Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-08-11
GETTING a PATENT.

Business of Patent Lawycrs-Nakinx On
ApplicatIon-The Fees
"Do patent lawyers make money!
''They ought 70. There aro from thirty 10.
forty thousand applications made for patents
and the ma jority of these come through law
yers. They rarely DO business on commis-
sion and they charge good fees, There are
scores of patent lawyers in Washington and
| their Offices line the streets in the neigh6ur-
hood of the interior department Some of
them are very prosperous and some have
made fortunes The patent business for
big invention is worth great deal OF money
anu hundreds OF Thousands of dollars have
been spent in protecting tao interests OF the
telephone
Can the clerks be relied upon not 20 dis
close the secrets OF the Officer asked
"They must promise to do 80 on taking
their position" was the reply, land II they
were caught doing otherwise they would be
at once dismissed 1t Is curious thing that
patent lawyers do not invest more in patents
They so many plausible things f-s
through that they lose faith in everythios
except the hard dollars which they reco.vs l..
fees
Does an inventor need lawyer
"No, in nine cases out Of ten he does not
II he will write t. the department IL viii
furnish him with all information. 1t Will
define for HIM what constitutes a pstentabis
idea, and / will tell you how he must set
about getting patent. lie first applies for
the issue of patent an writing, and this APP
plication is a petition which gives has naino
and residence aud gives IA clear description
of his invention or discovery, specifying tho
part improvement or combination for which
be wants "a patent lie vlIl not need 70 fur
nish 1, model unless be asked for one, but -
expect-,i to send aloug "a drawing which
shows exactly what the patent asked for is
All drawings Of this kind ass photo-lith0-
graphed after they come 10 the odlce. and
these to-litbosraphs are for suite. They
cost twenty five cents apiece, but not sold
tail the patents are Issued Tie inventor
must swear that he is the original inventor
Of the thing for whIch BE- asks patent. and
he sends his affidavit along with the petition
10 the commissioner.
'He must send along, also, fl5 as "A pre-
bnnary fee. and his entite fee FOR Tbs com
pletlon Of the business will be IS. When
tine application comes into the olice IL Is re-
ferred at oncSVo the division to winch IL b.s-
longs, and it taxes lis turn. The patent *
aIniners are all specialists They ara high
aalaried clerks, ard the most Of them have
been In their present poaltions far years.
They can tell az IA glance whether "a thing -
Old or now, though they nnve % make tbs
most thorough Investigation ia each case
and that not Only IN this country. bat an tho
books Of sil other countries. Ia Gaze there -
any question about the granting Of toe pat
ent, the question - referred 70 the cofnris-
sioser, and her. IL is best for the pateutes 10
employ lawyer 10 pT'~cDf hIs side 0s he
Gaze. II tho Invention, - str1kL ia and now 10
can be gotten through without the employ
ulent Of a lawyer and there IL "A grssat deal II
money wasted In iawyers foes. Thess law
yers charge high rates too, but the highest
priced are, AZ "a RUE tss cheapest. for they
understand their work. and there Is no slip
ping through the papers which they aTau
up.-Frank O. Carpenter.