Patents

Inventor Spotlight – Garrett Brown

Inventors, Patents / By / April 5, 2021

“Captivated by innovation and storytelling as a child, Garrett Brown was many things—folk singer, car dealer, copywriter, radio personality—before he invented the Steadicam and Skycam, whose stable, gliding shots have captivated movie and television audiences ever since. At 78, with more than 50 patents, 70 films, an Oscar, and an Emmy to his name—among other impressive awards and honors—he is still inventing, this time on what could be a revolutionary new alternative to walkers and wheelchairs.”

https://www.uspto.gov/learning-and-resources/journeys-innovation/field-stories/look-out-0

Wacky Patent of the Day

Patents / By / April 5, 2021

In 1930, this person patented a system to get people to confess their crimes by locking them in a darkened room and scaring ? them with a fake skeleton ☠️ having light bulbs in the eye sockets. A camera is behind the skull to record the facial expressions of the suspect. ?

The Inventor of Gore-Tex has died

Inventors, Patents / By / April 5, 2021

Robert Gore, the chemical engineer who unwittingly invented Gore-Tex, has died. He was trying to make more efficient use of Teflon by stretching it. “Everything I seemed to do worked worse than what we were already doing,” he said. “So I decided to give one of these rods a huge stretch, fast — a jerk. I gave it a huge jerk and it stretched 1,000 percent. I was stunned.”

That turned out to be a fortune-making discovery. The microporous material, which his company patented and trademarked as Gore-Tex, had exceptional qualities and myriad uses.

Further experiments led him to create the breathable, waterproof material used in numerous applications, including ski jackets, medical implants, industrial filters, packaging for biologic drugs, fuel cells for electric vehicles, uniforms for emergency responders, spacesuits, and guitar strings.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/25/science/robert-gore-dead.html