Stephens City star. (Stephens City, Va.) 1881-1883, 1882-04-29
Curious Patents.

nished the New York Times with brief |
list of patents on small things as
any man or boy might have thought of,
but didn't, and which in many instances
have proved mines of wealth to the
lucky discoverer. For, inasmuch as so
many minds might have hit upon these
things, they ought properly to be called
discoveries rather than inventions, and
are the outcome of luck or chance, or
whatever one may choose to call that
arrangement Of circumstances which is
not the result of much forethought or
logical process. The steam.engine, the
steamship, the locomotive, the tele-
graph, the reaping-machine, the power
loom, the sewing-machine, the tele-
phone, the cotton-gin, the telescope and
scores of similar machines or instru-
ments are truly inventions. They
require logical and philosophical com.
bination of laws and principles. But
there are hundreds OF smaller things,
chiefly petty conveniences and contri-
vances for domestic use, or amusing and
entertaining toys, which are more in
the nature of discoveries. These last
have been only found-the 9th ers were
found out.
Among these trifles is the favorite
toy-the ''return ball"-a wooden ball
with an elastric string attached, selling
for the sum of ten cents each, but yield
ing to it's patentee an income equal to
fair returns on capital OF $500, OOo.
The rubber tip on the end OF lead PEN
ellis affords the owner Of the royalty an
independent fortune. The inventor OF
the gummed newspaper wrapper is also
rich man. The gimlet-pointed screw
has evolved more wealth than most
silver mines, and the man who first
thought Of putting copper tips to child
ren's shoes is as we'll off as if his father
had left him 81, ,OOO.O 900 in United States
bonds. Although roller-skates are not
so much used in countries where ice is
abundant, in South America, especially
in Brazil, they are very highly esteemed
and have yielded over $1,00O,OOO to
their inventor. But he had to spend
$125, 900 in England alone fighting in
fringements. The dancing Jim Grow, ;
toy, provides an annual income oi
$4,000 to its inventor, and the common
needle threader is worth, $40, 900 year
to the man who thought of it. The
"drive-well" was an idea of Colonel
Green, whose troops, during the war,
were in want of water. He conceived
the notion of driving two-inch tube
into the ground until water was reached
and their attaching pump. This sim
pie contrivance was patented after the
war, and the tens of thousands of farmers
who have adopted it, have been obliged
to pay him royalty, moderate esti-
mate of which is placed at $4,000, 900.
The spring window shade yields an in
come equal to an investment of 81 900,
900; the stylographic pen, with which
this article is written, also $1,000, O0O
the marking pen for shading in differ.
ent colors, 100000; rubber stamps, the
same. A large fortune has been reaped
by Western miner who, ten years
since, invented metal rivet or eyelei
at each end of the mouth of breeches
and coat pockets to resist the strair
caused by the carriage of pieces OF orr
and heavy tools. Fortunes have beer
made out of the dead as we'll as tn
living. The torpedo grave, which will
explode when body-snatchers meddl
with it, is one bonanza; another odd
but probably not lucrative one, is a
! open tube, running from the top of tn
. ground to the coffin-lid, just over tn
face of the corpse. If the person is il
trance and has been buried alive, ht
a draws himself up through the hole an
8 returns to the surface by means of
rope-ladder in the tube. If he prefers
however, to send for assistance, he pull
a cord which rings bell near the to
n of the tube. After lying there Ion
enough to assure his friends that he ha
no intention of coming back the tube
y pulled up, drawing as it comes glas
~ plate over the face of the inmate OF tn
4 coffin.
4 Every time woman pricks the she
;. of an egg preparatory to boiling it 81
i: violates patent-right, this having bee
b secured by some genius who discovere
that it would prevent their breakin
10 during the process of boiling. 1t ha
ing been said that chickens Matched |
d artificial heat do not thrive as we'll
8. others because they miss the matern
IN affection expressed in the "cluck, clucl
,r of the natural hen, an inventor h
III taken out patent which initiates tn
1-oJ ooothinp and charming b