Path of Progress

Inventions recently granted patents by the U.S. Patent Office:

P: A fighter plane with teeth that work--suggested by the sharks' teeth painted on the Flying Tigers' P-4OS. The plane has a retractable sawtooth bar which can be thrust out below the wings to cut an enemy plane to pieces. One of its two inventors is Brigadier General Robert Kauch of the Army Air Forces.

P: A telescopic sighting device for football linesmen, avoiding the necessity of trotting on the field to measure a close first down.

P: An ultraviolet radiation system for theaters, offering the double advantage of making fluorescent-coated aisles and seats visible and giving the audience an ultraviolet bath.

P: A timing mechanism making possible synchronized skywriting by squadrons of airplanes.

P: An electrically heated overcoat, with suitcase for carrying the batteries.

P: An inflated plane-landing platform, which can be rolled out from a ship's side and laid on the sea like a carpet.

P: A metal foot protector that fits over the shoe and prevents toes from being smashed by falling objects or careless steppers.

P: A nursing bottle with built-in thermometer.

P: A perforated airplane propeller, to reduce propeller noise.

P: A two-speed parachute, which, by regulating the size of the bellied umbrella, offers users the choice of fast or slow descent.

P: A windshield wiper for eyeglasses (originally introduced by Comic Ed Wynn, in The Perfect Fool).

P: A seeing-eye device for automobile steering, which automatically keeps the car on a painted white line in the middle of the road.

P: Night-fishing equipment with a float which flashes a light when a fish bites.

P: Sinkers for ice cubes, to keep the ice away from the eager lips of highball drinkers.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.