A CLEVER INVENTION.

Te Aroha News, Volume VIII, Issue 491, 23 July 1890, Page 5

A CLEVER INVENTION.

There can be but little doubt that the extraordinary and phenomenal success of the American people is due no less to their wonderful facility of invention than the fertility of what they term their wonderful country. A more inventive people never existed. It has now, indeed, becomo the usual thing when a new labour-saving invention is brought forward to pronounce it without hesitation “An American patent.” Bub wo are going to change all this. The Yankees are no longer to have the monopoly in the world of in\ention. Another new country of even greater fertility than the mighty States is beginning to bring forth inventive genius, and we may confidently hope that with it may come a share of that prosperity and good fortune which has been so freely lavished on tho United States. A New Zealander has just invented a most ingenious and useful appliance for the manufacture of picture frames, that is to pay, for the clamping of them. The discovery is one tho importance of which might be easily misunderstood by thoughtless people. It is not only an invention that will bo the saving of countless time and trouble to picture frame makers, but which will, in all probability, ba the eause of fostering a new and flourishing local industry. The inventor, Mr D. Foster, of Onehunga, is to be most warmly commended on his invention. In construction it is simple there are no complicated parts to get out of order, and in use it is as effective as the most captious of cabinetmakers, framers, or technical workmen of any sort could desire. Knowing tho danger of trusting a valuable invention of this sorb to the world without protection, Mr Foster has been careful to patent his discovery all over tho world. He has received the satisfactory news from America that it is an entirely fretih departure, having no resemblance to any of the appliances now patented there for accomplishing similar ends. From a well-known London frame maker comes the welcome intelligence that it is the best appliance of the sorb ever seen in the metropolis, and therefore, of course, in Europe. It is rather hard to describe the clamp, bub we will try and give some idea of it. It consists of two levers made of wood about two inches broad by three-quarters of an inch thick, and about three feet in length, pointed at one end, which give the power of compression. These levers are attached by strong cords to four corner clamps made of cast iron, which adjust themselves to any size or shape of frame having square mitres. Tho clamps are shaped so as to allow for nailing or braiding the corners of the frame when cramped up. For the hotter class of cramps the corner clamps are made with a small pulley working between two studs underneath the clamps, round which pulley the cord would work, thus avoiding any friction, and counteracting any tendency of the corner clamps slipping up when pressure is pub on the levers. The lugs of the clamp are made 3-32nd of an inch to one inch out of the square, so as to counteract tho slight tendency of clamps to close the side of the frame, on which tho clamps are placed first. Its level will bo sufficient to draw mitres squarely together. Tho power which can be exerted by the now invention is very groat and it has the advantage of being able to put a wholo frame together in one operation. The invention lias been christrened the Foster Picture Frame and Mitre Clamp, and we are informed will soon be placed in the local and foreign markets. The price will be a very moderate one, so a “ boom ” may be expected.