I ran across a fascinating website a
couple days ago regarding ten people who invented everyday items, about
whom most of us are unaware. (http://www.businessinsider.com/ten-inventions-you-never-knew-had-inventors-2011-3?op=1#ixzz2sIWwSubl) The article is too long for one PR, so I’ll
share it in parts. I have already posted
Parts 1 and 2.
The Unknown Geniuses Behind 10 of the Most Useful
Inventions Ever – Part 3
ALANA HOROWITZ - MAR. 3, 2011, 10:56 AM
1912: Candy maker Sam Born
invents a machine that inserts sticks into lollipops and receives a key to San
Francisco
Whose idea: Sam Born
The inspiration: A Russian immigrant, Born was already trained in the art of
candy making by the time he came to the United States in 1910. A frugal man,
Born wanted to make every part of the candy making process as efficient as
possible. In 1912, he introduced the Born Sucker Machine, which quickly and
mechanically inserts sticks into lollipops.
What came of it: The automatic lollipop maker helped make the candy, and
Born's company, into a huge success. He was awarded the key to San Fransisco in
1916. Today, Just Born serves 35 countries and is known worldwide for being the
makers of Peeps.
1858: Hymen Lipman creates
the modern pencil by attaching an eraser at the end of it
Whose idea: Hymen Lipman
The inspiration: In 1858, there were lead pencils and there were
erasers. But until Lipman, no one had ever combined the two. Lipman received
his patent on May 30th, and even thought to make it so that the eraser, not
just the lead, could be sharpened.
What came of it: Lipman sold his patent for $100,000, which was a
fortune in the mid-19th century. Today, you'd be hard pressed to find a pencil
in a classroom without an eraser on the end of it.
1986: Twenty-something’s
Scott Jones and Greg Carr bring voicemail to people everywhere
Whose idea: Scott Jones and Greg
Carr
The inspiration: In 1986, Jones, an MIT researcher and Greg Carr, a Harvard
grad student, decided to enter the telecommunications business together. They
started their own company, Boston Technologies, and began working. Their first
project was a system where you could dial a number and find out stock
information, but Jones, the techie of the two, realized they had a much bigger
idea in their hands.
The pair sensed that this was the opportunity to provide
people everywhere with voicemail, but until 1988, all phone companies besides
AT&T were legally banned from the service. When the ruling was finally
reversed, the pair approached several telecom companies and got financial
backing. Within 3 months, their ideas were realized.
What came of it: Voicemail, although dwindling in popularity with the
advent of text messaging, is a staple of the telecommunications industry. As
for Jones and Carr, they're both multi-millionaires.
1985: Jack Clements designs a
spill-free way to drink coffee on the go
Whose idea: Jack Clements
The inspiration: The Solo Cup Company tasked Clements to design a better way
to drink coffee on the go. Clements drew up a domed lid, the first of its kind
that would rest comfortably between the mouth and the nose during sips. The
dome helped prevent spilling and, by chance, accommodated the foam on lattes
and cappuccinos.
What came of it: The Solo Traveler Lid quickly became an industry standard
and has helped the company rake in $2 billion of annual revenue.
1858: Margaret Knight fought
a sexist employee to claim her rightful title as the inventor of the
flat-bottomed paper bag
Whose idea: Margaret Knight
The inspiration: Knight was working in paper bag factory when she noticed how
difficult it was to pack things into the flimsy, shapeless sacks. So, she
decided to invent a machine that folded and glued paper to make a flat-bottomed
bag.
What came of it: Knight spent late nights drawing up plans before
creating a wooden prototype. She couldn't, however, obtain a patent until she
made one out of iron.
While it was being produced at machine shop, an employee named
Charles Annan copied
her idea and got a patent for it. Knight sued Annan for copyright infringement.
Annan argued that, because she was a woman, she couldn't have been the true
inventor. Still, Knight's sketches and detailed plans won her the case.
She ended up establishing her own paper bag company and received large sums of
royalties for her invention.
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