Radio age research, manufacturing, communications, broadcasting, television (1941)

Somewhat similar in appearance and operation to the conventional sewing machine, the electronic de- vice derives its heating current from a low-power oscillator. A small electric motor with foot pedal control drives the rollers. Ordinary alternating current of 110 volts supplies the power for both the motor and the oscillator. Laboratory tests, according to Dr. Ri'own. have rcvealod the elec- tronic machine as an effective in- strument for the handling of such thermoplastics as vinylite, koro- seal, and pliofilm. All three of these materials are being used in a wid- ening field of practical applications. Other methods of applying the same general principle to the prob- lems of fabricating thermoplastics are under development in RCA Lab- oratories. It is possible, for in- stance, to use specially arrangeii electrodes in presses to seal the seams of a garment, or other prod- uct, in a single quick operation. Development of the electronic sewing machine is another advance in a new field, which RCA scientists call "radiothermics." Heat gener- ated by radio-frequency currents can be used in case hardening, an- nealing, welding, riveting, gluing, laminating, and in drying of wood, paper, textiles and other materials. RCA LIFEBOAT SETS SAVE 84 Crew from SS Stag Hound, Usinij Combination Radio Telegrapi^-Jele- phone Units After Sinp Is Torpedoed in South Atluiitic. Is Rescued RADIO'S vital war-time role of saving life at sea is sharply emphasized in the story of 84 men who recently returned to New York after their ship, the SS Stag Hound of the United States Lines, was torpedoed and sunk off the coast of South America. Adrift several hundred miles at sea in two lifeboats, which lost sight of each other, the Star/ Hound crew maintained voice communica- tion by radiotelephone, and con- tacted four potential rescue vessels in the two days that elapsed before they were picked up. Both the Stag Hound's Captain, Harold H. McCaw, and radio oper- ator, Edward F. Wall, credited the lifeboat's special radio equipment —a combination radiotelegraph-tel- ephone unit, powered by hand- cranked generator—with effecting their rescue. The story was revealed in a let- ter G. F. Ravenel, Vice President of the United States Lines, owners of the Stag Hound, wrote to Charles .J. Pannill, President of the Radiomarine Corporation of Amer- ica which built and installed the lifeboat radio apparatus. "I think you will be interested in knowing that the Captain and the entire crew of one ship that was RADIOMARINE EMPLOYEES S I M U L A T IC EMEROENCY CONDITIONS IN DEMON- STRATINO LIFEBOAT SET, A COMBINATION RADIO TELEGRAPH-TELEPHONE UNIT. (26 RADIO AGE] torpedoed arrived in New York to- day." said Mr. Ravenel. "The Cap- tain reports that the radio sets performed perfectly. They were able to establish telephone com- munication between two lifeboats which were so far separated that they were out of sight even in the daytime. They contacted by use of Morse code four ships, giving their position. These ships decided amongst themselves which one was nearest and which should effect the rescue. This was accomplished two days later, but in the meanwhile the lifeboats were able to give their exact position every four hours. "On the whole, the performance could not have been better, and it is Captain McCaw's opinion that these radio sets may very well have been the means of saving the lives of all men in both lifeboats. We desire to thank you for this con- tribution to the saving of life at sea during these times." Wall, the radio operator, who served in the Navy on a destroyer in World War I. also was high in his commendation of the lifeboat I'adio equipment. He added: "Too much praise cannot be given the simplicity and efficiency of the type set we had in the two lifeboats. The beauty of these sets is that they can be worked by tele- phone or telegraph so that in case the operator is missing or injured anyone in the lifeboat can work the set. Another feature—no batteries have to be bothered with, and nat- urally the set could be used day after day without its source of power being reduced." Guy Addresses Engineers Frequency modulation, used in combination with the ultra high frecpiencies, provides so many points of superiority over ampli- tude modulation on medium fre- quencies, for many public and i)ri- vate radio services, that its use will be rapidly extended after the war, Raymond" F. Guy, NBC Radio Fa- cilities Engineer, told the combined conference of the Institute of Radio Engineers and the American Insti- tute of Electrical Engineers, meet- ing recently in Cleveland. Guy's paper was titled "FM versus AM on the I'ltra High Frequencies."