Popular Science Monthly 



109 



One Quick Pressure and the Cork 

 Is Out 



THE corkscrew has at 

 last found a rival in 

 the cork-puller, invented 

 by John Sheridan, of San 

 Francisco. Two thin 

 scissors-like blades, hav- 

 ing upwardly inclined ser- 

 rations, are thrust into 

 the cork body. When 

 you close the blade han- 

 dles, the serrated mem- 

 bers open in wedge shape, 

 and the cork can be pulled 

 instantly. The inclined 

 teeth draw the sides of the 

 cork inward, making it 

 smaller than the bottle- 

 mouth, so that it is easily 

 drawn out. The puller 

 can be easily withdrawn 

 by again separating the 

 handles. It leaves only a 

 small hole. 



A New Automobile Sig- 

 nal. It is placed on the 

 Left Rear Fender 



The blades are thrust into the 

 cork, the handles pressed to- 

 gether and the cork extracted 



ANEW signal, mounted on the rear 

 fender of an automobile, flashes a red 

 light by night and a red flag by day, to 

 designate a change of course, with regard 



to direction. This does away with all the 

 complications of oscillating hands or with 

 the words "right or left", which are some- 

 times incorrectly manipu- 

 lated by nervous drivers 

 in emergencies. 



The signal consists of a 

 pressed-steel box with a 

 red metal flag on the re- 

 movable cover and a red 

 bull's eye light at the rear. 

 The device is mounted on 

 the left rear fender and is 

 operated by means of a 

 push button. 



In operation, the push- 

 ing of a button lights an 

 electric lamp inside the 

 box, and simultaneously 

 energizes a solenoid which 

 automatically causes the 

 red flag on the top of the 

 box to rise from a horizon- 

 tal to a vertical position, 

 transversely of the car. 

 The current for operat- 

 ing the signal may be had 

 from a battery. The sig- 

 nal box is weatherproof, 

 to prevent possible short- 

 circuits, although these 

 are further provided against by a fuse 

 block and a ten-ampere fuse placed near 

 the negative pole of the storage battery 

 to prevent the solenoid from burning out. 



A push button conveniently located on one of the steering wheel spiders, operates the red 

 flag by day and flashes the red light by night. A battery supplies the necessary current 



