World's Wackiest Inventions
Books / Paperback
ISBN: 0486225968 / Publisher: Dover Publications, June 1970
Hilarious but real inventions including edible tie pin, automatically tipping hat, metal locket for storing chewed gum — all patented.
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<div><div>Is the world ready for a tie pin that can be eaten in case of sudden hunger? Or a railroad train that avoids collisions by climbing on top of the opposing train? Or a man's hat that will automatically tip itself in greeting when the wearer nods slightly?<br>All these (and more) are actual patented inventions, unearthed for your amusement, enlightenment, and possible bewilderment. Who, for instance, would opt for a Hydraulic Alarm Clock, which drips icy water down the sleeper's neck? Or the Humane Rodent Exterminator, a well-intentioned device that attaches a bell to the rat's neck, "thereby frightening the other rats and causing them to flee"?<br>Each of the nearly 60 inventions appears with the inventor's explanation and the actual drawings submitted to the Patent Office. Some are of dubious efficacy−for instance, the battery-and-copper plate designed to extract poisons from the human body. Others are simply hilarious, such as the rocking chair fitted with a bellows in order to blow air onto the rocker. All offer fascinating glimpses of the modern obsession with utility, accenting the zany turns on a shortcut to convenience.</div></div>
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