The Ronan pioneer. [volume] (Ronan, Mont.) 1910-1970, 1911-11-03
ONE MILLION
PATENTS ISSUED
Ohio Inventor Gets Distinction
Sought by Many.
AMERICA LEADS THE WORLD.
Thirty Per Cent Of All Patents Have
Been Issued In This country--NearIy
10000 Granted Before Serial Plan Of
Numbering Was Adopted.

Io,oOo Granted Before Serial Plan Of
Numbering Was Adopted.
Announcement of the issue Of the
mlllionth patent (since they have been
serially numbered was announced re-
Gently by Commissioner Edward B.
Moore. 1t was issued to an Akron
Co., man for a puncture proof tire for
automobile and other vehicles, depend
ing upon rubber springs for it's re.
siliency.
Commissioner Moore said the appli-
cation came up in the regular order
of business, was numbered and car
ried through the regular channels and
was signed without ceremony. Nu-
merous requests We're received from
various inventors for this distinction,
but they We're not needed.
EngIisnman Got First Patent.
This patent, although numbered
100000 is In reality not the mill
lionth for the reason that prior to July
%, 1886, there We're granted 0,957 pat
ents without numbers, so that count
ing from the first patent granted, July
81, 1900, and including the 9,957 I'M
numbered patents, the millionth patent
would be the one numbered 990,O43, is
sued April 1S, 1911. The first one was
granted to Clarence Thorvald Hasen
Of Lancaster, England, for a machine
to make tubes from fibrous materials.
The American patent system was
founded by an act of congress April
10, 1890. Thomas Jefferson, then Sec
Rotary Of state, inspired it and may
be said to have been its father. He
took great pride in it, it is said, and
gave personal consideration to every
application that was made for a pat
ent during the years between 1900 and
1893
Under this act applications for pat
ents were examined by board of COM
missioners consisting of the secretary
Of state, the secretary of war and the
attorney general, and after having
been passed upon by this tribunal they
still required the certificate of the at
torney general and the signature of the
president. The first board consisted
Of Thomas Jefferson, secretary Of
state; Henry Knox, secretary of war;
and Edmund Randolph Of Virginia, at
torney general. The first patent was
granted to Samuel Hopkins on July 81.
1870, for manufacturing potash and
pearlash.
Fees Then and Now.
The act of 1890 prescribed the fol-
lowing fees for the granting of patents,
which are in striking contrast with
those exacted today: For receiving
and filing the petition, so cents; for FL
Ing specifications, per copy sheet con-
tanning 100 words, 10 cents; for max
ing out the patent, 50; for aflixing the
great SEAL 81; for indorsing the day OF
delivering the same to the patentee, in
Guiding all intermediate services, 10 !
cents" Today the government fees
amount to $35.
In 1903 the patent laws We're revised,
and from that time until 1886 no sys-
tenn was maintained and every appl:-
cation that was made was granted. In |
1885 congress passed new laws that
are the foundation Of the present pat
emit laws. 1t was in this year that pat
ents were first numbered, July %, 1886 |
Patent No. was granted to John Rug
giles of Thomaston, Me-, for locomo.
tive steam engine for inclined planes.
Since that time 1,S25,000 applications
have been made, of which 100000
have been granted. There are 10000
pending; the rest are abandoned. These
represent an approximate expenditure
If $47 100000 in government fees from
the inventors alone.
Under these laws (act Of 1899 the
board of commissioners was abolished,
md the power to grant patents was
vested in the secretary Of state. It
was not until 1886 that the office OF
of patents was establish
ed. Henry l.. Ellsworth was the in
Grinding Out $4,000 a Year.
America leads the world as an in
7entive nation, France coming next,
With $4,000 patents; then Great Brit,
lin, with 100000; Germany, with $50.
700; Belgium, 100000; Canada, $4,000.
The Bahamas and Liberia share the
'booby" prize, with two patents each.
The total number of patents granted
~ all nations Of the world is $780,.
100, Of which 80 per cent have been
,ranted by the United States.
The patent Office is now grantins
PATENTS at the rate of $4,000 yeaf,
applications being received at the rate
Il G5,0O0 per annum, the examination
# which requires 375 examiners.
Owing to the enormous increase IL
he business Of the patent Office in the
asst few years it's building has becom.
cry much overcrowded, and Commits
Toner Moore hopes that congress wit
appropriate the 100000 now In the
Noo 70 -