The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1853-11-03
Tn. Patent Office Reports for 1852.

i The Patent Office Reports for 1902
These elaborate reports from the Patent
!. Office, are gratifying indexes OF the generai
inventive industry of the country. com
{ missioner HopGE's present one is full OF IN
teresting and valuable information. There
were 1859 applications received for pat
ents during the year, and 1920 patents is-
sued.
An application is rarely disposed OF with.
ont being examined at least twice, ana
sometimes six times Probably those l.O2o
) patents have cost 1000 examinations. ms
lis the largest number ever granted IN one
year, except during the first year OF zen.
Tavlor's administration, when Commission
er Ewbank issued 1916. Extensive ad-
: lditions have been made to the Patent Omce
buildings, and there is still want OF space.
Prof Renwick's examiners report ex,
| plains the principle of the celebrated HOODS,
lock. Its "unpickability" depends upon
secondary or false set of tumblers, wnicn
prevent the instruments used m picking
from reaching the real ones. MoreoVe,'
the lock is powder-proof, and may pe ioaa,
ed through the keyhole and fired on uHtii
the burglar is tired Of his fruitless WORK. o, o.,
fears that the report of his explosions VIII
bring to view his experiment more witnesses
than he desires.
4 Doors and shutters have also been patent
ed that cannot be broken through with either
pick or sledge hammer. The burglars oc'
cupation is gone.
The caloric ship is described and COM
mented at some length. but the report aa.
mits that "its end is not yet fully attained"
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 patent
ed, which goes BY steam engine. In an
experimental trial it froze several bottles OF
sherry, and produced blocks Of ice of the
size of cubic foot, when the thermometer
was standing at go deg. 1t is calculated
that for every ton of coal put into the fur
mace, it will make a ton of ice.
!, From Dr. Gales examiners report we
gather some idea of the value OF patents.
A man who had made slight improve
l ment in straw cutters took model OF his
machine through the Western States, and
after tour Of eight months returned with
$40. 900. Another had machine to thresh
and clean grain, which in fifteen monthshe
sold for 100000. A third obtained patent
for printers ink refused 100000 tor It, ana
finally sold it for $50 900. These are ordi-
nary cases; while such inventions as the
telegraph, the planning machine, and the
! India rubber patents, are worth miihons
each.
Twentv-seven harvesters, fifteen plougns,
twenty-six seed planters, eight thresning
machines, ten corn hullers, and three horse
= rakes, have been patented during the year,
: in addition to those now in use.
q Six new saw mills, seven shingle spltters,
: and twenty new planning machines, have
been patented within the year.
I Seven new machines that spin, twenty
that weave, and seven that sew, are also
: described
Examiner Lanes report describes various
new electrical inventions. Among these 10
an electric whaling apparatus, by which the
whale is literally shocked to death. An
other 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 "sound gatherer," a sort Of
!, huge ear trumpet, to be placed in front OF
. locomotive, bringing to the engineers ear all
!. the noises ahead, perfectly distinct, notwlth-
: standing the rattle OF the train.
, There is an invention that picks up pins
from confused heap, turns them all round
: with their heads up, and sticks them in pa
pers in regular rows. Another goes through
the whole process of cigar making, taking
in tobacco leaves and turning out the per-
4 feet article.
One machine cuts cheese; another scours
knives and forks; another blacks boots; an
other rocks the cradle; and seven or eight
: take in washing and ironing.
There is parlor chair patented that can.
not be tipped back, on two legs, and rail-
way chair that can be tipped back into any
position, without 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 are variety Of guns patented that
. load themselves; fish line that adjusts its
own bait; and 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 strang-
er than fiction.
. There is a machine also by which man
! prints instead of writing his thoughts. 1t
u is played on like pano.-And speaking Of
2 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.
\ One class of inventions, we are glad to
Z see, meet with deserved reprobation. What.
ever may be said of others, the examiners
of the patent office are not likely to exap-
gera,e either from ignorance or design.
!, This is their official Judgment respecting
I"burnng fluds:''
= The desire to render the use of highly
combustible fluids less dangerous than the
can be when burned in lamps of the ordis 4.
= ry construction, has given rise to few inn.
iEprovements, for which patents have 'peeu
q aigranted. Thus far, however, nothia a has
been presented which can render thes4 com-
pounds entirely safe; while the II eauen,
and dreadful accidents almost daily recorded
: from their general use should pr. 5mpt the
ipublic to the utmost care if not to Danish
= :, them from all dwellings, as moss able Ipbts
!, and especially when burned in lamns of
l. fragile materials.-Ai6aay Jo.s nal.
GUANo FROM CalNcHA The l,s+
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