New Ideas

GOODS & SERVICES

Safety Car Locks. Studebaker's 1956 models will be equipped with a new safety device, first in the industry, which is designed to keep doors closed in accidents, prevent riders from being thrown out of the car. In an accident, the standard locks often disengage and the doors fly open. When the new Studebaker door is closed, a lip projecting from the door automatically interlocks with a lip from the post. The safety lock is operated by the door handle. In a test last week, a dummy-carrying Studebaker equipped with the new locks drove into a concrete barrier at 40 m.p.h.; the doors remained closed.

Portable Power. Minneapolis' Toro Manufacturing Corp. has introduced a lightweight engine attached to a metal handle that can be hooked up in seconds to a power lawnmower, tiller, edge trimmer or small snowplow. Weighing 39 Ibs., the "Power Handle" contains a 2 3/4 h.p. engine, is designed to eliminate the need for duplicate power units with each piece of equipment. Price: $89.95.

Talking Elevator. At Manhattan's 99 Park Avenue, a 26-story office building, Westinghouse installed its first "phantom voice" for operatorless elevators, which calls out messages recorded on magnetic tape. The "voice" can announce, among other things, "This car up," "Going Down" and the floor number. It also doubles as a warning device. If a passenger forgets to press his floor button as soon as he steps into the elevator, the voice reminds him: "Press your floor button, please." The passenger who holds open the doors gets a quick command: "Release the doors, please." Cost of the voice: $3,000 per car.

Flavored Milk. Denver's Universal Beverages Inc., will soon put on sale licorice, root beer and lime-flavored milk, following the test-marketing in Denver (more than 5,000 24-can cases sold since May 25) of its orange, strawberry and banana-flavored milk. Called Moo Gay, the drinks use a patented process that allows acidic flavors to be added to milk without curdling it, tastes vaguely like a liquid custard pudding. Price: 10-c- per 8-oz. can.

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