Columbia gazette. [volume] (Columbia, Tuolumne County, Calif.) 1852-1855, 1854-09-16


a list of wonders
The report explains the principles of
the celebrated Hobbs lock. Its sun
pickability'' depends upon secondary
or false set Of tumblers, which prevents
the instrument used in picking from
reaching the real ones.-Moreover, the
lock is powder-proof, and may be loaded
through the key-hole and fred off until
the burglar is tired of his fruitless work
Or fears that the report of his explosions
will bring to view his experiment more
witnesses than he desires.
Doors and shutters have also been
patented and cannot be broken through,
either with pick or sledge hammer. The
burglars occupations gone"
A harpoon is described, which makes
the whale kill himself. The more he
pulls the line the deeper goes the har-
pooh.
An ice-making machine has been pat
ented, which goes by steam engine.
I n an experimental trial. froze several
bottles of sherry, and produced blocks of
ice of the size of a cubic foot, when the
thermometer was standing at eighty de-
grees. 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 pat
cnts.
A man who had made slight i'm
provement in straw cutters, took a mod
ell 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 $780,
900. And third obtained patent
for printers ink, refused $4,000 for
it, and finally sold it for 100000
These are ordinary cases; while such in
vcntions as the telegraph, the planning
machine, and India-rubber patents, are
worth millions each.
Examiner Lanes report describes va
rious new electrical inventions. Among
these is an electrical whaling apparatus,
by which the whale is literally "shocked
to DEATH" Another is an electro mag
netic alarm, which rings bells and dis
PLAYS 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," sort
of huge ear trumpet, to be placed in
front of locomotive, bringing to the
engineers ear all the noise ahead, per-
fectly distinct, Notwithstanding the rat
tic 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 paper in regular rows. Another
goes through the whole process ofcigal
making, taking in tobacco leaves, ane
turning out the pure article.
One machine cuts cheese another
scours knives aud forks; another rocks
the cradle and seven or eight takes il
washing and ironing.
There is parlor chair patented, tina,
cannot be tipped back on two legs, and
railway chair that can be tipped bscl
in any position without legs at all.
Another patent is for machine thai
counts thd passengers in an omnibus and
takes their fares. When very fat gen
tleman gets in, it counts two, and charg.
es double.
| There are variety of guns patented
that load themselves fsh-line that
adjusts its own bait and rat-trap thai
throws away the rat, and then bats it.
self and stands in the corner for another
The truths of the Patent Office are
stranger than fiction.
There is machine, also, by which 3
Imam prints, instead Of writing hi: