Evening star., 1935-04-21
Applications for Patents
Show Business Recovery
BY HARDEN COLFAX.

once more the UnlteQ states
Patent once is demonstrating its
usefulness as trade barometer.
Ever since the panic" of 1857, as
pointed out by the Patent Office OFF,
cials at that time, the number of ap-
plications for patents to apply to
inventions and processes has fallen
and risen with the general business
situation. Il was so not only in 1857,
but in 1869. 1873, 1893, 1907 and in
the present slump.
The total of fees from practically
all the principal activities of the
Patent Once, as made public by the
commissioner of patents this week,
shows substantial gains in the first
eight months of the current fiscal
year, as compared with the same rela-
tive period of 1884.
Patent applications lag behind in
both the decline and the recovery of
business. Now, it would seem that
the recovery from their lowest stage
would be indicative Of general busi-
ness pickup. Commissioner Coe be-
lieves the increase in the business of
the Patent Office does indicate a cor
responding improvement in general
business conditions, and he reminds
us that, for almost century, patents
have been such barometer.
\ +
Some Of the figures Of fees paid
this fiscal year by applicants for pat
ents and designs and for the regis
tration Of trade marks, prints and
labels are encouraging. They amount
ed to SAL 900 more than in the cor
responding months of last year. Re-
turns from the sale of copies of pat
ents. trade mark certificates and other
data by the Patent Once. up to April
l, had exceeded by more than $4,000
those for the same period of last year.
The sale of drawings and of manu-
script copies of patent records, etc,
and the fees collected for the record
ing of assignments aggregated $4,000
more than last year.
BY reason Of the failure of large
number of applicants to pay the final
fee on applications allowed by the
commissioner and ready to 60 to
patent, the total income of the Office
for the first two-thirds of the pres
ent fiscal year was $4,000 below that
for the same months of 1884. In the
first eight months of 1884 the gross
receipts Of the office were just over
$2,726, 900, as against 1900 in
the corresponding period of this year.
In its aspect of dollars and cents, "
Commissioner Coe comments, this
IArpaaea Iv, iy,nA af Na
Patent ONCE is, of course, important.
But it not only does not diminish. it
actually enhances the significance of
the showing" The inventions claimed
in applications on which the appli-
cants were unable or unwilling to pay
the final fee of $50 were obviously OF
little practical value: otherwise. it
would seem, the inventors or assignees
would have had no difficulty In selling
or financing them.
n Il \ 4
Most impressive in the figures for
this year, the commissioner points out
are the larger number of applications,
the greater amount paid for copies of
patents, records, official papers, etc..
and the greater aggregate of fees for
recording assignments Of interest in
inventions.
The history Of the Patent Once, in
the commissioners opinion, testifies
that increases in the revenues from
such activities are always signs and
tokens Of q revival Of trade and indus
try"
The patents applied for during re-
cent months cover. as usual. a widely
diversified field Of invention in ma
chinery. apparatus and industrial and
general scientific processes. Note
worthy among these are all sorts Of
gadgets in the line Of mechanical
refrigeration (or air conditioning) as
well as new combinations and i'm
provements In existing processes in the
field Of industrial chemistry, including