72 



Popular Science Monthly 



tions to light up the blue 

 field, depending upon the 

 wind direction. The other 

 four are two hundred and fifty 

 watt lamps. A man is de- 

 tailed to adjust the lamps so 

 as to secure just the right il- 

 lumination regardless of wind 

 direction. 



A' 



The flag is kept constantly illuminated at night, de- 

 spite the shifting of the winds and other difficulties 



Illuminating the American Flag — A 

 Problem for Patriots 



ONE of the striking scenes on the streets 

 in Chicago is a large American flag 

 brilliantly illuminated flying from the flag- 

 pole on the top of one of the down town 

 skyscrapers. The flag is thirty feet long 

 and fifteen feet wide. The shifting of 

 the direction of the wind, the greater 

 amount of light required for the blue field, 

 and the fact that the staff is near 

 the edge of the building 

 combined to make the i 

 lumination a very difficult 

 matter. 



To overcome defects 

 due to the shifting of 

 the wind six. powerful 

 lamps were installed, 

 only four being used at 

 one time. Two of the 

 lamps are five hundred 

 watts; these are used 

 to illuminate the blue 

 field on opposite sides. 

 They are provided with 

 projectors, and may be 

 moved to the best posi- 



The magnets are attached to the frames 

 of the wheels to protect the tires from 

 tacks and bits of steel on the road 



Picking Up Tacks in Front 

 of Your Automobile 

 N ingenious device con- 

 sisting of a magnet car- 

 ried in front of each of the two 

 forward wheels of an auto- 

 mobile and in close proximity 

 to the ground, has just been 

 invented. It will prevent the 

 puncturing of pneumatic tires 

 by automatically picking up 

 magnetic particles such as 

 chips of metal, tacks, nails, 

 and the like. 



The magnet is pivoted to 

 the front end of an extending 

 arm attached to the front 

 axle w^heel spindle, so that it 

 will swing with the wheel 

 during steering and always 

 remain in front of it. 

 As shown in the accompanying draw- 

 ing, a guide roller is provided at the 

 rear of the magnet casing for the purpose 

 of preventing the magnet from interfering 

 with the tire and injuring it when it is 

 swung backward about its pivot as when 

 passing over extraordinary projecting ob- 

 stacles in the road. 



The current for magnetizing the magnet 

 can be secured from the magneto, storage- 

 battery or generator on the car 

 lighting or ignition pur- 

 oses. The connecting 

 wires are carried in one 

 arm of the extending 

 bracket which is made 

 hollow for the purpose. 

 Now should any 

 tacks get squarely in 

 the way, as they usually 

 do when the automobile 

 is nearing the speed 

 limit, the magnets will 

 immediately lure them 

 to one side and pick 

 them up, deferring in- 

 definitely the time of 

 the inevitable blowout. 



