I've just noticed that United States patents are now searchable on Google. For the first time US patents filed before the early 1970's are fully searchable online!
This means that it is possible to do a search for "armored car" or "tank" and find all sorts of interesting drawings of early armored vehicles as well as odd, never constructed concepts. Just go to google.com and click on the "more" link. Then click the "even more" link that pops up. Finally click on "Patent Search" and enter in your search terms. (Be sure to use US spelling - "armored" instead of "armoured" & etc.)
To further refine your search you can click on the "Advanced Patent Search" link next to Google's search term field. In addition to allowing more specific searches, the advanced search will give you the option of limiting the results by date.
I've found all sorts of interesting items, like patent number 1333446, which appears to be a knock-off of the Rolls Royce Armoured Car and the 1907 patent (number 853625) for Ferdinand Charron's armored car. Holt's armored tractor is there too (pat. num. 1365402). Don't forget to look for components of armored vehicles as well, like patent number 1447979 for the armored pneumatic wheel.
Some of the images appear to be scale plans of actual vehicles, but many are a little lacking in scale or details (this was probably intentional as the more vague the patent description was, the wider the possible interpretation of the patent.)
I would post some images but I haven't been able to attach photos since the forum was "improved".
I've just noticed that United States patents are now searchable on Google. For the first time US patents filed before the early 1970's are fully searchable online!
This means that it is possible to do a search for "armored car" or "tank" and find all sorts of interesting drawings of early armored vehicles as well as odd, never constructed concepts. Just go to google.com and click on the "more" link. Then click the "even more" link that pops up.Unfortunately "no even more link" pops up when I do this. Is it only me? Is this another restriction on AOL users?Finally click on "Patent Search" and enter in your search terms. (Be sure to use US spelling - "armored" instead of "armoured" & etc.)
To further refine your search you can click on the "Advanced Patent Search" link next to Google's search term field. In addition to allowing more specific searches, the advanced search will give you the option of limiting the results by date.
I've found all sorts of interesting items, like patent number 1333446, which appears to be a knock-off of the Rolls Royce Armoured Car and the 1907 patent (number 853625) for Ferdinand Charron's armored car. Holt's armored tractor is there too (pat. num. 1365402). Don't forget to look for components of armored vehicles as well, like patent number 1447979 for the armored pneumatic wheel.
Some of the images appear to be scale plans of actual vehicles, but many are a little lacking in scale or details (this was probably intentional as the more vague the patent description was, the wider the possible interpretation of the patent.)
I would post some images but I haven't been able to attach photos since the forum was "improved".
Thanks Roger - some amazing crackpot ideas in there including armoured boots for walking across minefields!
Reminds me of a spoof soap opera set in the 1930s called 'Brass' starring Timothy West as the monstrous Northern mine owner and arms manufacturer whose concern had developed the 'anti tank boot' with a toe cap filled with the patent 'silent but deadly' soundless explosive Perhaps this lurks somewhere within these files!
Centurion wrote: Thanks Roger - some amazing crackpot ideas in there including armoured boots for walking across minefields!
Reminds me of a spoof soap opera set in the 1930s called 'Brass' starring Timothy West as the monstrous Northern mine owner and arms manufacturer whose concern had developed the 'anti tank boot' with a toe cap filled with the patent 'silent but deadly' soundless explosive Perhaps this lurks somewhere within these files!
Armoured minefield boots?!?!?! Fantastic!
Ahhh, Brass! I only saw a few episodes, but loved what I saw, thanks for reminding me of it! *goes in search of DVD*
Centurion wrote:spoof soap opera set in the 1930s called 'Brass' starring Timothy West as the monstrous Northern mine owner and arms manufacturer whose concern had developed the 'anti tank boot' with a toe cap filled with the patent 'silent but deadly' soundless explosive I was in it! I was a worker who had been blown up when the explosive went off at the factory. The trouble was that when the SBD went off accidentally - nobody heard it. So the workers went on strike to demand a hooter which would tell us that we were being blown up, if you follow me.
Timothy West's character was Bradley Hardacre. His supposed factory was a disused mill in a charming little village in Lancashire called Summerseat. The mill has now been turned into very desirable flats worth about half a million quid each. To make us look like explosion victims they sprayed our hands and faces with aerosol dirt, then someone went down to the stream, came back, and threw a bucket of sh*ite over the lot of us.
"Sometimes things that are not true are included in Wikipedia. While at first glance that may appear like a very great problem for Wikipedia, in reality is it not. In fact, it's a good thing." - Wikipedia.
It may be off-topic, but it was also fascinating, thanks for sharing your memories! I'm thinking of getting the DVDs soon, when I do I'll have to pick your brain again to find you on it!
Now, as for patents, type in the following number: 367617
It's for a Gruson mobile gun-turret. Does the attached, one of several drawings from the patent, look familiar...?
Well done. Mark! A fantastic find - should keep certain members happy for days/weeks/months/years. Presumably we will see the more esoteric (to put it politely) ones put up on the site? Tony
"Sometimes things that are not true are included in Wikipedia. While at first glance that may appear like a very great problem for Wikipedia, in reality is it not. In fact, it's a good thing." - Wikipedia.