What have you invented? Thats patented of course.

[gprsh924]

My dad's best friend invented a sinkable slamom (ski) course called accusink, that he sold off. He also invented inflatable boat lifts called Air Docks (www.airdock.com) he is doing alright. Besides the air docks themselves, he did some really cool stuff in the factory to ease the manufacturing process.

[911pcars]

Many years ago, I invented a camera viewfinder reticle for Nikon cameras (focusing screen) with a grid pattern that also contained 8x10 and TV ratio reference marks. Aerospace chromium deposit on ground glass material. I sold a few, then noticed a patent was already applied for. The holder's product was a pattern photo-deposited on a piece of acetate film. It was a pretty limited target audience anyway.

As some folks are aware, if a patent is worded correctly, the description prevents other attempts at providing similar (maybe better) solutions. I should have moved to China at the time and not have been bothered with intellectual property.

In the category of "I thought it was a good idea", I also brain-stormed an idea for magnetically-controlled intake/exhaust valve actuators back in the 70's, then I researched and discovered British-Leyland Motor Corp. had a patent for such an animal (not that they did anything with it).

For some motoring trivia, BLMC, later became Rover, then MG-Rover. MG is now a part of Chinese Najing Automobiles and the Rover name (dog) is owned by Ford. However, you might see the invention in the next Najing F1 car.

Sherwood

[Racerbvd]

I have an idea that I'm investigating getting a patent on, and yes, it does have to do with the bar biz

[frogger]

I'm working on a self-eating watermelon.

[JTO]

Two no-added formaldehyde (NAF) MDF panels; one is the first commodity-priced NAF MDF, the other is the only NAF fire retardant panel. These are within the last year.

In the past I invented a water treatment technology that takes sodium based extraction-stage liquors (from pulp making processes) and converts it to a magnesium based liquor. By doing so the organic material can be routed through the recovery boiler and not ever enter the waste water stream. This keeps a significant amount of BOD material and resin and fatty acids out of the wastewater stream resulting in a much less toxic and more easily treated waste stream. It also allows the oxidizable material in the liquor to be used for power generation. See, you can't put sodium into a recovery boiler (you get molten sodium and when water hits that, look out!)

No doubt, more to come.
Troy

[sammyg2]

Not a single patent ot my name, but my father has almost 400.
Remember when the challenger blew up from that faulty O-ring?
My father submitted a white paper on a proposed composite clamp design to fix it, next thing you know his idea is out for bid for a teast prototype. His company didn't get job but they subcontracted his company (him) to show the winning bidder how to do it. A couple variations developed and eventually they settled on a variation to his original design, which he developed.

He's designed and patented at least 20 new types of explosives, dozens of new types of rocket propelants, but most of his stuff has to do with rocket nozzles.
Find someone in an industry that has anything to so with rocket nozzles and he will probably know the name of Gerald Gore. He revolutionized the way they do it, he even designed the machine to weave the 3D pre-preg graphite billets and the autoclave process to make em into a solid graphite billet with the right characteristics and how to wrap them and machine them. Then he took it a step further, he designed better materials and wraps and his company sold the ideas to the government so now most if not all manufaturers of the stuff make it his way.
Most military and civilian rocket motors in use now or for the past 30 years have something to do with him.
Unfortunately all the patents belong to the companies he worked for (Hercules, morton thiokol, haveg industries, US polymeric, reinhold,) but they are still in his name. They named a building after him and he is still on retainer with them in case they can't figure something out. he doesn't work anymore except sometimes over the phone or via the internet and he still makes more than me.
In the late 80's he quit Haveg industries and went to work for US polymeric. Haveg was so pissed off they bought US polymeric just to get him back. He's a real rocket scientist but has trouble carrying on a conversation with regular people. When we are together we talk about engineering and design and work, and he goes on forever. But ask him how he feels about a sunrise or a rainbow and he locks up. By the time was 11 i had most of the periodic tabel memorized and knew the prodess to make tri-nitro-toluene (tnt) and glycerol-tr-nitrate (nitroglycerin). He wasn't much good at teaching me about life but he taught me about science. My other three brothers were almost like strangers to him because I was the only one who could speak his language. All my life I heard that I was a carbon copy of him (but I never believed it). He did teach my oldest brother how to play baseball and he ended up playing pro ball for the braves.
In fact my dad was the manager of the utah state little league all-stars when my brother was 11 and 12, went to the regionals and lost both years but my brother ended up playing in 6 world series and never lost a game he was pitching in world series of little league, babe ruth, college (the first time cal state fullerton won it), and college summer league with the eureka crabs. My dad use to say, you already have an excuse to lose. I'm going to give you excuses to win and he did. He treated baseball as if it were a scientific experiment and it worked. he has 12 year old kids analyzing strategies and memorizing plays that pros would forget. in the utah state championships they once scored 8 runs in one inning using only the suicide squeaze. The other team couldn't understand why they stopped doing it after they had two outs.

Amazing thing is, he was the engineering manager and head project manager at most of those high tech companies and is considered a distinguished alumni at University of Utah, but he never graduated. He dropped out of school halfway through his senior year when I was born and never went back.