The Washington times., 1907-01-27


not your patent No. 5s5ss5. covers
tire simple use of '5vsIau keys az the
joints OF armor p.ates. or whether 10
applies only To series Of plates
when Joined 10y doyetau keys 20 make
a structure 90 contain filling. is one
on which this bureau IS unable 20 give
un opinion.
This bureau has no record OF such
a COfferdam structure as your patent
specification describes being used In
the vessels OF our navy, they being
riveted structures
g. As 10 the use of doyetaI' keys az
The joints OF NOR plates, Il IS found
uu examination that they are employed
Ia the coming towers Of al least six
teen OF our vessels. and possibly
further search would show them 10 be
used Ia few other parts Cf armOr
assemblEges. but il is believed THAI the
total number OF such d0vetail keys In
The armOr Of all the vessels OF the
navy IL a very small quantity.
4 Il does not seem 10 the bureau
that the use OF dovetail keys as a
means OF uniting eads Of armor plates,
curved OF eAA 4AE4AA. htAAA DC a aAL1|AA
OF infringement OF patent, it having
been a well-known idea for some time
previous 90 the date Of your patent
No. 5ss6g0 As an illustration 10 this
fact the bureau notes an illustration
and description IN a French book or
naval construction, published In 1886,
OF q design for armOr hatch
Respectfully,
n. Z. MASON.
Chief of Bureau Of = -dnauce.
Tor reasons Of his own the captain
appears 20 regard this letter, I'm spite
OF its phra Geology as somewhat Of an
admission that his patent may have
been infTinged upon.
Captain Mcmillan has addressed =
typewriter letter Of four pages 70
President Roosevelt, which ne will
soon present, wherein he says. IN part:
II claim that the United States Gov
eminent has been and IS still using my
patent No. 5S369O in the construction OF
battleships Tor our navy without my
consent or remuneration TO me.
I have singled out the United States
battleship Oregon to prove my claims,
- 4 EaH AhNA AA - " AAAe A-A NAAA NAAARAa
Iron Works ir San Francisco, Cal,
last summer, and 7ound out that her
turrets were constructed on the plans
and specifications OF my patent
". - other vessels for our Gov
eminent have also been built accord
ing TO my plans and specifications.
and If my advice IS good enough for
-
ships, 81 oughr to have pay for my
labors."
The captain in his letter then goes
on 10 tell how he sent his plans TO the
Board OF Ordnance. in Washington;
how the board wrote it was not inter
ested; how he presented the speclhca-
lions and drawings TO both the Cramp
shipbuldIng Company and the Beth
lehem Steel Company. and how both
turned them down" He also makes
the following assertion in his letter 20
the President;
Shortly after i presented my patent
to the Board Of Ordnance, which
showed how Notifications. as well as
battleships. could be built ON my plans.
General Miles, VINO was member OF
the board at this time. gave out 10 the
Associated Press the idea OF building
fortiications on my plans as his own
idea"
The captain appeals directly to the
President 10 protect him in his
rights, and requests his help I'm de-
Gliding what right the United States. or
any private parties building Warships
for the United States or any other
have IN using my patent
without my consent"
The captain ends by requesting an
and stating that he thinks
he can demonstrate that his device is
Of the greatest importance at this time
for the protection OF the country.