Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-10-19
Real Workers i'm the National Capital

board OF examiners in chief, Of which
nc in now senior member. This is
board of five members. to whom are
appealed all cases in which claims OF
| an applicant rejected by various
principal examiners and all appeals
from the decision Of the examiners
or any question of priority and all
appeals from the law examiner on
motions for dissolution of interior
, ences. He still holds that position
after some Is years Of service therein.
In all some $4,000 patents, many of
the most important on which Ameri-
can manufacturing and industry have
Skinner for expert judgment and for
an official o. a In this way he has
been one Of the Nations builders.
X X X x
Some years ago the famous Barton
Heaney case scandal caused a fever
of excitement about the Patent Office,
an examiner was convicted OF collu-
sion with d patent attorney over
series of applications for the making
of tungsten filaments for incandes-
cent lamps Mr.. Skinner assisted the
district attorney in prosecution OF
this case.
Many interesting iIlust rations from
his "reminiscences are given by Mr.
Skinner to emphasize the necessity
for properly safeguarding the rights
of an inventor. At one time he had
jurisdiction over games and toys pat
ents. The old IA. Is and 1e puzzle had
a great rage. 1t was invented by
man named Crandall. who filed an
application. but knowing it would
quickly hit the popular fancy he
rushed it onto the market before his
patent was granted. Immediately it
was taken up and became very pop
ular. Before he could get his patent
several others filed applications and
tied him up in interference" claims.
lie finally won. but before he got his
patent the craze for his puzzle had
died out and others had made as
much, if not more, out of it than he
had.
There is a saying that most invent
ors are crazy. Mr.. Skinner had had
Some amusing experiences. One in
ventor from Mississippi filed an APP
piication for patent. but insisted
on interlninS his specifications with
Scriptural quotations. When Mr.
Skinner insisted that he must delete
these the inventor became quite
wrathy and accused Mr.. Skinner of
being irreligious. They had consid-
| cradle correspondence, which was
marked by an insistence on the part
of the inventor TO show his contempt
for Mr. SINNERS requirements by
interlining each letter with further
quotations from the Scriptures. When
Mr.. Skinner was promoted the case
was still pending, until finally his
successor refused to carry the cor
| respondence further and pigeonholed
the application.
~ :: 4
One time while he was in charge
| of the classification division and had
many drawings of patents under in
spection, woman came to his office
stating that she had an idea and
wanted to know if it was patentable
Mr.. Skinner asked what the idea was,
and she said if she told him he'd
know as much as she did. Finally he
did establish that it had something
70 do with women's wearing ap-
parel, so he showed her a lot of
drawings he had on hand. She spent
several days carefully inspecting
them, but Mr. Skinner does not know
| to this day what her idea was.
He had a much pleasanter inter-
! view with a bright young lady who
had the original idea of making paper
dolls with sets of beautifully colored
| removable costumes. She was keen,
and got her patent in short order, and
Mr.. Skinner believes she made con-
siderable money, as he saw her goods
| having a ready sale in the shops.
During the war Mr.. Skinner was
member of the Patent Office com
| nittee which passed upon the policy
of retarding the issuance of patents
on applications that might be of
value to the enemy, but he takes
| even more pride in the fact that he
| had charge of the fourth Liberty loan
campaign. when more bonds were
sold than in any other in the Patent
Office.
He has been offered positions of
higher honor, but having worked his
way through the grades to the goal
he aimed at in his young manhood, he
is satisfied to sit tight and work on
for the benefit of American industry.
in the development of which he has
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