836 



Popular Science Monthly 



A Mechanical Printer for 

 Fac-Simile Letters 



SOME years ago H. P. Hansen, of \\\v 

 York city, was the pub- 

 lisher of a newspaper. He 

 had occasion to mail large 

 quantities of far-simile let- 

 ters ad\-ertising his publication 

 but he found the printing (jf 

 the letters ex])ensi\e. Finalh- 

 he invented an instrument 

 that appears to be as revolu- 

 tionary in its line as the 

 Mergenthaler Linotype is in 

 the newspaper field. He calls 

 his creation Autotype. 



It is a machine about six feet 

 in height, provided 

 with a magazine that 

 contains the type, 

 which is released by 

 means of a universal 

 keyboard. There is a 

 great advantage in this, 

 since the office ste- 

 nographer can compose 

 the type without any 

 previous experience. 

 The composed type is 

 transferred directly to 

 a printing device by an operation 

 that resembles the movement 

 of a typewriter-carriage 

 When the matter to be 

 printed has been composed 

 and transferred to the 

 printing device, the 

 printing is done directly 

 from that mechanism. 



When the process of 

 printing is over, that 

 part of the device which 

 holds the type and re- 

 rembles a portable seg- 

 ment is removed and 

 placed on top of the 

 machine. The slots in 

 the printing device cor- 

 respond with those in 

 the distributing mechan- 

 ism so that the tyj^es 

 slifle by gra\it>- from I In- 

 former down into the 

 latter. The dislrii)UliMg 

 mechanism is o|)erali'd 

 by means of a one-tenth 

 horsepower electric mo- 

 tor. The current is taken 

 from a lamp socket. 



ruixTixr. 

 i)i;\K i; TO 



DISTItlliVTi; 

 Vt^lA) TVJ'E 



TVI'K 

 MAC.AZINE 



The printing device at left is placed 

 on top of the machine for diGtributing 



An Automatic 



Safety Fender 



Which Sets the 



Brakes 



THE Public 

 Safety 

 Commission cf 

 New York haa 

 approved a nev/ 

 safely fender for use on street 

 cars, motor-trucks and motor- 

 buses. The fentlcr consists of 

 a life-guard hanging vertically 

 in front of the bumper of the 

 car, and an apron extending 

 horizontally at any required 

 height above the pave- 

 ment, and projecting 

 CHUTE twenty-six inches in front 

 of the bumper. 



The apron is set and 

 held in normal position 

 by means of a simple trig- 

 ger de\ice that securely 

 lf)cks it. When the trigger 

 is released the apron is 

 instantly thrown down- 

 ward and backward to 

 the pavement and is held 

 there by strong springs. 



Above : When the 

 fender comes in 

 contact with an 

 object it drops 

 automatically and 

 sets the brakes 



At right : The apron 

 rests against coil- 

 springs wliich give 

 a cushion effect un- 

 der a solid impact 



