Some time afterwards, and prior to the breaking out of the rebellion,
he assigned this patent to Smith & Wesson, of Springfield, Mass., for
the sum of $500 in cash and their obligation to pay him 25 cents royalty
on each pistol manufactured under the patent, binding himself to apply
for and to use his influence to procure a renewal of the patent. He
afterwards surrendered this original patent and obtained a reissue
in three divisions. Two years before the expiration of the latter he
applied to the Commissioner of Patents for an extension, upon the
ground of insufficiency of compensation. The Commissioner rejected the
application for an extension, without assigning any reason, and the
patents expired by limitation on the 3d of April, 1869, and the
invention became public property.
On the 9th of April, 1869, a bill authorizing the Commissioner of
Patents to reconsider the application of Rollin White for extension of
his patents was introduced in the Senate and passed without debate. It
passed the House without debate on the 10th of April, but failed to
receive the signature of the Vice-President before Congress adjourned.
It is understood that it has now been signed by that officer, and only
awaits the approval of the President to become a law.
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