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Patents for Collectors
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Are you a collector who has noticed a patent number or the phrase "patent pending" on an item in your collection? Have you ever wondered if there is a patent you could look at to learn more about a prized piece in your collection?
It used to be difficult for the average collector to identify and obtain copies of patents. Now you can search for and download copies of patents free of charge from the Web. This lens shows you how.
Patent Links
- Patent Search Information Site
- A basic guide to everthing about patents. Use it for more details on patent searches.
- Patent Sites for Collectors
- Lists web sites where someone else has already done the work of searching for patents on a particular collection. For example, tool patents, bottle patents, toy patents, or jewelry patents.
- U.S. Patent Issue Years and Patent Numbers
- Need to know what year a patent number was issued? This handy chart shows the range of patent numbers issued in each year.
- Tool Patents for Collectors
- Patent information just for tool collectors.
- Antique Tools and Patent Books
- Nice listing of books on antique and collectible tools patents.
Find a Patent by Patent Number
The easiest way to find a patent is to search by a patent number found on the antique or collectible.Does your item have a patent number somewhere on it (often on the bottom of the item?) Or is a patent number listed somewhere on the box, a tag, or instructions accompanying the item?
Here are 4 quick ways to search by patent number, and then obtain the full text of the patent.
1. Go to the USPTO Number Search Site and enter your number in the search box.
(Example: 2,076,074 )
2. Go to the PAT2PDF site and enter your number in the search box. This site gives you a PDF version of the patent to download for free.
(Example: 2,076,074 or 2076074)
3. Go to the advanced patent search page of Google Patent Search and enter your number in the "Patent Number" search box.
(Example: 5976023)
4. Go to the Yahoo! site and enter the word "patent" and your patent number in the search box. The first result will be a Yahoo! Shortcut that will take you directly to the patent in the USPTO database
(Example: patent 2076074)
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Searching Free Patent Databases
The best free U.S. patent databases are:
USPTO Patent Databases
The official United States Patent and Trademark Office site includes access to the full-text of patents from 1976-. Full-page images of patents are included from 1790-.
•You may need to download a specific TIFF image browser plugin to view the actual page images of the patents (be sure to read the directions.)
•Use the "Advanced Search" link on the front page for more complex searches.
Delphion Intellectual Property Network
The Delphion Intellectual Property Network contains searchable bibliographic data (information about the patent) and the complete text of all patents since 1974, and bibliographic text and some images from 1971.
•It also includes the full images for patents dated 1790-1971.
•You may find the Delphion site easier to use than the USPTO site. You must register in order to use the free portions of this Web site. This site also provides many additional services for a fee.
freepatentsonline
This site includes the searchable text of patents from patent number 4,000,000 (December 1976) to the present. While not as complete as the first two databases, it is easy to search and has some nice display features.
About Patent Classes and Subclasses
While you can search patent databases by a keyword, collectors will often want to search by patent class and subclass. This will help you locate the most on-target items.
For example, Class 446 is "Amusement Devices: Toys," and one of its subclasses is subclass 9, "TOY MONEY BOX-Having figure or mechanism operated or released by coin." If you then search by 446/9 as your class and subclass, you will locate all similar patents with this class and subclass.
Here's a patent found by searching by class 446, subclass 9:
Patent Classes/Subclasses Links
- USPTO Patent Classification Page
- The main web page with classification information.
- Index to the U.S. Patent Classification System
- Use this keyword index to help locate classes and subclasses.
- Class Numbers and Titles Page
- Use this page to browse through the class titles. Once you locate a possible title, you can then look at subclasses beneath it. You can also use this page to get a good sense of the entire classification system.
- U.S. Classes by Numbers Menu
- Once you think you've located the right class and subclass, use the Patent "Class Definition" available from this page to ensure the class and subclass really cover what you're looking for.
Books on Patents for Collectors
American Machinist's Tools: An Illustrated Directory of Patents
Amazon Price: $12.15 (as of 07/25/2008)
Patently Christmas: Inflatable Snowmen, Singing Elves, Collapsible Trees, and Other Patented Flashes of Holiday Genius
Amazon Price: (as of 07/25/2008)
The American Patented Brace 1829-1924: An Illustrated Directory of Patents
Amazon Price: (as of 07/25/2008)
Corkscrews: 1000 Patented Ways to Open a Bottle
Amazon Price: $59.96 (as of 07/25/2008)
Examples of Patented Collectors Items
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Fun Patent Items for Collectors
Look who made this lens!
mkm
I'm an information specialist and collector who wants to make it easier for people to find patent information.
What's here
- Patent Links
- Find a Patent by Patent Number
- Searching Free Patent Databases
- About Patent Classes and Subclasses
- Patent Classes/Subclasses Links
- More...
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