Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1859-06-30
A List of Wonders.

Among the thousapds OF marvellous lnven
tions which American genius has produced
are the following, compiled in an abs,rac
from the Patent Office Report. Read then
over, and then say, if you can, that there i!
nothing new under the sun:
The report explains the principle of the
celebrated Hobb lock. Its 'unpickabiIity
depends upon a secondary or false set o
tumb lers, which prevent instruments used
in picking from reaching the real ones
Moreover, the lock is powder proof, ant
may be loaded through the key hole and free
off till the burglar is tired of his fruitles:
work, or fears that the explosions vii
bring to view his experiments more wit
nesses than he desires.
Doors and shutters have been patented
that can not be broken through with either
pick or sledge hammer. The burglars occu'
patIon's gone
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 is worked by steam-engine. In
an experimental trial, it froze several bot,
ties of sherry, and produced blocks o: ice
the size of cubic foot when the thermom.
etc. was up to eighty degrees. 1t is calcu'
lated that for every ton of coz put into the
furnace, it will mabe ton of ice.
From DIR. Gales examiners report, we
gather some idea of the value of patents
A man who had made a slight Improvement
in''straw, cutters took model of his machine
through the Western States, and after a
tour of eight months returned with forty
thousand dollars. Another had machine
to thresh and clean grain, which, in fifteen
months, he sold for sixty thousand dollars.
These are ordinary cases-while such in.
ventons as the telegraph. the planning ma
chine, and India -Rub bier patents, are worth
millions each.
Examiner Lanes report describes new
electrical inventions. Among these is an
electrical whaling apparatus, by which the
whale is literally "shocked to DEATH" An
other is an electro-m agletic alarm, which
rings bells and displays signals in case of
fire and burglars. Another is an eectr ic
clock, which wakes you up, tells you what
time it is, and lights lGmp for you at any
hour you please.
There is sound gatherer,' sort of huge
ear trumpet, to be placed in front of loco.
motive. bringing to the engineers ears al
the noise ahead; perfectly distinct, notwith.
standing the rattle 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 pa.
pers in regular rows,
Another goes through the whole process
of cigar making, taking in leaves and turn.
ing out finished cigars.
One machine cuts cheese; another scour:
knives and forks; another rocks the cradle
and seven or eight take in washing and
ironing.
There is parlor chair patented that car
not be tipped back on two legs, and a rail
way chair that can be tipped back in any
position without any legs at all.
Another patent is for machine that
counts passengers in an omnibus and take;
! their fares. When very fat gentleman
gets in, it counts two and charges double
There are variety of gurs patented thai
load themselves; fishing line that adjusts
lis own bait, and rat trap that throws
away the rat, and then bats itself and stund
in the corner for another
There is machine, also, by which a mai
prints instead of writes his thoughts. 1t il
played like pianoforte. And, speaking o
pianos, it is estimated that nine Thousand
are made every year in the United States
giving constant employment to one thous
and hine hundred persons, and costing owe
two millions of dclIars.