Here’s a picture of something that was donated to the thrift stores run by my wife. Does anyone have any idea what it is? It’s got six double rolls, each wound with paper on which is printed three numbers. It’s 9 inches tall and 12 inches long. On the top of it is stamped “Patented Feb 2. 1897.”
1897! Now, c’mon. You guys are smart. What is this thing?
(Hey: I’m writing this, right now, today–as opposed to yesterday, when I wrote the above. Find out what this thing turned out be in today’s post, which is here.)
![John Shore on The Huffington Post](http://johnshore.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/huffpost.jpg?w=120 "John Shore on The Huffington Post\")
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if u find out,let me know,my friend is a antiquedealer
OH!!!! That's what happened to it! Where did I leave it?
Lemme' guess at the airport in Chicago….that O'Hara is just a mess ya' know! Thanx for finding it! Can I have it back?
Wow. I can’t believe the quality of information I’m getting … um … right here on my own blog. Pretty freakin’ wholly amazing.
http://www.uspto.gov/main/profiles/acadres.htm
About Searching and Viewing Patents:
Our website provides full text for patents issued from 1976 to the present. We provide TIFF images for all patents from 1790 (YES, REALLY 1790) to the present.
You can search on text in all elements (fields) of the patent or select those fields you wish to search only for patents issued since 1976. You can only search on patent numbers and/or classification codes (click the icon for any class in the online manual to automatically search and retrieve patents for that classification code) for the pre-1976 patents. Your nearest Patent and Trademark Depository Library maintains local search resources and may offer training in patent search techniques.
***** IMPORTANT NOTE: If you can view a screen that has a little rectangle with a red square, green circle and blue triangle in it, or if you get a message in your browser saying that some required software cannot be found, then you need to download and install a TIFF image viewer for your browser that works with our TIFF images. *****
To view the images for any patent you must
(1) download a TIFF image plug in (viewer) and
(2) run the downloaded executable file to install a TIFF image plug in that supports G4 compression;
(3) when you get a text search result based for a patent number, locate the image button near the top of the screen to launch the viewer.
The system will download the images one page at a time. More extensive Instructions for obtaining and using a free plugin from different vendors are contained on “How to Access Full Page Images.”
The biggest problem people have when installing a viewer is that they forget to close the browser application and run the viewer program’s executable file after downloading it in order to actually install the viewer plug-in. If you have run the file and still have problems, try restarting your PC.
Now you see it – now you don’t? Experienced users: you may lose or change the MIME-type file association for TIFF images when performing a system upgrade or installing new software. If that happens you may need to reinstall your chosen viewer. Also, some viewers may need to be upgraded to work with the latest USPTO images (see TIFF image plug in (viewer) for links)
Looks like a textile device, if it has a patent, the patent office call give you all the details on it.
My husband told “me” to tell “you” it is a gigantic pasta machine…please note, I married a man named Cleatus…
The US Patent Office has utterly failed to provide a useful tool for searching patents. It is a shameful situation. Google patents on the other hand has provided a wonderfully powerful and easy to use search program that allowed me to find this stamp rack patent in a matter of a few minutes. I use it on my research of 19th century American furniture designs, woodworking techniques, airships etc. The images are not the same quality or size that the USPTO images are but you can search the patents on Google Patents and then go to the USPTO once you've found what you're looking for. I recommend Google Patent searching your home town where you can find out interesting and often crazy history of your town or someone from there. There seems to be an endless stream of bizarre and whacky ideas on parade here. So try out Google Patents, it's fun.
It really is a stamp dispenser. I'm not just guessing. You can look up the patent at
http://www.google.com/patents?id=0-1LAAAAEBAJ&…
And I really think it should be offered to the National Postal Museum.
You all are so funny. I think it's a dispenser for wrapping paper. The measuring lines on the "Thing" is designed to guide you in cutting accurately and precisely to cover the gift.
John, I agree that whatever this is, it was designed to make you very very rich. I think it was brought in by a Geenie; so make a wish you lucky guy.
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