Omaha daily bee., 1892-02-14
HOW TO SECURE A PATENT.
Directions to Inventors Issued by The Bee
Bureau of Claims,
METHODS OF THE PATENT OFFICE,
The Course Foiiowc dby the Author of an
Invention to Protect His Rights
Costs of Obtaining
Patent.

ond to this TRE BEs Bureau offers the fol-
lowing explanation:
Inventors as n class are not familiar With
the laws under which letters patent are
granted, the forms and practice in the patent
Office at Washington and tho technical
methods of casting specifications and claims
to properly protect their inventions against
infringers, vet the value of the patent and
even its validity depend largely upon the
careful and expert preparation of the case
Specifications must be drawn to fully dis
close the invention, to distinguish between
what Is new and what Is old, and claims
upon which the value and validity of the
patent depend, must be cast to fully cover
the invention yet not to encroach upon pat
ents already granted Failure in either of
these respects often renders the patent value
less or void. The employment of counsel
skilled In patent law is therefore usually
prerequisite to the proper prosecution of a
case and grant OF q valuable patent.
Many inventors suffer the loss of benefits
that should be derived from valuable inven-
tons owing to insufficient protection by pat
cts procured through incompetent or care
less agents. etc.
For What Granted.
Under the lawslof the UuitedStates let
ters patent are granted to any person who
has invented or discovered any new and use
full ART. machine, manufacture or composition
of matter or has invented any new or useful
improvement thereon.
Term OF Patent.
patent is granted for seventeen years,
during which time the owner has sole and
exclusive right to make, use and sell the
patented invention. s,..
How to Proceed. t"'.
For economic reasons before making ap-
plicaton to the patent office for a patent,
the novelty and patentability of the inven
ton should be ascertaned, because, If the
invention is not new or not .patentable an
unnecessary expense is incurred by filing an
application on which patent can never oe
granted. etc.
The first thing to be dcle is to find out
whether or not the invention is new and
patentabIe. tr.t-.
For advice on the point it is necessary to
send to the bureau q rough or complete
sketch or n photograph OF the invention, to-
gether with a brief description thereof,
setting forth the object OF the improve
meats, the arrangement of the parts and
the advantages attained. While model is
very seldom necessary, yet 1t is often of
any cheap material. ar.d will be returned If u
request is made to that effect.
Upon receipt of the data mentioned aufic
lent to enable the invention to be un ierstood
our counsel will at once examine thcreinto,
and will advise without charge what is the
best course TO pursue and. will express an
opinion. from their knowledge, of the arts
and patents already gcanted, US to the patent
ability of the Invention.
In this courectionsit is recommended that
the best aud safest course is to have
special search made in the patent Office to
ascertain whether or not the invention has
been heretofore patented. Tho advantage of
such search is that If no anticipating patent
is discovered The application can be filed with
a greater decree of certainty. whereas if the
invention is found to be old all further eX-
pense is avoided. Tho cost of search of
this nature is So, and with the report Of the
result thereof the inventor viii be furnished
with copies of such patents, If any, as en-
brace his ideas. 1t is much better to have
this search made in the outset before inc ur
ring any expense whatever regarding the ap
plicatlOn for patent .-..
If IT Is found that he invention Is II ew ard
patents table the client is advised to proceed
with the fling OF gu application for patent
and will then be requested to remit SIS
to cover the first government fee and
s. in payment of cost of drawing, when one
is necessary. AS soon as possible after the
receipt Of this remittance the specification of
the invention will be carefully prepared
and forwarded to the inventor, together with
forms for application for patent ready for
execution. Upon return of the latter the case
will be promptly flied at the patent Office and
notice will be sent when action is had there
on. and also of tho nature of such action.
The examining corps of the patont office is
divided into thirty-two divisions, among
which the applications are divides according
TO the official classification. The condition Of;
the work in tho various divisions varies from
one TO five months in arrears.
The Burea,I (,harpps -.- .s
Consistent with the spirit with which this
bureau was formed, 1t Is not intended to
conduct any branch OF the business on Il
money making basis, but IT is proposed to do
the work near the actual cost as will pro-
tect the usiness from loss Although counsel
are retained AT heavy expense to the bureau,
yet 1t is the wish 70 charge in ordinary cases
only the minimum fee of SD. However, in
cases requiring extra care, timo and labor
the fee will be nroportlonately increased, but
clients will always be advised in advance
should such increase of fee be found neces-
sary. In directing inquiries please mention
the fact that YOU read these instructions In
THE BEE.
Design Patents.
patent for design is granted to any
person who has invented or procured any
new and original design for the printing OF
woolen silk, cotton or other fabrics; any
new and original impression, ornament pat
tern, print or picture to be printed, painted,
cast or otherwise placed on or worked into
any article OF manufacture; or any now,
useful and original shape or coniguration OF
any article of manufacture, the same not
having been known or used by others before
his invention or production thereof, or pat
entei or described in any printed publica-
iiDn. Patents for designs are granted for
tho term OF three and one-half years, the
government fee being $40; or for seven years
the fee being $751; or for fourteen years, tho
fee beng $50. The charge OF the bureyu in
such cases is usually S25.
Reissues.
patent can be reissuod whenever tho
same Is imperative or invalid by reason of a
defective or insufficient specification, or by
reason of the patentee's claiming more than
he hac right to claim as new, providing the
error has arisen by accident, mistake or in
advertonce, ana without fraudulent intent.
The government fee for reissue is $50. The
cost of drawing is s., and the bureau charge
is usually S35. Great care must oo exercised
in reissuing patent, because very often
what little validity there may be in delec-
tive patent is entirely lost by procuring re-
ssue which is totally invalid.
Rejected Cases.
There are in the patent Office great many
cases which stand rejected, but which should
be allowed. This condition of the case may
be due either to incompetency on the part
the attorney employed or his inability, DO
cause OF residence elsewhere than in Wash