Science Siftings

New Zealand Tablet, 2 March 1911, Page 403

Science Siftings

BY •VOLT'

Electric Bells Scare Birds. So familiar have electric bells become to most of us that even their sound at unexpected times or in unusual places rarely startles us. Not so with birds, to whom the sudden ringing of a bell on a tree or a post means something far more uncanny than any scarecrow flapping in the wind. Knowing this, the head master of an Austrian school has patented an electric scarecrow system in which a clock makes the connections at irregular intervals to electric bells scattered over the orchard. This unexpected ringing of bells now here, now there, is said to be quite effective in driving off the birds. A New Metal for Tools. Apparently we need not fear that the world will be deprived of cutting-tools when the supply of iron gives out. It has been discovered that an alloy of cobalt and chromium is an excellent substitute for steel and has in addition one valuable property that steel does not show— will not rust or tarnish. It is apparently not yet in shape to be manufactured commercially, but has fascinating possibilities. The inventor notes at the outset that there is just one serious objection to steel, as an element for cuttinginstruments, and that is its susceptibility to corrosion or rust. No matter how highly finished a steel tool may be, constant vigilance is necessary to protect it from rusting. Making Insulators from Milk. A Russian named Schuetze has invented a new process for making insulating pieces out of milk curds. He stirs the curds into a paste with cold water, adding coloring material if a colored product is desired, and heats them to the boiling point. After the paste has been boiled for some ten minutes, continued stirring reduces it to a uniform pulpy consistency. This pulp is taken while still hot to a hydraulic press fitted with hot moulds of the shape in which the insulation pieces are wanted. After being pressed into this shape the pieces are cooled and. dipped into formalin, which adds the needed quality of a preservative. The product is said to resist the action of acids, to be much cheaper than hard rubber, and to be easily colored in imitation of agate, marble, or the like. Smokeless Locomotive. A new locomotive, designed for the smokeless combustion of bituminous coal, is being tried by two or three railways running oxii of Chicago. The principle involved consists in coaking the coal and consuming first the hydrocarbons expelled as gas and afterwards as coke. The construction involves a large magazine or retort within the firebox. This receives the coal and liberates the gases. When cooking is complete the contents are turned into the firebox and a new charge is introduced. Rotary blowers are used to supply the air needed for perfect combustion. Many locomotive engineers doubt whether in practice it will be possible to maintain in these engines the intense heat necessary for the production of steam in the quantity a locomotive demands. A New Electric Range. The domestic electric range is a decided advance in the right direction. The stove is similar in pattern to the ordinary gas range. The three discs on the top of the range are used like the burners of a gas range. A turn of the snap switch turns on the heat instantly at full intensity, while another turn cuts it off and so avoids any expense for current when the stove is not actually in use, without incurring a delay in getting it into operation again. The two larger discs are provided with a switch which admits of a three-heat regulation, thus making it possible to get a low, moderate, or high heat as conditions may require. The three discs permit cooking one, two, or three things at a time. The combination oven and broiler is commodious, being 18 by 18 by 12 inches, ample for the needs of a large family, and is provided with heating units at both top and bottom. By removing the ceiling plate of the oven, the top heating element of the latter is exposed and may be used as an overhead radiant broiler for the purpose of adding It pronounced brown to pies, biscuits, and roasts. The broiling pan (which is furnished with the range) is also suitable for use as a roasting pan.