Say I had an invention, a handtool, like a screwdriver or spanner or whatever. How would I get one or two protos manufactured?

Contact James here….
http://j-techsuspension.co.uk/
He is a genius when it comes to tools n stuff.
SB

Would he be able to make one, or just point me to someone who could?

Do you have a drawing you can send someone to make it? Or is it just an idea? Either way look locally for precision engineering companies, or ask around locally for recommendations.
Once you’ve found someone, just go and talk to them. I know a few locally to me (Cambridge) but you need to find someone close to you.

How about a 3d one printed 1st before getting one machined (if necessary)

I’ve got nothing yet, and no idea how to get my idea out of my head and into my hands, but I’m pretty sure it’s a something that could work.

It’s this is’nt it……
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8yzcPvG6Ek[/video]

Gahhhhh

How about a 3d one printed 1st before getting one machined (if necessary)

Just because you can make one using a 3d printer doesn’t mean you can make it with ‘real’ methods. If it’s a tool it’s unlikely to be usable if made with a 3d printer.

I’ve got nothing yet, and no idea how to get my idea out of my head and into my hands

Well, you’ll have to if you want to get it made. Do you know anyone with an engineering background? You’ll have to sketch something so you can explain what you want. You don’t know yet if it’s possible to make it.

paulosoxo – Member
I’ve got nothing yet, and no idea how to get my idea out of my head and into my hands, but I’m pretty sure it’s a something that could work.

Start with simple sketches and take it from there. You’ll need a very friendly machine shop to make it if you cant hand them a drawing, but the quality of drawing they’ll need will depend on how complex the tool is. Also need to have a think about the level of precision (tolerances) you’ll need

Email me a drawing or sketch and I’ll see if I can make it. See what have you made lately thread for examples of my work.

It’s possible to make it, it’ll work and I’ve worked as a gas man most of my working life, so I know it has a use. . My worry is my idea is either great, and someone will nick it, or it’s rubbish and I’ll not get anywhere with it. I could draw it as a rough sketch, but would that be enough?

Send me detailed CAD and I’ll machine steal your idea.

paulosoxo – Member
Would he be able to make one, or just point me to someone who could?

POSTED 16 MINUTES AGO # REPORT-POST

He’d be able to advise, and make….

SB

porter_jamie – Member
Email me a drawing or sketch and I’ll see if I can make it. See what have you made lately thread for examples of my work.
POSTED 47 SECONDS AGO # REPORT-POST

Cheers Jamie, I’ll remember that when the time comes!

I would suggest speaking to Simon at X-Eng. A great engineer and a very approachable nice guy, who also has experience of bringing his own inventions/products to market.

If you can do some resonably accurate drawings with a very accurate description of what it is and how it works, then you could possibly get the design registered with the IPO http://www.ipo.gov.uk, before you actually get one made

Just find a local engineering shop or chap with a lathe/milling machine. A one-off won’t be cheap, but you’ll at least have a working proto.

+1 on what stavromuller said.

If it is a commercially viable product get it protected before showing any drawings or disclosing it to anyone. Go see a patent or design attorney (first consultations are usually free) before you start making mock ups / disclosing it to public.

I work as a Patent Illustrator for many large Patent Attorneys and companies around the world. If you want any further pointers my personal email is profile.

I’ve sent forms off to the IPO tonight, I’m not sure what they really want, so not sure if my descriptions and drawings are good enough, but we’ll see!

Edit, cheers Eugeo. I’ll see if they reject what I’ve sent in first off.

What you want is a non-disc.osure agreement – you can probably get boilerplate ones. I’ve signed a bunch for people who want me to make their bike invention.

Paul,

1. How you make a prototype will depend on the job its going to do – a spanner and a screwdriver are not necessarily going to be the same; moving parts like pliers would be a difference again. If the material needs to be hardened etc, or if for a proto it doesn’t matter. Then if you are going to make lots – it needs to be designed for manufacture.

2. Even if its the best thing since the molegrip you will need a plan to commercialise it and exploit it if you will make any money from it. You might need prototypes to test this – but if you don’t have contacts it can be a real uphill struggle.

3. Most machine shops doing specialist work will be used to signing non-disclosure agreements. This is quite normal. As will any credible designer who will commit your thoughts to paper.

4. If the function is really clever it might actually be more appropriate to file a Patent rather than a registered design. A registerred design will not protect the function only the ‘form’, so I could take your concept and produce something that does the same job but which visually is a bit different and I won’t be infringing your rights.

5. It will take months as a minimum for the Patent Office to respond to your application. Even then it won’t really tell you how protectable your idea is, or that someone can’t walk all over what you’ve written. Patents are one of the areas where amateurs CAN do there own filings, but if you ever needed it you’ll almost certainly have missed things or left gaps.

Check your email.

I can help with a template non disclosure agreement if you need it (i’ve signed bloody loads over the years haha) So you can get the ball rolling with prototypes.

What have you applied for at the IPO? I would be wary of writing a specification with the claims for a patent yourself without seeking the help of a Patent Attorney/agent first. As if you have missed anything in this description or wrongly worded anything then this can be exploited by people and still steal your idea (Writing a spec is an art in itself). I can put you in contact with pocket friendly attorney to give you guidance if need be.

Also if you need help with drawings give me a shout, i can either knock them up for you or give you pointers (lots of rules to formalise Patent drawings).

Agree with above. Unless 100% correct a patent is useless. Best to use non-disclosure to get things moving and gauge interest. if good then you can justify doing the patent correctly.

Does it have moving parts? If you just need to get the idea out, how about making one out of modelling clay? Maybe the model doesn’t need to move but you’d be able to show what it should be like. That and some drawings would give people an idea of what you’re after

Patents are only any use if you can afford to defend them in court – which can cost millions. However, if you want to sell an invention on to a bigger company, they are worth something as they are part of the collateral you’re selling.

Agree with footflaps. If it is a commercially viable product with the intention of selling it, get patented. As you wont have a leg to stand on if the product is disclosed without protection.

The whole patenting process can be costly in itself. But it can be done on the cheap with the right direction / contacts.

Does anyone happen to have a generic blank Non-disclosure that I could use?

I’m curious what actual protection do NDA’s offer, especially in an invention-copying scenario? Seems to be genuine experts on here recommending them but if you break one what are the consequences? Is it just a case of you can be sued and if so how are the damages determined? The only NDAs I’ve signed are when beta testing games (the consequence of breaking them is just your account is closed) and with suppliers like Dell giving us future direction briefings and showing us prototype servers – I’ve not bothered to ask them what happens if I break it though…

Paulosoxo – here is a link to an example of a one way non disclosure agreement from the IPO, use this as a template. http://www.ipo.gov.uk/nda-agreement.pdf

FuzzyWuzzy – No idea what happens if you do break an NDA, I have never felt inclined too! haha. But I am guessing its a case of being sued for damages of some sort you would need to ask a Patent attorney with real world experience of this. I have got to see some cool stuff over the years though, always nice to see products come to life or even use a product that I did the patent work for.

FOR GOD’S SAKE JUST TELL US WHAT IT IS I CAN’T STAND IT ANYMORE 😡 😥

It’s a cheese knife, with a cracker holder.

I have got to see some cool stuff over the years though

Me too – though also some absolutely barking stuff. One (I’m safe telling you about this one I think) was someone who had spent over £25,000 on his remarkable new invention which no-one had ever, ever thought of before and it was going to change the world: It was a license plate holder for the back of a bike rack.

I signed the 20-page NDA, he showed me the prototype, I suggested as nicely as possible that before he spent another penny he should stroll down to Halfords…

Just read all the stuff on the IPO site, it may be that your “invention” doesn’t need a patent. It might be an adaptation of existing technology, ie. a new type of grommet, so you would only need to register the design. This is much cheaper and quicker.

Haha, Ive had my fair share of barking mad ones too. I love the occasional slightly eccentric inventor, they are usually the most fun to work with but they are few and far between these days with the cost of Patenting something.