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William Fuld
July 24, 1870 - February 24, 1927
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William Fuld

With so many Ouija related patents and trademarks many of William Fuld's other registrations are often forgotten. William had ten patents and three trademarks in his name which were all registered in the U.S. His very first patent (No. 476,046) registered on May 31, 1892 was not on a Ouija board but rather a pool table variant. His first trademark (No. 37,805) Did U.C. Billie? which was registered on January 22, 1902 was also not Ouija related but a mark he used on a calculator (No. 663,336) that his wife Annie patented on December 4, 1900 as well as his pool tables. He was the first person to hold a trademark on the words Return Pool. Before that many pool tables had simple pockets where the balls would fall into and had to be retrieved from. It wasn't long before William had a patent on how to return the balls once they were hit into the pockets. William also had quite a few patents on his wooden moveable toys. Hidden among these registrations is another fortune telling game. Is that a patent on a clothesline? Only further inspection will tell.

William Fuld Patent No. 476,046

U.S. Patents
Patent No. 476,046
May 31st 1892
Most people are surprised to learn that William's first patent didn't have anything to do with Ouija boards but rather a pool table variant. Pool tables and the like were William's other passion. While working at the Kennard or Ouija Novelty Company he registered this patent. It describes a spring loaded game in which balls or pins are knocked into pockets. It reads “This invention relates to game boards or tables of that type in which a spring-gun is located at one end of a horizontal cloth-covered table and adapted to shoot a ball either into certain pockets in the flat top or sides of the table, or against other balls or “men,” in the nature of nine-pins, set up upon the table so as to upset the same; and my improvement consists of in the peculiar construction of the ball-ejecting device or spring-gun, in combination with the table, as will hereinafter be described.”

William Fuld Patent No. 1,002,666

Patent No. 1,002,666
September 5th 1911
With William's talking board business taking off, he again turned his attention to his pool tables. This patent was filed to create an easy efficient way to have pool balls returned to the player once hit into its pockets. It reads “Be it known that I, William Fuld, a citizen of the United States, residing in Baltimore, State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pool-Tables, of which the following is a specification. My invention relates to an improvement in pool tables, and the object is to provide means beneath the table whereby the balls after passing through the pockets are deflected to a common receptacle. The invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts which will be hereafter fully described and pointed it in the claims.”

Harry U. Scott Patent No. 1,012,454

Patent No. 1,012,454
December 19th 1911
This is the first patent that was actually assigned to William Fuld rather than he being listed as the inventor. Harry U. Scott is listed as the inventor, and this patent on a clothesline was unique it could be collapsed and had a much smaller footprint than those that wee currently being used. It reads “Be it known that I, Harry U. Scott, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lansdowne, in county of Baltimore and State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combined Clothes-Lines and Props, of which the following is a specification. My invention relates to an improvement in combined clothes line and prop, the object being to provide an article of the character described which may be adjusted to the desired length according to the height it is wished to hang clothes, after which it may be slid together into comparatively small compass, the device being entirely self-contained, that is comprising the prop and clothes-line all combined in one.”

William Fuld Patent No. 1,265,645

Patent No. 1,265,645
May 7th 1918
Wheeled toys are another favorite of William's. In this patent, a boy holding onto a chicken described. In the patent, he acknowledges how important it is to make a toy that will not break easily as well as being made inexpensively. This is another patent William would assign to his eldest child, Carrie Anne Fuld. It reads “Be it known that I, William Fuld, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at 1306 N. Central Ave., Baltimore, in the county of Baltimore City and State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Wheeled Toys, of which the following is a specification. My invention relates to figure wheeled toys and more particularly to that class where the objects are thrown into operation when the toy is propelled causing thereby considerable amusement to a child. The object of this invention is to produce such a device which is simple in construction and cheaply made and one which will not readily get out of order.”

Harry G. Norwood Patent No. 1,373,630

Patent No. 1,373,630
April 5th 1921
In total William had three patents assigned to him by Harry G. Norwood. This first patent describes a two figured rocking toy. It reads “Be it known that I, Harry G. Norwood, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore and State of Maryland, have invented new and useful Improvements in Rocking Toys, of which the following is a specification. This invention relates to improvements in toys, and more particularly to the rocker or rocking type of toy. An object of the invention is to provide a rocking toy having a plurality of figures which when rocked, will remain constantly in parallel relation one with the other. Another object of the invention is to provide a rocking toy, with a slidable weight, to facilitate the operation of said toy when put into motion. A further object of the invention is to provide a simple rocking toy, which will be inexpensive to manufacture, and durable in structure.”

Harry G. Norwood Patent No. 1,376,570

Patent No. 1,376,570
May 3rd 1921
The second Harry G. Norwood patent assigned to William was a figured wheeled toy similar to the above mentioned rocking toy. This toy had uniquely shaped wheels causing the toy to rock back and forth. It reads “Be it known that I, Harry G. Norwood, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore and State of Maryland, have invented new and useful Improvements in Wheeled Toys, of which the following is a specification. This invention relates to improvements in wheeled toys, and more particularly to that type of toy which is provided with a plurality of wheels having their peripheries formed with flat surfaces, instead of round. One object of the invention is to provide a wheeled toy with a rocking device, said device being operated by means of the vibration or the up and down movement, due to the flat surfaces on the wheels of said toy.”

Harry G. Norwood Patent No. 1,381,588

Patent No. 1,381,588
June 14th 1921
The third and final Harry G. Norwood patent assigned to William had absolutely nothing to do with toys but would go onto be a big seller for William. This patent describes a folding table much like today's T.V. tables. It reads “Be it known that I, Harry G. Norwood, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore and State of Maryland, have invented new and useful Improvements in Folding Tables, of which the following is a specification. This invention relates to tables and has an object the provision of a new and improved form of table with legs that may be folded in order that the table may be stored in a small space....A folding table compromising, in combination, a top, downwardly projecting spaced members secured to said top and having sockets therein, a squared shaft having rounded ends journaled in said sockets, a rounded portion of each shaft, and a locking member having a squared recess adapted to slide upon said shaft said member fitting against the lower surface of the table top whereby it may be slipped into register with the rounded portion to release the shaft and into engagement with the squared portion to lock the shaft against rotation in either one of two positions.”

Frank Knowles Patent No. 1,398,462

Patent No. 1,398,462
November 29th 1921
This is another patent assigned to William Fuld, and is by far the most interesting. Invented by Frank Knowles this patent was not for a Ouija board, but rather another fortune telling device that shows witches and black cats. It reads “Be it known that I, Frank Knowles, residing at West Englewood, in the county of Bergen and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fortune-Telling Devices, of which the following is a specification. This invention relates to fortune telling devices, and more particularly to that type of toy which upon operation, will indicate a certain answer to a question which has first been asked, or will indicate facts without first questioning. An object of the invention is to provide a fortune telling device which will be operated by a reciprocating or swinging arm, and is provided with a board upon which are printed a plurality of numbers, each number having a corresponding number upon a card, said card having the answer or fact thereupon. A further object is to provide a fortune telling device which will be easy to manipulate, and inexpensive to manufacture.”

Katherine Bowie Fuld Patent No. 1,398,426

Patent No. 1,398, 426
November 29th 1921
While William sometimes assigned his patents and trademarks to his children, this patent registered by his daughter Katherine Bowie Fuld shows his children assigned their patents back to him as well. Another wheeled toy patent, this one illustrates a dog riding a goat. It reads “Be it known that I, Katherine B. Fuld, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, and State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements Figure Wheeled Toys, of which the following is a specification. This invention relates to toys and has for an object the provision of a wheeled toy of simple construction which shall have an amusing movement. A further object of the invention is the provision of a toy which with a very simple operating mechanism may provide movement of a plurality of figures. A further object is the provision of a toy which is cheap to manufacture and is not likely to get out of order.”

Rudolph Schwarz Design Patent No. 63,330

Design Patent No. D63,330
November 20th 1923
This is the last patent assigned to William Fuld and the only design patent that was assigned to him. It was registered by Rudolph Schwarz and was for the design that William would use on his Rocking Circus. This rocker is shown in William Fuld's catalog of available toys in the 1920s. The registration reads “Be it known that I, Rudolph Schwarz, a citizen of the United States, residing at 304 Atwood Street, Oakland, Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new, original, and ornamental Design for Rockers, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming part thereof, in which – The figure is a perspective view of a rocker showing my new design. I claim: The ornamental design for a rocker as shown.”

William Fuld Trademark No. 37,805

U.S. Trademarks
Trademark No. 37,805
February 18th 1902
William used this trademark, Did U.C. Billie? on both his pool tables and a calculator game that his wife invented and patented. We don't know much more about this trademark registration and we aren't sure how long he manufactured games with this mark. However, he did continue to sell his pool tables until his death in 1927.

William Fuld Trademark No. 83,828

Trademark No. 83,828
October 17th 1911
This is William's second most famous trademark. His mark on Return Pool would forever tie him to pool tables though there are very few examples of his pool tables remaining today. Pool tables at the time had pockets that the players would have to reach into to collect the balls hit into them. William had also patented and manufactured pool tables that provided a way for these balls to fall into their pockets and were collected in a common area. This mark became so popular that it is now used to describe pool tables in a generic sense. It reads “Be it known that I, William Fuld, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Baltimore, State of Maryland, and doing business at 1306 North Central Avenue, Baltimore, Maryland, have adopted and used the trade-mark shown in the accompanying drawing, for pool-tables, in Class No. 22, Games, toys, and sporting goods. The trade-mark has been continuously used in my business since July 19, 1892. The trade-mark is applied or affixed to the goods, or to the boxes containing the same, by placing thereon a printed label on which the trade-mark is shown.”

William Fuld Trademark No. 171,003

Trademark No. 171,003
July 31st 1923
To our knowledge there are two registrations associated with William's Rocking Circus. This trademark and the above design patent assigned to William. A great picture of this rocking toy is found in William Fuld's 1920s product catalog. This is William Fuld's last non-Ouija trademark. The registration reads “William Fuld, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Baltimore, State of Maryland, and doing business at Harford Avenue, Lamont Avenue, and Federal Street, in said city, has adopted and used the trade-mark shown in the accompanying drawing, for Figure Toys, in Class 22, Games, toys, and sporting goods, and presents herewith five specimens (or facsimiles) showing the trade-mark as actually used by applicant upon the goods, and requests that the same be registered in the United States Patent Office in accordance with the act of February 20, 1905, as amended. The trade-mark has been continuously used and applied to said goods in applicant's business since April 5, 1921.”