March of Science
July 1949 Popular Science

July 1949 Popular Science [Table of Contents] Wax nostalgic about and learn from the history of early electronics. See articles from Popular Science, published 1872-2021. All copyrights hereby acknowledged.

In the middle of the last century, Popular Science magazine ran a monthly news roundup feature entitled "March of Science." It included topics on electronics, mechanics, chemistry, medicine, astronomy, oceanography, etc. One of the most interesting items this July 1949 issue is Consolidated Vultee's Charactron™ cathode-ray tube, which was specially designed to project text and special characters on the screen. Electromagnetic deflection coils directed the electron beam first through a plate perforated with characters, then steered it to a location on the phosphorescent screen. Interestingly, it appears a patent for the Charactron was not applied for until 1952. US2735956A was awarded to inventor J. T. McNaney (shown below) on February 21, 1956. Another notable item is the Sargrove-Tungsgram UA−55™ radio tube, which "can be made to do the job of any tube in a receiver from RF to audio output." It was not a single-tube receiver, though; other tubes were needed before and/or after it for a complete receiver circuit. Presumably a receiver built entirely from chain of UA−55's could be achieved. A datasheet for the tube is shown to the left. UA−55 tubes can be found on the German eBay website.

March of Science

Giant's "Hat" Measures Light.

When this mammoth "derby" swings down it forms a large spherical chamber with the inverted one below it. Called a photometer, the chamber is used to measure how much light is emitted by a lamp bulb placed in-side. Here a Westinghouse engineer inserts a tiny radio-dial bulb for test.

Alphabet Tube Spells Words.

By projecting letters and numbers on its screen (right, below), this new Charactron™ cathode-ray tube can spell out whole messages. Coded impulses guide the tube's beam to select and position the desired characters, which are cut out like stencils in a disk inside the tube. Inventor J. T. McNaney, Consolidated Vultee engineer, plans to use the tube in a receiver to translate incoming code into words, and then record them on film at up to 1,000,000 a minute.

Inside Story of Wear. Why your wool coat wears out is shown in these pictures made by National Bureau of Standards scientists with the electron microscope. Originally a fiber of wool has a protective outer layer of strong interlocking scales (upper view). When this wears off, the soft inner structure (lower view) is exposed and soon disintegrates into a hole. The fibers were too thick to view directly, so pictures were made by using plastic impressions, "shadowed" with a thin chromium coating.

Taming Acetylene. Through a peep-hole in steel armor, an observer (background) watches a reaction in a new process that may produce synthetic chemicals for making rubber, textiles, dyes, and medicines. Its source is acetylene, under high heat and pressure. This is made possible by new safety techniques, including dilution of the acetylene with inert gas, to reduce explosion risk. Developed by German physicists, this method is being used for the first time in the U. S. by the General Aniline & Film Corp.

Radio Tube Does All Jobs. This new Sargrove-Tungsgram UA-55™ radio tube (left) can be made to do the job of any tube in a receiver from RF to audio output. Its split-grid design with a separate socket contact for each half-grid permits it to be connected in a variety of ways according to its function. This aids production and servicing of low-cost radio sets for users in remote areas. The tube's first use was in the mass-produced, printed-circuit receiver shown at right below (PS, Apr. '48, p. 160).

"Tornado" to Cool Pile. Twelve-foot-high blowers, like the one shown under test in the Westinghouse plant at Boston, will provide a tornado of air to cool the new atomic pile at Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, N. Y. Each 3 1/2-foot-diameter fan is driven by a 1,500-hp. motor at a 450-m.p.h. rim speed, yet is said to be unusually quiet. Each one handles 80,000 cubic feet of heated air a minute. Brookhaven's reactor (PS, Apr. '49, p. 121) is the world's most powerful air-cooled pile.

Posted January 2, 2024