The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-10-19
Arship Department Head Had a Soft
Snap For Time But Now is
as Busy as Gran.
berry Merchant.
MANY NEW INVENTIONS
The AeropIane Business Has Grown
Large That Several Men
Look After Nothing
Else.


who had soft snap. He was the ex-
aminer in charge of aeronautical pat
ents; and it was only once or twice
twelvemonth that he had chance to
scan applications for patent rights on
flying machines.
Now he is the busiest man In the
whole office. He has three clerks
helping him, and has petitioned the
powers-that-be for couple more.
His present troubles are due to the
recent tremendous influx of applica-
lions for patents for aeroplanes, dir
igibles, and other craft. There was a
mild acceleradon of business last
fall when Orville Wright did stunts
at Fort Myer in his aeroplane; then
things looked up a bit when Brother
Wilbur cut aerial capers over foreign
soil. But business went with a rush
after Bleriot flew across the English
channel and Glenn Curtiss pulled
down the worlds championship at
Rheims.
From Germany, France, England, It.
ally and several other foreign nations
have come dozens of applications for
patent right on flying machines. Nat
urally American inventors lead in the
number of applicants, and they have
simply overwhelmed the patent office
with their demands for protection.
Many patent attorneys here believe
that the two Dayton aeroplanists, Will
bur and Orville Wright, have the en-
tire field all to themselves. so far as
those who have looked carefully into
the matter that the Ohio boys hold ex-
elusive rights under one of the broad
est patents ever granted by the de-
partment-one that may mean their
control of every aeroplane, whether a
biplane or monoplane-turned out in
| America.
1t is the announced policy of the
patent office to grant the widest pos
sible rights to an inventor who is a
| pioneer in his particular field. I'm
doubtedly the Wright biplane, on
which patent was granted on May %,
| 1906, was the very first aeroplane
which could navigate the air. More
/ than that, the specifications of this
patent cover the famous "warping"
device of the Dayton brothers ma
chimes so thoroughly that 1T is doubt
full if any aerial machine which must,
necessarily, use this device to a
greater or less extent, could legally be
manufactured in America without liza
bility of the manufacturer for infringe
ment of the Wright patent.
In brief, there is a very real posi-
bility of the Wright brothers having
a monopoly of the business of build
ing and selling aeroplanes in this
country The decision of the courts
in the brothers present suit against
Glenn H. Curtiss for infringement,
may settle the whole question.
The Wrights are suing Curtiss for
infringement of their "warping" de-
vice. On the Wright aeroplane the
tips of both the main planes are sus-
ceptible to movement yertically-each
side independent of the other. 1t is
this wrapping" that helps maintain
stability, and is the very basic prin-
ciple of aerial navigation in heavier
| than-air machines.
The Curtiss machine has rigid main
planes, which do not warp. However,
to maintain the equilibrium which
the Wright biplane secures through
the warping scheme, the Hammonds-
port aviator fixed small plane at
either end of his main planes, lying
horizontally and parallel to them, but
capable of being moved vertically up
and down.
The Wrigats claim this is an in
rfingement of their warping patent,
and have already asked for an injunc-
ton against Curtiss and will even
tually have the courts settle the ques-
ton. The section of the specifications