February 14, 1876 was a big day for Elisha Gray. That was the day he filed his application for a patent for his revolutionary new invention. His device promised to unite the world as never before by allowing a person to speak to and hear another person miles away by sending the voices through a... Continue Reading →
Grave robbery was not something that just showed up in Frankenstein stories. In the last half of the 19th century, human corpses were in high demand by medical schools, and the body snatching market grew in response. No one's remains were considered off limits. Extraordinary measures had to be taken to protect the body of... Continue Reading →
It has been listed as one of the top causes of marital strife. It has divided families, torn friendships asunder, and generated more letters to advice columnist Ann Landers than any other topic. What could be such a controversial subject? The Presidential election? The latest Supreme Court opinion? The favored team for the World Series?... Continue Reading →
James A. Williams of Fredonia, Texas applied for a patent for a better mousetrap. Not content with something as mild as poison or a spring trap, Williams devised a means by which a Colt 1860 revolver could be linked to a pressure trigger, thus bringing a certain -- and noisy -- and to the unfortunate... Continue Reading →
Mark Twain was much more than an accomplished author. He was also an inventor who was awarded patents for three different innovative devices. Ironically, because of his inventions, this well-known author's most profitable book was blank. A lifelong lover of scrapbooks, Twain thought there had to be a better way to save pictures and clippings. When... Continue Reading →
One of the least-recognized yet most-influential inventors of the 20th century is unquestionably Philo T. Farnsworth. Born in Beaver, Utah on August 19, 1906, Farnsworth was a talented scientist from a young age. He began his inventing career in grade school by converting his family's home appliances to electric power. During his high school years... Continue Reading →
Katherine Marie LeBeau received Patent #3,517,423 on June 30, 1970 for a "Fluid-Operated Zipper." These are for the moments when the need to go is so great that you can't spare the time or energy to manually operate your zipper. This amazing device makes use of "available fluids" and automatically releases the zipper, bringing relief... Continue Reading →
Thomas V. Zelenka was awarded Patent 3,552,388 in 1968 for a motor-driven device that attaches to a baby crib and gently pats the sleeping baby on the bottom with a padded mitten. One can't help but wonder if the invention would have gained more popularity with a revved-up motor and marketed as a hand-free spanker.... Continue Reading →
President Abraham Lincoln holds the distinction of being the only US President to have obtained a patent. The US Patent Office issued Patent No. 6,469 for "Buoying Vessels Over Shoals" on May 22, 1849. Lincoln conceived the idea of inventing a mechanism that would lift a boat over shoals and obstructions when on two different... Continue Reading →
