Tool Patents for Collectors

Patents are very useful sources of information for tool collectors who want to know more about the items they are collecting.

Individual sections of the Patent Search Information Site detail how to find patents using free resources on the Web.

Also of interest to tool collectors is the U.S. Patent Issue Years/Numbers page--a quick guide to locating the year a patent was issued when you find a patent number on a collectible item.
See also How to Search by Patent Number if you already have the patent number of the tool.
The Mid-west Tool Collector's Association (MWTCA) has a very useful page on Patent Searching. They provide great examples tailored to tool collectors.

To find additional information on patents for particular items, try doing a search on Google, using the following format:

"name of antique or collectible" patents

for example:

"wooden braces" patents

"folding rules" patents

(Note: use the quotes around the name of the item you are searching for to get more specific results.)

There are also many helpful sites where someone else has already done the research to locate the patents for collectible and antique items.

Here are some examples of sites that have already compiled lists of patents for tool collectors:

See also the Engines of Ingenuity Slideshow for some great photos of patented tools.