The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-08-24
THE MAKING OF PATENTS
ODDITIES INCIDENT TO INVENTORS
HARD STRUGGLES.
Condolences Are Numerous, and Some
s.New Ideas Are Very OId-Pit-
ifuI Features Are Many.

the Patent Office in Washington would
have its hands full attending to the numer-
Gus mechanical devices which are planned
in this city. Not that Indianapolis is diff
ferent from any other American city of this
size in its number of ambitious inventive
persons, for the average American mind is
| naturally of a creative turn, but any local
attorney will tell you that few people rea-
lie how much many of their fellow-towns-
men are engaged (secretly as a ruIe) upon
| the preparation of something or other
which they fervently hope will prove ben
| eft to mankind and at the same time a
source of pecuniary profit to themselves.
| And quite a number of Indianapolis inven-
tions have been highly successful too, dur
/ ing the last ten years. One local genius in
vented a very simple wash bowl plug"
and is making a lot of money out of it,
Another originated improved device to
keep doors from slamming, and is glad he
| did 1t since the first royalty settlement,
while still another has been increasing his
income through the sale of new idea in
suspenders,' for which he is the proud
| sponsor.
But where one of them succeeds a hun
! dred fall" said Arthur NJ. Hood, a patent
attorney, the other day, in discussing the
| II Is no easy tnlnS TO invent
something that hasn't already been thought
of and a patent applied for it previously
The great mistake made by most inventors
is their secrecy concerning their ideas. 1t
seems to be the general opinion that an in
ventor must keep mis- original device an
absolute secret until it has been patented
1t is far better policy for the inventor to
explain his invention to others whom he
fnIrC h.
such exactness that his friends can readily
describe it in their own language il called
upon to do so at some future time The
chances are that if one of the trusted
parties should prove a rascal and give the
thing away the others will remain true to
the man that placed his faith in them, and
will come to his rescue in time of trouble:
You see, the Patent Office in Washington
declares an interference when two appli-
cations along similar lines are filed by diff
| ferent people, and in such cases each in
ventor concerned is compelled to submit
testimony TO show the patent commissioner
the time that he conceived the idea for his
device, the time that he first disclosed it to
others. and the date upon which he COM
pleted his model of the invention. OF
course, the date of the conception of the
nesses and there's where the trusted par
ties come in. If the inventor has not dis
closed his ideas to anybody he is helpless
and his rival will secure the patent every
time.
PATENT OFFICE SYSTEM.
'The system in vogue at the United
States Patent Office is so near perfection
that an invention must contain at least one
entirely new idea in mechanics before it
can possibly be patented. Not long ago
man living near Indianapolis invented a
rat trap, the model of which had to be
seen to be thoroughly appreciated. 1 fear
that 1 cannot describe it and do it Justice
1t consisted of little wooden platform and
two spring arms, and in the end of one
was villainous spike. When the spiked
arm had 1Viled its victim it withdrew.
while its partner reached forth and batted
the corpse into a corner of the room A
| patent applied for, and soon letter
came from Washington calling attention to
a patent secured forty years ago and in
closing a drawing of the original device
The drawing good to look upon 1t
showed trap very similar to the one con-
ceived by the Indiana man stationed in the
middle of the room. string of rats were
approaching it In Indian file. One was in
the act of being killed and another was on
its way through space to a pile of dead
rodents in a nearby corner. AS soon as
the trap sprung it reset itself with
lightninglike rapidly; at least, that's what
the inventor claimed for it, Well, the Indi-
ana man was astonished. He said he had
never dreamed that anybody else had ever
thought of the same thing, and here he
had been a-workin' away at that blamed
old trap for years. But he made a change
in his apparatus, introducing brand new
feature. and I'm happy to say that he Sc
cured his patent all right in the end. He
deserved it,"
Mr.. Hood obtained his early training for
his profession a clerk in the Patent Of
fee in Washington, and ne tells some good
stories Of his experiences while 'going to
the patent school" Upon one occasion an
old countryman from Virginia put in an
appearance with a small wooden box under
his arm. He turned up in the draughtsmen's
department and accosted Mr.. Scott, for
thirty years at the head of that division
Good morning, SIR said the country
man, in a very businesslike way 81 want
to get patent
Very WELL" Mr. Scott replied what is
it that you want to patent?"
| The newcomer SLOWLY closed one eye in
long. shrewd wink. well, dye think I'm
fool enough to tell?" he said. NO sir-ee.'
Scott had some funny experiences with
patent seekers but this was a new one on
him. He was staggered. but what is
your invention?" he asked at last, when he
could control his voice.
"Dern if I'll tell you or anybody else"
the countryman declared. "You jest give
me my patent, an I'll show you what I've
got here" and he nodded toward the little
box under his arm he added with an AIR
Of great Importance, Its a wonder.'
Mr.. Scott tried to explain things 10 him.
but it was no use. He had heard that the
Patent Office was corrupt. and he wasn't
going to take chances. Somebody finally
sent him to patent attorney, and that was
the last Scott heard of him and his inven-
ton.
TO FATTEN HOGS.
Mr. Hood says that the most astonishing
application for a patent ever received at
Washington was one which came from a
little town in New York asking the govern
ment TO place its mark of approval upon
an improved scheme for fattening hogs
, And this was the scheme, as set forth in
the drawing accompanying the application: