PATENT OFFICE (ante). The business of the U. S. patent office previous to 1836 was conducted by a single clerk in the office of the secretary of state. also act of 1836 provided for the appoiutnunt *of 4 clerks, one to act as examiner, and also of im draughts man, machinist, and messenger. Provision was also made for the establishment of a library. From this slender beginning has grown the immense establishment now occu pying nearly the whole of the building of the department of the interior at Washington, and employing between four and five hundred persons. The patent office, as the build ing is usually called, is of marble; freestone, and granite; 453 ft. long, 331 ft. IN ide, and 7eft. high, to Do:ic architecture. The model rooms occupy the upper story, and con sist of 4 halls, 1350 ft. in length, and containing more than 200,000 models of patents. The capacity of the m is now taxed to its in most, and it is thought by many that models have been many cases where drawings would answer the purpose. A recent rule of the office provides that applicants nerd not furnish models unless offi cially notified to do so. The mode] rooms are open to the public. Below are time offices of the commissioner, his assistant, and about 70 examiners divided into several classes. In the ten years ending Jan. 1, 1850, 5,941 patents were issued; from 1830 to 1860, 21,428; from 1860 to 1870, 77,315; from 1870 to 1880, 140,375. The ratio of this increase to that of the increase of pop. is sixfold. As compared with foreign nations the amount of business done in the Washington office is the largest in the world. The
charge for application for a patent is $20 in the United States, against $50 in Canada, $75 in England, $100 in most continontal countries, $300 in Russia and most British col onies, and $400 in Portugal and British India. These fees are for the application only, and subsequent fees are in proportion. In the year ending June 30, 1880, the number of patents issued was 12,471 (1629 less than in 1879); of trade marks, 1141; and of. labels, 4u3. The total expenditure of the office was $548,651.47, and the receipts $703,146.79. By authority of congress the-office issues weekly a Gazette, containing lists of the patents issued, description, and specifications of the more important, with engravings, notice of new rules adopted, and accounts of patent litigation, and decisions of the U. S. courts. The department also issues a pamphlet entitled How to Obtain Patents, sent free on application, which contains minute direction as to the course to be taken by inventors. We add a schedule of the present patent fees of the United States: On filing application, $15; on issuing original patent (17 years), $20; on application for re-issue, $30; on application for extension, $50; on extension of patent (7 years), $:,,O; on each caveat, $10; on appeal to examiners-in-chief, $10; on appeal to commissioner of patents, $20; on filing a disclaimer, $10; on application fcr design (31- yearsl, 0; on application for design (7 years), $15; on application for design (14 years), $30; on each trade mark (30 years), $25; on each label (28 years), $6.