Mulder, is that you?

This one’s for Michiko, who works at a patent office in Osaka:
Lawyers Unearth Early Patents
(registration required; get login and password at BugMeNot)
Two patent history nerds found the holy grail of the patent world, get ready for this now, the X-patents (forgive me for clowning you; I’m tired of always being the only geek in the room). One of them is for the internal combustion engine! Possibly signed by George Washington and Thomas Jefferson! Hilarity ensues!