Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-02-12
BACKGROUND OF EVENTS
BY PAUL. Y. COLLINS.

This is the birthday of the only
President of the United States who
ever got patent upon. an invention
Abraham Lincoln. It is not of public
record that any President ever regis
tered trade mark, but with pan
American conference to discuss inter-
national reciprocity on trade marks, in
fun session, close. to the White House,
upon the eve of the promotion of the
former cabinet official in charge Of
trade and all interests of commerce,
thing brewing?
Perhaps Lincolns invention wAs not
originally applicable to the ship of
state, and the patent has long ago ex-
pired. Trade marks are applicable
even on dead patents, If any one is
alert to register them and exploit the
goods. President-elect Hoover's special
attention, therefore, Is called to his
predecessors device and his own liberty
to use it after March A, when he finds
his ship of state in shallow water. Tt
is of vital Interest to the trade mark
conference under the circumstances.
This is the legal description of Lin
coins invention:
Patent No. 6,469, March 10, 1S49.
ITO whom it may \concern:
BE it known that I, Abraham Lin
coin Of Springfield. in the County Of
Sangamon, in the State of Illinois, have
invented a new and improved manner
Of combining adjustable buoyant air
chambers with a steamboat or other
vessel for the purpose of enabling their
draft of water to be readily leSSened,
to enable them to pass over bars
(prior to the eighteenth amendment
and Volstead law) or through shallow
water, without discharging their car
"The buoyant chambers, a. A.,
which I employ, are constructed in
such a. manner that they can be ex-
banded SO as to hold a large volume OF
contracted into very small space and
safely secured as soon as their services
can be dispensed with"
While the Lincoln patent ran for
only IA years, expiring in 1863, without
| renewal, the manufacturer Of such
| buoyant air chambers may still be pro-
tected against unfair competition I'M
der various, trade namesIsuch as
"Applesauce" or .6olon a;,,,,, ana a.s ia a
| to q new patent, would be the use
onlv of "l1ot air." This is called to
| the attention OF President-elect Hoover,
wino well knows, from his cabinet expert
ence. how useful is buoyant "hot air.
| in political shoals
True. the latest Einstein announce
! ment told us that by the Use OF mag
! netism the pull of gravity may be neu-
| tralized, and at once learned coilege
! professor has jumned TO the conclusion
that Jacks seven-league boots had be.
come fact In place OF fiction. sail
while savants are working OUT the EN-
might attach a Lincoln air chamber to
the ship of state and the Mayfower, II
he register his trade mark.
! X x
F.! Ii is nofeyortAg 10 md thai III iSsa
after he patent laws had been opera ring
| for IS Years (sinte 1880, there hao
been only 6,468 patents preceding LIN
coins. Today there are about $4,000
patents issued in this country up to
1871 was l20,573 and since 1871 up
! to 1927 the total was 1864 All. The
population of the United States, by the
census of 1860, was 81 .443, 32l. In 1920
| the population was shown to be lOS,-
ITO, 620-an increase, roughly taken
about three times in population.
| The total number of patents in that
| first 70 years was about $500 and In
the succeeding 65 years the total num-
Der reached 1854, 477-250 times as
many as in the first period OF approx
imate1y. the same length. Is 1t any
wonder that modern American inge-
nuity and inventiveness" are traditional
the world over?
| X X
Americans procure so many patents
| in Canada that their fees alone more
| than pay all expenses of the Canadian
| Patent ONCE. In one year, an average
year, the Americans registered 6,287 Ca
madam patents; all other foreign ma
tons received 1921 and the Canadian
inventors only 1925. Two-thirds OF Ca
madam patents come to United States
inventors. More than q quarter OF all
patents issued in the world are issued
by the United States.
X X n
There is a distinction between pat
emit and registered trade mark which
distinction Is often confused by the