Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1860-01-07

Among the numerous marvellous in
ventious which American genius has
within the last few years. are
the following, compiled from the Patent
Office Report:
The report explains the principles Of
the celebrated Hobbs lock. Its s'unpick-
ability" depends upon = secondary or
false set of tumblers, which touch the
real ones. Moreover, the lock is pow
der-proof, and may be loaded through
the key-hole and fired of till the burg
lar is tired Of his fruitless work, or fears
that the explosions will bring to view
his experiments more witnesses than he
desires.
A harpoon is described which makes
the whale kill himself The more he
pulls the line the deeper goes the har-
poon.
An ice-making machine has been pa
tented which is worked by a steam en-
CINE. In an experimental trial it froze
several bottles Of sherry and produced
blocks of ice the size Of cubic foot,
when the thermometer was up to eighty
degrees. 1t is calculated that for every
ton of coal put into tho furnace it will
make ton Of ice.
From Mr.. Examiner Dale's report We
gather some idea of the value of pat
en,s A man who had made a slight
improvement in straw cutters, took =
model of his machine through the West
ern States, and after tour Of 8 months
returned with forty thousand dollars
Another man had a machine to thrash
and clean grain, which, in fifteen months
he cold for sixty thousand dollars. These
are ordinary cases, while such invention,
as the telegraph, tho planning machine
and India rubber patents are worth mil
lions each.
Examiner Lanes report describes new
electrical inventions. Among these j,
an electrical whaling apparatus, by
which the whale is literally "shocked te
DEATH" Another is an electromagnetic
alarm, which rings bells aud displays
signal. in case of fire and burglars.-
Another is an electric clock, which
wakes you up, tells you what time it is
and lights lamp for you at any hou
you please.
There is Sound gatherer" a sort o
huge ear trumpet, to be placed in from
of locomotive, bringing to the engin
GERS ears all the noise ahead, perfectly
distinct, notwithstanding the noise Of til,
tram.
THERE'S an invention that picks VI
pins from a confused heap, turns then
around with their heads up, and thel
sticks them In papers in regular rows
Another goes through the whole pro
cess Of cigar making, taking in leave
and turning out finished cigars.
One machine cuts cheese; another on
scours the knives and forks, and anothe
rocks the cradle and seven or eigh
take in washing and ironing.
There is parIor chair patented tina
cannot be tipped back OH two legs an'
railway chair that cannot be tippe
back in any position without any legs a
all.
Another patent is for a machine tina
counts passengers in an omnibus an
takes their fare. When a very ia
man gets in it commits two and charge
double.
There is variety of guns patente
thst load themselves; fishing line tia
adjusts its own bait; and a rat ira
which throws away the rat, and the
bats itself and stands in the corner fc
another.
There is machine, also, by which
mau prints instead Of writes his thought
1t is played like a piano forte. Ant
speaking of pianos, it is estimated tia
nine thousand are made every year i
the United States, giving constant en-
ployment to one thousand nine hundre
persons, costing over two million do
lars.