Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1873-06-14
CURIOUS INVENTIONS
Queer Quirks and Oomical Caveats in the
US. Patent Office.

The Records Of the United States Patent
Office exhibit innumerable applications
for ludicrous as Well as impracticable IN
ventious. The time and talent expended
10 devsing some machine. which II IS
Supposed will make the inventors for
tune, would, II applied TO his ordinary
daily labor, make him Thoroughly COM
peteat mechanic aud secure him cou-
fortabe livelihood. As a proof OF the
truth of the above remarka, a few Illus
trations may be given. Iu 1870 the owner
Of some beehives, irritated by the loss OF
mis- honey by the bee moth, asked Tor
patent for a combined henroost and bee
hive. He had noticed that the bee moth
travels at night, while the busy bee works
by dav. His desiie, therefore, was for q
device lhnt should admit the worker BY
day and keep out the thief by night
Thus his Ingenuity effected the erection
Of a henroost pivoted upon a beehive,
provided with gates The bees were ex-
pected to be In their hives Just before
dark the hens lighting on their roostss,
were then TO close the gates of the hive
and keep Them shut all night. The earlV
rising OF the hens would automatically
open the gates again aud return the bees
their honey oil ssfe-to the airs OF
! hfhvrn and the fowets Of earth. He re-
ceivod the patent. ,
Another applicant asked for patent
right for an artificial moon that should
| light each town that used u without ex-
peuse. His eye had often been struck by
| the reflection Of the distant windows at
sunset. and how far light Travelled. Rei
therefore. proposed n balloon for each
town sufficiently large 10 raise a hsge
reflector, that was to be hOisted everv
evening At dusk, about the time the hens
| had shut IN the bees. The reflection OF
| the SUMS rays cast downward upon the
! Village was sure to light 10 through all
| the darkness Of the night. Fortunately
/ for himself this inventor presented his
application through q patent attorney,
who told him u was doubtful II II could
be obtained
In the fa'l Of 1872 gentleman applied
for and rtcrived patent for building
houses on wheels and rollers, 30 that in
case Of earthquake they might roll for
ward or backward, and not be shaken
to pieces.
Another gentleman applied for patent
for heating canals by steam, so that boat
ing could D on in winter as well as 10
summer. The office decided that this
invention was worthy of proteetion and
gave him his patent.
Another applied for combination OF
clock and a bed, so ingeniously eontriYe'
that when the clock struck the bottom o
the bed dropped ont. lie claimed tha
this plan would probably awaken tn
sleeper.
Another invention from the frontier
asked for patent for combination OF
a cannon and plough. For this pdrpos
he filed three applications, making tn
elongated handles OF the plough hollow
so rs to form two cannons. These wer
to be kept loaded till the gucrillas wer
8 alter the ploughman, the cannons wer
then to be fired, the guerillas shot down
! and the farmer to go ON his way rejoicing
In 1870 a very ingenious gentlema
: from the rural districts applied fora pater
to prevent COWS from switching the
I tails. lie presented two models-of
o shaped like Il bottle, around the end
D which the cows tail was to be curlet
Y the other was square block, with u
. hole through the centre, wherein the ia
1 was to be- put and tied in knot, so Til
o the animal could not Withdraw IL.