NOTE: While this is a general guide to follow, there are quirks and minor details not covered below. It’s also important to know what the umbrella term of “intellectual property” means, as it can refer to copyrights, trademarks, and patents, or any combination of the three. According to the World Intellectual Property Organization, “intellectual property” is defined as “creations of the mind: inventions; literary and artistic works; and symbols, names, and images used in commerce.”

TRADEMARK

A trademark protects a symbol, word, slogan, design, name, and/or image that identifies the source of goods or services. For example, the smiling face logo of Wal-Mart is trademarked, as is the slogan “Save Money, Live Better.” Owning the trademark is basically a notice of ownership that the public can see. Registered trademarks are the ones that can use the ® symbol to defend their work.

If you own a trademark and see somebody using it without permission, you can sue for infringement. However, this only applies to the country you’ve registered the trademark in- if it hasn’t been registered there, your legal rights are much less powerful. A trademark is valid for an unlimited amount of time, as long as it is used in commerce, but must be renewed every 10 years or it lapses.

Of additional note is the term “service mark.” This is for the slogans, symbols, logos, and words associated with a service, not a place to purchase goods. Ronald McDonald and other icons associated with McDonald’s are protected under service mark.

PATENTS

Patents are for inventors and designers. Machines, chemical combinations, specific processes, or even the design of a product can be patented. Unlike trademarks and copyrights, it cannot be renewed. When the twenty-year patent term expires, the item in question becomes part of the public domain. However, during that time, the owner has the right to exclude others from making, using or selling the invention.

While many items that are patented remain under the protection of their creator, others may choose to sell them to companies and enjoy royalties from the sales. The company takes over the ownership of the item and most of the sales, while the inventor gets a base sum after selling the item and small payments with each purchase of the product.

Patents and trademarks are both served out of the United States Patent and Trademark Office, at least in America. There are also three types of patents you can apply for: a design patent, a plant patent, and a utility patent. Each variety has its own paperwork and system to filing.

COPYRIGHTS

This applies to the work of many creative types.  Copyrights are automatically granted upon creation of an original work. Artists, choreographers, musicians, authors, architects, and other creative professionals also can register a copyright for their work. However, the work must be in a tangible state; it’s impossible to copyright just an idea. Some copyrights are part of a larger trademark. For example, the video game Overwatch and its logo are trademarked to Blizzard, but the mascot character of Tracer is copywritten.

Also, much like a trademark, a copyright is a public notice of ownership. It’s legal evidence that can be used to sue those who infringe upon your work, so long as the paperwork is in order. A copyright never has to be renewed and is valid for life various terms, depending on whether or not the work is for hire. If not for hire, the current copyright duration is for the life of the creator, plus 70 years.

Within the United States, the Copyright Office is part of the Library of Congress. Most copyrighted works are subject to the Fair Use doctrine, or how said products can be used without permission in the public domain. Parodying a song or showcasing footage of a video game in a review is allowed under Fair Use. Uploading an entire movie to YouTube for others to watch for free, on the other hand, is not. This has been the source of some controversy lately as the definition of Fair Use evolves and shifts.

Again, this guide is by no means all-encompassing. There are many details that weren’t covered in the above descriptions and you should not consider this legal advice. Nevertheless, hopefully, you understand the basic differences between ©, ®, and now and what types of protection are available.

Now that you were able to learn about trademarks, copyright, and patents you hopefully have a better understanding of where to head next on your inventors’ journey.  Not sure about what steps to take next? Check out our inventor quiz to help you learn what kind of inventor you are!

The post Copyright, Patent, and Trademark: What’s the Difference? appeared first on Davison.

The idea for the invention of the Olympic torch stems back to the ancient Greeks’ belief that fire was given to humankind by Prometheus, who believed that fire had sacred qualities.

The Greeks held their Olympic Games in 776 B.C. and just like today, the Games were held every four years at Olympia. Albeit, the first Olympics honored Zeus and other Greek gods, the Olympics now obviously do not. At the time, the Olympics marked the beginning of a period of peace for the often-warring Greeks. The runners, also known as the “heralds of peace” at the beginning of the Games, would travel all throughout Greece, declaring a “sacred truce” to all wars between rival city-states. The truce would remain during the entirety of the Games, so that spectators could safely travel to the Olympics.

Now, the constant burning flame is used solely during today’s Games; however, throughout Greece at the time, the burning flame was a regular fixture.

Today, the journey of the Olympic torch begins well before the actual Games commence. It all begins with an invention idea that is stowed away in the mind(s) of the designer or group of designers. The Olympic Committee receives several design proposals that are reviewed in order to determine who will turn their idea into a reality and build the torch.

Just like any invention, a lot of thought goes into the process and the team whose design is selected must invent a torch that is both aesthetically pleasing and, most importantly, functional.

Inventing an aesthetically-pleasing torch seems to be the easy part; while, the functionality part takes a lot of work to ensure that the torch will not only stay lit across the distance, but also make it through some tough conditions.

The modern Olympic torch originated with John Hench, who was a Disney artist that designed the torch for the 1960 Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley, California. From that point on, his torch design idea laid the foundation for all future torches.

Since then, future designers have tried to invent a torch that represents the host country, as well as the theme for that particular Olympics.

It takes about a year or two for the idea of the torch design to come to fruition. Once the torch is built, it is then tested rigorously in all sorts of weather conditions. Once it passes the tests, the torch is then replicated several times, because it isn’t just one torch that makes the journey into the Olympic stadium; it’s thousands. There can be anywhere between 10,000 to 15,000 torches that are created in order to accommodate the thousands of runners who carry the torches through each leg of the relay.

Despite the fact that the ideas for the torch design vary every four years, the torches must always contain some basic elements:

• Fuel to create the flame
• A fuel delivery system that will get the flame out of the top of the torch
• An aerodynamic design that is both lightweight and safe for a runner to carry

The 2014 Winter Olympics will come to a close on Sunday, February 23, and the torch that’s been lit throughout the duration of the Games will finally be extinguished. But, you better believe that the creative minds of designers already are bursting with ideas that “spark” their imaginations for the creation of the next Games’ torch!

Copyright Davison 2014

Sources:

• Infoplease.com
• Howstuffworks.com

The post The 2014 Winter Games are ‘Hot’ appeared first on Davison.

On October 1, we wrote a blog about patent trolls, otherwise known as NPEs (Non-practicing entities), which are companies that don’t make or sell anything; they solely own patents.

In an effort to thwart these patent trolls from buying patents for the sole purpose of frivolous lawsuits against unsuspecting businesses, the House Judiciary Committee Chairman, Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA), introduced The Innovation Act of 2013, which is co-sponsored by the bipartisan coalition, in order to stop patent trolls.

This new act offers a multitude of proposed solutions to the ongoing problem of patent trolls. For those who crave innovation, if the patent trolls are not stopped in their tracks, they will continue to leave a sour taste in your mouth, because of their exploitation of the innovation economy.

Since 2005, there has been a 400 percent increase of lawsuits by patents trolls. In 2011, these reported costs were $29 billion that went towards stifling innovation. Patent trolls don’t just target small businesses; some are courageous enough to go after large companies and even city governments.

At Davison, we want to inform you about these patent trolls and how legislation is working to protect your right to innovate.

We encourage you to learn more about The Innovation Act of 2013 and how this bill can help stop the progress of patent trolls.

Copyright Davison 2013

Sources:

http://www.ibtimes.com/innovation-act-2013-bipartisan-bill-fight-patent-trolls-introduced-congress-1439942

https://action.eff.org/o/9042/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=9416

Images:

http://nyobetabeat.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/patenttrolls_final_david_saracino.jpg

The post A Potential Fairytale Ending to Patent Trolls appeared first on Davison.

The idea for food trucks came to be when there was a great need to feed working men on the road. In 1866, Charles Goodnight found a better way to cook on the road when he invented the chuck wagon, a portable kitchen wagon that was used on the cattle trails.

The chuck wagon was usually drawn by oxen or mules and carried food, eating utensils, a water barrel, tools and bed rolls that were tucked away and covered by a canvas covering. A counter was attached to the wagon by hinges that folded outwards and was used for preparing the food and as a table.

The food prepared on the chuck wagon was fairly simple and easy to keep. Foods, such as peas, beans, corn and cabbage, were very common, as well as ample amounts of beef and bison steaks that were often added to stews.

By the 1890s, big cities like New York began to hitch onto the food wagon idea when ‘night lunch wagons’ became a staple. These wagons were created in order to cater to night time workers. Many of these trucks did such good business that, despite being mobile, they stayed in one spot. As time went on, the food truck contained mobile canteens that worked on US Army bases while others served the blue-collar work force.

The cowboy’s chuck wagon blazed the trails and led us to what we now know today as the modern-day food truck.

The revival of the food truck today is due in part to the recent recession, when many chefs were out of work and food trucks seemed to be the only viable choice in offering people delicious food that was prepared quickly and sold at a reasonable price.

However, the success and resurgence of food trucks wouldn’t have been possible without a side of social media, in particular, Twitter. This social media platform provided a convenient way to find out when and where a food truck would be located that day.

Now, more than ever, food trucks are everywhere. From street corners to county fairs, food trucks have taken the route of convenience and are delivering their meals on wheels to customers. However, some have expanded from plain and simple foods to delicious, gourmet foods; so, there are quite a few varieties of food trucks on the road today.

From the original idea of the chuck wagon to food trucks selling everything from sushi to cupcakes, the idea of the food truck has revolutionized the way we get our food today. From rural areas to the heart of the nation’s busiest cities, food trucks continue to travel their way into uncharted territories by catering events like weddings and even to those with late night munchies.

We’re sure that inventor and idea man Charles Goodnight could not have foreseen the success and evolution of his idea. Now, more than ever, if you see a food truck parked on the block serving food during the day and even to those at odd hours of the evening, you know that that food truck will offer a great end to a “Goodnight.”

Copyright Davison 2013

Sources:

http://www.culinaryschools.com/history-of-food-trucks

http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blchuckwagon.htm

http://www.history.com/shows/modern-marvels/videos/history-of-food-trucks

http://froschinsider.com/a-taste-of-travel-the-rise-of-food-trucks/

Pictures:

http://www.americanchuckwagon.org/

http://www.findlafoodtrucks.com/blog/

The post The Road from Chuck Wagons to Food Trucks appeared first on Davison.

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

The post ‘Troll’ing for Patents appeared first on Davison.

A patent for this, a patent for that… and that is how the man with the most patents wound up with over 3,300 patents credited to his name.

On June 26, 1928, at the age of five, Dr. NakaMats made his first invention, when he created “automatic gravity adjustment equipment,” to which he believes can be credited to the way that airplanes fly today. Again, at the age of 14, after observing his mother having difficulty in the kitchen, he invented a pump that would help refill a soy sauce bottle, a device that is now used to pump kerosene.

Since then, he has created an invention empire of his own. From outrageous to useful and everywhere in between, Dr. NakaMats has patented and invented thousands of new gadgets.

Although he is known as the man with the most patents, there is one patent and invention that stands out among the other thousands. While listening to Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 at the University of Tokyo, he invented the floppy disk for IBM, “I became father of the apparatus in 1950,” he said.

In 1952, he received a Japanese patent for this invention; in 1979, Dr. NakaMats struck a deal, which included a licensing agreement, with IBM.

With over 3,300 patents, Dr. NakaMats has three times as many patents as Thomas Edison, who is credited with 1,093 patents. Dr. NakaMats is very direct when he says, “The big difference between Edison and me is that he died when he was 84, while I am now just in the middle of my life.”

In addition to patents and inventions, Dr. NakaMats is heavily involved in nutritional research. He believes that moderate exercise, and the right food and drinks can lead to longevity. Because of his research, he is vehement when he says that he will live until 2072.

Dr. NakaMats believes that by the age of 144, he will have patented 6,000 inventions. Only time will tell if this prediction of his longevity will prove to be true.

Copyright Davison 2013

Sources:

http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2012-06/video-dr-nakamats-worlds-most-prolific-inventor

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/Dr-Nakamats-the-Man-With-3300-Patents-to-His-Name-179976641.html

http://moderntokyotimes.com/2012/02/03/dr-nakamatsu-fun-science-personality-or-serious-inventor-2/

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1708535/plotsummary?ref_=tt_ov_pl

Multimedia:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFxNGvTP99E

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/multimedia/photos/?c=y&articleID=179976641

The post The Man with the Most Patents: Dr. NakaMats appeared first on Davison.

Back in March of this year, we wrote a blog about products that were accidentally invented, so this time around, we wanted to take a deeper look at these inventions and more!

Common inventions like potato chips, Post-its and Silly Putty were accidentally invented, and these accidents have literally satisfied our appetites and figuratively satiated our hunger for creativity.

Potato Chips- They can be kettle cooked, baked or ruffled and their flavors can range from sour cream and onion to salt and vinegar. Potato chips come in all shapes, sizes and flavors, but before 1853, they did not exist.

The fried potato was first introduced in the United States in the late 18^th century by Thomas Jefferson after he came across the treat in Paris but the actual French fry is an American invention.

The potato chip was invented in 1853 by Native American, George Crum, who at the time was a chef at a Saratoga Springs, New York resort. It is rumored that a customer by the name of Cornelius Vanderbilt complained that his French fries were too thick. That’s when Crum had an idea to fry up a serving of thin potatoes and cook them until they had a crunchy and crisp texture. The dish was then dubbed, “Saratoga Chips” and quickly became a favorite. The idea of the “Saratoga Chips” is better known today as the potato chip.

The potato chip, however, was not an immediate success until the 1920s. In 1926, Mrs. Scudder began producing large quantities of potato chips that were packaged in wax paper bags. By 1938, Herman Lay began producing Lay’s potato chips and became the first successfully marketed national brand.

Now, Wise, Herr’s, UTZ and Ruffles are just a few of the many potato chip brands being sold around the United States today.

Post-its- The Post-it note was accidentally invented when Art Fry was in desperate need of a bookmark for his church hymnal that would stay in place and wouldn’t damage the book. After noticing that one of his coworkers at 3M, Dr. Spencer Silver, had already invented an adhesive in 1968 that was strong enough to easily stick to a surface without leaving a residue when repositioned, Fry decided to apply some of the adhesive along the edge of a piece of paper. The problem of finding a bookmark that stayed in place and didn’t ruin the hymnal was solved.

From this point on, Fry realized that his new “bookmark” had multi-functionality and could serve as a form of communication around the office when these “bookmarks” were used for notes on work files among other things.

After the 3M Corporation named this invention “Post-it”, production began in the late 1970s for commercial use.

Nowadays, this accidental invention has become a staple of offices, schools and homes alike, allowing people to leave notes for others or reminders for certain tasks. The Post-it brand now has more than 4,000 unique products that are sold around the world.

Silly Putty- In 1943, with the threat of a rubber shortage looming in the United States, GE engineer, James Wright, was working to invent a synthetic rubber. While combining boric acid and silicone oil, Wright accidentally invented the rubbery material, Silly Putty. With its ability to rebound almost 25 percent higher than a normal rubber ball, this “Nutty Putty” as it was originally called was soft, malleable and able to stretch without tearing.

Although it didn’t meet the criteria needed to replace rubber, Wright realized that this substance would serve another purpose; to entertain.

While at a cocktail party in 1949, Peter Hodgson, the owner of an ad agency in New Haven, Connecticut, spotted the rubbery putty being circulated among the guests. He began to observe people folding, stretching and bouncing the odd material. The ball of goo finally made its way to toy store owner, Ruth Fallgatter, who regularly produced catalogs full of toys. Hodgson approached Fallgatter and convinced her to put this putty in plastic cases and sell them in the catalog for $2 each. The putty outsold everything else that was listed other than a set of 50-cent Crayola crayons.

After a full year of sales, Fallgatter decided to stop selling the putty and Hodgson took over. He gathered a group of Yale students and had them separate the putty into one ounce balls and placed them into individual red plastic eggs. This is the same packaging that we see today.

In 1950, he took his product to the International Toy Fair in New York. A writer caught wind of this new invention and wrote an article in the “Talk of the Town” and sales for Silly Putty began to pour in.

At the time of Hodgson’s death in 1976, Silly Putty was being sold throughout the U.S. and in 22 other countries with annual sales exceeding $5 million.

To this day, this accidental invention of Silly Putty continues to entertain both adults and children around the world.

Whether you are eating the crunchy invention of potato chips, leaving a reminder on a Post-it note for a coworker or stretching out a ball of Silly Putty, one thing is certain is that these accidental inventions have captivated people all over the world.

Copyright Davison 2013

Sources:

http://inventors.about.com/od/foodrelatedinventions/a/potato_chips.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laura_Scudder

http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/04/tech/post-it-note-history

http://www.post-it.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/Post_It/Global/About/

http://inventors.about.com/od/pstartinventions/a/post_it_note.htm

http://www.csmonitor.com/Innovation/2012/1005/The-20-most-fascinating-accidental-inventions/Post-its

http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blsillyputty.htm

http://people.howstuffworks.com/silly-putty1.htm

http://history1900s.about.com/od/1950s/a/sillyputty.htm

Pictures:

http://iamyardrock.com/black-inventor-george-crum-invented-potato-chips/

http://invention.yukozimo.com/who-invented-the-post-it-notes/

http://thinkofthat.net/companies/silly-putty/

The post A Deeper Look at 3 Chance Inventions appeared first on Davison.

So where did the idea for this invention that college students rely so heavily on come from?

The microwave oven, or as we know it, the microwave, was accidentally invented in 1945 by inventor, Percy Spencer. Spencer was conducting an experiment with a new vacuum tube called a magnetron while conducting research for the Raytheon Corporation.

The magnetron was invented during World War II at Manchester University in Manchester, England.  It produced microwaves with high frequency and power that was invaluable in directing allied aircraft in their quest to intercept German Luftwaffe raiders during the Battle of Britain.

The magnetron was given to Raytheon in the United States for further development and it was during this testing when Spencer discovered its potential.

The curiosity started when a candy bar began to melt in Spencer’s pocket during an experiment with the magnetron, after this, he became intrigued. So he tried another experiment with popcorn. When the kernels began to pop, Spencer realized the potential of this revolutionary process.

In 1947, the Raytheon Corporation built the first microwave oven, the Radarange, which surprisingly enough, weighed in at 750 pounds, was 5 ½ feet tall and had a hefty price tag of $5,000.

After countless experiments and improvements of the invention, Raytheon licensed its technology to the Tappan Stove Company.

On October 25, 1955, the first domestic microwave was sold by the Tappan Stove Company. At the time, this large, 220 volt wall unit gave families the opportunity to buy the invention for $1,295.

So, how does the invention of the microwave actually work?

First, the microwave utilizes a magnetron that has been used since the time the invention was first discovered. The magnetron is very similar to a radio transmitter in that it makes very short radio waves that enter right into the food to a depth of about 2.5cm. These waves make the water molecules swing back and forth at a rate of about 2.5 billion times a second.  This engagement heats up the molecules around it and as they warm up, the heat makes its way inside of the food. This process that was previously explained is known as conduction. This same process takes place in a normal oven; however, the energy inside of the microwave goes deeper so that the food cooks at a much faster rate. In an ordinary oven, the energy remains mostly near the surface.

This invention could be one of the most important inventions of the 20^th century and now hundreds of millions of homes and dorms worldwide are equipped with this useful appliance.

Because of an accidental mishap resulting in the melting of a Mr. Goodbar candy bar in the pocket of Percy Spencer, this amazing invention was born and is now estimated to be in more than 90% of American homes.

Copyright Davison 2013

Sources:

http://science.howstuffworks.com/innovation/scientific-experiments/9-things-invented-or-discovered-by-accident2.htm

http://home.howstuffworks.com/microwave2.htm

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Who_invented_the_microwave

http://www.edn.com/electronics-blogs/edn-moments/4399387/1st-domestic-microwave-is-sold–October-25–1955

http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microwave_oven

http://www.wired.com/thisdayintech/2010/10/1025home-microwave-ovens/

Pictures:

http://www.ieeeghn.org/wiki/index.php/File:Microwave_Ovens_Spencer.jpg

http://www.ieeeghn.org/wiki/index.php/File:Microwave_Ovens_Radarange.jpg

http://oddlovescompany.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/PJ-AU296_MICROT_DV_20100330194121.jpeg

The post The Invention of Convenience: The Microwave appeared first on Davison.

As summer winds down, there is still plenty of time for families to enjoy themselves at local amusement parks and fairs, and more times than not, the Ferris wheel is the most popular attraction.

Inventor, George Washington Gale Ferris Jr., was a graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and was a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania bridge-builder.

Ferris understood the growing need for structural steel and founded G.W.G Ferris & Co. in Pittsburgh; this firm tested and inspected metals that were used for railroads and bridge builders.

Ferris was an ambitious inventor and had an idea to invent a structure that rivaled the unveiling of the Eiffel Tower, at the Paris Exhibition of 1889.

He began drafting plans for an “observation wheel,” which he had hoped would appear at the World’s Columbian Exhibition in 1893.

The Observation Wheel also was referred to as the Chicago Wheel and stood at 264 feet and was the largest attraction at the World’s Columbian Exposition, where it was opened to the public on June 21, 1893.

The wheel rotated around an 89,320-pound axle that was manufactured by the Bethlehem Steel Company of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The structure could accommodate 2,160 passengers at one time.

In order to turn the giant wheel, Ferris created a power plant with two, 1,000-horsepower reversible engines. One was the primary power and the other acted as an emergency backup. Both were connected to a 20,000-pound sprocket chain that turned the wheel.

Although Ferris can be credited with inventing the Ferris wheel, he did not, however, invent the concept of the wheel.  In fact, the vertical passenger-carrying wheels had been around for more than 200 years.

William Somers received the first U.S. patent for the “Roundabout” in 1893, of which he created three wooden, fifty-foot wheels in 1892 at Asbury Park and Atlantic City, N.J. and Coney Island, N.Y.

Ferris, however, was the first person to build one in steel and on such a massive scale. This feat set the example for amusement park designers. Unfortunately, he found that he was the target of an array of patent infringement lawsuits. Ferris managed to ward them off, but he died a few years later in 1896 at the age of 37.

Although Ferris died at a young age, this inventor’s idea to outshine the unveiling of the Eiffel Tower has endured and has become a favorite at local fairs and amusement parks around the world.

Copyright Davison 2013

Sources:

http://www.torontosun.com/2013/02/19/worlds-top-10-biggest-ferris-wheels

http://www.csmonitor.com/Innovation/2013/0214/George-Ferris-How-a-farmer-s-son-invented-the-best-ride-on-Earth

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferris_wheel

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sprocket

http://www.observationwheeldirectory.com/ferriswheelarticles/ferris-wheel-history/

http://explorepahistory.com/hmarker.php?markerId=1-A-35D

Pictures:

http://library.thinkquest.org/C002926/history/ferris1.html

http://www.news.illinois.edu/news/07/0802blog.html

http://seeker401.wordpress.com/2013/02/21/the-worlds-biggest-ferris-wheel-is-planned-for-dubai-dubai-eye/

The post This Inventor’s “Wheel” Was Turning appeared first on Davison.

Recently, our founder and CEO, Mr. Davison, went on a trip to check out all of the new Davison-designed products that are on the shelves at Toys “R” Us and PetSmart!

Take a look as Mr. Davison sees some new Davison-designed products in stores for the first time.

The Dangle toys, Catnip toys and new laser collars are just a few of the products that are currently being sold at PetSmart!

http://youtu.be/qYXiCHbigkk

Here are a few shots of Mr. Davison witnessing just some of those great new products at PetSmart and Toys “R” Us:

It’s safe to say that there is no “Better Way” for Mr. D to spend his day than checking out some of the latest Davison-designed products that just hit the shelves at area retailers!

Copyright Davison 2013

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