Inventions
Dr. Walker’s Paste-Pump Toothbrush
How the hell could this be any less work than just squeezing a stripe of toothpaste from the tube onto your brush?Source of article.
Posted By: Paul - Mon Mar 20, 2023 -
Comments (1)
Category: Hygiene, Inventions, Chindogu, 1940s
The Rigsby Electric Machinegun
Ahead of its time.
Posted By: Paul - Tue Feb 14, 2023 -
Comments (1)
Category: Inventions, 1930s, Weapons
Combined Suspenders and Garters
Source.
Posted By: Paul - Mon Jan 30, 2023 -
Comments (3)
Category: Fashion, Inventions, Nineteenth Century
The Taylor Aerocar
Wikipedia article here.
Posted By: Paul - Fri Jan 27, 2023 -
Comments ()
Category: Inventions, Air Travel and Airlines, Twentieth Century, Cars
Shoes with Hinged Soles
There must be a good reason why, for millennia now, all shoes have come with unibody-construction soles. But Robert M. Lyden thought differently.Full patent here.
Posted By: Paul - Tue Jan 17, 2023 -
Comments (4)
Category: Body, Inventions, Patents, Shoes, 1990s
Trapdoor for bank tellers
I'm aware of quite a few inventions designed to trap or incapacitate bank robbers. But the idea of allowing a bank teller to abruptly vanish is more novel.Of course, this approach could only work if there was a single teller working, and hopefully no other customers in the bank.
I was curious whether this bank with the cashier trapdoor might still exist, but I had no luck finding its address. I did find that it was acquired by another bank in 1948. So it was probably demolished long ago.
Hagerstown Morning Herald - Aug 9, 1932
Posted By: Alex - Mon Nov 28, 2022 -
Comments ()
Category: Crime, Inventions, Money, 1930s
Hair Coloring Calculator
Pity the poor inventor of the 1980s, who had a notion for something not supported by the clunky digital tech of that era. This elaborate device is today just a free app.Full patent here.
Posted By: Paul - Fri Nov 25, 2022 -
Comments ()
Category: Inventions, Patents, 1980s, Hair and Hairstyling
Mystery Gadget 103
What's this device do?The answer is at the link.
Or beyond the jump.
More in extended >>
Posted By: Paul - Mon Nov 14, 2022 -
Comments (2)
Category: Inventions, Nineteenth Century
The Orukter Amphibolos
We've seen many amphibious vehicles at WU, but mostly from the 20th century. Here's one of the earliest, from 1804.Wikipedia page of the inventor, Oliver Evans.
Posted By: Paul - Fri Nov 04, 2022 -
Comments (1)
Category: Inventions, Motor Vehicles, Oceans and Maritime Pursuits, Nineteenth Century
Goat-mobile
Not only bucks, but bleats! The inventor's predilection for a goat figure definitely NOT Satanic!Full patent here.
Posted By: Paul - Sat Oct 22, 2022 -
Comments (3)
Category: Animals, Bicycles and Other Human-powered Vehicles, Inventions, Patents, Toys, Nineteenth Century
| Who We Are |
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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. Paul Di Filippo Paul has been paid to put weird ideas into fictional form for over thirty years, in his career as a noted science fiction writer. He has recently begun blogging on many curious topics with three fellow writers at The Inferior 4+1. Contact Us |