400 Popular Science Monthly 



Rock-a-Bye Baby — In Your Self- Even the Animals in the Zoo Feel 



Operated Cradle the Effects of the War 



SHELDON D. 

 Vane 



iderburgh, 

 of Hastings-on- 

 Hudson, New York, 

 has a baby. The 

 baby wouldn't go to 

 sleep, and it was a 

 thirty-eight- pound 

 baby, too. The 

 mother and father 

 tried both crib and 

 go-cart, but the baby 

 wouldn't stay in 

 them. It was im- 

 possible for the 

 mother to rock it 

 to sleep. She was 

 too busy. What 

 was to be done? 

 Invent a new cradle, 

 of course. 



Mr. Vanderburgh 

 decided upon a cra- 

 dle hammock. He 

 fastened the netting 

 to end pieces to keep 

 the cradle in shape 

 and then suspended 

 it from a shaft by 

 means of two side 

 arms. With the 

 shaft journal ed to 



vertical standards he had a safe and sane 

 cradle which could be opened, basket- 

 fashion, to receive bedding and baby and 

 then closed down securely. At first he was 

 satisfied with rocking the cradle back and 

 forth. Then the idea struck him that a 

 clock-spring motor could do the same thing. 



Accordingly, he mounted a motor on a 

 standard. It operates a rod which in turn 

 rotates a crank arm attached to the shaft. 

 This imparts a steady but 

 very gentle rocking motion to 

 the cradle. The ticking of 

 the clock also helps in lullin 

 the child to sleep. When 

 wound up the mech- 

 anism will rock for 

 two hours without 

 further attention; at 

 the end of which 

 time the nap will 

 probably be over and 



both baby and moth- This rotat i n g buffing wheel will press back 



er in good humor. the cuticle and polish your nails for you 



T 



HE war has laid 



The automatic cradle, made of hammock net, 

 is rocked by the aid of a clock-spring motor 

 which imparts to it a gentle, steady swing 



upon the animals in 

 the London Zoo. 

 The places of those 

 that have died have 

 not been filled and 

 many not - so - rare 

 specimens have been 

 killed off to save the 

 cost of feeding and 

 caring for them. 



Beef, fresh eggs, 

 bananas, potatoes 

 and wheat have been 

 eliminated from the 

 food list and the ani- 

 mals have to sub- 

 sist on substitutes. 

 Chinese pickled eggs 

 are used instead of 

 fresh eggs, and bread 

 for the monkeys is 

 made from flour re- 

 jected by the Board 

 of Trade. Occasion- 

 ally fish is doled out, 

 but it is only such 

 as has been pro- 

 nounced unfit for hu- 

 man consumption. 



And Now It's the Electric Manicurist 

 to Keep Your Nails in Order 



JOHN W. RUGGABER, of Racine, Wis- 

 consin, thinks the electrical manicuring 

 machine he has just invented will soon be 

 taking its place in every home. 



It is a small buffing wheel rotated by 

 motor power. After softening up the 

 cuticle in warm water, you simply push it 

 back by pressing it against 

 the edge of the rotating 

 cushion. Then, after a judi- 

 cious use of nail paste (please 

 don't use too much, we don't 

 like nails too highly pol- 

 ished), the center of the 

 buffing wheel will 

 shine up your nails 

 as well as any mani- 

 curist could do it, 

 and doubtless in 

 much less time and 

 at much less cost. 



