HOW INVENTIONS PAY.

Clutha Leader, Volume XX, Issue 1031, 27 April 1894, Page 3

HOW INVENTIONS PAY.

* In an article in a recent number of ' Invention,' some remarkable figures are given, showing how lucky idoas have often been the passport to fortune. Howe, the originator of the sewing machine, derived LIOO,OOO a year from it, and from their mechanical improvements the celebrated Wheeler and Wilson are reported to have divided for many years an income of L 200,000 j whife "the author of the Singer sewing machine, and the rubber patents realised many millions, while the simple idea of heating the blast in iron smelting increased the wealth of of the country by hundreds of millions. The patents for making the lower ends of candles taper instead of parallel, so as to more easily fit the socket, made the present enormous business of a well-icnown firm of London chandlers. The ' Drive Well ' was an idea of Colonel Green, whose troops during the war were in want of water. He conceived the notion of driving a 2in tube into the ground until water wos reached, and then attaching a pump. This simple contrivance was patented, and the tens of thousands cf farmers who have adopted it have been obliged to pay him a royalty, estimated at L 600,000. A large profit wns realised by the inventor who patented the idea of making umbrellas out of alpaca instead of gingham, and the patentee of the improved * Pagagon Frame ' (Samuel Fox) lately left by will L 170,000 out of the profits of his invention. The discovery "of the per forated substance used for bottoming chairs and for other purposes has made its inventor a millionaire. The most profitable inventions have been the improvements in simple devices, things of everyday use that everybody wants. Among the number of patents for small things may be mentioned the ' Stylographic Pen,' and a pen for shading in different colors, producing L 40,000 per annum: In the recent legal action it transpired in evidence that the inventor of the metal plates used to protect soles and heals of boots from wear sold upwards of 12,000,000 plates in 1879, and in 1887 the number reached 143,000,000, producing realised profits of a quarter of a million of money. As large a sum as was ever obtained for any invention was enjoyed by the inventor of the inverted glass bell to hang over gas, to protect ceilings from being blackened ; and a scarcely less lucrative patent was that for simply putting emery powder on cloth. The inventor of the roller skate made over L 200,000, notwithstanding the fact that his patent had nearly expired before its value was ascertained. The gimlet-pointed screw has produced more wealth than most silver mines, and the American who first thought of putting copper tips to children's shoes is as well-off as if his father had left him L 400.000 in United States bonds. Upwards of L 2.000 a year was made by the inventor of the common needle-threader. Few inventions pay better than popular patented toys. A clergyman realised L4OO a week by thb invention .of a strange little plaything to be seen for a long time in every toy-shop window. That favorite American toy — the ' return ball ' — a wooden ball with an elastic attached, yielded the patentee an in come equal to LIO,OOO a year. The invention of ' Pharoah's Serpents,' a toy much in vogue some years ago, was the outcome of some chemical experiments, and brought the inventor more than LIO,OOO. The sale of the little wooden finger, •' John Grilpin,' was incredibly large for many years ; and a very ingenious toy, known as the Wheel o£^Lifp,' is said to have produced upwards of LI OO,OOO profit to its inventor. One of tha most successful of modern toys has been the • Chameleon Top,' the sale of which has been enormous.