A farm fence
A barb locked onto a fence wire
Sold for $60,000 plus royalties
Joseph Glidden was an Illinois farmer. Wire fences already existed, and so did earlier barbed wire patents. His fix was to lock each barb in place by twisting a second wire around it.
The everyday problem
Loose barbs slid along the wire and made a weak fence. Twisting a second strand around the barb held it still. That small lock is what made the fence practical.
The simple change
- He improved wire that other inventors had already patented.
- His patent issued in 1874.
- He sold his remaining interest and kept a royalty on the wire that was made.
What happened
In 1876 he sold his remaining interest to Washburn & Moen, the largest U.S. wire maker, for $60,000 plus royalties. The Supreme Court upheld the patent in 1892.
What you can take from this
An improvement on someone else’s fence patent can be the one that sells. The second wire was a small change, and it was the change buyers paid for.
A public story, told here as an example. It is not a client of this practice, and I had no part in it. Results like this are rare. Most patents never earn money, and nothing here is a promise that your idea will be patented or will make money.