The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-01-28
PROFIT FROM PATENTS.
Rich Returns Received by Ingen-
ious Inventors.
Articles of Usefulness and Convenience
Which Havo Mado Largo Fortunes for
tho Men Who Thought Them Out
Tho Value of ideas.

FchAcHCc or HeCc6SlCy In tho market to-
day that has not boon tho subject of
patent in whole or in part. Tho sale of
every such article yields its inventor o
profit. If VIC purchase box of paper
collars portion of the prlco goes to tho
inventor; If we buy sowing machine
tho probability is that wo pay royalty
to rs many as dozen or fifteen invon-
tors ut once" Lord Brougham often
sold that no would gladly have OK
changed his honors and cmoluments for
tho profits and renown of tho inventor
of the porambulator or sewing machine.
We arc not wishful, says tho Chicago
Herald, to lead our roadcrs to coyet
what are termed "large fortunes" as
really conducive to happiness or useful
ness. Fortune" is itself heather
and not Christian word But ''invcn-
ton" is another thing, and the rcmuncr-
ativc results are q fitting clement for
consideration in these days. Howe, tho
originator of tho sowing machine, de-
rived 100000 year from it, and from
their mechanical improvements tho col
cbrated Wheeler Sc Wilson arc reputcd
to have divided for many years an in
come of 100000, while tho author of
the Singer sewing machine left at his
dcccasc nearly G3,O00,0OO. Tho telc-
phone, tho planning machine and the
rubber patents realized many millions,
while tho simple idea of heating tho
blast in iron smelling increased tho
wealth of tho country by hundreds of
millions. The patent of making tho
lower ends OF candles taper instead of
parallel, SO as to moro easily 1T tho
do
business of wcll-known firm of Lon
don chambers. Tho ''drivc-wcll" was
an idea Of Colonel Green, whose
troops during tho war were in want of
water. lie conceived the notion of
driving two-inch tube into tho ground
until water was reached. and then at
taching pump. This simple contriv-
anco was patented, and the tens OF thou
sands of farmers who havo adopted it
have been obliged to pay him royalty,
estimated at 100000 A largo profit
was realized by tho inventor who pat
cnted tho idea of making umbrellas out
of alpaca instead of bingham, and tho
patentec of tho improved paragon
franc" Samuel Fox) lately left by will
ElT0,G00 out Of tho profits of his invcn-
ton. Tho weaving, dycing, laco and
ribbon-making trades originated and de-
pend for their existence upon ingenious
machinery, tho result of an infinity of
inventive efforts.
Tho discovery of the perforated sub
stance used for bottoming chairs and for
other purposes has made it's inventor @
millionaire. George Ycaton, the inventor
In question, was poor Yankee cane
guishod himself by inventinr n ma
chino for weaving cane, but he madc no
money out of it, rs some one stole his
idea and had tho process patented
After number of years experimenting
Ycaton Mt last hit upon this invention,
which consists of n number of thin lay
ers of boards of different degrees of
hardness glued together to give plia-
bllity. IIc formed company, and to-
day he has plant valued at $500, 900,
and is in tho receipt of a princcly an
nual revenue derived from this invcn-
ton. Carpet beating, from being an un-
told nuisance, has become n lucrative
trade through inventive genius and me-
chanical contrivanco. Even natural Gu
riosity has been turned to account in
the number Of automatic boxes for tho
sale of goods OF all kinds, and fabulous
dividends have been paid by tho COM
panics owning the patents. Tho most
profitable inventions havc been the i'm
provcmcnts in simple devices. things Of
everyday use, that everybody wants.
Among tho number of patents for small
things may DO mentioned tho "stylo-
graphic pcn," and pen for shading in
Giflnrnnt
annum. a largo profit has been reapcd
by miner who invented n metal rivct
or eyolet at each end of tho mouth of
coat and trousers pocket to resist tho
strain caused by tho carriage of pieces
of orc and heavy tools. In recent
legal action it transpircd in evidence
that the inventor of metal plates used to
protect solcs and heels of boots from
wear sold upward of 1o, 0G0, 900 plates in
1879, and in 1857 the number reached
1i3, OC0, 900, producing realized profits of
quarter Of million of money. An
other useful invention is tho Charming
weaver device for repairing stock
ings, undcrgarmcnts, etc, the salo OF
which g very largo anG increasing. AS
large sum rs was ever obtained for
any Invention was enjoyed by the in
vontor of tho inverted glass bell to
hang over gas to protect ceilings from
being blackcned, and q scarcely less
lucrative patent was that for simply
putting emery powder on cloth. Fro
qucntly time and circumstances arc
wanted before an invention is apprcci-
atcd, but it will be seen that patience is
we'll rewarded. for tho inventor of tho
roller skate mado over 5000, 900, not
withstanding tho fact that his patent
had nearly expired before it's value was
asccrtaincd. The gimlct-pointcd screw