PATENT OFFICE.
The report of the Commissioner of Patents shows an increase of business for the year ending June 30, 1881. The number of applications for patents was 22,932, an increase of 1,942 over the previous year. Applications for designs, 585; reissues, 588; caveats 2,342; trade-mark, 464; appeals, 771; disclaimers, 18; labels, 337.
The number of patents granted, including re-issues and designs, was 15,175, an increase over the former year of 1,526.
Number of trade-marks registered was 462; labels registered, 181; patents withheld for non payment of final fee, 1,439; patents expired, 4,272.
The total receipts of the office was $789,895.52, an increase over the previous year of $59,348.40.
The aggregate of appropriations for the office, including a deficiency of $8,429.06, was $607,299.06. Amount expended for printing, binding, &c., out of the appropriation for printing and binding for Department of the Interior, $142,432.47. Total expenditure on account of Patent Office, $749,731.53. Total receipts in excess of all expenditures for the year ending June 30, 1881, $40,163.99.
On account of the increase in the business of his office the Commissioner asks for an increase in the appropriation for the next fiscal year. He submits for salaries of officers and employés $518,820, an increase of $37,950; for publication of the Official Gazette, $29,000, an increase of $6,000; for photolithographing, $45,000, an increase of $10,000; for reproducing burnt and exhausted copies of drawings, including pay of temporary draughtsmen, $45,000, an increase of $10,000.
Under the law providing for the abridgment of patents, $10,000 were allowed. Work has been commenced in accordance with the plan laid down. It includes a brief statement of the invention patented, together with the claims of the inventor, and illustration of the device. For the continuation of this work the Commissioner asks for $50,000. This will provide for the abridgment of 15,000 patents, and the publication of an edition of 10,000 copies. The Commissioner urges the necessity of this abridgment, and is of opinion that the sale of copies will cover the expense of making the same.
An appropriation is also asked of $6,000 for the completion of the illustrations for the Patent Office Report of 1870. With the publication of this work the reports of the office up to the present time will be completed.
A deficiency of $722.15 for the publication of the Official Gazette during the last fiscal year and $1,000 for the current year are also submitted; likewise an estimated deficiency for the present year of $9,000 for photolithographing or otherwise producing copies of the weekly issues of drawings of patents, designs, and trade-marks.
