The Portland daily press., 1900-12-27
QUEER OLD MODELS.
Prototypes Of Successful Devices That
Are to He Seen In the Patent ONCE.

-, (From the Warrington Evening Start
On the shelves Mt the patent office are
scores OF modest models Of inventions the
world could not well do without. A visit
to this great market house for ideas Inn
presses one with the knowledge that the
model is no Indication of the value OF
the invention. The patent office is filled
with hundreds of finely formed and care
folly finished models OF inventions that
have not brought the inventor enough
return even to pay for the expenses OF
preparing the model. The greatest In
yentions have been but the crude Degin-
ming OF some idea subsequently perfect
ed. The models seem to partake OF the
same crudity. AS the primary idea has
been perfected other models have been
submitted In elaboration, and the steps
in this perfecting of some radical inne-
walton are contemporaneously expressed
in the models filed with the patent office.
Il hough the rule Is not without excep-
lions the greatest inventions were first
protected by models of such crudity as to
be scarcely recognizable as forerunners OF
the finished ART i 1les of today.
Take the telephone for instance. In the
patent Office are twn cones OF wood with
mem branous ends and confusing tangle
of metal and wire. Each of the cones
could be hidden in ones hand. Yet they
are the beginning OF an idea that has
been perfected to. the elaborate lnstru-
ment OF today, out OF which millions
have been made and by the use of which
continents are bridged.
No one at first glance would associate
these insignificant hits OF wood ana
metal with the telephons OF today. AS a
matter of fact, the inventor himself ala
not One day some photographs OF the
original telephone instrument were shown
70 ALEXANDER Graham he'll the inventor
| OF the tefephoue and he was asked some
| questions concerning the instrument.
~ don't know what this 10, ssla Mr.
Bell. II have never seen this instru-
| ment."
Ii was explained that the pictures were
an ncourate representation OF the models
OF his first telephone. the crude idea on
which ne had built his fame and fortune.
| called the principles OF his first model.
| Butsassooiatlon with the perfected In
strunIene OF. today had SO blurred reool-
| faction Of the crude model by which he
| first protected his invention that the
| memory had for the moment been obliter-
| II,
| in the models, and said he would take
the first opportunity 20 visit the patent
| oifice and renew acquaintance with the
| old creatures OF his brain.
Though small and Insignificant, these
| two crude models OF the telephone were
sufficient to secure the patents on tne
| urlnciules, which, as sst forth 10 tne
| n1tent granted MIR, Bell, March Z, 1915,
were; ''rne method of. and apparatus for,
| transmitting vocal and other SOUNDS
| Geographically, by causing electrical IN
dulations similar in form 10 the vibra,
tions OF the air, accompanying the vocal
| and other sounds"
m Scarcely less commercial Importance
are the arc and incandescent lights.
| The arc light has undergone little change
in general form since 1t was patented by
Colner and Baker on May ls, 1858. There
have been wonderful changes In It's
| n,echani an, but the hour-glass form OF
the first model Is still preserved.
| With the incandescent light 1t Is d1ner-
| ant There Is not the slightest rssemD-
lance batWeen the first model ana the
bulb light of today. It's Inventors mao
an idea that che light would he valuable
| as a signal light. so they patented IL as
snoh- "The nature OF our invention,
they said, Consists In the combination oi
i nIatinum coil or It's effective equivalent
| with a transparent signal lantern, salu
combination being etfentsd by arranging
the coil within the lantern upon two
conducting coils. which are connected
with an -galvanio battery. By
our Invention this MOST intense and bril-
liant light can be constantly kept up, al
the electric current Ia concentrated by
the platinum coil in ouch manner thai
said coil will always be heated TO tns
color OF brilliant white heme, whict
viii bs seen at great distance through
the unshaded central part OF the lantern
and its reflected rays through the ooiore'
portions OF the transparent 'front.'.
! Thousands have used the folding bet
with varying emotions. some nave pesi
inclined to bless, others to curse, the In
veptor, He, poor soul, was wholly limo
cent OF any conception OF the instrumen
of torture that has been evolved from
, his invention. lie pictured himself as
benefactor and as a student or economy
'.lt nan be thrown into several conVenien
and accommodating positions, ne saie
in his application for patent, ana car
he folded up into form easily rehovapi'
in case of fire," etc. He pictured MI
collapaibIe badstead, when provided WEI
: a convenient mattress, adjustable as
recli,inR chair for invalids, and II
other useful positions.
in Manlius, N. Y, back In 1888. ID
oopied the legs from the old four-postel
bedstead. Between the posts he put
piece OF fiuted sheet metal and got 1t pat
ented. The model Ism timing o
/ beauty, and isn't much larger than one
hand But he got patent on IL, AM
hundreds OF other inventors have sougn
to improve on bis invention.
Not every body wears .peggsd shoes. 6u
Z every body can appreciate the value O
, such an Invention. The idea is among tn
earliest patents issued by thu government
: The United States didn't begin lssnlnl
, patents until 1890, and peggen shoes wer
invented and patented on July 81, 1871
Thsy didn't number patsnts then. IN
patent was issued to two msn who de
suribed themselves As -being sthemselve
masters or the art sand mystery OF boo
and shoe making.
. - ottnaIt, Rha aauaa az TODAY Their neg