Patents.—­The first patent granted to a Birmingham inventor is dated May 22, 1722, it being granted to Richard Baddeley for having “with much pains, labour, and expense, invented and brought to perfection ’An Art for making streaks for binding Cart and Wagon Wheels and Box Smoothing Irons’ (never yet practised in this our kingdom) which will be more durable and do three times the service of those made of bar iron,” &c., &c.  It is not particularly wonderful that the toyshop of England should stand first on the list as regards the number of patent grants applied for and taken out.  As Bisset said—­

  Inventions curious, various kinds of toys,
  Engage the time of women, men, and boys;
  And Royal patents here are found in scores,
  For articles Minute—­or pond’rous ores.

By the end of 1799 the list shows that 92 patents had been granted to Birmingham men after Richard Baddeley had brought out his “patent streaks,” and during the present century there have been many hundreds of designs patented or registered, scores of fortunes being made and thousands of hands employed, but often the inventors themselves have sold their rights for trifling amounts or succumbed to the difficulties that stood in the way of bringing their brainwork into practical use.  Could the records of our County Asylums be thoroughly inspected, it is to be feared that disappointed inventors would be found more numerous than any other class of inmates.  The costs of taking out, renewing, and protecting patents were formerly so enormous as practically to prevent any great improvements where capital was short, and scores of our local workers emigrated to America and elsewhere for a clearer field wherein to exercise their inventive faculties without being so weighted down by patent laws.  The Patent Law Amendment Act of 1852 was hailed with rejoicing, but even the requirements of that Act were found much too heavy.  The Act which came into force Jan. 1, 1884, promises to remedy many of the evils hitherto existing.  By this Act, the fees payable on patents are as follows:—­On application for provisional specification, L1; on filing complete specification, L3; or, on filing complete specification with the first application, L4.  These are all the fees up to the date of granting a patent.  After granting, the following fees are payable:  Before four years from date of patent, L50; and before the end of eight years from the date of patent, L100.  In lieu of the L50 and the L100 payments, the following annual fees may be paid:  Before the end of the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh years.  L10 each year; before the end of the eighth and ninth years, L15 each year; and before the end of the tenth, eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth years, L20 each year.—­If the number of words contained in the specifications constitutes the value of a patent, that taken out by our townsman, James Hardy (March 28, 1844), for an improvement in tube-rolling must have been one of the most valuable ever known.  The specifications filled 176 folios, in addition to a large sheet of drawings, the cost of an “office copy” being no less than L12 18s!  The Mechanics’ Magazine said it could have all been described in 176 words.