248 Popular Science Monthly 



A New Portable Electric Light for How One Man Can Both Tow and 

 Manhole Work Steer a Disabled Automobile 



NO longer will it be necessary for 

 workers in sewer, telephone or elec- 

 tric conduit manholes to grope their way 

 in the darkness 

 or to burn their 

 fingers with the 

 exposed flames of 

 candles or kero- 

 sene lamps. A 

 large Eastern elec- 

 tric concern has 

 just brought out a 

 portable lighting 

 outfit which 

 weighs only forty 

 pounds and which 

 is provided with 

 two twelve candle 

 power lamps 

 which can be 

 lighted at the 

 same time for ten 



consecutive hours. 

 The contrivance 



consists of a small 



metal case inside of which is fitted a little 



five-cell storage battery which can be 



allowed to stand idle indefinitely in any 



condition of charge or discharge. Both 



of the electric bulbs are on long cables 



and are provided 



with wire guards 



and metal shields 



to concentrate the 



light on the work 



being done. 



Using the portable lighting outfit, which 

 weighs only forty pounds, for manhole work 



corner 



ANEW draw-bar towing device en- 

 ables one man to both tow and 

 steer a disabled automobile to the 

 nearest garage for 

 repairs. The unit 

 is designed par- 

 ticularly for use 

 in connection with 

 Ford automobiles. 

 It consists of a 

 hinged two-part 

 rod which is at- 

 tached to the rear 

 axle of the to\\'ing 

 vehicle by means 

 of a chain, and to 

 the front axle of 

 the damaged ear 

 by means of a 

 special clamp and 

 set screw. The 

 rearmost part of 

 the rod, made of a 

 fiat bar, differs 

 from other types 

 of towing units in that it extends back 

 of the axle of the towed vehicle and is at- 

 tached to the cross rod of the 

 car's steering linkage. 



Evidently the draw-bar rod 

 tends to turn the front wheels of 

 the towed vehicle 

 as the towing 

 vehicle turns a 

 and the di- 

 rection of 

 the pull 

 on the 

 bar is 

 changed. 



In center above : 

 The tow-bar col- 

 lapsed to fit into 

 the tool box. 

 Directly above : 

 The tow bar in use 



Cross -rod of 

 steering linkage 

 pivoted here 



Easy chain /j 

 hooK- 



At left: The rear 

 part of the bar 

 pivots about the 

 clamp over the 

 front axle of the 

 damaged vehicle 



axle of 

 •damaged car 



