New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-01-27
THE PATENT OFFICE.
ANNUAL REPORT OF COMMISSIONER FooIE'
UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,
Id % 1867. =

have been issued jl9 have been ressued AID l40 cN-
tended Compared with other years the business OF he
Office las been greater than that Of any preceding period
The number OF patents issued has been than dOno
times thai Of iss Since the Patent office was first esab
sbed its business has had rapid growth in amount anu
trnsact ali its huines Now between three and four hund
red are required This increase mas arisen IN part rom
tho growth OF the country but more from the stimulus
that our patent laws have given TO invention The re-
wards which they have held ont for successful
mens have increased IN value with tho progress Oh TUG
country and with the more proper appreciation ana
greater security patented property really success
X invention brings TO It's author competency lpr
life and as consequence, the efforts OF almost every
class in community directed In search OF useIu i
proyements In all those improvements of life 10 Mhen
laws relate our age has witnessed more ad-
vance than all the preceding ages OF the world 70
gethsr one Improvement seems 10 nave Degoltsn M MI
other New fields for exploration have been constantly
opening And far from reaching any limit OF inyen
ton we seem but tho way TO other advances ana I'M
proyements beyond our present comprehension hln,
however unable attribute the extraordinary increase
OF the last few years in the number OF patents ssue
an eouaI increase OF real improvements apprehend
that much OF apparent prosperity has arisen from mo
allowance Of patents that should never nave peeh
Several causes have contributed TO this: FIRST prac
ce recently grown up OF subdiyding anu
tsunR several patents for what formerly enDraced
IN one served to increase the receipts OF inc once
the time 1t haa greatly tne ~
OF the inventor, not only for ONCE Tees put io MI @
other expenditures incurred IN obtaining patents uhd
tho practice been confined to separate ana distinct ln
proyements upon different parts OF machine, no excep
ZION could be taken TO IT, It has been carried to the
extent OF several patents Tor INC same @
lion 1t has tended TO compcate and confuse patented
rights and, In some instances appenend peen %
purpose that 1t has served, and beeve II shouu DC TO-
garded with dlsayor % % 70 The inn
proper rejection OF applications for patenta In case OF
refusal the examiner IN charge must sSsg M "a sn
previous device which, In his view anticipates tho lnven
ton These grounds the applicant may anH
still rejected. he may appeal TO the Board OF @
his case From tho ExamnersnC Chief no may appeal TO
the Commissioners In person and from tho commissions
to one OF tho Judges OF the Supreme Court OF the Dsc
OF Columbia An examiners action receives no such
scrutiny when no allows patent u ne DO pressed 10,
10 hs aboTs by simple indorsement III he lack oapac
ty there will thus be exposure OF his Ignorance or OF
In Soma instances the allowance OF patents has served 20
cloak incapacy and indifference TO duty; nave en-
favorable decisions before patents Issued upon them
but found that the force In the Office was inadequate TO
such work In addition 10 tho performance OF other mas
pensabe duties. The only reliance we have 20 guard
against the Issue OF improper patents Is upon te apn
The great Increase OF the business Of the Office has been
accompanied with corresponding increase 9i tno eA
tbrovrn mon them an amount Of labor they could not
perform ve and from the necessity OF the case patents
ton thoy should have received Formerly 80 or 40 cases
per month were deemed 10 DO Os many rs an examiner
eide Now Is not unusual Tor tho same examiner with
two or three assistants 70 dispose OF many as 200 cases
more applications have been decided than by the whole
office IN 1885, or in any previous year The granting OF
purpose Of patent laws IL serves mscad and deceive
the public and subject them TO the annoyance OF IN
us and invalid claims IL throws distrust and discredt
upon patented property and Injuries the saiabe value oil
me1torOus Intentions. Did tho practice OF the ONCE
fuv accord with the intent OF the law and is invostga
lions command the entire confidence Of the community
go that business operations aud the investment OF capital
more TO enhance the rewards which the laws contem
plate for valuable improvements than any other measure
that could be devised TO improve the qualifications OF
examiners and obtain high order OF ability IN the eX-
aiming corps has been deemed by me an object on INC
the Office greatly depended committee or three gentle
men, selected for their ability and fitness Tor the purpose
was appointed TO examine into the qualifications Of such
OF the employees had received their appointments with
out the examinations required by law. The duty has
been 40 far faithfully and judieously performed and
several changes in the Office have resulted therefrom
Great has been exercised IN supplying vacancies
The postiOps OF examiner clerks and assistants have
been regarded tho schools OF the Office IN which TO
qualify gentlemen OF ability and culture for higher
positions have been such In due time viii make them
able aud welinstruced examiners Questions as TO- The
Increase N The number OF preyons deylsss An eIh
have made in his eassnot only in this country but
In Europe. Their great number and compleIity have
rendered the study OF them profession TO DO acquired
by wears OF labor An examiners decisions involve
questions Of law Of science and OF mechanics The
reconcile principles upon which depend the practical
OF processes and machinery must he familiar 10
him. Large amounts OF property often depend directly
ments necessary the discharge OF his duties
must be Of nigh order.scarcey less than those we ex
pect In Judge OF the higher courts OF law nave been
strongly Impressed with the belief that the salaries
these gentlemen inadequate To procure ana
tain the beet services They prescribed In 1888 At
that time they wond obtain OF all the necessares and
venences life than double OF what the money
will purchase now For OIL prhcuca purposes rs the
Same as II those salaries had been reduced OnchGf As
consequence, gentlemen who have become experienced
and expert in the performance Of their duties resign their
places for moro lucrative emplOyments. Within tho
short time that have been connected with the ONCE
several whose services were Invaluable have resigned
and IL IA apprehended that others VIII soon follow their
example. / think know the wishes OF inventors well
enough 10 say that II the they ply into the
Patent Office Insufficient they would gladly increase
cases The reduction In value OF the currency has
operated with hardship upon other employees Of the
tax upon the country 1t is believed that their salaries
should be mado 10 approximate what they were before
1861
The act OF Congress relative TO the Patent Office passed
in July. 1885, provided for machinist at salary Of
construed to real mechanic TO repair and keep IN
order the models deposited IN The Office Afterwards
many years there have been few or repairs OF
breakages and other injuries 70 models ana large num-
been totally destroyed. To put them In proper order Will
aS9ue ao aaDyr NJ the time fbcy are done and Inc
persons causing them held accountable therefor To DO
used in tho office, would occupy two men continuously
Certified copies for models sre frequently ordered 70 Oe
the models are sent 70 OF the machine shops In
the city Questions involving large Interests some
times depend upon features shown IN these models.
They lose their force testimony when suffered 10 boz
yOnd tho supervision tho office Suspicious Of changes
beeyed that the Interests of the oee will be promoted
by establishing within IL machine shop and employing
competent persons 10 do the work have Indicated
Notwithstanding the ample for models IN the Pat
eut Oice the TO hold them hed and some
OF them crowded More provision for them will have 10
be Immediately made. BY narrowing little the present
cases, an additional one may be placed between them,
aud still leave sufficient space for passages. Another
shelf may DO added and some OF the cases heightened
BY their present capacity may be more than
doubled and that will meet the wants OF the Office for
many years 20 come The time will eventually arrive
when the models those machines that have proved
less will have be selected out and discarded IL Ia
recommended to employ few IN the Office TO alter
these cases and make fast the wants OF the
office shall require and its funds permit.
The subject OF copying the drawings OF patented devices
Is OF much Importance 10 the Office. Thoro are
about 5000 OF them and they increase at the rate OF
about 900 per year There also about $4,000 belong