Folks, Thanks to Jane Hamilton, I have been more closely examining Google's sub search engines, which research material that is not apparently covered by Google's main engine. Hense, I discovered their Patent Search engine. This searches the U.S. Patents! Now in case you never thought of the possibility, likely many of you have someone in your family who came up with ideas they patented. I have at least two who did - distant, but connected. One line is relevant to Philadelphia - the AYRES family who were into the Horse Blanket business. In case you are interested, the URL is: http://www.google.com/patents Vince

Many thanks for that address. Because of it I was able to find 3 patents my great grandfather received in the 1890's. My father had told me he had received a patent and sold it to the Penn. railroad and they moved him to Phila.in 1885 with a cushy job as payment. But I was never able to find any patent's he received. Not that original one but at least I know he was an inventor of things for railroads. Ray Rhoads