Edwin J. Prindle

“ Imagination is the association in new relations of ideas already possessed by the mind. It is impossible to imagine that, the elements of which are not already known to us. We cannot conceive of a color which does not consist of a blending of one or more colors with which we are already familiar. This evolution of an invention is more or less logical, and is often worked out by logical processes to such an extent that the steps or efforts of imagination are greatly reduced as compared with the effort of producing the invention solely by the imagination. ”

“ One should endeavor to conceive how he would accomplish the desired result if he were attempting the problem before any one else had ever solved it. In other words, he should endeavor to provide himself with the idea elements on which the imagination will operate, but to dismiss from his mind as much as possible the old ways in which these elements have been associated, and thus leave his imagination free to associate them in original and, as to be hoped, better relations than before. ”

“ As one example of the evolution of an invention, I will take an instrument for measuring and recording a period of time, known as the calculograph, because it lends itself with facility, to an explanation from a platform and because my duties as a lawyer have necessitated my becoming very familiar with the invention, and have caused me to consider how it was probably produced. ”

“ It is, undoubtedly, true that every inventor must have some imagination or creative faculty, but, as I shall seek to show, this faculty may be greatly assisted by method. While reasoning does not constitute the whole of an inventive act, it can, so to speak, clear the way and render the inventive act easier of accomplishment.
Invention has been defined as "In the nature of a guess; the mind leaps across a logical chasm. ”

“ If the three principal views of all the essentially different positions of the parts of a machine are drawn, it will often be found that defects will be brought to light which would not otherwise have been observed until the machine was put into the metal.
It is desirable to see the whole invention clearly in the mind before beginning to draw, but if that cannot be done, it is often of great assistance to draw what can be seen, and the clearer perception given by the study of the parts already drawn, assists the mind in the conception of the remaining parts. ”

“ It is sometimes desirable not only to invent a good process of producing a product, but to control all feasible processes of producing the product. Such a case occurred where the product itself had been patented, and it was desirable to extend the monopoly beyond the time when the patent on the product should expire. There were two steps or operations which were essential to the production of the product, and the inventor, by reference to permutations, saw that there were but three orders in which those steps could be performed ”

“ Inventing has become so much of a science, that if one is willing to spend sufficient time and money to enable a competent corps of inventors to go at the matter exhaustively, almost any possible invention involving but a reasonable advance in the art can be perfected. ”

“ In inventing compositions of matter there is one inventor who, if he is seeking for a certain result, will take a chemical dictionary and make every possible combination of every substance that could by any possibility be an ingredient of that which he desires to produce. ”

“ The inventor should first make certain that the problem is based upon a real need. Much time and money is sometimes spent in an effort to invent something that is not really needed. What already exists is good enough or is so good that no additional cost or complication would justify anything better. The new invention might be objectionable because it would involve counter disadvantages more important than its own advantages, so that a really desirable object is the first thing to be sure of. ”

“ Patents have become so well recognized a factor in commerce that, in many lines of manufacture, concerns do not depend simply upon cheapness of manufacture, or quality of product, to maintain their trade, but they count on always having a product which is at least slightly better than that of their competitors, and which is covered by patents, so that they do not have to compete with an article of equal merit. ”

“ Of course, mechanical dictionaries, and other sources of mechanical elements and movements will be found useful in arriving at means for accomplishing certain of the motions, if the invention be a machine. Many important inventions have been made by persons whose occupation is wholly disconnected with the art in which they are inventing, because their minds were not prejudiced by what had already been done. ”

“ In popular language an art may be said to be any process or series of steps or operations for accomplishing a physical or chemical result. Examples are, the art of telephoning by causing undulations of the electric current corresponding to the sound waves of the spoken voice. ”

“ Edison is quoted as having said that "any man can become an inventor if he has imagination and pertinacity," that "invention is not so much inspiration as perspiration."
There are four classes of protectable inventions. ”

“ Where a machine involves the conjoint action of several forces, it can be more thoroughly studied, if it is found there are positions of the machine in which one force or motion only is in operation, the effect of the others in such position being eliminated, and thus the elements making up the resultant effect can be intelligently controlled. ”

“ There are many kinds of invention. The poet, the artist, the playwright, the novelist all exercise or may exercise invention in the production of their works. The merchant may exercise invention in the devising of a new method of selling goods. ”

“ The term machine hardly needs any explanation. It may be said to be an assemblage of two or more mechanical elements, having a law of action of its own.
A manufacture is anything made by the hand of man, which is neither a machine nor a composition of matter ”

“ If the improvement which it is sought to make is a process, it should first be considered whether any radically different process can be conceived of, and if so, whether or not it is better than the old process, and the reason for its defects, and whether it is possible to cure those defects. ”

“ The department store was an invention of this class.
The subject of my paper is, however, the art of making technical inventions, and particularly patentable inventions. And, first, of its commercial importance; for the engineer is concerned with things having a commercial value. By the art of inventing, wealth is created absolutely out of ideas alone. It usually takes capital to develop an invention and make it productive, but not always. ”

“ The people must take the invention on the terms he dictates or let it alone for seventeen years. This is a necessity from the nature of the grant. Cries of restraint of trade and impairment of the freedom of sales are unavailing, because for the promotion of the useful arts the constitution and statutes authorize this very monopoly. ”

“ Having selected a problem, the next step should be a thorough analysis of the old situation, getting at the reasons for the faults which exist, and in fact discovering the presence of faults which are not obvious to others, because of the tendency to believe that whatever is, is right. ”

“ The art of casting car wheels, which consists in directing the metal into the mold in a stream running tangentially instead of radially, so that the metal in the mold is given a rotary movement, and the heavy, sound metal flows out to the rim of the wheel, while the light [ 7] and defective metal is displaced toward the centre, where it is not subjected to wear. ”

“ And they keep a corps of inventors at work in a constant effort to improve the product, so that, when the patents now giving protection have expired, they will have a better article to offer, which shall also be protected by patents.
Inventing has become almost a recognized profession. Many large concerns constantly employ a large corps of inventors, at liberal salaries. Besides the inventors employed by large corporations, there are many inventors who have maintained their independence, and are free lances, so to speak. ”

“ It should then be considered if parts of each train of gearing cannot be combined, so as to make one part do the work of a part in each train; in short, to reduce the machine to its lowest terms. Occasionally a mechanism will be invented which is exceedingly ingenious, but which it is afterwards seen how to simplify, greatly at the expense of its apparent ingenuity. ”

“ It was desirable to have a machine that would record any number of overlapping intervals at the same time, so that one machine would record the intervals of all the telephone conversations under the control of a single operator, or rather of two operators, because both of them could reach the same machine. So it wouldn't do to set the hand back to zero, as the hand must rotate constantly and uniformly. Then why not set the zero up to the [ 12] hand at each initial imprint? This meant making the dial rotatable, as well as the hand. It gave an initial record like that shown in Fig. 6. ”

“ Some inventors have become wealthy almost solely by their inventions, such as Edison, Bell, Westinghouse, Marconi, Pupin, Tesla, and Sprague. A considerable number of the smaller manufacturing concerns are built largely or wholly upon the inventions of their principal owners. ”

“ Almost all important and successful inventions which have found their way into general use and acceptance have been the products of well-balanced and thoughtful minds, capable of patient laborious investigation. ”

“ There is an enormous amount of wealth in this country that is based upon patents. As an instance, might be mentioned the fact that the United Shoe Machinery Company is, by means of patents, able to control the sewing machines upon which ninety per cent. ”

“ The grasping movement of the finger U is accomplished by a spring V' bearing on the shank U', [ 18] and its opening movement is caused by the travel of an anti-friction roll U", on the rear end of the pivoted finger, over a cam V", on the bearing of the shaft. The shaft is rotated by the turning of a bevel pinion W on the shaft through the action of an intermittent gear. ”

“ The inventor found that one finger could have a purely rotary movement, as if it were fixed on the arm and unable to move independently of the arm, and the movement being as if the arm rotated like a shaft, but the second finger must be further capable of moving toward and from the first finger to perform the opening movement of Fig. ”