SODABOB
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Based on what I'm learning about U.S. Patents, especially those involving machines, it appears to me that in order to "File" a Patent the inventor would first have to build a working prototype of the machine. How else would he know if it even worked? Not to mention the text description that goes into detail as to how each gear, sprocket, and what-you-may-call-it works. In other words, a Patent for a machine that was "Filed" in 1933 could very easily (and likely) have taken a year or more to build and test. After that it was the Patent Office's task to make sure that the Patent didn't infringe on some other patent - hence the time it took before the Patent Office would "Grant" the Patent to the inventor. Thus, a Patent filed in 1933 could very well have resulted from a design that was begun in 1932 or earlier. Just because the "Granted" dates came later doesn't mean that companies like Owens-Illinois weren't using those machines in their factories prior to them being legally granted.
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