Page:Petition and Case of Joseph Bramah.pdf/1




 * To the Honourable the Commons of Great Britain, in Parliament aſſembled,



HAT your Petitioner, who has been the Author of many uſeful Inventions, obtained His Majeſty’s Letters Patent, bearing Date the 23d Day of April 1784, for that Part of Great Britain called England, and the Town of Berwick upon Tweed, for the Term of Fourteen Years from the Date thereof, for the ſole Uſe, Exerciſe, Benefit, and Advantage of his Invention of a new Sort of Lock for Doors, Drawers, Cabinets, and every other Purpoſe for which ſecure Faſtenings are required.

your Petitioner, in purſuance of a Proviſo in that Behalf contained in the ſaid Letters Patent, cauſed a particular Deſcription of the ſaid Invention to be inrolled in the High Court of Chancery, on the 21ſt Day of Auguſt 1784.

after obtaining the ſaid Letters Patent, your Petitioner found that, in order to ſell the Locks of various kinds, which he had invented as aforeſaid, at ſuch a Price as ſhould enable the Public in general to purchaſe them for all the Uſes and Purpoſes to which the very imperfect and inſecure Locks theretofore in Uſe had been applied, it was neceſſary for him to conſtruct and fit up various large and very expenſive Machines of his own Invention, and large Buildings and Apparatus for uſing and working the ſame; all which your Petitioner hath finiſhed and brought to Perfection with infinite Care, Labour, and Attention, and at an enormous Expence.

by Means of theſe Exertions and heavy Expenditures your Petitioner enabled himſelf to ſupply the Public with the ſaid Locks, made with the utmoſt Accuracy, and in a high Degree of Perfection, at a Price far below what, at the Commencement of his Undertaking, it was poſſible for him to do; and your Petitioner accordingly availed himſelf, as ſpeedily as he could, to ſerve the Public at ſuch reduced Prices as not to nett to himſelf Five per Centum Profit on the Capital inveſted and employed in the Undertaking.

for the Cauſes above-mentioned, although near Fourteen Years of the Term contained in the ſaid Letters Patent are elapſed, your Petitioner hath not hitherto had it in his power to reimburſe himſelf any Part of the great Expence he hath incurred, nor hath he any Proſpect of being enabled ſo to do, or to carry his ſaid Invention to the Heighth of Perfection and Cheapneſs he is perſuaded it is capable of, unleſs the Term of the ſaid Letters Patent is prolonged, the Effect of which Prolongation your Petitioner humbly preſumes will be ultimately beneficial to the Public, and, he hopes, prove the Means of ſaving him from the Loſs of a conſiderable Fortune expended and inveſted in the ſaid Undertaking.