# Early Device for Tracking Objects with a Pen

> This 1962 patent describes an early system for tracing the path of an object using a pen-like stylus that records its movement on a surface.

- **Patent:** US 3055113
- **Original title:** Tracing device
- **Owner:** Individual
- **Granted:** 1962
- **Status:** Public domain (expired)
- **Times cited:** 31
- **Field:** mechanical, consumer_electronics

## What it does

The patent describes a tracing device that allows a user to track the movement of an object. A pen or stylus is attached to the object, and as the object moves, the pen draws its path on a surface. The device includes a mechanism to ensure the pen maintains contact with the surface and records the movement accurately. This could be used to map out the trajectory of a moving item.

## What it does NOT cover

- Digital or electronic tracing systems
- Devices that do not physically mark a surface
- Automated tracking without a physical stylus
- Systems for tracking airborne or underwater objects
- Methods of data storage or analysis of traced paths

## The clever bit

The innovation lies in its purely mechanical design to translate physical movement into a traceable line on a surface, offering a direct, analog method for recording paths without complex electronics.

## Real-world examples

1. Early mechanical plotters
2. Analog motion recording devices

## Why it matters

This patent represents an early, mechanical approach to capturing motion data. While rudimentary by today's standards, it highlights the fundamental desire to record and analyze movement, a concept that underpins modern motion capture and GPS technologies.

## Frequently asked questions

### What does Early Device for Tracking Objects with a Pen cover?

This 1962 patent describes an early system for tracing the path of an object using a pen-like stylus that records its movement on a surface.

### Who owns patent US 3055113?

Individual owns this patent, granted in 1962.

### When does this patent expire?

This patent has expired and is now in the public domain — anyone can use the invention freely.

### What is patent US 3055113 cited by?

This patent has been cited by 31 later patents that build on its ideas.

### What problem does this patent solve?

This patent represents an early, mechanical approach to capturing motion data. While rudimentary by today's standards, it highlights the fundamental desire to record and analyze movement, a concept that underpins modern motion capture and GPS technologies.

### What does this patent NOT cover?

Digital or electronic tracing systems

**Full plain-English explainer:** https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/3055113/etch-a-sketch

**Original patent:** https://patents.google.com/patent/US3055113

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_Source: PatentBrief — https://patentbrief.org. Patent facts are from public records; the plain-English explanation is PatentBrief's._


## Related patents

Semantically similar inventions in the PatentBrief corpus:

- [How a Simple Felt-Tip Marker Works](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/2713176/magic-marker-permanent-marker-rosenthal) — A 1953 design for a handheld marking tool that uses a porous tip to deliver ink from an internal reservoir.
- [How Douglas Engelbart Invented the Computer Mouse](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/3541541/computer-mouse-input-device) — The 1970 patent for the X-Y position indicator, better known as the computer mouse, which allowed users to move a cursor across a screen for the first time.
- [Edison's First Patent: An Electric Vote Recorder](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/90646/edison-first-patent-vote-recorder) — Thomas Edison's very first patent, granted in 1869, describes an early machine designed to use electricity to quickly record and tally votes, primarily for legislative bodies.
- [How Early Hard Disk Drives Accessed Data Quickly](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/3503060/hard-disk-drive) — A 1970 patent detailing a mechanical system for moving read-write heads across magnetic disks to retrieve stored information rapidly.
- [How Laser Printers Use Rotating Mirrors to Write Information](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/3867571/laser-printer-starkweather) — A 1972 Xerox patent describing how to use a spinning mirror to scan a laser beam across a page, adjusting the speed of the data to keep the image sharp.