Show I Li IT INVENTORS S. S ARE t A BUSY LOT Applications for Patents Run Far Ahead of Prewar Figures I IBy By Carolyn Vance Bell N. N E E. E A. A Washington Bureau WASHINGTON D. D C. C Cr Jan 2 An An Increase of at least leas 50 per cent above normal in the work of the United States patent office has taken place since the armistice was signed The number of ot applications i for patents patents patents pat pat- and trade marks patent officials say is IB an in indication n of the qui quickening experienced in the Industrial world since the end of the war Manufacturers Manufacturers are on the alert lert for tor devices for increasing production and cutting down of labor costs During the war the office w was was swamped with applications for tor patents patents' designed iff hr speedily bring a victorious end to the w war r. r Cranks vied with those of real inventive e genius In the number of applications The government kept a strict watch loyer over all lileas ilens t that at came cam in and any that appealed valuable were guarded with the tho utmost secrecy and patents were ti not t issued until tho the end cud of the tho war for fear th that t the enemy might g gain in loS lon upon p publication of If the pr pc tent Now Kow Yankee Ingenuity has turned from win the w war r devices to the normal normal nor nor- mal industrial lines |