Chain lubricating apparatus and method US 8567565 B2
This appears to be the same idea repackaged by different individuals for over 100 years. Is this a common practice?
Also can BKC renew the patent without a significant design change?
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Sign up to join this communityChain lubricating apparatus and method US 8567565 B2
This appears to be the same idea repackaged by different individuals for over 100 years. Is this a common practice?
Also can BKC renew the patent without a significant design change?
It is common in patents to find a new way to solve an old problem. I have no specific knowledge in chain lubrication techniques so I can't comment on whether this patent is novel. However, looking at the patent, there are ten patent citations reviewed by the examiner dating back to 1904. The examiner must have found the specific implementation as described in the claims sufficiently novel over those ten patents to allow this patent. It can be helpful to review the patent file at the US Public Pair website. Patent examiners typically review the patent literature, so if you have knowledge of prior art other than patents it may be of use in invalidating the patent.
As for your second question, since 1995, the term for patents is 20 years from the filing (or priority) date. They are not renewable.