The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-08-26
OUR NATIONAL CURIosITY-Box
MANY Wise and Otherwise Inventions Are to Be Found
(To Be Continued.)
at the Patent Office,


at the Patent Office
The United States patent office is sometimes called
the museum Of national curosities' It contains the
wise and the freak ideas of the bainest many of
the most foolish Of the nation AS the years have
passed. various custodians of the Office have the
strangest of inventions submitted to them put them
IN glass for the observation of visitors The result
of this is that the patent office has become one of the
most interesting places in Washington to visit.
Since its organization the patent Office has issued
66500 patents 200 have been to foreipners-
people not residents of the United States The number
OF live patents, those still being in force 3sOooO
During the last ten the number of applications
patents have been largely along the line mechanical
Inventions But occasionally comes in with re-
quest for patent doll that speak German or
French, wheel that will never stop revolving or a
piano that plays ITSELF If he gets the patent rarely
proves profitable because these inventions
popular value Work upon them is only waste of time
and energy. '''
The largest number of patents have been issued for
inventions in the following lines:
Stoves and furnaces, 100000; steam engines Is OOO
tracks and harvesters each $4,000; electric lights 6OOO
bicycles $500; pumps, $780, refrigeratng 4Soo tee-
phones, 1000; electric railways $780, guns and PISTOLS
$780,
New England walked into the patent Office
one day with model of invention by himself. He
said that for people who travelled balloons he had
certain bag supporters which they could attach
legs and arms, then step out Of balloon any eeva-
ton and walk about thru the atmosphere at will He de-
cared the danger of falling very slight if any.
did not get the patent but he tried his invention
an elevation Of three hundred feet and killed.
Inc real purpose OF the patent once IS tWOf0ld:
It determines if what you have invented has been
invented before if it conflicts with any other patent
and your invention is original it protects all your
rights in it for term of years.
One of the most important patent ever before
the office that involving the invention of the tee
phone. Professor Alexander Bell claimed that he in
vented it, while Professor Elisha Gray made similar
claim. The dispute covered number of years. but fin
ally ended in the Office declaring that Professor Bell
the real inventor Automobile patents
ing into the patent office quite rapidly owing to the
popularity of the machine for transportation.
In the Office are spades that will do their dig
gng marbles that have other loose marbles inside of
them cowcatcher for engine, called pilot,
which be folded up and made into observation
seat for people who wish to ride the front of the
engne gun that not only shoots but in which your
food and drinking water be packed when you hunt
bicycle which be converted into cradle, and~a
rocking chair which be used for bed, bread pan
an ironing board small table.
The majority Of inventions patented not practi-
cable for daily they cannot be readily used by most
people They often too expensive for manufacture
too complicated or have flaw would bet
ter paythngs rather than in work Flying machines
particular illustration of how many such useless
contrvances be made There three hundred
flying machine inventions in the patent Office according
to late statistics and Of these it is said 296
lutely impractcable, and the remainder fit risk
human life in.