National history and borrow its patent models. So sorry, wes, cant lend any. In our desperation, we turned to our friends in the u. S. Patent office, and he said, you should contact alan rothchild who owns the largest private collection of american patent models in the world. We did just that. I went up to casanova effort todays, and alan and anne couldnt be more gracious and hospitable. They had built this wing on their house to display the patent models, and alan said, borrow anything you like. I spent two days selecting. It was a hard choice narrowing it down, and as you know, the exhibition was a Great Success here for two years. Thats my personal contact with the rothchilds rothschilds. Alan received a degree in pharmacy and went into the Family Business. Threether established pharmacies in the syracuse, new york area, so allen was going to do that for a career, but while he was in college, he was interested in a pot the kerry shops. Displayed objects would go into an apothecary shop, and he decided to create an historic apothecary shop museum, which he did, and it was open for 25 years in syracuse. It is now housed in downtown syracuse, but he got bored with pharmacy, which he described as counting pills from one big bottle into a little bottle. He went out on his own, and he founded and middle equipment and supply company. He established a Home Health Care center and a company to build and manage medical buildings. He holds to see u. S. Patents for devices two u. S. Patents for timing devices and is a collector of patent models on a massive scale. Im sure he will tell you about that. His wife anne holds a masters degree in Instructional Technology and was the director of Senior Citizens programs in the city of syracuse. She also has run the Family Business, the syracuse glove factory, and has assisted alan with his research on patent models. She is the coauthor of the book on their patent model collection titled inventing a better mousetrap. With that, lets welcome alan rothschild. [applause] mr. Rothschild thank you, charles, for your kind words. To give a very special thank you to betsy bruen , the director of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, for inviting us to do this presentation and book signing. Betsy has always been a staunch advocate of the patent models, and her support is appreciated. Thank you to nona martin from the museum who has overseen the arrangements for the event. A special thank you to elizabeth director of inventor education for the u. S. Patent and Trademark Office and for their collaboration to make this event happen. Also, a well deserved thank you to garrett grand win, editor of our book who also wrote the introduction for the book. I believe garrett is here this evening, along with gretchen guiles from california, representing the publishers of our book. Thank you both. Also, i want to thank all of you who have come tonight to hear our program. The patent system added the fuel of interest to genius. This quote was by abraham lincoln. President lincoln had a patent. Its purpose was to lift boats and obstructions in a river. Lincoln is the only american president to ever obtain a u. S. Patent. Its april 10, 1790. President washington has signed the unitedreate states Patent Office. For the first time in American History, the right of an inventor to his or her invention is recognized by law. The constitution, article one, section eight, clause eight tells congress to promote and offer arts inventors the respective right to their writings and discoveries. The subject matter of a United States patent is defined as any useful art, manufacturer, or device, or any improvement thereon not before used. To apply for a patent, a specification and drying and model are to be cemented. State thomas jefferson, henry knox, and attorney general Edmund Randolph are chosen to head a threemember patent commission. Commission members are given the power to issue a patent if they deem the invention or discovery sufficiently useful and important. The boards authority to grant patents is absolute, with no appeals process. The department of state is given the responsibility for administering patent laws. The fee for a patent is between four dollars and five dollars. This is an example of a patent model. All the images of models in this presentation are patent models better in the book and part of the rothschild patent model collection. 1790s were required from until 1880. Many were still being submitted until the late 1890s. And model was not to be more than 12 inches square and needed to have the inventors name of fixed to it. The United States was the only country in the world that ever required a model to be submitted for a patent. Era, thee patent model Patent Office of fixed a patent and receiving tag to each model granted a patent. The patent was attached to the model by a short length of red fabric tape. Had the patent number on it, along with the inventors name, what the patent was for, and the date on which it received a patent. The receiving tag had the inventors name on it, what the patent was, and the date the model was received by the Patent Office. Approximately 10,000 models were 1836. From 1790 to the patent papers that were issued to the inventors were signed by the United States president , secretary of and the attorney general. The image displayed is an original patent paper signed by George Washington on january 6, 1797 for the invention of john the zero for process related to pearlking of compound ashes. In 1810, the Patent Office moves from the department of state to blodgetts hotel, also known as the great hotel and Union Pacific hotel. It was built in 1793 by Samuel Blodgett on e street between seventh and 8th avenue. For the first time, patent models are put on public display, and it becomes a local custom to stroll through the rooms on sundays to see what models are on view. On december 15, 1836, there is a fire at the Patent Office, and building burns to the ground. All the records and models are destroyed. Congress appropriates 100,000 for the restoration of 3000 of the most important ones. Luckily, i enough records are held outside the office to allow almost all of the 10,000 models to be reconstructed. They are given their original date and an x after their number. In 1830 six, Congress Authorizes construction of a new building for the Patent Office. The design is a greek revival structure modeled after the parthenon. As many of you know, we are now sitting in this building that was built to house the Patent Office. Congress had certain requirements for the new building. It must be fireproof, meet the requirements of the Patent Office for the next 50 years, and include galleries for displaying models to the public. 1840s, asof the many as 10,000 visitors per month came to view the models. Of july 4, 1836 reestablishes the examination system of 1790. The submission of models are once again required by the commissioner. The application fee is 30 for u. S. Citizens, 500 for british subjects, and 300 for all others. Numbering system is instituted, replacing the previous practice of using names. Patent number one is issued to senator john ruggles of maine for traction wheels on locomotive steam engines. It wasnt supposed to happen, but it certainly did. A majormber 24, 1877, fire breaks out on the first floor of the west wing of the Patent Office building, of the supposedly fireproof building. 7,000 models are destroyed 27,000 models are retrieved from the debris, and Congress Appropriates 45,000 for their restoration. In the summer of 1994, i stumbled upon a group of patent models for sale at an upstate new york antique show. Captivated by them, i purchased a few models, a few more, and then a lot more. This was the beginning of the rothschild patent model collection. Models were added to the collection from auctions, private sales, and several other collections. The collection consisted of over 4000 patent models. Years, the collection has been featured in hundreds of. Rticles and magazines some of the more interesting stories were in the new york times, the Christian Science monitor, and the inflight magazine of emirates airways. The collection was featured on television programs, cbs sunday morning, the history channel, and home and garden television. 24ave curated more than patent model exhibits that have traveled throughout this country. Some of the exhibits have been at the United States patent and Trademark Office, the Federal Reserve bank of boston. Texas a m university, the louisiana art and Science Museum , and without a doubt, the most significant of all the exhibits was inventing a better mousetrap that was in the Smithsonian American Art Museum from november of 2011 until november 2013. One of my favorite exhibits, which is still ongoing, is at the discovery arcade in disney paris. Question i have been asked many times over the past years is, how did i and up with these models if they were in the possession of the United StatesPatent Office . The answer is, in 1883, the models were moved out of the Patent Office and placed in storage. It was estimated that from 1884 200,000 was spent in moving and storing the patent models. 10,000 topropriated do away with historic models. In 1925, the models were sold at public auction in new york city to philanthropists. In 1936, his dreams of establishing a patent model withm never materialized the 1929 stock market crash. The estate sold the models to a broadway producer who in turn sold the collection to a group of businessmen who founded a american patent models. In 1940, american patent models declared bankruptcy, and the models were acquired by overrun dog gilbert. Over the years, gilbert had many auctions, and thousands of models were sold. Peterson, ack designerinventor purchased gilberts remaining collection of models. Peterson printed and eightvolume set of catalogs showing models for sale and sold many models in private sales and auctions. I begin purchasing models from peterson in 1994 and eventually ended up with his personal collection. You an like to give overview of the book inventing a better mousetrap, written by myself and my wife. There are 25 chapters in the book broken down by subject. Atter each chapter features a dozen or more patent models with short descriptions of how they work, along with stories about their inventors. Our book has had over three dozen reviews and comments, all of which have been extremely complementary and informative. I would like to share one of the comments with you from somebodys name you all recognize. Steve wozniak, cofounder of apple computers. Like to talk now about a few of the inventors featured in the book, along with images of their models. George corliss was known worldwide for his contributions to the design and construction of the steam engine. Established the corliss Nightingale Company in rhode island. Of all the thousands of steam engines built at the factory, the most famous was one at the 1876 centennial exhibition in philadelphia. The steam engine was the largest in the world and supply power to 14 acres of machinery. This patent model is the corliss cure cutting machine patented in 1877. The machine was adapted to koch to cut gears with any required degree of bevel. This was the machine on display at the centennial exhibition. Eli whitney, the inventor of the con gin, was born in westborough, massachusetts in 1765. His father was a farmer. Whitney revolutionized the cotton industry with invention for removing seeds from con fiber. Eli whitneys son also named eli was born in 1820 and was five years old at the time of his fathers death. When his father passed away, he became known as eli whitney, not junior. In 1841, his son eli took over the operation of the musket manufacturing from his cousins, public brothers whom we will talk about next the blake brothers whom we will talk about next. Whitneys patent model was for a breach loading firearm. He received many patents over a and was one of the first manufacturers of percussion gun caps. In 1894 at the age of 74. The first lock company in new haven, connecticut was the blake brothers company, started in 1833 by three brothers. Eli Whitney Blake, silas blake, and john blake, nephews of eli whitney, the inventor of the cop engine. After his death in 1825. The blake brothers took over operation of the factory, and whitneys son eli took over the operation from his cousins in 1841. Eli Whitney Blake invented the first stone crushing machine, which provided the material to create the nations first paved roadways. The blake brothers patent in the first mortar locking latch that was inserted into the body of the door. Their invention replace the box lock and latch that was affixed to the outside surface of the. Oor sir Henry Stevens maxim was born in maine in 1840. While born in america, he later became a british citizen. Maxim received his greatest recognition preventing the worlds first automatic portable machine gun. His gun could fire 500 rounds per minute, equal to the firepower of 100 rifles. The gun revolutionized warfare. He offers his weapon to the United States war and navy departments, both of which declined it on the grounds that it was impractical. The following year, maxim sold his gun to most of the major powers in europe. In 1900, he was knighted by queen victoria, becoming sir henry maxim in recognition of his gun hadtion made in the success of the british army. Maxim was a prolific inventor, from creating the first automated Sprinkler System to flying a plane before the wright brothers. It was in brooklyn, new york machinesim generated for utilizing gas. ,is invention of the carburetor and Automated Machine for from gasoliner under heat and pressure. Neville bushel and his wife anna were partners in a factory store. The china products arrived in crates packed with sawdust. The Packing Material frequently would spill onto the floor and needed to be constantly cleaned up. Bissell was frustrated with the sweeper he was using and patented a bissell carpet sweeper. Ofdied in 1889 at the age 45. Upon his death, his wife anna became the head of the company, becoming the first female ceo in america. The carpet sweeper was patented in 1886. The wheels that turned the rotary brush were located outside the walls of the sweeper casing. By ansing was surrounded encircling elastic band for preventing the wheels and casing from coming in contact and marring furniture or wall surfaces. The company is still in existence today in grand rapids, michigan and is still familyowned. Of 19, aat the age young quaker named Stephen Whitman set up a confectionery close to the waterfront in ,hiladelphia, pennsylvania trying to compete with the european chocolates of the time. He drew customers from all walks of life, but it was the sailors from the wharf who provided whitman with the important fruits, nuts, cocoa, and flavorings from their travels. He incorporated these delicacies into his chocolate. Whitman began his Company Selling individual chocolates, but in 1854, he introduced his first box of candies, whitmans choice next sugar plumes from stephen f whitman, packaged in a frilly container. It became the first packaged in a printed and trademarked package. Sugarplums referred to any candy, not just one type. Whitman patented his machine forecasting confectionery in 1875. The machine used a steam pillbox around in the body to heat the premolded batch, which was to be poured into multiple vessels located on the top. A lever controlled a sliding gate underneath to control several streams of material simultaneously. As a testament to Stephen Whitman, 160 years later, the name is still synonymous with. Hocolate richard ho was an American Press maker who in 1843 invented the rotary press, which revolutionized printing. The press printed both sides of a sheet of paper at the same time. The first rotary press could print up to 8000 pages in our. Larger presses made printing larger newspapers possible. Ho received over 30 patents for his inventions. His inventions were responsible for the Company Becoming one of the most successful manufacturers of printing equipment in north america. Hos patent model for printing railad tickets is one of the rarest models in the collection. Atmodels by richard ho are the National Museum of American History. I believe this is the only other existing model that is not in the collection. This press, using a revolving cylinder, numbered the tickets to successive numbers by a registering apparatus and then cut them from the role and deposited them in a receptacle in numerical order. Henrietta vasser tart of richmond, england is known as englands first woman engineer, and her improvement in propeller designs is probably the most important nautical invention of the 19th century. James hader father patented his idea of a submerged stemmounted propeller. The propeller was fitted on many british warships. Following her feathers fathers d