753^ ^57 rK^'There is a tide in the affairs of men, which if taken at the flood leads on to fortune." PRESENTED BY E. L. RICHARDS & CO., Patent and Business Brokers, 30 VESEY ST., NEW YORK. Entered, According to Act of Congress, by E. L. Richabds & Co., in ttie year 1880, in the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. ^l^cLtervts soldi. FcLT'tners secni^eci, ZjOcltls JSTegottccted. Jbtixt Stock ConxpcLTxies fo~rmed„ Ircveixtions of valize plcLcecL trc Eixr^ope. HIGHEST AND UNDOUBTED REFERENCES FURNISHED WHEN DESIRED. ^'^L VALUABLE INVENTIONS. It is a well known fact that more capital is at all times invested in Patents and Patented Articles than in nearly all other businesses put together, and it is equally well known that an invention that is new, practical and efficient, if rightly handled, with capi- tal to back it, will realize handsome fortunes, if not enormous wealth, to all who possess an interest in it. This is a rule without exceptions, and it is only blunderers who fail to realize its benefits. Very many of the most valuable inventions have never re- munerated their owners, simply because they were in the hands of parties who possessed neither the ability or the power to properly develop it them- selves, or to place it before men of capital and intel- lect in such a way that they could see its value, who would then have jumped at the chance of securing so valuable an article. BRAINS AND CAPITAL furnish the highroad to wealth. Neither can sur- vive or prosper without the other, and it is only when united in efEort that the highest success can be attained. Without the aid of capital the inventor, be he ever so meritorious, cannot succeed in bringing his ideas before the world, nor without inventor* 2 can the capitalist place his money to the best advan- tage. Requiring, then, only to be brought together for the greater good of both. THE BROKER BECOMES INDIS- PENSABLE. A responsible broker is a necessity to both capital- ists and inventors. To the capitalists, from the fact that men of money cannot spend the time to go into the merits of an invention themselves. There is so much preliminary sifting to be done in order to determine the real value of a patent, that the services of skilled experts are a sine qui non to the selling of any patent. Neither have capitalists the time or inclination to do any of the preliminary work of fixing the price, drawing up the necessary papers, and for all this and many other like services he demands a broker. The broker is a necessity to the inventor for even more reasons. Every one knows the long and weary years of privation and struggling that have been the portion of inventors whose names are now famous, before wealth and honor come to them in prodigal measure ; Fulton, Morse, Bell, Edison, Ericson, and many more, all shared the common fate. Why was this ? Simply because they themselves were unable to command the attention of moneyed and enter- prising men, who without scientific analysis, deemed them little better than fools and idiots. Neither did they secure the services of competent brokers to further their plans. For want of this very thing inventions that have revolutionized the world have lain dormant for many years. Unable to do any- thing themselves the invention and inventor alike have been unborn to the world, and only when they secured the efforts of some middle-man or broker did they conimence to reap the fruits of their labor. The inventor who lives in a remote section, labors under special disadvantages. His patents may cover most important improvements. There is not one chance in a thousand that alone and unaided he will ever realize even the Patent Office fees, and the probability is that his neighbors and friends have not the money to buy an interest therein, even if they wished to, which they do not. Or his inven- tion may have no value in his immediate neighbor hood but be of the utmost importance elsewhere. If the inventor goes to New York or any other city, at great loss of time and money to himself, he finds himself at sea. He can neither discover the means of reaching the proper men, nor if by sheer chance he does find them, can he secure their attention, and finally the disgusted person departs to his home, a thoroughly disheartened man. And only by placing his business in the hands of thoroughly reliable and able brokers, can the inventor secure success. The broker, too, having long experience and the most extended acquaintance among moneyed men, can always do the inventor the justice financially that can be secured in no other way. NEW YORK is the ONLY PLAGE, and NOW is THE TIME. New York is the financial centre of this country, and is fast becoming the financial centre of the world. Within a radius of one-half mile of our office, the average daily exchange of money or its representative is estimated to be the enormous sum of $1,200,000,000, and is rapidly increasing day by day. Floods of foreign gold in exchange for our commodities are weekly flowing into the vaults of the Sub-Treasury and great banking houses, and the accumulation of capital awaiting investment is hourly increasing. Where, then, should the worthy iaventor turn for recognition but to New York, the fountain head of wealth and enterprise? Good times have nearly everything to do with easily disposing of a patent at its true value, and the present hope- ful period is peculiarly favorable for the rapid ne- gotiation of inventions of value. Men and money are now waiting for merit. Conservative observers predict that our land is now entering upon an era of unprecedented industrial and business activity. "Faint heart ne'er won fair lady," is a time worn but true adage, and certainly applies in a most em- phatic way to business. The man who fails to utilize in every possible way all the advantages of good times and a business revival, will certainly never do anything either for himself or the rest of the world. 5 THE WAY WE HANDLE PATENTS. The broker to be of any decided benefit to his customer must of necessity have embodied in him- self rare qualities of shrewdness and business ability. Having to deal exclusively with men of pronounced abilities and business experience, he must be able at once to command their attention and respect. And in knowing just what is needed, and when and where it is to be done, lies his secret of success. As soon as we receive a Patent to sell we at once take steps to thoroughly advertise it. A sufficient number of carefully executed lithographic drawings of the invention are immediately sent out to capitalists of w^hom we have direct knowledge, and who have requested their names to be placed on our books for that purpose. And as we never, under any circumstances, knowingly handle a Patent which we cannot conscientiously recommend, we give with drawings full explanations and an earnest endorsement. Besides this we advertise largely, if necessary, in the Kew York, Philadelphia, Boston, and such other papers as may be desirable, as well as personally interviewing enterprising capitalists and business acquaintances. The ball thus set in motion, seldom fails to lead to a most successful and speedy termination. The proper manner of secur- ing capital varies as do the patents. In some cases it is advisable to sell the entire business, in others to form a powerful joint stock company with large capital. In this case the inventor receives a cash payment from the company for half or two-thirds of his invention, and has stock issued to him for the remaining half or third, which he can either con- vert into cash or hold for regular semi-annual dividends. In other cases, in articles which require small capital to manufacture, it certainly is advisable to sell say half of the Patent for a reasonable figure, and the mere fact of a shrewd capitalist having in- vested money in it, quadruples the value of the re- maining half, and gives the inventor an equal pro- proportion of the immense profits to be realized. There is a right way and a wrong way to handle any patent, which can only be determined by thorough investigation, and our advice to all in- ventors is, Don't sell your patent below its real value. If it has intrinsic merit it will command its price, if the right means are used. FULL INFORMATION. From the moment the business is placed in our hands, we keep the inventor thoroughly posted, send- ing him copies of drawings and circular matter and advertisements, as well as communicating with him by letter whenever it is needed, so that our patrons know at all times just what progress is being made in their individual cases. Whenever anything is of sufficient importance, the telegraph is called into use, thus enabling us to send a message and receive an answer in an hour's time, if necessary, no mat- ter how great the distance is. We cordially invite our customers to make our office their headquarters whenever they visit this city, and we shall be happy to furnish them any information in our power at any time. OUR TERMS, Whether for Selling Patents, Securing Partners, or Negotiating Loans, Forming Joint Stock Com- panies, or Placing Inventions in Europe, are in- variably as enumerated below, and it will be useless to attempt to persuade us to do business on any other terms. We have but one rule, from which we never deviate. A few have objected to paying an advance fee. To such we would say that on inventions which we can accept, after being pronounced prac- tical and valuable by our experts, we are willing to spend our time and work, but not our money. If the inventor or owner is not sufficiently confident of the value of his patent to risk the small sum required to place it before capitalists, it certainly is not valu- able enough for us to spend our time on. We re- serve the right, when we believe the value of the Patent to be under-estimated, to return the advance fee, and to refuse the business until a proper value shall be determined on, and the corresponding fee placed in our hands. We 'also reserve the right to refuse any business sent us that we do not think of sufficient value to expend either money or time on. In such case the fee will be returned in the same letter in which we so notify the sender. Values Desired. Advance Fee. $1,000 to $10,000 $50 00 10,000 to 20,000 - - 100 00 20,000 to 30,000 150 00 30,000 to 40,000 - - 200 00 40,000 to 50,000 250 00 50,000 to 100,000 - - 300 00 100,000 or over 500 GO Our final fee, to be paid to us when the money is received, is as follows: Twenty-five per cent, of the first $10,000 or under, ten per cent, of the second 10,000, or under, and five per cent of the entire amount of the remainder. ARE OUR TERMS EXORBITANT? If you will pause for a moment and consider the matter, you will agree with \is that they are low for the services we perform. To meet with the highest success in our line of business, requires talent and business experience far above the ordinary, and a rare experience and acquaintance among capitalists and moneyed men, as well as ability and energy second to none. Your interests cannot be carefully watched or properly handled unless your prosperity and your broker's are identical ; and if you entrust your business to second-rate talent, you will find only too late that only hundreds have been realized, where thousands, if not tens of thousands, of dollars might have been if the right means had been used. If you entrust your business to us, you can be as- sured it will receive our utmost and careful atten- tion, and that the best possible financial results will be obtained. As soon as the advance fee is paid, the following form of agreement is properly filled out to suit each individual case, and forwarded for witnessed signa- ture, the prompt returning of which will greatly accelerate the business of our oflSce. It will explain itself : COPY OF AGREEMENT. ARTICLES OF AGREEMENT, made this twentieth day of June, 1880, between E. L. Richards & Co., of 30 Vesey Street, City, County and State of New YorJc, of the first part, and John Brown, of Chicago, County of Cook, and State of Illinois, of the second part, witnesseth as follows: The said E. L. Richards <& Co. hereby agree to act as agents for the said John Brown, and to endeavor with all necessary means in their power to sell for him his patent, dated June 8th, 1880, and numhered 295,106, the title of which is "An Improve- ment in Eotary Engines," at the best possible advantage. In consideration of which services the said John Brown hereby agrees to pay, in lawful money of the United States, without de- fault or recourse, to the said E. L. Richards & Co., an advance fee of ThreeHundred Dollars, for expenses of properly advertising my Patent, and for their services, and in addition to this a final fee, to be paid when the above mentioned services are actually rendered, amounting to twenty-five per cent, of the first ten thousand dollars, or under, received; ten per cent, of the second ten thousand dollars, or under^ and five per cent, qf the entire 10 amount of all money or moneys received by ma, through them in excess of twenty thousand dollars. It is especially xmderstood and agreed that the lowest price which th4 said E. L. Richards