The Tangled Web of Patent #174465

Russell A. Pizer

Description

The Tangled Web Of Patent #174,465 is the story of fraud, collusion, perjury, corruption, bribery and what would now be called industrial espionage.

It is a story that involves an individual who has been called one of America's inventive geniuses – Alexander Graham Bell. He has been held in the highest regard as the inventor of the telephone. However, careful scrutiny of numerous documents that include thousands of pages of sworn testimony before a Congressional investigations committee, show that Alexander Graham Bell was a party to what might be considered one of the most intriguing historical deceptions.

With all due respect to Alexander Graham Bell, he was not the actual perpetrator of this historic fraud. The culprit in the initial historical subterfuge was Bell's father-in-law: Gardiner Greene Hubbard.

The Tangled Web. . . will show how Alexander Graham Bell has been falsely given high honors in the history books of the United States depriving the true inventor of the telephone his rightful place.

It will be seen that throughout the early years of the telephone, Alexander Graham Bell gave different stories about events that surrounded the invention and issuance of a patent of what became – only via legal wranglings – the invention of the telephone. These different stories cast grave doubts about Alexander Graham Bell’s honesty and that of his father-in-law who reaped millions of dollars in profits through what became a telephone monopoly.

This story clearly represents examples of two adages. "Oh what a tangled web we weave when at first we practice to deceive" and "Truth is stranger than fiction."

Sujets

• Histoire
• Honor (disambiguation)
• Telephone
• Patent
• Alexander Graham Bell
• Inventor
• History
• Genius
• Alexandre Graham Bell

Informations

• Publié par: AuthorHouse
• Date de parution: 03 septembre 2009
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781438984049
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 3 Mo

Extrait

The Tangled Web of Patent #174,465

Patent #174,465 was issued on March 3, 1876. The patent was for a multiple telegraph. Some time after the patent was issued, the device for which it was issued was designated as being a “speaking telegraph.” It should be noted, the patent application did not mention the word “telephone.” The patent application was submitted by Attorney Anthony Pollok at the insistence of A. G. Bell’s soon-to-be father-in-law, Gardiner Greene Hubbard. A. G. Bell was unaware Anthony Pollock had submitted a patent application at the time of its submission.

Copyright © 2005
Russell A. Pizer
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© 2009 Russell A. Pizer . All rights reserved.
 
No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.
 
Published by AuthorHouse 11/02/2022
 
ISBN: 978-1-4389-8402-5 (sc)
ISBN: 978-1-4389-8403-2 (hc)
ISBN: 978-1-4389-8404-9 (e)
 
Library of Congress Control Number: 2009906174
 
 
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CONTENTS
Chapter 1 - The Patent, Caveat & Pre-existing Telephones
A Patent, A Caveat, The Bell Patent Number, Charles Wheatstone, Abbé Laborde, Sylvanas D. Cushman, M. Petina of Prague, Dr. Clemens, Antonio Meucci, Charles Bourseul, Meucci on Staten Island, New York, Where was Meucci’s copy, Phillip Reis, Hermann Helmholtz, Meucci’s letter,
Chapter 2 - The Controversy Begins
Scientific American, Alfred G. Holcomb, George W. Beardslee, Innocenzo Manzetti, Philip H. Van der Weyde, Philipp Reis, Elisha Gray, Edward C. Pickering, Gray and Van der Weyde, Meucci’s telettrofono, Edward B. Grant, Henry W. and Frank L. Pope, Daniel Drawbaugh, Amos E. Dolbear
Chapter 3 - Bell, Sanders & Hubbard
Thomas Sanders, Gardiner G. Hubbard, Graham’s interest in electrical devices, Hubbard’s interest in Graham’s experiments, Centennial Promotion,
Chapter 4 - Elisha Gray vs Graham Bell
Elisha Gray’s rheotome, Elisha Gray & Western Union, Time-of-day, Traditional story, Goode’s testimony, Schuyler Duryee, H. C. Townsed statement, Graham did not use word “telephone,” Western Union Settlement, Langdon’s version of Western Union Settlement, Langdon on Western Union Case, Goulden’s version of the Western Union Case, The Bell Company and the Blake transmitter, Increase in stock value, Seth Beckwith, Elisha Gray’s statement to Pan-Electric Committee
Chapter 5 - Western Union & Meucci
“Myths of Telephone History,” Eco d’Italia in connection with Bendelari’s trip to Europe, Several Telephone Companies formed, The record shows, The Congressional committee, The Electrical World
Chapter 6 - The Pan-Electric Telephone Controversy
Pan-Electric Telephone Co., J. Harris Rogers, Dr. J. W. Rogers, General Joseph E. Johnston, Theodore N. Vail, Bell Telephone Co. vs Rogers Telephone Co., National Improved Telephone Co., Young-Van Benthuysen agreement, Western Union under Jay Gould, U.S. Government suit against Bell Co., Solicitor General John Goode, Hearing at Columbus, Cost of litigation, Validity of Bell patent, Wilber’s affidavit, Partisan newspapers, Bell Co. bribed newspapers, Pan-Electric Committee instituted, Pan-Electric conclusions, Pan-Electric minority report
Chapter 7 - A. G. Bell, Hubbard and The Pan-Electric Committee
Gardiner Hubbard’s credibility, Hubbard’s testimony, What the historical record shows
Chapter 8 - Zenas Fisk Wilber
“How Gray Was Cheated,” Major [Marcellus] Bailey, Wilber arrested, Wilber’s drawing of the U. S. Patent Office, Wilber & Edison, Garland & Wilber, Graham’s denial, Graham contradicts himself, Bruce’s evidence against Graham, Wilber’s affidavit,
Chapter 9 - More Pan-Electric Testimony & The Jenks Suit
Eaton’s Statement, Eaton on Meucci, Zenas F. Wilber on Meucci, Assistant Solicitor General Jenks, Acting Attorney-General Goode, Secretary Lamar’s Letter, U.S. vs. American Bell Telephone Co.
Chapter 10 - Politics, Corruption & Other Dubious Activities
Conflict of interests, Pan-Electric Committee closes hearings, The Bell-Pinkerton connection, Hubbard’s monopoly, A monopolists’ modus operandi, California Gold, A case of bribery that backfired, Pinkerton’s dubious history, Pinkerton and Meucci,
Chapter 11 - Coda - What happened, when
Judge Wallace’s concept of how, What history should report
Appendix A - Elisha Gray’s Statement to The Pan-Electric Committee
Appendix B - “The Untold Story of the Telephone” – Gray’s statement
 Appendix C - Biography of Antonio Meucci
Appendix D - Biography of Gardiner Greene Hubbard
Appendix E - Graham Bell’s testimony before Congressional Committee
Appendix F - Lamar’s letter to John Goode
Appendix G - Pinkerton Operative’s Report on Antonio Meucci
Appendix H - The Kellogg Affair
Appendix I - Chronology
LIST OF FIGURES
Fig       Description
2-1Meucci’s electrical tongue depressor - 1849
2-2Meucci’s apartment - 1849
2-3Meucci’s telephone devices - 1852 to 1856
2-4 aferry-boat "Westfield" disaster - 1871
2-4 bferry-boat "Westfield" disaster - 1871
2-5Sketched from the hurricane-deck of the Northfield -1871
2-6Philipp Reis’ telephone - 1861
2-7Helmholtz’ tuning-fork sounder - 1862
3-1Holcomb telephonic instrument - 1860-1861
3-2/3Beardslee’s internal construction and outside cover
3-4Van der Weyde’s telephonic device - 1869
3-5Van der Weyde’s receiver - 1869
3-6Van der Weyde’s device - 1870
3-7Nestore Corradi’s drawing of Meucci’s home telephone line - 1871
3-8Drawbaugh’s teacup transmitter - 1866
3-9Drawbaugh’s jelly glass transmitter - 1867
3-10Drawbaugh’s horseshoe magnet
5-1/2Oval disc or spatula of copper cooled and supported in an insulated handle of cork. Funnel of pasteboard - 1849
5-3/4Tin tube covered with wire with ends solderedto the tongue of copper - 1851
5-5Wooden tube and pasteboard mouthpiece - 1851-1854
5-6Horseshoe magnet and animal membrane - 1856
5-7Core of tempered steel magnetized and surrounded with a coil of an iron diaphragm - 1858-1860
5-8Ring of iron wound spinally with copper wire
5-9A large bobbin in a soap-box of box-wood
5-10Bent horseshoe form - 1865
5-11Antonio Meucci - 1887
6-1It has "Nothing to do with the case" - Thomas Nast- 1886
6-2"Put that Garland where it will do the most good" - Thomas Nast cartoon
8-1Wilber’s drawing of the U. S. Patent Office - 1886
9-1Meucci telephone of - 1853 - and Bell telephone of 1877
11-1Drawing that accompanied Gray’s caveat - 1876
11-2Drawing that became part of Graham’s patent - 1876
11-3Graham’s first successful transmitter & Gray’s caveat transmitte
11-5Judge Wallace’s concept of how Meucci’s telephone worked – they were "acoustical" - 1887
11-6Graphic drawing of Meucci’s telephone - 1857
11-7Cutaway view of Meucci’s telephone - 1867
11-8Drawing of how Meucci communicated with his invalid wife - 1851
FORWARD

The Tangled Web Of Patent #174,465 is the story of fraud, collusion, perjury, corruption, bribery and what would now be called industrial espionage.
It is a story that involves an individual who has been called one of America’s inventive geniuses – Alexander Graham Bell. He has been held in the highest regard as the inventor of the telephone. However, careful scrutiny of numerous documents that include thousands of pages of sworn testimony before a Congressional investigations committee, show that Alexander Graham Bell was a party to what might be considered one of the most intriguing historical deceptions.
With all due respect to Alexander Graham Bell, he was not the actual perpetrator of this historic fraud. The culprit in the initial historical subterfuge was Bell’s father-in-law: Gardiner Greene Hubbard.
The Tangled Web. . . will show how Alexander Graham Bell has been falsely given high honors in the history books of the United States depriving the true inventor of the telephone his rightful place.
It will be seen that throughout the early years of the telephone, Alexander Graham Bell gave different stories about events that surrounded the invention and issuance of a patent of what became – only via legal wranglings – the invention of the telephone. These different stories cast grave doubts about Alexander Graham Bell’s honesty and that of his father-in-law who reaped millions of dollars in profits through what became a telephone monopoly.
It has been said that the patent for the telephone is the most valuable patent ever granted. In the year 1996, that patent which led to the establishment of the “Bell” telephone companies resulted in profits (for that one year) of $34,000,000.
- - - - -
NOTE: Throughout this book, Alexander Graham Bell will be referred to as A. G. Bell or simply “Graham.” This will differentiate Alexander Graham Bell – the person – from “Bell” the Company. Occasionally A. G. Bell was called “Alec.” For most of his life however, A. G. Bell signed his name A. Graham Bell to draw a distinction between him