Democratic Sentinel, Volume 20, Number 19, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 May 1896 — FLOOD OF INVENTIONS. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

FLOOD OF INVENTIONS.

Patents for Wheelmen’* Sundries Are Constantly Applied for. The patent office at Washington has been flooded during the last year with Inventions relative to the bicycle. It is estimated that the ambitions of

500 persons gre displayed in the Invention of bicycle sundries submitted to the patent office every month. It Is estimated that 80 per cent, of the Inventions sent to the patent office are of no use to the rider. Something over 100 "toe clips” have been invented. A dealer said the otb-

er day that very few of the clips were of any consequence, but that all had ready sales. The dealer was asked if all the bicycle sundries found ready sales. He said: “No, not by any means. There are many things that are meant to be blessings to riders that are comparatively unheard of. They are Just the things that the makers claim are necessary to make a bicycle complete. Why,

there are things in the store-, to-day that we never expect to get rid of. To tell the truth, there are many of them that I would < not sell if I could.' I could not look the buyer in the face an hour later If I

did.. If a bicycle rider were to supply himself with everything that is claimed to be necessary to make his outfit complete, he would find It extremely difficult to put them all In an averagesized wheelbarrow. There are bicydle sundries and there, are bicycle bub-. , '/