I would suggest you file a Provisional Patent Application (PPA) on your own for about $60 with the US Patent Office. Once you have filed the PPA (which is never examined and isn't a real patent), you have 1 year to claim ``patent pending'' before you must file your utility patent (maybe $5000 or more).
Fay received U.S. patent 64,088 on April 23, 1867. Although functional and practical, Fay's design along with the 50 other designs patented prior to 1899 are not considered reminiscent of the modern paperclip design known today. Another notable paper clip design was also patented in the United States by Erlman J.
You can file a patent application on behalf of yourself or your co-inventors.