Lightning Rod Patents

By Roger Russell

Copyright 1996-2004 by Roger Russell
All rights reserved
No portion of this site may be reproduced in whole or in part
without written permission of the author.

This list contains 329 patents on or related to Lightning Rods.
They date from 1850 to 1999 but patents are missing between 1944 and 1977
Many of the descriptions have not been filled in yet.
Thanks to John de Sousa who compiled the list in sections 1 through 6.

Section 1

Lightning Rod patents #7,069 (1850) to #99,381 (1870)
United States

Number

Date

Inventor

Description

7,069

2/5/1850

James Spratt

Improvement in Alloys For Points of Lightning-Rods

7,076

2/5/1850

James Spratt

Improvement in Attachments For Lightning-Conductors

8,316

8/25/1851

George W. Otis

Improvement in Insulators for Lightning-Rods

8,930

5/4/1852

James Spratt

Improvement in Lightning-Rods

11,261

7/11/1854

Amos Lyon

Improvement in Lightning-Rods

11,539

8/15/1854

Timothy U. Webb

Insulator For Lightning Rods

13,162

1855

Dwyer

 

15,491

8/5/1856

David Munson

Improvement in Lightning-Rods

18,963

1857

Elliot

 

19,819

1858

White

 

20,916

7/13/1858

Victor Schrage

Improved Device For Securing Lightning-Rods

21,905

1858

Rogers

 

22,188

1858

McLead

 

23,373

3/29/1859

Russel Hickok

Improved Insulator For Lightning-Rods

24,110

5/24/1859

John A. Enggren

Improved Device for securing Lightning-Rods

25,077

8/9/1859

L. S. Baldwin
Lucius Parks

Improved Construction of Lightning-Rods

25,534

1859

Stearns

 

25,823

10/18/1859

Willliam Hall

Improved Lightning-Rod

27,977

1860

Fox

 

29,398

1860

Patterson

 

29,933

9/4/1860

David Wooster

Improvement in Lightning-Rods

30,560

11/6/1860

N. Brittan

Improvement in Lightning-Rods

39,613

1863

Eagles

 

43,565

1864

Brittan

 

44,880

1864

D. Munson

 

45,632

1864

Pratt

 

47,310

1865

Johnson

 

47,846

5/23/1865

S. J. Mitchell

Improvement in Lightning-Rods

49,633

1865

King

 

50,372

1865

Lyon

 

50,398

1865

N. Smith

 

52,329

1866

Sherwood

 

52,411

1866

Hawley

 

52,541

1866

Gusman

 

58,382

1866

Comer & Denton

 

61,741

1867

Jillson

 

64,774

1867

Kissel &
Blickensduber

 

65,775

1867

Stearns

 

66,054

6/25/1867

Darius Stebbins

Improvement in Lightning-Rod Insulator

66,215

7/2/1867

Richard Calrow

Improvement in Insulator Holders

66,854

1867

Kissel &
Blickensduber

s

68,407

1867

Barbarin

 

70,727

12/12/1967

Thomas J. Lockhart &
Josiah Locke

Improvement in Insulators For Lightning-Rods

74,406

1868

D. Munson

 

77,729

1868

Hall

 

78,459

1868

Kirkland

 

80,205

7/21/1868

George W. Otis

Improvement in Lightning-Rods

84,210

1868

D. Munson

 

86,151

1869

Hamilton &
Stevens

 

90,949

1869

Kinsey

 

91,530

1869

Farley

 

92,551

1869

Vermilyn & Reyburn & Hunter

 

92,638

1869

Otis

 

93,410

8/10/1869

John Burnham

Insulator For Lightning-Rods

93,609

1869

Foot & Chadwick

 

93,834

1869

Reyburn & Martin

 

94,037

8/24/1869

Franklin Scott

Improvement in Insulators

94,773

1869

Reyburn & Martin

 

96,194

1869

Boynton

 

96,268

1869

Reyburn & Martin

 

97,496

1869

Garlick

 

99,184

1870

Hankenson

 

99,381

2/1/1870

J. D. West

Improvement in Lightning-Rods

Section 2

Lightning Rod patents #99,461 (1870) to #183,370 (1876)
United States
Titles have not yet been found for these patents.

Number

Date

Inventor

Description

 

 

 

 

99,461
100,549
107,051
109,455
110,778
111,052
112,137
112,426
113,154
113,530
113,869
116,453
118,166

119,043
119,323
119,987
120,457
121,884
122,055
122,290
123,600
123,958
124,264
127,094
128,617
128,818
129,673
129,676
129,677
129,683
132,615
135,574
139,841
143,862
145,641
145,851
152,153
152,242
156,713
159,007
159,961
160,151
160,154
161,541
162,828
163,807

167,415
170,377
171,744
173,905
173,963
174,451
174,866
175,933
176,769
176,820
183,370

1870
1870
1870
1870
1871
1871
1871
1871
1871
1871
1871
1871
1871

1871
1871
1871
1871
1871
1871
1871
1872
1872
1872
1872
1872
1872
1872
1872
1872
1872
1872
1873
1873
1873
1873
1873
1874
1874
1874
1875
1875
1875
1875
1875
1875
1875

1875
1875
1876
1876
1876
1876
1876
1876
1876
1876
1876

D. Munson
D. Munson
Housel & Thayer
Row
D. Munson
Fricke
Fricke
Cushman
Foot & Knapp
King
Gaylord
Knapp
Stephenson &
Sutiiff
D. Munson
Coddington
Knapp
Preston
Miner
Phelps
Snow
Wells & House
D. Welsh
F. Goodwin
J. Mott
J. Hankinson
J. Schoonmaker
D. Munson
D. Munson
D. Munson
Robertson
Yancey
W. Munn
Weston
White
Fritsch
J. Drew
J. Mott
J. Mott
Schoonmaker
Wilmont
Phelps
J. Bryan
J. Bryan
W. Munn
Klekner
Reyburn & Martin
Spang
Johnson
C. H. Smith
H. Coe
Johnson & Price
J. Weston
C. H. Smith
R. Coe
Bradley
Vermilya
R. Coe

 

Section 3

Lightning Rod Patents #183,425 (1876) to #258,289 (1882)
United States

 Number

 Date

 Inventor

 Description

183,425

10/17/1876

Charles H. Smith

Improvement in Lightning-Rods

183,426

10/17/1876

Charles H. Smith

Improvement in Lightning-Rod Connections

184,164

1876

D. Munson

 

185,272

1876

J. Werton

 

185,430

1876

J. J. Cole

 

186,503

1876

Snook

 

186,877

1876

Reyburn & Martin

 

188,444

1876

Van Loon

 

189,298

1876

Bradley

 

189,326

1876

Sherriff

 

189,986

1876

Vermilya

 

190,391

1876

Van Loon

 

192,628

7/3/1877

Charles H. Smith

Improvement in Lightning-Rods

192,718

1877

C. H. Smith

 

193,469

1877

Adams

 

193,654

1877

J. Hewitt

 

193,991

1877

Patterson

 

194,220

8/14/1877

Josephus C. Chambers

Improvement in Lightning-Rods and Insulators

196,235

1877

Knapp

 

196,350

1877

Goss

 

196,493

1877

Spang

 

196,518

1877

Brown

 

198,471

1877

C. H. Smith

 

201,059

3/5/1878

C. H. Smith &
John Hewitt

Improvement in Lightning-Rod Connections

202,578

1878

Patee

 

204,257

1878

Spang

 

204,359

1878

Munson

 

211,441

1/14/1879

Edward S. turner

Improvement in Lightning-Rod Couplings

211,847

2/4/1879

John Hewett

Improvement in Lightning-Rods

212,608

1879

Knapp

 

213,367

1879

Adams

 

214,545

4/22/1879

Elmore C. Bacon

Improvement in Lightning-Rod Couplings

214,558

1879

Pritsch

 

215,028

1879

Turner

 

218,708

1879

Cain

 

224,504

5/10/1980

Josephus C. Chambers

Insulated Cresting

229,382

1880

J. Cole

 

230,290

1880

Lilly

 

230,293

1880

Lilly

 

231,203

1880

Weston

 

234,173

1880

Chambers

 

234,484

1880

Knudson

 

252,859

1882

Ahearn

 

255,043

1882

G. Smith

 

256,046

1882

Prescott

 

257,889

1882

Patee

 

257,890

1882

Patee

 

257,891

1882

Patee

 

258,130

1882

Sacket

 

258,289

1882

Fitch

 

Section 4

Lightning Rod Patents #258,590 (1882) to #510,837 (1893)
United States

Number

Date

Inventor

Description

258,590

1882

Munn

 

263,423

1882

Munn

 

266,075

1882

Ball

 

297,290

1884

Patee

 

298,357

1884

Dodge

 

303,488

1884

Bradley

 

303,591

1884

Prescott

 

305,020

9/9/1884

John Anthony Ruth

Insulator For Lightning-Rods

305,140

1884

Bradley

 

307,024

1884

Drake

 

311,115

1885

Pricke

 

314,385

1885

Lawshe

 

315,679

1885

Upton

 

317,848

1885

Pitcher

 

323,105

1885

Bradley

 

329,833

1885

Hubbel

 

332,383

12/15/1885

James W. Cole &
Henry Knudsen

Lightning-Rod Standard

332,673

1885

A. Munson

 

343,332

6/8/1886

Alvin J. Munson

Ball Ornament For Lightning-Rods

344,096

1886

E. Foy

 

355,655

1/4/1887

Alvin J. Munson

Ball Ornament For Lightning-Rods

356,531

1887

Grimes

 

359,940

1887

Patee & Lawshe

 

361,520

1887

Hill

 

362,062

5/3/1887

James W. Cole

Multiple Subsidiary Ground-Terminal For Lightning-Rods

362,064

1887

Daniels

 

362,801

1887

Wescott

 

364,605

1887

Schoonmaker

 

367,348

7/26/1887

L. Lavake Mast

Lightning-Rod Brace

369,915

1887

Brown

 

373,407

1887

Kress

 

375,201

1887

Schaufuss

 

375,756

1888

Lawshe

 

384,384

1888

Nelson

 

395,399

1889

L. Mast

 

400,464

1889

Lawshe

 

406,681

1889

Watts

 

407,660

1889

C. Hill

 

446,130

1891

Downey

 

450,708

4/21/1891

Theodore Creighton

Insulator

452,796

5/26/1891

George R. Kress

Hollow Braided Lightning-Rod

452,983

1891

Radford

 

470,514

1892

Simpson

 

477,551

1892

Kerr

 

492,219

1893

Lyman

 

492,512

2/28/1893

Edward K. Hum

Lightning-Rod Ball

494,286

1893

Bartlett

 

505,106

1893

Hodges

 

508,068

1893

Walch

 

510,837

12/12/1893

John J. Cole

Lightning-Rod Ornament

Section 5

Lightning Rod Patents #518,793 (1894) to 995,638 (1911)
United States

518,793

1894

J. W. Smith

 

519,354

1894

Sheppard

 

526,057

1894

Rowley

 

527,005

1894

Roblin

 

529,866

1894

Keys

 

531,597

1894

Pendelton

 

563,938

1895

Munson

 

556,984

1896

Hum

 

589,566

1897

Marshall

 

595,543

1897

Kress

 

623,033

1899

Raunacher

 

630,334

1899

Dodd

 

636,081

1899

Stuart &
Woodman

 

667,366

1901

Hansen

 

688,855

1901

Immich

 

693,213

1902

Bajor

 

693,555

1902

Lelong

 

699,761

5/13/1902

Henry F Kretzer

Insulator

701,577

1902

Klein

 

708,188

9/2/1902

James O. Wilson

Lightning-Rod

 721,348

 1903

Wilson

 

737,173

1903

Timmerman

 

763,516

1904

Simpson

 

796,550

1905

Anderson

 

796,760

1905

Price & McCullough

 

799,433

1905

Bajor

 

852,548

1907

Finn

 

852,572

1907

McCullough

 

877,442

1908

L. Mast

 

880,854

1908

Anderson

 

887,277

1908

W. C. Shinn

 

895,916

1908

Turner

 

904,969

1908

Kress

 

916,306

1909

Hall

 

926,521

1909

Totten

 

938,137

1909

J. F. Goetz

 

940,742

1909

Simpson

 

950,181

1910

Maher

 

950,454

1910

G. Moore

 

951,411

1910

Anderson

 

963,496

1910

Bajor

 

963,830

1910

T. Thompson

 

964,297

1910

Moore

 

965,207

1910

Mast

 

970,556

1910

Rosenberger

 

970,642

1910

Redmond

 

974,396

1910

Kress

 

984,175

1911

Yarian

 

995,638

1911

W. C. Shinn

 

Section 6

Lightning Rod Patents #1,003,285 (1911) to #2,447,224 (1944)
United States

Number

Date

Inventor

Description

1,003,285

1911

Miller

 

1,004,681

1911

Parker

 

1,017,308

1912

Mitchell

 

1,061,824

4/9/1912

John Z. Curnutt &
Eldon E. Lloyd

Lightning-Rod

1,098,738

1914

Kretzer

 

1,112,634

1914

Mast

 

1,119,973

1914

Mast

 

1,122,434

12/29/1914

Anton J. Steffes

Lightning-Rod Brace

1,125,064

1915

Connell

 

1,128,261

2/9/1915

John S. Swenson

Lightning-Rod High Top

1,127,696

2/9/1915

John S. Swenson

Lightning-Rod Low Top

1,129,358

1915

Mitchell

 

1,133,176

1915

Owen

 

1,135,940

1915

Juel

 

1,140,582

1915

T. Dodd

 

1,150,907

1915

G. Thompson

 

1,153,617

1915

Goetz

 

1,162437

1915

Bajor

 

1,162,855

1915

Goetz

 

1,163,181

1915

Schmitt

 

1,170,260

1916

Hoovems

 

1,175,749

1916

Gunthorpe

 

1,181,399

1916

McCullough

 

1,189,565

1916

Hartsaw

 

1,259,000

1918

Dodd

 

1,266,175

1918

Tesla

 

1,303,739

1919

Swenson & Stehlik

 

1,313,391

1919

Kretzler

 

1,330,858

1920

Ford

 

1,373,519

1921

Meyer

 

1,416,525

1922

Taylor

 

1,437,613

1922

Petersen

 

1,467,922

1923

Creighton

 

1,513,931

1924

Rea

 

1,538,946

1925

Moore

 

1,564,069

1925

Hoovens

 

1.666,670

4/17/1928

Clement A. Schnoebelen

Lightning-Rod Air Terminal Bracket

2,447,224

11/15/1944

Walt Ackerman

Weather Vane

Section 7

Lightning Rod Patents #4,016,462 (1977) to #5,998,731 (1999)
United States and Foreign

 Number

Date

Inventor

Description

4,016,462

4/5/1977

William Pavliny

Building Lightning Protection System

4,017,767

4/12/1977

Leonard M. Ball

Laser Lightning -Rod System

4,039,739

8/2/1977

Benedetto Luigi
Donelli

Radioactive Lightning Conductor With Ionized-Gas Current

4,180,698

12/25/1979

Roy B.
Carpenter, Jr.

System and Equipment For Atmospherics Conditioning

4,447,847

5/8/84

Norman R.
Drulard

Portable Lightning-Rod

4,480,146

10/30/1984

Cesare G.
Invernizzi

Lightning protector Assembly

4,540,844

9/10/1985

Michel Sautereau,
Roger Nicod &
Pierre Langlois

Electrical ionizing devices for lightning protection

4,565,900

9/14/1984

Angel I. Arnau

Lightning Rod Construction

4,605,814

8/12/86

Vernon A. Gillem

Lightning Deterrent

4,652,694

3/24/87

Max Goldman
Alice Goldman
Stephane Kuhn
Pierre-Emmanuel Langlois
Gerard Berger;

Intermittent pulsed corona discharge lightning rod

4,679,114

7/7/1987

Roy B. Carpenter, Jr.

Method and equipment for lightning protection through electric potential neutralization

4,890,189

12/26/1989

Deville Genevieve

Lightning protective device for mobile radar antenna

4,910,636

3/20/1990

Charlton Sadler
Bruce Kaiser

Static Electricity Dissipator

5,036,785

8/6/1991

Robert L. Kittredge, Jr.
William M. Wagner

Lightning Protection Installation on a Boat

5,043,527

8/27/1991

Roy B.Carpenter, Jr.

Dissipation array systems for lightning protection

5,073,678

12/17/1991

Roy B.Carpenter, Jr.

Spline ball terminal (SBT)

5,175,664

12/29/1992

Jean-Claude Diels
Xin M. Zhao

Discharge of lightning with ultrashort laser pulses

5,365,398

11/15/1994

Richard Briet

Lightning protection system

5,638,248

6/10/1997

W. Gregg Fawthrop

Static Dissipator

5,657,197

8/12/1997

William H. Skinner, II

Operative lightning protection system

5,726,855

3/10/1998

Gerard Mourou
Alan Braun
Jean-Claude Diels
Marcel Bouvier
Xin Miao Zhao

Apparatus and method for enabling the creation of multiple extended conduction paths in the atmosphere

5,998,731

12/7/1999

Mitsunori Takamura

Absorbed type lightning rod and absorbed type lightning discharging apparatus.

6,102,330

1/11/2000

Douglas A. Palmer

Method and apparatus for the artificial triggering of lightning
(a water jet)

 

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More patents will be added as my research continues. Any contributions, comments, corrections, or additions are welcome.

 

Created by Roger Russell
All contents are copyright 1999-2004
by Roger Russell. All rights reserved