As you will have seen by now, all of the U. S. patents for patterns and shapes (but mainly patterns) can be viewed directly when the Appendix A folder is opened. It is recommended that you view the images of patterns and shapes using "Thumbnails". Click on an image to view it at full-scale.
NOTES:
1. If more than one sheet (figure) is necessary in order to illustrate a patent completely, additions will be found immediately following the "main" drawing (which is usually Fig. 1 in a patent's specification), and its patent number will have a suffix: b, c, etc. The main drawing has no suffix -- "a" is not stated, it is implied. Occasionally, "x" is used as a suffix to indicate an alternate illustration, for example, a close-up. A suffix is not part of the patent's number.
2. The prefixes DP and SP that have been added here indicate design patents and patents for shapes. Like the previously mentioned suffixes, they are never used when ordering (downloading) a patent from the U. S. Patent and Trademark Office. For such a task, follow the instructions found at the USPTO Web site.
3. How closely the various cut-glass manufacturers folowed their patents differed to some extent, especially during the 1880s. For example, several variations of the Parisian pattern were cut by C. Dorflinger & Sons. Today, they are all considered to be legitimate representations of the pattern's patent. On the other hand T. G. Hawkes & Company usually followed its patents to the letter.
4. No one knows why some patterns were patented while others, of equal worth, were not. Also, just because a pattern was patented does not necessarily mean that it is a pattern of high quality and is, therefore, a likely candidate for collecting today. Many excellent patterns were never patented by their designers/manufacturers. This is illustrated by the following two views of a vase from T. G. Hawkes & Company. The pattern, introduced about 1905, was given the name North Star and was never patented. It represents a change by Hawkes from his earlier designs and ushers in a period when a few cut-glass designs broke with tradition and are both "fresh" and stylistically quite modern. Here the pattern has been cut on a shape of utmost simplicity that effectively complements the pattern.
The North Star pattern by T. G. Hawkes & Company on shape no. 784. 24-pt star on base. H = 20.25" (51 cm), D = 6" (15 cm), wt = 18 lb (8.2 kg). The vase sold for $1500 in 1988.
Updated 1 May 2007