In inventing a machine to operate upon any given material, the logical
way is to work from the tool to the power. The tool or tools should
first be invented, and the motions determined which are to be given
to them. The proper gearing or parts to produce from the power each
motion for each tool should then be invented. It should then be
considered if parts of each train of gearing cannot be combined, so
as to make one part do the work of a part in each train; in short,
to reduce the machine to its lowest terms. Occasionally a mechanism
will be invented which is exceedingly ingenious, but which it is
afterwards seen how to simplify, greatly at the expense of its apparent
ingenuity. This simplification will be at the sacrifice of the pride
of the inventor, but such considerations as cheapness, durability and
certainty of action leave no choice in the matter. It will sometimes
be found that a single part can be made to actuate several parts, by
the interposition of elements which reverse the motion taken from such
part, or which take only a component of the motion of such part, or
the resultant of the motion of such part and some other part. Where a
machine involves the conjoint action of several forces, it can be more
thoroughly studied, if it is found there are positions of the machine
in which one force or motion only is in operation, the effect of the
others in such position being eliminated, and thus the elements making
up the resultant effect can be intelligently controlled.
The drawing board can be made a great source of economy in producing
inventions. If the three principal views of all the essentially
different positions of the parts of a machine are drawn, it will
often be found that defects will be brought to light which would not
otherwise have been observed until the machine was put into the metal.
It is desirable to see the whole invention clearly in the mind before
beginning to draw, but if that cannot be done, it is often of great
assistance to draw what can be seen, and the clearer perception given
by the study of the parts already drawn, assists the mind in the
conception of the remaining parts.
If the improvement which it is sought to make is a process, it should
first be considered whether any radically different process can be
conceived of, and if so, whether or not it is better than the old
process, and the reason for its defects, and whether it is possible
to cure those defects. If the old process appears to be in the right
general direction, it should be considered whether one of the old steps
cannot with advantage be replaced by a new one, or whether the order of
performing the steps cannot be changed to advantage. I have in mind one
process in which a reversal of the order of steps resulted in giving
the product certain desirable qualities which had before been sought
for, but could not be obtained.
It is sometimes desirable not only to invent a good process of
producing a product, but to control all feasible processes of producing
the product. Such a case occurred where the product itself had been
patented, and it was desirable to extend the monopoly beyond the time
when the patent on the product should expire. There were two steps or
operations which were essential to the production of the product, and
the inventor, by reference to permutations, saw that there were but
three orders in which those steps could be performed; first, the order
A-B, then the order B-A, and then both steps together. The order A-B
was the old order, which did not produce an article having the desired
qualities. The inventor therefore, proceeded to invent ways by which
the steps could be performed together, and then by which they could be
performed in the reverse order, and the patenting such two processes
would cover generically all possible ways of making the article and
secure the desired result of putting himself in position to control the
monopoly after the patent on the article had expired, because no one
could make the article without using one of his two processes.
In inventing compositions of matter there is one inventor who, if he
is seeking for a certain result, will take a chemical dictionary and
make every possible combination of every substance that could by any
possibility be an ingredient of that which he desires to produce. It is
as if he were seeking to locate a vein of mineral in a given territory,
and, instead of observing the geographical and geological formation,
and thus seeking to arrive at the most probable location of the vein,
he should dig up every foot of earth throughout the whole territory,
in order finally to locate the vein. This method is exceedingly
exhaustive, but does not appeal to one as involving much exercise of
the inventive faculties.
Inventing has become so much of a science, that if one is willing
to spend sufficient time and money to enable a competent corps of
inventors to go at the matter exhaustively, almost any possible
invention involving but a reasonable advance in the art can be
perfected.
Transciber's Notes:
Punctuation errors repaired.
The second copyright notice before the text begins has been changed
from 1903 to 1906 to match the first notice on the title page.