Ted VanCleave runs totallyabsurd.com, a website featuring America’s goofiest patents including the “Dimple Drill,” an 1896 invention for self-made dimples, and the “Gerbil Shirt,” a shirt with plastic tube passageways so you can always keep your gerbil near.
VanCleave says all the inventions on his site hold a U.S. patent, which costs around $1,500 and takes a couple years to obtain.
That means inventors of the totally absurd creations truly believe their ideas are good enough for the market.
VanCleave – who’s attempted to invent things himself, like an “inflatable greeting card” that blows itself up upon opening – says some ideas show promise despite their silliness.
For instance, he’d be interested to use “Hospital Happiness,” a modesty flap of fabric that attaches to the open end of a hospital gown, and “Floating Furniture,” a helium-filled mattress that floats to the ceiling when not in use to give your home more space.
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