August 31, 1897.

This was the day that famed inventor and innovator Thomas Edison received a patent for the kinetographic camera. By creating a device that made it possible for films to be viewed by one person at a time through a viewer, Edison created what would later become the motion picture camera.

Edison was always trying to find a better way to do something. The invention of the kinetographic camera came to be as he was trying to boost the sales of his phonograph, which was an invention that allowed for the recording and reproduction of sound.

Inventions usually come to light as a solution to a particular problem. In the case of the kinetographic camera, the problem that Edison was having was synchronizing sound with moving pictures.

Since he couldn’t sync the two media together for his phonograph, he then invented the kinetographic camera with his assistant W.K.L. Dickson, which used celluloid film that had been invented by George Eastman to create moving pictures without sound – silent films.

Once he got his hands on the celluloid film, Edison had three of his workers pretend to be blacksmiths for his moving film.

The film could only be viewed through a peephole at the top of the camera, but it was this invention idea that inspired many to gain interest in the film industry.

The invention however, wasn’t an immediate success. In fact, it took about a decade for it to catch some momentum. That momentum was cut short as screen projectors were introduced into the industry, which made it easier for a group of people to watch a silent movie all at once.

That didn’t deter the inventing duo, because between 1893 and 1903, Edison produced more than 250 films at the Black Maria, which was a film studio that was created by Dickson. Many of the films are those that are found in the Edison Motion Pictures collection at the Library of Congress.

The lesson behind Edison’s kinetographic camera is to always keep your eyes open and be willing to welcome ideas. His journey started to boost sales for the phonograph and ultimately transformed into the creation of a brand-new invention.

Change is a constant in the invention industry and you can leave your mark, too.

The only way to find out is by submitting your invention idea today.

Copyright Davison, 2016

Sources:

https://thestandardedition.com/2010/08/31/edison-and-the-kinetographic-camera/

http://techzibits.com/august-31-thomas-edison-patents-the-kinetographic-camera/

https://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/aug31.html

Media:

http://techzibits.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/edison-kinetoscope.jpg

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We’ve all been there before – you’re burning the candle at both ends and are getting closer and closer to creative burnout. You’re clinging to the mantra, “No rest for the weary” as you rapidly begin to lose steam.

Though we’ve heard time and time again that you should get no less than seven hours of sleep each night, in this day and age with the busy schedules that we all juggle, getting adequate amounts of sleep each night is nothing short of impossible.

Thomas Edison agreed. Yes, the Thomas Edison, the famous inventor and idea person believed that his invention of the incandescent light bulb would liberate people from the constraints of sleep.

That’s why Edison was an advocate for naps.

But, not just any nap – power naps. Now, Edison wasn’t a supporter of sleep for lazy purposes. Rather, he encouraged people to get their rest for the creative, productive and overall work-ethic benefits that resulted.

Idea people, listen closely. If you’ve been struggling with a creative block, we might have found what you need to jump over this hurdle and never look back. The answer is sleep!

Though Edison seemed to be very proud of his lack of sleep, it was said that he only got as little as three to four hours of sleep each night. But, Edison did take power naps.

All throughout his property were napping cots. You could find these cots in his library and even in his laboratories. Though he had cots for his power naps, he wasn’t afraid to rest in some peculiar places, like under a tree in the middle of the day!

So, why did he like naps more than a full night’s rest? Edison believed that his napping helped counterbalance the intensity of his labor. Most days, he would take a nap or two. When he woke up from his quick rest, he was reinvigorated and ready to tackle the next problem.

The lesson to be learned here is that sleep is a necessary piece to the innovation puzzle. Sleep allows for you to reignite your creativity, to see things in a new light and to build on ideas that you previously struggled with. Rest is essential in helping us reach and exceed an even higher standard than we set out to attain on our pursuits for creative excellence.

Burned out? A good rest can help.

Copyright Davison, 2016

Sources:

https://www.brainpickings.org/2013/02/11/thomas-edison-on-sleep-and-success/

Images:

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9d/Thomas_Edison2.jpg

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At Davison, we treat every day like it’s National Inventors’ Day! Keep reading to learn more about this celebration!

This isn’t your average day. Why? Because it’s National Inventors’ Day – a day that’s reserved to recognizing the great contributions of our nation’s inventors, both past and present!

But, beyond a day to celebrate these idea people, February 11 is also Thomas Edison’s birthday. In 1983, President Ronald Reagan reserved this day to honor Edison’s birthday in “recognition of the enormous contribution inventors make to the nation and world.”

If you want to recognize National Inventors’ Day, we’ve outlined three simple ways to celebrate!

Keep tinkering

Inventions don’t come to fruition overnight. It takes trial and error and with those mishaps and redos comes the need for patience! Keep trying, keep researching and working hard and never give up! If you give up now, you’ll never know how close you were to making your dreams a reality! Who knows, you could be the mind behind the world’s next great invention!

Keep thinking

Ideas are always swirling around our heads. That’s why it’s up to us to listen to our thoughts and capture those ideas from our mind and put them onto paper. Whether it’s a napkin, a piece of scratch paper or even written in the palm of your hand, if you have an idea, don’t let it pass! Keep track of your ideas and nurture them with your thoughts and actions. An invention idea takes time and is much like a flower; give it some TLC and it could flourish into something beautiful!

Keep searching

Inventions are created as a solution to problems. Keep this in mind when you’re trying to develop your invention idea. Ask yourself:

• Are there more people out there who are struggling with this same problem?
• Can this idea help others?
• How will this idea help people?

If you have an idea for an invention, never give up on it. Take your time and treat your journey like a staircase and move step-by-step. Some days you can go up the staircase and others you might have to go backwards. No matter what the case, keep searching for the idea that inspires you and that will help others in the long run. Investigate every idea you have, no matter how big or how small it may be!

If you have an invention idea, submit yours, today!

Copyright Davison, 2016

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In Monday’s blog, we introduced the idea of failing your way forward. We showed you how failure isn’t the end. In fact, failure is just the beginning.

After sharing our founder and CEO George Davison’s story of failing forward, we were intrigued and did some investigating of our own to uncover other prominent inventors and idea people’s stories of failure that turned into success.

Without further ado, we’d like to share with you four famous idea people who failed their way forward!

Sir James Dyson

“Enjoy failure and learn from it. You can never learn from success.”

Vacuuming your home wouldn’t be the same if Sir James Dyson gave up on himself and his idea after countless failed attempts. By countless, we mean 5,126 failed prototypes, in addition to completely wiping out his savings over the course of 15 years. Little did Sir Dyson know that lucky number 5,127 would be the patent that turned his idea into reality! Now, Dyson is the best-selling bagless vacuum brand in America. It’s a story such as this that shows how failing forward, no matter how many times, can sometimes lead to major success!

Bill Gates

“It’s fine to celebrate success, but it is more important to heed the lessons of failure.”

It might be hard to believe, but the co-founder of Microsoft endured his own setbacks. In fact, in high school, Gates along with fellow Microsoft co-found Paul Allen created Traf-O-Data. Though they were paid for their efforts, the business ultimately failed. After high school, Gates went on to attend Harvard but eventually dropped out! Though some would consider dropping out of Harvard as a failure, Gates saw it as an opportunity to pursue programming. In the end, Gates used both of these events in his life to propel himself forward and to create what we now know as Microsoft.

Thomas Edison

“I failed my way to success.”

What would you do if you were told that you’re “too stupid to learn anything?” For some, that would cripple any attempts at chasing after their dreams, but for Edison, when his teachers told him that he was “too stupid to learn anything” he used their words as motivation to fail forward. Even after being fired from not one, but two jobs, Edison still pushed forward to chase after his dreams. If he had succumbed to these roadblocks in his life, we wouldn’t have the inventions that changed the course of our lives as we know them, including the practical electrical lamp, the phonograph and, of course, the movie camera. Naysayers couldn’t deter Edison; rather they propelled him to fail forward and ultimately have more than 1,000 patents credited to his name!

John Logie Baird

Finally, in case you missed it, yesterday marked the 90-year celebration of John Logie Baird’s television invention! His mechanical television, also known as “the televisor,” was much like a radio. The difference was that his invention included a rotating mechanism that generated video to accompany the sound. Though his invention preceded the modern television, when he publicly demonstrated his invention in 1926 in Soho in front of members from the Royal Institution and a Journalist from the times, his idea wasn’t warmly accepted. In fact, the journalist didn’t see a future for this invention. But, that wasn’t the worst of it. Baird approached the Daily Express newspaper with his invention and they actually kicked him out. Talk about a failed attempt. But Baird didn’t let that failure deter him; he instead used it to fail forward and in 1927 he transmitted content a whopping 438 miles through a telephone line between London and Glasnow.

As you can see, even the most famous idea people have endured their fair share of failure along the way. However, it’s how they handled these obstacles that ultimately led them to their profound success.

Rather than letting failure define them, these idea people failed forward. Look how amazing their ideas turned out!

If you’re ready to chase after your inventing dreams with the Davison Inventing Method, submit your invention idea today!

Copyright Davison, 2016

Sources:

http://www.onlinecollege.org/2010/02/16/50-famously-successful-people-who-failed-at-first/

http://www.businessinsider.com/successful-people-who-failed-at-first-2015-7

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/google/google-doodle/12121474/Who-invented-the-television-John-Logie-Baird-created-the-TV-in-1926.html

Images:

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ec/James_Dyson_in_February_2013.jpg

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4011/4368494308_8f2bd992e4_o_d.jpg

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/52/Thomas_edison_gl%C3%BChbirne.jpg

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7332/16178156208_fd3fa7a5a3_o_d.jpg

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As the holiday season is upon us, we can’t help but think of all the innovative and creative minds that are behind those products that are flying off the store shelves as people continue to cross items off of their holiday wish lists.

So often, inventors with big ideas get hung up on the need for patents before a project even goes from ideation to a working concept model for testing.

Sure, in a blog that we wrote a few weeks ago, we put the spotlight on Lowell Wood, an inventor who surpassed Thomas Edison as America’s leading patent holder with 1,085 patents to his name.

Despite that amazing fact, today, we are going to discuss the topic of why some say it’s not always important to aspire to be a patent holder and to rather, aspire to see ideas in the marketplace!

Every year, hundreds of thousands of patented ideas never make it to the market. As we mentioned before, sometimes people get too caught up in “protecting” their idea, more than they are concerned with developing their idea.

Fear is often the motivator for people to jump right in to patenting their idea before it’s ready for that step. As we always say, invention ideas change over time; an initial product idea can have multiple iterations before its design is finalized.

Now, we aren’t discounting the value of a patent; after all, it is an important tool. But according to Tamara Monosoff, established author and contributing writer to Entrepreneur Magazine, it’s not the fast pass to success. Monosoff suggests that steps should be taken to validate your product and its potential success before a patent is filed.

That’s why she finds it important for a person, before he or she even considers patenting an idea, to ask themselves important questions regarding their invention idea. These questions may include:

• Can the product be manufactured?
• What’s the need for this idea?
• Is this invention idea marketable?

To that point, Monosoff suggests that before you pursue your idea and protect it, you should do your own research to see if your product is needed on the market and if your idea has the potential to be a viable business opportunity.

In the end, once you’ve done your research and determined whether or not there are roadblocks to your success, you can then ask yourself the question, “To patent or not to patent?”

If you have a new product idea that you would like to pursue – Let us help you with your idea!

Copyright Davison, 2015

The opinions of Tamara Monosoff are hers and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Davison.  Davison does not offer or provide research or opinions concerning market potential or the viability of a business opportunity.

Sources:

http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/80088

Image:

http://immortaldc.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/patent-approved.jpg

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Year after year, America continues to be the most innovative, inventing nation in the entire world.

When we think of famous American inventors, more times than not, Thomas Edison’s name will likely be rambled off, among many other inventors.

This comes as no surprise, given the fact that he’s invented some of the most prolific inventions in history, such as the phonograph, light bulb and the movie camera, to name a few.

But, along with all inventions comes a slew of patents; and, being the great innovator and inventor that Edison was, between the years of 1869 and 1933, he tacked on 1,084 United States utility patents to his resume.

This astonishing number of patents made him the longstanding record holder for 82 years as the American inventor with the most patents. But, like most things in life, all good things must come to an end and Edison’s reign as patent king in America has come to a close, thanks to a man named Lowell Wood.

It was lucky patent 1,085 that allowed Wood to surpass Edison in the intellectual property department. So, what is Wood’s invention specialty?

According Bloomberg Businessweek’s Ashlee Vance, “The scope of his inventions is insane… he’s just this guy who is compelled to solve problems and invent new ideas.”

In fact, one of his inventions, the “Mosquito Laser” is a device that was invented in order to solve the problem of malaria by killing large numbers of mosquitos to help reduce people’s chance of contracting the disease.

With all of this talk about patents and inventions solving problems, we couldn’t help but reflect on the importance of patents and what it takes to chase your dreams.

So, with that being said, we wanted to offer you three inventing tips:

1. Be persistent – Coming up with an invention idea and hopefully seeing it succeed doesn’t happen overnight. If you’re serious about your idea, it’s important to understand that it’ll take diligence, perseverance and a great attitude to be able to handle the obstacles along the inventing journey.
2. Be positive – As we mentioned in the previous point, a great attitude is an important cog in the invention wheel. Know that there will be naysayers and people who are waiting for you to fail. Despite this negative energy, keeping a positive and focused attitude will help you deal with the curveballs and continue to chase after your dreams.
3. Be smart – Inventions come out of necessity and work to solve problems. Think of yourself as Sherlock Holmes. You are a detective who is looking to solve a problem and that problem will be solved with your invention idea. To that point, you’ll want to surround yourself with a “Watson;” what we mean by this is that you’ll want to spend time with people who share your vision, who support you and who encourage you to do your best day in and day out.

Lowell Wood’s 1,085 patents alone are inspiring; however, it’s his creativity, intellect and, of course, his innovative spirit that has earned him with the title of America’s leading patent holder.

Only time will tell how long Wood will keep the patent-holding crown!

Copyright Davison, 2015

Sources:

http://www.intellectualventures.com/insights/archives/move-over-thomas-edison.-lowell-wood-is-now-americas-most-prolific-inventor?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Daily+Intellectual+Ventures+IV+Insights+Blog&utm_content=Daily+Intellectual+Ventures+IV+Insights+Blog+CID_4443067d1f91f4203566d66e332d5cf8&utm_source=Email+marketing+software&utm_term=Move+Over+Thomas+Edison+Lowell+Woo

Images:

https://panosnomikos.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/lowell-wood.jpg

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Leave it to a 1968 classic children’s film to provide just the right amount of inspiration and humor to keep us motivated.

Recently, our founder and CEO, Mr. Davison, shared the inspirational tune The Roses of Success from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, a movie about a down-on-his-luck inventor who eventually invents a revolutionary flying car. See the song below.

Throughout this movie and this song in particular, viewers are shown that sometimes things don’t play out as you’d hope. This notion applies perfectly to the world of inventing.

Sometimes our imaginations run free and we believe that our inventions will be an instant record-breaking success. However, even some of the most famous inventors had to overcome obstacles in order to achieve success!

If you don’t believe us, here’s a short list of inventors who had to overcome failure.

Let’s start with an example right from the song!

Alexander Graham Bell – Straight from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is a verse that encapsulates Bell’s struggles to claim his invention of the telephone as his own! For years and years, Bell faced legal challenges to claim that he was the sole inventor. Rather than give up, Bell embarked on one of the longest patent battles in history to fight for his idea.

Thomas Edison – The phonograph, electrical lamp and the movie camera were just a few of the inventions that are credited to Edison. However, none of these inventions, plus his more than 1,000 patents, would have been possible if he listened to his teachers that told him he was “too stupid to learn anything.”

Walt Disney – Mickey Mouse and Walt Disney World wouldn’t mean anything to us today if Walt Disney listened to the newspaper editor who fired him because he “lacked imagination and had no good ideas.” But, that wasn’t the only failure that Disney ever experienced. In fact, several more of his business ventures failed before the premiere of his movie “Snow White.” Despite these failures, we can see today that those detours eventually would lead him down the road to ultimate success!

Thanks to our own founder and CEO Mr. Davison for sharing this inspirational clip to show us that even the most successful inventors had to overcome their fair share of failures and obstacles to reach their own Roses of Success!

Copyright Davison, 2015

Sources:

http://www.businessinsider.com/successful-people-who-failed-at-first-2014-3

Media:

https://youtu.be/GND10sWq0n0

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/10/Alexander_Graham_Bell.jpg

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9d/Thomas_Edison2.jpg

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/df/Walt_Disney_1946.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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This month-long celebration of inventions and creativity began in 1998 by the United Inventors Association of the USA (UIA-USA), the Academy of Applied Science and Inventors’ Digest magazine.

The purpose of National Inventors Month is to help promote the positive image of inventors and the contributions that they make to the world we live in today, and for the future.

Right now, almost everything around you started with an idea. From that idea, an invention was born. National Inventors Month looks to celebrate those innovators, tinkerers and the creative thinkers whose ideas have enriched our lives day in and day out.

Let’s take Thomas Edison for instance. He was a famous inventor who invented the innovations that we utilize every day, like the electric light bulb and the phonograph that laid the foundation for inventions like the CD player and iPod to name a few. In his lifetime, Edison held more than 1,000 patents for his inventions!

Perhaps you are reading this blog by the assistance of glasses; you can thank Benjamin Franklin for his invention of the bifocals. Or maybe you are planning your summer vacation to a destination that is too far for you to drive. Thanks to the Wright Brothers, who successfully designed, built and flew the first powered aircraft, you can now get to your location faster, because of the invention of the airplane.

Just like these famous inventors, the inventive spirit lives within everyone. National Inventors Month is the perfect time to take the opportunity to further explore your invention ideas. Who knows, one day we might be writing a blog about how YOUR invention changed the world. But, you’ll never know if you don’t dare to invent with Davison!

Happy National Inventors Month!

Copyright Davison 2014

Sources:

http://inventors.about.com/od/eventsconventions/a/inventors_month.htm

http://www.dogonews.com/2013/5/6/may-is-national-inventors-month

http://www.biography.com/people/thomas-edison-9284349#awesm=~oCQoUZmBbasbOX

http://www.biographyonline.net/scientists/top-10-inventors.html

Images:

http://accurateled.com/led-news/

http://degreed.com/blog/top-10-things-didnt-know-benjamin-franklin/

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9d/Thomas_Edison2.jpg

https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQoREm5HJXTfRXLrJ59fYYJPhq8lB0p0ZepFncu1uTc8qWn2d3Lqw

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