Smyrna times., 1859-10-13
The WondersEof Invention.

Among the thousand marvellous inventions
which American genius has produced within
the last few years, are the following, compiled
in an abstract from the Patent Office Report.
Read them over, and then say ifyou can, there
is nothing new under the sun.
The report explains the principle of the
celebrated Hobb lock. Its 4" npickability de-
pends upon secondary false set of tumblers,
which prevent instruments used in picking from
reaching the real ones Moreover the lock is
powder proof, aud may be loaded through the
key hole and fired off I'LL the burglar is tired of
his fruitless work, or fears that the explosions
Will bring to v ew his experiments more wit
mes 'es than he desires.
Doors and shutters havelbeen patented that
cannot be broken through with either 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 harpoon.
An ce-naklng machine has been patented,
which Is worked by a steam- engine. In an ex-
permental trial, 1t froze several bottles of
sherry, and produced blocks of ice the size of
CUBIC foot when the thermometer was up to
so degrees. II is calculated that for every ton
of coal put into the furnace, it will make q ton
OF ice.
From one examiners report, we gather some
idea OF the value of patents. man who had
made a slight improvement in straw cutters,
took model of his ma chine through the west
ern States, and after tour of eight months, re-
turned with $4,000. Another man had ma.
chine 10 thrash and clean grain, which in 10
months, ne sold for $60,O00. These are ordinary
cases, while such inventions the teegra ph,
the planning machine, and lndia-rubber patents,
are worth millions each.
Another examiners report describes new ell
ectrcal inventions. Among these is an elec-
Irical whaling apparatus, by which the whale
is literally /" shocked TO DEATH" Another is an
electro magnetic alarm, which rings bells and
displays signals in case of fire and burg gars.-
Another Is an electric clock, which wakes you
sp tells you what time it is, and lights lamp
for you at any hour you please.
There is u sound gatherer," sort of huge
ear-trumpet. to be placed in front of a Iocomo-
tive, bringing to the engineers ears all the
noise ahead perfectly distinct, Notwithstanding
The noise of the train.
There is an invention that picks up pins from
confused heap, turns them around with their
heads up, and sticks them in papers in regular
rows.
Another goes through the whole process of
cigar making, taking in leaves and turning out
finished cigars
One machine cuts cheese; another scours
knives and forLs; another rocks the cradle;
and seven or eight take In washing and IRON
ing.
There is parlor chair patented that can be
tipped back on two legs, and railway chair
that can be tipped buck in any position without
any legs at all.
There is also patent hens nest, so com.
pletely arranged that the hen is constantly
cheated into the belief that it has real egg to
sit upon; although the genuine deposit is care
fully slowed away out Of her sight.
Another patent is for machine that counts
passengers in an omnibus and takes their fares.
When very fat gentleman gets in, it counts
two, and charges double.
There are a variety of patent guns that load
themselves; a fishing lineshat adjusts it's own
bait, and rat trap that throws away the rat,
and then bats itself and stands in the corner
for another.
There Is machine also, by which man
prluts instead of writes, his thoughts 1t is
played like piano-for And spea king of pi-
amos, it is estimated that 5000 are made every
year in the United States, giving constant em-
ployment to 1000 persons. and costing over
S2,OOOOOO.
We copy the above from an exchange. It is
convincing proof that romance and reality are
charmngly combined in the development of in.
ventiye Scientific American.