Popular Science Monthly 



604 



closed in either direction, right or left. 



The shutter is pivoted at the lower 

 end, and the motive power is supplied by 

 a rubber band which draws the shutter 

 to the left when it is released to make 

 the exposure. The exposure is made by 

 means of a time-fuse attached to a 

 string which holds the shutter to the 

 right, against the pull of the rubber 

 band, until the fuse has been consumed, 

 when the string is burned off and the 

 shutter released. At that moment the 

 picture is made. The shutter must tit 

 tightly and must admit no light to the 

 inside of the camera, except through the 

 exposure slit. 



When the camera has thus been com- 

 pleted it should be covered on the out- 

 side wdth black needle paper, to make it 

 absolutely light-tight, and the inside of 

 the box should be blackened with a pure 

 black ink. 



The proper length of fuse to use, so 

 as to release the shutter after the kite 

 has attained the maximum height, can 

 be determined by making a trial flight 

 with the camera attached to the kite, 

 timing with a measured length of burn- 

 ing fuse. A length of fuse correspond- 

 ing witl. the length burned until the kite 

 reaches the greatest height, is attached 

 to the string, and the camera is now 

 ready to be loaded with film, which is 

 done in a dark room by the light of a 

 ruby lamp. Films of the correct size 

 can be obtained from a film pack, or a 

 roll film can be cut up into pieces of 

 the correct size. The film is laid into 



Packi/y Cut from 

 n/bber be/fina 



Large sheave wheels can be turned out ac- 

 curately without the use of a lathe if care 

 is taken in adjusting the timbers and 

 handling the gearing 



the back or cover of the camera with 

 the dull or emulsion side towards the 

 lens, and the cover placed on the 

 camera. 



After making sure that the shutter is 

 in proper position for making the ex- 

 posure, the camera can be taken out into 

 daylight and attached to the kite. A 

 fairly stout rubber band looped around 

 the middle of the camera box and 

 around one of the w^ooden struts of the 

 kite will hold the camera securely in 

 place. The camera should always be 

 fastened to the kite in such a manner 

 that it points almost straight downwards 

 when the kite is in flight ; then the pic- 

 lures give the impression of great height. 



The kite used for taking pictures 

 from above should be fairly large and 

 of good construction. The box type of 

 kite is very suitable for the purpose, and 

 many other forms wall also prove very 

 satisfactory. Besides the pleasure of 

 making pictures of our familiar sur- 

 roundings from a^ove, and the great 

 novelty of such pictures, a kite camera 

 can also l)e used for many practical pur- 

 poses. 



Turning Out Large Sheave Wheels 

 Without a Lathe 



IN turning out sheave wheels of large 

 diameter, a lathe is not always avail- 

 able. The work can be accomplished in 

 the following manner : 



Place two large timbers over the mo- 

 tor-pit (which should be parallel to the 

 line shaft), and put spreaders between 

 them. Bolt the timbers together and 

 brace them up. The sheave wheel is 

 then swung between them, as shown in 

 the diagram. Remove the hand-chain 

 wheel from a 2-ton chain-block and sub- 

 stitute a 14-inch pulley for it. Take ofif 

 one of the lift-chain wheels and insert 

 the square end of the lift-chain axle 

 in the square socket previously cut in 

 the end of the sheave wheel. Bolt down 

 the chain-blocks with two U-bolts to a 

 piece 12'' by 12". 



A heavy steel plate is then placed 

 across the timbers in front of the sheave 

 wheel, on which is moimted the extra 

 tool post-head of the lathe. With this 

 arrangement, the speed may be reduced 

 and sufficient power gained for prac- 

 tical work. — H. V. Abeling. 



