eliminates
the rather annoying method Of con-
tinually pulling out or re-attaching
the cord plug OF the appliance to
obtain the same results. It is a
push-button affair generally at
tached to the appliance end of the
cord or Is sometimes a part Of the
appliance plug.
BY the appliance plug" mean
the plug at that end which is at
tached to the appliance and not the
one at the end which is connected
to q receptacle or lamp socket.
The feed-through switch also elimi-
mates getting up or stretching to
connect or disconnect appliances.
The Heating Element
A heating element is constructed
of nichrome wire which, because Of
the resistance it offers to the pas
sage of electricity through it, be-