Volume Eleven - Pre-Victorian to the Present Day - some more aspects - Patent Applications by George Taylor, of Penarth, 1883 . . .

Clearly, Mr. Taylor had a good technical understanding of the complexities of loading coal from railway wagons into a vessel's hold and understood the obstacles to loading large vessels at fixed coal tips or staiths whilst limiting breakage of the friable Welsh Steam Coal.

Mr. Taylor was also probably a wealthy man or had good financial support since the cost of a Patent application, whilst reduced significantly under the 1883 Act, remained an expensive process. The cost in 1883 became £4 for an initial period of 4 years and then the balance of £150 was to be paid in annual increments thereafter. However, £4 is the equivalent of £497.38 in 2020, so for the three Patents applications, the fees would have be the equivalent of approx. £58k. [697] In addition, there were probably substantial professional fees to pay for the preparation of drawings and to deal with the legal aspects, etc!

The North Wales Express reported the requirements of the New Patent Law in its edition of 26th October 1883. [376] [361]

THE NEW PATENT LAW. With the object of affording information to the public until the new rules under the Act are completed, the following is issued by direction of the Board of Trade:

1. Applications and all other documents will be required upon strong wide-ruled foolscap paper (written or printed on one side only), having a margin of two inches on the left hand part thereof. The use of parchment will be discontinued. Copies of specifications will no longer be required.
2. The sizes of the drawings will remain unchanged but they will be required upon drawing-paper instead of on parchment. A copy of the drawings will be required upon thin Bristol board.
3. Forms of application (stamped) will be placed on sale at the chief post-offices in the United Kingdom.
4. The forms required for an application will be — (a), for provisional protection: Application form and form of provisional specification; (b), for complete protection. Application form and form of complete specification. Where a complete specification is not left in the first instance, it may be left at any time within nine months after application for provisional protection.