Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-10-01
PATENTS CONCERNING SHOES.
Some 14,O0O Have Been Issued.
About Half Now in Force.
Shoe and Leather Reporter.

From the Shoe and Leather Reporter
OF the 100000 patents which had been
granted in this country before the end of
last July the shoe and leather trade was
directly represented by nearly 1900. This
number includes several inventions of i'm
portance, such as the Mckay, Goodyear
and lasting machine and the chrome tan
mage achievements. AS just about half OF
these patents have expired. there are
about 1900 now in force.
Of the several classes into which they
are divided shoemaking takes the lead IN
number, 5,529 patents of this class having
been issued. This includes all the ma
chinery which has been developed for the
production of footwear, with the eXcep-
tons of mailing, sewing and eyeletting.
Some of the specifications occupy about
hundred pages of text and drawing, ana
the legal expense alone of such under
takings would be prohibitive to any in
Ventor who was not well assured oil the
pra ctica bility of his improvements.
Next in number of issues comes the de-
partment of shoes with 1. los in the same
period. This includes all new ideas, prac-
ticable and impracticable, in footwear In
mailing machinery nearly 600 patents
have been granted in the classes which
include shoemaking; perhaps $50 would
cover those strictly for shoe work.
Button. eyelet and rivet patents may be
estimated at $50 which apply to shoes.
Shoe sewing patents number $40. Adding
these to the shoemaking class would give
total of 1904 machinery patents. In
tanning and leather finishing processes
and machinery =. 80 would probably be
close estimate of the number of inven-
tionS patented.
In footing up the above figures all pat
ents which gave evidence of having been
intended for any ultimate product other
than shoes have been excluded, except in
tanning. Still there have been many in
ventions of a more general nature which
have been of vital Importance to the
trade, such, for instance, as the lathe for
turning irregular forms.
The patent office cannot take upon itself
the function of judging as to the merit
of inventions. This in times past has
been attempted by other nations, and. of
course, has failed. 1T is often the duty of
the patent attorney to do this for his
client, and 1t is to be regretted that he
so frequently allows useless claims to in
cunber the records rather than lose his
fee.
Some simple minded victim of icy side
walks devises a clumsy shoe attachment
to prevent slipping, and takes it to a pat
ent solicitor. The lawyer should know
at once that it is valueless. If not, when
he makes mis- search through the records
for interfering claims he will come on a
hundred or so better devices But the
poor client usually gets his patent and
pays his money.
Again. the office cannot pass on priority
except as shown by record. For instance
a good many manufacturers have prob
ably experimental with celluloid for toe
stiffening, and have, for the time at least,
decided not to adopt it, Yet very recently
patents have been granted to foreign pat
entees which If they were sustained
would practically debar American manu-
facturers from the use OF celluloid or at
least hamper them in the manipulation of
1t by simple processes which have long
been understood