Page 6
The INDEPENDENT, January 21,1998
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Have you ever used a
mouse trap?Surely, with over
two thousand different patents
and many homemade versions
out there, you have. Maybe
you even designed one and
are one of those many patent
holders. If you go to any store,
though, I don’t think you’ll find
more than three types of this
trap on the shelf for sale.
Wherever you are at this
moment, stop reading this arti
cle, glance around and take
note of the manufactured
goods around you. No matter
where you are, something de
signed or invented by someone
to make your life easier or
more comfortable will be near.
Whatever you look at proba
bly has a patent on it, or one
pending. Someone might have
even made a lot of money for
their idea, and some might
even have spent a lot of money
on an idea that hasn’t come to
market yet.
Today we are close to the
six-million mark in numbers
given to patents. But are there
six million different products
out there to use? Take the
mouse trap, for instance. Prob
ably two dozen of the 2,000
types are actually being manu
factured. Why? Most are prob
ably only slightly different from
another and, I would bet, most
are either not efficient or “plain
don’t work”! A product doesn’t
have to work efficiently to gain
a patent.
In 1790 the first patent was
issued (I believe to Ben
Franklin) and a hundred years
later the chief patent superin-
tendant, Charles Duell, wanted
to close the U.S. Patent Office
because, “everything that can
be invented has been.” His
tenure came late in a century of
discovery. There must have
been a slowing-down of tech
nology to warrant such a state
ment from him. In the 1930s
many minds became inspired
and people came up with thou
sands of ideas and inventions
that would better their fellow
man.
Backbreaking
agriculture
was the main occupation in the
world at that time and many
patents were issued that dealt
with the growing and harvest
ing of food. Manufacturing was
very important and develop
ment in manufacturing tech
niques brought about great in
ventions for raising and supply
ing food products. The steam
engine was a major develop
ment. Factories, locomotives
and equipment powered by this
great steam energy greatly
changed the landscape of our
nation and the world.
When crude oil was discov
ered, petroleum products and
their varied uses-along with
the many inventions that used
them-became increasingly im
portant.
Electricity was harnessed
and put to use, creating many
more inventions to make life
more comfortable.
With developments in the
20th century, life became easi
er and more minds went to
work doing more developing.
Many fortunes were made and
profits could be great with
earnings from an idea that
“made it”. But, of the nearly six
million patents, how many ac
tually went to work for us, and
how many are obsolete now?
How many of you have in
vented something—only to dis
cover that it already had a
patent issued 80 or 90 years
ago? It is truly amazing, the
number of things that are “new
ly” invented that were patented
many years ago. It is like re-in-
venting the wheel. Many ideas
that were tried years ago might
make it in today’s market but
are deemed old-fashioned, so
the consumer goes without that
little gadget that would really
be useful. And how many
so-called “useful” gadgets are
sitting on shelves in our
homes? And how many good
ideas and inventions are sitting
on shelves in someone’s shop,
studio or mind, waiting to come
forth?
In Oregon, many inventions
and patents have been issued
over the years. It has been said
that with all of our rain and wet
weather, great minds stay in
doors and think things up! Ore-
gon today is ranked eighth of
our 50 states on the list of
patents issued. Most of these
patents are credited to the
electronics industries and a
certain shoe company.
Many individuals though,
right here in our town, have
credit for patents issued to their
inventions. One fellow de
signed some logging equip
ment 30 years ago and had a
manufacturer build prototypes
of a backsaving device —only
to have a more modem tech
nology make his invention ob
solete. Just like in the electron
ics business, when something
is developed and, by the time it
is manufactured and marketed,
it is basically obsolete. So
there is always room for more
ideas!
Quite a handful of inventors,
engineers and tinkerers out
there have had patents issued
to them. Many of these inven
tions are used daily, some by
men in the woods, others by
housewives in their homes.
Most of us don’t know where
they came from or how they
are used or have changed our
lives. Some are simple devices
and some are very technical.
No matter what it is, though,
from something as simple as
the zipper on your clothing or
the parts in your computer,
someone, somewhere, thought
it up!
EXTRACT
—/AWAY
"When You Want It Done RIGHT the First Time’
MSA
Theory
Jazz
The Columbia County Area
Agency on Aging Advisory
Council is seeking volunteers
to fill Council vacancies. Re
sponsibilities include advising
the Columbia County Board of
Commissioners on needed ser
vices for Seniors, advocating
on behalf of Senior Citizens.
The Advisory Council meets
at the courthouse on the first
Monday of each month, 10:30
a.m.-12:00 noon. All interested
persons, regardless of age, are
urged to apply.
For an application, call Dar
lene Smith at 397-3511.
Nstwork Channels
An< & Entertainment
ABC-LosAngeles(West)
American Movie Classic
ABC Allanta(East)
Black Entertainment TV
CBS Portland(West)
C-Span 1
CBS Washington D C.(East)
C-Span 2
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CALL: 429-3770
PORTLAND: 503-645-9234
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M USIC
New Wireless Cable System Technology In Your Area!
Don’t Settle For Weak TV Signals Traveling Through Miles Of Old Cable.
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History Channel
CARPET SERVICE
Kathy Walter, Volunteer Recuit-
ment Supervisor. “By serving
as the residents’ voice, om
budsmen ensure that the resi
dents receive good care, that
their rights are protected and
that they enjoy a good quality
life.” There is a strong need for
committed, caring volunteers
willing to speak out on behalf of
the residents.
For information about the
program or to learn how to get
involved contact Kathy Walter
at 1-800-522-2602.
Volunteers interested in in
vestigation, advocacy and the
elderly are needed to serve as
ombudsmen for residents of
nursing homes, residential care
facilities, assisted living facili
ties and adult foster care
homes.
The Office of the Long Term
Care Ombudsman provides
training on the aging process,
communication, problem-solv
ing, investigation and other
ombudsman skills. The next
training will begin on January
22 in Portland.
Certified Ombudsmen iden
tify and investigate complaints
of the residents and then work
with the facilities to make
changes. “More than half of
long term care residents do not
receive regular visitors,” said
Cable TV Alert!
Discovery Channel
•
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Advocates needed for the elderly
Mussum Pisos
By Robb Wilson, Curator
Columbia County Historical Soci
ety Museum
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