Chapter II: Preface: vii

I. GETTING AN IDEA 1

HOW TO GET AN IDEA

The First Raw Idea.--Accidental Discoveries.--Thought
out Ideas.--Reading up Your Subject.--Working
out Ideas by Experiment.--Ideas for
Inventions in General.--Ideas for Mechanical
Inventions.--Ideas for Electrical Inventions.--Ideas
for Electro-Mechanical Inventions.--Ideas
for Chemical Inventions.--Ideas for Electro-Chemical
Inventions.

PROTECTING YOUR RAW IDEAS

II. WORKING IT OUT ON PAPER 19

TOOLS FOR MAKING SIMPLE DRAWINGS

HOW TO MAKE SIMPLE WORKING DRAWINGS

A SIMPLE WAY TO DRAW IN PERSPECTIVE

How to Make Isometric Paper.--Drawing Tools
you Need.

HOW TO DRAW ISOMETRIC ELLIPSES

An Easy, Rough Way and a Hard, Accurate Way.

HOW TO SHADE DRAWINGS

HOW TO MAKE ELECTRICAL SYMBOLS

HOW TO READ ELECTRICAL DIAGRAMS

SOME AIDS TO DRAWING

MAKING CARDBOARD MODELS

III. THE STATE OF THE ART 45

WHAT IS MEANT BY THE STATE OF THE ART

USE OF THE STATE OF THE ART

HOW TO LEARN THE STATE OF THE ART

HAVING A PATENT ATTORNEY LOOK IT UP

HOW TO LOOK IT UP YOURSELF

WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU FIND

(a) There are no other improvements like yours.--(b)
That there is a resemblance to yours.--(c)
When others are exactly like yours.

IV. HOW TO EXPERIMENT 58

HOW TO EXPERIMENT WITH MACHINES

Work, Energy and Power.--Work Against Friction.--Forms
of Energy.

MACHINES AND THE PRINCIPLES OF MACHINERY

THE USES OF MACHINES

THE SIX MECHANICAL POWERS

COMPOUND MACHINES.--BOOKS

HOW TO EXPERIMENT WITH ELECTRICITY

FORMS OF ELECTRICITY

Static Electricity.--Current Electricity.--Magnetism.--Radiation.

YOUR ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT.--BOOKS

HOW TO EXPERIMENT WITH CHEMISTRY

YOUR CHEMICAL EQUIPMENT.--BOOKS

HOW TO EXPERIMENT WITH ELECTRO-CHEMISTRY

V. MAKING A MODEL 91

KINDS OF MODELS

Rough Models.--Scale Models.--Working
Models.

WAYS TO MAKE A MODEL

Making a Model Yourself.--Having a Model
Maker Make It.

THE TOOLS YOU NEED

The Vernier.--The Micrometer.--A and S Wire
Gage.--Drill Press.--Screw Cutting Lathe.

BUYING MATERIALS

ABOUT MAKING PATTERNS

CASTING IN BRASS AND IRON

VI. HOW TO PATENT YOUR INVENTION 112

WHAT A PATENT IS

CHOOSING A PATENT ATTORNEY

APPLYING FOR A PATENT YOURSELF

APPLYING FOR A PATENT THROUGH A PATENT ATTORNEY

WHAT YOU MAY PATENT

LOOKING AHEAD

WHAT A PATENT CONSISTS OF

The Petition.--The Drawings.--The Specifications.--The
Claims.--The Oath.

WHILE YOUR PATENT IS PENDING

INTERFERENCE

WHEN YOUR PATENT IS GRANTED

ABOUT PAPER PATENTS

VII. MAKING YOUR INVENTION PAY 131

HOW TO RAISE THE INITIAL FUNDS

ABOUT AN INTEREST IN A PATENT

Royalties, Shop Rights, etc.

FORMING A PARTNERSHIP

WHERE THE PROMOTER COMES IN

WHAT A STOCK COMPANY IS

HOW A STOCK COMPANY IS ORGANIZED

The Fees of the State.--Outfit Needed.

HOW A STOCK COMPANY IS OPERATED

ABOUT RETAINING A LAWYER

VIII. SOME HINTS OF MANUFACTURING 146

PROBLEMS OF MANUFACTURING

Farming out the Work.--Starting Your Own
Shop.--Buying Machine Tools.--Buying the
Stock.--Organizing a Shop Force.--The Stock
Room.--The Finished Product.--Overhead
Charges.

WHERE YOUR PROFITS COME IN

IX. PUTTING IT ON THE MARKET 166

HOW BEST TO DO IT

Agents Wanted.--The Mail Order Business.--A
Series of Follow-Up Letters.--Selling Through
Sales Agents.--Selling Direct from Factory to
Consumer.--Selling Through the Trade.

GETTING PUBLICITY

ADVERTISING

X. THINGS FOR YOU TO INVENT 180

SOME LITTLE THINGS NEEDED

For the Person.--For the House.--For the
Farm.--For the Office.--For Fun.

SOME BIG INVENTIONS NEEDED

Safety First.--Automobiles.--Aviation.--Chemistry.--
Electricity.--Electro-Chemistry.--Building.--Mining
and Metallurgy.--Printing.--Moving Pictures.

WHAT NOT TO INVENT

XI. WHAT SOME INVENTIONS HAVE PAID 200

A TOUR OF THE INVENTIVE WORLD

LITTLE INVENTIONS

SIMPLE INVENTIONS

REAL INVENTIONS

GREAT INVENTIONS

The Steam Engine, Locomotive, and Steamboat.--The
Telegraph.--The Perfecting Press.--The
Sewing Machine.--The Ice Machine.--The
Steel Process.--The Gas Engine.--The Dynamo
and Motor.--The Air Brake.--The Telephone.--The
Typewriter.--The Phonograph.--The Storage
Battery.--The Snap-shot Camera.--The
Steam Turbine.--The Automobile.--The Incandescent
Light.--The Trolley Car.--The Electric
Locomotive.--The Linotype.--Moving Pictures.--The
Wireless Telegraph.--The Wireless
Telephone.--The Aeroplane.

XII. PROFITABLE INFORMATION 216

DESIGN PATENTS

ASSIGNMENTS

CAVEATS

PATENT OFFICE FEES

TRADE MARKS

COPYRIGHTS

GOVERNMENT FEES FOR PATENTS AND LEAST CHARGES
OF PATENT ATTORNEYS

FOREIGN PATENTS

APPENDICES 229-252

SOME WORDS AND TERMS USED IN THIS BOOK 253-260

INDEX 261-270

ILLUSTRATIONS

PAGE

Patent granted to the author _Frontispiece_

A popular idea of an inventive genius 2

Where the big idea really originates 3

A model self-inking printing press 9

A velocipede scroll saw with boring attachment 10

A standard single cylinder air pump 11

A horizontal steam engine 12

A fireless cooker 13

A loud speaking telephone largely used on ship-board 14

A common electric bell 15

An ordinary telegraph sounder 16

A telautograph 17

The gyro compass of a ship 18

A twelve inch rule 19

A pair of cheap compasses 19

An isometric perspective drawing of a box 20

Top, side and end view of same 20

Cross-section of same; drawing of hook 21

Side view of a steam engine 22

End view of same 23

Top view of same 24

Cross-section of same 24

The side valve shown in detail 25

An isometric perspective drawing of a steam engine 25

A sheet of isometric drawing paper 26

First step in isometric perspective drawing 27

The next step in isometric perspective drawing 27

A crank shaft drawn on isometric paper 28

A drawing board; a triangular scale 29

A set of inexpensive drawing instruments; a protractor 30

The position of the protractor on paper 31

The proportion of an isometric ellipse 32

How ellipses stand out in relief 33

How an isometric ellipse is drawn 34

Shading and lettering chart for drawings 35

Chart of electrical symbols 37, 38

A simple wiring diagram 39

Aids to drawing a manikin; proportions drawn on cross-section
paper; trial positions of manikin 40-42

Cardboard model of a gyro engine 44

The Official Gazette; Patent specifications; Index to Patents 53

A lever of the first class; a pair of pliers 63

A lever of the second class; wire splicing clamps 63

A lever of the third class; a pair of sugar tongs 64

A bent lever 65

A compound lever 65

Wheel and axle 66

A train of wheels or wheel works 66

A fixed pulley 67

An incline plane and one of its uses 67

A simple wedge; a printer’s quoin 68

The theory of a screw; a screw clamp 68

Some useful mechanical movements 70-73

A steady direct current; an interrupted direct current; a
pulsating direct current; an alternating current; alternating
current changed into an interrupted direct current;
a periodic oscillating current; a sustained oscillating current 76-78

Some useful electro-mechanical devices 80-81

An ammeter; a voltmeter 82

A resistance box 83

Side and end view of a winding device 84

Making a ruby by chemistry; ruby boules as they come from
the furnace; synthetic rubies after they are cut 85

Some useful chemical apparatus 87

An electric furnace showing parts and in operation 88-89

Rough model of an electric motor drive for a locomotive 92

A scale model of an aeroplane 93

A toy helicopter 94

A working model of a locomotive 95

Some useful jewelers’ and machinists’ tools 101

A small hand drill press 102

A foot power screw-cutting lathe 103

A vernier for accurate measurement 103

A micrometer 105

A standard wire gage 106

Useful stock materials made by automatic machinery 107

A standard for a telegraph sounder 109

Pouring a mould 110

Rules of Practice of the Patent Office 116

A page of drawings 121

Specification of one of Mr. Collins’ patents 123

The Claims of the same patent 123

The U. S. Patent Office, Washington, D. C. 129

Certificate of Incorporation 139

Stock certificate 141

A seal press 142

A gas furnace 150

A grinder and polisher 151

A plain lathe for turning metal with hand tools 152

An engine lathe 153

Pillar type of power drill 154

A planer for surfacing metal work 154

A shaper for shaping up metal work 155

A universal milling machine 156

A jig saw 157

A band saw 158

A time stamp 162

A high frequency machine 163

From manufacturer to canvasser, to consumer 167

From manufacturer to order agent, to consumer 169

From manufacturer to his agent, to consumer 172

Selling direct from factory to consumer 173

Selling through the trade 174

Old style and improved tooth brush 182

The old and the new way in sweeping carpets 183

A labor saving painting machine 184

A quick figuring and bookkeeping machine 185

A rubber dagger 186

Bumping-the-bumps 187

A novel, life-saving gun 188

The Owen magnetic clutch 189

A gyro stabilizer 189

A liquid air machine 190

The cheapest form of light 190

A tube system of electric light 191

The high tension electric generator 192

Cutting steel girders with oxy-acetylene 193

Apparatus for prevention of mine disasters 194

A steel plate engraving machine 195

An attempt to improve the movies 196

Tesla’s tower at Wardencliffe, L. I. 197

A perpetual motion machine 198

Perpetual motion as seen by a patent attorney 199

The first telephone 205

The first typewriter 206

The first phonograph 207

The first incandescent light 210

Collins wireless telephone 214

Design patent 216

A registered trade mark 220

Application blank for copyright of a book 222-223

Cross-section of gear 238

The four chief thermometric scales 251

INVENTING FOR BOYS