The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1891-01-01
PROFIT FROM PATENTS
Rich Returns Received by Ingen-
ious Inventors.
Articles Of Usefulness and Convenience
Which Have Made Large Fortunes fotP
the Men Who Thought Them Out
The Value Of Ideas.

Ihere IS, says an eminent auth0I1-
ty, scarcely an article of human con-
venience or necessity in the market ID
day that has not been the subject of p
patent in whole or in part. The sale Il
every such article yields its inventor B
profit. If we purchase box of papet
collars portion of the prlce goes to the
inventor; if we buy a sewing machine
the probability is that we pay q royalty
to as many as q dozen or fifteen invenf
tors at once" Lord Brougham ofte&
said that he would gladly have e1
changed his honors and cmoluments fdk
the profits and renown of the inventdf
of the perambulator or sewing machin&
We are not wishful. says the Chicagf
Herald, to lead our readers to cove
what are termed "large fortunes" a
really conducive to happiness or useful
ness. Fortune" is itself heathe&
and not Christian word. But "inve1-
ton" is another thing and tho remunef
ative results are a fitting element fd
consideration in these days. Howe, the
originator of the sewing machine, de-
rived 100000 year from 1t, and froI&
their mechanical improvements the cef
ebrated Wheeler e. Wilson are repute&
to have divided for many years an in
come of 100000, while the author q
the Singer sewing machine left at hi
decease nearly e3,OOo,OO0. The tell
phone, the planning machine and thP
rubber patents realized many millionH
while the simple idea of heating tf
blast in iron smelling increased tnN
wealth Of the country by hundreds Il
millions. The patent of making TIP
lower ends of candles taper instead
parallel, SO as to more easily fit TIP
socket, made the present enormoq
business of a well-known firm of Lo1t
don chambers. The "drivc-well" wak
an idea of Colonel Green, whosAi
troops during the war were in want a
water. He conceived the notion df'
driving two-inch tubo into the ground
until water was reached, aud then al
taching pump. This simple contri1
ance was patented, and the tens of thof
sands of farmers who have adopted j
have been obliged to pay him royalty
estimated at 100000. A large proff
was realized by the inventor who pa
/ ented the idea of making umbrellas on
of alpaca instead of gingham, and tnt
patentee Of the improved paragon
frame" Samuel Fox) lately left by WIZ
s17O.oo0 out of the profits of his inve1-
ton. Tho weaving, dyeing, lace am
ribbon-making trades originated and de
pend for their existence upon ingenious
machinery, the result of an infnity d
inventive efforts.
The discovery Of the perforated sub,
stance used for bottoming chairs and fd
other purposes has made its inventor !
millionaire. George Yeaton, the inventQ
In question, was poor Yankee Gang
scatter in Vermont. He first distih
guished himself by inventing ma
chine for weaving cane, but he made nj
money out Of it, as some one stole hi
idea and had the process patented
After a number of years. experimenting
Yeaton at last hit upon this inventio4
which consists Of a number of thin lay
ers of boards of different degrees d
hardness glued together to give plfa
bility. He formed company, and "a
day he has plant valued at $780, 900
and is in the receipt of princely an
nual revenue derived from this inveh
ton. Carpet beating, from being an uo
told nuisance, has become lucratiT
trade through inventive genius and nle
chanical contrivance. Even natural cP
. riosity has been turned to account q
the number of automatic boxes for I'd
sale of goods of all kinds, and fabulou
dividends have been paid by the cob
panies owning the patents Tho mo8
profitable inventions have been the I'M
provements in simple devices, things 3
everyday use, that everybody want
Among the number of patents for sm2l
things may be mentioned the ''stye
graphic pen," and pen for shading b
different colors, producing $4,000 pc
annum. A large profit has been reape'
by miner who invented metal rive
or eyelet at each end of the mouth Q
coat and trousers pocket to resist tt
strain caused by the carriage of piece
of ere and heavy tools. In recen
legal action it transpired in evidepe
/ that the inventor of metal plates used {
protect soles and heels of boots froI
/ wear sold upward of 100000 plates I
5 1879, and in 1887 the number reache
143,00O,O00, producing realized profits 9
a aquarter Of a million of money. An
other useful invention is the .'darnin
{ weaver" a device for repairing stoct
ings, undergarments, etc., the sale O
which is very large and increasing. a
large sum as was ever obtained 70
, any invention was enjoyed by the n
ventor OF the inverted glass bell I
hang over gas to protect ceilings iron
being blackened, and scarcely les
lucrative patent was that for simpl
, putting emery powder on cloth. Fro
, quently time and circumstances ar
wanted before an invention is appreci
, ated, but it will be seen that patience i
: we'll rewarded, for the inventor of th
roller skate made over e2O1, 900, not
withstanding the fact that his paten
had nearly expired before its value wa
asce tanned. The gilnlet-pointod scre,
has produced more wealth than mos
silver mines, and the American WI
first thought of putting copper tips .
children's shoes is as we'll off as if hi
father had left him 91O0 600 in Ini Ia,