General Notes

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Notes from Judith Bling:

THE CAMAS POST
Camas, WA, Friday, November 14, 1930 (Vol. XXIII, No. 47)

INVENTING MACHINE OF THE FUTURE MAKES MECHANIC FORGET PRESENT

Absent-minded professors and their hilarious antics are "old stuff", but have you ever heard the one about the expert automobile mechanic who is always inventing fine-geared machines but who never thinks to see if his gasoline tank is full?

It seems that one Ray W. Powell, mechanic at the Vehrs Highway service station, made a trip to The Dalles Sunday only to run out of gas in Washougal on his return trip.  That's the last part of the story.

Now Mr. Powell may forget the gas tank, but when it comes to machines--well, Mr. Powell isn't so good with the forgetter there.  In fact, for the past few weeks he has remembered so many of the difficulties encountered in testing electrical apparatus on automobiles that he has invented his own machine which will test every electrical part on every make of motor car without removing the piece from the car."

MACHINE OF THE FUTURE:  Of course, Mr. Powell's machine isn't completed yet, but little by little the complicated bunch of gears, meters and engines come nearer to his ultimate plans. To look at, the invention appears to be some radio or control apparatus of the future, with its brilliantly burning globe, its humming motors, its sparkling points and its numerous meters.  But to listen to its inventor, Mr. Powell, one seems to travel on a fairly simple world tour of the contraption.  "Now here," says Inventor Powell, "is the tacometer, which counts revolutions.  It will be used to test generators at all speeds.  Of course, that's rather a simple part of the machine."

ONLY 9,000 REVOLUTIONS:  "And here we have the breaker point device, which will be used to test coils and condensers," he continued. This 'simple' device will register as many as 9,000 revolutions a minute of a six-cylinder motor."

This number, the mechanic explained, is much larger than any engine speeds now in existance for motor cars.  "Nine thousand revolutions is about a 50 per cent faster speed than any car motor ever attains at present," he added.

CURE FOR SPARK PLUGS:  Breaking and sparking at unbelievable speeds, the sparking gap device is an interesting part of the new machine.  It will be used, so the inventor carelessly expained, to test spark plugs.  When complete, he added, it will also test them under pressures such as might be found in each individual motor.  A test lamp for inspecting circuits is anothe feature.  In addition to its present numerous meters, globes and wires, the new contraption will boast a volt meter, miliamperes meter and other meters for testing condensers when completed.

"As it stands now, the machine represents an investment of more than $400," Mr. Powell explained. "But it is far from complete."

Mounted on a movable base, the new invention is expected to more than pay for itselve through its usefulness.  Perhaps it's worrying over this machine that makes Inventor Powell forget to put gas in his car!"...

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  Recorded Events in His Life

• He appeared on the 1920 US Federal Census on 8 January 1920 in Kennewick, Benton County, Washington, USA. 1920 Census: Powell, Ray
  Age: 22 Year: 1920
  Birthplace: Washington Roll:  T625_1920
  Race: White Page:  6A
  State: Washington ED:  27
  County: Benton Image:  367
  Township: Kennewick

• Before his marriage on 5 March 1928, Ray resided at 431 E. Taylor Street in Portland, Multnomah County, Oregon, USA.

• He appeared on the 1930 US Federal Census in 1930 in Camas, Clark County, Washington, USA. 1930 Census
  Name:    Ray W Powell
  Age:    32 years
  Estimated birth year:    1897
  Birthplace:    Oregon
  Relation to Head-of-house:    Head
  Race:    White
  Home in 1930:    Camas, Clark, Washington
  Image Source:    Year: 1930; Census Place: Camas, Clark, Washington; Roll: T626_2485; Page: 3B; Enumeration District: 5; Image: 0320.
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