The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1853-11-03
The Patent Office Reports fer 1852.

Commissioner Hodges present one is full
of valuable and interesting Information
There were 1850 applications received
for patents during the year, and l,O2OI
patents issued An application is rarely
disposed of without being examined at
least twice, and sometimes six times.-I
Probably those 1,O2O patents have costs
1000 examinations. This is the largest
number ever granted in one year, ez-
cept during the first year of Gen lay
lor's administration, when Commissioner
Ewbanks issued ,O76. Extensive ad
ditions have been made to the Patent
Office buildings, and there is still want
of space.
Prof Renwick's Examiners Report
explains the principle of the celebrated
Hobbs lock. It's 'unpickability' depends
upon a secondary of false set of tumblerS,
which prevent the instruments used in
picking from reaching real ones. More
over the lock is powder proof, and may
be loaded through the keyhole and fred
off until the burglar is tired of his fruit
less work, or fears that the report of his
explosions will bring to view his expert
ments more witnesses than he desires.
Doors and shutters have also been pat
ented that cannot be broken through with
either pick or sledge hammer. The bur
glars occupations gone
The caloric ship is described and COM
mended at some length, but the report
admits that its end is not yet fully at
tained.'
A harpoon is described which makes
the whale kill himself The more he
pulls the line the deeper goes the har-
poon.
An ice-making machine has been pat
tented; which goes by steam engine
In an experimental trial, it froze several
bottles of sherry, produced blocks of ice
Of the size of cubic foot when the Their
mometer was standing at so deg. 1t Is
calculated that for every ton of coal put
into the furnace it will make ton Of ice.
From Dr. Gales examiners report we
gather some idea of the value Of patents.
\ man who had made slight i'm
provement in straw cutters, took mod
el Of his machine through the Western
States, and after tour Of eight months
returned with $4,000. Another had a
machine to thresh and clean grain, which
in fifteen months he sold for 100000. a
third obtained a patent for a printers
ink, refused $4,000 for it, and finally
sold it for 100000. These are ordinary
cases; while such inventions as the tele-
graph, the planning machine, and the In
dia rubber patents are worth millions
each.
Twenty seven harvesters, fifteen ploughs,
twentysix seed-planters, eight threshing-
machines, ten corn hullers and three horse
rakes have been patented during the year
in addition to those now in use.
Six new saw mills, seven shingle split
ters, and twenty-five new planning ma
chimes have been patented within the
year.
Seven new machines that spin, twenty
that weave, and seven that sew, are also
described.
Examiner Lanes report describes var
ious new electrical inventions. Among
these is an electric whaling apparatus, by
which the whale is literally shocked to
death Another is an electromagnetic
alarm which rings bells and displays sig
mails in case of fire, or burglars. Anoth-
or is an electric clock, which wakes you
up, tells you what time it is, and lights a
lamp for any hour you please.
There is Sound gatherer, sort Of
huge ear trumpet, to be placed in front
of a locomotive, bringing to the engineers
ear all the noises ahead, perfectly dis
tinct, notwithstanding the rattle of train.
There is an invention that pick up
pins from confused heap, turns them
all round with their heads up, and sticks
them in papers, in regular rows. An
other goes through the whole process Of
cigar making, taking in Tobacco leaves and
turning out the perfect article.
One machine cuts cheese; another
scours knives and forks; another blacks
boots; another rocks the cradle; and sew
en- of eight take in washing and Ironing.
There is a parcor chair patented, that
caIuoI NC uppcu pd"h oH wv lCSS, anu d"
railway chair that can be tipped back in
to any position, without any legs at all.
Another Patent is for a machine that
counts the passengers in an omnibus and
takes their fares. When a fat man gets
in, it counts two and charges double.
There are variety of guns patented
that load themselves; a fish line that ad-
just its own bait and a rat-trap that
throws away the rat, and then bats and
sets itself, and stands in the corner for
another.
The truths of the patent Office are
stranger than fiction.
There is machine also by which a
man prints instead of writing, his tho'ts.
1t is played on like piano. And speak
ing Of pianos, it is estimated that nine
thousand are made every year in the u
ted States, giving constant employment
to one thousand nine hundred hands, and
costing over two millions Of dollars.
One class of inventions, we are glad to
coo rnaat with dauorvaJ roDrobo+;ar