276 



Popular Science Monthly 



Potato Roaster for Campers 



A POTATO roaster for camping 

 parties may be made from a sheet 

 of stiff sheet metal — iron will usually be 



The potatoes are held on nails, and 

 the heat circulates evenly 



the handiest — through which a number 

 of nails spaced equally distant are 

 driven. The potatoes are pushed upon 

 the nails and the loaded tray lowered 

 over the glowing coals of the camp fire. 

 The heat circulates about the potatoes 

 evenly; so they are roasted uniformly. 



An Electrical Peddler Chaser 



PROBABLY the greatest source of 

 annoyance to the housewife is an- 

 swering the door-bell for agents who 

 peddle things not worth buying. 



A little device shown in the accom- 

 panying sketch will save her much an- 

 noyance. The little box is placed at the 

 front door over the bell button on a level 

 with the eye. It contains a sign which 

 shows through a small window. The 

 sign is operated similarly to an old- 

 fashioned window shutter by an electro- 



^/ WZ DO NOT 

 NEED ANrJtim 



Tom. , 

 GooD-erE. 



magnet ; when not in use the two leaves 

 of the shutter lie horizontal as in the 

 right-hand drawing. In this position the 

 sign cannot be read. The leaves are 

 hinged to a double-armed rod, which, in 

 turn, rests on a long lever, the lever being 

 pinioned very near the magnet on a 

 small bracket. This increases the lift 

 of the magnet, so that about a quarter 

 of an inch of movement on the left end 

 will give about an inch and a half at the 

 right, which is sufficient to bring the 

 leaves in a perpendicular position and to 

 exhibit the sign, which is drawn back by 

 gravity. 



A push button is situated at a point 

 in the house from which a view of the 

 front walk or porch may be obtained; 

 or, if the front door contains a glass, 

 near the kitchen door. When an agent 

 rings the bell the button is pressed and 

 he is dismissed by the sign. He can't 

 argue with this "Agent Chaser." 



ex^ 



This sign is guaranteed to rout any peddler 



The nails have their heads filed to a point, 

 and prevent the casks from slipping 



Prevents Casks Slipping While 

 Unloading 



OILY barrels or casks give truckmen 

 much trouble when they are loaded 

 upon wagons or drays, owing to the ten- 

 dency of the unwieldy object to slip on 

 the ways which are placed between the 

 truck or wagon floor and the sidewalk. 

 This difficultv can be removed by driv- 

 ing a row of stout nails into the ways 

 and filing the heads to a sharp point. 

 \A'hile not seriously marring the face of 

 the casks, the points prevent them from 

 slipping. 



