M e e t i n g Information N e e d s of a Patent Department 1 C h a r l o t t e S c h o l e r , Patent and Development Department, Sinclair Refining C o . , N e w York, Ν . Υ .
ο PATENT and development department is concerned with the technical and legal aspects of process develop ment. I t h a s numerous functions of an engineering and chemical nature and, in connection with work along t h e lines of the actual development of processes, must carry out prior art, patent, and literature searches. A company in any industry can take advantage of its specialization in organizing and planning its search work. Both the searching in a patent department and material stored in a library can be planned around a special industry for economy of time and effort without loss of efficiency, eliminating t h e usual lengthy search procedure of an investigator entirely dependent o n public libraries and t h e Washington Patent Office. Search procedure i n a specialized indus try can be simplified and shortened immeasurably b y use of a highly flexible subject index system, developed for the specific industry a n d suitable for both patents a n d periodical literature. T h e urgent need for a form of subject indexing peculiarly useful for searching resulted i n our developing our own system in the patent department. Naturally i t was advisable t o have cur- rent literature sheets, abstracts of current scientific articles, sent to our various refineries, laboratories, and other depart ments. Such material would of course b e subject-indexed, but why could it not b e classified into fairly definite groups, s o that the accumulated cards together with the patents also indexed according t o t h e same system would form a series of con tinuous searches o n the class subjects? Books also can be indexed under this s y s -
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1 Abstract of paper presented before The Special Libraries Association, Science-Technology Group, Hartford. Conn., June 17, 1941.
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tem, either a s a whole under the general classes or broken into chapters and indexed under the more specific classes. The ordinary routine of abstracting and indexing h e p s these collections constantly uj> to date with n o additional steps or extra labor. Use of the hectographing machine makes it possible t o accomplish all this with one t y p i n g operation. Cur rent literature sheets, cards for the patent department's subject file, a n d cards for the research laboratory are run from a single typed copy.
Flow Chart Classification System The classification system of the Patent Office in Washington must b e extremely broad because it covers every conceivable subject. T h e same holds for the D e w e y system. However, some such system can b e worked o u t to cover only one industry. I t must be detailed enough t o be useful and broad enough to make proper classifica tion of the whole industry possible. I t must present room for expansion through subclasses for new developments a n d dis coveries. S u c h a system for a patent and development department must simplify and a i d prior art, patent, and literature searching. The most logical w a y of working o u t such a flexible specialized subject index system is to follow a generalized flow chart of the industry i n question. Laboratory and plant specialists approve because it represents their natural w a y of thinking. T h e y like flow charts and definitely out lined processes. T h e y note, for instance, that the n u m b e r designations of t h e classes are n o t haphazard but increase nearer the e n d of t h e flow chart. The patent attorney, on t h e other hand, wants searches. He likes this t y p e of classification because finished searches
SYSTEMS
Jeffrey-Traylor Type H water-sprayed cooler for plastics. Material is conveyed at an automatically controlled rate and depth.
CONTROLLED VIBRATION Direct t y p e — for granular materials — per- j forated or i o u v e r e d c o n v e y i n g surfacethrough which c o o l i n g air or gases are passed. Indirect t y p e — for fine materials — s o l i d c o n v e y i n g surface — jacketed for water, b r i n e , c o l d air or spray. These units valuable for material w h i c h must be processed under closely c o n t r o l l e d conditions. Send for e n g i n e e r i n g data.
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reach his hands much more quickly. Searchers like it because it cuts their work of searching 70 t o 8 0 per cent. Let me illustrate, with t h e oil industry, how a generalized flow chart of an indus try can be used t o work out a subject index system. First, oil is taken out of t h e ground. T h u s w e start with a class o n production, with subclasses on various methods and points of interest in pros pecting, drilling, e t c . Then t h e oil must be taken from t h e wells t o the plant. W e have a class on transportation, with s u b classes on pipe lines, tankers, etc. Other main classes follow in succession on pre liminary treatment of oil preparatory to distillation, on distillation with its numer ous subheadings, o n cracking with sub headings covering the many different kinds of cracking, etc., until w e have followed petroleum from t h e crude to the finished products. When w e have set up t h e process classes, we again start a t t h e beginning of the flow chart and continue b y designating prod uct classes, starting with gas, t h e lightest petroleum product, and ending with as phalt and coke. N e x t w e create classes o n products made from petroleum and material used i n connection with petroleum refining, on various allied industries, and for purely scientific articles o n various subjects. Such a decimal subject indexing system does not become antiquated because new subclasses are entered for progress in processes and products. W e have been using our system since 1927 and have found it invaluable. T h e list of classes has doubled since that time. Our subject index classes are very definite and detailed and constitute a series of continuous searches n o t c >»ly on general subjects but o n fine points of special
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October 10, 1941 processes. We have almost 400 subject classes, counting sub- and sub-sub-eiasses. Indexing under this system i»annot be done by anyone not thoroughly familiar with the subject, as wrong classification will mean complete loss of references. On the other hand, proper indexing by a competent person is accurate and rapid. He need only write a few numbers on the margins of current literature sheets; the rest can be done by the typist. The definite character of the classes makes the finding of references later very easy. A lengthy alphabetical guide t o the decimal system must be available for visitors and for those not completely familiar with oil processing. Here every possible synonym for various operations and products is entered. Everybody's pet phrases can also be put in for good measure. Users of the system who know the industry soon find they no longer require the alphabetical guide. O l d Patents, Literature M a t e r i a l , and
Books A marked difference between the technical library of a patent department and an industrial technical library in general is the value a patent department places on old material. The reason is, of course, the problem of patent anticipation. United States patents are valid for 17 years from the date of issue, and t h e application date may be several years before the issue date. To anticipate a patent, pertinent references must be found t w o or more years prior to the application date. Consequently pertinent references printed 20 years or more ago may be sought. I n a patent department literature references must be indexed and filed t o meet search requirements of future years. Our file o f British patent specifications dates from 1694 with abridgments back to 1617. Our Russian patent file begins with 1871, German with 1877, and French with 1803. T h e photostat file of articles of interest to the oil industry goes back t o 1805. These accumulated files are no mere relics. T h e y are constantly in use. It i s astonishing what modern ideas scientists of the past century sometimes expressed and how useful old files, particularly some of the Russian literature, have been to show anticipation of current patents. These files are especially useful because these references are not found in the English, German, or French abstract journals of early years. We hâve quite a good file of early Austrian patents and privileges, and scattered copies of Belgian, Danish, Dutch, Hungarian, Indian, Italian, Japanese, Mexican, Norwegian, and Polish patents.
NEWS
EDITIOX
raphies in the subject index system, a n d automatically all artides with good bibliographies will be indexed under this c l a s s , as well as under specific subjec-t headings with which the articles deal. Some-times a few good bibliographies form, the b a c k bone of a search. Current books, especially those with extensive bibliographies, should be c a l l e d to the attention of members of the p a t e n t department b y the librarian wlien h e receives new books. Articles are abstracted and current literature sheets distributee!, but books simply go on t h e siielves a n d may escape the patent department*s a/ttention. The Search Report Presentation of a search report is a. m a t ter of viewpoint and practice. Generally the report consists of a series of* abstracts. Current literature abstracts merely tell the searcher whether an article contains suitable information for t h e search· T o include references he must reabstract t h e m from the viewpoint of the searoh, ignoring material not pertinent to t h e sesarch. T h e search report is no place for the suinmary abstract. To make a good search and to know when it is completed, the searcher must grasp the reason why t h e search is being m a d e , from both t h e technical and legal a n g l e s . A s several searchers frequently- work on a problem together, it is importa-nt tlia,t t h e
1113 aim of the search, the time period the references must cover, and specific questions t o be answered in each item entry be clearly defined in writing. An index of items entered into a lengthy search should be kept to prevent duplication. A patent department is primarily concerned with development of new processes. Significant new trends in methods and products particularly should be watched as some of these are certain to become search subjects. Articles on such new developments should be carefully abstracted and subject-indexed, and the searcher should be able to put his finger on them immediately. Then, when a search is initiated on one of these subjects, he will have a head start. He will be able to familiarize himself with the current work on the subject quickly and from this study will probably get hints as to the origin of the development and best sources to study for the search. @^©
Following their resignations, James Pardee has been elected emeritus chairman of t h e board and G. £ . Collings emeritus vice president of D o w Chemical Co., Midland, Mich. Alden B . Dow and M. E . Putnam fill the vacancies created by the resignations of Messrs. Pardee and Collings. Willard H . Dow has been re-elected president and general manager and in addition becomes chairman of the board.
: LAPP ^ CHEMICAL P O R C E L A I N ^
N e w literature n o w available d e s c r i b e s t h e properties of L a p p Chemical P o r c e l a i n as a_ m a t e r i a l , a n d gives c o m p l e t e catalog i n f o r m a t i o n on valves, p i p e a n d fittings a n d R a s c h i g Kings. If y o u r p r o c ess involves the h a n d l i n g of c o r rosive materials, you. should k i i i o w t h e facts a b o u t Lapp IPorcelaim, t h e long-service material t h a t b r i n g s laboratory puriiry to fulLscale i n d u s t r i a l processes, ^TOILJT n a m e and a d d r e s s o n tbte margin, of this p a g e is e n o u g h t o get y o u r c o m p l e t e information Iby r e t u r i o mail. L a p p Insulator
