I was just reading the USA patent about the Ciceri Smith digital micrometer. It is patent # 1444565, on Google Patents here:
SMITH - Google Patent Search
I am finding several curiosities about the patent.
First, it was filed on Sept 1, 1920 and didn't receive the patent on Feb 6, 1923 - 2 years and 4 months later.
Second, a Ciceri Smith digital device was patented elsewhere (UK) in 1893 - 27 years before!
Third, the USA patent itself is 8 pages long. I have seen many patent papers that are only two pages - a drawing and a single page claim description. 8 pages is very word heavy. And, it could explain the delay between filing and granting of the patent.
I have been trying to understand the 5 pages of claims (there are three pages of drawings), but reading patents is a foreign language I have not mastered - English language words in non-English language phrases!
Maybe Asquith can help me out by pointing out the UK patent for the Ciceri Smith micrometer?
Right now, I'm guessing that the original UK patent was for the early, round tube with digits on top version that Rivett shows in an earlier post here?????? And the 1923 patent is for the flat version most of us collector have?????
Someone, please set me straight!