On March 25, 1902, Irving W. Colburn received U.S. Patent No. 696,008 on a Glass Working Machine:

Irving Wightman Colburn was born May 16, 1861, and died September 4, 1917. His first patent (U.S. Patent No. 620,642) for a “Glass Working Machine” that could make bottles issued March 7, 1899. His later ‘008 patent was for a process for the production of continuous flat glass disks which made the mass production for window panes possible. He formed the Colburn Machine Glass Co. in August 1906 but by 1911 he was bankrupt. Toledo Glass Company bought his patents in 1912, and Colburn worked with Toledo Glass to perfect the technology. Toledo Glass eventually became the Libbey-Owens Sheet Glass Company.

On March 23, 1982, U.S. Patent No. 4,320,756 on a Fresh-Air Breathing Device and Method:

This principle was featured in the 2015 Kingsman: The Secret Service where the agents in training breathed through a toilet when the room they were in flooded.

On March 22, 1960, U.S. Patent No. 2,929,459 issued to Gordon Spitzmesser on a Combustible Gas Powered Pogo Stick:

This was apparently not the first patent on a powered pogo stick, Richard J. Mays received U.S. Patent No. 2,510,509 on a Mechanical Jumping Stick issued June 6, 1950:

Nor was it the last, for example David Samiran obtained U.S. Patent No. 3,495,671, issued February 17, 1970, on a Power Assisted Pogo Stick:

Herbert Manfred “Zeppo” Marx the youngest of, and last survivor of, the five Marx Brothers, was comedic actor, appearing in the first five Marx Brothers movies. He was also an inventor. On March 18, 1952, Zeppo received U.S. Patent No. 2,590,026 on a Vapor Delivery Pad for Distributing Moist Heat:

This was not his only invention — we previously blogged about his heart-monitoring watch.

On March 11, 1791, Samuel Mullikin of Philadelphia, became the United States’ first multipatent inventor. In fact, Samuel obtained four patents on March 11, 1791: a MACHINE FOR RAISING A NAP ON CLOTHS; a MACHINE FOR THRASHING GRAIN AND CORN; a BREAKING AND SWINGLING OF HEMP, ETC; and MACHINE FOR CUTTING AND POLISHING STONE AND MARBLE. Samuel received a fifth patent on January 15, 1795, on HEMP AND FLAX BREAKING; and a sixth patent on February 20, 1797, on SCOURING OR SKINNING RICE. Unfortunately, records of these patents were destroyed in the Patent Office fire on December 15, 1836.

While Samuels was the first multipatent inventor, there are hundreds of inventors who reached the same achievement between 1790 and 1828, and many, many more subsequently. Shunpei Yamazaki of Japan is current the most prolific inventor, listed as the inventor in 6517 patents.

On March 10, 1891, U.S. Patent No. 447,918 issued to Almon B. Strowger on an Automatic Telephone Exchange:

Almon help form the Strowger Automatic Telephone Exchange Company, and installed and opened the first commercial exchange in his hometown of La Porte, Indiana. Strowger sold his patents to his associates in 1896 for $1,800 and sold his share in the Automatic Electric Company for $10,000 in 1898. He died a wealthy man on May 26, 1902, in St. Petersburg, Florida. His patents were subsequently resold to Bell Systems for $2.5 million in 1916.

On March 9, 1858, U.S. Patent No. 19578 issued to Abert Potts on a Mailbox:

With the advent of adhesive stamps, postal customers no longer needed to visit a Post Office triggering a search for secure ways postal patrons can more conveniently mail letters more conveniently than travelling to the Post Office. Potts’ letter box was the first officially sanctioned by the Post Office Department. His invention was to incorporate the letter box into either existing street side lamppost, or new lampposts to be provided by his Philadelphia foundry.

The first government contract for letter boxes was for the box patented by Samuel Strong on March 30, 1869:

It was quickly found to be unsatisfactory, and we as substantially redesigned with a rounded top. A similar design was patented by Strong on October 27, 1891 (U.S. Patent No. 462,224)

After the Strong letter box, the Postal Service selected the design by William Doremus, patented June 11, 1889 (U.S. Patent No. 404,828).

The Doremus design was in use from 1889 to 1901, with a three year gap between 1897-1899 in which the Clouse/Scheble box was used (U.S. Patent No. 494,976):

From 1901 to 1903 the second Scheble box was used:

Various other designs were employed, until most letter boxes were replaced with the familiar round top large collection boxes

On February 12, 1935, U.S. Patent No. 1,991,236, issued to Robert Jemison Van de Graaff on an Electrostatic Generator:

Van de Graaff’s generator could generate direct-current voltages much higher than the 700,000-V which was the state of the art at the time using other methods, on the order of 1,500,000-V. between them.

Van de Graaff’s generator was originally developed as a particle accelerator for physics research, because its high potential can be used to accelerate subatomic particles to great speeds. It was the most powerful type of accelerator until the cyclotron was developed. Van de Graaff generators are still used as accelerators to generate energetic particle and X-ray beams for nuclear research and nuclear medicine, and really cool exhibits in science museums.

On February 11, 1969, Albert Dale Herman and Herbert Zeppo Marx received U.S. Patent No. 3,426,747 on a Method and Watch Mechanism for Actuation by a Cardiac Pulse:

The invention provides two watch-type mechanisms for measuring and comparing pulse rate to a standard. The coinventor Herbert Zeppo Marx was the youngest of the Marx Brothers. Zeppo replaced his eldest brother Gummo in the Marx Brothers’ stage act when Gummo was drafted into the army World War I, and he appeared in at least five of their films — mostly as the straight man.

Zeppo was mechanically inclined, and it fell to him to keep the Marx family car running. He owned Marman Products Co., which during World War II machined parts for the war effort. Marman made the clamps used to hold the atomic bombs inside the B-29 bombers Enola Gay and Bockscar. In addition to the ‘747 patent, Zeppo also patented (U.S. Patent No. 2,590,026) a therapeutic pad for delivering moist heat to a patient.

On February 9, 1811, U.S. Patent No. 1,434X issued to Robert Fulton on Constructing Boats or Vessels Which are to be Navigated by the Power of Steam Engines. Sadly, the copy of this patent was destroyed in the Patent Office file of 1836.

11,434X was an improvement over U.S. Patent No. 995X which issued nearly two years earlier on February 11, 1809, which also was destroyed in the Patent Office fire.

Fulton’s boat, popularly known as the Clermont, was actually named North River Steamboat of Clermont. Its first voyage, on August 17, 1807, was up the Hudson River to Albany, N.Y, where it averaged about 5 miles per hour for the 150 mile trip. The Clermont was 133 feet long, 12 feet wide, with a draft of 2 feet. Its engines were built by Boulton and Watt in England and drove the two side paddle wheels. This was the first profitable venture in steam navigation.