Invention Geek – Howard Hughes?

Posted on October 22, 2010October 12, 2015 by Invention Geek

Question from Caycee L.:
I was watching that movie “The Aviator” about Howard Hughes. It looks like he was really smart, and he definitely did a lot for the aviation world, but also alot of his inventions failed. Do you know how many of his inventions received patents?

Howard Hughes formed the Hughes Aircraft Corporation to pursue his interest in aviation. Hughes Aircraft has 6054 U.S. patents.

The basis of Howard Hughes’ fortune was patents held by his father Howard Hughes Sr. On August 10, 1909, Howard Hughes Sr. was granted U.S. Patent 930,758 and U.S. Patent 930,759 for a two-cone roller bit. His bit allowed for drilling for oil in previously inaccessible places

Howard Hughes Jr.’s father passed away when he was only 18 and he acquired 75% of the Hughes Tool Company. Hughes took this inheritance worth one million dollars and turned into a two billion dollar fortune thanks in part to patent rights.

5 Important Tech Advancements of the 00’s

Posted on September 22, 2010October 12, 2015 by Invention Geek

No Antenna Five technological advancements in the last decade have led to the current trends in consumer electronics. Without these advancements, we would not have iPods, digital cameras, TiVos or Blackberries as well as many other electronic devices.

1. Broadband Internet

In 2000, high speed Internet became readily available in the US. Between 2000 and 2003, usage of high speed Internet grew 24% in the United States. In 2006, 69% of all homes had some kind of Internet access at home and 60% of those connections were high speed connections of some kind. Can you imagine trying to watch movies online, buy music, or just surf the web without the benefits of high speed Internet?

Continue reading “5 Important Tech Advancements of the 00’s” →

Famous Women Inventors: Marion Donovan – Inventor of the Diaper

Posted on September 15, 2010October 12, 2015 by Invention Geek

Necessity is the mother of invention. -Plato

In this case, it was not only necessity but also mothering that were the mothers of invention.

Marion Donovan spent a large part of her childhood in a manufacturing plant run by her father and uncle who invented many things including an industrial lathe. This experience instilled Marion with an inventive spirit.

Frustration at the inconvenience and impractically of using rectangular sheets of cloth as diapers, Marion put that inventive spirit to the test. Tired of constantly changing diapers, sheets and clothing, she went to work at her sewing machine with a shower curtain. After a few attempts, she designed a waterproof diaper cover. Called the “Boater” by Marion because she thought her cover looked like a boat, the design didn’t pinch the skin, cause diaper rash or use dangerous safety pins. Continue reading “Famous Women Inventors: Marion Donovan – Inventor of the Diaper” →

Ask The Invention Geek – Presidental Patents?

Posted on August 6, 2010October 12, 2015 by Invention Geek

Question from Sarah J.:
Have any US Presidents been granted patents?

Abraham Lincoln is the only US President to ever receive a patent. Lincoln received patent #6469 on May 22, 1849 for a device to lift boats over shoals.

Do you have a question for The Invention Geek? Submit it here.

Famous Inventors: Benjamin Franklin

Posted on July 14, 2010November 11, 2015 by Invention Geek

Benjamin Franklin was more than one of America’s most beloved Founding Fathers. He was also the first major American inventor. In 1748 at the age of 42, Franklin retired from his career as a printer to turn his attention full time to studying biology and physics, pursuing his curiosities about the world.

Here are just six inventions we can attribute to one of America’s most beloved founding fathers:

Electricity

1. The Lightning Rod

Franklin is most famous for his experiments with electricity. Franklin was not the discoverer of electricity but rather he spent time learning about its properties. He was aware of the dangers of electricity and lighting. He used the concept of electric ground to investigate electricity and lighting. This concept led to the invention of the lighting rod. A metal rod was attached to the high point of a building. A metal cable attached to this rod ran down the side of the building and into the ground. When lighting struck the rod, the electricity ran down the cable and into the ground, preventing damage to the building.

2. Bifocals

Franklin was curious about life. This curiosity along with the physical needs of himself and his family led to some of his other inventions. By the age of 40, Franklin needed to wear two different pair of glasses. He had a pair for reading and a pair for nearsightedness. Always switching between the pairs was a hassle. To save himself the trouble, Franklin cut the lens of both glasses in half horizontally. He attached the top of his nearsighted glasses to the bottom of his reading glasses. These were the first pair of bifocal glasses. Continue reading “Famous Inventors: Benjamin Franklin” →

Ask The Invention Geek – Cocaine in Coca Cola?

Posted on July 2, 2010October 12, 2015 by Invention Geek

Question from Jenny:
I heard Coca-Cola originally got its name because they used to put cocaine in it. Is that really true?

Interesting question, Jenny!

Coca-Cola was in fact named for its two medicinal ingredients: extract of the coca leaves and kola nuts. The original formula included five ounces of coca leaf per gallon of syrup. At one time, Coca-Cola contained approximately nine milligrams of cocaine per glass. Continue reading “Ask The Invention Geek – Cocaine in Coca Cola?” →

Serendipity – The Discovery of Nitrous Oxide as an Anesthetic, Rubber Gloves, and Diabetes Control

Posted on June 29, 2010October 12, 2015 by Invention Geek

Webster’s dictionary defines serendipity as the faculty or phenomenon of finding valuable or agreeable things not sought for. Accidental discoveries have happened in all fields and disciplines. Some great advancements in medicine have been the product of serendipity. Nitrous oxide as an anesthetic, rubber gloves to control infections and insulin are among these discoveries:

Nitrous Oxide as an Anesthetic
In 1798, Humphry Davy took a position at the Pneumatic Institution which was investigating the use of gases in the prevention and cure of diseases. At the Institution, Davy discovered that nitrous oxide could be inhaled by people. Davy did various tests of the gas on himself and his friends. A chamber was even built for the inhalation of the gas. Through these tests he discovered that inhalation brought about an altered state of intoxication. He also realized that the even if the inhaler was semi-conscious the sensation of pain was considerably dulled by the gas. His initial recommendation to use the gas for surgery was ignored. It was forty-fives years later that nitrous oxide was finally used as an anesthetic by dentists. Continue reading “Serendipity – The Discovery of Nitrous Oxide as an Anesthetic, Rubber Gloves, and Diabetes Control” →

Famous Women Inventors: Margaret Knight – Inventing Since the Age of 12

Posted on May 19, 2010October 12, 2015 by Invention Geek

Paper bag Machine Margaret Knight is credited with over 90 different inventions and she received 26 patents in her lifetime. Her patents included textile and shoe-making machinery, domestic devices, and an automobile engine. She received her first patent at the age of 30 but was inventing her entire life.

Ms. Knight’s first invention was at the age of 12, two years after her father passed away. Her brothers began working in a textile mill to support the family, by the time she was 12, she had joined them. When working, Ms. Knight witnessed an accident where a snagged thread caused a spindle to fly off of a machine and injure some of her fellow workers. This experience led to her inventing a stop-motion device that could stop machinery used in textile mills and prevent injury. Continue reading “Famous Women Inventors: Margaret Knight – Inventing Since the Age of 12” →

Stitching Awl Blinds Louis Braille, But Aids With Invention of Braille

Posted on April 28, 2010October 12, 2015 by Invention Geek

At the age of 3, Louis Braille accidentally poked himself in the eye with a stitching awl from his father’s workshop. The original injury was not very serious, but Louis went blind when the eye later became infected. That trauma then lead to the young boy going blind in his other eye, too.

At 10, Braille was admitted to the National Institute for the Blind in Paris, the first school of its kind in the world. Students were taught basic craftsman skills and simple trade. They also had a system of teaching children to read by feeling raised letters made by pressing copper wire against paper. Publishers of these books often included numerous stories in one book to save money, causing the books to weigh as much as 100 pounds. Braille quickly read and mastered the 14 books available at the National Institute. While the method certainly helped become a proficient reader, the school had no system for teaching him to write as well. Continue reading “Stitching Awl Blinds Louis Braille, But Aids With Invention of Braille” →

Mold Into Medicine? Discovery of Penicillian and Other Accidental Inventions

Posted on April 21, 2010October 12, 2015 by Invention Geek

Well, for starters, all three were invented by accident.
It’s pretty amazing that these, like many other inventions, are the byproducts of a mistake or have uses that were not the original intention. Nonetheless they are now some of the most well known, popular and sometimes very important inventions. Continue reading “Mold Into Medicine? Discovery of Penicillian and Other Accidental Inventions” →

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