File:How to make inventions; or, Inventing as a science and an art (1893) (14596741268).jpg

Identifier: howtomakeinventi01thom (find matches)
Title: How to make inventions; or, Inventing as a science and an art
Year: 1893 (1890s)
Authors: Thompson, Edward P
Subjects: Inventions
Publisher: New York, D. Van Nostrand co
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: The Library of Congress

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s interest; while its convenience to store-keepers was a great benefit to the public. Certain detail improvements in primary batteries, electricswitches, telegraph relays, telephonic apparatus, electric door-openers, insulators, dynamos, motors, electric lamps, &c., havehandsomely rewarded the inventor through royalties, stock, orcash. The list might be continued indefinitely, but it is believedenough instances have been cited to show the importance ofcombining elementary into compound ideas. The accompanying cut shows an electric brake inventionwhich sold for $30,000 cash and other considerations. Brief :Consists in employing the momentum of the train as the brakingpower, and in applying and releasing said power by electricity.The amount of electrical energy needed to stop a train is practi-cally infinitesimal. The engineer touches the button for an in-stant and the magnet on each car applies and locks the frictionwheel to the car axle. The other magnet unlocks the clutchedwheel.
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144CHAPTER XVI. Simultaneous Inventions, The preceding chapter illustrates that Gatling would havebeen credited, both by honor and money, through his method ofboat propulsion, if Ericsson had never been born. The elementof time, alone, lost him his right to a patent. The system ofduplex and multiplex telegraphy was invented almost simultane-ously, and independently, by four individuals in differentcountries. I know of a certain inventor whose six, out of fiftyapplications, have come into interference with pending applica-tions in the Patent Office. The number of interference cases inthe United States Patent Office, amounts to several hundred peryear. These facts establish the following principles :— The same inventions are often made by independent invent-ors, at approximately the same time. In view of the last principle, inventors cannot be too carefuland quick in having their inventions properly described andattested, even if they do not apply for a patent immediately.The drawings

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