The Links Page
I have tried to assemble here some searchable web sites that I have found useful or that may be of use to you. My first choice is normally the USPTO web site. It has a Boolean search engine that is very easy to use. It is free, but may be very slow during office hours. Freepatentsonline.com uses similar syntax to the USPTO site, and has foreign documents as well as the ability to produce spreadsheets from searches.
USPTO Searches
EPO Searches
Freepatentsonline. Searches are not limited to the U.S. and free PDF files are available if you open a free account.
Searches and lots of stuff to browse.
The Japanese Patent Office.
The USPTO explains the mechanics of searching.
The patent office of the PRC.