The record-union., 1895-06-06
WOMEN As INVENTORS.
Application for a Patent on Artificial
Dimples.
Patents for All Sorts of Odd Things
Applied for and Held by the
Gentler Sex.

Significant of the times is the fact that
woman is rapidly coming to the front as
an inventor. Women are not only ming
thousands of applications for patents on
improvements in articles especially
adapted and intended for their sex, but
they are exercising their ingenuity In the
direction of improving many OF the i'm
plements with which men only as rule
are supposed to deal.
The model-room Of the Patent Of1ce In
Washington bears witness 10 the TACT
that the inventive genius OF the faIr SEX
while perhaps not SO prolific as mans,
has certainly accomplished remarkable
results.
The first invention in this country by
woman was in 1909 and perfected on May
9th of that year. 1t was device for straw
weaving with silk or thread. The name
of the inventor was Mary Kias The
next invention by woman was IN July'
1915. This was corset perfected by Mary
Brush. Then came number OF years
with only an occasional Invention.
Lavinia II. Foy of Worcester, Mass,
was one OF the early woman patentees,
and she has applied for patents on great
many improvements. her nrst patent
was issued on July y. 1862, for an i'm
provement in ccrset-skirt supporters. ana
nearly all the patents granted her have
been for articles connected with the wear
inp apparel of women. In fact. nearly
all of the early patents by woman were
for improvements on articles connecteu
with her surroundings or apparel. sucn
as cooking utensils. picture frames, artl-
cles of dress and things useful anu Orna-
mental about the house.
A Philadelphia woman, however,
started the bail rolling in the other dlrec-
ton by patenting an improvement in bee
hives and about the Salae time another
woman from the same city invented
mode of preventing the heating OF Jour-
nails of aX les on cars. Still another from
the Quaker City patented railroad car
heater.
Not to be outdone in the race Califor-
MA woman invented a dumping wagon
and an Improvement in desulphuriZlng
ores. A Georgia woman patented pillow
and was followed with a similar device
by sister inventor IN ILLINOIS. More
watchful over the comforts OF man, how
ever, was some fair Philadelphlan who
made application for patent on mus
tache SPOON" and she received her pat
ent, too.
An Ohio woman patented car-coupler.
About this time, from among the snowy
Alps in far-off Switzerland, came an APP
plication from woman for an American
patent On an improvement In stem wind
ing watches. The women or the Quaker
City, however, still continued TO lead.
and one of them patented life-raft and
another a fire-escape. From Pittsburg
came an application for car wheel.
A woman in England made applica-
ton for patent in this country for an
improved method of constructing screw
III fnd
q process of concentrating ores, and an
other from the same city invented a tug
for harness. while damSel of Buffalo
patented an ozone machine. a New York
woman invented a dice-boX, and
Washington woman pyrotechnlc night
signal. A Washington woman patented
street-car awning.
Some years ago the wife of Western
man who was-a General in the Union
army during the Civil War dreamed of
lock somewhat somewhat different from
any in use at that time. She awoke in
the night, got up and taking a cake of
toilet soap and a paper cutter, fashioned
the lock as she had dreamed it was con-
structed. The next day she took 1t to
machinist who formed a model from the
one she had made of the cake of soap,
and it was such an improvement on the
locks at that time that large firm Of
fered good royalty, from which she
derives fair income to this day.
An application was once made by
woman Tor a patent on artificial dim
PIES" 1t was rejected, however, by the
Commissioner of the Patent Office, so
that any of the fair sex who now desire
to experiment can do so without fear of
infringement. Her claims were as fol-
lows:
''Smear small spot on the cheek or
chin with colorless shellac varnish mixed
with glue. With pencil or penholder
press the flesh with the paint, holding it
there until the su distance on the face be-
comes dry and hard. The stifiened in
dentation thus retains the exact shape of
a dimple, and a little face pow der care
fully busted over the artificial dimple"
will completely conceal Inc varnlsh and
glue compound.
''Some care must be observed in smil-
ing too suddenly, or the dimple may be
broken. But with ordinary. gentle usage
it will retain its pretty shape whole
evening, If not longer. While the dimple
process is applicable to those whose faces
comprise a soft. velvety or pulp surface,
as then a very deceptive dimple can be
produced, it is not 80 available for thin
or bony faces, nor where the skin is very
thick and unyielding."
Another interesting and amusing in
vention by woman was crimping pin
which could be used as a paper-cutter,
Bhlft-SuPPoAeOit pdPCi hlCy Chliu y PHI
bouquet holder, shawl fastener and book
mark.
On March 10, 1885, New York woman
patented device for inducing sleep. A
description would be too lengthy to be
given here in full, but the device con-
sisted of collar-like band of rubber,
partly encircling the neck, and was fash
Toned SO as to control the flow of blood
to and from the head by limited pressure
on certain veins and arteries.
In 1881 a patent was issued to Boston
woman on two somewhat novel devices.
One of them was for restoring facial
symmetry, and consisted OF a spring
plate with a head and two prongs or
forks. The head was to be attached TO tho
teeth, and by placing the prongs inside of
the mouth, SO that they would press out
ward against each cheek, caused the
cheeks in time to look plump and full.
The other was finger compressor, made
on two longitudinal conclave plates
hinged together at one end by spring
hinges, and thus adapted to fit the tips of
the fingers while the constant pressure
reduced the size.
One of the inventions by the fair sex
that is supposed to be conducive Of
beauty is nose improver. 1t consists of
metal she'll of the exact size OF the nose
desired. Tie nose is we'll batbed and
then creased with olive oil or glycerine
until perfectly soft. The improver Is then
attached and we'll fastened. The wearer
then goes to bed. In the morning the
improver is to be taken off and the nose
bathed III warm water. 1t will probably
cause some soreness, but few applica-
tions are said to relieve the pain. In this
way, it is claimed by the inventor, any
nose may be changed to suit, the theory
being that the nose is only piece of car
tilage and easy to change its shape.
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