1928 - 1951 Ford
Model A Ford Garage
Patent Data Plate Numbers and Usages
Most people are aware of the Ford Patent Data Plate found on the firewall, as illustrated by this 1932 version above. I am trying to compile the evolution of the patent plate across the early years of the Model A and the early V8 Ford.
Ford revised the patent data plate numerous times as newer and more important patents were granted, and as usage of some older designs passed. This yearly evolution of the patent plate seems to be rarely discussed and poorly documented in the sources available to us today.
As part of this project, I am seeking the list of numbers appearing on unaltered original patent plates, not on reproductions. If possible, please provide data from your original patent plates to help complete the table below. The patent numbers shown are not the complete list, only the ones I know at this time.
This effort is also being complemented by confirmation using the existing original Ford patent data plate drawings available at the Benson Ford Research Center.
Actually, I have found that many reproduction patent data plates are made with bogus or wrong numbers in place of some or all of the correct original patent numbers.
These reproduction errors are likely due to the mis-reading of poor condition original plates which were used to make copies from.
If any reader has the original numbers appearing on any year early Ford patent plate, please send me a list of the numbers read from top to bottom, left to right, and the year car they appear on. I will be happy to update the table and make this trivia available to everyone.
In the table above, the numbers under each year represent the patent number order as it appears on the plate from top to bottom, left to right.
Use the search box below to look at the original Model A Ford era patents and drawings on the US Patent & Trademark Office web site.
USPTO Patent Number Search
After the search result is returned, click on the "Images" button near the top center of the USPTO page to view the patent details.
Correct Patent Plate Numbers
The following illustrations show the confirmed correct patent numbers and plate arrangements which I have located and researched at the Benson Ford Research Center. I am still searching for the original 1933 to 1938 patent plate drawings at the archives.
The patent numbers displayed below are confirmed correct to the original Ford patent plate drawings, or verified originals as noted.
You may note that some of the patent numbers shown below differ from some of the corresponding numbers found on various available reproduction patent data plates.
Most reproduction patent plates I have examined are made with at least one wrong number. Most reproductions are produced with several incorrect numbers.
| 1928 - 1931 Ford |
|
Ford |
|
|
THIS CAR IS CONSTRUCTED UNDER |
|
|
UNITED STATES LETTERS PATENT |
|
|
1012620 |
1467478 |
1629493 |
|
|
1044038 |
1508387 |
1640118 |
|
|
1075557 |
1568505 |
|
|
|
OTHER PATENTS PENDING |
|
|
Ford Motor Company |
|
|
DETROIT, MICH. U.S.A. |
|
|
| 1928 Ford Canada |
|
Ford |
|
|
Made in Canada |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Patents Pending |
|
|
Ford Motor Company of Canada |
|
|
Ford, Ontario |
|
|
| 1932 Ford |
|
THIS CAR IS CONSTRUCTED UNDER |
|
|
UNITED STATES LETTERS PATENT |
|
|
1467478 |
1701843 |
1772482 |
|
|
1508387 |
1707463 |
1781502 |
|
|
1640118 |
1727874 |
1802913 |
|
|
1692932 |
1772481 |
1803059 |
|
|
|
1816215 |
|
|
|
OTHER PATENTS PENDING |
|
|
Ford Motor Company |
|
|
DETROIT, MICH. U.S.A. |
|
|
| 1936 Ford Model 51 Truck |
| Dave Gunnarson's original (note word "CAR") |
|
THIS CAR IS CONSTRUCTED UNDER |
|
|
UNITED STATES LETTERS PATENT |
|
|
1508387 |
1850006 |
1908744 |
1937965 |
|
|
1640118 |
1856183 |
1908745 |
1955453 |
|
|
1757493 |
1862099 |
1908786 |
1963657 |
|
|
1772481 |
1871543 |
1908798 |
1963658 |
|
|
1803059 |
1871544 |
1908805 |
1975837 |
|
|
1824810 |
1873569 |
1921263 |
1975885 |
|
|
1840907 |
1898696 |
1937950 |
1998611 |
|
|
OTHER PATENTS PENDING |
|
|
Ford Motor Company |
|
|
DETROIT, MICH. U.S.A. |
|
|
|
1939 Ford |
|
|
1543927 |
1908798 |
1975837 |
2037126 |
|
|
1640118 |
1908805 |
1975885 |
2092269 |
|
|
1757493 |
1937950 |
2020405 |
2092283 |
|
|
1803059 |
1937965 |
2020406 |
2092291 |
|
|
1840907 |
1963657 |
2035392 |
2104437 |
|
|
1871545 |
1963658 |
2035393 |
2104457 |
|
|
1873569 |
1975836 |
2035394 |
2104461 |
|
|
Ford Motor Company |
|
|
|
1940 Ford |
|
|
Ford |
|
|
1543927 |
1908805 |
2020405 |
2092291 |
|
|
1640118 |
1937950 |
2020406 |
2104437 |
|
|
1757493 |
1937965 |
2035392 |
2104457 |
|
|
1803059 |
1963657 |
2035393 |
2104461 |
|
|
1840907 |
1963658 |
2035394 |
2132729 |
|
|
1871545 |
1975836 |
2037126 |
2141220 |
|
|
1873569 |
1975837 |
2092269 |
2153535 |
|
|
1908798 |
1975885 |
2092283 |
|
|
|
Ford Motor Company |
|
|
|
1940 Mercury |
|
|
Mercury |
|
|
1543927 |
1908805 |
2020405 |
2092291 |
|
|
1640118 |
1937950 |
2020406 |
2104437 |
|
|
1757493 |
1937965 |
2035392 |
2104457 |
|
|
1803059 |
1963657 |
2035393 |
2104461 |
|
|
1840907 |
1963658 |
2035394 |
2132729 |
|
|
1871545 |
1975836 |
2037126 |
2141220 |
|
|
1873569 |
1975837 |
2092269 |
2153535 |
|
|
1908798 |
1975885 |
2092283 |
|
|
|
Ford Motor Company |
|
|
|
1941 Ford |
|
|
Ford |
|
|
1640118 |
1937965 |
2020406 |
2104437 |
|
|
1803059 |
1963657 |
2035392 |
2104461 |
|
|
1824810 |
1963658 |
2035393 |
2132729 |
|
|
1840907 |
1975836 |
2035394 |
2141220 |
|
|
1871545 |
1975837 |
2092269 |
2153535 |
|
|
1873569 |
1975885 |
2092283 |
2186080 |
|
|
1908798 |
2020405 |
2092291 |
2191917 |
|
|
1937950 |
|
2201405 |
|
|
Ford Motor Company |
|
|
|
1941 Mercury |
|
|
Mercury |
|
|
1640118 |
1937950 |
2020405 |
2132729 |
|
|
1803059 |
1937965 |
2020406 |
2141220 |
|
|
1824810 |
1963657 |
2035392 |
2153535 |
|
|
1840907 |
1963658 |
2035393 |
2186080 |
|
|
1871545 |
1975836 |
2035394 |
2191917 |
|
|
1873569 |
1975837 |
2092269 |
2201405 |
|
|
1908798 |
1975885 |
2104461 |
|
|
|
Ford Motor Company |
|
|
|
1942 Ford |
|
|
Ford |
|
|
1640118 |
1908798 |
2035392 |
2141220 |
|
|
1724346 |
1937950 |
2035393 |
2153535 |
|
|
1803059 |
1963658 |
2035394 |
2186080 |
|
|
1824810 |
1975836 |
2092269 |
2192917 |
|
|
1840907 |
1975837 |
2092283 |
2201405 |
|
|
1871545 |
1975885 |
2092291 |
2231740 |
|
|
1873569 |
2020406 |
2132729 |
2236001 |
|
|
Ford Motor Company |
|
|
|
1942 Mercury |
|
|
Mercury |
|
|
1640118 |
1908798 |
2035392 |
2141220 |
|
|
1724346 |
1937950 |
2035393 |
2153535 |
|
|
1803059 |
1963658 |
2035394 |
2186080 |
|
|
1824810 |
1975836 |
2092269 |
2192917 |
|
|
1840907 |
1975837 |
2092283 |
2201405 |
|
|
1871545 |
1975885 |
2092291 |
2231740 |
|
|
1873569 |
2020406 |
2132729 |
2236001 |
|
|
Ford Motor Company |
|
|
|
1946 Ford |
|
|
1803059 |
1975885 |
2132729 |
2293222 |
|
|
1840907 |
1998636 |
2141220 |
2310416 |
|
|
1871545 |
2020406 |
2186080 |
2326113 |
|
|
1873569 |
2035392 |
2191917 |
2365925 |
|
|
1937950 |
2035393 |
2276001 |
2365926 |
|
|
1963658 |
2035394 |
2270122 |
2370179 |
|
|
1975836 |
2092269 |
2281586 |
2372381 |
|
|
1975837 |
2104461 |
2290927 |
|
|
|
Ford |
|
|
|
1946 Mercury |
|
|
Mercury |
|
|
1803059 |
1975885 |
2132729 |
2293222 |
|
|
1840907 |
1998636 |
2141220 |
2310416 |
|
|
1871545 |
2020406 |
2186080 |
2326113 |
|
|
1873569 |
2035392 |
2191917 |
2365925 |
|
|
1937950 |
2035393 |
2276001 |
2365926 |
|
|
1963658 |
2035394 |
2270122 |
2370179 |
|
|
1975836 |
2092269 |
2281586 |
2372381 |
|
|
1975837 |
2104461 |
2290927 |
|
|
|
Ford Motor Company |
|
|
|
1949 - 1951 Ford F-1 Series Truck |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
☆ |
☆ |
|
|
|
SERIAL NO. |
|
|
THIS VEHICLE IS CONSTRUCTED UNDER |
|
|
UNITED STATES LETTERS PATENT |
|
|
1975837 |
2035392 |
2186080 |
2293222 |
|
|
1975885 |
2035393 |
2270122 |
2310416 |
|
|
1998636 |
2132729 |
2290927 |
2370179 |
|
|
2433169 |
OTHER PATENTS PENDING |
2474991 |
|
|
MADE IN U.S.A. BY |
|
|
Ford |
|
|
REG. U.S. PAT. OFF. |
|
|
More Model A Ford 'by the numbers' web pages on Ford Garage:
- For more Model A & B related information, use the Site Search box at the top or bottom of this page.
- Model A Assembly Plant Body Number Decoder
- 1930 Model A Ford Assembly Branch Locations
- Model A & AA US Body Style Numbers & Body Builders Chart
- Model A & B US, British, & Canadian Engine Serial Numbers (VIN Decoder)
November 2005