The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1883-06-13
WASHINGTON LETTER.


From Our Regular Correspondent.
WASHINGTON, June !, 1884.
To-day there will be sale of more
than sixteen thousand models in the
United States Patent Office. These
represent as many rejected applica.
tions for patents, and pile of ruined
hopes, dreams, and calculations that
cannot be computed by numbers OF
by any unit Of measurement known
to science. Fourteen large cases
filled with models in the model
room, and as many benches and Sc
ries of shelves in the room over the
south portico, will be submitted for
sale to those who think they can
find a use for what the Government
IL anxious to be rid of. These mod
els, representing the rejected cases
since 1872, have at last come to oc-
cupy SO much valuable room, that
there must be q complete house
cleaning. They have been kept by
the Government in some cases for
the convenience of the applicants,
and in many cases because their
owners have been too Indifferent to
send for them. AS may be supposed
they represent about every class and
order of invention. Class No. A con-
tains electrical apparatus and sew
ing machines, and is the most inter-
esting of them ell. A model of a
telegraph system by the well known
w. Z. Sawyer, of New York, attracts
attention on account ofits inventors
reputation. There are telephones
without number, electrical fire de-
tectors, burglar-alarms, electric can
dies, lamps, etc. An electric appli-
ance for curing vicious horses is most
original andinteresting. Two wires
extend from the vehicle to the
horses hind legs. These can be
charged instantly. sending a shock
into the horses hind legs that would
convince any horse of average
reasoning powers that continued
misconduct was unadvisable. /
have seen within the last week elec-
tricity applied to a baking horse
with the happiest effect. A small
battery was placed in the buggy,
and wires were attached to the
harness saddle. The horse, an in
corrigible baker, went off like
machine when the charge was ap-
piled. A very ingenious little ma
chine is in case No. 4. 1t is the
invention of a woman. It.censists
of three grooved rollers working on
one another, while in the angle
thus formed a spiral needle revolves
in the grooves. Women, by the
way, make ne small figure in the
inventive world, and there has been
within the last five years large
number of patents granted to women.
Their patents consist to a large
extent of improvements in articles
of wearing apparel, but they have
secured patents in many other class
es, such as household furniture,
devices peculiar to the laundry and
to the dairy, surgical instruments,
and medicines. Case No. 5 also
possesses interest to those who care
for the curious. 1t contains meas
uring instruments, and is generally
devoted to horology and optics.
There are some very ingenious in
struments for measuring time,
liquids, counting money, changing
it, and performing similar functions
generally supposed to be done only
with the fingers. A prominent object
is night clock, consisting of q white
glass globe with the hours marked
upon it. 1t is illuminated, and
slowly revolves past a certain up
right bar of metal, thus enabling
one to tell at glance the hour of
the night As a rule the metal
models are all well made, but some
of those constructed of wood are
atrociously put together. 1t would
seem as though the models them
selves were enough to condemn the
application.
At the last sale, about eleven
years ago, the total amount realized
was about s235, representing seven
:een different purchases, and varying
in amount from 50 to s12450. On
the sale of lamps and sewing ma
chimes s107.50 was realized. while
chemicals, metallurgy, and chromos
brought $3.50. Many of the items
ranged about $40 and SIS, only three
being over $50. As no record is
kept of the rejected cases, it is not
known how the number on hand
will compare with that sold in 1872.
The cases in which are the models
to be sold to-day stand on the north
side of the model room under the
gallery, and in the centre of the
room, and are numbered from one
to fourteen.