© Mark Ollig
In 1995, I began my online search of the US Patent Office website, in hopes of finding copies of the three US patents my father filed during the mid-1950s.
The web was very young in 1995. Maneuvering through the first US Patent Office website, with its limited search term queries, was quite challenging.
I was using the Netscape Navigator web browser.
My US patent searches during 1995 required the software program, Visio to view the schematic drawings.
Today, it is much simpler performing searches and viewing those drawings.
But, I digress.
Recently, I searched the US Patent Office website for historical patents obtained by local inventors from Winsted, Howard Lake, Delano, and Cokato.
The earliest issued US Patent for Winsted I found was from Oct. 17, 1871.
This patent belonged to Eli F. Lewis, who many consider being the founder of my hometown.
Trivia: The lake in Winsted was initially named Lake Eleanor, in honor of Eli F. Lewis’ wife.
Winsted was also called Winsted Lake during its early beginnings.
His patent 119,933 is titled, IMPROVEMENT IN WASH-BOILERS.
“Be it known that I, Eli F. Lewis, of Winsted Lake, in the County of McLeod and State of Minnesota, have invented certain Improvements in Automatic Washers,” begins the first sentence on his patent.
Included in Lewis’ patent are two drawings.
Eli F. Lewis’s patent can be seen at https://bit.ly/2utHKIB.
US Patent 774,543 was registered as PARTY LINE TELEPHONE SYSTEM.
This patent was filed Nov. 20, 1903, by Felton Vollmer, a person whose name is well-known to those of us who grew up in Winsted.
Vollmer moved to Winsted in 1871. He was Winsted’s first mayor.
In 1877, he served in the Minnesota Legislature as House Representative of District 36.
From 1883 to 1886, he served as State Senator for District 35.
Vollmer’s patent description starts with, “Be it known that I, Felton Vollmer, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Winsted, in the County of McLeod and State of Minnesota, have invented a new and improved Party-Line Telephone System . . .”
He gives an accurate, detailed, and precise description of a telephone party-line, along with its method of operation, which this veteran telephone man can appreciate.
Three detailed schematic drawings are shown of Volmer’s patent.
Other pages describe the details of his invention, including the resistance wiring, contact-springs, magnets, and other parts.
Vollmer’s US Patent number 774,543 issue date was Nov. 8, 1904. It can be seen at https://bit.ly/32s91ri.
Enoch E. Ritchie of Howard Lake filed US Patent number 549,535 June 28, 1895, titled, WASHING MACHINE.
“The invention relates to improvements in washing-machines,” Ritchie stated in his patent application.
Ritchie went on to state, “The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of washing-machines, and to provide a simple and inexpensive one which will enable the operation of washing to be rapidly and thoroughly effected without injuring the fabrics, and at the expenditure of a minimum amount of labor.”
His patent includes two well-drawn diagrams of his improved washing machine.
Ritchie’s US Patent number 549,535 issue date was Nov. 12, 1895, and can be seen at https://bit.ly/2TbOsLP.
Stephen Woodard of Delano, filed US Patent 276,950 Sept. 5, 1882, titled, SIDING BRACKET.
Woodard’s patent description starts with, “This invention has for its objects to provide an improved bracket to be employed for supporting the sidings in the construction of frame buildings while they are being nailed to the framework of the building and adjusting them to any desired position accurately and without trouble.”
A complete drawing is included in his patent.
Woodard’s US Patent number 276,950 issue date was May 1, 1883, and can be seen at https://bit.ly/2PpdYfs.
US Patent number 461,543, which was filed Dec. 27, 1890, belongs to Charles J. Carlson, of Cokato.
Carlson’s patent was titled, CURRY-COMB AND CLEANER.
I am not up on my currycombs, so I checked the Oxford dictionary and found it is a brush used for horse grooming.
“The invention relates to improvements in curry-combs and cleaners. The object of the present invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive curry-comb and means for readily and effectively cleaning the same,” Carlson discloses on his patent.
Three detailed drawn diagrams of the currycomb and cleaner are attached to Carlson’s patent.
Carlson’s US Patent number 461,543 issue date was Oct. 20, 1891; it can be seen at https://bit.ly/3ca60jQ.
It is surprising to learn of the many talented people from our area who obtained US Patents.
There are many devices used not only nation-wide, but across the world having US Patents originating from Minnesota, but this is the subject of a future column.
An excellent place to start your US Patent search adventure is https://bit.ly/3af4knN.
In 1959, my dad obtained US Patent 2909781. US Patents 2927324 and 2953787 were granted in 1960.
These patents can be seen at https://bit.ly/2HWOqlQ, https://bit.ly/2VktjS9, and https://bit.ly/2T14rxr.
Nearly 15 years ago, the Herald Journal did a feature story about his invention; you can read at https://bit.ly/2vcK47q.
In 1995, I began my online search of the US Patent Office website, in hopes of finding copies of the three US patents my father filed during the mid-1950s.
The web was very young in 1995. Maneuvering through the first US Patent Office website, with its limited search term queries, was quite challenging.
I was using the Netscape Navigator web browser.
My US patent searches during 1995 required the software program, Visio to view the schematic drawings.
Today, it is much simpler performing searches and viewing those drawings.
But, I digress.
Recently, I searched the US Patent Office website for historical patents obtained by local inventors from Winsted, Howard Lake, Delano, and Cokato.
The earliest issued US Patent for Winsted I found was from Oct. 17, 1871.
This patent belonged to Eli F. Lewis, who many consider being the founder of my hometown.
Trivia: The lake in Winsted was initially named Lake Eleanor, in honor of Eli F. Lewis’ wife.
Winsted was also called Winsted Lake during its early beginnings.
His patent 119,933 is titled, IMPROVEMENT IN WASH-BOILERS.
“Be it known that I, Eli F. Lewis, of Winsted Lake, in the County of McLeod and State of Minnesota, have invented certain Improvements in Automatic Washers,” begins the first sentence on his patent.
Included in Lewis’ patent are two drawings.
Eli F. Lewis’s patent can be seen at https://bit.ly/2utHKIB.
US Patent 774,543 was registered as PARTY LINE TELEPHONE SYSTEM.
This patent was filed Nov. 20, 1903, by Felton Vollmer, a person whose name is well-known to those of us who grew up in Winsted.
Vollmer moved to Winsted in 1871. He was Winsted’s first mayor.
In 1877, he served in the Minnesota Legislature as House Representative of District 36.
From 1883 to 1886, he served as State Senator for District 35.
Vollmer’s patent description starts with, “Be it known that I, Felton Vollmer, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Winsted, in the County of McLeod and State of Minnesota, have invented a new and improved Party-Line Telephone System . . .”
He gives an accurate, detailed, and precise description of a telephone party-line, along with its method of operation, which this veteran telephone man can appreciate.
Three detailed schematic drawings are shown of Volmer’s patent.
Other pages describe the details of his invention, including the resistance wiring, contact-springs, magnets, and other parts.
Vollmer’s US Patent number 774,543 issue date was Nov. 8, 1904. It can be seen at https://bit.ly/32s91ri.
Enoch E. Ritchie of Howard Lake filed US Patent number 549,535 June 28, 1895, titled, WASHING MACHINE.
“The invention relates to improvements in washing-machines,” Ritchie stated in his patent application.
Ritchie went on to state, “The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of washing-machines, and to provide a simple and inexpensive one which will enable the operation of washing to be rapidly and thoroughly effected without injuring the fabrics, and at the expenditure of a minimum amount of labor.”
His patent includes two well-drawn diagrams of his improved washing machine.
Ritchie’s US Patent number 549,535 issue date was Nov. 12, 1895, and can be seen at https://bit.ly/2TbOsLP.
Stephen Woodard of Delano, filed US Patent 276,950 Sept. 5, 1882, titled, SIDING BRACKET.
Woodard’s patent description starts with, “This invention has for its objects to provide an improved bracket to be employed for supporting the sidings in the construction of frame buildings while they are being nailed to the framework of the building and adjusting them to any desired position accurately and without trouble.”
A complete drawing is included in his patent.
Woodard’s US Patent number 276,950 issue date was May 1, 1883, and can be seen at https://bit.ly/2PpdYfs.
US Patent number 461,543, which was filed Dec. 27, 1890, belongs to Charles J. Carlson, of Cokato.
Carlson’s patent was titled, CURRY-COMB AND CLEANER.
I am not up on my currycombs, so I checked the Oxford dictionary and found it is a brush used for horse grooming.
“The invention relates to improvements in curry-combs and cleaners. The object of the present invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive curry-comb and means for readily and effectively cleaning the same,” Carlson discloses on his patent.
Three detailed drawn diagrams of the currycomb and cleaner are attached to Carlson’s patent.
Carlson’s US Patent number 461,543 issue date was Oct. 20, 1891; it can be seen at https://bit.ly/3ca60jQ.
It is surprising to learn of the many talented people from our area who obtained US Patents.
There are many devices used not only nation-wide, but across the world having US Patents originating from Minnesota, but this is the subject of a future column.
An excellent place to start your US Patent search adventure is https://bit.ly/3af4knN.
In 1959, my dad obtained US Patent 2909781. US Patents 2927324 and 2953787 were granted in 1960.
These patents can be seen at https://bit.ly/2HWOqlQ, https://bit.ly/2VktjS9, and https://bit.ly/2T14rxr.
