Category:
Inventions

Motion-Sickness Glasses

They're called SEETROËN glasses. They were designed by the French car company Citroën, which claims that they're the first glasses that eliminate motion sickness. Apparently the blue liquid in the glasses simulates level ground, which helps stop the vertigo feeling that some people get while traveling.

Interesting concept, but they look a lot like "crazy straw" glasses.

More info: visuall.net



Posted By: Alex - Tue Jul 17, 2018 - Comments (3)
Category: Fashion, Health, Inventions

New mask for seasickness

Dr. Richmond Goulden of the liner Lady Nelson models the latest in seasickness-prevention technology, 1939.

The pipe adds a nice touch.

Baltimore Evening Sun - Jan 4, 1939

Posted By: Alex - Fri Jul 06, 2018 - Comments (3)
Category: Inventions, Medicine, 1930s

Cremation by solar power

Patent #US4781174A:

Heat rays of the sun are concentrated and focussed by means of a reflective and/or lenticular device at a focal point for the purpose of the cremation of corpses, and their reduction to ashes thereby, either as a system per se or in combination with various ancillary buildings, equipment and facilities, more particularly an auditorium structure for conducting a funeral service or the like and from which a corpse may be transferred to the focal point of the concentrating device preferably by elevating the corpse through an opening in the ceiling and/or roof of the structure.

Seems like something a James Bond villain would create, if he were in the funeral business.



Posted By: Alex - Mon Jul 02, 2018 - Comments (7)
Category: Death, Inventions, Patents, 1980s

Hat Guard

Back in the day when the theft of hats from hatracks was an ongoing problem, Frank P. Snow of Los Angeles patented this invention designed to inflict pain on any would-be hat thieves.

A thief could take the hat, but if he tried to put it on, a "guarding prong" would jab into his skull. The prong locked in place and could only be moved if you knew the code to the combination lock.

Official Gazette of the United States Patent Office - June 2, 1914

Posted By: Alex - Thu Jun 14, 2018 - Comments (2)
Category: Inventions, Patents, Headgear, 1910s

Open Zipper Alarm

US Patent Application No. 2009/0195400A1 describes an invention that can "provide a warning or alert regarding the position of the zipper."

Sounds potentially useful. What kind of warning does it give you? Apparently you've got a choice of a sound, vibration, having a page sent to a remote device, or getting an electric shock.

Posted By: Alex - Sat Jun 09, 2018 - Comments (5)
Category: Inventions, Patents

Inflatable Coffin

Patented by Clifford Malbon of Daytona Beach, Florida in 1977. Patent # US4050125A. From the patent abstract:

An inflated casket which may remain deflated for storage prior to use and for transportation prior to storage. The casket body is provided with one or a plurality of chambers into which a fluid substance is injected for distending the chambers to cause the casket body to assume an erect position for use. The fluid substance while usually in the form of a gas, such as air, may constitute a substance which will subsequently solidify to produce a substantially rigid casket body.



Naples Daily News - Dec 11, 1977

Posted By: Alex - Fri Jun 01, 2018 - Comments (5)
Category: Death, Inventions, Patents, 1970s

Belly Bongo

From the mind of inventor George Fullerton came, in 1973, the Belly Bongo.



It's called a "Belly Bongo," and according to inventor Fullerton, it will make you "shake, rattle and roll." Made of high-impact styrene plastic, the Belly Bongo toy is an 8-inch square composed of four open-ended chambers. A hard rubber ball hangs from a three-inch string on the front-center. A canvas strap threaded through the back fastens it to your body. When Belly Bongo is secured around the hips — "where the action is," says Fullerton — the ball moves with the motion of your body. As it hits on the hollow chambers, it produces a bongo-beat, the tone of which varies according to the chamber size. With the motion of walking, the Belly Bongo emits a bump-da-da-da, bump-da-da-da beat. "It tells you how sexy your walk is," Fullerton grins.

A rapid-motion twist produces an up-tempo pong-pong-pong-pong. With proper body movements, Belly Bongo makes you your own bump-and-grind drummer. A checker in the electro-mechanical division at Honeywell, Fullerton spends his evenings designing and tapping away at product prototypes in his Largo home. Belly Bongo is the latest in a long line of toys and crafts he's invented. Fullerton explains his wealth of entertainment ideas as a direct result of the lack of hair on his head. "It's all because I'm bald-headed," he says with a laugh, "If you're bald-headed, it means you're crazy."

Tampa Bay Times - Apr 22, 1973


Springfield News-Leader - June 16, 1995



Tampa Bay Times - Apr 22, 1973

Posted By: Alex - Fri May 25, 2018 - Comments (3)
Category: Inventions, Toys, 1970s

Rock ‘n’ Roll Underwear

From Omni magazine (Aug 1981): "The latest discotechnological breakthrough is an item called Rock and Roll Hot Pants. By wiring your shorts or panties to a stereo speaker with a 15-foot cord, which relays the music to a two inch disc on your waistband,”you get an incredible tingle all over your body,” claims inventor David Lloyd."

Santa Rosa Press Democrat - Jan 27, 1981



Omni magazine - August 1981

Posted By: Alex - Sat May 12, 2018 - Comments (6)
Category: Inventions, Music, Underwear, 1980s

Thump Pad - pothole solution

Seems like an interesting solution to potholes, but I'm curious how well these would work in a real-world setting. For instance, would people wander away with them, just because they could? And would this temporary solution end up as the permanent solution?

More info: The solution to potholes? (wkyc.com)
https://www.yeupatchtechnologies.com

Posted By: Alex - Sat Apr 28, 2018 - Comments (1)
Category: Inventions, Motor Vehicles

Munch Meter

An invention that measures how much a cow has eaten by recording the motion of its head while it eats.

Hartford Courant - Sep 14, 1972



New Scientist - July 26, 1973

Posted By: Alex - Wed Apr 18, 2018 - Comments (1)
Category: Animals, Farming, Inventions, 1970s

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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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