Semi-weekly interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1881-1905, 1883-03-27
Two Thousand Electrical iaVeHtons in On,
Yoos

Mr.. Edward NJ. Bentley, one Of the
examiners in the electricity division
of the Patent Office, speaking Of the
work Of the electricity division and Of
the recent marvellous development Of
electrical inventions, said that about
two thousand applications for patents
in electricity we're filed in 1882, Of
which about two.thirds we're granted.
To show how the subjec. had grown
10 importance within a very few
years, be said that in 1877 electricity
was sub class in a division. Now it
Is the largest division in the office and
regarded as the most important.
This astonishing growth is due
chiefly to two causes: FIRST, the iuven.
ton Of the telephone; and second,
the development Of the magneto-elec.
trio machine. The telephone had
opened, directly and indirectly, a
wide field OF invention. The minds
Of many persons throughout the coun.
try we're turned to this class of in.
veutions, aud not only we're improve
ments on the telephone itself attempt
ed, but attention was given to a great
many incidental appliances useful in
its successful application.
The second great stimulus to inven
ton was the development Of the mag
neto-electric machine. For thirty
years the world had been awaiting n
cheap and convenient source OF cleo
tricity. Immediately following the
discoveries Of Faraday and others,
from 1880 TO 1910. there was a wide.
spread efor, to make practical use Of
them, and special activity was mani
Tested in the line Of electric lighting.
The arc light was put into practical
form, and the foundations Of incandes-
cent lighting we're laid. But no
economic source Of electricity was at
hand, for the galvanic battery con-
sumed too much zinc for profit. The
principle Of the magnetic machine
had, indeed, been long known, but it
was left for an Italian, PaciDotti, in
1860, to perfect a machine wherein
continuous aud constant currents we're
generated. The idea literally lay on
the shelf, however, until 1870, when
Gramme reinvented practically the
same machine, and pushed il into no.
tice. He was speedily followed by
the Siemens brothers, of Berlin, and
by Mr.. Brush and others in this
country.
The magneto-machine, afording
cheap and abundant supply Of cleo
tricity, Immediately rendered practi
cal all the halt completed inventions
of thirty years, and opened the way
to many new ones. Brush got his
patent in 1877, Weston soon after,
and the growth Of the electricity d.
vision has been steady and marvellous
ever since The inventions have been
however, rather in the application OF
known principles than in the discove-
ny of new ones; for, during the 6iIy
years that have elapsed since the in
vestigations of Fsraday, little new
has been added to the science of cleo
tricity. The present activity springs
from the application of we'll known
exhibitions of the still unknown
force. And. moreover, only few OF
these features of the science have been
as yet made Of practical use.
One of the broadest and most sue
cessful patents appears 70 be the tele
phone. The man whose name is per
haps more widely known than any
other in connection with inventions i n
this branch of invention is Ellison.
The "Wizard of Menlo Park" is an
inventor rather than scientist. His
most famous achievements have been
in the improvement in telegraphy and
in the incandescent light. The versa
tility and fertility OF his mind are
amazing, aud he enjoys the distinc
tion Of being the man who has taken
out more patents than any one in this
country and probably in the world.
A singular feature in patents is the
tendency b come in groups. At one
time some particular subject, such as
electric bells. seems TO occupy the at
tehtion Of inventors; then their minds
will be turned ia the direction OF mo-
tors or lighting. Perhaps the leading
tendency OF late has been toward sec
ondary batteries, or what is called the
storing" Of electricity. IL is we'll
known that If the two terminals Of
a circuit. each Of which is tipped with
a small lead plate, are inserted in a