Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1857-10-06
The BrltlSh anf

The British aud American Patent Offices.
The London Engineer has the following arti-
Gle, comparing the English and American Pat
ent Offices:
We had no idea Of the eribbed. cabiped
and confined nature of our own little nest in
comparison with the vast aViary in which We
nave been accustomed TO be heeced by our
transatlantic friends, before We had the plans
drawn out on the same scale, or We think we
We should have hesitated to make such an er-
poSs OF our deficiencies but the plans being
prepared and promised TO our readers, we feel
bound to bring them to the light, let the conse-
quenees be damaging as they may. We had
read Of the sizes of the various rooms of the
American ofhce, had published descriptions of it.
and we had seen the plan; and, further, we
kne" well the ins and outs of our own Patent
Once; but never, until the plans were placed
slde by side, did the comparison appear so ri
deulous. We do net say that some of the clos
cts Of the American Office are a. large as our
patent library, but really the space occupied
by the entire building is so vastly greater than
our own little jewel in Chancery lane that we
are a. ioss 70 kEo" what use can possibly be
made of IT,
1t is true that the plan of ihe American office.
as We have given it, is not eomplsted-one per
ton having 70 be built, and other portions being
occupied by different departments Of state vet
Tor AL this, the building was designed for the
fstent Omce alone, and ~ the purposes Of this
ONCE alone will IL very shortly be devoted, 50
that We may justly conclude from the size of
the entire building, what views the American.
entertain Of the Importance Of the patent bust
ness Of their country. In one Of our depart-
ments the space is 20 confined that We hsye
recommended the attendants To wear spring
shoes, 50 that they would, after q little prac-
tce, be able 10 jump over each others heads.
there being no room u pass between the shelves
and the backs Of the chairs Of those-sitting at
The central table With respect to the store
department, there is only sufficient room in the
corrugated iron clubhouse To contain few
copies Of each Of the printed specifications
which space will be wholly inadequate when
the specifications VI the patents granted under
the old law are all printed. As u a museum
VI models, u does not exist except in one Of the
bohers al henslngton and as recent events, TO
when We referred last week, give signs Of an
explosion IN that quarter. no safety-yalye hav-
ing as yet been dIscoyered-it is not impossible
thAt the models may again have TO be placed in
tnSlI respective cases and consigned To the eel
laIs from which they were taken. Now, this is
all t0O Dad, especially VIXEN We consider that
the pstent fund. notwithstanding the excessive
fees OF the law officers, has accumulated Ia the
extent Of abOat tIU0, 900. Patentees will never
as was at one time suggested, have any part Of
this fund returned To them, and why, we want
u know, would 10 not be as we'll EMPLOYED in
building respectable office "a in remaining in
the treasury The business done In our Pat
cut once is not less important than that Of the
United States office; then what makes the diff
Terence Ia the views entertained as to the
amount Of space required for the proper trans
asAon Of that business!