Five Idiotic Patents You've Probably Never Heard Of

To date, the USPTO has issued over seven million patents - many of them were brilliant. These patents, however, are not amongst them...

#1) U.S. Patent No. 6,263,710: Anti-Abduction Device

“A method of preventing and discouraging the abduction of children and other persons comprising: extending the arms of the person around an object and interconnecting the arms so as to effectively tie that person to the object.”

So let me get this straight... I'm supposed to place these on my child and just hope that he or she doesn't accidentally lock himself around something? Not to mention, if there were an abduction attempt, you've essentially just made your child a sitting duck for an abductor to assault.

#2) U.S. Patent No.1,493,222: Feces Scale

“A weighing device especially adapted for weighing feces as excreted...” “The operation is obvious. After the feces are deposited a reading is made. Then to wash the tray, the finger is pressed down on the cap 18 and the closet simultaneously flushed.”

I am dumbfounded as to why anybody would ever actually need to weight their own feces and urine, and I think that there is little else to be said about the stupidity of this device.

#3) U.S. Patent No. 3,138,870: Vacuum Operated Hair Clipper

“This invention relates to powered clippers of the class operated by attachment to a vacuum cleaner or other air pump, and is particularly directed to certain improvements in air driven clippers productive of greater versatility and increased performance therein.”

So, pretty much what we've got here is the "Suck Cut" from Wayne's World - which by the way, depicts my every thought of what could potentially go wrong with such an asinine device... “Aaaahh! Turn it off man, turn it off! It's sucking my will to live! Oh, the humanity!”

#4) U.S. Patent No. 3,150,831: Birthday Cake Candle Extinguisher

“This invention concerns a candle extinguisher particularly adapted for extinguishing lighted candles on birthday cakes and the like.”

Wow. Yet another testament to humanity's newfound laziness. Apparently, we're so physically inept that we're officially unable to blow out our own freakin' birthday candles? Good God...

#5) U.S. Patent No. 5,392,735: Marine Mammal Communication Device

“An innovative communication device and learning tool that enables marine mammals, such as dolphins, to communicate with humans and with each other. The communication device includes a keyboard having a plurality of hollow keys. Each key includes a switch which can be activated by the dolphin, and a two- or three-dimensional object which can be distinguished by dolphins from other objects in other keys both visually and through echolocation.”

Do people really have this much time on their hands? I mean, what exactly do these people think that they would possibly be able to achieve here? On second thought-I hope that this thing is made one day and the first thing that the dolphins tell us is, “We ate Lassie.”

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Comments (24)
#1 by pablito
Feb 13, 2008
apparently he said he's NOT a pedophile, the feds are trying to kill him, and he's not crazy. hmmm...
#2 by huzzah!
Feb 13, 2008
thank you moderator for deleting that idiot\\\'s comment.

Now, to comment on the page itself: A vacuum powered hair clippers have been sold on television for quite a long time now. The feces weight is absolutely brilliant. The candle extinguisher takes all the fun out of birthday cakes.
#3 by Mik
Feb 13, 2008
Terry,
You need help man,next time you visit the E.R.,request a shrink,or maybe you should right a suspense novel,ha!
#4 by Albert
Feb 13, 2008
The feces scale, would be of use in a hospital, where LNA's and Nurses actually have to do this kind of thing.
#5 by Troy
Feb 13, 2008
Have you ever been to a regular barber shop? The electric clipper that they use are vacuum clippers. Tucked away in the back storage room is a vacuum with hoses tunning up to the chairs. The clippers are used to trim around the neck and ears or to shave the head and the vacuum keeps the hair from falling all over you and the floor.
#6 by me
Feb 13, 2008
"Yet another testament to humanity's newfound laziness."

Umm, the patent clearly says 1964. I guess its newfound in a glacial timeframe....
#7 by poitnlessly sarcastic
Feb 13, 2008
feces scale has medical value.
marine mammal communication, the idea of communicating with dolphins seems absurd, but other then that, underwater enthusiasts would definitely find this of use.

everything else..well those really are just dumb.
#8 by Bill
Feb 13, 2008
Newfound laziness? The photo says Sept 1964!
#9 by Tyfon
Feb 13, 2008
you forgot the guy in AU who patented the wheel back in 2001.
#10 by Mike
Feb 13, 2008
I'd imagine the poopscale is for medical purposes. I can't imagine what it is, but then I'm not a poopdoctor.

Also, I'm not sure what's so idiotic about the whalesong recording devices. Haven't they been aroudn for a while now, what with all the scientists whose entire disciplines are devoted to the study of marine mammals?
#11 by whatever
Feb 13, 2008
I agree with poitnlessly sarcastic - I'm pretty sure that when you're in extended stay in a hospital that they keep track of your "output".
#12 by Tristan
Feb 13, 2008
The mammal communication device was a patent awarded to a Disney research laboratory. The idea that Disney has an animal research lab kind of scares me a bit. I'm no expert, but it seems like Whale Farts are the only noises one could be able to understand.
#13 by David
Feb 13, 2008
I hope that you meant to post the feces scale at number 2. If so, I'm really happy that it came in at number 2...so clever.


#14 by Will
Feb 13, 2008
Yea, the vacuuming clipper is something they have at every military barber. If each employee is shaving 100+ heads of short hair, those clippings would be everywhere. I've had really loud ones used on me that made me think I was going deaf, and I've had ones so quiet you didn't know you were getting your hair cut. Nothing weird/new/strange about this...
#15 by adamwho
Feb 13, 2008
#3 is called the flowbee and exists and is sold on TV
#16 by Punchy
Feb 13, 2008
The birthday candle extinguisher is something that has an actual purpose. My daughter has cerebral palsy and cannot blow out the candles on a cake. One of her occupational therapists made something very similar for her to use and the joy on her face when she was able to put out the candles herself was well worth the $3 that went into making it. But, you wouldn't understand something like that.
#17 by Jack
Feb 13, 2008
While I agree with your assessment of numbers 1, 4, and possibly 5, number 2 and 3 aren't all that bad.

Number 2 is from 1922, and probably had something to do with medicine, like being able to measure the amount of input and the amount of output. Could have it's uses.

Number 3 is a GREAT invention. As a Marine, I have to get a buzz cut EVERY week. All that hair has to go somewhere. I always like it when the person cutting my hair has a vacuum attachment, because that means less hair on me. These are not uncommon at all in barber shops where clippers are the standard hair-cutting tool. Also, this invention is not a knock-off of Wayne's World, as the invention is from 1962.
#18 by Tom Smith
Feb 13, 2008
Regarding #2, obviously you've never seen South Park, and do not realize that men have serious and legitimate competitions to see who can take the biggest crap. There is even an international measurement of feces. It is called the *Couric*. 1 Katie Couric is 8 ounces.
#19 by CorritoBandito
Feb 13, 2008
Hey everybody. Just wanted to let you all know that I really appreciate all of the feedback on my article. Yeah, I admit that the commentary could've been a lot better, but I've also had a lot more experience with humor than I've had with writing, so I'm hopeful my writing skills will improve with the experience. So keep up the feedback. Thanks again!
#20 by Pepe
Feb 14, 2008
dolphins : "Thanks for all the fish!"
#21 by jim jim
Feb 14, 2008
have you ever went to the washroom to do #2 and was proud of yourself. I am sure the weighing device would make you even more proud. That is totally awesome.
#22 by Stephen
Feb 14, 2008
Although I appear to have been beaten to it (dolphins : "Thanks for all the fish!" --Pepe). These creatures could tell us when our planet is about to be blown up to make space for an intergalactic highway.

Also for those of you who are not geeks. I am referring to The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.
#23 by Dani
Feb 14, 2008
#2 - Medical purposes (duh)
#3 - I have a vacuum razor and it's a big help. You can continue to use the normal ones which leaves hair all over yourself, and the ground.
#3 - People who can't do this by themselves or that suffer from a condition. Refer to Punchy. (up there ^)
#4 - This isn't a stupid idea. Just another way to understand how things work. Don't think yourself so unbelievably educated that it couldn't help to learn anything else.

I wish you better luck on your next article! =]
#24 by Alexa Gates
Feb 15, 2008
What were those inventors thinking? Great article!
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