The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-01-10
.PATENTS.BY
THOUSANDS.
The Tremendous Work Done BY
tic United States Patent
Office. &.s
MANY TRAINED EMPLOYEES :: N |: I. |. {:
a Movement on Foot to Erect
Building to Preserve Pa
tent Archives.
MANY TRAINED EMPLOYEES IN |.

WASHINGTON. D. c.. Jan. DIN tho
rush OF tho holiday buying, the average
purchaser never stops to think what tho
words patented. so-and.so" may menn
vet they mean that the manufacturers Of
that article has the exclusive right to
make, handle and sell the same. Tho
same is true OF trademark. Even our
best Informed people may be surprised
Mt the statement that. to secure this pro-
lection inventors and manufacturers
raid Into tho United States patent office \
recently in ono day the sum Of 1883 %
III, cash. money orders and certified
checks. This entire amount went to the
payment. Of fees for work done In the pa
tent office and was In no way connected
with attorneys fees. which probably for
the same work. outside Of the patent
office, amounted to twice or three times
that sum. 1t will be seem from these
figures, that the banking business OF the
patent Office Is equal to that OF many
small banks, and a great deal more than
the average retail store, even In tho
crowded buying OF the holidays.
g. SCOPE OF WORK IN THE OFFICE.
TO enter the service Of the government
ia the patent office it is necessary to
take an examination which. In Its scope
covers the work usually given In advanced
technical Institutions OF learning. In It's
various divisions the patent Office has
men who are not only well educated along
technical lines but they are specialists
along the particular lines OF work which
they handle The whole field OF modern
h chemical and mechanical science Is GOV.
cred by these employees and out OF the
maze Of divisions. classes and sub-divi-
s!ons Is evolved tho most complete sys-
tenn extant under the control OF the gov
crnment OF course. the registration OF
trade marks, prints and labels Is OF a
less technical character. but even here
the utmost care and discrimination Is
exercised by the patent Office employees.
The records OF the patent office are per-
hap the most valuable OF all the archives
Of the government. They represent the
same relative position towards American
Invention as do the books OF the Library
OF Congress to America Literature. ana
they represent something more. In the
files OF the patent Office are the original
memoranda Of patents. and on them de-
pend proprietary interests running up
into many millions Of dollars, which
amount is Increasing In proportionate
ratio to the increase and advance OF me-
chanical and chemical discovery and ap.
plicatIon. 1t has been recently proposed
to erect new building Tor the Depart
ment OF the Interior. under which the
rstent office Is department. The Viz
ginia senators are heartily In favor OF
the erection OF such building, and II
is hoped by the members OF the bar mere
that an appropra ton may be secured
during this session OF Congress for that
purpose. The interests OF every inVen-
tor and manufacturer who owns a pa
tent or trade mark right certainly DC
mand such building.
~ REMARKABLE INCREASE.
The issue OF last week closed year IN
the office which was remarkable on az
&C unit of the enormous increase OF us
business. The growth OF the business
during the first twcnty-fv FIVE years OF the
existence Of the patent office was &, con-
s;dered wonderful; but that growth Is as
nothing compared with the increase OF
the last ten years. From 1886 to 1880
there were 6,9s1 patents issued. represent
ing the work OF fifteen years. The num-
Der granted In 1902 was 21.l36. an IN
crease OF more than 1000 over the pre-
vlous year. This was the highest number
ever registered by the office and was
considered remarka BILE. But every weeks
issue in 1903 showed an increase, There
have been nearly 1000 more patents Is
sued In 1903 than In 1902: over G,o0o more
than In 1901 and over 10000 more than
vas issued the first yeCr OF the existence
&! the office. The total Issue OF patents
aggregates 74S5G6, which represent to
the manufacturing and mercantile inter-
ests OF the country many millions o.
dollars of Invested capital which Is bring
Ing large returns. The mere TACT that
there Is such large increase Of the num-
ben OF patents Issued Is certain lndl-
ca ton that the protectlong afforded by
patents to American inventors ana manu-
'facturers pays large returns. 5.. y = !,
THE SOUTH AND PATENT PROTEC-
In the table following is statement
by States OF the patents Issued ana trade
marks, labels and prints registered dur
Ing the last week In 1903. It Will DO seen
that the bulk Of tho patent office busl-
ness comes from north OF mason ana
Dixon's line. This table shows fair
example OF the proportion OF the work
from tho various states. 1t may be that
our people OF tho South will realize, IN
It's coming Industrial growth. that q
practical, patented invention Is an nc-
tive factor In tho increasing OF capital.
II is certain that tho registration OF
trademarks. prints ana 1apeis w''' ~, ~.
crease as competition between tho
Southern manufacturers grows warmer.
RULES OF THE PATENT OFFICE.
At ono time the registration OF trade-
mark or tho making of an application TOT
patent and It's prosecution before the
office were very simple. This gave rise
t. the growth Of large patent par ana
3pulatjon and chlcanery. The natural re.
suit was that tho average professional
and business man and every inventor
thought that "patent attorney and
"rakir" were synonymous terms, But
nav tho rules Of tho patent office, hnyin ae
the Same force and effect as United
States statutes have become very lntri-
cate and compare favornbly with the
rules governing the practice q general
law no be Il successful patent attorney,
nov. n man must not only know the pn-
Tent lent law, but must have something q
technical education himself, or get
others to do his work who have susl, ein.
cation, and above all he must deal
missioner Is empowered to take eognl-
zance OF ''smooth dealing" and pa
tent attorney may be debnrred upon
proper proof Of the same, Even M w ndn
mission to the patent bar ana the prose.
cu ,.t Of applications thore Is a patent
bar Of over six thousand. and THIS mum,
her ia being constantly increased to meet
~ a ircrea aed business which seems to