Steffin Albert (2 results)

No Binding. Condition: Fine. Postcard in fine condition. Unmailed. Cards are sent in stiff mailers. Postcard.

Condition: Very Good. First Edition. First Edition. One sheet of 15 x 10 inch bristol board. Black ink on white paper. Overall light soiling, two corners with damage. Inked notes in black and red. Drawing witnesses were Chas. F. Swift and George H. Sylvia. On the verso are several stamps (Draftsman, USPO, and Photoprints) The assigned patent application serial number was 254,8597 and it was received by the US Patent Office (USPTO) on November 10, 1887. The patent was issued on May 28, 1889, and given design patent number 19,120 with a term of 7 years. We have included a printout of the patent text for reference. NOTE: This is one of a collection of original patent art we are selling. If you are interested in knowing about additional items please let us know. Hand-drawn patent drawings, while critical to the patent process, don't often appear for sale. With only the inventor, attorney, and USPTO the likely recipients, few were made, and after expiring many were discarded. This example is a little unusual in that it appears to have been rejected at least once before being issued. There are dates on the front of the patent indicating these "stages" before it was marked "Issue May 4, 1889" This is a substitute drawing as well, so marked at the top in red ink. DESIGN PATENTS: what they are, how long they last, and records management Design patents "protect the way an article looks." Historically important, they verify new design innovations, document changing cultural tastes, and establish valuable competitive business advantages. New patents preserve for the stated term the inventor's sole ownership and use of the design. The US Patent Office (USPTO) calls "the drawing disclosure . the most important element of the application.As the drawing or photograph constitutes the entire visual disclosure of the claim, it is of utmost importance that the drawing or photograph be clear and complete, that nothing regarding the design sought to be patented is left to conjecture" To obtain a Design patent, inventors submit an original black pen and ink drawing and a description of the innovation to the USPTO (typically with the assistance of a patent lawyer familiar with the process). The USPTO assigns the new application a "serial number" and "application date." USPTO patent examiners then vet the application to ensure it is unique and not already protected, often with additional communication between the USPTO, the inventor, and their legal representation. This process can take months if not years. Only if determined to be a new invention will the USPTO issue the inventor a Design Patent number and patent date. During the active term of the design patent, the USPTO retains the inventor's application and drawings for use in patent dispute cases and other inquiries. After the term of the patent, the USPTO may discard or return the materials if no longer relevant to their core mission. Today, most issued patents are digitized for preservation. Older paper records and patent models have been periodically discarded most often with little fanfare and to address space or fiscal management issues.