Inventors and Patents From Salt Lake City

Inventors and Patents From the Salt Lake City area are represented by a variety of attorneys. These attorneys are familiar with the laws and regulations governing the filing of patent applications. They also offer services in Utah and throughout the country. Here are a few of the people you should know.

Lester Wire

In 1912, Lester Wire, a police officer in Salt Lake City, invented the first electric traffic signal. The signal looked like a four-sided birdhouse mounted on a tall pole and used overhead trolley wires to switch the lights. At the time, an officer had to manually switch the lights to change the direction.

Wire’s traffic signal was actually a patented invention. He was only 24 years old when he invented it, and was then employed as a cop. He had originally intended to attend law school, but dropped out because of the high cost and decided to pursue a career in law enforcement instead.

Lester Wire, the inventor of the first automobile, attended Salt Lake High School. During his high school years, he excelled in sports and was a great marksman. He was also instrumental in the creation of the first men’s and women’s basketball games. When he graduated from high school, he was appointed by Senator Reed E. Smoot to the West Point Military Academy, but he couldn’t attend. He joined the police force as a patrolman at the intersection of Main Street and 200 South, where he was responsible for controlling traffic.

During his high school years, Lester Wire was an outstanding football player. His wife, Edith, was a talented pianist. She performed recitals in front of audiences of up to 800. After graduating from high school, Lester became a patrolman for Salt Lake City. He was on the “revolver team,” and competed in marksmanship competitions. He was also known as a crack shooter.

Carrie Munro

Carrie Munro was a pioneer of the vapor bath. Her 1874 patent for the invention showed a man inside a box construction that was fitted with collars that kept the steam inside. The vapor bath was said to help men sweat out impurities. She even filed for three patents for the invention.

This article discusses the early female inventors in the Territory of Utah, including those granted patents in their own names. The article also discusses the interest in women’s inventions in the 1880s. The article points out how these women took advantage of their position as women to benefit the state and territory. Some examples discussed in the article include Carrie Aurelia Munro’s vapor bath, Rebecca M. Henshaw’s clothes hook, and Matilda M. Busby’s brake for vehicles.

Christine Cooper Rompato

A Utah historian has won an award for her new book, Inventors and Patents From Salt Lake City. Christine Cooper Rompato, associate professor of English at the University of Utah, is the recipient of the Charles Redd Center for Western Studies’ award for best general-interest article in a history book. Her article, “Women Inventors in the Utah Territory,” appeared in the summer 2015 issue of the Utah Historical Quarterly. She will accept the award during the State History Conference in October.

Cooper Rompato is an associate professor of English and a medievalist. Her research involved hours spent combing through archives to find female patent applicants. Many of these women used their initials or gender-ambiguous names to get their patents. One of the first female inventors was a seamstress named Julia Samson. She went on to become an inventor, and patented an invention that was a binder for sheet music and a unique clothes fastener.

David O’Bryant

David O’Bryant, a member of the Utah Bar Association, has a wide range of experience in all areas of patent law. He is registered to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office and is admitted to practice in the State of Utah. He is also a co-inventor of two patents.

David O’Bryant is a graduate of Brigham Young University and Seattle University. He is currently employed by Morriss O’Bryant Compagni Cannon, PLLC. His law firm specializes in patent law.

Frank Compagni

Frank Compagni has a long history of protecting his clients’ intellectual property rights. He has drafted and prosecuted patent applications in nearly every area of technology and has extensive experience in copyright and trademark matters. Frank is a founding partner of the Morriss O’Bryant Compagni Cannon patent and trademark law firm.

During the Second World War, Compagni was responsible for helping develop the jet engine. He later worked on the space shuttle booster program and was involved in the test firing of solid rocket motors. He also worked for Rockwell International, a company that produced military electronics.

Inventor Services, LLC

If you are a resident or business owner in the Salt Lake City area and need a patent agent, consider Inventor Services, LLC. This company has a comprehensive list of services for Salt Lake City, UT and the surrounding area. To contact them, call 801-777-0707 to find out more information. You can also check out their website to learn more about their services.

Inventor Services, LLC is owned and operated by Brian C. Trask, PE, a federally registered patent agent with over ten years of experience in the engineering industry. He learned his trade by serving an apprenticeship with a prominent local patent attorney. In 1997, Brian passed the Federal patent bar exam and Utah Professional Engineer licensing exam on his first try. He has worked as a patent agent since 1997.