July 30th was a seemingly ordinary day. That is until Henry Ford, American industrialist and the founder of Ford Motor Company, was born in 1863.

This Saturday marks the birthday of the innovative visionary who revolutionized the automobile industry as we know it and has continued to be a source of inspiration for our very own founder and CEO George Davison.

To honor Henry Ford, we decided to do a little throwback to last year when many of our Davison team members boarded buses and headed to Ford’s hometown.

Early one August morning, our team members, with bags in hand, found a seat on a tour bus and began their journey to Dearborn, Michigan, to visit the Henry Ford Museum as well as Greenfield Village.

While on the trip, many experienced a spin in one of Ford’s famous Model Ts and completely engrossed themselves in the innovation and creativity that was evident in every corner of the museum.

Remember this video of a Model T gliding through the village?

Known for his creativity in the automobile industry, Henry Ford can serve as an inspiration to idea people everywhere. New inventions and innovations are solutions to problems or upgrades to existing products.

In Henry Ford’s time, horse-drawn carriages served as the primary mode of transportation.  That is until he came to the realization that there was a better way to travel. It was with this idea and the overwhelming demand for a new means of transportation that Henry Ford introduced his revolutionary mass-production methods. Along with the introduction of the Model T, Ford also unveiled large production plants and the use of standardized, interchangeable parts. In 1913, the world was introduced to the first moving assembly line for cars and the rest is history.

So, as we celebrate Henry Ford’s birthday this weekend, we wanted to leave you with some food for thought from the innovator himself:

“When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it.”

Copyright Davison, 2016

Sources:

http://www.history.com/topics/henry-ford

Image:

https://media.ford.com/content/fordmedia/fna/us/en/news/2013/08/05/model-t-facts.img.png/1375732275161.jpg

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On this day 107 years ago, the very first production Model T was completed at Ford’s Detroit plant. As you know, this major leap in mass production turned Henry Ford’s Model T from a luxury vehicle into a transportation option that was affordable for everyday people.

You might remember that some of our team members recently made the trek to Dearborn, Michigan, to pay homage to Ford’s ingenuity by visiting the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village.

Just last weekend, Davison team members from our Florida office added to the innovation when they visited the Edison & Ford Winter Estates in Fort Meyers, Florida.

According to those on the trip, it was both exciting and educational.

Fort Myers, Florida, is where Thomas Edison, along with his good friend, Henry Ford would spend their winters.

While at the Edison & Ford Winter Estates, our employees immersed themselves into the learning experience and discovered many of the inventions that Edison developed that we take for granted, including the light bulb, electric fan, toaster, phonograph and so much more!

In fact, Ford’s Model T may have been mass produced in Michigan, but one very important part of the vehicle was actually improved upon in Florida.

The part that we’re talking about is the formula for the rubber that was used in the production of the automobile tires.

It’s also interesting to point out that Thomas Edison bought the Florida property because of the successful growth of bamboo in that area. Bamboo was one of the materials that he experimented with as the filament for the light bulb.

From the botanical garden to the rubber factory to the estates of Mr. Ford and Mr. Edison and so much more, our team’s trip proved to be quite the success!

We’d say that these members of our Davison team found a Better Way… the perfect way… to celebrate Edison, Ford and Model T Day!

Here are some more pictures from the trip!

Copyright Davison, 2015

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In the inventing industry, what could be more inspiring than visiting the home of one of history’s most iconic inventors? Over the weekend, we took a trip to Dearborn, Michigan to do just that!

We loaded the buses early Saturday morning to visit the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village. Our day started while many people were still asleep, but we were able to catch a few extra ZZZs on the road!

Needless to say, when we arrived in Michigan, we were raring to go!

After a quick pep talk from Mr. Davison, we began our exciting day of inventing fun! Inside the Henry Ford Museum, we saw plenty of Ford’s vehicles, from the Model T to the Mustang! But, as we quickly found out, the Henry Ford Museum is about much more than cars!

Some of the innovative exhibits that we can’t forget to mention included Heroes of the Sky, Made in America and Driving America The World’s Premier Automotive Exhibition.

At Greenfield Village, we learned about Thomas Edison’s Menlo Park Laboratory and Machine Shop, saw the works of the Wright brothers and some of us were even lucky enough to take a ride in Ford’s famous Model T!

All in all, it was an incredible day of exploring all kinds of innovations. As one of our tour guides said it best, “What’s the difference between invention and innovation? Improvement. Inventions – we tend to think about the first idea and we have a feel of those here in the museum… but, most of the innovators that we see, they’re exactly that; they’re innovators. They’re not the first person, but they’re taking what has been done before – that hard work of others – and they’re putting their own hard work into it to make it better.”

On that note, we couldn’t think of a Better Way to spend our Saturday!

Head on over to our Facebook page to see the complete album of pictures from our big day at the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village!

Copyright Davison, 2015

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Early Saturday morning, we’ll be boarding buses that are heading to Dearborn, Michigan! Why are we going there? Because its home to none other than the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village.

The Henry Ford Museum is home to all things inventing and, as their website says, its single-floor space, “with its soaring 40-foot ceilings, covers nine acres dedicated to showcasing the finest collection of its kind ever assembled.”

With that being said and with lots of great exhibits, it’s sure to be a very innovative day!

This fun-filled day of inventing history will begin bright and early. Once we arrive, we’ll spend the day touring the museum and soaking up all of its innovation!

Tune in to our Facebook and Twitter pages for live coverage of our tour at this iconic museum.

Copyright Davison, 2015

Sources:

http://www.thehenryford.org/museum/index.aspx

Media:

https://media.ford.com/content/fordmedia/fna/us/en/news/2013/08/05/model-t-facts.img.png/1375732275161.jpg

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Patent trolls, otherwise known as NPEs (Non-practicing entities), are comprised of companies that don’t make or sell anything; they solely own patents. The money that is made by these entities comes primarily from obtaining licensing fees from businesses that use technologies covered by the patents they own.

First known as “patent sharks,” these persons/entities, now known as patent trolls, initially targeted farmers equipped with patents for barbed wire and sliding gates.

Shockingly enough, patent trolls have been around since the days of Henry Ford’s Model T. In fact, in 1903, George Selden, a patent attorney, sued Henry Ford and four other car manufacturers and insisted that he receive a royalty for every car that was sold. Despite not ever actively advancing automotive technology at the time, Selden held a patent, which was claimed to cover the automobile.

However, in 1999, Peter Detkin, a lawyer at Intel Corporation, became increasingly frustrated when he realized that companies that had never produced a semiconductor chip were suing Intel for $15 million on the grounds of patent infringement. Initially, Detkin called these adversaries, “patent extortionists,” but was immediately threatened with a libel suit.  He decided to come up with another nickname, “patent trolls,” after the fairy-tale trolls in “Three Billy Goats Gruff” who lived under the bridges and continually threatened those who would try to cross them.

So how do the NPEs do business? For starters, they purchase and collect large portfolios of patents from companies that are going out of business, or from other firms that have already done the leg work and developed the technology, but never truly intended to pursue. More times than not, the main target of the trolls are tech companies. Additionally, NPEs buy patents from inventors who do not have the funds to further develop their ideas.

Once these bases are covered, the trolls will then begin to hunt for products that have found success that use the technology covered by their patents and demand a licensing fee. The company being targeted by the patent trolls will, more times than not, settle out of court, due to the fact that patent suits are very expensive to defend.

While the idea of a patent troll may seem terrible for innovation, there are some people who believe that the NPEs are a good thing and actually spur innovation.

In earlier years, when an inventor could not afford to develop an idea, he/she would receive cash from a patent troll and would let the NPE enforce the patent. The cash that was given to the inventor acted as an incentive to keep inventing.

In recent years, companies like J.C. Penney, Foot Locker, Macy’s and American Eagle Outfitters have been targeted by trolls for JPEG files that are commonly used to send out promotional information to customers on their websites. In these cases, the patent trolls want companies to pay up for using JPEG files.

In fact, President Obama commented on the situation and stated that companies are abusing the patent system and that Congress is working on legislative plans to thwart the business of NPEs.

Only time will tell if the raised awareness and action by the government will prevent patent trolls from targeting innovative and hopeful inventors.

Copyright Davison 2013

Sources:

http://www.npr.org/blogs/alltechconsidered/2013/08/30/217272814/taking-the-battle-against-patent-trolls-to-the-public

http://www.businessinsider.com/biggest-patent-holding-companies-2012-11?op=1

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2013/09/03/the-patent-troll-crisis-is-really-a-software-patent-crisis/

http://science.howstuffworks.com/innovation/everyday-innovations/patent-trolls.htm

http://www.npr.org/blogs/alltechconsidered/2013/08/30/217272814/taking-the-battle-against-patent-trolls-to-the-public

Pictures:

http://www.xda-developers.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/patent_trolls.jpg

http://thefourthrevolution.org/wordpress/archives/1206?doing_wp_cron=1380107841.7338869571685791015625

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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 https://www.usalovelist.com/made-in-usa-cars.

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