Patent Database

Hi All:

Not that it has been a deluge of inquiries, but I have had a few contacts regarding the patent database. Figure I might as well post an update.

As of today my patent database is up to 3,100 patents in Adobe .pdf format, all indexed by inventor, date, assignee, title and a brief description if the title doesn't make that redundant. All the patents are hyperlinked for easy access and can be sorted using different criteria. I have at least another 175 European patents that need to be downloaded and added to the database, and then I am likely to call it a day for now. After the whole thing has been debugged, tested and called a bunch of filthy names I am planning to have it offered to the SACA Storeroom for sale.

As this is hardly a definitive listing of steam patents and as new patents are issued every so often, this is hardly a completed work. Probably have to think of some reasonable way to include updates in the future, but not going to worry much about that now.

Regards,

Ken

Hi Ken,

If the DVD format is such that other patents and pertainant PDF info can be added that would work by downloading the DVD to disk and adding the files and re-burning it. It would then be simple and flexable for each user. Or just left on disk since storage is so big and affordable now.

Best ------- Bill G.

Hi Bill:

I actually like just putting the files on a hard drive, my own obsolescent 6 year old computer has a 120 gig hard drive that I still haven't more than half filled up even after scanning about a zillion family photos. Certainly more convenient to manipulate data than moving back and forth to the DVD. I suspect when it comes to updates it would be best if someone were the database manager and people forwarded the new files and indexing to that one person who would then update the whole mess and forward it to others. That way, the maximum number of people would have the maximum amount of information most of the time.

When I get the rest of the patents indexed and downloaded, I am going to play with a small CD based version of the database. My thought is that almost no files would be included but the hyperlinks would instead call up the appropriate file from the GOOGLE patent library or Espace. One would need broadband, but the space requirements would be negligible.

Regards,

Ken

Hi Ken.

I don't think it's a good idea to rely on links to GOOGLE. Thay may decide to drop the whole thing. Could move the location, change it's name, or Reorginize the structure invaladiting links.

Hi Andy:

Given my drathers I'd go with a DVD containing all the files. My only reason for considering a CD based version using broadband is that a couple of people testing early versions of the DVD on older pre-Windows XP computers had difficulties accessing the files. This would be a simple way for them to get the data. The other possibility would be to put the patent files on multiple CDs and download those to a single directory. I did a quick calculation and decided almost no one had the money or room to print this sucker out, so paper is a bad option.

Regards,

Ken

Have you tried puting them into a zip file? Might help a bit.

Hi Andy:

The problem was these users didn't want to download the files to their computer but rather run it from a removable disc. Normally this wouldn't be a problem, but I've been finding that steam enthusiasts seem to include a much higher proportion of folks running really obsolete systems than I think you find in the general population...or at least among my circle of acquaintances. I've just been trying to find a couple of alternatives to try to make everyone happy....an impossibility I grant you.

Regards,

Ken

Hi Folks:

Further update.

I've finally finished downloading, indexing and hyperlinking all the patent suggestions I received from a few contributors. As of the moment the tally is 3,869 patents. I have a large variety of stuff in there, some of it old time steam technology, some of it specifically steam automobile, some of it automotive related by steam developers and just some stuff that is vaguely related. I'm sure a few more patents will dribble in and I need to spend some time comparing the file names to the files in the database to find orphan files or eliminate some that were deleted from the database but not the files.

Regards,

Ken

One more update....

I visited Tom Kimmel the other day and showed him the database DVD, of course it glitched and I had to track down what happened. Got that fixed.

Of course, seeing as how I figured I was done it just happened that Tom had a couple steam patent lists laying around and there were a few numbers in there I didn't have. And of course he showed me a high performance boiler design that had an associated patent number that I also didn't have. I was familiar with the assignee but they changed the company name slightly, so I didn't get a bunch of other patents that got kicked loose following Toms lead. Anyhow, suffice it to say I ended up downloading about another 120 patents for the database. I have automated the hyperlinking, so all I need to do is review and index them. With luck I'll finally, really, actually be done in a week or so. The goal is still to have the database ready for SACA to merchandise by the September meet.

The count is over 4,000 files in the database.

Think I'll need a stronger optical prescription if this keeps up.

Ken

Ken-

Good on ya--glad to hear that you're almost done-what
a job!! I'm looking forward to perusing the patents..there's
always a lot of good ideas to be introduced to...
I'm getting ready for the trip to Bonneville-just spectating
this year-and then it's back to get the Dragster ready for the Meet and the
Trials in September..are you going to arrive early??

Cheers---Chuk

Hi Chuk:

I'm planning on attending the meet, but probably just on Friday and Saturday, will arrive in the area Thursday night. We're working a lot of overtime, and I'm already taking vacation later in the month, so taking Friday off is probably the best I can do. Look forward to seeing you at the Meet, and hope the trip to Bonneville is fruitful.

Ken

Hi Ken,
Will you be bringing your patent research with you? Will it be for sale? Every one in the steam fratinity owes you a debt of gratitude for this work..thank you
Harry

Hi Harry:

I'll be bringing my laptop with me and it has all my steam data onboard. I'll also have some DVDs burned and bring those as well. Certainly no gratitude owed here, I certainly got a lot out of it myself as I originally started looking up patents years ago on microfilm in order to educate myself what various auto designers such as White, Stanley, Whitney, Doble and others had done. It has helped no end in refining my own concepts, if mostly proving my best ideas actually have been built and tested at one time or another by someone else. This can be a bit deflating but on the other hand lends some confidence that the ideas can actually work.

Look forward to seeing you all in September.

Regards,

Ken

charlesg [ PM ]
Re: Williams ws. Rankin
July 28, 2009 06:05PM Registered: 21 days ago
Posts: 10

Ken, How can I get hold of your Patent DVD? charles


Hi Charles,

I sell the DVDs for $100 a copy, which probably comes out to about 5 cents an hour labor rate. Obviously I'll never get rich selling them, but some day (maybe) I'll earn enough to offset the money I spent just compiling the information.

The data consists of over 5,000 patents, each in an Adobe .pdf file and an index with hyperlinks to activate the individual files. The index is in a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, although I can format it as a web browser for those without Excel. The Excel version is better because it permits data sorting. Each index entry gives the patent number, year, inventor name, patent title, a brief description of the patent, a key word or two for classification (I admit that needs a lot of work), and the patent assignee (if any).

I know the above was pretty general, feel free to ask if you have more questions. If you want my personal contact information I can send that by Private Message (see top of page). Probably paranoid of me, but I figure that if I put my address on the internet then I'll be on countless junk mail lists for life...

Regards,

Ken



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/29/2009 05:11PM by frustrated.