[W100A-F] Record Group 241 — Caveats

Patent and Trademark Office

Title
[W100A-F] Record Group 241 — Caveats
Description

These caveats were filed by Edison in the U.S. Patent Office between the years 1872 and 1891. They relate to telegraphy, electric pens, telephones, electric light and power, phonographs, motion pictures, iron ore separation, and other topics. The files contain specifications and drawings as well as correspondence with the Patent Office. Copies of these and other caveats, including drafts, can be found in the Patent Series for Parts I (1850–1878), III (1887–1898), and IV (1899–1910). Caveats can also be found in the Document File for Part I and notes for caveats are found in several notebooks in Parts II (1879–1886) and III.  

Unlike a formal patent specification, caveats could include descriptions and drawings for multiple inventions on the same subject (i.e. phonograph).  In 1889–90, Edison included multiple unrelated subjects (i.e. phonographs, electric railway, electric power) in his caveats as he began using them as a record of inventive work in the laboratory.  This practice was challenged by the Patent Office and in subsequent years his filed caveats again were confined to single subjects.   

Patent caveats were renewable upon payment of an annual fee and provided protection in case another inventor subsequently filed an application for an invention covered by a caveat. In this case, the Patent Office would notify the original inventor, who could then file a patent application to claim priority. Although the U.S. Patent Office permitted an inventor to file caveats until 1910, the editors have discovered only two Edison caveats filed after 1891, one in 1896 and the other in 1907.

Case # Title Date
37 District and Alarm Telegraphs 1872-01-17
42 Transmitting and Recording Letters or Characters 1873-10-28
43 Transmitting and Recording Letters or Characters 1873-10-28
44 Electric Circuits 1873-10-28
45 Duplex Telegraphs 1873-10-28
47 Solutions for Preparing Chemical Paper 1874-03-23
48 Duplex Telegraphs 1874-08-07
50 Circuits for Automatic Telegraphs 1874-08-19
51 Quadruplex Telegraphs 1874-12-04
52 Quadruplex Telegraphs 1874-12-04
53 Duplex Telegraphs 1874-12-04
54 Duplex Telegraphs 1874-12-04
55 Quadruplex Telegraphs 1875-01-18
56 Quadruplex Telegraphs 1875-01-18
57 Duplex Telegraph 1875-01-18
58 Quadruplex Telegraphs 1875-01-18
59 Quadruplex Telegraph 1875-01-18
60 Quadruplex Telegraphs 1875-01-18
61 Accumulators for Telegraphing 1875-02-04
62 Telegraphic Transmitting and Receiving Apparatus for Cables 1875-02-24
63 Automatic Telegraphs 1875-03-22
64 Automatic Telegraphs 1875-04-27
66 Quadruplex Telegraph 1875-07-06
67 Chemical Duplex and Quadruplex Telegraphs 1875-07-06
68 Electro Magnetic Paper Perforators for Autographic Writing 1875-09-23
69 Autographic Printing 1875-11-11
70 Autographic Telegraphs 1875-11-11
71 Acoustic Telegraph Apparatus 1875-11-22
72 Duplex Telegraphs 1876-01-12
73 Multiplex Telegraphs 1876-01-13
74 Multiplex Telegraphs 1876-01-13
75 Acoustic Telegraphs 1876-01-13
76 Multiplex Telegraphs 1876-01-1
77 Multiplex Telegraphs 1876-01-26
79 Acoustic Transfer Telegraph 876-05-31
83 Electric Lights 1878-10-25
85 Electric Lights 1878-10-25
90 Telephones 1879-08-07
91 Conductors and Apparatus for Electric Lights 1879-08-14
92 Electric Lights and Method of Treating Platina and Other Metals 1879-09-25
93 Electric Lights 1879-12-17
--- Electric Lights 1880-02-28
101 Regulators for Magneto or Dynamo Electric Generators and Engines 1880-12-16
102 Regulators for Magneto or Dynamo Electric Generators and Engines 1880-12-16
--- Electric Lamps 1881-08-19
--- Electric Meters 1881-09-23
107 Incandescing Electric Lamps 1882-10-14-82
--- Meters for Measuring Electricity 1883-04-12
109 Method and Apparatus for Separating Ores 1884-05-15
114 Phonographs [Ore Separation, Kinetoscope, Electric Lighting] 1889-03-22
115 Phonographs [Ore Separation, Kinetoscope, Electric Lighting, Typewriter] 1889-06-15
116 Phonographs [Ore Separation, Kinetoscope, Electric Lighting, Battery, other] 1889-07-29
117 Phonographs [Electric Lighting, Kinetoscope, Electric Railway, other] 1889-12-09
118 Phonographs [Electric Railway, Electric Power] 1890-08-04
120 Manufacture of Iron 1891-05-29
121 Manufacture of Iron 1891-06-10
122 Transmission of Power 1891-12-29
URL
https://edisondigital.rutgers.edu/folder/W100A-F
Identifier
W100A-F
Is Part Of
Patent and Trademark Office
Rights
Courtesy of the National Archives.

Items

Advanced search