Category:
Inventions

Foot-powered helicopter

I assume that the prize referenced in the clipping was the Kremer Prize, established in 1959 and eventually won in 1977.

Santa Ana Register - July 29, 1964



Details from Wikipedia:

The Royal Aeronautical Society's "Man Powered Aircraft Group" was formed in 1959 by the members of the Man Powered Group of the College of Aeronautics at Cranfield when they were invited to join the Society. Its title was changed from "Man" to "Human" in 1988 because of the many successful flights made by female pilots.

Under the auspices of the Society, in 1959 the industrialist Henry Kremer offered the first Kremer prizes, of £5,000 for the first human-powered aircraft to fly a figure-of-eight course round two markers half-a-mile apart. It was conditional that the designer, entrant pilot, place of construction and flight must all be British. In 1973 Kremer increased the prize to £50,000 and opened it to all nationalities, to stimulate interest.

The first Kremer prize of £50,000 was won on 23 August 1977 by Dr. Paul MacCready when his Gossamer Condor, piloted by Bryan Allen, was the first human-powered aircraft to fly a figure eight around two markers one half mile apart, starting and ending the course at least 10 feet (3.0 m) above the ground.

Posted By: Alex - Fri Jul 26, 2024 - Comments (0)
Category: Awards, Prizes, Competitions and Contests, Inventions, Air Travel and Airlines, 1960s

Butt Irrigator

Complete patent here.





Posted By: Paul - Fri Jul 26, 2024 - Comments (0)
Category: Body, Diseases, Domestic, Hygiene, Inventions, Patents, 1960s

Toaster That Butters the Toast

Man, given the laziness of the average person, this should have been a bestselling item. Unless...the notion of a reservoir full of old butter sitting at room temperature for weeks was a turn-off.

Full patent here.



Posted By: Paul - Mon Jul 15, 2024 - Comments (2)
Category: Domestic, Food, Inventions, Patents, Technology, 1960s

Suction-Cup Bathtub Slipper

Instead of providing safety, these look likely to kill the wearer, as the bather struggles to break the grip of the suction cups.

Full patent here.



Posted By: Paul - Tue Jul 02, 2024 - Comments (0)
Category: Domestic, Hygiene, Inventions, Patents, 1930s, Feet

The Ether Orchestra



Source.

Posted By: Paul - Wed Jun 19, 2024 - Comments (0)
Category: Inventions, Music, 1930s, Europe

Anti-snoring Pillow






The original patent here has no suitable illustration of its product, so I've taken the liberty of having Copilot conjure up some images. Basically, the pillow would use Active Noise Control to cancel out the snores.





Posted By: Paul - Mon Jun 17, 2024 - Comments (0)
Category: Inventions, Patents, Sleep and Dreams, Twenty-first Century, Cacophony, Dissonance, White Noise and Other Sonic Assaults

Headache Hanger

Full patent here.




Posted By: Paul - Wed May 15, 2024 - Comments (3)
Category: Inventions, Patents, Medicine, 1910s, Head

Firmatron Facial

"literally shocks your age away"

"A model is given a 'Firmatron' facial by an operator wearing special gloves to transmit electrical impulses to facial nerves." New York Journal-American - Dec 2, 1960



Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - June 28, 1961



Chicago Tribune - Apr 9, 1961

Posted By: Alex - Thu May 02, 2024 - Comments (0)
Category: Beauty, Ugliness and Other Aesthetic Issues, Inventions, 1960s

Anti-Wrinkle Straws

As described by the NY Times:

Our endless enthusiasm for sipping things through narrow tubes has birthed much innovation in the straw market. It has also created a new anxiety: lip wrinkles.
Traditional straws force sippers to purse their lips around the opening in an expression that many believe, over time, creates wrinkles around your lips, called perioral lines.
Enter the anti-wrinkle straw, shaped like the number 7, with a small hole at the top horizontal portion that allows users to drink without pursing their lips.

I never drink through straws, nor do I worry about lip wrinkles. So not a product for me. But enough people do use straws, and do worry about lip wrinkles, to have created a demand for this product.

The "Lipzi" is the best-selling anti-wrinkle straw on the market.



via Book of Joe

Posted By: Alex - Mon Apr 29, 2024 - Comments (1)
Category: Inventions, Skin and Skin Conditions

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Alex Boese
Alex is the creator and curator of the Museum of Hoaxes. He's also the author of various weird, non-fiction, science-themed books such as Elephants on Acid and Psychedelic Apes.

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