Page:Popular Mechanics 1928 01.pdf/96

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POPULAR MECHANICS

DOUGHNUTS COOKED AT TABLE IN ELECTRIC MOLD

Doughnut Mold in Operation: Serving Breakfast from the Electric Grill, and Close View of the Triangular Doughnuts

Fresh, hot "triangle" doughnuts at the breakfast table, cooked as they are needed, are now possible in an electric mold of aluminum. It is operated from a lighting socket in much the same way as a waffle iron and can also be used for baking muffins and small cakes. Another table convenience is an aluminum griddle for cooking eggs, and frying bacon, ham or hot cakes. It has a roomy cover for keeping the food warm and, since no grease is required, may be employed at the table while eating. Both articles are of attractive appearance with a decorative base and high polish. The ware is of cast aluminum, and one can cook without water in other utensils of the same material, so none of the beneficial ingredients of the foods are lost.


SEWAGE GAS FUEL DRIVES ELECTRIC GENERATOR

Large sums of money are spent to get rid of sewage, but in the Birmingham district, England, the material is utilized, at one disposal station, to furnish gas for operating an engine that drives an electric generator. The gas comes from the bacteria that are active in the waste. It is collected in concrete containers which float on the surface of some of the receiving tanks, and is then piped away for use in an internal-combustion engine. It is said that more than enough is obtained to operate the 150-horsepower engine at the plant with highly satisfactory financial results. The gas, as it arrives at the engine, has no offensive odor.


CURVED STREET-TRAFFIC GUIDE SAVES EXTRA POLICE

For Traffic Regulation in Curved Street: the Center Guide Tells if There's Anything around Corner

Three policemen were formerly required to regulate traffic in a London street, but since the installation of a special signal device, only one has been needed. The unit is operated by a control at the center of the street and shows, at either end, whether the course is clear for more traffic, thus saving communication of the "all-clear" signal by hand. The device has proved so successful that it is planned to install it at other places where suitable.