To Thomas Jefferson from Tobias Lear, with List of Patents, 30 August 1791
From Tobias Lear, with List of Patents
Augt. 30th. 1791.
The fifteen enclosed Patents, having received the signature of the President of the United States, are, at the request of the Attorney General, transmitted to the Office of the Secretary of State by
Tobias Lear
Secretary to the President
of the United States
- [Note by Lear:]
- NB. The above mentioned patents were as follows—viz.
- 1 to Englebert Cruse for improvements on Savery’s steam engine
- 6 to James Rumsey
- —one for improvement on a mill proposed by Dr. Barker.
- —One for improvement on Captn. Savery’s engine for raising water by steam.
- —one—for New Modes of generating steam
- —One—for improvement on bellows
- —one—for a discovery of propelling boats through water by the reaction of steam
- and—one for a discovery for facilitating the work of mill saws—tilthammars, or mill stones, by conveying water in a certain manner.
- 2—to Nathan Read
- —one for improvement of a boiler in a steam engine—and
- —one for improvement in the Art of distillery.
- 3—to John Stevens Junr.
- 1—to Jno. Fitch for improvement in a steam boat.
- 1—to Jams. Macomb for improvements for the use of Grist mills.
- 1—To Jno. Biddis & Thos. Bedwell for discovry of extracting gum from the bark of various woods and bringing it to a consistance of tar—to be used in tanning.
Dft (DNA: RG 59, MLR); with subjoined note by Lear; endorsed in part: “the Secy of State.” FC (Lb in same, SDC); with subjoined list of recipients omitting patent descriptions. Enclosures: for the patents to Nathan Read, the third patent to John Stevens, and the patent to John Fitch, see Read to TJ, 8 Jan. 1791, and note, Stevens to the Patent Board, 10 May 1791, and note, and Fitch to TJ, 24 July 1792, and note, in this Supplement. Other enclosures not found.
Fourteen of the Fifteen inclosed patents were dated 26 Aug. 1791; that of John Biddis and Thomas Bedwell was dated 10 Aug. 1791 (, 4–6).