CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE
[Preface]vii
I.[GETTING AN IDEA]1
[How to Get an Idea]
[The First Raw Idea].—[Accidental Discoveries].—[Thoughtout Ideas].—[Reading up Your Subject].—[Workingout Ideas by Experiment].—[Ideas forInventions in General].—[Ideas for MechanicalInventions.][Ideas for Electrical Inventions].—[Ideasfor Electro-Mechanical Inventions].—[Ideasfor Chemical Inventions].—[Ideas for Electro-ChemicalInventions].
[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 Toolsyou Need].
[How to Draw Isometric Ellipses]
[An Easy, Rough Way] and .
[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].—[Formsof 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].—[WorkingModels].
[Ways to Make a Model]
[Making a Model Yourself].—[Having a ModelMaker Make It].
[The Tools You Need]
[The Vernier].—[The Micrometer].—[A and S WireGage].—[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].—[TheClaims].—[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 OwnShop].—[Buying Machine Tools].—[Buying theStock].—[Organizing a Shop Force].—[The StockRoom].—[The Finished Product].—[OverheadCharges].
[Where Your Profits Come in]
IX.[PUTTING IT ON THE MARKET]166
[How Best to Do It]
[Agents Wanted].—[The Mail Order Business].—[ASeries of Follow-Up Letters].—[Selling ThroughSales Agents].—[Selling Direct from Factory toConsumer].—[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 theFarm].—[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].—[TheTelegraph].—[The Perfecting Press].—[TheSewing Machine].—[The Ice Machine].—[TheSteel Process].—[The Gas Engine].—[The Dynamoand Motor].—[The Air Brake].—[The Telephone].—[TheTypewriter].—[The Phonograph].—[The StorageBattery].—[The Snap-shot Camera].—[TheSteam Turbine].—[The Automobile].—[The IncandescentLight].—[The Trolley Car].—[The ElectricLocomotive].—[The Linotype].—[Moving Pictures].—[TheWireless Telegraph].—[The WirelessTelephone].—[The Aeroplane].
XII.[PROFITABLE INFORMATION]216
[Design Patents]
[Assignments]
[Caveats]
[Patent Office Fees]
[Trade Marks]
[Copyrights]
[Government Fees for Patents and Least Chargesof 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]; 29
[A set of inexpensive drawing instruments]; 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-sectionpaper]; [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]; 63
[A lever of the second class]; [wire splicing clamps]63
[A lever of the third class]; 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]; [apulsating direct current]; [an alternating current]; [alternatingcurrent changed into an interrupted direct 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 fromthe 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

CHAPTER I
GETTING AN IDEA

Almost every one has had, at some time or other an idea for a new invention or of how some old device could be improved.

To get an original idea for an invention is in itself a mark of genius, but it is not enough to make it a success and if you do not know how to develop it you are almost certain to give up before you have completed it.