The History (And Artistic De-Evolution) of Patent Drawings
Since the United States Patent & Trade Office opened in 1790, it has required that every patent be accompanied by an illustration depicting the applicant's invention. But in the past 222 years, patent drawings have changed, degrading from detailed works of art to simplistic line drawings that barely qualify as illustrations.
Whereas patent drawings from the 1800s and even early- to mid-1900s featured artistic techniques like shading, multiple perspectives and texture, today’s patent drawings are often embarrassing doodles at best. We can blame both cultural changes and adjustments in patent application rules. For one, the patent office no longer requires that patent applicants hire an official draftsman to draw an invention. And in 2000, the PTO adjusted its rules to decrease how often applicants need to revise their drawings with corrections.
Specifically, the Patent Office decided that it would “focus on having a drawing that can communicate the invention to the examiner and on the scanability of the drawings so as to produce readable drawings in published applications and patents.” So, while a modern drawing does have to explain an invention, it doesn’t have to do so in an especially beautiful way.
But the decrease in illustration quality also reflects a cultural shift.
“There’s such a focus on cost-cutting in so many industries now -- pride of your work goes out the window for the benefit of reducing costs. There’s a lot of emphasis on, ‘Let’s save money on the drawings,’” Kevin Prince, author of The Art of the Patent and a registered patent agent, told Wired. “It’s probably just a cultural change. Back then, getting a patent was really like, ‘Wow.’ You wanted it to represent you and represent you very well. You had to be an artist to do the patent drawings back then, undoubtedly.”
Here’s a look at how patent drawings have changed in the more than two centuries since their inception. (Make sure to check out the last slides, to see just how bad patent drawings have become.)
Diving Dress, 1810
For this diving dress, the patent illustrator not only drew the invention, but also went to great lengths to paint the wearer’s face and body in impressive detail. The drawing also shows how and where the diving dress would be used, with an excellent drawing of people rowing in a boat. Much of the patent drawing isn’t necessary to the invention, but it’s clear that the illustrator wanted to take the time and include fine details, literally creating a work of art.
Prior to 1836, the USPTO didn’t require two copies of patent drawings either, so illustrators could take more time on a single drawing.
Source: http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2012/08/the-history-and-artistic-degredation-of-patent-drawings/
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