Science: New Gadgets, Mar. 10, 1952

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Air Blade. Dr. E. F. Fullam of General Electric Co. told about a slicing machine that apparently does its work without even touching the material that it slices. The machine has a small circular blade that is spun by an electric motor at 65,000 r.p.m. Its rim, moving faster than sound, forms a cutting edge of compressed air much sharper than a razor. Hard metals can be sliced into films two-millionths of an inch thick. Since the blade does not get dull, Dr. Fullam believes that it never touches the work.

Supermanometer. The Fischer & Porter Co. of Hatboro, Pa. has an electrically operated pressure gauge (manometer) that it claims is far more sensitive than any competitor. Invented by Swedish-born Frederick C. Melchior, it has four disk-shaped pressure chambers like those of ordinary aneroid barometers. But the movements of the disks in response to changes of pressure do not swing a dial needle. They are read, instead, by an electrical device that detects very small movements. Used as an altimeter, the instrument flashes a red light when raised three inches off a table.

Linewriter. The Potter Instrument Co. of Great Neck, N.Y. announced a "flying typewriter" designed to keep pace with the flying thoughts of electronic computers. Instead of working laboriously, one character at a time, it prints whole lines at once, 300 lines per minute, on a paper band. It takes its information from the coded magnetic tape that races out of the computer. Heart of the machine is a continuously spinning disk with the necessary letters and numbers on its rim. The machine's electronic innards translate the magnetic dots on the tape into groups of characters, 80 for each line. As the disk revolves, 80 electrically operated hammers tap the back of the paper against an inked ribbon in contact with the disk, thus printing the proper characters in the proper places on the line.

Soundstripe. Bell & Howell Co., maker of movie cameras, has developed a comparatively cheap and simple method of giving a voice to home movies. The conventional "optical" sound track on the edge of the film is replaced by a "sound-stripe" of magnetic material, as in a tape recorder. When used in the home, the film will catch baby's first coos and gurgles as well as his early toddlings. The sound can be erased and changed for each showing of the film. A salesman exhibiting his company's product can adapt his canned spiel to fit the weak spots of the individual customer.

Lox Truck. Republic Aviation Corp. of Farmingdale, N.Y. told about its giant truck-borne Thermos bottle for fueling rockets and rocket planes. One tank on the 12½-ton truck contains 700 gallons of water-alcohol mixture. A second, 900-gal, tank, carefully insulated, carries "lox" (liquid oxygen), which is also needed by rockets. Since lox gasifies above —297° F., the insulated tank is necessary for fueling on the field.