Researching 19th-Century American Patents: The Journal of the Franklin Institute

Researching 19th-Century American Patents: The Journal of the Franklin InstituteAuthor(s): Carole L. PerraultSource: Bulletin of the Association for Preservation Technology, Vol. 8, No. 2 (1976), pp. 24-36Published by: Association for Preservation Technology International (APT)Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1493513 .

Accessed: 13/07/2014 14:48

Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at .http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp

.JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range ofcontent in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new formsof scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected].

.

Association for Preservation Technology International (APT) is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserveand extend access to Bulletin of the Association for Preservation Technology.

http://www.jstor.org

This content downloaded from 151.227.68.60 on Sun, 13 Jul 2014 14:48:35 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

http://www.jstor.org/action/showPublisher?publisherCode=aptech

http://www.jstor.org/stable/1493513?origin=JSTOR-pdf

http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp


RESEARCHING 19th-CENTURY AMERICAN PATENTS: THE JOURNAL OF THE FRANKLIN INSTITUTE

by Carole L. Perrault*

The following discussion is intended to acquaint researchers of 19th century American building technology with the wealth of patent information to be found in the official publication of the Franklin Institute of Phila- delphia. This article is based on several excellent histories of the Franklin Institute. For reference and further research, these sources are included in the reading list at the conclusion of the text.

OBJECTIVES OF THE FRANKLIN INSTITUTE

Founded to answer the needs of a fast growing industrialized society, the Franklin Institute of the State of Pennsylvania was incorporated on March 30, 1824. The objectives of the Institute, as set forth in its act of incorporation, were "the Promotion and Enhancement of the Manufactures and the Mechanic and Useful Arts." Unlike other mechanic institutes which were flourishing around the country during the early 19th-century, the founders of the Franklin Institute made recognition of the important link between the scientist and manufacturer. The Institute sought a plan which would accommodate a wide and diverse audience, thus hoping to bridge the gap betweey the scientist and layman, master and workman, producer and purchaser. To accomplish this end, six goals were defined:2

1. to maintain courses of lectures on the mechanic arts and on the application of science;

2. to maintain a library of books relating to science and the useful arts;

3. to provide that inventions be examined and reported on by a committee of learned and honorable men;

*Ms. Perrault, an Architectural Historian with the Office of Archeology and Historic Preservation, National Park Service, Washington, D.C. has prepared the above discussion to provide some context for her compilation entitled "Index of Patents for Locks From the Franklin Institute Journals, 1826-1859," containing 371 entries, and which is published in its entirety in this issue of the APT Bulletin. Other index lists will follow on such subjects as early lighting devices, early heating devices, brickmaking machinery, wood- working machinery and others. It is hoped that these listings will contribute to making the valuable information found in patent records and in the Journals of the Franklin Institute more accessible to researchers of 19th century American building technology.

A Fr Vol. VIII No. 2 1976 Page 24



4. to publish a journal containing essays on science and the arts...including specifications of British and American manufacturers and to award medals to worthy inventors;

5. to build a hall for meetings and for uses of the Institute and to house materials; and

6. to establish schools.

Although the major objectives of the Franklin Institute have undergone considerable change during the Institute's hundred and fifty-two years of existence, the organization is still thriving and has seen each of the above goals reach fruition.

Within the first two decades of the Institute's establishment, the realm of its influence and importance already had expanded to the international level. This was partially due to the foresight of the founders who sought a publication which would diffuse knowledge of the latest developments in technology. Today for the researcher of 19th-century American patents, this activity of the Institute has proved to be an indispensible tool because preserved in the pages of its official publication are a record of patents from 1826 to 1860.

HISTORY, FORMAT AND SCOPE OF THE JOURNAL OF THE FRANKLIN INSTITUTE

The history of the official publication of the Franklin Institute represents a history of change, resulting from economic problems and demands for specialization. As early as 1825, the members of the Institute realized the need for disseminating to a wide audience information related to the mechanic arts. They envisioned a magazine which would be inexpensive, easy to obtain and would not contain a preponderance of published material from foreign sources.

The Institute financially was not prepared at this time to undertake the full responsibility of a journal, but sought to find an existing publication which they could support. The Franklin Institute was informed that the Mechanic and Scientific Institution of New York was planning to publish a periodical which would meet their criteria.3 In 1825, the awaited publication, popularly known as the Mechanics' Magazine, Museums Register, Journal and Gazette, appeared in New York. Also called the American Mechanics' Magazine, the weekly journal was not published by the Mechanic and Scientific Institution as hoped; it was issued as a commercial enterprise and was in essence a copy of the London Mechanics' Magazine. For obvious reasons, the Franklin Institute chose not to support the new periodical.

A )r Vol. VIII No. 2 1976 Page 25



Still aware of the growing need for a suitable publication, the Institute sought the assistance of Dr. Thomas P. Jones, a professor from North Carolina. Dr. Jones earlier had expressed a desire to become involved in the publication venture; he also applied to fill the position at the Institute for Professor of Mechanics. His services were accepted in both areas.

Dr. Jones purchased the American Mechanics' Magazine which had appeared for one year (February 1825 to February 1826). The Franklin Institute became sponsors of the publication; the name was changed to recognize the new arrangement; and the publishing was transferred to Philadelphia.

The prospectus of the new publication which was reissued August 1, 1825, after an earlier notice in May, announced that "shortly will be published The Franklin Journal and Mechanics' Magazine, under the patronage of the Franklin Institute, of the State of Pennsylvania, for the promotion of Mechanic Arts, edited by Doctor Thomas P. Jones, Professor of Mechanics at the Institute."5 The prospectus succinctly defined the purpose of the Franklin Jourgal "to diffuse information on every subject connected with the useful arts."?

Dr. Jones immediately set to work on establishing the format and defining the scope of the publication. He addressed these items in the first issue of The Franklin Journal and American Mechanics' Magazine; Devoted to the UsefuZ Arts, Internal Improvements, and Generat Science, as follows:/

"The Journal will be published monthly; each number will contain sixty-four pages, octavo; forming, annually, two volumes of nearly four hundred pages each. It will be printed on good paper, with well executed engravings on wood, and occasionally on copper."

Actually, it was Dr. Jones who led the campaign against making this American magazine a copy of the London Mechanics' Magazine. He stressed that if the Journal was to be useful it should include original items of interest to Americans; although, he intended to continue publishing relevant material from foreign journals. The scope was designed to provide interesting and informative reading to all levels of its diverse audience. It encompassed the following seventeen categories:8

1. the transactions of the Franklin Institute, and of other similar establishments;

2. mechanics, and natural philosophy; 3. chemistry, particularly in its application to

the arts; 4. American inventions and discoveries, whether

patented or not;

A^r Vol. VIII No. 2 1976 Page 26



5. American manufactures; 6. internal improvements; 7. mineralogy; 8. natural history; 9. botany;

10. mathematics; 11. architecture; 12. popular education; 13. husbandry and rural affairs, particularly as regards

the implements used; and the production of silk, wool, flax, cotton, dye-stuffs, and other articles employed in manufactures;

14. mechanical jurisprudence; 15. foreign journals, inventions, discoveries, and patents; 16. notices and reviews of publications relating to arts

and manufactures; and 17. miscellaneous articles, consisting of recipes,

processes, etc.

The magazine continued for two years under the auspices of the Institute. By January of 1828, the Franklin Institute was firmly established, and it was now financially feasible for the organization to accept full responsibility for the continuance of the Journal.

This new level of involvement and responsibility resulted in a change of titles; The Franklin Journal and American Mechanics' Magazine became the Journal of the Franklin Institute of the State of Pennsylvania; Devoted to the Mechanic Arts, Manufactures, General Science, and the Recording of American and Other Patented Inventions. The periodical was designated a "New Series," and Dr. Jones continued as editor.

With a movement towards specialization, the next significant change in format and scope came in 1836. The changes which resulted placed the Journal of the Franklin Institute in the position as the leading technical periodical in the United States.9 The Committee on Publications, in spite of Dr. Jones' steadfastness to retain the original character of the publication, success- fully sought to make the Journal a more professional scientific and technical magazine. They decided that it would be better to publish original technical papers written specifically for the JournaZ, as opposed to articles which had already been published.

The format was altered to assist the reader in readily finding the material which interested him; the information was included under several broad headings, as follows: Physical Science, Practical and Theoretical Mechanics, Civil Engineering, and the Mechanics' Register. In addition, the length of the Journal was increased by several pages. The new title read the Journal of the Franklin Institute of the State of Pennsylvania and Mechanics' Register; Devoted to Mechanical and Physical Science, Civil Engineering, the Arts and Manufactures, and the Recording of American and Other Patented Inventions.

ADr Vol. VIII No. 2 1976 Page 27



The "Third Series" was initiated in 1841, along with the assignment of "Collaborators" who provided editorial assistance in the field of their expertise and interest.

Experiencing financial problems in 1842, the Committee on Publications decided to join with the American Repertory periodical, edited by James J. Mapes. Mapes and Jones edited jointly the Journal of the Franklin Institute of the State of Pennsylvania and American Repertory of Mechanical and Physical Science, Civil Engineering, the Arts and Manufactures, and of American and Other Patented Inventions. Mapes continued as co-editor for a year; the combined title continued until 1847 at which time "American Repertory" was dropped from the title.l0

CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE JOURNAL TO PATENT STUDY

The Federal Patent Act was passed on April 10, 1790, but by 1825 the United States still lacked an effective means of informing the public of the numerous inventions which were daily being issued patents. Other countries had publications devoted to patents; such as The Repertory of Patent Inven- tions and The Register of Arts and Patent Inventions, published in London, to inform the public of the patents of Great Britain.1 Dr. Jones was fully aware of the value of the patent system and the importance of disseminating information on patented inventions. In his official capacity as editor of the Journal, he provided for a monthly listing of American inventions and discoveries, including the name and address of the patentee, date patented, and subject of the patent. During the first two years of the publication, 1826 to 1828, the Institute was unable to secure patents for review from the Patent Office, thus only a registry of inventions appears.12

A significant turning point in the Journal's history came in April of 1828 with the appointment of Dr. Jones to the position of Superintendent of the Patent Office in Washington, D.C. In accepting this responsibility Dr. Jones did not give up his allegiance to the Journal; he continued as editor. This new role, if anything, enhanced Dr. Jones' contribution because he was now in a position to further display his interest in patents in the pages of the publication. As editor, Dr. Jones not only published a list of patents obtained in the course of a month, but now accompanied this listing with "remarks" on the invention's utility and originality since he had full access to the latest technological inventions. Dr. Jones commented in the Journal upon his new appointment:13

"In the remarks which will be made, the interest of the patentee, and the rights of the public, will be equally considered. Where we think an invention manifests much ingenuity, or promises to be of great utility, we shall say so; where the subject is one of which we have not the means of forming a judgement, or where a statement of the reasons for our opinion

ADr Vol. VIII No. 2 1976 Page 28



would demand too much space, we shall merely offer an outline of the plan proposed; where we are convinced that the invention is not new, or are of opinion that it is without merit, and will not attain the end proposed, our convictions, with the reasons on which they are founded, will be made known."

Dr. Jones remained in the position of Superintendent of the Patent Office for only one year; however, he continued to review patents for the Franklin Institute almost until his death in 1848.

At this point, a few words should be said about federal patent legislation. The early years of the patent system were formative years when the basis for the current system was established. The most significant high- lights of this early legislation are discussed below.

The first federal patent law, passed in 1790, required that the appli- cant supply a description of the invention, a drawing and in some cases a model. The law also provided for the following provisions: no discrimina- tion could be made between alien and citizen; an examination by the Secretary of State, the Secretary of War, and the Attorney General was required; and the patent was prima facie evidence that the invention was as described and that the patentee was the first inventor.14

The 1790 law was revised in February of 1793. The essential differences were that an oath was now required rather than an examination, that competing applicants had the right to arbitration, that aliens could not receive patents, and that the Secretary of State solely granted patents.

Dr. Jones was instrumental in the reform of the patent system and he used his position as editor of the Journal of the Franklin Institute to expound his views. In an 1828 issue of the JournaZ, he suggested the following:15

"In the specification it is perfectly proper to describe an entire machine, although most parts of it may have been long known and used, as, otherwise, it may be difficult to make known the improvements; but after doing this, the patentee should distinctly set forth what he claims as new; and this is best done in a separate paragraph, at the end of the specification."

Dr. Jones felt that such an inclusion would add immensely to the value of the patent.

In 1836, a new patent law was passed fulfilling Dr. Jones wish. A claim indicating proof of novelty, originality and utility was required. Other important aspects of this law included the return to a pre-examination system, the first appointment of a Commissioner of Patents, the establishment of an official Patent Office as well as a system for attributing numbers to patents.l6

A)^r Vol. VIII No. 2 1976 Page 29



As a result of the new legislation, Dr. Jones commenced to include the claims in full, in addition to an abstract of the specification, in the periodical. This is probably the most valuable contribution of the Journal to patent study because prior to 1843 the publication of the specifications and claims was omitted from the official Patent Office publications and the Journal was the only source available for reference to these items.17

The Journal's publication of these early patents is also significant because a fire in 1836 destroyed original specifications, drawings, and models of patents issued between 1790 and 1836. The collection was partially restored by 1849, but many patents were never replaced. Consequently, the Journal of the Franklin Institute offers the most complete account of many of our earliest patents.

The claims were published in the Journal until the end of 1859. In January of 1860 the Committee on Publication, for economic purposes, decided to return to a registry system of merely listing the patentee's name and address, date of patent and subject of the invention. By 1860 several publications such as the Scientific American, a weekly magazine, had begun to publish patent information more frequently than the Journal. In addition, the Patent Office was annually publishing claims and specifications (since 1843). The Institute felt that the space originally reserved for patents could be devoted to more valuable and less obtainable information.18 In summary, the Franklin Institute Journals can be consulted in lieu of official Patent Office publications for the years 1826 through 1859.19

SAMPLES OF PATENT ENTRIES PUBLISHED IN THE JOURNAL AT VARIOUS TIMES

Often the thought of a patented invention conjures up the image of a technological advancement that changed the course of our lives when, in fact, most patents were of little value. Below, the random sample of entries extracted from the Franklin Institute Journals is intended to show the diverse nature of patents and that in many instances a patent was taken for only a minor improvement. This is not to discount the value of the pro- liferation of patents, but is meant to caution researchers from attributing too much importance to each patent. It is equally important to remember that merely because an item or process was patented, it does not necessarily indicate that the patented invention was ever put into effect.

Since the index of patents included in this issue of the APT Bulletin is for locks, the sample entries are for lock patents also. Four entries have been selected to illustrate the type of patent information included in the Journal at various times. Sample Entries No. 1 and No. 2 represent the period when the editor, Dr. Jones, accompanied an abstract of the specification with "remarks" on the inventions' utility and originality.




Sample Entry No. 1: Whole No. Volume 8, "New Series," Series Vol. 4, 1829 pp. 45-46. For an improvement in locks for securing doors, and for other similar purposes; Truman Bartholomew, New York, April 3, 1829.

For an improvement in Locks for securing Doors, and for other similar purposes; Truman Bartholomew, New York, April 3.

This lock is intended as an economical substitute for the mortise lock, for parlour and bed room doors. In it, the common sliding or spring bolt, is made to answer its ordinary purpose, and also, to serve as a key bolt. A spring bolt is made of sufficient strength for the purpose intended, and a mortise is made in the edge of the door to receive this, and allow it to play freely. A brass plate for the bolt to play through, is let into the edge of the door, where it is to be screwed firmly. The inner end of the bolt may pass through a thin plate, which may be let into the door, by making a small mortise in the rail for that purpose. The bolt is to be forqed out by a spiral spring, to receive which, there is a mortise, or slot, made through the bolt, just within the edge of the door; a piece of metal plate, being passed through the door, and also through this mortise, for the back end of the spring to bear against, whilst the other presses out the bolt: or the spiral spring might be put on the far end of the bolt, and bear against the bottom of the mortise.

Two knobs, with screw shanks, are screwed into the bolt, one on each side of the door, in which mortises are made for that purpose; or one only may be used. When there are two, the piece of metal, for the back end of the bolt to slide in, may be omitted, as the shanks of the knobs, and the plates upon which they are to slide, will fulfil this intention. These knobs, it will be seen, are not to turn, but to be pushed back, like that of the old fashioned street door lock.- As a spring bolt, the fixture is now complete; but, to make it answer the purpose of a lock, a small one, similar to those used for drawers, is let in from one side of the door, so that its bolt may stand directly under (or above) the edge of the spring bolt. A notch is filed in the edge of the spring bolt, to receive the bolt of this small lock, which thus secures it in its place. A second notch may likewise be made to retain the spring bolt entirely within the door.

An escutcheon is used, sufficiently large to cover the opening where this lock is let in. By this contrivance, a small key answers for room doors, and the whole cost will be less than that of the ordinary lock.

Sample Entry No. 2: Whole No. Volume 14, "New Series," Series Vol. 10, 1832 p. 31. For an improvement in locks; James Meneely, Watervleit, Albany County, New York, January 12, 1832.

For an improvement in Locks; James Meneely, Watervleit, Albany county, New York, January 12.

All that is claimed by the present patentee is the making the box of the lock, and all the nedessary upright pieces within it, of cast iron; the staple or catch, with the necessary screw holes, are also to be cast, as are the bolt, the screw, the key holes, and the wards. For the doing of this, an exclusive privilege is demanded; the claim to novelty and invention, rests insecurely on such a basis, or we are mistaken in our views of the patent law.

A:r Vol. VIII No. 2 1976 Page 31



Entry No. 3 shows the typical entry published in the Journal during the late 1840's and early 1850's. Generally included during this time period was a quote from the specification and the patentee's claim.

Sample Entry No. 3: Whole No. Volume 43, "Third Series," Series Vol. 13, 1847, p. 239. For an improvement in door locks; John H. Davis, Lumberville, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, March 7, 1846.

For an Improvement in Door Locks; John H. Davis, Lumber. ville, Bucks county, Pennsylvania, March 7. The patentee says,-- The nature of my invention consists in fitting

up the lock with revolving escutcheons, connected with a wheel in- side the lock, in which there is a hole only large enough to admit the key, so that when the key is turned in the lock, the key-hole will be closed on both sides; and by means of a notch in said wheel, into which a pall falls, the escutcheons are fastened in a position covering the key-hole when the door is locked; the catch of the latch is so con- structed that it can be reversed, making the lock a right or left-hand one, at pleasure."

Claim.--' Having thus fully described my improvements, I wish it to be understood that I do not claim as my invention a revolving wheel, or cover, for a key-hole in a lock, as that has before been applied; but what I do claim as my improvement and desire to secure by letters patent, is the combination of the revolving escutcheons and wheel with the bolt and pall, in the manner described, so that when the bolt is locked, and the key-hole closed, the lock is perfectly secure from attempts outside, and when drawn back, itcan be locked equally well from either side."

By the mid-1850's the number of patents issued each month was so great that the Journal could only publish the claims as illustrated in Entry No. 4.

Sample Entry No. 4: Whole No. Volume 59, "Third Series," Series Vol. 29, 1855, p. 113. For an improvement in door locks; Jacob Weimar, City of New York, December 12, 1854.

For an Improvement in Door Locks; Jacob Weimar, City of New York, Claim.-"I claim the employment or use of the two sets of slotted circular tumblers,

toothed wheels, disk, and pawls, one set being placed upon a shaft attached to the bolts, and the other set placed upon a shaft attached to a sliding plate, so that when the bolt is thrown forward, both sets of tumblers will be tlirown in gear with the toothed wheels, and thereby allowing the slats in the tumblers being moved so as to be out of line with the projections, the pawls preventing the wheels being moved until the disk is also turned or moved the proper distance, and thus preventing the lock being picked by tampering with, or trying the tumblers, in order to get a pressure of the bolt thereon."

Vol. VIII No. 2 1976 Page 32



FOOTNOTES:

1 William H. Wahl, The Franklin Institute of the State of Pennsylvania for the Promotion of the Mechanic Arts: A Sketch of Its Organization and History (Philadelphia: The Franklin Institute, 1895), p. 1.

2 Ellwood Hendrick, Modern Views of Physical Science Being a Record of the Proceeding of the Centenary Meeting of the Franklin Institute at Philadelphia September 17, 18 and 19, 1924 (Philadelphia: The Franklin Institute, 1925), p. 19.

3 Bruce Sinclair, Philadelphia's Philosopher Mechanics: A History of the Franklin Institute 1824-1865 (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1974), pp. 50-54.

4 Francis Fowler, "Memoir of Dr. Thomas P. Jones," Journal of the Franklin Institute of the State of Pennsylvania for the Promotion of the Mechanic Arts, 130 (July 1890): 1-7. A biographical sketch which outlines Dr. Jones' contribution to the Journal.

5 Op. Cit., Wahl, pp. 34-35.

6 Ibid.

7 The Franklin Journal and American Mechanics' Magazine 1 (January 1826): 3.

8 Ibid., 1-2.

9 Op. Cit., Sinclair, pp. 209-213.

10 Ibid., p. 283.

11 Journal of the Franklin Institute of the State of Pennsylvania; Devoted to the Mechanic Arts, Manufactures, General Science, and the Recording of American and Other Patented Inventions 5 (January-June 1828): 414.

12 Op. Cit., Sinclair, pp. 42-49. For a discussion of the controversy which ensued between the Franklin Institute and the Patent Office regarding the right of the Institute to secure patent specifications for review.

13 Journal of the Franklin Institute 6 (July-December 1828): 134.

14 Proceedings and Addresses of the Celebration of the Beginning of the Second Century of the American Patent System at Washington, D.C. April 8, 9 and 10, 1891 (Washington, D.C.: Press of Gedney & Roberts Co., 1892): p. 48.

15 Journal of the Franklin Institute 6 (July-December 1828): 334.




16 Op. Cit., Proceedings...American Patent System, p. 50.

17 Op. Cit. , Wahl, pp. 37-38.

18 Journal of the Franklin Institute 69 (January-June 1860): 403.

19 Index to the Journal of the Franklin Institute (Including the Franklin Journal) for the One Hundred and Twenty Volumes From 1826-1885. Arranged According to Subjects and Authors (Philadelphia: The Franklin Institute, 1890): Preface.

READING LIST

Hendrick, Ellwood. Modern Views of Physical Science Being a Record of the Proceeding of the Centenary Meeting of the Franklin Institute at Philadelphia September 17, 18 and 19, 1924. Philadelphia: The Franklin Institute, 1925.

Proceedings and Addresses of the CeZebration of the Beginning of the Second Century of the American Patent System at Washington, D.C. April 8, 9 and 10, 1891. Washington, D.C.: Press of Gedney & Roberts Co., 1892.

Sinclair, Bruce. Philadelphia's Philosopher Mechanics: A History of the Franklin Institute 1824-1865. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1974. A comprehensive study of the early years of the Institute's history, highly recommended.

Wahl, William H. The Franklin Tnstitute of the State of Pennsylvania for the Promotion of the Mechanic Arts: A Sketch of Its Organization and

History. Philadelphia: The Franklin Institute, 1895.

Wright, Sydney L. The Story of the Franklin Institute. Philadelphia: The Franklin Institute, 1938.

The author would like to thank Mr. Lee H. Nelson for his guidance and assistance in the preparation of the Franklin Institute Journal patent indexes.




KEY TO RESEARCHING PATENTS IN THE JOURNAL OF THE FRANKLIN INSTITUTE

Anyone attempting to use the Journal for patent research must be acquainted with the history of the publication, otherwise confusion may be the result. The Journal was indexed in 1890 with both a subject and author index. The Index includes three series: the "Franklin Journal;" the "New Series;" and the "Third Series." However, many of the inherent problems associated with a publication of several series have been averted by the abandonment of the series designation for consecutive numbers to indicate volumes. The key to the Index follows: (Note that "whole number volume" refers to a "consecutive number volume.")

A KEY GIVING THE WHOLE-NUMBER VOLUME (EMPLOYED IN THE INDEX),

CORRESPONDING TO ANY GIVEN SERIES VOLUME.

Whole Is the Equivalent Series Date No. of Vol. of

Volume. of Vol. Publication, 1 "Franklin Journal" 1 1826 2 " 2 1826 3 " 3 1827 4 " 4 1827 5 "New Series," 1 1828 6 2 1828 7 3 1829 8 " 4 1829 9 " 5 1830

10 6 1830 11 7 1831 12 " 8 1831 13 " 9 1832 14 " 10 1832 15 " 11 1833 16 " 12 1833 17 13 1834 18 " 14 1834 19 " 15 1835 20 16 1835 21 " 17 1836 22 " 8 18 36 23 ' 19 1837 24 " 20 1837 25 " 21 1838 26 22 1838 27 "233 1839 28 " 24 1839 29 25 1840 30 26 1840 31 'Tlhird Series" 1 1841 32 2 2 1841 33 " 3 1842 34 4 1842 35 5 1843 36 " 6 1843 37 " 1844 38 " 8 1844 39 9 1845 40 " 10 1845 41 " 11 1846 42 " 12 1846 43 1 3 1847 44 " 14 1847 45 " 15 1848 46 " 16 1848 47 " 17 1849 48 " 18 1849 49 " 19 1850 50 " 20 1850 51 " 21 1851 52" ' 22 1851 53 " 23 1852 54 "24 1852 55 " 25 1853 56 26 1853 57 " 27 1854 58 " 28 1854 59 " 29 1855 60 " 30 1855

Whole Is the Equivalent Volume. of

61 "Third Series" 62 4 63 " 64 t 65 66 67 68 69 " 70 " 71 " 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 " 80 " 81 82 " 83 * 84 85 86 "

87 " 88 " 89 90 " 91 92 93 94 " 95 '

96 97 98 99 '

100 101 102 " 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 ( 116 " 117 " 118 119 " 120 "

Series Da Vol Publication

31 1856 32 1856 33 1857 34 1857 35 1858 36 858 37 1859 38 1859 39 1860 40 1860 41 1861 42 1861 43 1862 44 1862 45 1863 46 1863 47 1864 48 1864 49 1865 50 1865 51 1866 52 1866 53 1867 54 1867 55 1868 56 1868 57 1869 58 1869 59 1870 60 1870 61 1871 62 1871 63 1872 64 1 872 65 1873 66 1873 67 1874 68 1874 6) 1875 70 1.75 71 1876 72 1876 73 1877 74 1877 75 1878 76 1878 77 1879 78 1879 79 1880 80 1880 81 1881 82 1881 83 1882 84 1882 85 1883 86 1883 87 1884 88 1884 89 1885 90 1885

A:r Vol. VIII No. 2 1976 Page 35



INDEX OF AMERICAN PATENTS PUBLISHED IN THE FRANKLIN INSTITUTE JOURNALS

The table printed below has been included as a general reference for patent research in the Journals. This key was published in the 1890 Index to the Journal of the Franklin Institute (Including the Franklin Journal). Note that patents were not published in the Journals for the following months: June 1828; October 1833; November and December 1836.

The years and months refer to the dates at which the patents were granted; the Roman letters to the volume of the J URNAL in which they were published. 1825 Dec. 12 to Dec. 31, i. 1826 Jan. 1 to April 26, i; April 12 to Aug. 30, ii; Aug. 31 to Sept 14, lii;

Sept. and Oct., iv; Nov. 4 to 16, iii; Nov. 20 to Dec. 30, iv. 1827 Jan. 3 to April 10, iv; Feb. 15 to Dec. 31, v. 1828 Jan. and Feb., v; lMar. and May, vi; June (not published); July to

Oct, vi; Oct. to Dec., vii. 1829 Jan. to Mar., vii; Apr. to Sept., viii: Oct. to Dec., ix. 1830 Jan. to Mar., ix; April to Oct., x; Oct to Dec., xi. 1831 Jan. to Feb., xi; Mar. to June, xii; July to Dec., xiii. 1832 Jan. to May, xiv; June to Dec., xv; Suppltemental List to July, xix. 1833 Jan. to June, xvi; July to Sept., xvii; Supplemental List to August,

xix; October (not publishled); Nov. and Dec., xvii; December, xviii.

1834 Jan. to May, xviii; June to Nov., xix; December, xx. 1835 Jan. to May, xx; June to Nov., xxi; December, xxii. 1.S36 Jan. to Mar., xxii; April to Oct., xxii; Nov. and Dec. (not published). 1837 Jan. to Mar., xxiv; April to Aug., xxv: Sept. to Nov., xxvi; November,

xxxviii; December, xxvi. 1833 Jan. and Feb., xxvi; Mar. to June, xxvii; July to Dec., xxviii. 1839 Jan. to May, xxix; June to Oct., xxx; Nov. and Dec., xxxi. 1840 Jan. to April, xxxi May to Oct., xxxii; Nov. and Dec., xxxiii. 1841 Jan. to April, xxxiii; May to Aug., xxxiv; Sept. xxxviii; Oct. and Nov.,

xxxix; December, xl. 1842 Jan., xl; Jan. and Feb., xli; Mar. to April, xlii; April, xliii; May, xUv;

May and June, xlv; June, xxxviii; July to Dec., xlvi. 1843 Jan. to June, xlvii; July to Sept, xlviii: October, xxxviii; Oct. to Dec,

xlviii. 1844 Jan to April, xxxviii; May to Oct., xxxix; Nov. and Dec., xl. 1845 Jan. and Feb., xl; Mar. to July, xli; Aug. to Nov., xlii; December, xliii 1846 Jan. to May, xiiii; June to Aug., xliv; Sept. to Dec., xlv. 1847 Jan. to Mar., xlv; April to Sept., xlvi; Oct. to Dec., xlvii. 1848 Jan. to Aug., xlvii; Sept. to Dec., xlviii. 1849 Jan. to April, xlviii; May to Dec., xlix. 1850 Jan. and Feb., xlix; Mar. to Nov., 1; Nov. and Dec., li. 1851 Jan. to May, li; May to Nov., lii; Nov. and Dec., liii. 1852 Jan. to Apr., liii; May to Nov., liv; Nov. to Dec., lv. 1853 Jan. to May, lv; May to Nov., Ivi; Nov'. to Dec., lvii. 1854 Jan. to April, lvii; May to Oct., Iviii; Oct to Dec., lix. 1855 Jan. to April, lix; May to Nov., lx; Nov. and Dec., lxi. 1856 Jan. to April, Ixi; April to Oct., lxii; Nov. and Dec., lxiii. 1857 Jan. to April, lxiii; April to Sept., lxiv; Oct. to Dec., lxv. 1858 Jan. to March, lxv; Mar. to Sept., lxvi; Oct. to Dec., lxvii. 1859 Jan. to April, lxvii; April to Sept., lxviii; Oct. to Dec., lxix.




Documents

Researching 19th-Century American Patents: The Journal of the Franklin Institute