Inventors who have significantly improved the way we go about everyday life are well-known: Edison, da Vinci, Franklin, etc. In hindsight, we tend to skew historical significance toward indisputable facts: “I can’t live without light bulbs! And, how about those bifocals for reading those books?” As much as inventing harkens back to history, it also alludes to the limitless possibilities of man, the American Dream and, most importantly, fun.
 
May is National Inventors Month, and since Davison supports inventors from all walks of life and inventions both big and small, we’d like to shine the light on some lesser-celebrated visionaries and inventions that have contributed to the betterment of the human race – and to the fun of it. 
 
George de Mestral – Velcro
Learning to tie our shoes is a right of passage, a great gauge of how our children are advancing and another step toward their growing independence. But, until that point, George de Mestral and Velcro can be thanked for getting our children in their shoes in under four hours, so we have more time for grass cutting, dish washing and bed making! And, after a lifetime of chores, who wants to retire and waste more time tying their shoes? 
 
Brooke Miller – Pooper-Scooper
No over-glorifying the credence of this invention: Keeps hands away from well, you know…  and, inventions like the Pooper-Scooper laid the groundwork for other familiar Davison designs, like Potty Paws!  
 
Ron Popeil – Ron Popeil has created countless convenience products over his long inventing career and can be considered one of the founding fathers of “As Seen on TV” products.   
 
Kevin G. Kinsella – The Basketball Return
Remember the kid down the street with all the cool gadgets who had this? We were blown away by how much more interested we were in the concept of this invention than in shooting baskets! 
 
Unknown – The Dachshund Bun
Every time we see this, we promise ourselves that it will be the last time we’re utterly delighted by it – but it never is.
 
Great inventions come in a variety of shapes, sizes and uses. As we celebrate National Inventors Month this May, if you’ve been bit by the invention bug, check out how we can help get their ideas off the ground!

A typical project does not get a royalty agreement, sell in stores or generate a profit.

In commemoration of the very multi-talented innovator, Leonardo Da Vinci’s birthday, which is this Sunday, April 15th, we asked our very own Creationeer extraordinaire, Lucky, for this thoughts on the famed creator:

Even a great man is still a regular Joe. Or in this case, Leo.
 
Leonardo Da Vinci was history’s greatest polymath: sculptor, musician, mathematician, anatomist, cartographer, writer, painter, architect, scientist, engineer, geologist, botanist and, of course, inventor.  He was also a regular guy and a working stiff.  He had to write his own grocery lists, doodled with new pens and even sloughed through writing a resume.  Of course, like most of what he achieved, even these seemingly mundane tasks were extraordinary.
 
Here at Inventionland, we use a device that we’ve borrowed from Edison: The Inventor’s Notebook.  If you read our blog regularly, you’ve no doubt heard us talk about Edison’s notebooks before.  Well, it turns out that he wasn’t the only inventor to use small notebooks to journal his ideas and advances.

In a new book, historian Toby Lester says that Da Vinci used to keep a small notebook hanging from his belt and [he] would make a note “whenever something caught his eye,” or begin “sketching furiously.”  Like Edison, Da Vinci filled lots of notebooks with everything from drawings, to writings, theories, inventions, sketches, and even the mundane “to do” list.

Tucked away in one of his notebooks from approximately 1490-1510, is a list containing both things to do and things to pack for an upcoming trip. On his “to do” list:

·      Describe the tongue of the woodpecker and the jaw of a crocodile
·      Give the measurement of the dead using his {my} finger
·      [Calculate] the measurement of Milan and suburbs
·      [Find] a book that treats of Milan and its churches, which is to be had at the stationer’s on the way to Cordusio
·      [Discover] the measurement of the Corte Vecchio and the Castello (The courtyard of the Duke’s Palace and the Palace itself)
·      Get the Master of Arithmetic to show you how to square a triangle (Editor’s note: I think this refers to an algebraic problem that first appeared in the writing of Heron in the 1st century A.D. whereas a square is inscribed inside of a triangle and the lengths and area of the triangle are used to [define] the length, and thus the area, of the square)
·      Observe the holes in the substance of the brain, where there are more or less of them
·      Get {my} anatomy books bound
·      Ask Benedetto Portinari (a Florentine Merchant) by what means they go on ice in Flanders (perhaps a reference to ice skating)
·      [Ask about] the measurement of the sun, promised me by Maestro Giovanni Francese
·      Get hold of skull

And what [did] the great Leonardo Da Vinci take with him?

·      Boots, stockings, comb, towel, shirts, shoe laces, penknife, pens, gloves, wrapping paper, charcoal
·      Spectacles with case, firestick, fork, boards, sheets of paper, chalk, wax, forceps, pane of glass
·      Fine-tooth bone-saw, scalpel, ink-horn
·      Nutmeg (which he may have actually needed to buy at the store)
 
Being Leonardo Da Vinci, you’d think that it wouldn’t be necessary to have to write a resume to get a job.  Even when he was living, he was known for his talent in many, many areas, and often [was] called upon by the rich and powerful in Europe.  That didn’t stop him from having to write a resume in 1482 at the age of 30 for Ludovico il Moro, Duke of Milan.  It obviously worked, as 13 years later, the Duke hired him to paint what would become his second most known work on the wall of the refectory of the Santa Maria delle Grazie; Da Vinci’s Last Supper.  This was his opening paragraph:
 
“Most Illustrious Lord, Having now sufficiently considered the specimens of all those who proclaim themselves skilled contrivers of instruments of war, and that the invention and operation of the said instruments are nothing different from those in common use:  I shall endeavor, without prejudice to anyone else, to explain myself to your Excellency, showing your Lordship my secret, and then offering them to your best pleasure and approbation to work with effect at opportune moments on all those things which, in part, shall be briefly noted below.”

A scholar and a gentleman choosing to sell himself, not by comparing himself to others, or listing past achievements and why he would be a better hire, but rather explaining his talents and what he could do for the Duke.  Which, being Leonardo Da Vinci, was a lot.  He designed the first machine to allow man to achieve flight, the submarine, gun powder missiles, canons, battleships… the list goes on and on.  In fact, most of the devices that Da Vinci drew sketches for would not be invented or produced for centuries!

It just goes to show you, if you’ve got an idea for something, be sure to write it down!  It could be very important to history one day.

[Sources: NPR, The Daily Mail and Cenedella.]

Credit for the resume photo:  “Courtesy of Leonardo3 from Hoepli edition 1894-1094 – www.leonardo3.net.”

We all know the world of inventing is a risky one that is all about taking chances on ideas. Take Mr. D for example, his first invention idea was not as successful as he would have liked, because he was beat to the marketplace by a larger corporation.

Well, it turns out that these “failed” inventions are common with many of history’s famous inventors.

Today, we’ve found some not-so-great inventions from some of the most famous, most successful inventors of all time. Whether these ideas were just ahead of their time or simply just didn’t work, they are definitely worth a second look!
 
Thomas Edison’s Talking Doll – This famous inventor had over 2,000 patents to his name before he died, so it is not hard to believe that one of his creations just didn’t quite work. Perhaps a predecessor to today’s talking dolls, Edison tried to combine his very successful phonograph with a children’s doll, in hopes that little girls everywhere could communicate with their dolls during playtime. Unfortunately, the contraption had a few fatal flaws and it cost the equivalent of $240-$600, which was a bit pricey for Edison’s day.
 
Leonardo da Vinci’s Water-Walking Shoes – Famed artist and inventor Leonard da Vinci certainly had a creative flair that didn’t stop with a few paint strokes. In fact, da Vinci tried to solve a problem that we’ve still not touched – walking on water! His inflated shoes resembled water skis, but were nearly impossible to balance and move in!
 
Gunpei Yokoi’s Virtual Boy – Thanks to Yokoi, every ’90s child can lovingly remember his or her Nintendo Game Boy. What they may not remember is Yokoi’s Virtual Boy, a game system, with 3D graphics, that users were supposed to strap to their faces in order to play! The rumor is that Yokoi’s failed invention was the reason the former Nintendo genius left the company.
 
Sir Clive Sinclair’s Miniature TV – Among Sinclair’s electronic pocket calculator and fold-up bicycle was also his “pocket television,” a brick-sized portable TV. Although it was a genius thought, the mini TV’s screen was tiny, reception wasn’t great and it didn’t fit in most pockets!

Although they may have found failure on their pathway to success, it was the “no quit” attitude of these great inventors that brought us many, very valuable inventions. Read more about these great innovators’ failed inventions here!

Ever since Henry Ford, who just happens to be one of Mr. Davison’s favorite inventors, introduced the Model T in 1908, Americans have had an affinity for the motor vehicle, in all of its shapes and, especially, with all of its enhancements!  Today, we take a look at a few of the automobile industry’s top innovations, in no particular order, of course!

Speaking of an order, even before Ford’s Model T, Alabama inventor Mary Anderson was prepared for weathering any storm.  She invented the first spring-loaded, rubber-bladed windshield wipers!  At the time, they were intended for streetcars, but became an automobile essential by 1917.

Not to be taken for granted, the first automobiles didn’t have a starter, but had to be hand-cranked at the start of a trip.  Inventor and eventual vice president of General Motors, Charles Kettering, patented an “engine starting device” in 1911.

Merging into traffic may be nearly impossible without Texas race-car driver and inventor Ray Harroun’s 1911 automobile innovation – the rearview mirror!  He won the Indianapolis 500 with his device, a small mirror attached to his windshield.  At the time, other drivers used riding partners to watch for oncoming traffic.

While not a standard feature ON automobiles, Ford’s 1913 conveyor-belt assembly line made it possible to produce automobiles for the masses – one every 93 minutes, to be exact!  Ford’s method also inspired Mr. D, who followed the example when devising the Davison Inventing Method.  In fact, Mr. Davison is even known as “the Henry Ford of inventing,” because he has made it affordable for anyone to pursue their ideas!

Really revving up the industry was the mass production of the V8 engine and we have Cadillac to thank for that!  In 1915, the company introduced a 70 horsepower L-Head V8 engine.  Again, we can thank Henry Ford for making a more affordable model, which he introduced in 1932.

An automobile made out of corn and soybeans?  We think so!  Now termed “bioplastics,” the Ford Motor Company began experimenting with plastic automobile components in the 1920s.  In 1941, they introduced the first bioplastic car – but it never made it to production.

What’s that you’ve got in your trunk?  An air conditioner?!  The Packard Motor Company introduced the first built-in air conditioner in 1939, right before the U.S. entered World War II.  The huge option filled half a trunk and cost over $4,000!

Now, here’s a feature that does not come “standard” – automatic transmission!  Again attributed to Charles Kettering and General Motors, the four-speed transmission was introduced to the masses in 1940 Oldsmobiles, but it didn’t really catch on until Cadillac buyers made it their preferred option.

No automobile could pass an emissions inspection today without the next invention on the list, the catalytic converter!  The device, which converts toxic gases into harmless ones, was pushed to the forefront when the EPA set exhaust restrictions in 1975.  We (and Mother Nature) thank you!

To read more about these made-in-the-USA automobile innovations, visit http://editorial.autos.msn.com/made-in-the-usa.

Sometimes, celebrity comes with a side of glitz, glamour and… innovation!  We’ve said it before, but ideas really do come from everywhere and from everyone!

From the King of Pop to Catwoman, here’s a host of celebrities who are bursting with talent and also with ideas:

1.  Michael Jackson 
If the Shoe Fits, Wear it! 
Slip these on your feet and you’ll be hooked… literally!  To accompany his sleek dance moves and assist “Smooth Criminal” video directors, MJ designed these gravity-defying kicks that hooked into stage floors, allowing him and his dancers to pull-off seemingly superhuman moves!

2. Prince 
The Artist Formerly Known as Inventor
Why should a member of music royalty that’s done it all have to choose between his guitar and piano?  Thanks to Prince’s keytar, he doesn’t!  Like leg warmers and acid-washed jeans, the keytar was a product of the 80s.  It was worn like a guitar, but played like a keyboard – and made a supposed 2007 European comeback!

3. Eddie Van Halen
Go Ahead, Jump…
With your guitar that is.  Do-it-yourselfer Eddie Van Halen created a guitar support device that allowed him to maneuver his guitar like a keyboard, so he could use both hands!  Leaving no stone unturned, Van Halen even included banjos and mandolins in his patent application!  Eddie, we can’t stop lovin YOUR creativity!

From the stage to the big screen, innovation doesn’t only lie within mega-hit music artists.  Here are a few on-screen heroes who had big-time ideas, too!

4.  Marlon Brando
The Man, the Myth, the Inventor!
A man of many faces on the big screen, it turns out Marlon Brando could have also drummed his way into our hearts.  The drummer in an Illinois band even had a little Henry Ford in him, patenting a way to make tuning drums more efficient and affordable!

5. Jamie Lee Curtis 
Bringing a New Meaning to Triple-Threat
Acclaimed actress and author Jamie Lee Curtis added inventor to her growing list of talents in 1988 when she patented an innovative infant diaper design.  Curtis’ diaper design included an outside pocket, perfect for stashing baby wipes.  Okay, Supermom!

6. Julie Newmar 
“Holy Innovator, Batman!”
This 1960’s Catwoman just said “no” to her skintight cat-suit!  Instead, she made an improvement to the newly invented pantyhose.  Newmar improved the design, creating a more sheer option that women wear to this day.

For a list of more celebs with patented success, inspire your inner-innovator and read about Harry Houdini’s swimsuit or turn a page in Mark Twain’s scrapbook by clicking here.

This week marks the birth of an undeniably influential inventor, without whom the words iPod, iPhone and iPad may never exist!  Steve Wozniak’s work has helped make the computer industry all that it is today.

Born and raised in California, Wozniak began his college career at the University of California, Berkeley.  Prior to finishing his degree, he secured a job at Hewlitt-Packard and left the university.  At the same time, Wozniak was involved in a local, experimental-computing organization with fellow entrepreneur, Steve Jobs.  With a little convincing, Wozniak joined Jobs in beginning a business to build personal computing systems.

Together, the pair raised $1300 to launch their venture, selling off personal items like a car and a calculator, and set up shop in Jobs’ family garage in 1976.  The dynamic duo sold their first 50 personal computers, or Apple Is, for $666 each, to a California computing company.  But, as we all know, they didn’t stop there.

The Apple II quickly followed as the first mass-marketed personal computer, revolutionizing the launch of the personal computer industry.  While Apple’s success has continued to soar, at the time, Wozniak moved on to other projects.  Today, he remains an official Apple employee and still collects a pay check!

From Apple, he went back to Berkeley, finished a B.S. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and became involved in education.  Wozniak began teaching and sponsoring programs for youth worldwide.

Ever the entrepreneur, he also went on to begin several other technology-forward companies, including CL 9, Wheels of Zeus, or “WoZ” and Acquicor Technology, among which developed remote control switches and wireless GPS technology.

Wozniak has been recognized extensively for all of his work in the computing industry.  In 1985, he received the President’s National Medal of Technology.  In 2000, he was inducted into the Inventors Hall of Fame and received the Heinz Award for Technology, the Economy and Employment for “single-handedly designing the first personal computer and for then redirecting his lifelong passion for mathematics and electronics toward lighting the fires of excitement for education in grade school students and their teachers.” (http://www.woz.org/)  Just a few examples of his commitment to tomorrow’s leaders, he has provided hundreds of laptops, America Online accounts and Internet access to students and teachers throughout his career.

Continuing to add to his seemingly never-ending list of accomplishments, Wozniak is a New York Times best-selling author who has also made several television appearances, including “Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List” and ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars.”

While the accolades and recognition that came along with Wozniak’s work come as no surprise, this innovator’s favorite computer game?  No, it’s not the graphically-enhanced Call of Duty, Guitar Hero or Halo, but a more traditional, old-favorite… Tetris.

Perhaps, for this computer genius, they just don’t make ‘em like they used to.

Nonetheless, from all of us clutching our favorite “iDevices,” Happy Birthday, Mr. Wozniak and THANK YOU!

*Information for this article and more information on Steve Wozniak provided by http://www.woz.org/ and http://web.mit.edu/invent/iow/apple.html.

When we think of the 1950s, we may think of donning poodle skirts and saddle shoes and heading to the sock hop to dance to some Elvis.  But, it’s what we may NOT think of that we want to examine today…those ’50s fads and inventions that just didn’t quite catch on.

Here’s a list of our five favorite funky ’50s inventions:

1. Curved Barrel Machine Gun: The sleek, curved design of this fierce 1953 weapon allowed for shooting around corners!  It was perfect for taking the “fire first, look later” approach!  While it sounds pretty cool, we all may be a littler safer without this one!

2. Handwriting Game: As if repeatedly writing “I will not…” statements on the chalkboard wasn’t punishment enough, this engaging 1955 game challenged players to analyze each other’s handwriting!  I suppose practice makes perfect?

3. Venetian Blind Sunglasses: Kanye West may be trying to revive this trendy fad, but it certainly didn’t catch on when it was first introduced in 1950!  Though they seem to have no real practical purpose, I suppose they may good for only letting “some” UV rays in!

4.Honegar: All you “Man Vs. Food” fans actually may love this crazy concoction.  In 1959, Dr. DeForest C. Jarvis mixed together honey and vinegar in an effort to remedy minor aches and pains.  Hmmm… tempting, but I’ll stick with ibuprofen!

5. Vest Pocket Ash Tray, Rainy Day Cigarette Holder, Cigarette Holder Built for Two: We just couldn’t resist lumping these three ’50s inventions together.  They were perfect for “lighting up” with your lover on a rainy day and dropping the ashes in your vest!

For a look at these funky inventions, click here!

Now, we know we said our favorite five inventions, but hope this honorable mention doesn’t ruffle your feathers – pun intended!

The Sanitary Appliance for Birds, an undergarment designed to catch bird…. ummm, well you know…. received patent number 2,882,858 in 1959!  While it never really caught on, it is too bad all the birds of the world aren’t required to wear undergarments as they soar high above our heads!

Practical or not, these inventions bring a whole new meaning to the “Nifty Fifties!”

Today, as many of us file our tax returns, we can pause to remember an inventor who was born 559 years ago today — and who was way ahead of his time.

Everyone knows Leonardo Da Vinci was an amazing painter (the Mona Lisa, the Last Supper), but did you know he was an innovator as well? He invented some objects that are commonly used today, such as the scissors, calculator, odometer, helicopter, crossbow and armored car— to name a few.

All of his inventions began as drawings in a journal that he never let out of his sight (Mr. D has something similar). Other people attempted to build some of the inventions from his drawings, but usually with no success. Modern scientists feel that his ideas were far too advanced for anyone of that time to comprehend. Most of Da Vinci’s scientific studies were largely ignored due to his lack of any formal education. Scholars of his day believed his ideas were costly and would most likely fail.

In 1502, he designed a 720-foot single span bridge as part of a civil engineering project for Sultan Beyazid II. The Sultan didn’t attempt to build the bridge, because he believed it was impossible. Leonardo’s vision was brought back to life in 2001 when a smaller bridge based on his design was created in Norway. In 2006, the Turkish government decided to construct Leonardo’s bridge to span the Golden Horn, a river that divides the city of Istanbul.

Most people knew that Leonardo was not the average man, but his works were still viewed as impractical, unrealistic, and out of reach. If he had listened to all the criticism and given up, many of the inventions we use every day may have never come to fruition.

Da Vinci is a true testament to believing in yourself and doing what you love. Happy 559th Birthday to a Remarkable Inventor!

Many people know that Thomas Jefferson was the 3^rd president of the United States, the author of the Declaration of Independence and the founder of the University of Virginia, but not everyone associates him with being a successful inventor.

Jefferson created many well-known inventions such as the polygraph, the pedometer and the hideaway bed. Some of his most interesting inventions; however, are perhaps those that few have heard about. Check out a few of these inventions that are on display at the Monticello in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Moldboard of Least Resistance — A moldboard is the curved part of a plow that turns over the soil. Jefferson designed it so that it was light enough to be pulled by two small horses or mules with little effort. Because this was such a revolutionary invention at the time, France’s Society of Agriculture awarded him a gold metal for the design.

The Great Clock — This innovative clock was powered by two sets of cannonball-like weights that were eighteen pounds each. These weights drove its ticking noise and the gong that sound on the roof. The clock also revealed each day of the week and was wound every Sunday with a key to restart its weekly cycle. The Great Clock was designed by Jefferson; however, we must credit Peter Spruck for its development.

Spherical Sundial — Although original sundials are thought to have originated around 3500 B.C.,  Jefferson is credited to inventing the first spherical sundial — which was considered a novelty in its time. The horizontal lines were drawn for the Tropic of Cancer, the Equator, and the Tropic of Capricorn. The vertical lines that extended from tropic to tropic represented the hours of the day — indicated by Roman numerals below the Tropic of Capricorn.

There is no doubt that Jefferson was a president that strived on innovation — his own inventions are great indicators of his this. There is no better time than on his birthday to recognize how important his life and accomplishments were to both the U.S. and the rest of the world.