A pipe fitting that would be a combination check valve and a globe valve. Why not a ball knuckle on a stem to mate with a socket on a clapper?
By A.Weigle, Newberry, S.C.
January 1962
Creative Ideas From The Past
A combination door and cap for automobile gas tanks would eliminate reaching behind the access door. The cap would be made out of soft rubber and attached to the door with an extended spring.
By N.G.K Bler, Rome, New York.
January 1962
Here is an idea for sandpaper shoe soles. They’d be ideal for icy weather. They would have contact adhesive on the back. You would strip them off and discard them when indoors.
By Dr. S.M.Dooreck, Brooklyn, New York.
January 1962
Not quite sandpaper soles but you can purchase Self-Adhesive Anti-Slip Stick Pad for Shoes from Amazon by clicking on the image below. (affiliate link)
Non-tangling cords on an electric drill and similar shop equipment. Why can’t they be sold with the self-coiling wire now commonly used on telephones?
By W.C.Fox, Nampa, Idaho.
January 1961
Nowadays, I’d guess you would simply purchase yourself a cordless drill such as this one below from Amazo. Click on the image for more details. (affiliate link)
A splinter removing kit for homework shoppers. It would contain all the tools needed for first aid: magnifying glass, tweezers, needle, antiseptic.
By Robert Falk, Chicago.
January 1961
You can purchase something pretty similar to this on Amazon by clicking on the image below! (affiliate link)
A tripod flashlight stand, adjustable for height, that would swivel at various angles and lock. This would leave both hands free for the workman.
By H.G.Frank, Teaneck, N.J.
January 1961
You can purchase a flashlight pre-mounted on a tripod stand from Amazon by clicking on the image below. (affiliate link)
A heat dispensing fan flat enough to hang between the wall and radiator where heat gets pocketed. It would operate much as a car heater does.
By A.K.Baldenweck, Kirkwood, Mo.
January 1961
You can purchase a standalone electric fan heater from Amazon. (affiliate link)
Travel records with music between route directions for use in phonograph-equipped cars. They’d be cheap paper disks to replace unwieldy road maps.
By T.N.Rizzo, Brooklyn, New York.
January 1961
Personally I’m amazed that cars ever played vinyl records. They can’t have sounded too great when going over a bumpy road, surely the needle would be jumping all over the place.
If you’d like to relive a bit of retro LP playing then you might want a portable LP player such as this one available from Amazon! Please click the image for details… (affiliate link)
Automatically dispensed fish food so fish fanciers could get away for a weekend. Capsules within capsules would dissolve, one every 24 hours.
By Verda Ross, San Bernardino, California.
January 1960
You can purchase a fish-food dispenser from Amazon. (affiliate link)
A disposable toothbrush of tough paper or flexible plastic with plastic bristles. Tubular to fit over the index finger, it would need no handle.
By S.S.Smith, Oak Park, Mich.
January 1960
You can purchase a pack of disposable toothbrushes from Amazon by clicking on the image below. (affiliate link)
