Now in the National Archives, these patents are a unique source of information that stands somewhere between artefacts and manuscripts. The author: Peter Welsh is curator of Growth of the United States in the Smithsonian Institution's M.useum of History and Technology. Thomas Cooper found "brilliant in invention, and quick and accurate in the execution of mechanisms and workmanship." Others wrote, often at length, about our locomotives and steamboats and about a vibrant democratic society that was concerned with.
The PatentOffice, besides confirming these facts, suggests considerably more.' Here lies an explanation, slightly quoted, of American achievement in the years between Washington's inauguration and our successes at London's Crystal Palace in 1851 and later at the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia in 1876. This is how economic historians have also explored the theory of patent law as a cornerstone of patent law. capitalist system. Nevertheless, to date there are few scholars who defy the intricacies of these records, even in the areas mentioned.
Clark, A History of Manufacturing in the United States New York: . McGraw-Hill, Inc., 1929, 3 vols.), discusses patents important to the growth of particular industries. The first two issues of Technology and Culture devote considerable space to notes and articles on patents; see especially the articles by Nathan Reingold and P. The United States National Museum made excellent use of it on this occasion. patent collection of designs, although little or no use was made of the original drawings. The drawings, especially in the early part of the century, suggest this, but the patent applications and lists must be read, for even the most cursory selection of terms will document the direction of the country and indicate the state of mind that makes innovation seem natural. consequence.
The penchant for invention certainly reinforces the claim that long before the 1830s a vocal and well-defined "industrial consciousness" had already developed in the United States.
UNITED STATES PATENTS NEW USES FOR OLD IDEAS 119
If it is arguable that the patent records do not represent a favorable public attitude toward industrialization and improvement, it is surely indisputable that they can indicate to the historian the nation's technical level, capabilities, and achievements, both statistically and pictorially.
UNITED STATES PATENTS NEW USES FOR OLD IDEAS 121
122 BULLETIN 24 1 : CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE MUSEUM OF HISTORY AND TECHNOLOGY
UNITED ST.A.TES PATENTS NEW USES FOR OLD IDEAS 123
34;durability, economy and convenience." Lightness and durability motivated both Birdsill Holly of SenecaFalls, NewYork, and George Davis ofLowell, Massachusetts. Holly proposed in 1852 a means by which the width of the throat of the plane could be adjusted for different types of work—flexibility achieved in a metal medium that would have been most difficult in wood (fig. 14). In 1855 Davis described an "iron-plane-stock and a new method of attaching the cutting irons to the stocks to be used by carpenters and wood-joiners" (fig. 15 ).
And my further invention consists in attaching the cutting iron to the iron or other plane or tool material by means of a single screw (instead of the old chip), which secures both the cap and the cutting. Morris confirmed the friction-reducing value of the longitudinal grooves in his specification, adding that "casting the body of the aircraft with rows of intersecting ribs covering the entire face."
124 BULLETIN 24 1 : CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE MUSEUM OF HISTORY .\ND TECHNOLOGY
Morris, in 1870, of Salem, Ohio, set out innovations designed to facilitate the movement of metal planes over wooden surfaces (Fig. First, referring to his drawing (Fig. 18), with the construction of an iron stand for chargers, dados, rabbets, match planes and plate plows; secondly, in the construction of the parallel fence, F, for the chargers and matching planes; thirdly, in the construction and arrangement of the quick stop, P, which moves diagonally to the pressure line on the unit, the same applies to the dado and panel plow; fourthly, in the use and arrangement of the spring cap, C, in combination with the screw 2 or any other adjustable or fixed face; fifthly, the combination of the adjusting screw i. CharlesMiller of Brattleborough in 1870 described in detail an airplane which could be easily converted into a grooving, notching, or smoothing plane, later made by the Stanley Plane and Level Company (Fig. 19).
In the same year, an even more amazing piece of Yankee ingenuity, as well as a departure from the traditional, was an airplane patented by Russell Phillips (fig. 20). This invention combines in one device elementary features already found in several independent tools, the result being a great saving in shipping space, as well as in shops and carpenters, and enables a mechanic to obtain, at comparatively little cost and in a compact and efficient form, substitutes for several classes. of planes. Indeed, David McHardy thought that they were using such tools "the work is not only done better, but in less time than before." By the year of McHardy's comments (1876), there were iron-bodied planes for every purpose, and their finish varied "according to requirements; some were ground and japanned, others polished, and some nickel-plated, the most high was in smaller sizes. " Until 1876, only one American manufacturer LETTER 48: UNITED STATES P.ATTENTS NEW USES FOR OLD IDEAS 125.
126 BULLETIN 24 1 : CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE MUSEUM OF HISTORY AND TECHNOLOGY
UNITED STATES PATENTS NEW USES FOR OLD IDEAS 127
The patent drawings of tools, especially the planes from 1820, confirm McHardy's statements, and furthermore they document the original appearance and sometimes even reflect attitudes that encourage innovation. The patent drawings richly document the fact that, at least in wood, the basic design of the hand plane had reached perfection and that innovators, when not attempting to break entirely with traditional forms, usually engaged in minute improvements or, as already seen, with combining. The same is true of William Reynolds' sketch of the planet supporting his 1832 patent application for the control and adjustment of the double iron (blade).
No change appears in the body of the plane itself, and the drawing stands as a first-rate,. Again, nothing new, not even a propeller arm, disturbs the familiar configuration of these levels, and only 128 BULLETIN 241: CtJNTRIBUTKJNS FROM THE MUSEUM OF HISTORY AND TECHNOLOGY. Patent drawings of tools other than faces give positive evidence of tool forms at a given date.
Note the perforated handles on the drafting knife, patented by EdmundRichards in 1836 (fig. 26), or the scored handle and exaggerated claw on the knife. Although Beckwith's innovation – placing a steel roller to aid in the pulling of the shaver – is relatively unique, its specification. The nature of this invention consists in the manufacture of blank screwdrivers (or blades) and other similar tools by a new method or method, which considerably reduces the cost of manufacture, and at the same time ensures greater strength, symmetry and perfection of the article manufactured.
This process saves at least one hundred percent, besides producing a more uniform, complete and better product and offering it to the public at a much lower cost. To those interested in the origin of the design features, it is doubly useful to repeat Parr's statement that the serrated blade, which is still preserved today in British-made screwdrivers, was not intended to improve the function of the tool, but. A New Hampshire man, Phineas Eastman of Canaan, sent to Washington in 1838 his specifications for improving "the manufacture of plantation hammers and axes," which detailed the construction of 132 BULLETIN 241: CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE MUSEUM OF HISTORY AND TECHNOLOGY.
UNITED STATES PATENTS NEW USES FOR OLD IDEAS 133
In July 1839, Eastman's patent was granted, and the drawing that supported it provides a classic illustration of the octagonal claw hammer head characteristic of the early 19th century. The value of Eastman's patent today lies primarily in the original watercolor drawing of his invention—a key resource for studying the evolution of tool design. Another patent dealing with the fixing of the hammer head to their handles was Charles Hammond, of Philadelphia, who, like Eastman, provided a clear description of the common hammer head (fig.34).
The bands of hammers and others attached to them were connected to the head of the hammer in various ways, sometimes by welding them firmly, sometimes by allowing them to pass through the ear and hook into the face of the hammer head, and sometimes by made to fill the entire eye on the front of the hammer. The bands of my hammers may be placed on the side or on the upper or lower part of the eye, which may be preferred, both methods of installation being well known. They consist of two strips of iron, of equal or nearly equal thickness throughout their length, but widened at the end which holds in the eye, and their edges are cut or dovetailed to fill a corresponding beveled or dovetail opening in the eye.
Ward's contribution, in addition to the excellent documentary drawing, is a poignant reminder that whether in Savona, New York, in Ward's home or elsewhere, the prevalence of CivilWarainputee had a profound effect, serving as a stimulus to invention (fig 35).
134 BULLETIN 24 1 : CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE MUSEUM OF HISTORY .\ND TECHNOLOGY
UNITED STATES PATENTS NEW USES FOR OLD IDEAS 135
But perhaps more than any of the above, the increased use of iron and steel is indicated by Josepli Francis' patent of March 26, 1845 (Fig. 38) for the manufacture of sheet metal boats "pressed to shape." Morse wrote Fenimore Cooper in Improvement is in fashion. An era that passionately believed in the perfection of the individual chose mechanical and spiritual means. Historians are often asked to culturally define a broad range of years—to delimit, so to speak, the boundaries of an era and its achievements in terms of ideas and events.
Contrast James Wood's improved spade of 1825 (fig. 11) with Carmichaeland Osgood's digger of 1846 (fig. 39); or Ezra L'Hommedieu's auger from 1809 (fig.40) with Merrick's wrench.
136 BULLETIN 24 1 : CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE MUSEUM OF HISTORY AND TECHNOLOGY
The post at the end of which goes into the timber has a screw in the center which eliminates the need for a mortise. Theaugerismedieval - the companion of the broadax, the beetle, the sledgehammer, and theadze-breaking, in turn, associated with the screwdriver, the hammer, the pointed screw and the factory-made nail - all, in their perfect form, symbols of the Century i 19. Thus, specific objects, whether a shovel or a steam shovel, a pair of scissors or a wrench, can symbolize the most significant ideas and techniques of a period.
The most elusive residues to track down are always something common and often exactly what patent records best illustrate.
138 BULLETIN 24 1 : CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE MUSEUM OF HISTORY AND TECHNOLOGY
UNITED STATES PATENTS NEW USES FOR OLD IDEAS 139
Stoves can be found in a variety of sizes, shapes and forms, and they all reflect the extensive use of cast iron and a flexible design aimed at achieving multifunctional results. David Little proposed a series of 11 plates in 1826 (fig. 48) 'in which all kinds of boiling, roasting, roasting, baking, and steaming are done', and its size was to be flexible 'to suit all families or purchasers , both ornamental and useful", where food could be boiled, broiled, baked, baked or broiled at the same time. How widespread is the concept of the cast iron skeleton as expressed by James Bogardus.
140 BULLETIN 24 1 : CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE MUSEUM OF HISTORY AND TECHNOLOGY
Hvtoh incf Rnil
UNITED STATES PATENTS NEW USES FOR OLD IDEAS 141
142 BULLETIN 24 1 : COXTRIBUTIONS FROM THE MUSEUM OF HISTORY AND TECHNOLOGY
Early industrial techniques such as burning charcoal (fig. .. 51) and grinding bark (fig. 52), vehicles of all kinds from fire engines (fig. 53) to wagons (fig. 54), agricultural equipment (fig. 55 ), and a variety of other tools are represented by watercolor drawings or specifications, or both. Pryor's improved bark mill of 1805 is an excellent example of the patent file as an illustrative and descriptive document. Bark, after being prepared in the usual manner, is thrown into a horizontal separating machine, which is a CN-lindrical revolutionary thread which is finer or coarse and which may be most advantageous at intervals to produce long or short bark filaments.
144 BULLETIN 24 1 : CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE MUSEUM OF HISTORY .XND TECHNOLOGY
The patent specification provides a first-hand account that can often stand alone as a description of an important routine activity such as farming or fishing.
146 BULLETIN 24 1 : CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE MUSEUM OF HISTORY AND TECHNOLOGY
UNITED STATES PATENTS NEW USES FOR OLD IDEAS 147
Equally clear and suggestive is Benjamin Hale's illustration (fig. 57) of "taking mackerel and 148 BULLETIN 241 : CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE MUSEUM OF HISTORY AND TECHNOLOGY.
UNITED STATES PATENTS NEW USES FOR OLD IDEAS 149
150 BULLETIN 24 1 : CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE MUSEUM OF HISTORY AND TECHNOLOGY
It often claimed that the pre-1836 drawings are reconstructions of those destroyed in the Patent Office fire and are therefore not valid as source material. This is only partially true, as some drawings are duplicates of the burn originals; and furthermore, many of the restored are almost modern reconstructions, often well re-. Chappell's map of spheres and right lines (fig. 20) is apparently a copy of an original drawing; so is the Solyman Merrick wrench (Fig. 15).
