Innovative Ideas and Inventions from the PAST

Spiral Cut from Paper Turns Slowly on Lamp - 1940

Anybody can cut a spiral from a sheet of paper and mount it on a pointed wire or pin over a lamp, the heat of which will cause the spiral to turn slowly. The wire is bent to form a circle to rest on the rounded portion of the bulb after which the one end of the wire is brought toward the center and up vertically so that it projects about an inch or so above the bulb. The end of the wire should be filed to a point, or a pin may be tied or soldered to it. If a very slight impression is made in the center of the spiral which will cause it to seat on the point, there will be no appreciable friction and the spiral will start to rotate slowly as soon as it becomes warm.

Originally published in Popular Mechanics Magazine - April 1940 - Copyright 1940, by Popular Mechanics Co. in the United States, Australia and France. All commercial use and rights to use as prescribed by U.S. Copyright law.