I highly recommend "Patent It Yourself" by patent attorney David Pressman, published by Nolo Press.
From the cover:
Everything you need to create a successful patent application.
- Step-by-step instructions
- All the necessary forms
- Real world examples
- Patent searches
- The latest Patent Office rules
The Washington Post wrote:Thoroughly explains the patent process... and has all the forms and instructions needed to patent a product...
Inc. wrote:The best roll-up-your-sleeves guide for filers who don't want to pay a ransom.
The Denver Post wrote:Presents complicated procedures in easily digested chunks, with plenty of old-fashioned good advice.
About.com wrote:The most definitive, complete and current do-it-yourself book ever written.
I have the 1995, 4th edition and the 2004, 10th edition. This book is revised and new editions printed as the laws change, so get the latest edition. It is mostly about patenting in the USA but has chapters on patenting in other countries from an American perspective. Writing a patent application is very similar in most countries.
I've read this book a number of times. And I go back to it whenever needed.
If someone were to come up with an actual physical working wheel then it would most definitely be patentable. Of course the patent office will hassle you somewhat and you'll need to show proof that it actually works. If you claimed that a wheel works but in fact it fails to work then you would be guilty of fraud and any patent based on fraud is not legal.
By the way, I am not in favor of just giving away a PM wheel. But for those who think giving it away is the best way to go then the proper way to give it away is to use the patent office "Statutory Invention Registration" which is abbreviated as "SIR".