Morning journal and courier., 1882-05-18
Amusing Things in the Patent Office.

Some of the applications made for patents very amusing, but however funny the ideas, if it is only original with the applicant, the patent can be secured. The rights of the American inventor are sacred, and no commissioner of patents dares infringe upon them. It will be sad news to many pru- dent housewife to learn that every time she bricks hole in an egg with Q pin she is violating the patent of an American inyen- tor, but such is the case. Years ago an in- ventive genius devoted himself to discovering a method to prevent eggs from cracking dur ing the process of boiling. He solved the problem by pricking pin-hole in one end of the egg. through which the air in the shell was allowed to escape, and this pin hole he duly patented according to law. Precisely how he managed to ccJlect his royalty IS 8 mystery, but the fact remains that he has claim for royalty on every pin-hole made ID an egg before boiling.
 An application has recently been made through Mum & Go. for the patent of e. ma chine to prevent young orphan chickens from being lonely This Is an invention which should and probably will, commend itself to Mir. Bergh. The inventor claims that hundreds of chickens matched out in the artificial incubators become lonely because they miss ''cluck, chuck :" of the mother chickens matched in the natural way, and many are killed by this loneliness. He has arranged a system of clock work which pre- duces noise somewhat similar to that of the hen, which he proposes to attach to the in cubator, and on this machine the patent Is asked. patent was issued on g clog for fowls, designed to prevent them from scratch ing in gradens It consists of a wire in the shape of a hairpin, sharp at the points. This is attached to the feet of the fowl in such way that when 1t attempts to scratch the points enter the ground and prevent the claws from reaching it
 Hens have ever been the subject of much patient thought on the part of the inventors 4 nest designed to deceive them into laying more than one egg daily which every respec- table bird contributes to the farmers larder, has been devised and patented. It has false bottom, through which the egg drops as soon as laid, and the patient hen. feeling that she has failed to do her duty, proceeds to lay another and another until her treasury be- comes exhausted or she discovers the decep- ton. A bee hive has been patented, the doors of which are attached to he henroost in such a manner that when the fowls go to roost they close the hive, and thus secure the in mates against the ravages of the bee moth, and at daylight when the hens leave the roost the hive doors are opened and the bees set at liberty.
 Even the faithful horse has been made the subject of optical delusion7 by the inventors patent has been secured for what is known as horse fence. It consists simply of wire frame placed over the head of horse. so that when he approaches fence with the laudable desire of jumping it he sees the wires over his head, mistakes them for part of the fence. and concludes that it is too high for him to leap These are some of the curiosities of the patent office. The reader who desires to investigate the subject further is respectfully. referred to that highly interesting of literature known as the ''PaS z{| ports"