ELECTRIC EYE’S AMAZING POWER

Hawera Star, Volume LII, 28 January 1933, Page 14

ELECTRIC EYE’S AMAZING POWER

the top of a block of offices in Regent Street, London, a wizard has at his complete command a genie of infinite powers. He calls his slave "The Electric Eye.” It opens doors, turns lights on and off, sorts black beads from blue beads, and tells him whether a bean is good to eat or not. The wizard is Mr Rex Horsfield, late consulting engineer ■to an electrical company in America. He is am Englishman with an American sense of humour. He has been in England to persuade business men and manufacturers to use the "Electric Eye” in the furtherance of their lawful occasions.

When he was called upon recently, writes an "Evening News” correspondent, Mr Horsfield pointed to the electric eye. "Blow some smoke across it,” he isaid. In the interests of Science the visitor did so. A light changed fro. Hired to green and back again as the smoke faded.

"Just .sensitivity,” said the wizard. "I am trying to get them to put the 'Eye’ in factories and restaurants. The idea is that every time a workman or

‘Genie’ and His ‘Slave’ in London

a waiter apron cites a door lie erosse the beam—and the door opens.” A great idea this. You don’t even have to know "Sesame.” Then Air Horsfield introduced his visitor to his favourite. It tells how many beans make five, spills the beans, and, in fact, knows everything about beans.

"This is the idea,” lie said; "it has already been tested by one of: the biggest canners in this country.

"The photo-electric cell, which is the basis of the electric eve idea, is sensitive to the light reflection thrown off by any object. A white bean affects it in one way, a brown bean in another. White beans are good beans. Very well.

"Tons of beans are passed on an endless band through -the ray. It is iset. to reject the brown beans. By means of a jet of compressed air which is only operated by -the light reflection of a white bean, the white beans are shot off into a container. The others pass' on into oblivion.”