Senator John Ruggles did this on Paper in 1836
and it was officially #1 although they had been issued since 1790 (In the US)
By 1871 the number was 100,000
And what was Senator John Ruggles doing?

Patent 1, the first patent issued under the new numbering system, went to Senator John Ruggles of Thomaston, Maine. His invention, patented July 13, 1836, was a cog mechanism for locomotive wheels. It was designed to give "multiplied tractive power to the locomotive and to prevent the evil of the sliding of the wheels!To know more about the patents, click here!

http://ask.yahoo.com/ask/20020408.html

Which President had a patent granted to him?

Patent No. 6469 for a device to lift boats over shoals, an invention which was never manufactured.

http://showcase.netins.net/web/creative/lincoln/education/patent.htm

First ,thanks for making me feel younger,Bedstor,it's(Mozart56).Yes the 56 ,is the year I was born(shoot)

Abraham Lincoln was the only U.S. President to patent something. He patented a way help boats float over shallow places in the water.

Looks like J.T beat me by 2 minutes.

What is (at least) one type of item that the Patent Office won't grant a patent to--even though people try to patent them all the time. (No, not the wheel!)

Books ?

Could it be "any kind of food recipies"?

A Perpetual Motion device/machine. I guess you can't patent a 2 year-old...yet.

quote:

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Originally posted by Doriangreyed:
A Perpetual Motion device/machine. I guess you can't patent a 2 year-old...yet.

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CORRECT!

You can't patent what can't be done!

According to this, the Patent Office gets about 100 requests each year of people trying to patent a "perpetual motion" machine--or a machine that allegedly puts out more energy than it takes in.

http://pratt.edu/~arch543p/help/perpetual_motion_machine.html