C.O.C.A. Times

Accessing U.S. Patents
by Jan Berning
The first step to accessing U.S. Patents is to download the viewer to enable you to see the
patent images.
Connect to the internet using Netscape or Internet Explorer.
(Mac users can view the images using Quicktime 4.1 or later.)
Go to http://www.internetiff.com/InterneTIFF/Try.htm
Click the appropriate link, based on your browser for a free download of interneTIFF.
This should take approximately 8 minutes on a 56K modem.
Go to www.USPTO.gov
On the left side of the page is the word Patents and below that the words File, Status, and
Search.
Click on: Search. This will take you to a new page.
In the green rectangle on the left side of this page you will find the words:
1. Quick Search (This is a Boolean search for searching two different criteria at once.)
2. Advanced Search (Will allow searches for numerous criteria one at a time.)
3. Patent Number Search (Will allow searches only for one patent number at a time.
You must know the patent number to use this search.)
In order to search for scales, most of which are listed in classification 177, you must use the
"Advanced Search" link.
With your cursor in the empty box, marked Query, on this page, type in:
ccl/177/$ and change the "Select Year" box to "1790 to present [entire database]"
Click on the button marked "Search."
This will display a data base of almost 15,000 patent numbers, most for scales. The later or
newest patents are displayed first and the earliest ones will be at the end of the list. You can
move to any page in the database by putting a number in the box marked "Jump To" and click-
ing the button. As an example typing 14,000 in the Jump box will take you to a page with
patents from 1883. Clicking on any Pat. No, will take you to a page with several red bordered
buttons. Clicking on the button marked "Images" will give you the first page of the patent. To
move to subsequent pages of the patent: click on the arrow buttons at the top or left side of the
patent image. To print the patent page: use the print button at the top of the patent image.
Note: The web site changes sometimes so that these directions may change from time to time.
OTHER SEARCHES:
CCL/369/$
CCL/463/$
CCL/194/$
Juke Boxes
Amusement Devices
Coin Operated machines and banks etc.
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