MONEY IN WAR INVENTIONS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3244, 17 May 1916, Page 72

MONEY IN WAR INVENTIONS.

HAND GRENADE BRINGS £150,000 IN ROYALTIES. FIND GLASS SUBSTITUTE. Fortunes are being made by the inventors of war devices (says the London correspondent of the New York Sun). It is a fact that although the number of patents filed in England during the war has been far below the average in times of peace, the inventors who have brought out new war devices are reaping a ayoiiderful harvest. Hughes arid Young, one of the bestknown firms of patent agents in London, are authority for ihe statement that one of the many inventions connected with hand grenades has aready brought to the fortunate inventor more than 750,000d01. (£150,000) in royalties. The correspondent of the Sun met recently a young Russian engineer, who was the inventor of what is said to be the most effective wire-clipper in existence, and who has already made a fortune through the sale of is invention to the various belligerent Governments on the Allies' side. Another instance is that of the inventor of the Gardwell machine gun, who is said to have made 325,000d01, and a royalty of lodol per gun manufactured. Again,"the deviser of the " Eors" periscope trench rifle has received a large sum for his patent rights. The inventors of a lifesaving appliance received orders to the value, of over IoO.COOdoI. There are hundreds of inventors who have made money during the Avar by producing devices for simplifying existing machinery, thereby enabling manufacturers to reduce their cost of working. It is worthy of note that the majority of the successful Avar inventors are those who have put their inventions to commrrcial use before submitting them to the Government. For instance, the man avlio inA'ented a special bos for carrying hand grenades submitted samples and quoted prices, with the result that he received a large order, which has laid the foundation of an extensive business. This busi ness will continue after the Avar, as he will adapt the box for other purposes. Hundreds of similar instances could be given in Avhich the shreivd inventor, instead of submitting his invention first to the Government, made the necessary arrangements to manufacture and to secure the GoA-ernment contracts. It is generally held that the best paying inventions are those connected ivith the utilisation of Avaste products. The Ger man inventor has- made this a special study, and since the outbreak of the Avar many inventors in Britain haA r e turned their atention to the subject. The result will be that fortunes will be made by thee persons and their financial backers. Three remunerative inventions are : 1. A non-inflammable substitute for celluloid, possessing all its advantages without any of its drawbacks. The success of this, invention is. assured, and the company controlling the patent rights has secured orders for the whole of the possible output for some years. 2. A substitute for glass. 3. A process for removing the solder, tin, find chemicals from scrap and gah-an-ised articles, and for utilising the base metal. Tho inventor of this last process is a South Wales tinplate worker, who has already seemed contracts from several municipalities for treating town refuse. This invention will be the means of establishing a new British industry that should give employment to many thousands of partially disabled fioldiers." Hitherto Germany has. monopolised the industry in question, having taken practically at the

cost of the carriage scrap metal from Britain to the extent of several millions of pounds annually. The enterprising manufacturer at present is on the lookout for anything new of commercial use, in order to keep Lis extended works going after hostilities have ceased. The war has taught, manufacturers a lesson which will result in their discarding much of their plant as obsolete _ installing the latest automatic machinery. As a consequence there will be a great demand for automatic, laboursaving machinery. Also for the home there wil] be a call for labour-saving devices, as well as many other articles which tend to effect economy in the house. There is a considerable demand for time and labour-saving machines for use in offices. A fortune awaits the inventor of a machine that will automatical!v tvpo letters from dictation.