Samuel Evans Clark

“ They have been feted and honored in many ways, their names indelibly inscribed on the roll of the earth's greatest men. Fortune and fame have been showered on them with a lavish hand, and yet little or no effort is made to direct thought into this vast and unlimited field for study, that people may learn to invent. ”

“ Many times a good idea is poorly carried out, the mechanical arrangements are not well adapted either for performing the work or to effect lowest cost in construction. These defects give rise to improvements. It certainly would be a provoking experience to obtain a grand idea and get it up in a defective mechanical way and have someone make a simple improvement and reap the reward. If I could control the matter I would change the patent laws in this respect. I would foster improvement, but I would not allow the original inventor to be robbed of his just reward. ”

“ Since we will interest ourselves in the very small affairs that hang like a great cloud of fringe on the science of invention, I think it well to make a note of some of the bright little things that have been brought forth. ”

“ How many of you know the difference between a horse and a cow in getting up? I hope a half dozen dozen and six dozen dozen don't look alike to you. You must get things exactly as they are in your mind; then only will you have a true basis to reason from. Don't go through life with the idea that everything is "about the size of a piece of chalk." ”

“ But don't spend your money for a patent too quickly. Many times patents are taken out, and instead of any danger of someone stealing them, they can't be coaxed to buy at mere cost. Unless it is really an important idea, it pays to get them made and see if they will sell before you take out a patent.
In your notebook where you keep a record of novelties and your ideas, from time to time, don't fail to record all costs you can learn of and where different things can be made—the more particular you are about these matters, the more you will improve your ideas and ability to properly promote them. ”

“ The stem wind on the watch was a very simple thought, and should have been forced on the mind every time the key was lost. "Necessity is the mother of invention."
I advise all who have any idea of inventing to practice drawing. It is an excellent practice and makes one a close observer. In thinking of subjects combining several movements or features the drawing clinches them; oftentimes the idea will slip the mind, and puzzle as we will we can't recall it at the desired time. ”

“ We should inform and prepare ourselves. Be ready to act on the slightest intimation. "There is a tide in the affairs of men which, taken at the flood, leads to fortune; omitted, all the voyage of their life is bound in shallows and in miseries." ”

“ Ideas are common and belong to all,
The methods to the first should fall.
As a matter of fact, you can't patent an idea. You patent the method, or device. Some patents may perforce virtually cover the idea as a consequence of there being no alternative. A needle for machines with the eye in the point, the wedge adjuster in the linotype machines. Patents of that class, when good, are extra valuable, because they can't be improved. We also can sometimes make an article in common use by a patented machine and have a very secure thing. I think wire nails come under this head. ”

“ Many successful inventors have had their hopes blasted at times by the apathy of the people in adopting their inventions in time for them to reap their just reward. While the inventor naturally and perforce must lead, he should be discreet, and not go so far ahead that he cannot get the people to follow. Some matters must be approached gradually.
The little ball fastening so common on our money purses is a gem. It would be rare indeed to provide any other device to take its place, it is so convenient, simple and practical. A fastener, to be a success, must make a noise in closing ”

“ All inventions originate in thought, which is often due to casual observance. We see a man stoop on the street, pick up a straw or splint and run it in the pipe stem. We begin to think. His pipe became clogged; it did not draw freely; he was lucky to find the straw; he might not always find one so readily. It is an idea to provide for such emergency so that he will not have to depend on the chance straw—something convenient; let me see—suppose we take a fine wire, double and twist it, leaving a small ring at one end. ”

“ Time will pass by pleasantly and some morning you will find your mind engrossed with an idea of an invention or an improvement on one, and that day will appear the brightest in your life. The more you study over what others have done, the sooner you will do something yourself. I fear you won't study. Now let me see; take that trick box. In No. 1 they tilted the box to get the cent out. Well, by tilting the box they simply put the flat bottom on a slant and the cent slid out. That could be improved in working by making a slanting bottom. ”

“ Has it ever occurred to you the vast amount of waste going on in putting up goods in tin packages? It presents a great field for invention of the simple "lucky" kind. The person who hits the right thing will become vastly wealthy. Try to devise a shape of package that will answer and be useful after it is emptied. Now, simply to illustrate the idea, say we put tomatoes up in a tin cup with a lid that would serve as a cake cutter. Nice little buckets might answer. Smoking tobacco packages ought to answer for match boxes to hang on the wall. ”

“ But often the practice or fact is very doubtful. The public seem to be whimsical and act as the spirit moves them, oftentimes without rhyme or reason; things become a fad or are turned down. They spring up and die like a flower. ”

“ The truth is, no doubt, the chances are on the increase. New sciences are being developed, as for instance, electricity, and each new machine turns out work that enables the inventor to do something he could not well do before. Machinery now will shape wire to any required form; castings are greatly improved; wood turnings [23] are cheap and in almost every imaginable shape. The inventor of to-day has almost every possible detail want at hand, and so he can undertake things heretofore out of reach. Naturally, as the country grows things come into demand that were not worth while before. ”

“ Many inventions are virtually lost because they are not properly pushed. My advice is, if you have an invention and are not situated properly to push it, sell it. Experience leads me to observe that we constantly change our views or see things differently. Some things look good to-day and later we do not think well of them, and vice versa, other things improve and grow in our estimation. When an idea of a device occurs, study it ”

“ A good fender for trolley cars should be made so that it could be projected in front of the car, or drawn in within the line of the car, bow-shaped in front and governed by springs, so that it would yield when striking a person.
A mechanism might be arranged to show the next station or street on a sign in the car. It could be operated by power taken from the axle, though the slipping of the wheels would be bothersome.
The flying machine is a little too much of a wild fancy for me; it would do for some fellow who wants to get off the earth. "It's me for the simple life." ”

“ If they would take an interest in things and examine them closely, study them until they can clearly explain every detail, it would be a reasonably short time until they would think of other things and invent. The inventor should be sanguine and hopeful. It spurs him on and helps him to wade through discouragement. Possibly as like produces like, like thoughts produce like thoughts, fear thoughts produce fear thoughts. ”

“ If a massive structure were built of bricks, broad, high walls, square and round towers, high, commanding, arched doorway, facades, ledges, etc., you would stand and gaze in bewildering admiration at the grand, colossal structure. ”

“ Many little puzzles have paid well, but they are invariably greatly exaggerated. The matters that come under the head of copyright are, I think, a good field to work in. The money success of these things depends principally on how well they are handled. There are many ways to make sales, many channels to work in. I am of the opinion that a large per cent. of inventors would do better to put their inventions out on royalty or sell. I am sure those who have invented will do so again and again if they are not too busily engaged otherwise. ”

“ The horse can no longer reach the food, and tosses his head about in an effort to get it. Well, we observed, thought, and as a consequence have a problem to work out. Yes, I think we might overcome the difficulty. Why, exactly, splendid; we can properly adjust the springs and fasten them in the handle or hanging straps that hold the feed bag to the horse. Then, as he eats and the weight becomes less, the springs will cause the bag to rise and the adjustment will be proper throughout. Yes, that is a real invention. We are inventors. ”

“ Make a currycomb with wire teeth: Have a sheet of metal proper shape perforated to receive the wire teeth, and rest at the bottom of the brush. After cleaning the horse pull the metal sheet up, thus cleaning the comb. For a window sash without weights follow the trolley curtain. If a stirrup had an open bottom, save a small cleet on each side to rest the foot on, in case the rider was thrown the foot would turn and come out.
I don't believe in the strenuous life. It is the "happy medium" that appeals to me. We must have time to think. ”

“ If he came forward with an original invention he would get a patent; if another man made an improvement on his method I would give him a patent, subject to a small royalty to the original inventor, and to continue until the original patent expired. ”

“ A life preserver, say of oiled goods, with a spring inside, flat, the size of a plate when operated, three feet long and able to float a person. Convenient fasteners for room doors with poor locks, burglar alarms and portable fire escapes, all worth their weight in gold when required. A few poles and strands of wire, an electrically controlled carriage and an operator would drop a life preserver every few feet of the bathing surface. They are all good subjects for the people in the troubles, but you would go to bed hungry trying to sell the goods. ”

“ When they come to the curve, in which the outside rail is always set higher than the inside one, and is necessarily longer, the flange presses against it, and that wheel is running on its largest diameter while the opposite wheel is on its smallest diameter. This fact, together with the slipping, enables the outside wheel to go over a greater length of rail than the inside wheel, though both are secured rigidly to the same axle. The train has a tendency to go straight ahead; the outside rail being higher causes it to constantly slip a little. ”

“ Mail order business will pay fairly well from any point if you deal right. Never sell anything unless it is worth the money, and don't introduce any fake schemes. Get some good novelties, household articles, books, etc.; select good leaders to advertise, and when you make a sale enclose circulars of the other goods; soon you can have a catalogue. Study the papers you advertise in; there are many quacks—you can tell them by the character of their advertising. Public catalogues soon become too common; also you should handle the goods you sell. ”

“ It is all right to improve old patents and new ones, when the improvement has real merit. I want to take you over an improvement I had patented. I secured an old trick, in the form of a tin box three inches long, having a cap at each end. A cent would be dropped in through an opening in the top. The central portion was double, the outer sleeve was loose and could be pushed up and down; a slot in its side hid by the cap would register, when pushed up, with a slot in the inner part; by tilting the box the cent would drop through these slots into the hand. ”

“ Two wire cables across the street from the big hotels, to operate a draw bridge, at times would save hundreds, as would a tunnel from amusement places. Steel cars would prevent the terrible fires when wrecked, and save many lives. It seems the people want something to eat, wear or to amuse for their money. ”

“ A slot down the side of the pencil enables one to advance the lead as required. Elections call forth many ideas as to the best form of balloting. I think a very safe form of voting would be to have two large iron boxes with mechanism and a long roll of paper, proper width, with the ballots printed on it; a flat space or table between the boxes; the long paper tape of ballots would be wound up on a roller in one box and unwound into the other, the ballots to be numbered consecutively. A voter steps up and proves his right to vote ”

“ I favor drawing to impress thought. The matter rests with yourself. "You can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make him drink."
Since so simple a device as an air cushion will render the fall of an elevator harmless, there should be something doing with trains of cars. ”

“ Thinking how to substitute one plan for another is good exercise. Look out when you do it, or you will invent. The gyroscope top is certainly very peculiar in its movements. It is an enigma to science. It is proposed to run a car on a single rail by having two gyroscopes mounted within the car. In rowing a boat the position is such that the power does not continue in full to the extreme end of the stroke. ”