PATENTS. 



705 



the movement <>f a single-bladed paddle when 

 oy hand. Inference )< the illustration 

 will render ihe principle apparent. The longest 

 in, .\enieii! M| the paddle i> when immersed, t he 

 lila.le being nearly vertical in the water, MI that 

 there is Hi > splash or slip or loss of propulsive 

 cITert. It has the advantage over oars in that 

 the lioatman faces the bow. Tho propulsive 

 machinery C.IIIMMS of a simple arrangement of 

 pedals mid cranks. The steering gear is ope- 

 rated Iiy hand, tiller lines leading loan ordinary 

 rudder attached to tlie Mern-po>t. It is claimed 

 by I he inventor, ticorge V. Tilibels, that there is 

 a gain of 2~) jier cent, over any other means of 

 water propulsion for small boats. The machinery 

 can lie made of wcod or metal, is preferably ope- 

 rated Iiy hand or foot, but any of the petroleum, 

 .-team, or naphtha engines can be adapted to it. 



Fio. 3. CAN-OPENEK. 



Can-Opener. Among the scores of devices 

 for opening tin cans, the invention of Hasbrouck 

 Alliger, of Rondout, N. Y.. seems to combine 

 almost all the excellences of such devices. It is 

 made in two parts, as shown in the illustration. 

 The longer or central piece is provided with a 

 bent point, which can easily be forced by the 

 hand through the top of the can ; then, bending 

 it downward till it rests horizontally against the 



Fio. 4. CLOTHKS-LIX* PROP. 

 VOL. xxsi. 45 A 



top of the can, the smaller part bearing the 



knife Mud. through the edp- of the 



tin; IM>HI parts are then doubled t..j:eth-r, the 

 Made assuming an eflieient cutting angle, and it 

 is a vei ,iier to pass the blade around 



the entire can, Bt'iMiruting the top neatly from 



the -ides. 



Clothes-line Prop. Any one who has wit- 

 nessed the trouble encountered by a laundress in 

 placing the ordinary poles used for the support 

 of clothes lines will appreciate the tightening 

 and retaining device shown herewith < Kig. 4). 

 The top <if the pole, is provided with a cross 

 piece and furnished with hooks curved inward 

 on the cross piece and downward on the main 

 pole. In the illustration. 1 shows the method of 

 engaging the clothes line, 2 shows the K-cond 

 motion in tightening the line, and 3 shows the 

 pole when set upright, the line engaging all 

 three of the hooks. 



An Elastic Chain. Many devices, such as 

 springs and buffers of India-rubber, have been in- 

 vented to overcome the longitudinal rigidity of 

 an ordinary chain, but a device that makes the 

 chain itself elastic possesses obvious advantages. 

 Fig. 5 shows an invention patented by Charles 

 lied wood, of Denison City, Texas. It is made 

 with flexible wire loops, each piece of bent wire 

 having an eye at, 

 each end. These I 



eyes are made of 

 such shape and 

 size that the eye 

 of another similar 

 piece of wire can 

 be passed through, 

 and thus a chain of 

 any length can be 

 constructed. The 

 middle portion of 

 each piece of wire is bent at a somewhat curved 

 angle, so that when a strain is brought upon 

 the chain the eyes of each link slip together 

 toward the angle, and if the strain is continued 

 and increased the curved pieces of wire act as 

 springs and recover their normal position as 

 soon as released. No. 1 shows the chain at rest : 

 No. 2. subjected to a strain. 



A New Foot-bath. For the feeble or infirm, 

 any device that renders easier the needful but 

 difficult operation of thoroughly cleaning the 

 feet is to be welcomed. The invention of Mrs. 

 M. L. W. Marti- 

 not, of New York 

 city, seems to ap- 

 proach perfection 

 for this purpose. 

 The illustration 

 (Fig. 6) shows 

 the principle. A 

 str.ing, flexible, 

 water-tight stock- 

 ing is made large 

 enough to permit 

 perfectly easy put- 

 ting on' and tak- 

 ing off. The inner 

 surface is studded with soft, elastic rubber pro- 

 tuU-rances, which press against the skin with 

 every movement of the foot and ankle. \ com- 

 paratively small quantity of water or other n?e- 



Fio. 5. ELASTIC CHAIN. 



Fio. 6. FOOT-BATH. 



