The Glenwood post., 1924-02-28
u.eIe Tets Bed Time Stories
Current Events for the Childrsa
and arown-uys, Too
INVENTIONS AND HOW UNCLE
SAM TAKES CARE OF THEN
and 9roWn-up0, TOO


SAM TAKES CARE OF THEM
1t had been "rip-roarin ?" after
noon, according to Jack. It had been
full of every sort Of thing since he
left the school house. There was
half hour of snowballing, followed by
. trip to one of the boys homes
where he showed the crowd his fathers
laboratory that is what it was
called-where father worked on all
sorts of weird things. The thing that
interested Jack most in this little room
with benches and wires and all kinds
Of queer looking objects, was round
disk through which light was sent.
In the next room this light came
through the wall, yes, right through
the big, thick wall and
tWhat was itf" asked Ruth.
HHe sent movies right through the
WALL" exclaimed Jack. "It's won
derful. I couldn't believe it.''
$50 you have been looking at some
new inventions, eh, Jackf" said Uncle
Ted.
eyes, indeed, Uncle Ted,'' answered
Jack.
tYou are lucky boy to see these
things first hand Since it is bedtime,
think I shall tell you the story Of
how Uncle Sam takes care of these in
ventions, and the big office at Wash
ington where the plans of each and
every new idea is filed and protected
30 that no one else can take that Idea
for his own.
"You see, the protection of the
rights of men and women who invent
in this country goes way back. In
fact, it goes back to the days of the
Constitution, for in that document was
inserted clause giving exclusive own
ership Of the patent rights to the indi-
vidual for term of years. The great
est inventions have come from Ameri-
can and of all the patents issued the
United States has to its credit almost
l..
If you read back into history you will
see that in 1641 the Massachusetts, col
ony granted patent to Samuel Wins
low for a new way of making salt and
in 1916 a patent was issued to Joseph
jerks for an engine with which to cut
grass. These very early inventions
were followed by many, many others
until today the records show that on
August 8, 1911, one million patents
had been issued over period of 120
years. So many inventions are being
made today that it will be only about
ten years until another million patents
have been granted.
All of this work has cost money, but
the latest report from the patent of
flee shows that by cutting down the
duplication of work and bringing vari-
ous branches together thousands of dol
lars have been saved. Some of these
savings run all the way from $500 to
$4,000. One of the largest economies
noted is in the publication of the Off
cial Gazette of the Patent Offic,
where reduction in the cost of print.
ing has amounted to almost $21 900.
"When a man or woman invents
something he or she applies for pat
ent. A year ago the applicant, in
many branches, had to wait as long as
Is months before the case could be
taken up for the first reading, while
today no applicant has to wait more
than months in patent cases and in
eases where question simply of de-
sign or trademark doesn It have to
wait more than seven weeks.
cit is remarkable to me that during
the first two years of the present ad-
ministration more than 5000 applica.
tions were received every month, or
2l6,l70 cases in two years or gain of
fifty per cent in patent work and one
hundred per cent in trade-ma work.
And for all this increase in work the
amount of help was only increased sew
en- per cent.
with this tremendous increase in
work it was naturally necessary for
those at the head to figure some way
to keep the work up to date without
spending too much money. The recent
report shows that wonderful plans
were worked out and that without add