Alarums and Excursions: Shakespeare Looks at Some Odd Patents.

Here's a funny look, through Shakespeare's eyes, at some odd devices that have been patented. If you can describe your unique invention well enough that another person might be able to make one (and, until 1880 at least, submit a small model of it to the Patent Office), your application should be approved. You don't have to prove the thing actually works. That didn't stop Dave Doody Sr. from wanting to share with friends and family some of the more quirky ones that he came across, during his career in intellectual property. In fact, he found that some of Shakespeare's characters actually had something witty to say about them! Here are twenty-six such gems, each with a sketch, the number and date of the patent that was actually granted, and a tongue-in-cheek description of the invention, leading up to the comment it gets from the Bard. A book for anyone who marvels at the things people can dream up. Perfect for flipping through in the throne room.