Links below taken from http://www.uspto.gov/web/menu/other.html
For information on USA Provisional Patent Applications (call 800) PTO 9199 or (703) 308 HELP and ask for brochure, or call (703) 305 9285 or fax (703) 308 6916 with questions, or see web site http://www.uspto.gov
US Patent Office database http://patents.uspto.gov/
Order patents from the US Patent Office http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/ac/ido/opr/ptcs/ $3.00 per copy
Excellent IBM patent search engine http://www.patents.ibm.com/ibm.html
search 20 years of patents by word
http://patent.womplex.ibm.com
looks like similar search
Optipat, order patents by number, Phone 800 445 9760, Fax 800 445 9761,
www.optipat.com
, Prices http://www.patents.ibm.com/pricelist.html
http://www.micropatent.com Internet delivered patent and trademark information - Charges money
http://www.jpo-miti.go.jp/
Patent Abstracts of Japan