The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1851-05-16

See Annual Report Of the Commissioner Of Patents
The merits Of this invention drew out special
notice in the report. The Commissioner says:
:" The specimens exhibited in this Office were en-
tirely devoid Of sulphurous odor, and Of remarka-
employment Of the acids Of sulphur, of lower
degree of oxygenation than sulphuric acid, in
bination with suitable bases. The patentee pre-
fers the use Of hyposulphites alone, in combine
ton with the other salts of the acids of sulphur
as, for instance, the sulphiies, with sulphurets.
Another patent ~ issued to Charles Ely, in
almost the same words rs that to Goodyear. Ely
substituting magncsia for lead; he too claimed
free sulphur, and heat, just tho same as Goodyear
had; for neither invented the combination of h eat
with rubber, or sulphur with rubber, and both
were entitled to use either, in their respective
modes of yulcanixng India rubber. This patent
was issued in 1916 or 1917
Another patent (i0) issued about the same time
1885, to Messrs. Gilbert Gay, for mode of treat
ment and yulcanizipg, or .sthionizing" rubber by
beer patent. by Hancock, in 1888, in England, could
not be again patented in the United States. This
patent, although process of vulcanizng rub bier.
only extenos to mode Of treating rubber and rub
Der compound, and is rot fabric in ITSELF like all
the others herein referred to. This patent, also
Ely's, was purchased by Goodyear and his ASSOC
ciatcs, from the inventors, for sum over $40 0oO
They are neither worth penny, and not used but
will equally we'll for capitalists to found ac
tioDs at laws to barrass the public, and thereby aid
in monopolizing branch of manufacture
ing rubber with zinc, invented in 1916, 1917, and
rs, by Tyer Helm, after years Of experiment,
dated lss9. his patent is being largely pirated
uron by some Vt those who profess to make by and
do stamp their goods 'L;oodyear's Patent Fabric,'
done, | suppose, To make good the combination
agreement which requires 'au goods to be taken
and de- med 10 he maze under Goodyear's Patent,
and stamped matter under which of the
dozen patents they may be manufacture
Another patent u2) granted - DR.. .fohn Pria.
ham, Tor a mode IT sulcanizing rubber, and tho
came use Of SULPHUR, and the same use Of heat,
which the Iiiice granted to Goodyear, was accord
ing to prdham. Goodyear was not the inventor
Of heat To rubber, nor sul phur to rubber, nor
Pridbam. onc had the fairness 70 avow the truth
in his sIeci jcation; the other seeks to establish
ials,hood before the world in the fa.e Of the re-
Ieatcd decisions OF the Patent Office, and the alb
sence Of any legal decision il any shape form
III favor 81 his ridcul rus pretenions and not ut all
intended, by The Once, to be embraced in his pa
tcLts.
Another patent Q3) the last, and in our humble
opinion worth all the iest for many purposes, is
the patent granted to McCurdy, Of our city Mr.
McCmdy patents heat surely, and surely sui
lhur, 80 far az useful in his invention, and to
these he is just as much entitled as any Of tn,
numerous inventors who have discovered me-
thods for preparing rubber To resist the stiff.n-
ing effects Of cold, &c Experience shows that
metallic substances injurious to rubber, and
can only be useful at all from the chemical eff
iects which result from their presence when ex-
posed, in combination with sulphur, to high
heat. When this Ito us unknowD) effect is pro-
duced, the further existence Of the metallic
powders in combination, acts as destroying
agent ulon the rubber. BY the discovery of Mr.
MeCmdy, no metallic substance il used yet the
ynlcanizing effect is produced. When n better dis
coyery j. made in India rubber. We will indeed re-
joce. The question naturally arises, how is il that
the rubber business is close monopoly, paying
over 100 Ter cent per annum to the capital invested
in il! The answer is-Ihe subject Is not all under
stood by the public at large, and the plan Of
jority Of those in the business IL to pretend that
l.l afiarf
that every thing is covered by the same patent
either of which allegations have foundation in
truth. Yet, with n iull knowledge of these facts,
parties reason after this wisc-"Supposc we pay u
small tariff 10 common fund, o small portion of
which We give to Goodyear, or body cLc whose
name we can initiate great inventor another
small portion We will pay to lawyers to harrass and
annoy any person who will not enter ring:
will in this way keep the public out Of the business
II any considerable firm enters the field after all
our efforts to scare off, we will compromisc-show
him that he will make moro money by paying us
tribute than to vindicate his rights and expose the
business 10 the righ.ful enjoyment Of all" This
very course has been adopted by rs many a. three
concerns within q few months. Now, reg lrng the
ridiculous prccnscs Of this combination, that food
year has monopoly Of yulcanzed rubber, besides
the foregoing, the following pregnant facts stare in
the public facet
lst No court or jury has ever yc. declared tn
original orrcssucd patent of Goodyear To be valid.
I'd The holders have been repeatedly challenged,
but have never venuled To permit il to reach trial
before court or jury upon its merits.
Sd. More than dozen distinguished lawyers have
given written opinions that the rc-.sucd patent
void, and upon it, face, apart from the existence
other patents.
4th. That, although these opinions have been
published to the world, no lawyer (.lways except
ing one who is . principal owner with Gocdycar)
Judge. has even declared the patent valid, much
less TO give written opinion.
II Is proper TO state that Mr. Staples. the prnci-
pal counsel for the eofcderatcs has declared lie had
no hand in the rcssuing Of the patent, which was
accomplished by Charles Nj. kcoler, during the ad-
ministration Of the Patekt Office by Thomas
Ewbank. Before this event, the patent offices Of
the United states and England had granted more
than dozen different patents. Now, either all
this dozen and more patents must be fraudulent
and void, or the one most presunptuous piece Of
attempted imposition. USEFUL KNOWLEDGE.