The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-04-27
WOMEN AS INVENTORS.
The Number Is Increasing Rapidly
Each Year.
From the Philadelphia Times.

From the Philadelphia Times.
The number of women who each year
take out patents Is constantly increasing.
For nearly twenty years after the estab-
lishment of the United States patent Of
fee, or from 1880 to 1909 there was not a
single patent granted toA woman but from
January to December, since 1892, over 800
patents have been annually granted to
women. The inventive genius of the fem
mime mind is shown by the wide range of
articles upon which patent rights have
been granted to them. They stretch from
improved baby carriages to machines for
making straw braid, and from needle
threading devices to portable fed hospit-
ais for army use. That woman can rise
to the occasion if need be, is shown by the
fact that from 1850 to 1866, there was a
constant increase in the number of pat
ents issued to women, and, strange as it
may seem, many of them were for most
deadly and destructive implements and
munitions of war; while, on the other hand,
the natural instinct of woman was shown
by the fact that hospital appliances and
sick-room devices were also predominant.
With the present bicycle craze pervading
the whole land woman has come TO the
fore as an improver of the silent steed,
and many are the rights asked for during
the past twelve months by women, who
claim 10 have made improvements on the
wheel One favorite Device and one at
which there have been as many attempts
at Improvement as any, Is scheme where
by the mother can enjoy all the pleasures
of the wheel, and at the same time not
neglect the baby. The maternal magma
ton seems TO run riot with contrivances
- he 10
tor and all sorts of schemes have been
devised with that end in view. The first
patent right ever granted to woman in
the United States was issued in 1909, and
was on a device for weaving straw with
silk or thread. Since that time innum-
cradle weaving devices have been patent
ed by women, until last year there were
thirty different machines submitted, and
on which rights were issued
From 1909, when the first right was is
sued, until 1888, the annual average of wo-
mans inventions was thirty. From 1888
until 1892 the annual average had increased
to $50 per year. These figures are some
what misleading, as 1t was not until the
early eos that women began to appear 20
any extent as inventors. In 1926 there
were fourteen patents granted to women.
In 1870 sixty rights were issued: In 1880
at least ninety, while ten years later i'm
1890 the total number had jumped TO 200.
Naturally improvements upon wearing
apparel seem to receive most attention
from feminine Inventors. During the past
two years there have been over 100 differ
ent improvements upon woman's dress
filed at the patent Office. Again the bicycle
seems, In many cases, to be the cause
for this.
There are all manner of hooks and fast
enings peculiarly adapted 10 the use OF
wheei-women. Leggings OF peculiar design
and almost every conceivable sort OF a.
vided skirt appear In the catalogue of The
patent Office, 20 say nothing Of hats. war.
ranted TO stay on In the fleroest blow
without the aid Of either hatplns or elas'