ELISHA GRAY

Why Gray should have the patent on the Telephone

Why Gray should have the patent on the Telephone

Background of Elisha Gray- 1835-1901

Elisha Gray took birth in the year 1835, on August 2 in Barnesville, Ohio. He left school early, since, his father died; however, later he completed his preparatory school and studies electricity in two years at Oberlin College. During his studies, he supported himself as a carpenter. During his college, he became enthralled by electricity. In 1867, he received a patent for a better telegraphy relay. In his rest of the life, Elisha Gray received patents around 70 other inventions that include many important innovations in electricity like telautograph, which was an electrical device for reproducing writing at a distance. In addition to it, Elisha Gray competed with Alexander Graham Bell, in the invention of the telephone. Elisha Gray created a model of the telephone in his lab, in Highland Park, Illinois. In 1872, Elisha Gray became the founder of The Western Electric Manufacturing Company, the great Grandparent of Lucent Technologies (Bera, 2009).

Who Was Graham Bell?

Alexander Graham Bell is the famous inventor of the telephone. He took birth on 3rd March, in 1847, in Edinburgh, Scotland. When he passed away on 22nd August, in Baddeck, Nova Scotia, Canada, people had been considering him one of the most successful inventors of his time (Grosvenor, et al., 2008).

Bell had an interest in communication, and his interest was more enhanced by his extraordinary family circumstances. His father and grandfather were famous speech experts. Several people have a belief that father of Graham Bell inspired Professor HenryPage (Grosvenor, et al., 2008).

Patent War between Elisha Gray and Alexander Graham Bell

Alexander Graham Bell filed the Telephone patent application titled “improvement in Telegraphy”, on February 14, 1876, at USPTO by an Attorney of Bell, Marcellus Bailey. Attorney of Elisha Gray filed a caveat for telephone only few hours after with title Transmitting Vocal Sounds telegraphically” (Swezey, 1995).

The application of Graham Bell was the fifth entry of that day, whereas, the application of Elisha Gray was 39th of that day. Thus, the Patent office of United States awarded Graham Bell with the First Patent for a telephone instead of honoring Gray Caveat. In 1878, on 12th September, Elisha Gray and Western Union Telegraph began an extensive patent court case concerning the Bell Telephone Company (Lerner & Lerner, 2008).

Patent Caveat

This patent was a form of beginning application for a patent that provided a creator extra 90 days grace to submit a regular application for patent. The caveat would put a stop to anyone else that submitted an application on the similar or same creation from the procession of their application for 90 days, whereas Holder of Patent caveat was provided a chance to submit a complete application first. Now caveats are not issuable.

Extract of Patent Caveat of Elisha Gray

To all Whom it may concern: be it aware that I Elisha Gray, from Chicago, have invented a new technology of Vocal Sound Transmitter telegraphically, of which the below stated is ...