Forbes on 1799 patent

In a story about Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, a firm founded by Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Forbes alludes to a 1799 patent:


The earliest example of a patent for a pneumatic transport system reaches all the way back to 1799. A patent for “conveyance of goods and passengers by air” was awarded to George Medhurst in the 18th century, laying the foundation for the work on the Hyperloop project.


link: http://www.forbes.com/sites/basilmoftah/2015/08/31/will-the-hyperloop-spark-a-patent-revolution/