The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1895-09-25
INVENT SOMETHING.
Small Inventions that have Brought For
tunes.

tunes.
No better examples of the impor-
tancc of small things can be found
than among the records at the United
States Patent Office, in Washington.
There are to be seen certain small
objects which, by lucky turn Of
affairs or, perhaps, by the ingenuity
of the inventors, have become known
throughout the United States and
even throughout the world, and have
been the means of filling the pockets
Of both the inventors and their repre-
sentatives. In fact, it would seem as
if inventors of small objects have been
far better paid than skilled mechanics
and engineers who have spent months
and years in perfecting elaborate
mechanisms Certainly, in proportion
to the amount of work done, the lot Of
the inventor of small objects is more
to be desired than that of the man
who spends the best part of his life
| over an elaborate machine: the merits
of which are tardily recognized, not,
perhaps, until the inventor, through
worry and sickness, is in no condition
to enjoy the fruits Of his toll. 1t
| would seem also as if the inventors Of
small objects which have paid have
not, as rule, been inventors by pro-
fession. They have been for the most
part persons who by sheer luck have
| stumbled upon an idea which some
body else has recognized as a good
one. Without the suggestion Of this
somebody else" who is usually the
one who profits, the great idea, though
born, would rarely grow to maturity.
A story current at the Patent Office
is told of an old farmer up in Maine.
The children Of the old fellow, like
many other children before and since,
had a way of kicking the toes out Of
their shoes. The farmer was Of an
ingenious turn of mind, and he cut
out couple Of copper strips for each
pair of shoes, which we're fastened
over the toes and between the sole and
the upper. The plan proved so sue
cessful that the farmer found that,
where he had been buying three pairs
of shoes, one pair would suffice.
There happened along about this time
man from the city with an eye to
business. He prevailed on the old
man to have the idea patented. This
was done, and between $4,000 and
100000 was made out Of it. How
much of this the old man got is not
known, but it is presumed that the
promoter got the larger part. The
record at the Patent Office shows only
the drawing Of the invention as pat
ented on January 5, 1858, by George
A. Mitchell, of Turner, Maine.
Another similar invention which
made great deal of money was the
metal button fastener for shoes, in
vented and introduced by Heaton, Of
Providence, R. 1. At the time it was
considered fine invention, for the
old sewed button was continually COM
ing off. 1t has gradually grown in
popularity since it's introduction in
1869, until now very few shoes with
buttons are manufactured without the
Heaton appliance.
By comparatively simple arrange
ment the shipping tags in use all over
the country to-day were made posi-
bility. The chief trouble with pa
per tag was the almost unavoidable
tearing out Of the tying hole before
the package arrived at it's destination.
A cardboard reinforcement, round in
shape, on each side of the tying hole
was all that was necessary to make the
shipping tag success. This was the
invention Of Mr.. DenGison, Of Phila-
delphia, who has made fortune out
of a lucky FIVE minutes of thought.
The chief examiner Of the division
of toys cites many instances where
fortunes have been made on puzzles
and similar objects. The pigs in
clover puzzle had a curious history.
The inventor, Crandall, put it on the
market before the patent had been
granted, or in fact, even applied for.
Other people, recognizing the value
of the invention from a financial point
of view, formed companies and began
manufacturing the puzzles in even
larger quantities than Crsndall's com.
pany could turn out. Crandall, Of
course contested for his rights and
prayed for an injunction. The claim
was put into interference, which is a
long process and one which tries both
the patience of the department and
that of the attorneys. The unfortu-
nate part of it for Crandall was that
the craze for the puzzle was over be-
fore the interference was settled.
This is the same Crandall who invent
ed the famous children's building
blocks, with dovetailed edges, which
had such a run and are popular even
to-day.
The return ball, a wooden ball fas-
tened to thin strip of rubber, with a
wooden ring at the other end, which
was patented somewhere in the sixties,
had rush of popularity which netted
it's inventor 100000, and it is sold
widely to-day. The patent has now
expired. The flying top, a round tin
affair with wings, wound with a string
and shot up in the air, made afortune
for its inventor. Several years ago
puzzle appeared which attracted con.
siderable attention. 1t consisted OF
two double painters hooks, which,
when fastened together in certain
way, could not be taken apart, except
by one who had seen it done. It is
said that this invention came about
by the merest chance. A painter was
standing on his ladder scaffold across
the front of house. He had occasion
to use pair of the hooks, and, pick
ing them up hurriedly, entangled them
in such manner that it was several
hours before he could get them apart.
He forthwith had drawings made and
filed an application fora patent, which
was granted. No figures are known at
the Patent Office, but it is supposed
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