This page provides information on the types of patents and types of patent applications, and the examination process. It turns out that the original idea for perforated toilet paper was patented in 1871 as patent number US117355A.Patent Application Titled "Toilet Paper Covering Device" Published Online (USPTO 20240188764). The answer of how the toilet paper is supposed to hang may lie with New York businessman Seth Wheeler, who filed an 1891 patent for the toilet paper roll. Usually, you can get free legal assistance for your patent from the Patent Pro Bono Program. Here's one for all the history buffs out there. Seth Wheeler's 1891 patent shows the original placement of the toilet paper roll using an "over" approach. Mary Beatrice Davidson Kenner was a remarkable 20th-century inventor who received five patents. In spite of enduring racism her entire life, Kenner succeeded. A writer just dug up the original patent for the toilet paper roll from 1891.