Famous Inventions & Patents

Are you the next Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, or the Wright Brothers?

Who was the first person to patent the light bulb, television, camera, plastic, or modern electronics?

Do you have the next great idea? Then take a tour through 18 famous inventions and patents (United States) that have transformed daily life.

View the full text and all technical drawings for the following inventions:

The first patent ever granted (Pot Ash - 1790)
First numbered patent (Railroad Engine - 1830)
Camera (1840)
Telephone (1876)
Light Bulb (1880)
Otto Engine (1887)
AC Electricity Transmission (1888)
Automobile (1895)
Diesel Engine (1898)
Airplane (1906)
Plastic (1909)
Television (1930)
Transistor (1950 and 1951)
Computer Mouse (1970)
Visual Display Computer (Apple - 1979)
Amazon One-Click Shopping (1999)
Microsoft Playlist (2006)

The patents are disclosed in tutorial format as case studies of the four primary federal requirements (search, application, drawings, and claims).

Each category includes the relevant statutory section (U.S. Code) and Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) to fully describe the legal background. Each patent is broken down and formatted to correspond to these laws, rules, and application requirements.

A second tab contains links (Internet connection required) to videos and examples of actual patents with information to showcase the importance of intellectual property protection.

The developer, Michael Elliot Byczek, is a licensed attorney in the State of Illinois and Apple certified system administrator. His primary interest is intellectual property (patents, trademarks, and copyrights). He is in the process of registration with the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

The U.S.C. is current as of October 5, 2011 based upon The Office of the Law Revision Counsel (LRC) classification tables; C.F.R. as of October 5, 2011 (GPO e-CFR).