From the Rolls-Royce experimental archive: a quarter of a million communications from Rolls-Royce, 1906 to 1960's. Documents from the Sir Henry Royce Memorial Foundation (SHRMF).
Letter discussing errors and performance issues with patent applications handled by external patent agents.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 15\6\ Scan025 | |
| Date | 17th October 1912 guessed | |
| -2- scheme has worked very well, and generally speaking, comparatively few alterations are made by Messrs Phillipss. You will remember I had an interview with Mr Phillips in connection with the Slipper Drive Patent last year, and he gave me the impression that he possessed the ability to grasp problems with comparative ease, and I formed from that interview a favourable opinion. You will also remember that he wrote an excellent report upon the Knight and Argyll patents. I believe this report was favourably commented upon by Mr Terrell. I rather suspected therefore that the errors and misunderstandings which have occured in connection with our patent applications have been due to the work being undertaken by an assistant and not by Mr Phillips personally. Some of the errors that have occured I do not believe would have been passed by Mr Phillips, although of course all letters are I believe signed by him. I must also complain that clerical errors occur, for which I am sure there is no excuse. I regret that I have no experience of other Patent Agents and so cannot make any definite recommendation, but I have read through a number of specifications applied for by Messrs Marks & Clerk and these appear to be satisfactory. Most of these specifications were Mr F.{Mr Friese} W. Lanchester's and it would not be safe to form an opinion from them, owing to Mr Lanchester's personal experience with patent applications, | ||