The New York herald., 1868-05-22
TELEGRAPH PATENTS.

To THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD:-
No little interest has been excited In telegraph and
other scientific circles from the published claim Of
the late Prof. Page. of Washington, to the merit
OF the discovery of the powers Of the electro-mag
netic induction coil, commonly known as the
Ruhmkorf COLL" and for which M. Ruhmkor was
awarded a prize OF fifty thousand francs by the
French government. Prof. Pages claim was pre-
scnted to Congress in the form of petition for the
recognition Of his claims, asking special legislation,
he from his position OF Examiner In the Patent
once, being debarred rem taking out patent upon
terest in any invention. Prof. Page claimed to have
number OF years prior to the alleged discovery by M
Ruhmkorf, the wonderful power of this COLL and
Sy full recognition OF the claim. No one, Iappre.
hend Is disposed to find fault with this action; but
tackled on to the "Ruhmkorf' claim, and which is
made public now for the first time, appear three
claims the allowance OF which by this special act
OF Congress- is not only unlawful, but outrageous 1t
brands Professors Morse, House and Hughes and
Others with perjury, and that of the meanest kind
hlching the Ideas OF another and claiming original
ity therefor And the more extraordinary does this
appear from the fact that Professor Page in his ca
pacity OF examiner, actually passed upon and al
lowed the claims Of these men upon the very points
for which he lately asked and obtained special legis
lation.
claim aud having relevancy thereto are:-"The
combination of an automatic mechanical circuit
breaker with primary COLL" and "the employment
| eleCtrO-m1guetlC
battery for both or separate batteries for each and
'the employment OF separate and independent bat
teries to operate an electromagnetic circuit breaker
and the circuit whicn IL broken Dy IT," All suDStan-
TALLY as set forth.
Did Congress know that the automatic or mechan.
zeal breaker as exemplfed In its best form by Royal
Z. House, and my second quotation from the spe-
cial act, commonly known as the Local
Granted Sranted to Samuel F. B. Morse, Sea are both
public property by limitation OF law, and that vest
ed right Of the people cannot be taken from them by
txxf AZ hnru i0as N
the invention OF Hicks, In his beautiful and efficient
repeater" as substantially set forth In my last quo
tation viii shortly become public property and can
not lawfully be given to or renewed TO any but the
party to whom the original patent was granted or TO
e Legal hsr 81 vame IN
chimes and is direct mortgage upon inventive genius
for seventeen years TO come The only wonder Is that
the claims stopped where they did and did not include
| the electro-magnet itself.
Let US see how this act affects patents already
granted and In use, patented by the law which this
act virtually repeais. Mr.. Hicks patent for '.re
peater has still some years to run. The act makes
L unlawful after April 18TH last to manufacture his
sion Of Professor Page or his representative, which
permission may be entirely withheld, or If granted
| means money In shape OF royalty or otherwise. How
| can Congress lawfully take away his property ant
give 1t to anotherY Again, what right has Congress
to pass exceptional act, taking public property
giving permission for a term OF yearsP
You, MT; Editor, or ! may conceive an Ia idea 20
tected only In an "improvement' which 1t would b
entirely optional with the beneficiary Of this act II
allow to be introduced or course this is based upol
the assumption that an automatic or mechanica
circuit breaker the local circuit win enter int
the combination; and, from our present knowledge
either one or the other will necessarily be found Il
every invention In electromagnetic mechanics. =,
Professor Page has undoubtedly deserved well Q
his country. His splendid scientific abilities Dc
served recognition and reward II posthumous
but his reward should not bar the right o1 future ir
ventors, nor should such q check and drag be pu
| upon inventive genius.
AT present his heirs control the ,ture Of America
telegfaphy, and that. too wtthout shadow OF rigl
1 or law