OK, I just spent a pretty long ass time reading this whole thread and you pulled the original pics? Come on somebody post up, I want to see your design.
Oh and I agree patent = HUGE costs. Very small portion of the individuals who try for patents do not receive them, plus if a major corporation wants your design, they'll take it. Plain and simple, if you have the balls and cash to sure, they'll buy you out and the patent will be useless in the end.

That being said, I am seriously not trying to be a downer I just want you to suceed and know that going after a patent could greatly hinder your financial ability to see this project through.

PICS PICS PICS

edit: I own PAGE 10!!!

[This message has been edited by Tusch (edited 04-18-2006).]

Realistically, there is no way my wife would EVER let me blow over 5 bills US on a set of hinges. and that that big a purchase there is no way to "sneak" past her.
Its a fair size dent in the mad money budget, and to her way of thinking--- 700 (cdn) for those 2 little things?? LOL, I'd be sleeping on the couch for a year.

So, my way around it is to eventually get my hinges made by the local college. It will cost materials only. Hint for you other low-budget guys that have to scrounge parts or budgets for major-buck improvements. ;-)

I'm scrounging for drawings, making mock-ups with cardboard/wood and once its finalized I'll re-draw them in autocad, take the disk to the machine shop
class at the school and for the cost of the materials and a gratuaty bottle for the instructor have CNC-machined hinges.

quote Originally posted by BERKELUSA: Your gonna need one of these.. http://www.plasmacam.com/index.php Mines 2 days away from delivery.. Hey GODFATHER.. How about an overhead picture of your hinges?? Who needs CAD when I can convert from a bitmap??? lol How thick? 3/8 plate?.. Because it does up to 1" thick.. PS: I have TWO Silver 1986-SE Fieros that are now one giving me an extra set of doors to hack into if need be.. Sorry.. hated to bump this post..

hmmm i think i'll have to get one of those.. pretty cool.

i took the pics off because i want to patent it, and i dont want anyone to steal them....

the main reason i'm getting a patent is so a big company cant come and say i stole their product, i dont want to lose everything because i didnt take the time to get a patent.

UPDATE

working on the patent and getting it this week. found someone that is going to make all the hinges for me... going to have the first set made this weekend or next(the guy that is doing it is gone all week, that will change after i get started selling the hinges), then i will test them, then they will be forsale. btw, they will be adjustable both ways,so you can have them set at whatever angle you want.

sorry its taking so long, but i've had alot going on and not much money to get started, just getting some $$$ here and there..

quote Originally posted by BERKELUSA: Hey GODFATHER.. How about an overhead picture of your hinges?? Sorry.. hated to bump this post..

I'll try and post a pic tomorrow of them . I think fiero rumor has some good pics of his install on his website .
And I second that . How's that car of yours coming out ?

Good thanks.. Might rebuild the Duke and get it back in there.. Dont like gas prices these days.. So I think a nice fresh motor would be just fine.. its more about the convert part and the styling of a Fiero thats fun from my point of view..

I want to know how this guys gonna get a patent on something that is made already for just about every car out there...

are you talking about one for JUST the Fiero?? and im not talking MEAN either.. im talking seriuosly..

A lightbulb is still a lightbulb no matter what socket is that you put it in..

Tell you what.. When I get the drawings done, parts test fitted and made I will cut out the 4 plates and 2 brackets in 3/8 stock for anyone here and they can make the hinge parts themselves.. that way there is no liability.. all I sent you was some steel plate shapes.. the rest is up to you.. thats 60-% of the job DONE

Oh yeah.. LIABILITY thats the thing your gonna need a million dollar insurance policy on to cover your behind in your endeavors.. a "Pantent Pending" is $85.. a patent it $10k to $18,000.. ( I own two granted and 15 pending ) The Pickup Pal and the Door Man is patented...

PS: The plasmacam was $13,064.78 and $3.500 of it was just the plasma gun...

It will be here TOMOROW.. want pics???

The plates CUT and ready to be hinged will be $300 - Consinder that one sheet of 4' x 8' x 3/8 steel is $292 the first one pays for the steel.. the next six or so coming out of it is profit.. IE: the machine pays for itself over time..

This would not include freight UPS as that would be actual to your door..

The design to make the hinges & where to get the pistons etc.. can all be found here and if need be I could draw it up myself for every buyer..

Some might ask "why would you do this?"..

Answer would be:

A: I CAN..
B: I like the Fiero.. dont you?
C: Why not?
D: I want to see it done and working in steel.. not wood.

edit:
E: I own TWO ! (and more coming)

[This message has been edited by BERKELUSA (edited 04-18-2006).]

quote Originally posted by BERKELUSA: Good thanks.. Might rebuild the Duke and get it back in there.. Dont like gas prices these days.. So I think a nice fresh motor would be just fine.. its more about the convert part and the styling of a Fiero thats fun from my point of view.. I want to know how this guys gonna get a patent on something that is made already for just about every car out there... are you talking about one for JUST the Fiero?? and im not talking MEAN either.. im talking seriuosly.. A lightbulb is still a lightbulb no matter what socket is that you put it in.. Tell you what.. When I get the drawings done, parts test fitted and made I will cut out the 4 plates and 2 brackets in 3/8 stock for anyone here and they can make the hinge parts themselves.. that way there is no liability.. all I sent you was some steel plate shapes.. the rest is up to you.. thats 60-% of the job DONE Oh yeah.. LIABILITY thats the thing your gonna need a million dollar insurance policy on to cover your behind in your endeavors.. a "Pantent Pending" is $85.. a patent it $10k to $18,000.. ( I own two granted and 15 pending ) The Pickup Pal and the Door Man is patented... PS: The plasmacam was $13,064.78 and $3.500 of it was just the plasma gun... It will be here TOMOROW.. want pics??? The plates CUT and ready to be hinged will be $300 - Consinder that one sheet of 4' x 8' x 3/8 steel is $292 the first one pays for the steel.. the next six or so coming out of it is profit.. IE: the machine pays for itself over time.. This would not include freight UPS as that would be actual to your door.. The design to make the hinges & where to get the pistons etc.. can all be found here and if need be I could draw it up myself for every buyer.. Some might ask "why would you do this?".. Answer would be: A: I CAN.. B: I like the Fiero.. dont you? C: Why not? D: I want to see it done and working in steel.. not wood. edit: E: I own TWO ! (and more coming)

how bout this, start a new thread if your going to try and take it over. to everything else... i've said what i needed to about it many times in this thread.

BTW BERKELUSA, not a good way to make friends anywhere.

[This message has been edited by AJ7 (edited 04-18-2006).]

Started 10-27-2005 and its now 4-18-06

What have we seen?

2 blocks of wood and a bunch of cut up angle iron..

Something anyone with a grinder and a Home Depot card could make..

Dont worry AJ7 they know me here.. I DO what I SAY

Your point??

[This message has been edited by BERKELUSA (edited 04-19-2006).]

I'd really like to see if you actually have something made by this weekend or next, cuz you've been saying that since October. And BERKELUSA is a man of his word, and knows his stuff, and is well known on this site. Check out some of his work he does at his page: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/RobsProjects/ and his 6" stretched Fiero convertible he's working on. You can find lots of pictures of the progress he's made, yet we've seen none of the progress you made AJ7. Just seems kinda fishy to me. But hey, prove us all wrong and come up with a product. Do you have a Fiero yet to test hinges on?

Hey Berkelusa, can you have some pics of yours when your plasma cam gets there? Maybe by this weekend to show us?

[This message has been edited by naumanos1 (edited 04-18-2006).]

First would be measurements
then card patterns
then 18-ga sheetmetal patterns
fitting and hole/slot locations
then the 3/8 plates
another test fit with the thicker steel
Gap area for the hinge assembly
more test fits and adjustments
and pow its a file.. ready to GO!

I bought 1" solid steel round stock for the pins and 2k in steel already..

So YES ! something will be cut.. but dont want to jump into making a bad shape too fast.. lots of testing involved but at least I have the tooling to do it and can show you the start of something within a week or two.. alas as the gun wont be here until Friday..

[This message has been edited by BERKELUSA (edited 04-19-2006).]

quote Originally posted by BERKELUSA: Started 10-27-2005 and its now 4-18-06 What have we seen? 2 blocks of wood and a bunch of cut up angle iron.. Something anyone with a grinder and a Home Depot card could make.. Dont worry AJ7 they know me here.. I DO what I SAY Your point?? and to think I was actually considering having you make the hinge pin areas.. Hmmm oh well !

i dont really care what you do... i'd just like for you to keep it out of my thread..

and yes i have a fiero to test them on.

[This message has been edited by AJ7 (edited 04-19-2006).]

it cost about 3K just to FILE a patent - about 10+ if you have a patent attorney write it for you.
heck it costs about 250$ just for a provisional patent that only lasts 18 months

quote Originally posted by AJ7: not sure what your thinking about that insurence... the first 100 sold will get fixed if anything goes wrong with them that was because of workmanship or anything like that. then after that they will have a 30 day warrenty on all the parts, then a lifetime no-break guarantee.

Not sure what he's thinking about insurance? Come on now! North America is becoming a litigous, "it's not my fault so I'm gonna sue everyone" society. The USA appears to be more prone to this than Canada, but the trend is growing here too.

Repair and/or replace guarantees are nice mechanisms through which to reassure a customer of your work's quality, but they're not worth a dime to the individual or insurance company who's running you through civil court after a hinge fails and the door comes down on someone's head.

Keep up the good work, but for sanity's sake cover your ass.

quote Originally posted by dguy: Not sure what he's thinking about insurance? Come on now! North America is becoming a litigous, "it's not my fault so I'm gonna sue everyone" society. The USA appears to be more prone to this than Canada, but the trend is growing here too. Repair and/or replace guarantees are nice mechanisms through which to reassure a customer of your work's quality, but they're not worth a dime to the individual or insurance company who's running you through civil court after a hinge fails and the door comes down on someone's head. Keep up the good work, but for sanity's sake cover your ass.

if that happens, it will be because of them... not me. thats why you build a quality product.

[This message has been edited by AJ7 (edited 04-19-2006).]

lol, you sound like a little kid saying that. doesn't really sound like you have done your research, and just think you can sell something, and worse case scenario something does happen as a result of your product, and you don't think you'll be held liable for it? i really think you are just a dreamer with this whole idea.

quote Originally posted by naumanos1: lol, you sound like a little kid saying that. doesn't really sound like you have done your research, and just think you can sell something, and worse case scenario something does happen as a result of your product, and you don't think you'll be held liable for it? i really think you are just a dreamer with this whole idea.

lol thanks for the imput. sorry it didnt really mean anything to me... i dont see why people keep coming on here trying to say something isnt going to work or whatever... why dont you wait and see what happens?

btw.. do you know ANYTHING about what you just said? i have done plenty of research... ask me anything about it, i'm sure i can answer. i'm still going to look into needing insurence thing... no one i have talked to about it has said i would need it.. but thanks for pointing it out. just dont think i need it.

I personally really don't care about all this other crap everyone is writing, and no offense meant towards anyone.
You make a product that works for a decent price, and I will seriously consider buying it ... bottom line.

I dont see one in your future.. (PlazmaCam).. It's $13,064.78

and I'll post whatever I want.. you keep bumping this thread with "." feeding these guys nothing.. not even pictures...

[This message has been edited by BERKELUSA (edited 04-19-2006).]

So where are the ones you made? Do you have a better product? If so where is the thread?

quote Originally posted by BERKELUSA: I dont see one in your future.. (PlazmaCam).. It's $13,064.78 and I'll post whatever I want.. you keep bumping this thread with "." feeding these guys nothing.. not even pictures... Next it will be bolt-on suicide doors your trying to patent.. lol DONT REPLY - LET THIS POST DIE !

quote Originally posted by BERKELUSA: I dont see one in your future.. (PlazmaCam).. It's $13,064.78 and I'll post whatever I want.. you keep bumping this thread with "." feeding these guys nothing.. not even pictures... Next it will be bolt-on suicide doors your trying to patent.. lol DONT REPLY - LET THIS POST DIE !

tell ya what... you make a kit like i did and make it work, you post pics before getting a patent. see what happens....

that would be why i'm not posting pics yet. i posted some awhile back to show progress.. thats all they were for..

oh yeah, thanks for the bolt-on suicide door idea, i'm sure there is a way to do that... haha

tell ya what, to make me believe you actually know what your talking about with the patents, and since you have so many... why dont you post 5 patent numbers for me to check on and see? i'd love to see what you've done..

"I dont see one in your future.. (PlazmaCam).. It's $13,064.78

and I'll post whatever I want.."

sorry, but what a childish ass....
bragging that you have money and saying that you will post whatever you want.

no i havent kept the dates i thaught i'd be selling them, but thats because things come up... i'm actually to the point of making them to sell now, within a month i should have 5-10 made and sold. wether i get a patent or not, because even if i dont get one.. i'm still going to give the people on this site a decent price for them like i said i would. then i'll move on to something else.

quote Originally posted by t-bird1963: So where are the ones you made? Do you have a better product? If so where is the thread?

Good point.. I'll start one tonight when I take pics of the machine as its still in the crate delivered today and the gun comes on Friday.

and AJ7 wasnt being mean.. But look back man!.. 10 pages and no pics?

Seriously if you need any parts cut let me know..

"tell ya what... you make a kit like i did and make it work, you post pics before getting a patent. see what happens.."

I know what you mean.. but any design even made with common sense can be made by someone else in a day..

You would be amazed how a patent only covers your (_!_) in the USA.

Japan can import duplicate items called something else made cheaper and we buy it.. because of trade laws and importing..

So tell me.. what good is a patent if foreign countires like Japan dont count??

[This message has been edited by BERKELUSA (edited 04-19-2006).]

quote Originally posted by BERKELUSA: Good point.. I'll start one tonight when I take pics of the machine as its still in the crate delivered today and the gun comes on Friday. and AJ7 wasnt being mean.. But look back man!.. 10 pages and no pics? Seriously if you need any parts cut let me know..

no pics... but progress.... all the changes... everything, they show progress. would you post pictures of a product you made that is patentable that hasnt been patented yet? seriously... i'll post pics when i'm ready. the people that say they want the hinges arent complaining about it.

and why would i have you cut any parts for me? i have someone to do EVERYTHING on them... cut, weld, everything.. a professional welder. he also has all the equiptment. he works during the week right now, but as soon as i get all of them sold here and a website up, he'll be working for me all week. i'm going to have butterfly hinges asap after i get started on the lambo hinges too..

and so everyone knows, they will be primered/painted for awhile. but i'll try to paint them to match your car if you'd like..

AJ7

Good luck ! - Your right.. why would I do anything for you..

Your obviously in your own little world.. lol

quote Originally posted by BERKELUSA: Good luck ! - Your right.. why would I do anything for you.. Your obviously in your own little world.. lol

i was thinking more like... your too far away to help out, and i already have someone to do it for me.

good luck to you too.

quote Originally posted by AJ7: was just reading over this again... where the hell are you getting patents? alot of the time it doesnt cost ANYTHING.. and when it does, the prices on the patent website arent even close to $10k let alone $18k more like $3500 tops, unless its something like a patent on a website or something like that.. i've done my homework on this, i have a friend who has 2 patents, he didnt pay ANYTHING for them and they are the same type of patent.

i still can't get over this statement. a patent costs nothing?? not in this country. that, i can guarentee. i call this whole thing BS. well, unless the patent form comes from a crackerjack box. save your money people, and buy the real thing if you want lambo hinges.

quote Originally posted by shawnkfl: i still can't get over this statement. a patent costs nothing?? not in this country. that, i can guarentee. i call this whole thing BS. well, unless the patent form comes from a crackerjack box. save your money people, and buy the real thing if you want lambo hinges.

yeah, it costs nothing to go to a courthouse with a sketch/picture of what you made or just idea, and fill out a form....

thats right people, save your money and buy the real thing.

a courthouse? shoot me a - right now.....you have, in no way, done the research on a patent. you have no clue as to the process, let alone what a patent even is/does. if you did, you would have a provisional patent right now (and no, it's not free) and you wouldn't be boasting this "new" design all over the internet. your story doesn't hold an ounce of water at all. sorry, but it doesn't.

quote Originally posted by shawnkfl: a courthouse? shoot me a - right now.....you have, in no way, done the research on a patent. you have no clue as to the process, let alone what a patent even is/does. if you did, you would have a provisional patent right now (and no, it's not free) and you wouldn't be boasting this "new" design all over the internet. your story doesn't hold an ounce of water at all. sorry, but it doesn't.

ok.

could you be thinking about a copywrite at a courthouse? that's nowhere near a patent. i apologize for being crass but i've seen too much s*&t happening here lately and too many people talking about things they don't even know. i've come to know the ones to trust and the ones who not to. i'll say it again. i'd love to see you prove me wrong, and for awhile i thought you may. but free patents??? jesus, EVERYONE would have a patent for something if that were true. i've got a few going right now myself and they certainly weren't free.

quote Originally posted by shawnkfl: could you be thinking about a copywrite at a courthouse? that's nowhere near a patent. i apologize for being crass but i've seen too much s*&t happening here lately and too many people talking about things they don't even know. i've come to know the ones to trust and the ones who not to. i'll say it again. i'd love to see you prove me wrong, and for awhile i thought you may. but free patents??? jesus, EVERYONE would have a patent for something if that were true. i've got a few going right now myself and they certainly weren't free.

just gotta know where to go and what to do... my friend has been helping me with it, he has 2-3 patents.. and with a networth of over 700k, i think i'll believe him..

I suppose my engineering professor, who has 15+ patents through Delphi is also wrong in saying patents aren't free and are in fact rather costly.
Yeah I'm a lowly little 20 year old, but I do know what I'm talking about

quote Originally posted by Tusch: I suppose my engineering professor, who has 15+ patents through Delphi is also wrong in saying patents aren't free and are in fact rather costly. Yeah I'm a lowly little 20 year old, but I do know what I'm talking about

not many are... depends on thet type of patent..

alright, BERKELUSA, you were right about one thing, i do need the insurance, but... its cheap. so no problem there... the rest, guess we'll see huh?

AJ7
I don`t know a thing about patents but my statement a while back was about the hinges being sold before you were done with them and you said you weren`t trying to sell them. That may be true but if you read your previous posts you were asking for people to send you money to help out based on a design only and unless the people on this forum are big time investors I think they would think long and hard before sending their money to anyone. I think that having a new idea is great and should be pursued with passion but when you tell people you just need like 50.00, as you did in one of your posts, to get started then they tend to think that you are just a poor guy with a great idea and no money, thus, no means to pursue your idea.

heh... thats the problem, i havent had hardly any money for quite awhile, but i got a job that pays $15 an hour now, and should have the money to get started within a week(whenever i get paid). the reason i was trying to get people to help me out was because i wanted to get started sooner, just trying to get started when i said i would(selling 2-3 kits wouldnt of been too bad without a patent). oh well... i'll be started selling them within a month now that i have a good job, before i was just getting money where i could.. mostly covered gas and things. had some saved up and had to fix things on my car.. this is why i have to keep pushing the date. sorry for the wait. but like i said, everything should be taken care of within a month from now. patent(atleast a patent pending), business liscense, business liability insurance, and supplies to start making them.

AJ7

seriously - look at the US patent office http://www.uspto.gov/
that is where you will find the truth about patents
what you descibe is simply public notary of your design - that applies when two people apply for the same patent - the person with notarized data dating back the farthest wins as having invented it first.

and the list of patent related fees http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/ac/qs/ope/fee2006apr05.htm#patapp

[This message has been edited by Kohburn (edited 04-20-2006).]

quote Originally posted by Kohburn: seriously - look at the US patent office http://www.uspto.gov/ that is where you will find the truth about patents what you descibe is simply public notary of your design - that applies when two people apply for the same patent - the person with notarized data dating back the farthest wins as having invented it first. and the list of patent related fees http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/ac/qs/ope/fee2006apr05.htm#patapp

thankyou for showing me everything i've already looked at... why doesnt everyone just drop it? i've already looked into it.. it doesnt ALWAYS cost... and when it does, its not 1000's of $$$.

and no its not a "public notary".

if you really looked into it.. you'd know that small businesses get about half the price of larger ones... this applies to anyone that doesnt have a large business. (making over $15k a month is considered a large business)

quote Originally posted by AJ7: if you really looked into it.. you'd know that small businesses get about half the price of larger ones... this applies to anyone that doesnt have a large business. (making over $15k a month is considered a large business)

yes they do - but thats still not free

and yes I have looked into it since I am a small business owner.

perhaps you would like to share your super double backwards secret to getting free patents that somehow never go through the patent office and avoid all associated filing fees?

if you looked into it you'd know that the filing fee doesn't grant you a patent - you file. then they have to determine if the patent is even valad, then they have to search for anything similar and make sure there isn't a conflict, and after that if they grant it to you then you have to pay more to actually "accept" your patent. the final cost if you write the patent yourself is about $3,000 (possibly 1500 if that didn't factor in the SBO discount)

[This message has been edited by Kohburn (edited 04-20-2006).]