Secretary of State Jesse White
Skip to Content
SERVICES PROGRAMS PRESS PUBLICATIONS DEPARTMENTS CONTACT

Illinois State Library

ABRAHAM LINCOLN'S PATENT AND OTHER LINCOLN-RELATED PATENTS

"The patent system . . . secured to the inventor, for a limited time, the exclusive use of his invention; and thereby added the fuel of interest to the fire of genius, in the discovery and production of new and useful things." — Abraham Lincoln, Second Lecture on Discoveries and Inventions, Jacksonville, Illinois, February 11, 1859.

Drawings for Abraham Lincoln's Patent
Drawings for Abraham Lincoln's Patent

On May 22, 1849, Abraham Lincoln was granted Patent No. 6469 by the U.S. Patent Office on a device for "Buoying Vessels Over Shoals." As noted by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Lincoln's "invention consists of a set of bellows attached to the hull of a ship just below the water line. On reaching a shallow place, the bellows are filled with air and the vessel, thus buoyed, is expected to float clear."

Although the device was never actually manufactured, Abraham Lincoln remains today as the only United States President to hold a patent. A scale model of the invention is on display at the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of American History.

A link to the full-page images of Lincoln's patent is provided below, as well as records for other Lincoln-related patents dated 1860-1953. To access and view full-page images from the U.S. Patent Full-Text and Image Database, you must download and install a TIFF image plug-in (viewer) that supports G4 compression. Instructions for obtaining and using a free plug-in from different vendors are contained on the "How to Access Full-Page Images" website at:

http://www.uspto.gov/patft/help/images.htm

Abraham Lincoln's Patent:

Patent No. 6469. Abraham Lincoln. Springfield, IL, Buoying Vessels over Shoals, filed May 10, 1849 and patented May 22, 1849. http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=6469.

Other Abraham Lincoln-Related Patents 1860-1981:

  1. D1250. Leonard Welles Volk. Chicago, IL, Design for a Bust of A. Lincoln, filed May 17, 1860 and patented June 12, 1860, http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=D1250.
  2. D1653. Salathiel Ellis. Montorville, MN, Design for a Medallion of President Lincoln, filed April 19, 1861 and Patented August 26, 1862, http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=D1653.
  3. D2082. Fisk Mills. Washington, DC, Design for a bust of A. Lincoln, Patented June 6, 1865, http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=D2082.
  4. D2084. J. A. Bailey. Philadelphia, PA, Statuette of Abraham Lincoln, Patented June 13, 1865, http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=D2084.
  5. D2096, William H. Philip, Brooklyn, NY, Design for a Bust of A. Lincoln, Filed May 20, 1865 and Patented June 13, 1865, http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=D2096.
  6. D2097, James Powell. Cincinnati, OH, Design Medallion, filed May 1865 and Patented June 13, 1865, http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=D2097.
  7. D2108. Adolph Leconte. NY, Design for Medallion of Abraham Lincoln, Filed June 2, 1865 and Patented July 4, 1865, http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=D2108.
  8. D2134. Henry Berger. NY, Bust of Abraham Lincoln, Filed May 5, 1865 and patented July 18, 1865, http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=D2134.
  9. D2139. Franklin Simmons. Washington, DC, Design for a Medallion of Abraham Lincoln, Filed June 27, 1865 and Patented July 18, 1865, http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=D2139.
  10. D2149. Elizabeth V. Bunting. Philadelphia, PA, Design for A. Lincoln, Bas-relief Bust, filed June 30, 1865 and Patented August 1, 1865, http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=D2149.
  11. D2159. George Haller. Buffalo, NY, Design for Bust of Abraham Lincoln, filed July 11, 1865 and patented August 8, 1865, http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=D2159.
  12. D2161. Thomas Dow Jones. Cincinnati, OH, Design for a Bust of A. Lincoln, Filed July 20, 1865 and patented August 8, 1865, http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=D2161.
  13. D2173. Henry Manger. Philadelphia, PA, Patented September 19, 1865, "Design of the Bust of Mr. Lincoln. http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=D2173.
  14. D2208. Bodtker, James F. Madison WI, Design for an Emblematic Picture of the George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, patented October 24, 1865, http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=D2208.
  15. D2218. William H. Maehew. Toledo, Ohio, Design for a monument to the memory of A. Lincoln, filed September 25, 1865 and patented November 7, 1865, http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=D2218.
  16. D2250. Dayton Morgan. Chillicothe, Ohio, Design for Bust of A. Lincoln, patented January 30, 1866, http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-parser?patentnumber=D2250.
  17. D2255. Mrs. Sarah Fisher Ames. Boston, MA, Bust of Abraham Lincoln. Filed January 6, 1866 and patented January 30, 1866. http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=D2255.
  18. D2983. John Rogers. NY, Design for a Group of Figures, Formally named, "the Council of War," Patented March 31, 1868, http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=D2983.
  19. D9162. Benjamin B. Tilt. Passaic, New Jersey, "Design for a Badge," filed February 14, 1876 and patented March 21, 1876, http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=D9162.
  20. D9403. Emil Crisand. New Haven, CT, Design for an Embroidery-Pattern of the head of the President Lincoln, Patented July 18, 1876, http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=D9403.
  21. D12634. Alexander Gelsz. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, "Design for the Ornamentation of a Drinking-Vessel," filed October 20, 1881 and patented December 27, 1881, http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=D12634.
  22. D22034. William C. Sommer. Springfield, IL, "Design for a Spoon,...," filed April 25, 1892 and patented December 6, 1892. http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=D22034.
  23. D38257. Junius P. Whitney. Tyler, TX, Design for a Badge, filed August 16, 1906 and patented October 2, 1906, http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=D38,257.
  24. D51046. Frank E. Phinney. Riverside, CA, Design for a Patriotic Badge, filed May 28, 1917 and patented July 17, 1917, http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=D51046.
  25. 1,351,086. Wright, John L. Chicago, IL, Toy cabin Construction, formally named Lincoln Logs, Filed January 8, 1920 and patented on August 31, 1920, http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=1,351,086.
  26. D70243. Samuel R. Smith. Checotah, Oklahoma, "Design for a Banner," filed on April 14, 1926 and patented on May 25, 1926, http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=D70243.
  27. D168,881. Blecher, Boris. Philadelphia, Pa, Ashtray, filed September 16, 1952 and patented February 24, 1953, http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=D168,881.
  28. D260442. Newton R. Leach. Overland Park, Kansas, " Candlestick or the Like," filed May 2, 1978 and patented on August 25, 1981, http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=D260442.
  29. D40521. William E. Graves. St. Louis, MO, "Patented Platter," filed November 22, 1909 and patented on February 22, 1910, http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=D40521.
  
 
BACK TO CYBERDRIVEILLINOIS.COM HOME PAGE