A great place for all to review patents for free is the IBM patent site
on the web:
http://patent.womplex.ibm.com/

You can search for a specific patent #, boolean text search.......and so
on.

-Pete
peter.cesarz@appl.ge.com
>----------
>From:  Bob Fehrenbach[SMTP:bfehrenb@EXECPC.COM]
>Sent:  Wednesday, March 12, 1997 3:35PM
>To:    PICLIST@MITVMA.MIT.EDU
>Subject:       Re: Subject: Re: Looking for Bob BLICK
>
>Mike <erazmus@WANTREE.COM.AU> wrote:
>>Could you tell us what the title of the patent is - I'd like to look it
>>up ?
>
>Hi Mike,
>
>I probably have a copy somewhere in a real safe place.  If you have
>any sort of search capability, the inventor is Edward Sokol.  The patent
>would have issued in the mid 80's, possibly as early as 1984.  I'll
>look to see if I can find the number.
>
>The invention, in this case, was a rotating drum with LEDs on the rim.
>It was intended as a point-of-purchase display.  I'm not too sure how
>broad the claims are and whether they would include Bob Blick's design.
>I am in occasional contact with Ed Sokol and if I remember I'll ask him
>the next time he calls. He sold the patent a couple of years ago.
>
>I did the electronic package for the original prototype - 1980 or 1981.
>We did both single and multicolor versions.  Fun project.
>
>
>--
>Bob Fehrenbach    Wauwatosa, WI     bfehrenb@execpc.com
>