The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1888-12-06
There are Fortunes In Patents.

The commissioners of patents estimates
that "ffom six to seven. eightbs of the
entire manufacturing capital of the
United States, or six hundred millions OF
dollars, is directly or indirectly based
upon patents" a calculation of the
same kind in England, according to the
London Inventor, reveals still more
surprising result the capital invested
being enormous. It has been computed
that Siemens' inventions have produced
more than five millions sterling. "There
is," says an eminent authority, 'ecarcely
an article of human convenience or ne.
cessity in the market to-day that has not
been the subject of s patent in whole or
in part. The sale of every such article
yields it's inventor profit. IF ne pur.
chase a box of paper collars portion OF
the price goes to the inventor; if We buy
sewinr machine the chances are that
we pay royalty to as many as dozen
or fifteen inventors at once" Lord
Brougham often said that he would gladly
have exchanged mis- honor and emolu-
ments for the profits aud renownl of the
inventor of the perambulator or sewing
machine. The profits annually divided
by our several sewing machine manu-.
facturers are phenomenal in amount.
"More money has been and always can
be made ont of patented inventions than
br any other investment or occupation"
The telephone, the planning machine,
and the rubber patents realize many
millions. while the simple idea of heating
the blast in iron smelling increaaed the
wealth of the country by hundreds OF
milliots. The patent for making the
lower end of candles taper instead OF
parallel, so as to more easily fit the sock.
ct, made the present enormous business
of a we'll known firm of London chan.
dIer,, The drive.well was an idea of
Colonel Green, whose troops during the
war were in want of water. He conceiy-
ed the notion of driving two inch
tube into the ground until water was
reached, and then attaching 8 pump:
This simple contrivance vas patented
and the tens of thousands of farmers who
have adopted it paid him royalty until
the recent decision of the supreme court,
which was adverse to sustaining the
patent. a large fortune was realized BY
the inventor who patented the idea OF
making umbrellas out of alpaca instead
of gingham, and the pateDtee of the i'm.
proved "paragon frame" Samuel Fox
lately left by will s170,00O out Of the
profits of his invention. The weaving,
dyeing, lace and ribbon making trades
originated and depend for their existence
upon ingenious machinery, the result OF
an infnity Of inventive efforts. Carpet
beating, from being an untold nuisance,
has become lucrative trade through the
same inventive genius and mechanical
contrivance. Ever natural curiosity has
been turned to account in the number of
automatic boxes for the sale of goods OF
all kinds, and fabulous dividends have
been paid by the public companies own
ing the patents. In fact any one can be
a successful inventor. In proof of this,
the most profitable inventions are the
improvements in simple devices, things
of everyday use that everybody wants and
which are in the power of everybody to
invent. a lady derived a large income
for inventing moving belt for drying
eggs, albumeu, etsetra.