BERKEN@aol.com wrote:
> In a message dated 03/14/2000 8:26:29 PM Mountain Standard Time,
> bstrachan@home.com writes:
>
> << I'm sure you young whipper snappers on the list have never seen one, but
> us old pharts remember the car window style swamp coolers that were
> popular in the '50s. These things were cylindrical, about 8" in diameter
> and maybe 16" long, and they had a long rectangular projection coming
> out the side. You put this projection, which was the air vent, in your
> window and rolled up the glass to hold it in place. You then put some
> water in the pan in the bottom of the cylinder and pulled a little chain
> which dangled out of the vent. Pulling the chain rotated a cylindrical
> excelsior (shredded wood) pad inside the cooler through the water,
> moistening it. When you got underway, air from the slipstream entered
> the cylinder through a hole in front, evaporated water from the pad,
> giving up heat in the process, and cool, moist air came into the car.
> They worked well in Wendover, Utah, where the summer temps were usually
> right around 100 degrees and I don't think the relative humidity EVER
> got above 20%.
>
> In case you guys think I'm making this up, there is one of these coolers
> hanging from the ceiling of Majors Diner, a '50s style old-cars theme
> roadhouse on Interstate 8 about 40 miles up in the mountains east of
> here. I have lots of fun taking younger friends in there and asking
> them if they can identify the mystery object.
>
> Barrie
> '66 2000
> San Diego
> ---- >>
>
> Barrie,
>
> OK, here's another one. What were the little prisms for, that sat on the
> dash of cars in the early 50's. I certainly do remember the "swamp coolers".
> We had one on our '50 Plymouth wagon, I think.
To see the color of the traffic lights when the car had the windshield visor.
Mike
NOWROC
>
>
> Joseph Berkenbile
> 70 1600
> Warren Me
|