Democratic Sentinel, Volume 8, Number 9, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 March 1884 — THE PATENT OFFICE. [ARTICLE]

THE PATENT OFFICE.

Some of It* Peculiarities and Cariosities. No bureau of the Government, says a Washington paper, exceeds in importance the United States Patent Office. From the start, it has been self-sustaining, and now has an unexpended balance to its credit of about $2,500,000. This money is the result of fees paid by inventors to secure the patents which protect their inventions. The pressure of work and the diminished force has brought the work behindhand. In some divisions, of course, it is further in arrears than in others, for the inventive genius seems to follow the public need or public interest For instance, when the new standard pf time was agitated, there was at once a large number of applications filed for improved watch and clock dials. The troubles with the grip on the Brooklyn bridge are already bearing fruit in the Patent Office records. Every week brings £prth one or more patent grips, and the backwoods are not yet heard from. Should the winter prove severe enough to suspend outdoor labor in the rural districts, the spring will usher in an array of patent grips that will leave car-couplers, electric lamps, and check-rowers entirely in the background. When anything happens to keep a portion of our population inside doors, its effects are immediately apparent in the Patent Office records. One would hardly think where every thing is so thoroughly matter of fact as the Patent Office, that there could be anything that would excite a smile extracted from its records. The inventor is a sober, thoughtful man, and he brings his applications and models to the office, where they are received and investigated by a staid and critical examiner; and one might almost as soon expect to get a comic song out of an oyster as to look for funny things from the cranks and cogs of the models. An examination of the applications, however, revealp some curiosities in the way of names and the patents applied for that are quite amusing. Marc Antony applies for a patent fruit can: T. Allwood, for a barrel platform; J Brown, for a refuse objector; J. Barnhill, for a planter; J. Christ, for a torpedo; Isaac Cook, for a cook stove; Crofut & Knapp, for felt hats; and Car Carpenter, for a car-heater. One Preserved Fish has invented a- mast for vessels, and Lazarus Fried has a patent for toy watches.* F. F.' Foot has appropriately applied for a patent for boots and shoes; H. Goodenough, for a hor3e-shoe; C. J. Glover, of Gloversville, N. Y., for a glove fastener; T. January, for a fluting machine; C. Lightsinger, for a harmonica, and W. Legg, for a boot upper. F. Million hah patented a gas engine; Modest Merke, a fly-trap; J. D. Miracle, a valve; D. A. Moon, a grain measure; Manlove & Green, a corn harvester; E. B. Meatyard, an ox-bow; J. E. Mustakd, a pepper cruet; A. North, a refrigerator; Perry Prettyman, of Paradise, Spring Farm, Oregon, a lamp-burner; J. D. Peok, a measure—probably a peck measure; D. T. Trueblood, a medicine spoon; E. B. Turnipseed, a bee-hive; J. Whitecar, an oyster dredger; and. Wall Work, a car signal. Of other peculiar names there are W. B. Argue, William Allchin, and Gallup &, Hurry, who are attorneys; Candy John, A. Colderhead, T. Curbsetter, S. Cornfield, O. Drinkwater, Ludovic Charles Adam Joseph Guyot P’Arlincourt, A. Doll, Cook Darling, V. C. A. P. D. G. Comte de Ayapruck, Leo Louis, Aime Elie, Picot de la Peyrouse, P. T. Early wine, D. Gwodwiilie, F. W. Gossling, W. H. Goodchild, Sampson Goliah, J. C. Holyland, C. X. Harmony, Jackson Martin Van Buren Ilgenfritz, E. Kiss, M. J. Laughter, E. S. Laughinghouse, Mustapha Mus):apha, of Zagazig, Egypt; Return Jonathan May, Church & Chaplin, - Rob Roy McGregor, A. Morningstar, Return Jonathan Meggs Only, C. E. Plugge, L. Soarback, B. Sloppy, J. R. Bcattergood, W. S. Sharpneck, C. Shortsleeve, Liberty Walkup, Pleasant Witt, and Twentvman Wood.