Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-04-23
PATENT OFFICE WORK
THIS YEARS RECEIPTS MAY
ECLIPSE ALL FORMER RECORDS.
Proportion OF Applications That Mature
Into Patents-Processes Through
Examining, Divisions.

Last year the receipts of the patent office
were the largest in its history. This year
they have continued, heavy and the indi-
cations are that the year 1903 will eclipse
all previous ones in the number Of applica-
tons for patents fled and fees paid in con-
nection Herewith.
The week ended April 1S, 1903, shows the
amount of fees received to have been $780,,
723. 43. an amount which exceeds that Of
all similar periods, with but single ex-
ception, namely the week ended January 1,
1885, when $3S $685. 90 was paid in. This
year differs from 1898 in that the weekly
receipts are uniformly large. while in 1898
they varied considerably, averaging about
$25 GOO per week.
Through Many Channels.
About 60 per cent of the applications filed
mature into patents. Before an applica-
ton is finally disposed of 1t has to pass
through a great many official channels.
Those presented by local attorneys are
filed with the financial clerk, and those
that are forwarded by mail or express are
received by the mail and express clerk, but
all the fees are turned over to the finan-
lcial clerk, who in turn covers the amounts
into the United States Treasury. After the
money has been Endorsed on the applica-
tons they are forwarded to the applica-
ton clerk who examines them as to their
formality and inclOses them in jackets.
formal to examining divisions having
charge of the particular art disclosed in
the applicants invention, and returning the
informal cases for correction.
Process Of an Application.
There are thirty-eight examining divis-
ions, the work of which embraces approxi-
mately $50 classes and 1900 subclasses of
Inventions Many of the applications are
what is known as marginal cases." ard 1t
requires a thorough knowledge of the
classification and considerable careful study
to correctly assign over 1000 applications
each week. After the application has been
received by the examiner he makes
search of the office records to ascertain If
the invention is new and useful. and If all
or any part Of it is anticipated by existing
or expired patents, or described in any
printed publication. If his search fails to
produce anything which shows the inven-
ton to be old or imperative the patent is
issued. If, however, the application is re-
jected in part or whole, 1t may possibly be
amended so as to obtain modified or linn
tied claims. When it becomes finally re-
jected by the primary examiner the inven-
tor can appeal to the board of examiners
in-chief. and If he Is dissatisfied with their
decision he can appeal still further to the
from him to the Court of Appeals Of the
District of Columbia, and last resort.
to the Supreme Court of the United States.
1t is rare that appeals to the last-named
appellate tribunal are ever taken. An in
considerable number are taken to the Court
of Appeals of the District of Columbia but
the court seldom reVerSes the decisions of
the commissioner of patents In the past
two years nearly 100000 applications have
been filed, and Of that number only forty
two have been carried on appeal further
than the commissioner Of patents.
OF the latter number in twenty-five cases
the commissioner was affirmed and in six
his decisions were reversed. The remaining
cases were dismissed by the court The
decisions of the present incumbent have
been reversed only twice. This indicates
that the work of the various tribunals of
the patent office is very thoroughly done,
that every claim of the inventor is care
fully and intelligently considered, and that
the conclusions Of the patent Office are
usually correct. y