July 4, 2022 | Harness IP
It’s the Fourth of July, 2022, and time to celebrate the holiday, as this blog always does, with patents.
We begin with the appropriately named Fourth of July Echinacea, the subject of PP26075, issued November 10, 2015:
U.S. Patent No. PP2605, Fig. 2.
Edward Driscoll, Jr. was issued U.S. Patent No. 250507 on December 6, 1881, for a Toy Whip that used caps to make a cracking sound.
U.S. Patent No. 250507, Fig. 1
according to Mr. Driscoll:
U.S. Patent No. 250507, Col. 2, ll. 41-46.
Inventor Louis Schuetz of Newark, New Jersey, was also concerned with entertaining the children on the Fourth of July, and received U.S.Patent No. 370,356 for his Toy on September 20, 1887.
U.S. Patent No. 370,356, Col. 1, ll, 16-26.
Miniature cannons and fire crackers — what a blast.
U.S. Patent No. 370356
Another inventor perhaps focused more on Fourth of July fun, rather than safety, was Edwin H Cady, of Gardner, Massachusetts. He received U.S. Patent No. 423215 on March 11, 1890, for a Toy Detonator:
U.S. Patent No. 423215
Lastly, inventor William G. Spiegel, of New York, N.Y, invented a Time-Lock for Savings-Banks, which received U.S. Patent No. 474870 on May 17, 1892.
U.S. Patent No. 474870
The bank was specifically designed to help children save for the Fourth of July — likely to fund the purchase of fireworks and perhaps Mr. Schuetz’ and Mr. Cady’s inventions:
U.S. Patent No. 474870, Col. 1 ll. 23-28.
