Patents.* 
439 
cretaiy of state, signifying a desire of obtaining an exclusive pro- 
perty in the same, and praying that a patent may be granted there- 
for, it shall and may be lawful for the said secretary of state, to 
cause letters patent to be made out in the name of the United 
States, bearing test by the president of the United States, reciting 
the allegations and suggestions of the said petition, and giving a 
short description of the said invention or discovery, and thereupon' 
granting to such petitioner, or petitioners, his, her or their heirs, 
administrators or assigns, for a term not exceeding fourteen years, 
the full and exclusive right and liberty of making, constructing, 
using and vending to others to be used, the said invention or dis- 
covery, which letters patent shall be delivered to the attorney ge- 
neral of the United States, to be examined ; who, within fifteen 
days after such delivery, if he finds the same conformable to this 
act, shall certify accordingly at the foot thereof, and return the 
same to the secretary of state, who shall present the letters pa- 
tent thus certified, to be signed, and shall cause the seal of the 
United States to be thereto affixed : And the same shall be good 
and available to the grantee or grantees, by force of this act, and 
shall be recorded in a book, to be kept for that purpose, in the 
office of the secretary of state, and delivered to the patentee or 
his order. [See fiostea lO.^ 
2. Sect. II. Provided always., That any person, who shall 
have discovered an improvement in the principle of any machine, 
or in the process of any composition of matter, which shall have 
been patented, and shall have obtained a patent for such improve- 
ment, he shall not be at liberty to make, use or vend the original 
discovery, nor shall the first inventor be at liberty to use the im- 
provement ; And it is hereby enacted and declared, that simply 
changing the form or the proportions of any machine, or compo- 
sition of matter, in any degree, shall not be deemed a discovery. 
3. Sect. III. Every inventor, before he can receive a patent, 
shall swear or affirm, that he does verily believe, that he is the 
true inventor or discoverer of the art, machine, or improvement, 
for which he solicits a patent ; which oath or affirmation may be 
made before any person authorized to administer oaths, and shall 
deliver a written description of his invention, and of the manner 
of using, or process of compounding the same, in such full, clear 
and exact terms, as to distinguish the same from all other things 
before known, and to enable any person skilled in the art or sci- 
ence, of which it is a branch, or with which it is most nearly con- 
nected, to make, compound, and use the same. And in the case 
