materials and equipment
METRIC CONVERTER
The British Standards Institution is marketing a simple metric converter, designated the Readimetric, for general office and domestic use. While their more elaborate industrial slide gives precise conversions for a wide. range of units, the Readimetric is a pocket or handbag converter for those in constant use.
It consists of a blue and black plastic envelope, lettered in silver, and measuring 146 mm. long by 90 mm. wide. There are seven pairs of windows for imperial-to-metric and metric-to- imperial conversion of length on one side and eight pairs for weight, volume and area on the other.
By sliding a white card in the open-ended envelope, the figure for conversion can be positioned in the appropriate window and its corres- ponding metric or imperial equivalent read off from the adjacent window.
The Readimetric is available from BSI Sales Branch, 101 Pentonville Road, London, N.1.
INTERCOM
Compact design and convenience are the primary features of the Philips Electronic direct-speech intercom which, needing no switchboard, makes possible internal communications without having to dial a number or lift
Philips intercom station unit
a handset. The capacity of the system is between 2 and 1,000 channels.
The system provides an output socket in each office into which the station is plugged and, by means of a selector device, each station is preset to its allotted number. This means that, if moving office, the occupier can
unplug the station and replug it in his new office, avoiding any rewiring and changing the telephone directory.
The caller touches a key to contact the required person, after which con- versation can be conducted through a built-in microphone/speaker, leaving the hands free to take notes.
A central control unit takes the place of a switchboard and can be installed on the wall of an office; it is linked to each station by a single cable. A 100-line unit occupies an area of 20in. by 30in. by 5in.
The makers are Philips Industries, Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
MOISTURE METER
Four separate scales on the com- pact Surveyor moisture meter enable surveyors to measure the moisture content of hard- wood, softwood, plaster and concrete. Two further scales are used when taking comparative readings and for checking bat- teries.
Surveyor
The Surveyor is housed in a shock- proof Bakelite moulding, 5% by 3% by 1% in. and fits, to- gether with three probe leads into a black plastic carrying case measuring 64 by 5-1/8 by 2% in. to make a total weight of 1 lb. 14oz. A twin-probe lead is used when checking timber or plaster, while pair of single probe leads are employed on compara- tive readings or when testing concrete. In the latter case the two probes are placed in contact with the heads of two masonry pins driven into the scre- ed 6in. apart. Power is supplied by one 15v. and one 1.5v battery.
Of the six scales on the Surveyor, the top four cover hardwood, soft- wood, plaster and concrete, respective ly; the fifth, graduated at 0-50, allows comparative readings to be made when checking for dirty wall ties, plumbing leaks or rising damp in brickwork. An
indication of the battery state is given in the sixth scale.
The makers are Channel Electro- nics (Sussex) Ltd., 2 Fitzgerald Avenue, Seaford, Sussex, UK.
MIXER TAP
Operated by electromagnetic valves and controlled by an integral on/off pressure switch, the Oerderlin-Con- tatron automatic mixing tap provides a flow of pre-mixed warm water at the touch of a finger.
The tap is attractively styled, com- prising a polished-metal tube oval in
Oerderlin-Contatron mixing taps
cross-section and tapering slightly from the base to the top, which projects over the sink basin at an angle of 45 degrees. The pressure switch is set behind a flexible black pad in the top end of this tubular form and water emerges from a small shallow spout, set slightly lower down.
By basing the switch on a pneuma- tically actuated principle, the manu- facturers have eliminated any risk of contact between the user and the electrically-operated components. The design of the two valve controls makes it possible to preset any required ratio of hot to cold water, and single valve taps are also available for use with a supply of water which has been mixed to the correct temperature at some previous stage. Thermostatic and flow. timing controls can be fitted to the mechanism where necessary.
Another mixing tap from the same makers utilizes a more conventionally- styled fitting, turned on and off by means of two remote electronic switches. Designed to operate at the slightest touch, these switches are suit- able for building into any convenient area around the sink.
The makers are Oederlin and Cie, 5401 Baden/Schweiz, Switzerland.
HELMET HEADSET
To allow better communications on the building site, S.G. Brown, Ltd., Shakespeare Street, Watford, UK, have developed a microphone/receiver head- set for use with most types of indus- trial helmet.
Weighing only 9 oz, the equipment provides the facilities of a conven-
Far East BUILDER, October 1969
39