Haish's manure spreader patent

Jacob Haish had the creative, working mind of an inventor. If he thought there was a better, more efficient way of doing something, he was going to create it.

And then patent it.

This patent is for a "manure spreader," which would be used to spread manure on a field for fertilizing.

The application was filed in December 1904, and awarded in November of 1905.

The patent reads: "This invention is intended to combine within itself a perfectly-regulated and easily-operable manure-spreader adapted to carry down and discharge the manure from a suitably-disposed wagon-body, the parts of which are so arranged as to be entirely under the control of the driver on the front seat, who will be enabled without moving his position to control and regulate the movement of a carrier-apron and rotary spreader and the power for actuating the same."

Click the below images to enlarge.

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More information from the patent papers can be found here.

Haish's proposed roofing improvements

Jacob Haish had the creative, working mind of an inventor. If he thought there was a better, more efficient way of doing something, he was going to create it.

And then patent it.

This patent is for "new and useful improvements in roofs." The patent was awarded July 24, 1888. There's no doubt that Haish's carpentry skills were useful while putting together this application.

Image via Google Patents

An excerpt from the patent papers reads: 

"My invention has reference to improvements in roofs; and it consists in a novel construction whereby the air is permitted to circulate under the shingles or outer coating for the purpose of preserving the material, and also to afford means of readily ventilating the interior of the building through the stratum of air between the exterior coating and the interior portion of the roof or side, which stratum, being largely stationary, has the effect also, as a [nonconductor] of heat, of [aiding] to the warmth of the roof or wall so far as relates to retaining the heat which may be within the building, but at the same time excluding from the interior any intense exterior heat, thus rendering the building warmer in cool weather and cooler in warm weather." 

To read more from the patent description, click here. 

Jacob Haish's improvements for lighting railway coaches

Jacob Haish had the creative, working mind of an inventor. If he thought there was a better, more efficient way of doing something, he was going to create it. 

And then patent it. 

The patent below is for "new and useful Improvements in Lighting Railway Coaches." The application was filed October 14, 1886, and the patent was awarded April 12, 1887. Click the below images to enlarge.

Image via Google Patents

Image via Google Patents

Image via Google Patents

An excerpt from the patent papers is below: 

"This invention relates to improvements in simultaneously lighting the interior of the railway-coach and the platform, also in using the same light for a train-signal, all as will now be fully set out and described, reference being had to the accompanying drawings." 

To read more from the patent description, click here.

Jacob Haish's rein holder patent

Jacob Haish's patents included barbed wire, wire stretchers, window screens, and even rein holders.

Haish describes his 1890 patent for a "rein holder and indicating plate" in the patent papers:

"...the objects of my invention are, first, to provide a suitable plate adapted to be attached to a carriage or other vehicle in a conspicuous place for the purpose of having properly inscribed thereon the name of the owner of the vehicle, the trade-name of the latter, if there be such, or the name and location of the maker or owner, or any other advertising matter; second, to provide said plate with strong clasps so located in reference to the dash-board or other suitable part of the vehicle as that the reins may be simultaneously detachably inserted therein and removed therefrom, and, third, to attach said plate by a double-headed bolt or bolts, which shall present a finished appearance on both sides of the plate."

Click the image to enlarge.

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Jacob Haish's screen for windows patent

Jacob Haish had the creative, working mind of an inventor. If he thought there was a better, more efficient way of doing something, he was going to discover it. 

And then patent it.

The patent below is for a screen for windows, patented in 1888. Click the images to enlarge.

Image via Google Patents

Image via Google Patents

Excerpts from the patent papers are below.

"There has been much difficulty and expense in the ordinary way of manufacturing screens for doors and windows by reason of the cost and trouble in making mortises and tenons in the frame, and inapplying a molding over the edges of the wire-cloth to make a good finish, and in securing the parts together neatly, cheaply, and firmly.

The present invention is designed to afford a screen that can be made very cheaply and easily, and when made will be very handsome in structure, and will also be of less bulk or weight than any of the screens now in use; and to this end my invention consists in making mortises by bor-ing holes in the adjacent faces or ends of each sill and rail and providing loose tenons to fit into said holes, and in making a slit or groove along the inner face of the rails and sills, and then in fitting the several parts together with the edges of the wire-mesh in said grooves, and securing the structure together by means of wire staples forced into the slots."

More of his patents can be found here.

Sophia the Inventor

It appears that Jacob wasn't the only Haish who could fashion an invention with wire.

Sophia, Jacob Haish's wife, had patents on modifications to the safety pin, as seen below. 

Robert Glover, local history buff and Glidden Homestead executive director, shared this document. He said Sophia's patent was something of local lore he had heard about, but only recently looked into.

"The way I've talked about this at Glidden is that there are so many patents in DeKalb County in this period, and across history for that matter, that even Mrs. Haish, they say, had a patent," Glover said. "This doesn't even take into account those people who invented stuff and thought, "'Well, I fixed my problem, but I'm not going to mess with Chicago patent lawyers or Washington, DC.''" 

If you look closely you'll see Jacob listed as a witness on the patent.