Ridiculous Devices People Patented
November 7, 2023
•11 min read
There are lots of weird and funny patents that have been made over the years. Let's find out about the most ridiculous devices people patented.
You might fancy yourself as the next big inventor whose ground-breaking creations change lives, but some ideas are probably best kept private. To patent an invention, it needs to meet three 3 key criteria first: it has gotta be novel, inventive, and most importantly, useful. With that in mind, it's unsure how any of the following ridiculous patents ever made the cut!
The Greenhouse Helmet
If you wish you could surround yourself with plants all the time, look no further than the greenhouse helmet, which brings the great outdoors to you! The application for this green-fingered invention was filed in 1985 by Waldemar Anguita, and it’s not just a super-chic fashion accessory for plant-loving hipsters.
The greenhouse helmet is basically comprised of an anti-fog-treated transparent dome that could be fitted over your head, complete with display shelves for small plants, so you can take a much-needed walk in nature anywhere, at any time!According to the patent, the plants would soak up the carbon dioxide exhaled by the wearer, supplying you with the finest oxygen money can buy in return.Finally, fun #patent no.4 - the Greenhouse Helmet. We're as confused as you are! #BritishBizParty #AnniesTruckShop
The Daddle
If there’s one thing kids love and parents loathe is piggybacks, especially when your once-tiny-tot has exceeded the comfortable weight limit for being carried around. Fear not, weary parents, because wannabe inventor Paul R. Harriss has just the thing for you: the daddy saddle, AKA The Daddle!
According to Harriss, all the existing child-carrying paraphernalia like special backpacks and sling-like scarves only accounted for young babies. As a consequence, carrying a fully-grown sprog around is only likely to result in horrifying injuries like back sprain and buckled legs.The Blonsky Birthing Table
Childbirth is a laborious process, but back in the day, pregnant women were subject to all sorts of hair-brained ideas to try and speed it up a little. One of the most ridiculous inventions patented for assisting childbirth is the spinning birthing table, which was filed in November 1965 by mining engineer George Blonsky and his wife Charlotte.
in 1965 U.S. Patent was issued for the "Blonsky Device" It was a centrifugal birthing table. A woman in labor was strapped to a high speed spinning table that would "gently force the baby out."
The Cereal Server
The best kind of inventions are the ones that solve universal problems, and the crispy cereal server is no exception. Ever since John Harvey Kellogg created the humble cornflake back in 1878, breakfast enthusiasts all over the world have suffered in silence thanks to one simple problem: soggy cereal.
Thankfully, in 1990, Davis Alton filed an application for a patent that would provide some light at the end of the tunnel. The crispy cereal server comprised of two bowls working perfectly in tandem: one large, lower bowl filled with milk and a smaller upper bowl housing dry, crispy cereal.High-Five Apparatus
Do you hate being left hanging after initiating a high-five? Worry no more my friend; with the ingenious high-five apparatus, you’ll never have to face the shame of an unreciprocated palm-to-palm celebration again!
This nifty device was thought up by Albert Cohen in 1993, and it’s exactly what it sounds like; a dismembered mechanical arm that is guaranteed to make you look like the loneliest person around.Peculiar Patent Do you need to boost your spirit or celebrate a special moment but have no one to give a high-five to? Thankfully the problem is solved an “Apparatus for simulating a high-five”, patented in 1993 by Albert Cohen.
Leaf-Gathering Trousers
Gardening can be a real chore, especially in the fall when your precious lawn is littered with fallen leaves. Sure, you could grab a rake or a leaf blower to clear up the debris, but where’s the fun in that? Introducing: leaf-gathering trousers, a wearable alternative to garden maintenance that’s sure to be a blast every time!
Automatic Pet Petter
Pets play a big part in many people’s lives, and if cats and dogs around the world had it their way, we humans would be able to hang out with them all the time. The harsh reality is that most of us have places to be and people to see, and that makes being with your furry companion around the clock an impossible task.
That is until Anthony Steffen filed a patent for the automatic pet petter in 2006. This life-saving device would basically act as a stand-in for genuine human interaction by providing canines and felines alike with a much-needed supply of strokes whenever you’re not around.Finally, fun #patent 4 - comfort your pets when your at work with the Pet Petter #BritishBizParty #51Degrees
The Rocking Bathtub
For most people, taking a bath is an opportunity to relax and unwind, but consider this: what if the bathtub wildly oscillated back and forth like a rocking chair instead? It sounds like total madness but this was a pretty attractive idea in the 19th century, when the Victorians became fixated on the potential health benefits of so-called hydrotherapy.
Apparently, simulating the sensation of ocean waves was thought to magically cure a whole range of ailments, which is precisely why American inventor Otto A Hensel filed a patent for this rocking bathtub in 1899.Bow Street Society Trivia of the Day On 6th January 1899, O.A. Hensel filed a patent application for a "Rocking or Oscillating Bath Tub." You can see the original drawing of the tub here.
The Double Bicycle
Humans often dream about doing things that are beyond their capabilities, like flying or performing a loop-the-loop on a bicycle, but according to German inventor Karl Lange, who filed this patent in 1905, nothing is impossible!
Flaming Trumpet
According to inventor Pat Vidas, who filed this next patent in 1979, traditional musical performances are always much better when they’re accompanied by outlandish special effects, so it made total sense to combine those two things by inventing a total health-and-safety nightmare: the trumpet flamethrower.
Ever thought about adding a little pizzazz to your trumpet playing? Well look no further! This patent for “a flaming trumpet or a musical instrument which emits a flame under the control of the musician playing the instrument” is bound to make for a blazing performance!!
The Gerbil Vest
Why should it be the case that dog owners get to take their pets almost everywhere they go, but when you take your gerbil to the local Walmart, you get disapproving glares? Thanks to Brice Belisle’s 1997 patent for the Gerbil Vest, you no longer have to worry about being ostracised for bringing your hamsters, gerbils, or guinea pigs out in public.
The U.S. Patent Office is 154!! It's seen some prolific inventions, from the electric motor to this gerbil vest: