ever have an idea you wanted to patent ?

[woody1]

I have always had this thing about trying to come up with better ideas for things.
I think my first idea, back in the 70's, was a toilet paper roller with scent in it. Well did nothing, and they sell millions of them. Then I had an idea about a tree wedge that was metal. It had a leg that went back to the tree, below the cut, with a bolt in it. You stuck the wedge into the notch, tightened the bolt and it would wedge the tree away. I am sure that has been perfected. Then there was the ceiling grid cover. This was a snap-on cover to cover up old, discolores ceiling grid. I sent this idea out to all of the ceiling grid companies, no interest. Now it is being produced. Just a few years ago I spent a few thousand dollars trying to patent a special set of handcuff, for law enforcment, that had a beeper on them so that if they were opened, the beeper went off. Well, I found out it is an bottomless pit for the amount of money you have to spend. Don't get bored there is only a couple more.
Lately, I have contacted rubbermade to try to get them to make a darn trash can that had either a plase you could stick your toes inthe bottom, or flaps that flipped down. So you could hold the bottom of the can while you are pulling the plastic bag out, instead of trying to hold it with your knees. And finally, This is my bingo, so if someong wants to make a pile of money, here you go. One of my pet peaves is people slamming their car doors into my truck. So I took two of these foam swimming noodles, ripped them down the middle, so you have two half rounds. You take contact cement and glue sheet magnet onto the flat side. When you park, you stick the noodles onto your vehicle, and go shopping. They work great. Ihave made a few for friends, but when I take my car to get it serviced, the car dealer says make me a mess of them, I'll give them away with every car.
Anybody else have ideas they have left go...or am I the only nut ?
I quess it's like they say "sawmillers and logger..hat size 2 , shirt size 58... :D :D :D

[Ironwood]

Market viability is the key. I have had a couple of "goodins" but they are more process oriented, although some where product. I was fortunate to have a high end furniture client who was a partner at one HUGE firm, they had more patent attorneys in one office than any in the country. I got in through him for an informal meeting with he and another specific patent attorney (their fields are VERY specific, even within the general subheading Patent Attorney). The 2 hour meeting showed promise for the product and process, after deciding what my life would be like after all the things necessary to make the business and product work I decided not to "go there". I would be working 80 hour weeks, needed a venture capitalist (had one lined up ), and would have to dedicate my life to the beast I would of created. It would have been ugly for my family life. Decided it wasn't worth it!!!

  I do several other things that could be patented but I generally don't do enough volume to make it worth it. It is fun to see other's response when they see "how it works". I just came to the fact that generally it wasn't worth pursuing patents unless you were ready to capitalize the thing fully, and persue it with headlong vigor. This seems to be what it takes given the capital cost of just the patent, and then defending it given even slight variations can avoid the patent. Best ideas would be broadly pursued by mass marketers and sold to them shortly after granting of the patent to you the inventor. Let them incurr the costs and production pain, you just take a cut (royalty) and a one time purchase windfall.

Reid

          Reid

[Dave Shepard]

About a half-hour ride to the north of me is a Kubota dealer called Equipment Sales and Service. It was founded be two brothers. One of the brothers, Frank, I believe, came back from WWII and was in desperate need of a new farm tractor. He didn't have the money for a new machine, but had the skills to build one. He took two truck rearends, made a pivot in the middle, and the first articulating four wheel drive tractor was born. Soon after there was a Yankee Ingenuity Fair put on by the major equipment manufacturers, with a $500 top prize.
Frank hualed his new invention out to the fair and cuased quite a stir. Upon returning home Frank decided to patent his machine, only to find out John Deere had a patent on it within a day of seeing it! This is as told to me by Franks brother. It was a little erie to be sitting on a new Kubota articulating loader, being told this story, on the very farm where it was invented.

I would think if I had any ideas I wanted patented, I wouldn't tell anybody.


Dave

[woody1]

For sure..The first thing the patent att'y wanted to know was who have I told. Also, I remember something interesting he told me. That patents are really as much to get products into the maket as they are to protect the inventor. He said that after, I think, it was 21 years the idea goes onto the open market and you are no longer protected. I didn't know this.

[woodbowl]

Yea ........ it works like a charm, but I am afraid that I don't trust the system. I understand that the technical information goes straight to China to be copied.  >:(  Anyone can copy, change a few minor things and take it to court and win if they have more money than the inventor.

A lot of good ideas come out of the woods, but the legal trail trips them up like an insurance policy that won't pay. I don't know what to do about it personally. I think about it every day. Seems like you have to have both the legal knowlege and the money to make it work. Who's got time to learn all those loopholes? Not inventors, they have the gift to invent and just can't help it. That's what they enjoy doing. It would be nice if there was a book titled "patents for dummies and smart poeple"  :-\

[mike_van]

Somewhere I read about a guy that invented a bunch of equipment for ATV's -  If I  remember right, not only getting the patent was a hassle, but the product liability insurance was un-affordable to him.   The way people sue [and win] today - thats no surprise - "Gee your honor, I didn't know my foot would be removed if I stuck it in the blade"     It's always someone else's fault, you know - 

[Dan_Shade]

Patents are tough for the little guy, he who has the most money wins patent lawsuits, and the patent holder has to sue the infringer....

I guess it all depends on your idea. 

the intermittant wiper is a good one on how big companies will take advantage of a little guy.

[treebucker]

woody1,
You are a selfless person. smiley_angel01_halo  I hope God rewards you for your gifts (even if unintended) to others.

It is a tough row to hoe. I understand it gets much easier to do the second time around. Liability can be addressed by licensing it to manufacturers who will bear the responsibility.

Someone I know said he had the idea for the first walk-behind (left out for liability reasons) machine.   He showed the idea to his friend. A few years later he found out that his friend had patented it in abstentia.  That former friend now not only dominates that market but also has made inroads into the wood processing and other fields. My associate never saw a cent and was never acknowledged as the inventor. smiley_contract 

I'm sitting on a couple dozen things that God was gracious enough to show me.  8) 8) 8) They're too imporant to be patented so they will be given away. But still, credit must be given where it's due. So when the money falls out of the sky  ??? they will be prototyped then announced.

[woody1]

Why thank you very much, and God will take a likin' to you, also. I know there are stories everywhere. But, one more won't hurt. Our local saw fixin' guy's friend had an idea. He called a paper company about it. They flew him and his wife to their headquarters. Did the deal on a handshake. He gets money every month for his idea. I will give you three quesses. Nope...Nope...That's right, camo toilet paper. Can you believe that ? And that's a true sory.

[treebucker]

Our local saw fixin' guy's friend had an idea. He called a paper company about it. They flew him and his wife to their headquarters. Did the deal on a handshake. He gets money every month for his idea. I will give you three quesses. Nope...Nope...That's right, camo toilet paper. Can you believe that ? And that's a true sory.

Let me see...you can't see it but you sure can smell it.  :D

Ok, 21 year old kid worked for one of my clients. He was new there and I barely got to know him. He devoloped some unique software. Microsoft liked it so much that they bought him out. He retired on the spot, bought a sinfully-large house in a high-class rural (read multi-millionair) community, and none of us heard from him again. 

[Tim]

I've had a few of those ideas that could have been patented and never did. Price of the patent was by and far the biggest prevention of the patent. Some of those ideas are actually being marketed now. I know full well that they didn't get a peek at my notebook, they simply developed them on their own ...and good on them. I wish them well. ( on carriage log turner for a circular mill, clam mounted hydraulic topping saw ) I've had other ideas too that haven't been brought to market. I still wish I would have thought up the Bic lighter...

The thing that really gets me in a knot are the "friends" that show when they want an idea. A fellow I've known since kindergarden has built a fine business on my ideas. Mind you the ideas were not particularily ground breaking but, they were effective. I don't suppose it would bother me so much if there was a bit of acknowledgement from him. You know... drop by with a case of beer sometime...

[Sprucegum]

Where I work now I had to sign an agreement that any bright idea I have while in their employ belongs to them. I gave them one idea to see how they would react. They were impressed with the idea but so far I am not very impressed with the follow-up  :

[woody1]

I just got a brain storm..Lets come up with an idea to get an idea patented for free ! ??? ??? : : I know..bad idea.

[Pete J]

My dad was a patent attorney for most of his career. Valadictorian of his class at Villanova, rose to be the head of the entire legal department. He ended up doing top secret work for the president back during the cold war years. I am just finding out some of the stuff he was involved with 40 years later. Most of his work was classified. He couldn't even tell my mom what he did for a living. She just used to repeat what he said. "I have to go to work now. See you when I get home."

Too bad he wasn't around long enough to help Kevin and I with the LogRite Tools patents. I'm sure he would have made us a deal.

[woody1]

logrite..Your statement about your father making you a deal reminds me of a story my uncle told me. After spending a ton of money sending his son to law school, his son became a lawyer. Uncle Dick needed some legal work done. After the work was done his son said "Dad, I dont know how much to charge you." Uncle Dick said "Figure it up and double it..cause I aint payin you nothin', and you can wright more off." :D :D

[olyman]

. Upon returning home Frank decided to patent his machine, only to find out John Deere had a patent on it within a day of seeing it! This is as told to me by Franks brother. It was a little erie to be sitting on a new Kubota articulating loader, being told this story, on the very farm where it was invented.

I would think if I had any ideas I wanted patented, I wouldn't tell anybody.


Dave    tell you what--that aint the first thing deere and co stole--talked to a gent that had some ideas his dad put on a old d tractor--deere rep was talking to him one day--1 month later--deere had patent--and was making and selling them---another guy buy hampton,ia--took one of the first 8600 combines--and rebuilt it so it could haul twice the amount of grain in the tank--deere found out--and came out to look at it--was in shed--closed---after some talk--he told them to get the h off the place--i know the guy--they came back again--and wanted to take pics---he told them to leave--they be a bit hard head!!!!!!! they came back--and said they were going to void his warranty!!!!--he said if you ever come back--you better bring a lawyer--and the sheriff--they finally woke up--and offered him royalitys--and a one time lump sum payment--they are a bunch of thieves-i used to work there--i know!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[scgargoyle]

I work for a plastics molding company as a moldmaker, and products get stolen left and right. People bring in a competitor's product and simply copy it. I've had a number of ideas, but haven't wanted to pay the money for a patent, esp. seeing how easy it is to get around it. The Chinese copy everything- and get away with it. I read an article about Black & Decker sending tool blueprints to China to have quoted. Within months, the Chinese were marketing an identical product here in the States! The only thing I know of that you can do with a great idea is to tool up and take it to market on such a large scale that it isn't worth anyone else trying to copy it. But who can afford to do that?

[Mooseherder]

Here is a whatsit I came up with because there wasn't anything like it on the Market.
The PVC Whatsit holds a smaller diameter pvc pipe with holes drilled out and Rubber end caps that hold a sleeve of Miracle Grow fertilizer. The bag of Miracle Grow will disperse thru the Sprinkler System I designed and installed. The water pressure coming out of the pump sloshes thru the whatsit and then fertilizer slush moves on to the sprinkler heads.

Here is my latest necessity is the mother of to try and bag some weedheads. First protype wasn't working to satisfaction. Re-engineered it and am somewhat satisfied with results.
I'll only use both of these systems a couple times a year each but they serve their purpose and come in under budget ;)

[flip]

I have a patent for the '04-'05 Ford F150, it's called a Grille Accent Piece or GAP for short.  The patent process is not so bad if you just go for a design patent, mechanical patents get into the mega $$$$$.  The best ideas are the ones you keep hush hush and have a venture capitalist that can pony up the green for some prototypes.  Unfortunately, my patent and product did not fare so well because of the short production span of the truck design and the steep marketing curve.  Injection mold was about $25,000, packaging, studio time, dealer mailers, product, web design came to about another $25,000.  I learned a lot about this and if I do it again we will make $$ instead of break even. 

Point.  It costs $$ to make $$, if you have a good idea find a patent attorney and see what it would cost to get a design patent and see if something like it already exists.  Patent attorneys are a wealth of info. and can save a ton of headaches and head scratching.

[olyman]

flip---while that be true--i have a serious distrust of most attorneys---!!!!!!!!!

[flip]

You will have to have one to do a patent search with the patent office or else you will be in for a landslide of headaches and paperwork.  A couple hundred dollars for the search will save you months of paperwork research.  The rest of the patent filing is gravy.

[sawdust]

My patent attempt ends badly/sadly

When I first started down this patent trail I searched endlessly for things I might be infringing on. I could not find anything nor could the patent attourneys or the company we hired in the US that specifically does prepatent searches. Last week I found what amounts to our patent. 200 000 and most of five years and it is all in vain. The word from the pat lawyer yesterday is basically "yer done" My device has features that the preexisting one does not but is there any point in chasing small features when the main idea is shot?

I may be stupid or have something like an addiction, I have another idea and am considering that I should chase it. I have the most supportive spouse you could ever ask for.

I think if you can keep in mind that at any time your efforts may suddenly be for naught, it is an education and experience.

sawdust 

[beenthere]

sawdust
Sorry to hear that outcome. I believe it is like finding a needle in a haystack. Pretty disappointing, for sure. Apparently the keywords you were using for the search didn't match up with the keywords the other patent was providing, or was it something else?

I've been involved with a few patents, and none were pleasant experiences. Satisfying some patent attorney's and patent office questions seems never-ending.

But wish you better luck with your next idea. 

[rebocardo]

Or hold onto your idea until the existing patent expires.