While the elements of success in actual engineering are general, comprised by knowledge of well-known sciences and arts; yet the accomplishments of their undertaking must necessarily be stamped with the individuality of its creator, and along those lines that repeated experiences have found necessary, to insure success.

In inventing and designing a new machine, one must first thoroughly familiarize himself with its desired performance, as the success or failure of his mechanical creation depends on how nearly perfect that performance is, compared to established or desired standards; and the performance of that machine when made will truly denote how well its designer understood it, and his skill in mechanical manipulation to produce it.

Another important item of calculation must be the relative value of the probable production of the machine, its quantity and quality, to the cost of the machine.

Careful consideration must be given to the working conditions the machine will have to be adapted to. These must include a careful study of the substance to be worked upon in the machine, its regularity or irregularity in shape, its constant or changing conditions under various environments or seasons, and its general peculiarities.

The cost of manipulating the machine must be considered, that is, the required amount of power for its propulsion, and the cost of maintaining its efficient mechanical performance for a certain amount of production, or its durability, and its proneness to get out of order. Nor must one fail to take into account the required intelligence and skill to operate it.

While constantly and carefully bearing in mind the before-mentioned objective points, the prospective successful inventor in designing his machine, must carefully aim for cheapness of construction, which can only be properly accomplished by designing the various mechanical performances of the machine with the least number of parts, and of the simplest form, requiring for their proper production the least amount and cheapest kind of labor in the Pattern Shop, Foundry, and Machine Shop, and, next to the creating of efficient and durable machines, the greatest order of skill in a machine designer is required in producing simple and cheap mechanical designs.

And yet this is not all that is required from him, even in the mechanical line, but he must have such mechanical movements and parts in his machine, as will enable him to secure a good patent on it, which will insure him protection, at the same time carefully and absolutely avoiding any possible infringement on others. In a measure that can be avoided by looking up the copies of patents of similar inventions.

Another important factor in determining the general design of a machine, is the probable market for the same, as that must, in a great measure, decide the justifiable expenditure for the initial or first general cost, for bringing the successful machine into being.

So much for the mechanical or engineering part of the invention.