- Looking for an old British patent?
- Tracing your family history and trying to home in on a patent?
- Researching an inventor of the past?
- Trying to identify that artefact with a patent number on it?
- Need general information about British patents in the past?

Ask Tymel Patents to help you. We will do our best to track down the patent you are after and send you a copy, either printed or as a PDF, the choice is your. Patents from 1617 onward are available.

The fee for a search of historic British patents is £15.00. If, on considering your request, we are unable to handle your enquiry we will let you know straight away.

Occasionally an enquiry may entail a considerable amount of work (or require a large number of paper patents to be posted) and we may have to charge a higher fee; if this is the case we will let you know before when asking you to pay.

Notes

The search fee is in respect of the work entailed in carrying out the search and is not refunded if no positive answer to your query can be found. The fee includes providing PDF or paper copies of the patent(s) found.
Patent enquiries will be answered within one week of receipt; if this is not going to be possible Tymel Patents will contact you and give you the chance to withdraw your enquiries.
Tymel Patents does not undertake subject searching as this is unreliable for old patents, but advice can be given on how to tackle this.
Tymel Patents does not undertake searches in respect of any patent currently in force, or any patent application filed after 1st January 1980.
Please see our Terms & Conditions.

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Q.The patent number on an object has the letters RD, Reg No or Reg Des. What does this mean?

The letters RD, Reg No or Reg Des (or similar) stand for registered design. These are not patents (which protect the features and processes that make work); registered designs protect the physical look or visual appeal of an object. Tymel Patents (and the Intellectual Property Office) is unable to help with pre 1990 registered designs. You can get an idea of the date from Great Glass; this site lists registered design numbers for glassware but will give you an idea of the date for non-glassware designs.

For full information on a registered design you will need to go to the National Archives. They are able to supply copies of the representation (line drawings or photographs) and more usefully the register entry (giving details of the designer and dates, maybe licences) of a registered design. They publish a good research guide on registered designs.

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