THREE MILLIONS FROM INVENTION

Evening Star, Issue 22524, 17 December 1936, Page 6

THREE MILLIONS FROM INVENTION

If there had been an Inventions Exhibition —such as that recently concluded—in the early eighteenth century tho public would have seen some strange things (writes Captain DruryColeman, secretary of the Institute of Patentees, in the ‘ Daily Mail ’). There was, for instance, a perfectly serious-minded man who patented, a portable “gun,” which he claimed fired “square, bullets 'at Turks and round bullets at Christians.” And an invention which perhaps many people would still appreciate was a liquor flask with an outer cover in the form of a book, labelled ‘ Legal Decisions.’ The first inventors had to go through eight procedures before they could obtain a patent. It took several years and involved expenditure of about £95. Nowadays a patent of four years costs only £6 and takes six to eight months to obtain. The first invention on record was for engraving maps, patented in 1617. And a woman inventor appeared as early as 1635. Curiously, she devised an engine for cutting timber. Recently 400 women took out patents in a single year. Few of the inventions were homely ones. Most of them were technical devices for factories and offices. Britain is the country most productive of inventions' in comparison with the size of the population. Also, while other countries have “ improvers,” Britain has many more original inventors. In my office I have about two new inventions brought to mo every day. Some of the inventors spend all their time inventing, and make a good living, up to £2,000 or £3,000 a year, out «f it. One of the greatest fortunes mad© by a single invention was £3,000,000 for the glass ball in soda water bottles. Now it has been superseded! As a rule inventors follow the fashion. Ideas for transport and aeroplanes are prevalent now. Within a few days of a submarine disaster I am swamped with inventions for preventing such accidents and for saving the lives of tho crew. Those who attended the last St. Louis Inventors’ Exhibition are never likely to forget the case of the Domesday Drudgery Destroyer. This machine, its inventor claimed, would eliminate the drudgery of washing up. Ho was induced to give a practical demonstration. In the midst of the august assembly of scientists the machine was assembled. One after another knives, cups, plates, and saucers were piled into it. “ And now,” said the inventor, I am about to show you a miracle! ” Alas for his hopes! When the button was pressed all tho crockery was ground to pieces. The next day the inventor committed suicide.