Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1891-07-01
INVENTIONS THAT PAY.
SOME BRIGHT IDEAS THAT HAVE MADE
MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.

ON the streets-A Shoemaker Made
Rich by Rubber Balls.
In reply to the question, "What is a
patent2" the Yankee inventor once said:
1T is the right to sue somebody" and the
answer really embodies the most compre-
hensive definition of the word that could
be found. The Patent Office annually
Issues about twenty-four thousand
patents, and it is safe to say that out Of
them not less than half that number Of
lawsuits are evolved.
| The great building at Washington could
supply a fund of humor, Of pathos, Of
romance and Of tragedy which might we'll
furnish the novelists of the world with
plots for a lifetime.
AS rule the little inventions is,
| those which seemed really Insignificant,
have brought forth the greatest fortunes.
The man who invented the tin-rattle for
babies retired with 81 600 900 to the good.
The return ball which consisted Of an
ordinary rubber or wooden ball to which
was attached a long elastic cord, was in
| vented by shoemaker in New York. It
| met with universal favor and the man
who originated the idea found that 1t pro-
| flied him to the extent of $4,000 per an
| mum. 1t Is said by those who are supposed
to know that he never secured a patent on
the device, but instead bought up all the
rubber-balls in the market, attached to
| them the elastic cords and reaped his
| fortune while others were hustling around
to find enough rubber with which to COM
pete for the prize.
| The wire bottle-stepper is very simple
| continuance and yet it has earned an im-
mense fortune. 1t was invented and pat
ented by a man named Charles Quifelt,
who subsequently sold it for ST. 900 to one
Carl Hunter.
In the meantime man named Putnam
had invented another design Of the same
thing, which was the deta enable wire over
| the top Of the cork. In some way one in
fringed upon the other and a lawsuit was
begun. But the parties got together, con-
| solidated their interests and coined money.
| One of the remarkable simple" inven-
items is the cotton-tie, Formerly all cot
ton bales were tied with rope, but there
| were many objections to that process
which hundreds of men sought to over
come, and at last one by the name Of
Cooms invented what was known as the
Arrowhead" tie for an, iron strap. The
contrivance was so simple that cotton
men, far and near, quietly took their old
pants from the closet hooks and kicked
| them around their rooms because they had
not thought of the device themselves. The
tie went into immediate use, thousands Of
improvements" were patented, and mil
lions of the straps were sold until millions
| of dollars were realized. The man who at
present controls the patent and the num-
erous assignments connected Herewith,
made to him by the various inventors Of
Improvements, has purchased the famous
| Navarro Flats in Fifty-seventh street, and
Is the poSSeSSor OF a large fortune besides.
Everybody remembers the Fifteen
Puzzle" Fifteen little blocks were placed
in a square box, which was made to hold
sixteen. The sixteenth space was left va
cant, and block fifteen" was placed be-
tween blocks thirteen" and fourteen"
The problem was to arrange them In Or
der without removing block from the
box. The idea was originated by Grip
pie, and from it he is said to have amassed
large fortune. The puzzle went every
wherein the homes of the rich and poor
alike.
"Pharaoh's Serpent" was the invention
OF Brooklyn man. 1t consisted OF lit
tie pill, to which a lighted match was
touched, when a snake crawled forth and
writhed and twisted after most serpen-
tine and fascinating fashion. The pills
sold like wildfire-which, indeed, they
were-and brought the inventor between
$4,000 and 100000 But it also cost him
his life. In working upon an Improve
ment" in his laboratory he inhaled the
fumes Of the chemicals he was using and
died from the poisonous effects produced
upon him.
Mr.. Mum, Of the Scientific American,
tells many interesting stories about pat
ents and inventors, for all the world. e.,
the American world-goes to him or to his
paper with ideas upon which he Is ex-
pected to venture the fortune which his
publication has brought him. He says
the gimlet-pointed screw has brought
more wealth to different men than many
silver and gold mines of the West. A man
named Walter Aiken was the first to think
of it and he realized handsome fortune.
I 20 of hTT hn INV TOR a
saw-set which brought him 100000 OF
more.
- 1t was Yankee who first thought OF
putting copper tips on children's shoes,
and his check became good for magnif-
cent sums.
Sometimes many years elapse before
the good qualities of an invention are ap-
preciated. The patent upon roller-skatee
had nearly expired before it realized any
profit. Then somebody started rink, and
so made the skate inventor worth a mil
lion dollars.
Who has not seen the Dancing Jim
Crow?" Who would believe that 1t was
worth $4,000 q year to it's inventor? Yet
it is true.
One of the largest fortunes ever realized
from o patent was made by the man who
conceived the idea of putting emery pow
der on cloth, and the inverted glaE, tx
hang over gas burners proved to be yer.
table lamp Of Aladdin.
The rubber tips for lead-penclls made
100000. The pen for shading with differ
emit colors brings an annual stipend Of
100000, and in the year 1887 alone, as
proved by testimony in a recent legal &C
ton, the inventor of metal plates for pro-
lection of the soles and heels Of shoes
realized profit Of 81 $50, 900.
There is a mechanical sheet-iron cat
with steel claws, which runs by ciockworl
and is warranted to lick" any cat II
Christendom. The cat is wound up ant
placed on the roof. Old FOUNDERS spy 6
new conner and tackle him. Whew? Whe1
, they light on his back spring is touched
and the mechanism works. There is :
small cyclone on the roof incessant Yell
+ and-the old rounder retires to meditat1
over the uncertainty of life.
One man patented a process of curing
worms by fishing for them in the human
stomach with rod, hook and line. Histor!
| 1oae NIT c%o 70 xubatbo1. M 11cnd reel n