National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1886-01-19
ELECTRICAL INVENTIONS.
Examiner Kintncr's Annual Report
The Wonderful Progress of the Science
Kept Pace with in the Patent Office.

The Wonderful Progress of the Science
Kept Pace with in the Patent Office.
GU. Kintner, examiner division sixteen, pat
ent office, has rendered his annual report for
the year ending Dec. 81 to Hon. NJ. V. Mont
that during the year there has been an in
creased activity In tho classes of invention
which are embraced In the electrical division,
and that Notwithstanding that two of his as
sistants have resigned during that time, the
number ofcases OH hand have been reduced
so per cent. during the year. His assistants
nearly zoo each. There has been "S COM n.
piled and prepared for publication
The annual indexes of electrical patents. the
annual volumes Of electrical patents with their
ents, thus furnishing inventors with complete
but brief history ofthe state ofthe art as shown
in the patent office. He recommends that
course in respect to their patents. Prior to
Jan. ], 1876, there were less than 1000 patents
in the electrical division: Since that time
number granted during the past year was
1866; the number of applications which be-
came abandoned by act of law during the
same time was 6io. lie states that the diyi.
and accommodations, The rooms are still
badly ventilated, and Congress should be i'm
portuned to provide some better means of ven
tilation than that now IN use The sanitary
condition Of the rooms during dark days has
been improved by the introduction of the in.
candescent electric lights. The force is suf
rapidly growing, an additional force of three
or -four competent assistants would be very use.
full He renews his recommendation Of last
year concerning the necessity for an expert
mental, physical, and chemical laboratory, for
use Of the electrical and chemical divisions OF
the office.
He further says: at must be apparent to you
that We who arc the experts In behalf of the
public In particular art, should be rs pro-
ficient If not more SO than the class of persons
who come before us Us inventors; not only from
a theoretical standpoint, but also In q practical
sense. Neither myself nor any of my assistants
has had actual practical knowledge of the
applications in the art, and you must see how
we labor under serious disadvantages. There
is perhaps no art In the patent office in which
there arc filed so many applications for patents
for alleged inventions, which would be clearly
u allowed, humbugs or frauds upon the pub
lie. This is particularly true with relation to
electro. medical devices, very few of which are
suffered to go 10 patent. 1t Is also true Of some
telephone apparatus.
II regret that in some instances have been
imposed upon by reason of the fact that have
not had such apparatus as would demonstrate
the operatiyeness of alleged inventions. Dur
ing the year / have been twice detailed to
make tests upon alleged improvements in tele.
phones in both Instances at the expense of the
inventors, and In both cases reported adj
versely TO the applicants.
"TheTc can be no question but that the office
should defray all such expenses, and should
also be provided with apparatus for making
all necessary tests, and for familiariZlng It's
corps of examiners with the practical as we'll
as the theoretical state of the art,
"Mr. Commissioner Butterworth, at my III
sligation, recommended the building of a one.
story structure within the court which should
be OF sufficient capacity TO accommodate this
bureau with all necessary mechanical and
physical apparatus. l beg to renew this rec
ommendation, with the additional suggestion
that there be included also an electrical light
plant of sufficient capacity to illume the entire
department.. Such plant so located would
furnish light rs cheap as, and much more
eileCtually than, the existing gas
"a also recommend that the law concerning
the reproduction of copies OF patents be so
amended that in special cases more than 100
copies can be reproduced. As 1t now exists
the publication OF special patents, such as the
Bell patent, &c, In quantities Of only 100,
quently, TO the great annoyance of the invent
ors, the photo-lithographer, and the draughts'
man."
lie believes that the clause of the statute
referring TO caveats Is of little value to tho
American public and should be repealed. As
II exists II furnishes but little protection to the
caveator, and Omen docs his case more harm
than good, by reason of the fact that the office
accepts his cayeat, places iton file, and permits
him oftCntimes to experiment for years upon
an invention which Is known to the office to be
either public property or already patented He
calls attention to the Yery.materlal aid which a
Stenographer gives TO an examiner, and to the
necessity OF providing each examiner with one
or more typc-writcrs ana a stenographer, and
trusts that the commissioner will recommend
Congress TO provide the head of each division
with stenographer and TO that end new
classification Of the clerks known as exam
liners stenographers.