Anti-Hitch Kink (Mar, 1936)
Update: I forgot that I had previously posted a productized version of this: the Auto-Shocko
Anti-Hitch Kink
IF your auto is pestered by hitchers-on, here is a good cure. Fit a Ford coil with a piece of chain which will drag along the ground (but must not touch the car), and ground the other end of the coil to the car. Complete circuit as shown, and close switch for results—Rocco Conte.
Was hitcher a was of saying car jacker?
Comment by Githyanki — January 21, 2008 @ 3:59 am
A hitcher was most likely a little kid who hopped up on people’s rear fenders (or bumpers) and hitched a free lift, this device electrocuted them to the ground. Seems harsh, they were just trying to offset carbon emissions after all.
Comment by HairyFriend — January 21, 2008 @ 4:34 am
Hehe.. my grandfather said he used to have one of these things and that he’d park his car bumper to bumper with someone else’s and fire this thing up. They’d get shocked when they’d try to open their own car door.
Comment by Ryan — January 21, 2008 @ 4:46 am
Seems like it might deter car theft as well (if you leave it on). It’s probably doable, and desirable, to hook it to a security system so it can be turned on and off by remote. Theoretically.
Does it have to be an old Ford coil? I’m just curious, for informational purposes only of course.
Comment by Village Idiot — January 21, 2008 @ 10:18 am
As kids we used to grab car bumbers in winter and called it “bumper shining.” We usually didn’t get too far before the driver noticed. It only worked in icy conditions so you could slide on the road.
Comment by Myles — January 21, 2008 @ 11:08 am
I saw a very nice muscle car that had a nice chain hanging underneath many years ago, I never knew what its purpose was, good thing I didn’t touch the car.
Comment by shane — January 21, 2008 @ 1:39 pm
Beautiful! can you imagine having that today? shyster lawyers would be like flies on crap!
Comment by Al Bear — January 21, 2008 @ 4:23 pm
If Dr. Forester had those on the bus and trucks he would have made it out of Los Angeles!
I like the anti-theft version shown in RoboCop.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyuKEK7wmsw
Comment by jayessell — January 21, 2008 @ 6:36 pm
My, how I long for the days of yore when mischievous street urchins had a dashing sense of fashionable attire!
Comment by Constance — January 21, 2008 @ 11:49 pm
When Dad was young he used a Ford ignition coil to charge an electric fence. They bull they kept in that field use to walk right through the normally charged fence. After he got a taste of the Ford coil’s juice, he wouldn’t even go near the fence.
You could probably use an ignition coil to do the same trick, but you’d have to build a drive circuit for it.
Comment by Dave H — January 22, 2008 @ 10:36 am
@4: The reason they specify a Ford coil is a Model T coil contained a vibrator circuit, so it created high voltage pulses constantly. This is different than more modern Kettering ignition systems, where the coil only generates a high voltage pulse when the points open. To build this with that type of coil you’d need to generate a series of 12 volt pulses to drive it.
Comment by Orv — January 25, 2008 @ 5:57 pm