Patents for Historical Research: Overview

R.M. Cooper Library has represented South Carolina as a Patent and Trademark Resource Center (PTRC), formerly known as a Patent and Trademark Depository Library or PTDL) since 1992. By participating in this program administered by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), we maintain a collection of materials and offer services for all South Carolina residents. The collection includes a number of comprehensive indexes to historic patents.

In addition, the South Carolina Inventors 1796-1896 database contains information about inventors who lived in South Carolina, as well as their inventions. Use this database to help patrons:

• Find a patent issued to their ancestor
• Create a lesson plan for elementary school students
• Tie in to events such as the annual Invention Convention held in Greenville
• Homeschool– Maybe they’d like to add an activity related to the history of technology
• Research the history and impact of an invention such as the cotton gin

Consult our Biography & Genealogy guide for additional resources.