Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1853-10-27
WONDERS OF THE PATENT 0FFIcE-A cur
sorry examination of the Patent Office Report

WONDERS OF THE PATENT OFFICE.--A cur
sorry examination of the Patent Office Report
for 1852, reveals some surprising inventions:
Examiners report explains the principles of
the celebrated Hobbs lock Its "unpickabil-
ityn depends upon secondary or false set of
tamblers, which prevent the instruments used
in picking from reaching the real ones. More
over, the lock is powder-proof, and may be
loaded through the keyhole and fired off until
the burglar is tired OF his fruitless work, or
fears that the report Of his explosions will
bring to view his experiments more witnesses
than he desires.
Doors and shutters have also been patented
that cannot be broken through with either pick
or sledge hammer. The burglars "occupa-
ton 5 gone.n
A harpoon is described which makes the
whale kill himself The more he pulls the line
the deeper goes the harpoon.
An ice-making machine has been patented,
which goes by steam engine. In an expert
mental trial, II froze several bottles OF sherry
and produced blocks of ice of the size of cubic,
foot, when the thermometer was standing at 80
degrees 1t is calculated that for every ton Of
coal put into the furnace it will make ton of
ice.
From Dir. Gales examiners report, we gather
some idea of the value of patents.
A man who had made slight improvement
in straw-cutters, took a model of his machine
through the western States, and after tour of
eight months returned with $4,000. Another
had machine to thresh and clean grain,
which in fifteen months he sold for 100000.
A third obtained a patent for q printers ink,
refused $4,000 for it, and finally sold 1t for
100000. These are ordinary cases; while
such inventions as the telegraph, the planning
machine and the India rubber patents are
worth millions each.
Examiner Lanes report describes various
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 signals in case of fire or burglars.
Another is an electric clock, which wakes you
up, tells you what time it is, and lights lamp
for you, at any hour you please.
There is q "sound gatherer," a sort of huge
ear.trumpet, to be placed in front of a locomo
tive, bringing to the engineers ear all. the
noises ahead, perfectly distinct, Notwithstanding
the rattle of the train.
There is an invention which picks up pins
from confused heap, turns them all around
with their heads up, and sticks them in papers
in regular rows. Another goes through the
whole process of cigar making, taking in tobac-
co leaves and turning out the perfect article.
One machine cuts cheese; another scours
knives and forks; another blacks boots; another
rocks the cradle; and seven or eight take in
washing and ironing.
There is parlor chair patented, that cannot
be tipped back on two legs, and q railway chair
that can be tipped back into any position, with
out any legs at all.
Another patent is for machine that counts
the passengers in an omnibus and takes their
fares. When very fat man gets in, it counts
two and charges double.
There is variety Of guns patented that load
themselves; ish-line that adjusts its own bait ]
and rat-trap that throws away the rat, and
then bats and sets itself, and stands in the cor.
ner for another.
The truths Of the patent Office are stranger
| than fiction.
There is machine also by which man
prints instead of writing his thoughts. 1t Is
played on like piano. And speaking OF pianos
it is estimated that nine thousand are made
every year in the United States, giving constant
employment to one thousand nine hundred
hands, and costing over two millions of dollars.