Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 90.djvu/267

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Popular Science Monthly

��251

��The Most Nutriment in the Least Space

IT often happens that a forest patrol discovers a small brush fire, which, if not checked in its incipient stage, may soon grow into a great conflagration that may lay waste to a whole country-side. In many instances the forest guard dares not attempt to send for help but starts in to fight the fire single- handed. These lone battles against such great odds often last for hours until the fire is checked or until its smoke has summoned other patrolmen to the assistance of their comrade.

Should the guard discovering the fire be forced to give up the 'single-handed battle after se\eral hours work in order to seek food, a fire which might othervsise have been checked while stilHn its infancy may sweep a great forest before it, resulting, not only in the loss of thousands of dollars worth of valuable timber, but of other property and, in many instances, of lives.

For this reason the Forest Service de- mands that ever\' one of its forest guards must earn.- an emergency ration with him. The ration consists of three cakes resem- bling chocolate, each cake being one meal.

The cakes are wrapped separately in tin-foil and are inclosed in an airtight tin case which may be carried conveniently in a saddle bag or coat pocket. The net weight of the ration is eight ounces. It is

���Every ranger in national forests must carry an emergency ration as part of his eqiupment

the same as that included in the equipment of the United States Army. It is composed of 45.45% chocolate liquor; 7.27% nucleo- casein; 7.27% malted milk; 14.55% ^Z albumen; 21.82% powdered cane sugar; and 3.64% cocoa butter.

���The motorist takes his steering wheel with him when compelled to leave his car standing at the curb

��Removable Steering- Wheel to Foil the Automobile Thief

ASH IP without a rudder is helpless, and so is an automobile without a steering- wheel. That seems to be the thought behind a new invention designed to prevent the stealing of automobiles left at the curb. The new wheel is easily attachable and detachable, so that the owner can take it with him when he leaves his car. ^^ The wheel differs from the conventional construction in that it has a hub in which is a slot which fits over a similar-sized block rigidly secured to the upper end of the steering post, as shown in the accom- panying illustration. The hub may be locked in place on the block in two differ- ent ways, according to whether the locking bar is integral with the wheel or with the block. In the first method, a small bar is pivoted at one side of the open end of the wheel hub and locked in position over a small pin at the opposite side. In the second method, a small bar is pivoted to the block at the center. As the bar is revolved about its pivot, notches provided at the ends of the bar on opposite sides fit over pins on the hub.

To prevent a thief from fitting a wheel of his own of the same type, the hub is provided with a socket into which a pin in the block fits.

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