Famous Inventors

While the majority of the population continues to maintain the status quo, a very small minority work to change it. Throughout history, there have been only a handful of famous inventors -- and each one of them has had a significant impact on the way we live our lives today. From the first telephone, to the very harnessing of electricity, these men are truly the pioneers of society. In honor of their handwork and dedication, here's a short list of history's most famous inventors. 

Thomas Edison

Thomas Edison is best known for the invention of the first every phonograph. The phonograph allowed users of the telephones to leave each other messages, by physically engraving these messages on a tin foil cylinder with the help of a stylus. Edison went on to do a great many things in the fields of electricity, audio and film devices, light bulbs and more.

Eli Whitney

Eli Whitney played a significant role in the industrial revolution, and specifically the expedition of agricultural gathering. He is most famous for the invention of the cotton gin in 1794; the cotton gin quickly separated hulls, seeds and other contaminants found in cotton. Unfortunately for Eli, he made almost no money from his invention due to poorly-worded patent laws that were in effect when his invention was constructed. However, Eli didn't just stop at the cotton gin and also created a way to manufacture muskets with interchangeable parts -- by this time, patent laws had been reconstructed and he deservedly made quite a bit of money. 

Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin is one of the most prolific inventors in our history, churning out inventions his entire life. Not only did he invent the lightning rod, giving us the ability to harness the awesome power of lightning, he also created the iron furnace stove, the odometer and bifocal glasses! A scientist, publisher and a statesman, Benjamin went on to contribute a great wealth of knowledge to his fellow humans throughout his lifetime. 

Alexander Graham Bell

Undoubtedly one of the most famous inventors in all of human history, Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone at the young age of just 29, and just a year letter started the Bell Telephone Company. Despite the immense riches that he received through his invention and company, he continued to relentlessly pursue new ideas purely for the sake of intellectual curiosity. From this curiosity stemmed the "photophone", the first device ever conceived with the ability to transmit sound on beams of light. Graham called this the "greatest invention he had ever created, better than the telephone", and is still used today as the basis of laser and fiber optic technology.


While usually eccentric, sensitive, and occasionally overbearing, inventors are none-the-less an integral part of society. While they may not fit in with everybody else, they usually prefer it that way, tending to their projects without the everyday distractions of life. While we tend to take much of our modern day technology for granted, we truly owe our respects to these great men.

The 2012 Davison-Developed Fall Pugz Line Hits Stores!

Showcased at the front of aisles at two local Petco stores in Pittsburgh are Davison-developed dog products.  The aisles contain dog leashes, beds, coats, leg warmers, harnesses and boots.  In front of the aisles feature Pugz’s signature faux suede and fleece combination.  The visual appeal of these endcaps is sure to capture the attention of Petco customers shopping anywhere near the dog designs.

An ecstatic CEO George Davison made an appearance at the store to check out the products on the shelves. He calls the Petco Pugz endcaps a defining moment in company history and compares the excitement of seeing all of these Pugz products in one space to the excitement of “stepping to the plate and hitting a grand slam.” 

“When you allow yourself to dream, you are opening yourself up for a lot of pain if stuff doesn’t work out, which I’m used to. Because of the continual effort at absorbing risks and overcoming challenges this is what can happen if you believe. If you don’t believe and have enough character, the dreams aren’t possible,” says Davison.

Pugz boots keep small dogs’ little paws from freezing in cold weather.  These boots will keep the dog’s paws warm so that they can walk and play outside even on the coldest days.  The boots are made with faux leather and faux wool which will also keep paws dry. 

Pugz has leg warmers to go along with the boots that help to keep a dog’s legs warm.  To finish off the outdoor apparel, dog-owners can also purchase a Pugz Harness, which according to Davison, is a better solution to the collar.  The harness reduces stress and strain when dogs tend to pull during walks. 

The Fall Pugz collection also features the Box Bed, which allows a pet to snuggle into comfortable luxury.  The bed has a sturdy, cushioned base and the sides create a comfortable atmosphere for your pet to snuggle up, get comfortable and relax.  For mobility, the bed is lightweight and can be machine washed. 

Davison attributes the success of Pugz and other Davison products to the Davison methodology, which George Davison has been constructing and shaping for over 20 years.

“We have to have really good soils to grow our seeds,” says Davison.  “This is the combination of Inventionland and our methodology to have not only one, but all of those hit the shelf.”

The 2012 Fall Pugz line is now available in Petco and Bed, Bath & Beyond.

The typical project is not licensed, sold in stores or profitable.

New Toy Inventions

2012 was a banner year for new inventions in the toy industry. The variety of toys to choose from has never been bigger than it is right now. Here are a few of the new toys introduced in 2012:

Vtech Switch & Go Dinos
This toy can transform from a vehicle to a dinosaur and back again in a few easy steps. This particular line contains seven toys. Since this is a Vtech toy, that is not all that they do. Each toy includes an LCD screen that shows educational dinosaur facts, vehicle and dinosaur sound effects and customized animation. It is made for ages 3 to 8.

Barbie Photo Fashion Doll
Barbie has always been a natural in front of the camera. However, now she has actually become the camera. Since most cell phones now contain a digital camera, it was only a matter of time before a Barbie doll had a digital camera built inside like this one does. Children can snap photos that are displayed on Barbie’s T-shirt. The doll also contains preloaded graphics that allow the child to change Barbie’s look. When there is no space left on the camera, the photos can be transferred to a computer hard drive. There is a website associated with the doll that allows kids to custom make their photos with various Barbie backgrounds. This doll is made for ages 6 and up.

Sbyke S-16
Do you have a young child that wants to join the bigger kids that are riding scooters? The Sbyke S-16 can help your child keep up with the bigger kids and train for riding a real scooter at the same time. The large wheel helps to keep the bike steady, while the wide deck will allow your child to keep their feet side by side. It includes a hand brake and rear steering. The fact that it is constructed out of lightweight materials makes it easy to lift and put in your trunk for transportation. It is made for children up to age 8.

Crayola Digital Light Designer
Old-school “coloring” will never be the same after this imaginative offering from Crayola. It uses a digital light stylus that is on a 360-degree dome. This allows children to draw using colored LED lights. They can choose to draw freehand, create animation or choose from the available activities and games. Up to 50 of the child’s creations can be stored for later playback. It is designed for children 6 and up.

K’NEX Atomic Coaster
The latest in a line of new inventions from K’NEX is a four foot tall roller coaster. It features two cars that roar to the finish along a brightly colored track that is 37 feet long. A mechanical pulley raises both cars to the beginning of the track. Children will enjoy building the roller coaster step by step. The coaster is designed for ages 9 and up.

This is just a small handful on the new inventions for toys in 2012. There are many more on the horizon. The toy industry is a competitive market. This competition between toy manufacturers can only benefit the consumer. Companies will continue to keep churning out inventive toys to educate and entertain children everywhere.

Patenting an Invention for the Bathroom

Patenting an invention is one of several ways for inventors to protect their intellectual property.  A patent is legal protection of a design, process or other patentable property that is novel. The protection lasts for a specified period, at the end of which the invention becomes part of the public domain. A patent gives the owner the right to exclude others from making, using, selling, trading or importing the invention or process that the patent holder has devised.

Patents can be acquired for a wide variety of inventions, and today there are many ideas and innovations that enhance the function of the bathroom.  If you are in the process of inventing a new product for bathrooms, take a look at some of these unique patents.

The Bathroom Sauna (U.S. Patent No. 8132795) provides for a way for individuals to have the luxury of a sauna atmosphere without the expensive outlay of building a discrete sauna structure. There were devices that existed before, the application explains, but their functionality was limited to only heating the air, as opposed to providing the full sauna effect of heat and humidity. As a result of this, the inventors assert, “When a bathing person wipes sweat off with a towel, skin surface lipids and the like components essential for keeping the skin moisture may sometimes be inadvertently removed together with sweat. Even if he or she applies a cosmetic lotion to the skin, it might flow down together with the sweat, nullifying the effect of skin moistening. Further, the skin surface lipids and the like moisture-keeping component might be washed off by the sweat.” This outcome is not optimal, the application asserts, because the beautifying aspects of sauna bathing are supposed to preserve an intrinsic moisture-keeping mechanism of the skin. This invention, however, provides for both heat and humidity, and specifically maintains an environmental heat that is just below the level at which sauna bathers would begin to sweat naturally. The invention includes a device for heating the air of the bathroom chamber, a device for adding moisture content to the air, and a pathway system for sending the air into the bathroom. As well, the invention includes devices that are designed to keep the temperature and humidity of the air that is sent into the bathroom at a level that provides the best benefits to the bather, without inducing sweating, and the exterior controls by which the bather can activate the system.

The Bathroom Vanity with Weigh Scale Storage (U.S. Patent No. 7355131) addresses an issue that a growing number of health-conscious individuals have; the desire to have a weigh scale available to track weight, without taking up the limited space in the bathroom area. The application for the patent explains that with the growing number of health-conscious individuals, scales for tracking weight have become an increasingly popular item. The design of most bathrooms, however, provides for only very limited floor space, which means that in order to keep one, most users either must maneuver around the item on the floor to keep it accessible, or store it in a cupboard or cabinet, which entails with it the need to remove it from the storage area to use it. This, in turn results in less use of the scale, as well as decreasing the convenience of having a scale available to monitor weight. In response to this, the invention would provide a standard-sized bathroom vanity arrangement, with sink and faucet and storage unit available for regular use; however, it would differ in providing the owner of the product with a kick-panel, wherein a scale could be stored. When closed, the kick panel unobtrusively holds the scale, freeing up the floor space. When the kick panel is engaged, the scale swings out, and is available for standing on for the purposes of getting the desired information. The invention also discusses the preference of the scale providing an output of its readings to a digital display on the vanity for ease.

The Bathroom Mirror Defogger (U.S. Patent No. 4037079) combined functionality and form to solve a problem in an innovative way. The application for the patent accepts that there are already products that existed at the time that allow for users to remove condensation from bathroom mirrors. However, the inventor asserts, the previous inventions suffer from an inadequacy of performance, as well as the fact that the apparatus was aesthetically unpleasing. The previous inventions were inefficient, the application argues, and the assembly of the blower portion is not able to maintain the full viewing surface of the mirror free of condensation. In patenting an invention, as in this example, it is important to keep in mind specific claims that can be made for your product. This invention improves upon existing products, rather than creating an entirely new one; as such, the inventor explains that the objectives will be to provide for a curtain of heated air, rather than a non-uniform jet of air, for example. The product is also aesthetically pleasing, with the design required to blend into standard bathroom fixtures and become unnoticeable. The concept of this item also serves to not only disperse the condensation, but also to prevent its recurrence during operation, because of the mechanism of the blower spreading out a uniform amount of heated air over the entire reflective surface. Importantly, the invention also conforms to conventional forms of manufacturing, which means that it is easy to assemble and install, as well as economically feasible for purchase.

There are many aspiring inventors out there.  In order to spend their time and money wisely, it is crucial for them to understand when and how to patent, or whether you even need one at all.  Many people believe that patenting their idea right away is what they need to do and this is not always the best idea.  Smart inventors and reputable inventing companies know that it is best to leave the patenting towards the end of the inventing process, after the idea has been improved and perfected as much as possible.  Remember that you can also team up with an inventing company.    The experienced employees of these companies have a better understanding of what it takes to make your product successful and can be extremely helpful.  

A typical project is not licensed, sold in stores or profitable.  

Most Technologically Advanced Tool Inventions

Heading into the 21^st Century, tool inventors are becoming more innovative thanks to the demands of the market. New tools are replacing old standbys, delivering on promises of lighter weight, easier operation, and compact design aesthetics. The need to build not only cheaply but also quickly has inspired inventors to develop tools and methods that were previously unimaginable, and the DIY ethic of 21^st Century civilization has highlighted the need for tools that solve problems. Some of these inventions are the result of applying existing technologies to new problems, and some are entirely new ideas.

3D Printing Construction is an exciting new possibility in the world of construction. In a recent presentation, Dr. Behrokh Khoshnevis, a University of Southern California engineering professor, showed a prototype 3D printer that he said may one day construct buildings in 20 hours. The printer extrudes a special composite fiber concrete to build a six-foot wall in layers. The accompanying computer animation showed what the entire process would most likely look like, complete with full scale walls, plumbing, and electrical wiring built into the plans. The professor explained that he first developed the idea while repairing cracks in his house after the 1994 Northridge earthquake; he wondered why there wasn’t yet a better, easier way to manage construction. Using his experience in rapid prototyping technologies, Dr. Khoshnevis’s first machines were capable of building small clay structures, with a CAD program dictating the design. Over time, he developed the technology from building small clay structures; he worked with a company to develop a special form of concrete that would support itself through the construction process, instead of requiring molds. The process also allows for what he calls contour crafting. He predicts industry-wide use of the technology by 2020, at a cost of a few hundred thousand dollars per machine, and by 2025, Dr. Khoshnevis believes that contour crafting will be nearly ubiquitous.

For those builders interested in improvements on the old-fashioned approaches, several new tools have recently been introduced; for example the Paslode TetraGrip Subfloor Fastening System. The product is a pneumatic coil nailing system—the nail features a barbed, threaded shaft which twists as it’s driven. The product essentially functions as a floor screw, but is installed as easily as a nail. The proprietary pneumatic nailer holds a coil of 120 fasteners.

Another important new innovation for building enthusiasts and professionals is the Bosch GTS1031 10 inch Worksite Table Saw. The distinction that this product carries is that it has a lightweight construction with a steel roll cage which not only allows it to survive harsh conditions at job sites, but also enables easy carrying of the table saw by hand, a first for the product type. The compact saw provides all of the features the user needs, but without bulk and weight.

These inventions and many more demonstrate that tool technology is becoming more and more important in the 21^st Century. Tool inventors should keep in mind that buyers are looking for tools that solve problems, such as making building and repairing quicker and easier, or taking care of issues such as limiting expenses. As more and more individuals become interested in DIY projects, making building and repair tools more consumer-friendly is another approach that inventors are taking.